New born photos

There isn't too much variety (it didn't take long for her to decide she wasn't having fun anymore) but I think I snagged a few good shots to work with.  Here's just a taste:

Basking in the sun

Sis. Sassafras 

The Nitty-Gritty and The Beauty Beneath It All

Leone turns four weeks old this week, but it seems ages ago that she was born.  I still haven't taken her newborn pictures to send out with the announcements but it's on my "To Do" list.  Life with a newborn moves at a different pace so I'm just now getting around to posting about her birth.  Here's how it happened:

The One

Time flies when you're having fun.  Spencer and I have reached the one year milestone!  It's been the best year of our lives (we both agree), full of fun and adventure.  Marriage really is great, we believe it's everything it's cracked up to be.  Marriage, like life, is not always easy but it is so much more enjoyable when your favorite person is along for the ride.  To celebrate we went out to dinner and then to see The Sound of Music on Saturday.  On Sunday we taught our last primary lesson and Spencer taught Elder's Quorum, then home teaching, and finally we soaked up every anticipated minute of our picnic up the canyon. We recreated our reception with french bread, camembert and smoked gouda cheese, cherries (those were actually from the honeymoon not the reception), and fruit dip with apples, pears, and grapes.  I brought along the portable iPod dock and we played music from our reception.   

We love taking every opportunity to eat outdoors, especially up the canyon.  We found a secluded little spot under the trees and right next to the river.  The sky had been overcast all day so the weather was perfect!

The entire day was perfect...just like our wedding 365 days ago.  Here are some pictures to prove it:

Oh what do you do in the summer time...?

With the curtains, diapers, nursing cover, sling (which was a fail by the way...not completely and utterly...but a note to self:  make it AFTER the baby comes so the measurements are accurate), freezer meals, the crib and rocking chair corners organized, and one novel (Great Expectations by Dickens, a little slow at the start but the momentum picks up as it goes), finished I've been at a bit of a loss as to what to do while we wait for petit bebe to arrive.  I see Spencer off to work every morning and then pretty much have the day to myself.  I've started creating little day projects here and there to keep from going crazy.  I try to keep it simple so as not to get into anything I won't be able to finish.

The Waiting Game

Our baby is 37 going on 38 weeks so we are officially "full term"!  Although she could come any day now it's likely that we have at least another week or two before she shows her lovely face.  Just within the past week I've had many requests for a picture of me at this point in my pregnancy.  Frankly, I'm feeling large-and-in-charge and the July heat has brought on swelling in my ankles that elephants would envy.  Other than the swelling and a desperate need for anything and all things cold (be it the a/c, swimming pool, Otter Pops, a jug of ice water..) I feel great!  I definitely feel like I'm slowing down a bit, but I think it has more to do with the heat than anything else.  This entire pregnancy I have felt so blessed to be so comfortable and to go about my typical way of life without much alteration or interruption.  I wouldn't have been able to make it through work or this summer without the blessing of a loving Heavenly Father to answer my prayers and give me the strength to keep moving forward.  Second to that, but in no way less, is a supportive husband and family.  All have made a world of difference.  Here are the pictures you've all been waiting for.  I decided to do a little time line just in case anyone else has forgotten where I started and where we are now.  

More than I can chew?

June was a whirlwind of activity and today is the first day I feel as though I can take a deep breath and slow my pace a bit.  I was all over the place in June:  finishing up work, cooking double meals to freeze one for later, cleaning, sewing, sewing, and more sewing.  There are still things to do but the BIG projects are finished. 

Speaking of GaRgANtuAN projects:

Scots, an Empathy Belly, and Dads

Earlier in June we went to the Scottish festival!  We didn't go last year because we were busy with the wedding so we were ready to go this year.  Thanks to Randi and Steven we have a free annual pass to Thanksgiving Point and we're looking forward to exploring more of the gardens and festivals they have to offer. We meandered around the booths and watched the highland games and some of the pipe and drum competition.  It's a fairly predictable festival since they have the same events every year but it's still fun to listen to the bagpipes in person and what better excuse for Spencer to wear his tartan vest and tie than at a Scottish festival?