Haircut

Although I LOVE LOVE LOVE the curls - my little guy needed a little trim.

His bangs were hanging in his eyes and the curls turned into a hot mess
10 minutes after being combed.

So I asked him what he thought...

and into the tub he went. I watched my mom cut my nephew's hair this way -
and it is genius. They are distracted by toys and you just snip away.

The curls are still there - just a little less mullet.

Thanksgiving

Before Thanksgiving - I had never been to Rexburg, Idaho. All three of my sisters have at one time or another lived there - but I have never made it up there to visit. This year - four of the five Clason girls (we missed you Toria!) decided to put on a holiday feast and spend the weekend with my sister Cat and brother in law Dan - in icy cold Rexburg.

Only it was wasn't too cold and I saw NO ice at all. A perfect introduction for this sunshine loving girl.

I was introduced to the wonders of WINCO, saw TWO movies at The REX, and had the time of my life cooking and spending time with my sisters.

We made enough food to feed 50, even though we numbered just 8 - and we all enjoyed our fair share of breakfast pie, brunch pie, lunch pie, pre-afternoon-nap pie, post-nap pie, dinner pie, and late-night pie for the next couple of days.

Everything went smoothly for the first 24 hours - then poor little Claire burned her hand on the fireplace glass, Harrison decided to cry and be awake torturing his poor parents from midnight until 4am, Claire didn't want to be left out of nighttime drama and so began a night of throwing up the next night, and we left feeling 100% exhausted but happy at the same time (the life of a mother?? perhaps.)

I loved visiting Rexburg and can't wait to go back this summer and do some sightseeing at Jackson Hole and Yellwstone!

Harrison-isms at 17 months

I just love this picture of Harrison, Claire and I. It really has nothing to do with this post - I just like it.

-------Anyway-------

So our little guy is quite the talker. This makes for some pretty good laughs when words just don't come out quite right.

So I have provided a cheat sheet for those who will be having conversations with him in the near future......

F-Word (you know the one) = Frog, Fox, or Fork depending on context

Heeeeef = Uncle Heath

Nanna = Banana or his actual Nanna (my mom)

Doser = Bulldozer

Tuck = Truck

Ty-ang-ul = Triangle (thanks Sesame Street)

Dye-soar = Dinosaur (always followed by a roar)

Pansss = Pants (translation: get them off me) always followed by a collapse on the floor and tears - he HATES pants

O-gurrt = yogurt

jaf = Giraffe

Guh-ma = Grandma

Guhmpa = Grandpa

Lithey = Aunt Lizzy

Side = Outisde (as in NOW!)

Pow = Snowplow

You get the idea. I love listening to him try to mimic everything I say. It's hilarious.

One other funny story..................

He LOVES animals and ALWAYS points them out as we walk/drive along the street. I laughed so VERY hard the other day when I heard him shout "COW" from the back seat as we were stopped at a stoplight. I looked over to see what he was pointing at and saw this:

He then moo'd all the way up the block.

All I could say was 'YES Harrison ------ that was a cow.'

**This of course is not the ACTUAL dog we saw - but it looked exactly the same and was just as big. Who breeds dalmatians and Great Danes anyway?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

I come from a family of artists. Both grandparents on my moms side, my mom and every single one of her siblings, and now my sister.

She is talented beyond words - and is spreading some Christmas cheer for a family who is going through some rough times through her beautiful designs. She has designed several different Holiday cards that are for sale through her blog. She donated all the design time, and a donation will be made to the Nielsen Recovery Fund with every purchase, you pay for printing only. Check them out!

My goal is to get Christmas cards out right after Thanksgiving so everyone will have our new address.....wish me luck!

Throwback Thursday: Back when my hair was blonde

I am NOT the world's best journal keeper - so I have decided to do Throwback Thursday's every week, and pick a random memory/picture and write about it. So if you knew me pre-marriage to Jordan (that is my own definition of 'throwback') then you are fair game and might show up in an incriminating picture. Also.....I will write the story as I remember it - so some facts may be a little off and certain things will be edited out......

Think big hair, velvet prom dresses, braces, perms, Doc Martins, denim shirts, Esprit bags, scrunchies, college dorms, hitchhiking in Hawaii......you get the picture. I would be afraid if you knew me back in the day - I have some doozies in my photo collection.

SO...

I thought I would start out with a pretty mild picture - but one that brings back very fond memories of my family...

Setting: Snake River, Jackson Hole, Wyoming - circa 2001

Cost: One case of beer

My brother Matt spent a couple of summers as a white water river guide on the Snake. So we all entrusted our lives to him, gave the guy at the rental shop a case of beer for payment, and off we went (sorry mom!).

We had such a wonderful time - laughing, getting thrown out of the raft, getting to know Toria (she was dating John at the time), and totally trusting Matt to get us down the river safely. Thank goodness for the Dirty Purple (Matt's life vest) and all its gadgets.

We also explored Jackson, took the tram up to the top of the Tetons and had a rip-roaring time at the Bar-J ranch. It was a perfect weekend with my awesome family.

Dinosaur ROAR!

My mom sent Harrison the cutest little Halloween package.

Contents:

1 tiny pumpkin that fits in his hand (he calls it an apple)

1 gorilla cape (since he now beats his chest and grunts when you ask him what a gorilla says)

1 monkey bath toy (that he makes me wind up 4 million times a day)

1 book - Dinosaur ROAR!

When I first showed him the book he sucked in his breath and then started roaring like a T-Rex. He roars at every page (even though it has been read to him countless times) and still gets so excited every time he sees it. We took it to church last week - BIG mistake - he had himself a little roar-fest on the back row and entertained us all.

Thanks mom! PERFECT gifts for a little person who is ALL BOY.

Privacy Please!

When we moved in to our lovely little home - these wall of bushes line the east side of the lot. While at first glance they look rather lovely - at second glance they are not. They show every second of the fifty-or-so years of neglect they have endured. The base of each bush has grown into thick, weak, wood and the branches are spindly and thinning. And because there were two huge gaps along the side of the property, and Harrison can now walk......a real privacy fence was needed.

Seriously.....this is what we were up against.......

One of the gaps in the "natural fence" as I like to call it - was partially taken up by this lovely dead apple tree. Which according to the little old lady down the street - produced one tiny little apple two years ago. Since then...........nothing.

So.........we recruited our friends and family and got to work............

and then the great stump dig out began (by Jordan)............

FINALLY! We were ready for a fence........

and finally a little tan vinyl privacy!

On a side note......we will be re-planting new shrubs and bushes this spring......we have lots more fencing to do.......and we were thanked by several parents of trick-or-treaters this past Halloween for taking out the scary bushes along the sidewalk that EVERYONE was scared to walk past.

Pumpkins, Leaves, and a Tiger

Since Harrison can now walk and can function pleasantly in public - our Fall activities have been MUCH more enjoyable than last year.

I took H to Gardner Village here in Salt Lake - where we attempted a photo shoot with some pumpkins. I think he may have a future in this sort of thing....get a load of the pose on the right. He is telling me something with those eyes.....

Then on to the ward Trunk-or-Treat where he spent the majority of the evening dancing in the middle of the gym to Monster Mash and roaring like the fierce tiger that he is. His Uncle Heath held his hand and walked him around outside where he just laughed and laughed at all the costumes - never scared - just kept laughing.

And then our little family...with H clutching tight to his little pumpkin from Nanna.

Jordan and I don't really get into Halloween as far as costumes go - maybe next year when we actually go trick-or-treating. But for perhaps the last time for many Halloweens to come, we enjoyed a nice warm night at home handing out candy to scary ghosts, and fairy princesses. I thought Harrison would be scared of some of the masks that the kids were wearing - but he just laughed and laughed. Especially at the the really bloody, gross, scary ones......should I be concerned?

Flowers

At the end of a LONG winter...4/25/08

At the end of a beautiful summer...10/10/08

As a result of 40 or so years of neglect, we did nothing this summer but tear out, dig up and prune our yard. This front flower bed is the only place where I actually put something into the ground. I thought they would never grow - but they ended up being quite beautiful. Not too bad for my first attempt at gardening.

The backyard is a long and tiring story for another day.

16 Months

I went to a baby shower last week for a good friend who is having her first little one. I took a tour of the nursery she had put together so perfectly, watched her open gifts of pink, and listened to stories of others sharing their baby secrets - and I found myself thinking of my Harrison.

I thought about how the first 7 months after his birth I spent my evenings bouncing on a yoga ball with him tightly swaddled in my arms trying to calm the never ending tears.

I thought about my never ending tears.

And then I smiled. A great big you-couldn't-possibly-know- what-I-am-thinking-smile.

And I thought about how this little person - who was so hard at the beginning - makes me smile and laugh every day.

I thought about how he runs around the house - losing his balance more often than not - squealing with joy as I chase him.

I thought about how he is now trying so hard to mimic every word that I say and succeeding some of the time.

I thought about how sometimes I cry thinking about how much I love him.

I thought about how he runs to the door anytime he hears footsteps on the front porch and yells 'DADDY!!'.

And I thought.....I am a lucky girl.

Animals

Harrison likes to line up all his animals on the coffee table and then put them in the drawers one by one. We have tried to catch it on tape but he seems to always get sidetracked halfway through. Tonight we got a pretty good clip of him identifying them - so here you go Nanna and Grandpa - another video clip for you....




Harrison loves his animals. He leaves them all around the house in every nook and cranny he can find. In cupboards, under cushions, on books in the bookcase, under the table, on the chairs, in the salad spinner....you get the idea. He eventually comes back to them all and they are rearranged later on. I love it. Today we went to the bank (of course we can't leave the house without an animal in each hand) and the teller was going crazy because Harrison kept waving his Giraffe and his Cheetah wildly at her. He has a way with the ladies.

H Taking Care of Business

There must be some pretty serious matters on the table for H and Elmo to have such lengthy negotiations over the phone. Harrison's tactics of continually re-greeting Elmo with a drawn out "Hi's", and lazy "yeah" responses are blocked again and again with Elmo's singing and counting retorts. (In other words, Harrison really enjoys talking on his Elmo phone)

Note his most excellent pajamas.



And, for the sake of the grandparents, another seven-hour clip of Harrison walking.

Happy Birthday to my little brother

I have the most wonderful little brother in the world. Two years and one day separate us - and my life is better because he was born. He has entertained me since he was born with his incredible sense of humor, wowed me with his unparalleled intelligence, and lives a full and exciting life that I love him for.

I LOVE this picture of him. It was taken at the Heaton Ranch - where many of my fondest childhood memories took place. I think it captures his vibrant personality perfectly. Always the funny man.

- and so, to my little brother -

Happy Birthday from your biggest fan - I love you.

A Birthday to remember

My birthday this year was divided into three very different but wonderful blocks of time....

#1
In our backyard is a 24'x14' patch of dirt that has done nothing but grow weeds, accumulate yard waste and be a hideout for rats (this is unconfirmed - but in my mind rats were definitely out there). So yesterday I was driving past nursery near my house and I pulled right in, inquired about fresh sod, and purchased it on the spot. I am sick of the giant eyesore in my backyard.

So for our Friday night date, Jordan and I - along with help from my sister Liz and her hubby Heath - weeded, dug, raked and leveled until dark. I could barely contain my happiness at the thought of FINALLY having some grass there.

So on the morning of my birthday (since sleeping in is a luxury lost about 15 months ago), we had breakfast as a little family, headed off to the nursery, picked up the sod, set up a Harrison friendly station outside, and got to work.

One last look......

and then....perfect.

I couldn't stop looking at it all day long and cannot explain my happiness.

Jordan's mom came over to help with Harrison - THANK YOU! She followed him around the yard as he explored lots of dirt, climbed the stairs up to the back deck, pushed the yard cart, and filled his tummy with water from the hose (don't worry, it's house water). We couldn't have gotten it all done without her!

P.S. - The stump in the middle of the yard? It is coming out on the 26th. Can't wait.

#2
After the yard work and showers - Jordan took Harrison for the day up to his parents house for some football - and I was off.

I shopped.

Went out for lunch.

Shopped some more.

Spent an hour at the salon getting my hair cut and styled.

And just enjoyed taking my time in whatever stores I wanted to go in. I bought some fabulous new things - and loved every minute of it.



#3
I knew Jordan had planned a date for us that night - so I returned home - got all fancied up, put on my new black heels, kissed the babe goodbye and we were off. Once we were in the car Jordan told me we were headed up to the Goldener Hirsch Inn in Park City for dinner. Sound Fancy? It was. The drive up the canyon was breathtaking. The leaves are beginning to change here in Utah - and if you have never seen it....you should.

The restaurant was gorgeous - like being in a small village in Europe. The food was fancy and delicious, and there was no one I would have rather been there with than my handsome husband. It was perfect.

During dinner he said he had one more gift for me - reached into his pocket and pulled out this beautiful room key. He had booked a room there at the inn for the night. I was shocked - but he had thought of everything. He had packed me a bag, taken care of arrangements for Harrison for the night - my first EVER away from him (BLESS YOU - LIZ AND HEATH), and just did all he could so that I could just relax and have a night away.

The room was picture perfect and I even took a bubble bath (anyone that knows me knows how picky I am about the cleanliness of tubs. And YES - it was THAT clean - believe me I checked). I enjoyed a wonderful nights sleep, a delicious breakfast and then a MORNING NAP! It was perfect and I loved every minute of it. Thank you to the very thoughtful man in my life for making my birthday so perfect.

Look who's.........

Eating.......

Climbing.......

and WALKING!

Just when I think I am going to lose it if I step in one more surprise on the kitchen floor, refold and put back the contents of my dresser drawers one more time,
and upright the entry table that has once again crashed to the floor...

I see this.....total elation and total sweetness.....and everything is just perfect.

In the personal interest of documentation:

Harrison is 15 months old this month, has six teeth (two more are trying to bust through), began taking more than 2 steps between the coffee table and couch on the 4th of September when he walked 4 steps, walked 8 steps the next day, 8 more the next, and then 17 big ones down the hall from his bedroom. Since then, he has improved each day and is now darting around the house opening everything that has hinges, climbing everything that he can get his chubby legs up on, and basically destroying the house!

He LOVES his animals and can correctly identify about 20. Walrus, Sea Lion, Hippo, and Giraffe seem to be his favorites. He carries them EVERYWHERE he goes - and makes the most hilarious pig noise/scrunched up face you have ever seen whenever he plays with the pig.

It is so much fun to have him understand things that I say, and try to mimic the words I am trying to teach him. He now says 'bye' when you leave, 'hi' when he sees you, 'uh-oh' when he drops something, and 'yeah' to almost every question you ask him! Hilarious.

He also LOVES anything with an engine. He drives his cars and trucks all around the house making engine noises the entire time - and every time he hears a car/truck outside he points to the door, makes his engine noises, and tries to get to the window as fast as he can to see what is making all the racket. Today we watched our neighbor edge and mow our lawn from the front window. He wouldn't leave until the engines were silent. I love it.

We have been learning the parts of the face - and he thinks he is something else when you ask him to point to his nose, ears, mouth, teeth, and cheeks. When I ask him where his eyes are - he never points to them, he just says 'eye' and smiles - and it melts my heart.

A Visit from Dubai

My brother and his beautiful family live VERY far away - and so when my
sister-in-law Toria and the two little ones came to visit,
we tried to cram as much cousin time in as possible.

Asher taught Harrison all about cars and showed him how fast
he could run laps around our house, and Ivy showed Harrison the
freedom he could have if he would just up and walk.

We loved having them here and can't wait to see them again soon!