1!

little man turned one yesterday, so i put together a sappy photo montage to music. (as his mother, i kind of love it.)

if you hate these, move along. 

a couple comments/disclaimers about me, mostly:

1) there is a picture of me post labor that is pretty awful. but in my defense i had just conquered the hardest physical agony i'd ever experienced. (i said out loud: "i'm going to die" and meant it with my whole heart...if that gives you any idea.)

*thinking you've just decided to watch huh. you're so mean.

2) there aren't many flattering photos of me with my boy to make up for the first, so i've recommitted myself to documenting ME as the mother of my children. 2012 may just be the year of the hand held self portrait.

3) it's about 5 minutes, just so you know what you're committing to. and if you really love it, there is a 30 minute version complete with video that i'd be happy to show if you head on over. we still have leftover cake and ice cream.

enjoy, or don't.

*i don't know why it's so small...bah.

an instagram Christmas

because i'm feeling lazy, and it was app of the year after all.


our christmas party-ing started early with a weekend visit from aubry. she came to town for the mindy gledhill christmas benefit concert. somehow when i bought tickets i sort of missed the "benefit" part.
it was a sweet little concert, even with a silent auction going on in the back, and i still wonder if we mistakenly, maybe, occupied a sponsorship table...
BUT the free food was rad.

the evening aubry headed home, my brother kyle and his wife jeneca came into town. we spent most of the next week with them. i talked them into babysitting so i could get a much needed haircut, they threw my kids around while i played on facebook and napped, we talked and laughed and shopped, and ate too much. kidless married siblings make the best aunts and uncles!

a few days after kyle and jeneca came, my brother nate and his family came into town. we bowled of course, nate lost to tanner and had to do an interpretive dance without music in the bowling alley parking lot. 
there was a pinochle tournament and lots of cookie baking and decorating. 
olive and clara held hands constantly and giggled at each other for 3 straight days. we even had a sleep over at nana and papa's (more like a no-sleep over)so we could make our traditional midnight merritts run for scones (can you say classy). 

hello baby gracie, nice to meet you.

singing "sweet caroline" with the jukebox at merrits, a family tradition.

spencer's parents flew in on the 23rd. their traditional christmas eve dinner is always incredible, and the prep begin the minute they walked in the door. my dad and scott bonded over snowball express, while the meat cooked on the grill, and the meal on christmas eve was to-die-for. we did the winter light botanical gardens and played lots of "there's a bear in the garage"
it's like this: 
nana says "what's in the garage" 
girls: "A BEAR!"
nana: "how many?"
girls: "(insert number)"
nana: "shall we go see?"
girls: "YES!"
running to the door into the garage, opening it, screaming a lot and running back and laughing on the floor.
loads of fun i'm telling you, LOADS!

hanging in the fort with papa

santa clausing

testing out the new play kitchen set up on Christmas morning

santa delivered that guitar with strings, NOT buttons.

now that's a play-doh snake

spencer and harry potter visiting the reindeer

shoveling the walk with papa

tara and her two youngest girls kennedy and emmy flew in to join the party on the 27th. we shopped and played and made these cookies, they really were THAT good. 
we prayed for snow and got just enough for our much anticipated dinner sleigh ride in the mountains.

heading out for nana's glowstick treasure hunt

glowstick path from the party to the potty

life size self portraits

the only decent picture from our winter sleigh ride/cowboy dinner. kennedy you're so cute.

it was a very merry Christmas at the marshall home.
*this probably should have been at least 3 separate posts, but if you lasted until the end thank you, i'm guessing you're related to me.

ringin' it in.

i haven't forgotten about Christmas, or Christmas kick-off, or pre and post Christmas company and celebrations... i'll get to that, but this is too cute not to share.
happy new years eve.

35 for 35 woot woot!

love harrison's face in this picture!

happy birthday spencer!
35 reasons why i love you, in no particular order and with olive's input.
drum roll please...

1. you gave me olive
2. you gave me harrison
3. you take me to the temple
4. you make the BEST chicken tacos
5. pancake saturdays and how you always make olive's pancakes into mickeys or reindeer, or reindeer mickeys
6. your back rubs
7. your height=perfect for my hugs
8. your right brain and the genius that comes from it
9. your influence on exercise and healthy eating
10. you're always the first to say i'm sorry
11. the way olive looks at you and the hero you are in her eyes
12. the incredibly funny songs you make up on a whim
13. your sense of humor
14. your sexy hair
15. your honesty on my wardrobe choices 
16. your acceptance of others
17. "he makes tents in my bed" -olive
18. "he makes me super fast race cars, super fast" -olive
19. your desire and determination to be a good father
20. your appreciation of the outdoors
21. the time you invest in fostering extended family relationships
22. your love notes and
23. the sweetest little pen drawings that always accompany them
24. you tell me i'm pretty and that i keep getting prettier
25. you watch and like the same shows as me 'veronica mars', pushing daisies' 'new girl' (oh my gosh 'new girl', i die)
26. you support and i think genuinely enjoy my ever changing hair (between humidity and babies...)
27. you make me laugh
28. your sincere joy at other's successes
29. your ever growing commitment to the gospel
30. your commitment to me
31. your recognition of God's influence in our home and marriage
32. "BIG lego houses!" -olive
33. "cuz i love him for reasons mom" -olive
34. your forever young face 
35. because you're you and you're mine.

all these years later i still cant believe i married "pink shirt boy" i love YOU.
*a happy birthday rendition compliments of olive:

and so it begins.

happy december!

i'm grateful for...

kids that teach me about the important stuff in life, and make me a better person. a steady income. a warm home. a handsome and talented husband and devoted father. red vines. my hair which i sometimes hate. the gospel. my father's wisdom. my testimony. prayer.

red mango frozen yogurt. baby bottoms in the tub. temples. a good knock me down realization that i'm not perfect and am sometimes wrong. cafe rio salads. diet coke, oooo, and cherry diet coke. beach vacations. sourdough toast. chocolate milk. my mother's friendship. 

people who are funny. zupas-cheddar cauliflower soup. thumbprint cookies from the nordstrom e-bar. house guests. good company. a good get your hands dirty do-it-yourselfer. a dependable car. generosity. beautiful giant snowflakes last friday night in slc. pecan pie- the only redeeming quality of thanksgiving dinner, next year i swear i'm making tamales. gab time with friends. my sister and the sweet baby #4 growing in her tummy. 

modern medicine: especially since olive had a uti last week=tmi i know, there's more.

getting a sample from her at the pediatrician's while harrison attempted to play in the toilet was like a circus act. she completely soaked her clothes and walked out of the dr's office in a courtesy gown, her little bottom exposed to the breeze. not one of our better days, but she held her head up high. atta girl.

yep, REAL thankful for modern medicine and antibiotics when they're needed. 

good photographs. heart to hearts. a garage. white peonies, ranunculus, succulents. the sweet smell of new babies. a backyard. warm boots and scarves in the winter. holiday lights and music except for the real annoying songs that get WAY too much radio play. parumpapumpum...shoot me. and simply haaa-aaving a wonderful christmas time (ever since aubry posted it in her facebook status i can't get it out of my head.) make it stop!

the ability to sleep like a rock most every night.

colorful spaces. clever ideas. handmade blankets. a dishwasher. a hot shower every day. the magic of the holidays.

aubry's 30th. it's a big deal.

i made the trek from boise to salt lake last weekend all by myself to celebrate aubry's 30th.
i hadn't been away from harrison since he was born, that's at least 304 goodnight kisses (yep i added em up), and now i'm -2 blah. 
i was excited, but a little emotional. is that silly? whatever.

highlights.

• shopping at gateway for 2 hours BY MYSELF. only mamas will understand the magic and rarity of shopping w/out kids. heaven really.
• meeting up with mishelle and jen for dinner, the most amazing people and mothers and friends. some of my most favorite.
• a race through ikea with aubry, kyle and jen. my little brother is all grown up and married, his wife is drop dead beautiful and as sweet as sugar...lucky dog.
• tulie bakery for breakfast, seriously the best bakery ever, get the gougere...you will die.
• hip and humble, always a winner.
• the bijou market= lots of famous utah blogger faces, lots of pretties, and more time with kyle and jen.
• the jcrew outlet in park city where i probably spent too much $, but they had crew cuts. crew cuts!

and then back to n. salt lake for the big birthday event. 
there were lots of cuppy-cakes, friends, and good gab.
a few of us continued the party back at aubry's house until 3am. i haven't intentionally stayed up that late since the all-nighter we pulled with robin at cindy's wedding that preceded the great boise to tucson debacle of 2010.

solo roadtrippin' tips to remember:

bring more than one cd. i'll be taking a significant break from brandi carlille.

set the cruise to 80 mph and only stop once, the 5.5 hour road trip cut back to a 4.75, awesome.

too many red vines sit like a lump in your gut, diversify the snacks.

*did anyone take pictures of the weekend? 

these are all i got, because you know, these are the sorts of things you want to be sure and remember...

kind of funny right.

aubry's birthday lunch at wendy's,  MY TREAT, whoa classy.