Summer Pictures

Since I've been so slow at documenting things this summer I'm doing a massive re-cap post.

I decided our new tradition on the 4th of July is going to Mimi's Cafe for breakfast. It is SO good!


Swimming with Grandpa, Dad and Uncle Brent in the "little pool."

Typical dress-up ensemble choice.

I love this face. She kind of looks like poor, unkempt child doesn't she?

Posing on the front steps at home. Macie likes to march around in her boots.

"Blasting off" in the car; she likes Little Einsteins.

There's a fun park with water fountains by our house. I can't resist the cute bum shot.

Should I go in?

Go for it!

We spent a nice afternoon at Lake Mead last month. Macie loves being on Grandpa's boat, especially honking the horn.

Swimming with Grandpa and Dad.

Blowing kisses to Josh.

What I really love about Lake Mead is the water temperature. It always feels so nice!

We've been having a nice summer despite my pregnancy aches and pains. I've really tried to do as many things with Macie as I can since she'll be a little more on her own in a few weeks as a big sister.

We Like To Potty

So, not to brag or anything, but MY DAUGHTER IS POTTY TRAINED!!! I set a goal to potty train Macie the the end of July and it worked wonderfully. We've completed 2 weeks of diaper-free success! I really attribute her fast adjustment to preparation, on the part of myself and Macie. I was dreading the experience, but it really wasn't that bad at all.

A couple days before we actually started training I took her to the store to pick out underwear and special stickers. I prepared her by explaining the potty process several times, having her watch me, and then letting her try herself. Then we went straight to underwear. The first 2 days we probably went through 7 pairs, the next 2 days it quickly dwindled to 2-3 pairs, and after that we really haven't had any accidents. Ok, there was one poop incident at Melissa's house and she now holds "the best cousin in the world" title for dealing with it.

Here we have Miss Macie posing on her potty. We used this pretty much the first week. I'm glad I don't have to clean it out after every use now that she goes in the "big" potty.

Next we moved her seat onto a regular toilet for a few days. However, now she goes like a normal little person should, except she still requires the whole routine everytime she's done.

Macie always gets to put up a sticker on the door and have 1 candy (a single smartee) after she flushes and washes her hands. She is very proud, as you can see. I'm not sure how long this will go on. I do keep smartees in my purse because regardless of where we are she wants a treat after she's done. Luckily she doesn't ask to put a sticker on other bathroom doors. I like to be encouraging, so we're keeping it up for now. Sometimes she forgets...but not that often.

Playing Catch Up

I haven't had the chance to update my blog in over a month, so I went for total redemption and added 7 new posts. Shocking, I know! June was a busy month and I wanted to get it all documented. Hopefully in the next few days I can get caught up through July too.

Worst Mom of the Year

I now claim the title of "Worst Mom of the Year." The defining incident happened none other than at my sister's wedding reception. Actually, it was before the reception started during all the picture-taking commotion. Everyone was in a hurry and I was carrying Macie in the hall. I set her down turned around. The momentum I created for the large camera slung over my shoulder was not good. It literally "cracked" Macie right above the eye. My heart broke when I heard the sound and I thought I was going to be sick. Macie grabbed her eye and started screaming. By this time Josh arrived and informed me that she was definintely bleeding and needed to get into a bathroom. That news almost sent me into hysterics since I don't deal well with blood or pain, and felt like the worst person alive. Luckily the amount of blood was not as bad as the actual cut. We called our next door neighbor, who is a doctor, and he came to the rescue. After some iodine and glue she was released to play. The whole experience was very traumatizing for me because we knew she needed stitches (or glue) and Macie was obviously in a lot of pain. I can't tell you if I've ever felt worse in my life, honestly. My poor girl still wanted to hug me during all of the tears and after a good 20 minutes was ready for the party like nothing ever happened.

The fresh cut is above her left eye. This was just after it was glued shut.

The next morning she woke up with a black eye. This picture was actually taken 3 days after the accident, and looked a lot better already. She does have a light scar now, but hopefully that will fade away with time. It really isn't that noticeable. What kind of mother whacks a child in the face? I still feel horrible!

La Fiesta!

After the temple sealing we headed home for a quick nap and to get ready for the reception. My sister-in-law Alli was a lifesaver. I am completely inept when it comes to hairstyles, so she made sure Macie and I looked presentable. Macie looked so cute with all the sponge rollers in her hair; such a grown-up girl! Most of the pictures I took were of Macie at the wedding (surprise, surprise). I need to be better about shooting other things. However, I'm looking forward to seeing the pictures from the wedding photographer of everyone else.


Macie and Lisa doing some last minute touch-ups before we left the house.

The cousins: Macie, Bella, Gus, and Sadie girl.

Macie strongly dislikes the camera and is going through a no-smiling-for-Mom phase. It is very hard to get a decent picture these days.

This is the best we can do people.

My uncle Beto officiated for the ring ceremony. It was done mostly in Spanish, but he translated for the gringos too. (aka Josh)

I really didn't want to be a bridesmaid because obviously I couldn't wear what everyone else was wearing. We made my dress into a shirt. I was totally embarrassed because it drew even more attention to my "rotundness" since I looked different. When it's not your special day I guess you don't have a choice, right?

I really liked how the cake turned out with the cute designs in the frosting. Then they smashed it in each other's faces. It was great! Lisa said there was still frosting in her nose the next day.

I didn't take pictures of the food, but it was excellent. It was a Mexican buffet, of course. The highlights were the fajita station and all the sidral you can drink...yum! Dancing, dancing, and more dancing was the story of the rest of the night. I didn't get any pictures of the mariachi band either, but they made their traditional entrance and played for a bit as well. Macie was on the dance floor the whole night. I took a quick video clip of Macie and Bella getting warmed up before the reception started.

My back and feet were killing me by this point, so my appearance on the dance floor was short-lived at best.

Macie loved dancing with her Papi.

Macie with Papi and Annie.

My flash is a little much here, but I still thought it was a cute shot of Macie and Bella dancing.

Bella and Macie stood in between Lisa and the girls anxiously awaiting the bouquet toss. I don't think they were quite sure what was going on.

I believe Macie's face said it all by the end of the night. She NEVER stays up that late! It was well worth it though. We are so happy for Paris and Lisa and that we were able to be part of their special day. They make a great couple!

Lisa and Paris' Wedding Day

First of all, Macie was talking about the wedding for at least a month preceding the actual day. She was SO EXCITED to go to the temple and see Lisa and Paris. I was in charge of picking up the bridal bouquet and Macie was dying to hold it. Isn't it gorgeous?

They did it! Lisa looked completely gorgeous and Paris looked hot, literally. Wearing a black tux at this time of year is torture!

Macie and Bella waited patiently in the sweltering heat. They are the best of friends.

We took a quick family shot while waiting for the bride and groom.

Pre-Wedding Dinner

The night before Lisa's wedding we had a family dinner at Gordon Biersch. The food was great and the company was excellent.

Lisa and Paris gave a little speech before things started.

Since the tables were set up in a U-shape, the little girls provided the entertainment. Hayley, on the far right, was just starting "the robot." She's only 4 folks; it was hilarious!

Macie and Papi's funny faces.

Miss Bachelorette

We had a girls night out party for my sister Lisa last month before she got married. It was so fun to go out with just the sisters and our sister-in-law. We went to eat at Dick's Last Resort at the Excalibur.

Trisha, Me, Lisa, Melanie, Miranda waiting to be seated for dinner.

We surprised Lisa with her all-time favorite blast-from-the-past dessert, cheesecake from Carl's Jr. Her intense love for cheesecake started at a very young age (probably under 5 yrs old), completely due to my Dad bringing home a piece one day after work. From then on anytime he or my mom would leave the house the last words she would say were, "Buy me cheesecake!" You'd have to know Lisa to know the whole story. She is very intense to say the least. We had a great time!

Beat the Heat

One of the worst things about living in Vegas is dealing with the summer heat. It is completely miserable. The only thing to do in the daytime heat is go swimming. Lucky for us, we have a pool and we like to swim! Macie is such a little fish in the water. She gets her life jacket on and swims all over the place. She even requested to go down the slide with me. Hm, a pregnant lady going down the slide...is that a good idea?


My sister snapped this just as we started going down. If you look closely you can see that Macie has her nose plugged.


We had to get Macie her own pair of goggles because she always requests to wear Josh's. She doesn't really go under the water, so they must be purely for fashion's sake.

Yes, she is skinny dipping here.

What a Day

The day before Father's Day the stomach flu decided to make a stop at our house. It was really fun, as you can imagine. 24 hours later we were feeling better, but didn't go to church or do much of anything else. In the evening we packed up our Gatorade and headed over to Josh's parents' home for a BBQ. Unfortunately we couldn't really eat anything, but the steaks looked great!

A lovely picture of all of the sickies. Macie didn't get the flu, but had an infection in both of her ears.

She didn't let it stop her from having some fun in the backyard.

Macie loves the trampoline, but it scares me to death that she might bounce off the edge. Enter Josh.

Our great daddy ended up with a homemade card and no present because I was so busy that I planned on doing my shopping the day before, but we were too sick. Happy Father's Day! Of course our easy-going Josh was content with a relaxing day of recuperation. We are grateful for a special day honoring him and his efforts as a worthy priesthood holder, great example, hard worker, and loving father and husband. What a catch!

*On a side note, the stomach flu seems to pass by on holidays. In the past year it's been Father's Day, Halloween, and the 4th of July. WHY?!?