It's been way too long... Utah trip & more!

The time has flown! Can't believe it's been 2 months since I blogged last! Of course, my blog isn't  being read by readers dying to know what I've been up to, but rather, more of a journal entry for myself :)

So... I missed her 11 month post in May, but I'll be sure to post for her 1 year birthday on the 21st of June! Can't believe it's already been a year. Auralia & I just returned from a month long trip to Utah and Tyron had burned scented oil all day before we got there. When I got home I was flooded with all of these nostalgic feelings. I couldn't understand why until it hit me that it was the scent that we used when I was birthing Auralia last year. Crazy how scents can trigger feelings and memories.

Anyways, yes! We are home from our long trip. We missed Tyron like crazy, and he missed us like crazy! When I saw him, it felt like we were dating again; like he had just driven 12 hours to visit me and it was all so surreal. It was fun to have a day or two where we felt like young dating kids again :)

Auralia helping mom pack by smashing down all the clothes

Excited to kiss the Bronx goodbye for a month!!

We celebrated my 25th birthday! 

My awesome ice cream birthday cake!! DE-LISH!!

Merryn & Jason blessed their new baby boy (Cooper); it was perfect timing that I'd be there and would be able to spend time with them!! Loved getting together with the old gang again :)

Don't you love how our hair goes from light to dark? We're cool like that :) What's not cool is how pasty I am in this picture! Don't worry, I got some sun on my vacation!

So excited to be around so many people, new toys, and DOGS!

4 generation picture with great grandma!

Kisses from great grandma!

Aubrey was so great with Auralia! We slept in her room with her and Aubrey never complained about Auralia's middle of the night crying. I have the best sister!!

She loves her Unky Clint! Clint is here now visiting for 2 weeks!

We got to go to Lagoon Amusement Park!! I haven't been to one in years, and we had a wonderful day! The weather was nice and cool and the lines were short- perfect day :) Here Auralia is on the carousel.

On the train that goes around the park

Clint, his girlfriend Michalla, Mom, and Aub on the Samurai- craziest ride ever!

Clint just had to get a ridiculously big corn dog!

Clint graduated from high school!

And seminary!! Clint is such a solid young man- so proud!

Watched the solar eclipse through a welder's mask

Auralia bonded with my mom the second mom visited in December and clinged to her a lot during our visit. My mom was sweet and would get up with her in the mornings, change poopy diapers, bathe her, and feed her! It was great getting so much help with Auralia!!

Got to visit with my long-time friends Natalie & Nichole! We also got to visit with Abigail- it was nice for the babies to meet & become friends :)

Auralia doesn't turn 1 until the 21st, but we wanted to do a little family celebration while we were in UT. So we BBQ'd and made strawberry shortcake and just had a low-key but fun time.

Me earning a "Mom of the Year" award- I put on the hat, the elastic string snapped a little, she screamed, I felt bad... you get the gist.

Take 2! Much happier birthday girl!

Being way too dainty with the shortcake

As you can see, she finally dug in and got a little dirty. She didn't eat much, but rather squished it in her hands.

I shouldn't end on this picture, but it probably is the best picture! My dad and his brother Paul being complete dorks... like usual :)

10 months

This month has been flying by and I just realized that Auralia was 10 months on the 21st. So I'm late at doing a post, but here it is nonetheless. Oh, and did I mention that it was so busy I didn't even get a cute dressy pic of her on the 21st? Luckily, she's super duper cute every day.

So what's new you ask? Well she's standing up next to everything and has let go a few times, but falls soon after. Walking soon? Guess we'll see! She finally got teeth- 2 of them!
She claps her hands, says "mama" like it's going out of style, is starting to say "dadda", and is a very happy giggly baby! She's also been doing well at giving high fives and this morning she was standing in her crib, giggling and bouncing b/c she was so happy to see me. I asked for a kiss and she got on her toes and gave me an open mouth kiss which is the only way she knows how- we're working on a pucker!

So funny story- on Tuesday I took Auralia to scripture study and then a friends house for lunch and she was super fussy because she won't nap unless it's in her crib! So I went to give her the pacifier and it was MIA! I figured she grabbed it off her shirt (it's on a ribbon that's clipped to her shirt) and threw it out of the stroller (she's been doing that with everything lately!). When we got home that evening, Tyron was holding her and felt a lump- she apparently stuffed the pacifier down her pants!!

Always helping mom with a project!

Love her dark almond eyes... don't love cleaning the mess, but love the cute pics it creates!

Her and her friend Scarlett standing at the couch eating possibly graham crackers?? At least it's not garbage so we're good.

Easter 2012

Tyron has Spring Break this week so we decided to go visit some friends- Josh & Heidi Crosby- in Richmond, VA.  We spent all day Saturday getting laundry and packing done and then after church on Sunday we headed straight there. We headed back Thursday afternoon. Traffic was sooo bad it took 8 hours instead of 5 1/2.

It was so much fun to visit with Josh & Heidi and their family! We played games or watched Psych every night we were there (after the kids went to bed of course) and it was just like old times in Provo! We also went to the YMCA and swam, played frisbee golf at the park, made laundry soap, and visited Maymont. Richmond was so pretty- very green and lots of historical sites. It was nice to have a few days back in normal living!

Here are some pictures of Easter:

Auralia in her bunny slippers and with her sock monkey bunny; gifts courtesy of Nana Jensen!! Thanks so much Nana!

Pictures of Virginia:

My iPhone has a cool app that I discovered and played around with to create these beautiful pictures in the sunny grass!

Heidi and the kids eating in a pavilion at Maymont

There were these neat stepping stones in the lake

Auralia & Alyssa zonked out in the stroller

We dyed eggs with the Crosbys for FHE. My 1st egg

My 2nd egg

Tyron's egg- NOT a uterus... actually it's a neuron? You can tell he's a neuroscience guy!

Heidi taught me how to make my own laundry soap! It cost me about $14 and will last about a year on a high efficiency washing machine (6 months on a regular machine). If you're interested in the instructions, let me know!!