It's my horn, and I'll toot it if I want to

If our roles as mother and homemaker were run a little bit more like the girl scout program, I would have definitely earned a badge last night. Actually, I think last night was worth two badges. The first badge (and this would be a really big, fancy one) would be the "Baby Shower Hostess" award for my first successfully thrown baby shower. The second badge would be for excellence in decor, ambiance, cuisine, and overall result of said shower. Of course I might lose a few beads for taking all the credit for the shower when, had it just been left up to me, it would have probably been a sad and sorry affair. So Ashley, you can have all of the above badges plus the "Grace" award for keeping your cool while working with a pure ameteur who insists on stealing all your glory. (Applause)

Luckily I captured the night on film so all can bask in our adorableness.

This was our clothesline with little onesies for our new mom, also featured in the picture.

Cynthia (above, niece of Sharon McConkie for all who might care to know) wasn't due to have her little girl until the middle of March. But at 33 weeks, the doctors found fluid in her lungs so little Eliza Jane had to come out the next day. She is still in the NICU but all is looking well and she should be coming home in the next few weeks.

Eliza totally ruined our first shower date by her untimely arrival (you would think newborns would be more cooperative) but we forgave her and had the party a little later. We had a table with pictures of the new tiny little bundle and this book for guests to write their best baby advice.

The opposite wall was adorned with this amazing creation.

And then, there was the food.

'Is that a fruit and cheese platter' you say? Yes, yes it is. There were also fruit topped cheesecake tarts and crackers added to the display later. And the lovely decantur at the end of the table was filled with what turned into a surprisingly good batch of strawberry lemonade made with actual strawberry puree.

After some lovely chatting and the round of ooh's and aah's as Cynthia opened her gifts, the guests were then invited create their own thank you bag from our candy bar.

So dang cute right? All of the truly adorable creations (ie. the book, banner, etc.) were all completely the work of Ashley. The only crafty thing I can claim is the heart blanket and all I did was pay a woman to add the name, but it turned out so well I am claiming full credit anyway.

My bragging time is officially finished. Now you may praise me.

:)

FHE Reminiscings and other stuff

Jon and I have been trying a little harder to have some decent family home evenings since Scarlet is a little less worthless (as Jon lovingly refers to her) and able to participate. It usually consists of a few prayers, songs, a lesson from our 'beginner's bible', a very brief activity, and dessert. At first, our activity was the hokey pokey, a David Earl family classic. We even got to add in my dad's favorite addition, "you put your BUM in, you put your BUM out." That one was always a hit.

I decided to mix it up last week and pull out another classic, the noodle to your nose into a jar activity. I remember playing this game as a child vividly. The purpose of the game or why we actually enjoyed it so much still kind of eludes me...

Scarlet kinda had a hard time grasping the concept herself. The game is played by putting a jar on the ground. Holding a dry noodle to the top of your nose, you then try to drop it into a jar. As we got older we usually had to stand on a chair or stool to increase the difficulty.

Instead of following by those rules, Scarlet decided to balance the noodle on her nose...

Stick the noodle up her nose...

And then, eat the noodle.

We might need to practice that activity a few more times.

And as you can see in the background of that last shot, Scarlet has a new toy courtesy of her dad. We bought some furniture from Costco for Rhode's room and it came in a big old box. Jon walked up to it with a knife and, five seconds later, it was a playhouse for Scarlet.

She has spent the last week in there poking her head out the window and through the hole on the roof. We have even decorated the inside with her markers.

Why do we ever actually purchase toys?

And my final story of the evening. We were out with friends the other day and I had Rhode laying by me on a chair. Scarlet came up to him and leaned over to give him a kiss on the forehead. Moments later, he was screaming. I pulled Scarlet off of him and looked down to find clear impressions of her top and bottom teeth embedded into his forehead. She bit his head! Who does that?!

V-day Par-tay!

My good friend, Ashley, threw a fun little Valentine's Day party for some kids in our ward on the Friday before Valentine's day. That was officially the extent of my Valentine's Day celebration all weekend. Jon and I are not really Valentine's Day people, I know how lame are we?

Scarlet had a great time though. Of course I pretty much let her eat as much sugar as she wanted, what kid wouldn't have a blast? We were the first to arrive so I got a shot of Ashley's boys, Blaze and Bennett with their decor.

We ate a ton of fun little goodies. Ashley made these amazing sugar cookies on a stick dipped in frosting and sprinkles. I totally felt like a six year old eating it, but in the best of ways. It was just so good! I did control my six year old desires and kept myself to only one of those (finishing the other half of Scarlet's does not count...) Scarlet and I brought brownie bites with a little frosting heart on them. Sadly, she insisted on carrying them in from the car so the hearts got smeared all over the place. Still, how bad could a brownie be?

The kids did a cute little Valentine's craft and then burned off some of their sugar energy outside.

Whatever character Afton was playing (pink sweater) she was way getting into it!

It is quite the interesting phase of life when your idea of a party drops even below the way nerdy mormon college party level to cupcakes and two year olds. Maybe it really is hip to be square...

Top 5 Reasons Never to Leave Home

Rhode and I took a mini-vacation up to Moses Lake, leaving Jon and Scarlet to fend for themselves. Boy have I learned my lesson. Never again! And here's why...

5. Scarlet called me every night and used her sweet little voice and ever growing vocabulary to tell me she missed me, she loved me (first time by the way) and that I should come home until I missed her so much I could hardly believe I ever looked forward to my Scarlet-free time.

Of course, I have returned to find sweet phone Scarlet isn't actually here. Clingy, fit-throwing, mess making, baby beating, toy stealing, piercing scream emitter Scarlet has taken her place. Ok she is not that bad. I can say that now because she is taking a nap. It always easier to enjoy sleeping children.

4. I already get to avoid soy products (think soy sauce, hot dogs, and other random foods) to appease my little man who sure likes to puke on me when I eat them. Now after finally getting him to take a bottle, I learn that formula is not the boy's best friend either. It was the cheap stuff so maybe he will do a little better with the expensive kind, but that little experiment left me covered in white spit up spots all weekend.

3. I refuse to pay the extra fee to choose your seat assignment on Allegiant Air. I get so sick of their nickel and dimeing me! So, not surprisingly I ended up on a window seat next to two men who were not excited to be sitting next to the baby mama combo. Rhode wasn't all that into sleeping either so I got to wrestle with him with my knees crammed up against the seat in front of me (sucks to be tall on an airplane) for 2 and a half hours. Sucks to be so cheap...

2. I am oh so very behind on my life, but it is all that much harder to catch up when you leave your phone behind in Washington! We are not believers in having a land line so it means I am stuck with little contact to the outside world and without the ability to get many of my important tasks done as I wait for my phone to arrive in the mail.

And the number one reason that I will never ever ever leave home again is because, after only a few days, I came home to this...

No woman should have to endure such facial hair torture!

Ok, actually I had a really fun weekend. I got to see my Aunt Julie and spend a lot of time with my sisters who looked absolutely beautiful this weekend.

But I have learned my lesson and will never leave Scarlet and Jon to their own devices again... until the Earl cousin reunion that is! :)