Disneyland!!!

I love this picture. Isabelle is wearing her "my dad rocks" shirt!

We had a fantastic trip to Disneyland! Isabelle had so much fun and loved every minute of it. It truly is just such a magical place. When we walked in and started walking down Main Street, I almost started to cry. I don't know why, it's just like you enter into a different world where everything is carefree and fun.

Our first day was filled with traveling and settling in. Isabelle was so excited to ride a baby airplane far away in the sky. She had been talking about it for weeks. She did pretty well on the flight although I don't think she thought it was all that it was cracked up to be. Luckily, the flight there was pretty empty, so she was able to move around from seat to seat to keep entertained. Not safe, I know, but we didn't bring her carseat on the plane, and she wasn't too easy to restrain. There was a nice, interesting grandma across the aisle from us who really wanted to help out, and told us all about her life and her recent trip to Mardi Gras. Isabelle liked her quite a bit and blew her kisses after the flight. When we got to California, we took a shuttle to our hotel. We got to stay at the Disneyland Hotel and James was so thrilled! It's always been something he's wanted to do. Isabelle had a special package waiting for her at the hotel- a Belle dress and some fun princess stuff and Disney toys. It was quite convenient being that close to the park and riding the Monorail in each day. That night we walked a long way to eat dinner at my favorite restaurant in the whole wide world, PF Chang's. Delicious! There was a shopping area right next to it, so we looked around after dinner.
Isabelle loved the phones in the hotel room. Here she is with her new princess stuff.


Our first day at Disneyland was probably the best, becuase it wasn't crowded at all. Lines were short so we were able to check out a lot of things quickly. The best part of the day was the Princess Luncheon my mom, Isabelle and I were able to go to. When we went to Disneyland last year, we went to the luncheon with all of the girls and had a great time. Isabelle wasn't too into it last year, but this year she loved it. She wore her beautiful Belle dress and looked so adorable! When we came downstairs at Ariel's Grotto, we met Ariel first thing. It took Isabelle a minute to warm up and catch on to what was going on. Then we were seated at our table and they brought out three plates of appetizers with fresh fruit, salad, jellos, vegies, and a whole bunch of good stuff. They had about seven choices for dinner. I had a delicious meal complete with a dessert tray with about six different desserts. During lunch, the princesses were announced and came out one at a time to meet all of the kids and take pictures with them and sign autographs. We met Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine, Cinderella, and Belle. The characters are so good at their jobs. They are so sweet to the kids and every movement is just like a princess. In fact, Ariel was over in her spot dancing even when she was alone. Isabelle loved the princesses so much. When Belle bent down to talk to her, Isabelle went down too, just like her. They ended up sitting on the ground together. Isabelle gave each princess a hug and a kiss on the cheek. It was so cute! Isabelle was so worn out after the luncheon. She slept for quite a while and we took turns going on big people rides.





The next two days we just rode rides and hung out at the parks all day. I can't believe how much you walk in a day at Disneyland! I needed it though for all of the food I ate! We had so many yummy treats. Isabelle was so cute and we spoiled her so much. Anything she wanted to eat, she got! It was hard to say no to her even though you pay so much for everything there. She desperately wanted a hot dog in between lunch and dinner one day and I can't believe we paid $7 for the stinking thing! She came home with lots of fun toys and a purse, and other fun stuff. She's quite the little shopper. Everywhere we went, she'd find stuff and take it up to the counter and say, "I wanna buy this." Then she'd pull out her pretend money and she thought she was good to go. If only it were that easy!

We saw one fun parade at California Adventures. It had all of Isabelle's favorite characters in it- those from Monster's Inc. and the Incredibles, plus the Toy Story and Cars characters. She was so excited! She cheered and danced the whole time. I was disappointed because they had no parades at Disneyland and no fireworks. I guess they're cutting back just like everyone else, but those things are always so much fun.
Watching the parade with Daddy

Isabelle loved Dumbo!


We had such a great time and I always hate for vacations to end and to come back to reality. Isabelle loved all of the rides so much, especially Dumbo, the Teacups, Small World, Monster's Inc., the train, and the Monorail. I think it's inspired us to get season passes to Lagoon. When I asked her what her favorite part about the trip was, she said, "um, airplane." When I asked her what her favorite thing at Disneyland was, she said, "um, Papa." I thought that was so cute! I was so glad my parents were able to come with us. I don't think it would've been near as fun for any of us if they weren't there.


We're going to Hawaii next month for a trip that James won from his work. We're taking Isabelle with us. The plane rides were tricky enough just going to California with our recently potty-trained two year old, that I have no idea how a six hour plane ride will go. If anyone has any tips or advice for flights with kids, please let me know. We put her in her carseat on the flight home, but she wasn't too thrilled. I think it worked better though. She did trick me by saying she had to go potty, just so she could get out, and then she wouldn't get back in. She wouldn't go potty on the plane because it scared her to death. I couldn't blame her though!

Anyway, this was a long post with lots and lots of pictures, but we had a wonderful family trip and I was so happy we got to go. I hope we are able to make Disneyland a family tradition for years to come!
I love the castle!

Potty Time!

Isabelle with the potty chart Daddy made her.

So, it's official. My little girl is potty trained! I can't believe it! I truly didn't think the whole thing would go as smoothly as it has, and I hope that she doesn't have a relapse, but so far I am amazed!

We started the whole potting training thing last Monday and she has only had two or three accidents since then. She is telling us now when she needs to go, and has even learned how to use it to her advantage, like when she's sick of being contained at a restaurant. She alternates between pull-ups and big girl panties, just depending on her mood of the day, but she knows not to go potty in either of them.

The three things that worked best for us were a potty chart that James made her, a potty watch, and our family "I'm proud of you" song. I highly recommend the potty watch! You can get them at Kid to Kid for just $10, and they play a song every thirty, sixty, or ninety minutes. Not only does it let Isabelle know it's time to go potty, it reminds me to take her. It has really worked! Every time the potty watch goes off, Isabelle yells, "potty time!" and runs to the bathroom.

Tonight we took Isabelle to pick out her potty prize. We've been talking about it for a long time now, so she knew exactly what she wanted. She got another baby stroller. We now have three. They're everywhere. She's thrilled! She loves to take her baby and stroller to the mall or Target or anywhere else we may go. We never pack lightly when we run errands!

Anyway, she's a big kid now! I thought I would feel sad when she wasn't in diapers anymore, just because that would mean she isn't a baby anymore. However, I'm feeling pretty good about not having to change stinky diapers, and I'm enjoying the cute new things she does and says now. Whenever she sits on the big potty, and I kneel down to hold on to her, she kisses me over and over and whispers to me. I also love how excited she gets when she goes and we sing to her and she sings and dances along. Also, she tells me she did a daddy poop, a mommy poop, and a baby poop. Kind of gross, I know, but so cute to me!

Circus, Circus!

So, as usual, I'm a little behind. I was going to post our circus pictures last week and be so on top of things, but we had some computer problems.

Anyway, last Saturday night we went to the circus with James' sister Bethany, her husband Dustin, and their nephew Colby. It was a lot of fun! Maybe not worth the $16 per person it cost us to get in, but Isabelle had a great time. She was so excited to see the elephants. Her uncle and daddy spoiled her with toys and treats. It was a really fun night! Thanks for inviting us Bethany and Dustin!

Not a very long post! I don't have much time right now. So here are the pictures from the circus and a few other cute pictures of my girl!

So excited to see the elephants!

Fun family times!

Daddy and Belly Boo

Dustin, Colby, and Bethany

Isabelle playing with her cute friends Rachel and Josh.

Eating dinner on the counter. Less cleanup for Mom!

I love this face!

She loves her baby!

...And her stroller.

She takes them everywhere!

One Wild Two Year Old

As you can see, I'm very up-to-date on what's happening in our lives! I guess that's because things have been pretty laid back lately. Not too many exciting things happening. We've just been chasing around our wild little two year old. I think someone told her you're supposed to become extremely emotional and moody the day after your birthday, and she's taken it to heart! Isabelle has definitely been a handful lately. She is Little Miss Independent! At least she is when we are away from home. I don't understand why she wants me by her side every second of the day when we're at home, but as soon as we go to a store or restaurant, she takes off on her own! It's a mystery!

Isabelle is very into climbing lately. Yesterday, when we were at JoAnn's (the store), I turned my head for two seconds and Isabelle had climbed all the way to the top of their chained-off rolling ladder. The other day I was sitting on the floor in front of the washer scrubbing clothes and she stepped on my shoulder and climbed on top of the washer in about 3 seconds flat. She prefers to eat all of her meals sitting on the kitchen counter. Everywhere we go, she is climbing.

Isabelle's newest craze is the movie Hairspray. She goes through phases. We've done Enchanted, Shrek, and now this. It's a fun movie and all, but we also have to listen to the soundtrack in the car, and we're only allowed to listen to her one favorite song. James and I have both been dreaming the songs all night and cannot get them out of our heads, even in the wee moments of the day where the songs aren't playing somewhere in our house. Isabelle has got some pretty groovy dance moves though.

Isabelle had a pretty good birthday. We did have to take her to the doctor on her birthday. She had a sore throat and a double ear infection. I felt so bad for her. I was also sad because I didn't get to make her the princess cake I'd planned on. We had to buy one and I felt terrible. She had a fun party and got some really fun stuff. Her favorite thing is her new little trampoline. She goes back and forth from her tramp to her slide. We try to get her to jump a lot just before bed so she'll wear herself out, but it doesn't seem to work.

Isabelle is starting to talk so much lately and I think she'll be saying some embarrassing things soon. She loves to pretend to burp and then she says "excuse me, I burp". The other day she heard James turn on the shower and she said to me, "uh, oh, Daddy poop". Last night we had to wrestle her to get her coat on and the rest of the night she kept saying, "Daddy hurt me, Daddy hit me." Not good when you're going out to a public place. She is always talking about a white guy and a pink guy and elephants and dinosaurs in her crib. I think she has bad dreams which makes me feel bad. She says "like that" a lot at the end of her sentences. It's so funny to hear her say new things.

I never knew how crazy life could be with a little two year old girl. Every moment is something different. Any time I think I'm going crazy, she says or does something so cute that I forget why I'm even upset! She keeps us on our toes, that's for sure!

Here are our pictures from the last little while. I know, it's the middle of January and I'm just posting our Christmas pictures.
Birthday breakfast

She loves this puppy that walks and does flips.

Opening a present. She got pretty tired of opening presents with Christmas and her birthday both within four days.

Isabelle's new trampoline.(Her cousins waiting in line for their turns)

So excited that she blew out her candles.

Our family

New Year's Eve at my brother and sister-in-law's house

This is how we kept the three little monkeys in check.

Trying out her new potty. She loves to sit on it, even with her diaper on.

Isabelle in front of her Christmas tree.

Posing for the camera. She has to be in the mood.

Christmas morning- so exciting! Santa brought her a slide, a dollhouse, a dog, and a baby doll- everything she asked him for!

Trying out her new slide.

A little out of it by the end of the day on Christmas.

Happy Birthday to My Baby Girl!

Isabelle is 2 tomorrow (the 29th)! I can't believe how fast time has gone. I can hardly remember a time without her. She is the love of our lives. She makes us laugh every day! She keeps us on our toes. Isabelle has been such a blessing in our lives.

When I was pregnant with Isabelle, I was positive she was a boy. James was sure she was a girl. We chose not to find out what we were having, so I was absolutely shocked and thrilled when she was born! I would have been happy with a boy, of course, but my little princess was what I always hoped for.

The past two years have been so much fun. It's so exciting to see Isabelle learning new things each day. I'm grateful for her sweet smile, her giggle, her pats on the back and strokes on the face, her cute little voice, and for her ability to make all of those around her smile. I wish I could pause time and keep her at this age for a while longer. She truly makes us so happy!

Happy birthday Belly Boo! We love you!

Above is a slideshow of how Isabelle has grown. There were about a million pictures to choose from, but here's a few.

December Festivities

We've had an exciting Christmas season so far! There's always so much to do in December. It's my favorite time of year, and as with everything else, it's so much more fun with Isabelle around. Kids just make everything seem more exciting!

We kicked off our holiday season with a trip to the North Pole via the Polar Express! We had such a great time! Isabelle was so excited to ride on the train. The kids had a blast! The elves served us luke warm hot chocolate and Mrs. Claus gave us some of her famous store-bought chocolate chip cookies. In other words, it wasn't quite as spectacular as the book or movie, but the kids could've cared less. They got to wear their pajamas and we sang Christmas carols while riding on a train to the North Pole- what could be better than that? Isabelle loved when Santa came through and gave her a special bell. We really had a fun time! Isabelle is still talking about her train ride. Every time we see a train or cross the tracks by our house, she says she wants to ride the train, and gets so happy!

Isabelle loves Santa! I wasn't sure how she would react to him this year, but we've visited with him probably ten times now. I don't know why I worried, because she loves old men. Everywhere we go, she makes friends with them! It took her a couple of times to warm up to Santa, but now she walks right up to him, jumps on his lap, and tells him what she wants for Christmas! Sometimes she gets a little stage fright, and just smiles and stares at him, but most of the time now, she could chat with him forever. She tells him she wants a baby doll, a dog, and a slide. She came up with the slide all by herself when she was flipping through a toy catalog. She told me that she was going to tell Santa she wanted a slide (not with those exact words, but well enough that I understood). Isabelle is constantly talking about Santa. She also loves to play with the nativities around the house, and has started talking about Jesus a lot lately too, which makes me so happy!

We've been to see both the lights at Temple Square and at Christmas Village so far this month and Isabelle has loved them! She especially loved Christmas Village because of the little houses. Everything is just her size there. I know we'll be visiting there at least a couple more times this month because she was so dang cute running around to each house with her little hat and mittens on!

This is just such an exciting time of year. Everything seems so magical around Christmastime! I love the holidays- the parties, the shopping, the decorating, the candy-making. It's definitely easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of the holidays and I just hope we can all remember the true meaning of Christmas and the birth of our wonderful Savior. I hope that James and I will be able to instill this in Isabelle's perspective of Christmas. Though she doesn't understand much yet, I think she already knows the importance of Jesus in our Christmas holiday- at least I hope so!

Waiting for our ride on the Polar Express

Isabelle waiting patiently

Cousins- Jill, Isabelle, Gracie

Waiting for Santa with Emma

Isabelle made friends with the guy across the aisle

Waiting at the mall to visit Santa

A little nervous this visit, so Mommy sat on Santa's lap

Standing in front of the big tree at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building

Grandma and Papa with all of the grandkids- this is as good as it gets

Daddy and Belly Boo

Cute girls! Isabelle and her cousins

Mommyy keeping Isabelle from falling in the water

This is the place we call "our spot". This is where James and I got engaged. My brother constantly makes fun of us because we always have to have our picture taken here when we come to the temple grounds.

Twirling!

Looking out at the beautiful temple