Cotopaxi Questival

Fun run/hike up to Willow Lake!

www.danandcar.blogspot.com

February

Well, my new goal is to post once a month about all that happened.  The weekly task is just too much for me to handle right now. :)

So, here's how our February looked.  It was a busy month!
We started the month out by going to dinner with our friends to celebrate Ash's birthday.  As always, it was a bucket of laughs and good times!  We played with cousins at the Dino play place at City Creek, went to Airborne to jump out some energy, hung out with the grandmas, and fell asleep in the car.

We decorated the annual Valentine sugar cookies, and Gwen was pretty into it this year!  She loved "helping frost" which really just meant licking all the frosting off the knife.

We celebrated Valentine's Day!  Gwen helped me make a card for Dan, and thought she was so big using markers and scissors.

Dan brought us home a dozen red roses, and got little G a soccer ball.  She loved it!  Gwen had a delicious Valentine Dinner of Spaghetti, and after she went to bed, we ate Noodles and Co by candle light. Ah....romance...

2 days after V-Day, our little miss turned 2!  I can't even believe I have a 2 year old.  She is the sweetest, sassiest, snuggliest, funniest girl around. We had a birthday party for her on Saturday, and then celebrated just as a family on Sunday.


Some fun facts about our Miss Bear:
*She loves to be doing whatever we are doing, and hates being alone.
*She loves to take baths
*She is a great napper and sleeper, and eater
*She loves chasing Chloe and playing tug of war with her
*She can communicate just about everything she wants.  She is an exceptionally good talker.
*She is so silly and loves to know exactly what is going on at all times.
Some of my favorite things that she says right now are:
*Yep!
*What's mommy doing?  (Which she asks 5000 times per day)
When asked, "Gwen, what are you doing?" She replies, "Um, dust haning out."
She loves to "sneak up" on Dan, and every morning, she wakes up and says, "Let's sneak-um Daddy!"
She frequently says, "That scoundrel Daddy!"
She calls Dan DZ (cause I do...his middle name is Zachary....)  So whenever she's looking for him or wants him for something, you can hear her little voice yelling, DZ!!
*Hold you please, Mommy (I told her that I'd only hold her if she said please, and now she says it all the time.)
*Mmmmm, I yike it!  (Which she says about almost everything she eats)
*Hi beauful mommy!  (I can thank Dan for that one! Melts my heart every time!)
*She loves adding the word "Super" in front of everything.  The typical things are:  "Super perfect!" "Super Hot" "Super Spicy""Super Tall"...etc.  It's awesome.
*Mmm, it's really tasty!
*If she asks to do something and I say, "Not right now."  She quickly responds, "Maybe yater?" or "Maybe can do it Saturday" (She knows when dad is home!)
*She knows what she wants and when she asks, she'll say, "How bout a...." filled in with any of the following:  snack, tic tac, fruit yether (leather),  gold fish, toys....
*I need it.  These days she needs everything.  I need a snack, I need a toy, anything.  She always needs it.  And now she says, "I need a want....."  she doesn't quite understand the difference, but it's really cute!

 Per her request, we had crepes on her birthday, and she was loving it! After church, we had a cupcake, cause she was too overwhelmed the night before at her party to blow out her candles and eat her cake.  She loved it when it was just us.  


She is our smart, sassy girl, and I've loved these last 2 years with her.  She has grown and changed so much, and forced me to do the same.  Life sure is different than it was before she was born, but I can't even remember what it was like to not know the love I have for her.  She has brought so much joy into our life!
And last but not least, we've been able to enjoy a couple days at the park, (YAY for warm weather!), listening to music on her very own Skull Candy Headphones (Did I mention that Dan works there now?) and going to Kangaroo Zoo with some friends.

 It was a fun month, and we are ready for March and are really hoping the weather says nice so we can enjoy the sun and being outside!

January

Here's what our January looked like.  

We took the train a few times up to Discovery Gateway.  Gwen LOVES the train ride almost as much as she loves the museum.  Gwen loves to play with her babies, and all stuffed animals.  She is frequently getting out pots and pans to make little beds for them.  After they are all tucked in bed, she sings them her favorite lullabies, and it's really adorable.  I have to be careful though, because if I look at her while she's singing, she stops. She loves playing dress up with my scarves, and has been begging to paint her finger nails, so we finally did it.  Dan loves to do all kinds of things I don't normally do with Gwen because they make a mess.  But, he gets out blankets, and tents and makes forts and builds things for her, and she loves it.  Then, they'll just hang out in there reading or singing, or talking.  It's really pretty adorable, and a great way for little miss to spend some one on one time with her dad.

She turned 23 months on January 16.  I seriously can't believe she's almost 2!  Where does the time go?

 Here we are again at Discovery Gateway, with Leo and Jack.  That is the best way to do the museum.  With cousins to entertain and play with. :)
*She loves to help do whatever we are doing, and has to be in on all the action. So whenever I'm cooking anything, she's right there on a chair, stool, or sitting on the counter helping me dump, mix or cut whatever it is I am doing.  This particular morning, it was crepes, and she LOVED them after we finished.
On January 18th, my dad celebrated his 59th birthday.  UH OH!  Only one more year in the 50s and then he'll be an old man. ;)  We had a yummy dinner and delicious cake, and I think "grandpapa" is Gwen's favorite person.

 Near the end of January, we went to the Gale Center in South Jordan.  It was pretty cool.  They have a little mock grocery store, a little kitchen play area, a school area, and some other fun things, and it's nice cause it's close, and it's free.  Double bonus.
*I've been taking Gwen to Airborne on Thursday nights when we need to get out of the house while Dan is at school.  She didn't really like it at first, but now she's getting pretty skilled at jumping and running from tramp to tramp.  I think she really enjoys it now.

This winter has definitely not been as bad as last winter when I felt like I couldn't really do anything or go anywhere because she wasn't old enough to do anything.  We've been getting out a lot this winter and it's really helped both of us stay sane but we are looking forward to spring when we can play outside and go to the park again.

New Year's Eve

New Year's eve was a blast!  We had a "find the ugliest outfit at savers or DI" costume.  I think I won, but there were some pretty awesome outfits. :)  Dan bought boxers.  Gross.  Used boxers.  But they said Dominator on the butt.  Awesome.

We played a fun game of Headbands, had amazing fondue, drank sparkling cider, watched the ball drop and kissed at midnight.  It was a blast!

Zoo Lights & Schofield Family Party

On Saturday, we headed to Zoo Lights with the Cornell Family.  Before we went to the lights, we went to dinner at Taqueria 27.  It was pretty delicious!  We'd never been to zoo lights before, and it was pretty cool.  They did a great job with all the lights and the cats were awake, so we could actually see them.  The tiger was pretty cool, and it was fun to see them be more active.

Tony and Becky decided to do the Christmas Party after Christmas this year.  It just made the holiday feel like it lasted longer, and it was fun.  They made prime rib and had other delicious food.  The brother all participated in "feats of strength" and Matt was declared the winner. Dan was off his game and let us down this year! ;)

Gwen got really cute homemade PJs from grandma, a new outfit, and a teddy bear.  She loved it all.  She got a cute minnie mouse doll from Rae, and she was so excited about it.  She didn't really like the idea of giving her present to Abby, and couldn't understand why her cousins wanted to open their own presents instead of letting her do it, and take their toys.  She thought it should all be fore her.  At one point, she came up to me crying.  When I asked her what was wrong, she said, "More presents!" Good thing her birthday isn't too far off!

Christmas!!!

Christmas was for sure a little more fun this year.  Gwen was so excited about all her presents!  We decided to stick with three for the symbolism that that's what the wisemen brought Jesus. I think it was perfect because she wasn't overwhelmed and got to play with all her toys.  Plus, she got presents from grandparents and cousins, so she definitely wasn't lacking.

She got a rocking horse from Santa, some mega blocks, dishes and a cozy chair just her size from us.  When she saw the rocking horse, she started running towards it.  She loves it.  A lot.

She was really excited about her blocks and told us, upon opening, "I build a tower, SUPER TALL!"

As soon as we were done opening presents, she got all cozy in her chair and just relaxed.  This girl is a pro at relaxing and snuggling in.  We love it.

 Later, we went to both parents house.  It was a lot of family and a lot of fun.  Gma and Gpa Cornell got her a pink Jeep, which she loved.  And she rides it all around the house.  She got a fun puzzle from her cousin Josh, and was in heaven all day.

 Later that night, we put her to bed and participated in the first ever Cornell family Reindeer Games.  Tara (of course) put this together and we played a thrilling game of little games against each other.  It was a riot.

I'd say Christmas was a success.  We had a wonderful time with family, friends, and each other.  We are truly blessed.  I really felt the Christmas Spirit this year, and I am so grateful for the Savior who came to this earth in the humblest of circumstances to save us so that we can return to him again.  That is the most amazing gift ever given.

Christmas Eve

Dan had to work a half day on Christmas Eve, but was home about noon.  We wrapped presents, and got all ready for Christmas.  We headed to my mom and dad's house for Christmas Eve dinner, nativity and our annual Christmas Eve present.  Dinner was great, the nativity was sweet (and a little hilarious).  G was an angel, and did a great job.  After the nativity we opened our presents.  New PJs for the kids, a cool charger stick for the boys, and a cute little purse pod for the girls.  And then, grandma surprised all the kids with another present:  Beanie Boos.  Gwen got a little poodle named princess and absolutely loves her.  It's pretty adorable.  She loved opening presents and was so excited to rip all the paper off those packages!