The Things She Says

I have no idea where she got this phrase, but the other day while pouring water

from one container to another during her bath Anika said, "I'm making a delicious pie."

After another bath she said, "I probably need my robe."

We were all in the kitchen and Anika started saying, "Fat baby. Fat baby." We looked around to

see what she was talking about and noticed her pointing to a cake mix in an open cupboard.

Apparently the Pillsbury Dough Boy is a fat baby.

A few days ago she repeated her latest favorite phrase about a hundred times. She would stand in any doorway (or anywhere really) and say, "See ya. See ya later. Have a good day." and then she would walk away. Seconds later she would be back. "See ya later. Have a good day" and would then close a door.

She'll bring one of us a book to read and will tell us, "It's a GOOD one."

After almost any type of phrase she says, she will sometimes add, "Okaaay?"

Sometimes she will say something and then add, "sometimes."

Other fun phrases:

"That's great!"

"I knew it!"

"Gosh kid."

"No please."

"I want to come too!"

And finally, if she needs to get something from another room, she'll hold up one finger,

and very earnestly tell us, "I'll be riiiight back."

Pajamarama

A month or two ago, we put Anika to bed one night, and we kept hearing her making noises and

talking to herself for a long time. She wasn't crying, so we ignored her for a while, but finally, around

10:00 (she had been in bed for more than an hour), Nathaniel went in and found her totally naked,

standing up in her crib. All of her blankets, binkies, and clothes were in a pile on the floor.

Since then, we've tried lots of things to keep her jammies on. She can take off her zipper jammies and her snap jammies, but the onesie over the zip-up jammies defeated her for a while.

Lina also tried using a diaper pin to keep her zip-ups up, but she pulled that open somehow.

Two-piece jammies didn't stand a chance.

As you can see in the picture above, before we started potty training I always had to keep her in a

onesie to keep her diaper on. But that didn't keep her from taking her pants off.

Now she's mostly gotten over her pajama-free stage, but she still likes to take off her clothes while she's awake. Oh well. It also keeps her from asking, "Jammies off?" or "Clothes off?" dozens of times every day. At least that makes it easier for potty training, and lately we have been able to talk her into wearing a dress.

Little Update #2

We went to the Monte L. Bean Museum on BYU campus and Anika thought it was pretty great.

She especially LOVED touching the snake! She asked to do it again and again.

Kissing her sock monkey from Grandma Hardman.

Climbing.

Eating the beans and corn for taco soup as we were making it.

She loves the toy moose next to her. Thankfully it isn't ours because it plays the Mexican Hat dance

while it "dances." It is pretty annoying, but you can't believe how she is attached to it when she has it.

The moose shirt she has on is for her baby brother, but she wanted to wear it.

It is one of her very most favorite animals!

Being cute with Meg

One day she wouldn't come upstairs so I went without her. After awhile I went back to see what she was getting into. She was in the stroller trying to reach the container of snacks on the sun shade.

Helping to shuck the corn. She can actually do it pretty well if you get her started.

She was always so excited about it. One time we shucked right when we got it because

she couldn't wait until dinner. She likes to eat it a lot too.

I love my busy baby!

Playing in the water feature at Liberty Park with some friends.

Cute girls

More friends

Cute moms

Little Update #1

Than and I went to a "Beatles" concert. The group is actually called "1964 the Tribute."

I was totally surprised to learn they have been together for 28 years!

They mostly played early Beatles songs; hence the 1964, but with some other classics.

They sang, spoke, dressed and acted very much like the original Beatles.

They even looked like them (but only from a distance). I was impressed.

We went to a pick-your-own raspberry patch in Payson. We got over 4lbs of DELICIOUS raspberries.

Of course Anika thought it was such a wonderful thing (she loves fruit and picking produce) and ate A LOT!

I considered making jam but we ended up just eating them and freezing some :)

Our friends, the Roberts, came along.

Anika loves to push her stroller.

A funny pig we saw at Thanksgiving Point Farm Country on $2 Tuesdays in August.

At Bridal Veil Falls on our walk up Provo Canyon.

About to go on a carriage ride for our 5th Anniversary.

Anika giggling at a goat. Also at Thanksgiving Point.

Notice the pie crusts, each with a can of food sitting on it. This is one of Anika's

favorite things to do. Who knew food storage would make such a good toy.

Quick Meals

If you are here looking for some recipes, you'll have to hope for some good comments :)

Do you have any ideas for quick (and maybe healthy and/or cheap) meals?

Cabin in Star Valley

I still love this place! We enjoyed lots of playing. We played bocce ball, frisbee,

ping pong, pool, foos ball, and stayed up late every night playing games after

the kids were in bed. We enjoyed going on walks, and Nathaniel especially

enjoyed his biking and running for training while we were there.

Anika with her cousins. I guess they all independently climbed into the swing

and Than snapped a picture. It wasn't planned or posed.

Grandpa took the grandkids on "Safaris" through the tall weeds to look for golf balls.

Anika even got to find one.

Grandpa used two hoses to make a track for the dozen or two golf balls they found to roll down...

...It was a hit!

Cousins in the hammock.

Anika spent a lot of time swinging, but she also enjoyed pushing her cousin's toy dog in the swing.

Fun with Daddy

We got to see a lot of farm animals around. At this particular cabin we saw sheep, chickens,

turkeys and dogs. We learned that the owner keeps a couple llamas in his other sheep pasture

because they will chase down the coyotes. Weird, huh?

Swinging with Grandpa.

Playing bocce ball.

Anika enjoyed the toys at the cabin.

Anika and Aunt "Eh" (Emily) listening to the piano play a song.

Here are the kids finding random ways to have fun.

Baby Hardman is...

We had an ultrasound today.

Things seem okay.

They would put my due date as December 31st

(v. December 29th).

Baby is a boy!

Any name ideas?

Baby Nathaniel

Baby Lina

Baby Anika

But no Christmas baby please :)