My Monroe

Having two babies close together in age is turning out to be a bit bittersweet for me. On the one hand, I know that for Monroe it will probably be an easier transition into sharing her parents with another kid because she is so young and won't remember what it is like to be the only child. On the other, (oh my gosh I'm already crying) she won't remember this time that we've had together and I will. Even though being at home is hard for me a lot of the time, I have absolutely loved the time that I've had with just me and my Monroe. She's my little best friend and it's kind of scary to imagine bringing another person into our daily mix.

So I'm going to just talk about Mo. Who she is and the things I love about her, her quirks and hilarious personality.

This video makes me laugh out loud every time I watch it

Mo is very much a mini version of me. Not in her face, although her nose comes from me, but she looks more like her Dad and has since day 1. No, her personality comes from me and I love it. There are things about that which obviously I hope she doesn't have to deal with (like everyone always describing me as someone who you'll like and think is funny once you get to know me) but really I can't imagine her being any other way.

She is very much 2. The moodiness that comes with her age hit pretty much right around her birthday, but she handles it in such funny ways. Hondo and I don't let her throw tantrums or fits, so pretty much the second she tries to start we'll tell her that she can throw a fit in her room or communicate what is wrong. So now, it having been about a month or more of this, if she starts to throw an angry fit I don't even have to say anything. She'll lash out for a second and then look at me and say "Go to my room." And I'll let her choose whether or not she wants to. Sometimes she does, but she'll just stand in the doorway and look out at me until I say "are you done?" and then she'll come out. It's pretty funny to watch, although I obviously can't laugh. She's such a good kid, always has been, and she listens to us so well that we hardly even have to discipline her.

With her cousin Quincy in July

One of her favorite things to say is "I can't want to." Her dad HATES it when she says it! She really means "I don't want to," but somewhere between learning to say that and hearing the words "I can't" (thanks a lot, Finding Nemo) she combined the phrases into her own unique phrase. 



Another phrase she picked up which is about the best thing I've ever had anyone say to me is "I'm so happy to see you." Hondo would get home from work and give her a big hug and say that to her almost daily, so now anytime she gives me or him (or Aunt Holly) a hug, she says "I'm happy to see you!" and adds "Everyday." Hearing her perfect little voice say that pretty much melts away any bad feelings you could have been having that day. 

Doing some exercises with Dad

She loves reading. We've read all of her books so many times that I have over half of them memorized, Hondo could probably recite at least 1/4 from memory, and Mo herself can pretty much "read" them to me without any prompting. She is so smart; she knows all of her letters and can count to 20 (mostly, she tends to skip 5 and for some reason tries to jump to 17 too quickly) and also to 10 in Spanish. She knows letters by sight, and we're working on sound recognition.

I haven't attempted potty training yet because it intimidates me and until I feel like I'm ready to tackle it I don't think it's fair to try to get her to do it. Hondo and I disagree about this a bit, he's ready for her to be done with diapers but I'm just really nervous about trying it for some reason. But sometime pretty soon we'll probably start that whole process. She is definitely smart enough to get it, I'm not really worried about it.

She loves babies and animals. Doggies have been her favorite since she was a baby, and she also loves horses. But pretty much any animal makes her all excited. She even (heaven help me!) gets excited when she sees ants on the sidewalk. I'm not at all scared about how she'll handle having a baby around the house all the time, I know she'll be a great helper and an amazing big sister.

For her birthday we took her to the children's museum in SLC. She had lots of fun with all the activities there

She loves playing in the water, it's unfortunate that summer is over and all the pools are closed. She's very brave and even though I am a little nervous I let her explore and go in the water by herself. She will go down the little kid slides over and over without help. I think she'll do great with swimming in her life. 

We had a hard time with bedtime for quite awhile this year. She got sick and her schedule was thrown off by the time change in March, and for pretty much the next 4-5 months she wouldn't go to bed until 11 or later. Not fun for Hondo and me. We stopped trying to fight her on it because she somehow can make herself throw up when she doesn't want to do something. SUPER ANNOYING and gross. After cleaning vomit off her floor and her bed for about a week we just gave up and let her fall asleep in our bed, then move her to hers. But lately things have gotten a lot better--we've established a little routine for bed time and she's been going to bed between 9 and 10 which is amazing! Except she then wakes up at like 7 which is not my fav. I'm not a morning person.

Monroe is always such a happy girl. It makes me feel like we're doing something right that she is so happy. I'm very excited for her to have a sister, because I love my sisters and can only pray they have the same close relationship as I have with all of my sisters. 

A Little Bit Of Summer's What the Whole Year's All About

It is HOT. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that, but it is really so hot and I am almost over it!

Almost.

Summer is typically my favorite time of year, probably having to do with childhood and not having school/my birthday occurring in the summer months. 

We have been blessed with a pretty fantastic summer, aside from the excessive 100 degree days. 

In May Mo and I were able to fly with Holly to Nashville for Stef's birthday, which was so fun. I'd been to Nashville once but not since the Griffiths have lived there, and Holly (and Mo, obviously) had never been. We had so much fun, I really appreciate having time with my sisters and I LOVE it when Monroe gets to play with her cousins! They wear each other out in the best possible way--seriously, Mo slept for 11 hours one of the nights that we were there which has never happened before. I posted most of my pics from that trip on Facebook already so I won't rehash everything we did here, but I am definitely looking forward to another trip out there! Hopefully Hondo will be able to come with us next time!

Hey Holly I just noticed the shirt you're wearing in this pic. Premonition, maybe?!

Two weeks after we got back from Nashville, Holly, Mo, and I packed up the car again and went to Montrose for Kelli's bridal shower. The weekend ended up being even more fun than we had anticipated because all of us Mahan kids (minus Stef, who was sorely missed) were able to spend the weekend at Mom and Dad's. More cousin time, more sister/brother time--always lots of fun. When I get together with my family, I tend to leave my phone sitting on a shelf and not take any pictures because I know that everyone else is documenting the weekend, and also no one else ever calls me except my family. So when we're all together, I really don't even need a phone. Except to once again communicate long distance with my hubs, who wasn't able to come again. Mo got in some fun cousin time with the rest of her cousins who don't live in Nashville, and Kelli got some super fun stuff for her new adorable married house! (She wasn't married yet but is now so I can say that.)

Here's a pic from that weekend. Kelli's wedding prep (including the shower) was fun and a bit stressful for some of us but everything went so well!

When we got home from Montrose that weekend, we settled in for a few weeks of relative normalcy before Kelli's actual wedding. I turned 26 on the 17th, which we celebrated with not too much pomp and circumstance. Hondo spoiled me a bit (as usual!) and stayed home with Mo for a day so I could go to a spa and get a full package--massage, facial, mani/pedi. It was pretty fantastic.

At the end of June was Kelli's actual wedding, and this time we weren't the ones who did the traveling. My family made the trek here from all over since Kelli and Tyler were married in the Mount Timpanogos temple, the same one Hondo and I were sealed in in 2012. They started showing up on Wednesday of that week, which we celebrated by going out as just us sisters to get our nails done. I can't tell you the last time we got to spend time together as just us 5 (or 6, once Kara got here too) of us. No kids, no husbands/boyfriends, no parents. I think we tried to figure it out and it was probably around the time that Stef was married 5 years ago. It may be another 5 years or more before we get to again so it was greatly appreciated 

I don't think we got a pic of all of us at the nail salon, but I promise Stef and Jen were there too. Also that we were having fun!

Holly actually made the kid doing her nails laugh so hard he practically had to stop painting for a minute. Typical Mahan shenanigans. 

Our houses are small but it's always fun to have family or friends stay with us! We had the Griffiths and Kelli staying with us, but during the day a lot of down time (if there was any) was spent at our house because we have more kid friendly things to do at our house. Makes sense, seeing as we have a kid and all. So our home was a disaster for the weekend but I swear the second my family shows up Mo doesn't even care that Hondo or I are there anymore, it's all about cousins and Aunts and Uncles and Gramma and Grandad. She'll generally check in with me once every few hours or so just to say hi or get a hug and then I don't see or talk to her again for the next few hours. 

On Thursday after we had gotten most things done for the day that we could we took Kelli to a local trampoline gym to play for an hour for her bachelorette party. I was unable to participate in the act of jumping, but got plenty out of it still just sitting on the side watching. I don't know if any of us have laughed that hard in a long time--I know my cheeks were hurting afterwards from smiling so much. Trampolines are just the type of thing that you forget is fun as an adult but once you go on one again you wonder why you ever stopped. This trampoline gym even offers aerobic classes a few times a week, which Holly and I may have to check out in a few months.

This is an after shot--if you can't tell by the red faces and huge smiles

The wedding was on Friday, and everything went wonderfully. We had some last minute setting up and getting ready to do that morning, but they were sealed at 3pm without any issues (aside from me dropping some of the cupcakes, but don't tell! I didn't tell Kelli about it) and the reception was that night. It was about 101 degrees that day, so pictures were a bit tortuous but Kelli's photographer was great and the results have been fantastic. 

The whole day was fabulous, and Kelli and Tyler are married! So crazy! She is my last sibling to get married, from now on we're going to have to start doing family reunions if we want to get together--all the major life events are pretty much over! (Aside from babies and such, but we don't get together at each birth.) Reunions and Powderhorn weekend are pretty much all we have left. So weird!

Okay this is turning into a super long post but one more vacation happened this summer and then I promise I'm done! We aren't going anywhere else for a while!

Back in March we procured tickets to see John Mayer play at Red Rocks on July 17th. So Hondo, Mo and I drove to Denver for the concert and to spend the weekend. I haven't driven to Denver in several years, we usually fly, but decided to save a bit of money and make the drive this time. We drove to Grand Junction Tuesday night and stayed with my Grandma and Grandpa Gray, then went the rest of the way on Wednesday morning. The concert was that night and it was, as always, amazing. Live music is almost always worth the cost of the ticket, and to see John Mayer especially--he is soooooo good. I've only seen him 6 times in the past 10 years, so you know, I'm no expert. :) 

This was Hondo's second concert ever! Red Rocks is the best possible venue, we had so much fun and conquered the stairs just fine!

On Thursday we got to spend time with Jen and her girls (and my Mom) going to the Denver zoo. We've taken Mo to the zoo in SLC but it's kind of pathetic comparatively. Mo loved the animals and was super worn out by the end. We all were really, it's a pretty big zoo!

At the zoo, it actually wasn't too hot which was nice.

Thursday night we got to spend some time at my Aunt and Uncle's for a BBQ, which was so great. We don't get to see them often anymore so any time spent is always good. 
Friday we spend some time in our old stomping grounds and went to the Bay in Broomfield. All the girlies got to swim and play and we just relaxed in the water. With babies though the swimming days never last too long, which is turns out was good because even though I offered to put sunscreen on my super-white husband a few times, he declined and as a result was burned to a crisp.

Dad and Monroe at the pool

We stayed at a hotel in downtown Denver, so Friday night we walked a few blocks to 16th street to get dinner and go window shopping. I do love Denver.

We had to leave Saturday afternoon, but not til after I got to stop by a meet my friend Caitlin's new baby (who was 1 day old!) and to celebrate Tessa's 1st birthday.

Caitlin had never met Mo either! So great to see them even for a few minutes

Mo and Quincy looking super cool

Our trip back home was uneventful, we got to stop and spend another night at the Gray's and then come the rest of the way on Sunday. It was a great family vacation, and one of our last for awhile. Maybe around the holidays this year we'll be ready to travel again, but we aren't planning on anything yet.

This summer has felt long and hot--it's one of the hottest we've had in Utah and definitely the hottest I've been in probably ever. Mo and I try to spend some time outside when we can, but it's usually not too long since neither of us are up to the heat at this point. Hondo is starting some classes at UVU this semester, which will be an adjustment for us as a family but I'm so proud of him for going back to school. A lot is changing for us Guzmans this year, and we're grateful for the blessing of lots of family time we've had this summer.

One time I went Ice Block Sledding on a Date...

...and the kid who was my date (it was a double) brought a block of dry ice. DRY ICE. Please tell me who in their right mind thinks that would work on grass.

Speaking of memories... my earliest childhood memory...I feel like we already addressed this is another blog post. Hold on.

Yep, we totes did last year during the blog challenge. I wrote about that here. Who came up with these topics?! (Stef!)

So let's see if I can come up with another early childhood memory. 

These are in no particular order, and just because I remember them from my childhood doesn't necessarily mean that I was young. My chronological memory of life before age 9ish isn't great.

I remember fighting over a pair of jelly shoes with one of my friends and her biting me.

I remember hanging out at the Christiansen's house while my mom birthed Kelli. They had a trampoline.

I remember having recurring nightmares where every member of my family would be killed one by one, always in the same order, until Holly and I were the only ones left (sorry, everyone else) and I would wake up crying.

I remember thinking I heard a mouse in my room in the middle of the night and being so scared that it would jump on my bed that I started mewing like a cat. To scare it away, obviously. I do not remember if it worked.

One time I thought it would be a great idea to put a glass of orange juice by my bed at night instead of water. It was actually a terrible idea...have you ever had orange juice after brushing your teeth?

Hop On Pop was the first book I ever read by myself. It was in my Grandma's basement. 

Clayton Kazmerski ate glue once in kindergarten and I missed it because I had been sick the day before and my teacher made me sit in the corner to do make-up work. I hated my kindergarten teacher forever after that. 

I'm pretty sure I firmly believed in reincarnation as an extremely small child. Not that I knew the word "reincarnation." I blame the idea I'm about to relate on church--I can only assume we play-acted the birth of Jesus and I took it a little too close to heart. I honestly thought at one point that I was a reincarnated Mary. Mary, Mother of Jesus. There is photographic evidence of me in the bathtub with a washcloth on my head saying "I'm Mary." 

Here is a series of pictures of me sometime between 18-24 months old, singing "I'm All Made of Hinges" to my Great-Grandma Hazel.

I'm not as cool as I used to be. 

Spring Break 2013

My family has not been having a great year. It seems like just one thing after another piles up and they all add up to a crappy time. So it was with some apprehension but mostly excitement that Hondo and I took a vacation last week to Los Angeles. This was technically our 2 year anniversary celebration but we had to wait a month for my younger sister Kelli to be on Spring Break so she could come watch Mo while we were gone.

I was going to write this all out like a journal entry but I'm already boring myself. So I will just post pictures and that'll be the update.

First of all, I have the cutest child ever. 

Second, we had to get rid of our car Derek Zoolander. He served us well for 5 years. RIP my friend.

On Hollywood Blvd/Walk of Fame. Day 1 in LA. Highlights were Ripley's Believe it or Not and seeing Beauty and the Beast. Other than that, it felt like Vegas.

We stopped by the Los Angeles temple too. Just to see the outside. It was very nice to get some peace and quiet after the grossness of Hollywood Blvd.

We drove up to the Griffith Observatory just in time for sunset. Pretty cool views of the surrounding city and the Hollywood sign.

Day 3 we went to Manhatten Beach and met up with some of my friends from high school. The weather was overcast and cold but we still got our feet wet in the ocean. I do wish it had been warmer, I love getting in the water.

After the beach we went to a Dodgers game. They were playing the Angels. We ate some awesome Dodger dogs in about 37 seconds. Totally worth it.

"

"This is not a pipe."

Day 4, last day. We spent the majority of the day at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. It was very cool but so much to see. A bit overwhelming. By the time we walked through 3 buildings we were ready to go home and see our girl.

One more for good measure.  We got home late Saturday night so this was Easter Sunday morning. Mo is looking at her Easter basket but was afraid to come near until I told her it was okay to have a piece of the candy. Then she was all about it. Such a good baby.

That's it and that's all.

Betty

Growing up us Mahan kids didn't all look as much alike as we do now. I've always been a bit of a black sheep, not in the fact that I have a darker complexion (although that is part of it) but in that I don't look like my parents. Sure, there's a facial expression or two, but really I get my face and my color from my Gram, Betty Irene Walton Mahan.

And she was a Betty. She had classic good looks that carried over into her age. No wonder my Gramps snatched her up when she was only 20. (Or was it 19? Either way, they were young.)

Gram was one of the most head over heels in love women you could ever meet, although she didn't show it with public displays of affection or grand gestures. She did live every day to take care of my Dad, my Uncle Mitch, and her husband, my Gramps.

In the summer of 2006, a few months after Gramps had passed away and my parents made the courageous decision to leave their home of 20+ years and move closer to their parents, I got to go for a drive alone with Gram after we had helped move my parents (and Kelli) into their new home. We chatted about lots of things, but the conversation turned quickly to relationships and finding the right person to spend eternity with. Gram's advice was to find someone who could make your knees go weak even after 50 years. She told me that with Gramps, sometimes when they were out and about he would catch her eye from across the room and wink at her. And my 67 year old Gram told me with her hand fluttering over her heart like a teenager that she would just turn a bit red and say, Oh, Dennis!

Gram had two of her sons, their spouses or loved ones, and all the Mahan grand kids to love and care for even without my Gramps, but we've all known that she would never be truly happy again until she was reunited with Gramps.

This past Saturday night, around 12:30 when he came to take her Home with him, she went. She had not only Gramps waiting for her, but two sons who didn't live past infancy, Kirk and Tracy, and her parents and grandparents and her older brother, Jim.

It's these thoughts that bring a little peace to my mind in otherwise emotional and tumultuous times. I was not expecting to have to say goodbye to her this early. I am glad she met Monroe but wish there had been more time. I'm struggling to express my grief.

I am grateful for my memories of my Gram, both in the seven years since we lost Gramps and the years before. She was an amazing cook, a trait I hope can be said of me by my child(ren) and future grandchildren. She was stubborn as all get out, and had opinions and advice for every situation but especially about love. She had great friends who have looked out for her and taken care of her in the day-to-day. She was dedicated to her job, and shared her great work ethic with her children, which has been passed down to us kids as well. Sometimes I could make her laugh. She found my ridiculous antics around my family funny, which I always loved. She could've been on the show Hoarders for the amount of change she kept. She and my Gramps must've never given exact change once in their lives. I'm pretty sure we rarely left their home as kids without a $10 roll of quarters each. Gram and Gramps are the ones who got us the organ that spawned us starting piano lessons, which is a love that has obviously carried over into adulthood.

I'm grateful for my Gram. I'm blessed to have had the opportunity and the time to get to know her as much as I did. Thanksgivings, Christmas', every graduation, every milestone in my life thus far she has been there for me and my family.

It's hard. It's hard for us left here to handle the loss. I'm thankful for faith, for the knowledge that there will be more time to spend together. We'll have eternity. I pray that is enough.



Betty Irene.
December 15, 1938-January 12, 2013