The Many Hairstyles of Harper

Harper's hair is getting so long and it is so much fun doing her hair. I'm starting to get a little more adventurous when I do it. I'm wanting to start getting more creative and learn some new styles.

The "Double Ponytail on top of the head"

Right after a bath. Nice and combed out super long. Look at that little flip at the bottom. Precious!

Sometimes I am lazy and just clip it back out of her face with this guy.

The classic pigtails.

I'm still working on french braiding, but it has now gotten long enough to just do little braided pigtails. Adorable!

Playing in the Snow

When we lived in Idaho Harper was too young to play in the snow. When we got so much snow this weekend we had to take advantage of it and have Harper experience the joys of playing in the snow. We bundled her up and headed outside to build a snowman.

Harper and Daddy getting started.

Harper trying to have the snowman's nose for a snack.

Harper, Daddy and the snowman.
(It wasn't the best packing snow so it took a while and the snowman wasn't that big. It still looked great though.)

Prepared

Last weekend a really bad storm was coming through the Oklahoma/Arkansas area and we did our best to get prepared. The ice storm that they had last year was horrible and some people in our area were without power for a week. Luckily this year we didn't lose power. We only got about 1/2 inch of ice and six or seven inches of snow. Oklahoma was still hit pretty bad in some places, I've heard.




As you can see in the pictures, we got bread and water all ready but we didn't need it. When Ryan went to the store to get the bread they were all out of sandwich bread so he just got whatever they had (rolls, a whole wheat loaf, english muffins and tortillas). We also got some water ready. We have a Pur pitcher and Ryan got some bottled water. We also had some water bottles with filters in them that my parents had given me. I even filled up some of Harper's old baby bottles with filtered water. We didn't end up needing any of it but it was still nice to be prepared.

Good for us!

2009 Stuff

I found this survey on a random blog that I came across today. I would eventually like to get our blog printed off and I thought it would be good to have this in there. It's kind of long and I don't know if I'm going to be able to answer all of the questions, but I'll try.

1. What did you do in 2009 that you had never done before?
-Ryan - Graduated from college in 3 years. Got a job at Walmart. Lived in Chicago for a little while. Moved to Arkansas.
-Abby - Lived in Chicago for a little while. Went to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field. Moved to Arkansas.
-Harper - Turned 1. Lived in Chicago. Went to a Cubs game. Moved to Arkansas. Played in the snow.

2. Did you keep your New Year's Resolutions and do you intend to make any for 2010?
-I can't remember what resolutions we made last year. I'd like to think that we kept at least some of them. Yes, we did make a few resolutions this year.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

-My cousin Meagan, and my cousin Jake and his wife had babies. I think that's it.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

-No

5. What countries did you visit?

-Just the U.S. of A.

6. What would you like to have in 2010 that you didn't have in 2009?

-A new house and a new baby.

7. What dates will be etched into your memory from 2009 and why?

-May 6 - My dad turning 60. Harper and I got to go to GA and celebrate!

-July 16 - Harper turned 1.

8. What is your biggest achievement of the year?

-Leaving Idaho. Ryan's would be graduating and getting a job.

9. What is your biggest failure?

-I'm not sure. Probably procrastinating.

10. Did you suffer any illness or injury?

-Nothing too serious.

11. What is the best thing you bought?

-Our iPhones!!!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

-Ryan's for getting a job and Harper's for being the best kid ever. She loves when I go to the gym because it means that she can go to the day care and play! I don't think she has fussed a single time that I've taken her!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled or depressed?

-Um....maybe the president's. I don't want to talk bad about our president, but he's the only one I could think of.

14. Where did most of your money go?

-The move from Idaho to Illinois to Arkansas. The time we lived in Illinois since Ryan hadn't started working yet.

15. What did you get really excited about?

-Ryan getting a job with Walmart! Harper turning one. Leaving Idaho. Finding out we are expecting.

16. What songs will remind you of 2009 and why?

-I'm not really sure. Just all of the popular ones this year.

17. Compared to last year...

a. happier or sadder? Happier. Not that I was sad last year, but we're just in a good place in life right now! Life is good!

b. thinner or fatter?Thinner. I love the Walmart Fitness Center!!!

c. richer or poorer?Richer. We are definitely not rich though!

18. What do you wish you had done more of?

-Crafts. I have so many crafts and decorating things that I want to get done. The list just keeps getting longer!

19. What do you wish you had done less of?

-TV watching.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

-Here in Arkansas with my family and brother.

21. Did you fall in love in 2009?

-More and more with Ryan every day!!

22. What was your favorite TV program?

-Ryan and I discovered LOST while in Illinois. I think that's our new favorite and of course The Office.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate at this time last year?

-I'm not a hater.

24. What is the best book you read?

-Maybe The Lost Symbol. I can't remember all of the books I read.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

-I think the question is probably asking about a specific artist or song, but I got a ukulele this year. Thanks to our friends the Sugdens! I only know a couple of chords but I'm really excited to learn some more!

26. What did you want and get?

- iPhones. Ryan got a job! We were blessed in many ways!

27. What did you want and not get?

-Nothing that I can think of.

28. What was your favorite film this year?

-The Blind Side. Ryan still hasn't seen it yet, but I loved it!

29. What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?

-Harper turned one. We took her to the Spray Park and had friends and family over for presents and cupcakes.

-I turned 23 this year and went to a zoo in Illinois with Ryan and Harper and we ate at Buffalo Wild Wings.

-Ryan turned 25. He doesn't like to be fussed over so I made his favorite dinner and he got a basketball pump.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

-More time with family, even though we did get lots of family time this year.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2009?

-Comfort and affordable.

32. What kept you sane?

-Ryan.

33. What celebrity did you fancy the most?

-None.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

-I don't really get into politics much. The new president I guess.

35. Who do you miss?

-All of our awesome Idaho friends.

36. Who was the best person you met?

-Our new friends the Dunkins.

37. Valuable life lesson learned in 2009?

-Prayers are answered and our Heavenly Father always has us in mind.

38. What is the one thing you said this year that you never thought you'd say?

-"We're moving to Arkansas."

39. What was the one thing you heard that you never thought you would hear?

-"We're moving to Arkansas."

-I'd also maybe say that Ryan got a job, but that's not something I never thought I would hear, because he is so great and I knew he would get a job. It is just so great that he got one, and such a good one!!!

40. What do you anticipate will be the biggest change in your life in 2010?

-Having another baby and moving to a house.

Christmas '09

This year for Christmas we had my parents and brother, Ezra, come to Arkansas to spend Christmas with us. We had a really good time with them, even though it was super cold and we didn't want to leave the house very much. We got a couple of inches of snow on Christmas and after that it was freezing cold for a week or so! We did have a lot of fun inside though!

Harper opening her Christmas pajamas on Christmas Eve.

Harper trying to figure out what was going on. You can see my brother looking out the front door in the background because we got a couple of inches of snow on Christmas morning!!

Our pretty Christmas tree on Christmas morning.

Harper LOVED her Elmo airplane!



Ryan got the book Super Freakonomics from my other brother, Zach, and Harper decided that she wanted to read some of it!

Guess What?

We're...........

Most of you that read this probably already know because we have posted it on facebook, but here you go.

I'm about 16 weeks along so that means the baby is due at the end of June. We have an ultrasound appointment in about 3 weeks and we should have a better idea of how far along we are and we are planning on finding out the gender. I'm pretty sure we'll share the gender info but I don't think we'll share the name if and when we get one. We'll see.

Thanksgiving '09

For Thanksgiving this year we were able to travel to Georgia and spend it with my family there. The drive is between 10-12 hours so we decided to drive through the night so that Harper would sleep and we could just drive straight through. We started driving around 9 or 10, I think. At the start of the drive Harper was really confused and kept looking at us with a "I'm supposed to be in my bed." look. It was pretty funny. She eventually realized that she wasn't getting out and finally fell asleep.

Thanksgiving morning our family ran in the Gobble Jog. The majority of us did the 10k. Some did the 5k and my nephew Hayden did a little fun run for kids. I was a baby and had to walk and run. Harper was a trooper and just chilled in the jogging stroller the whole time!

Here's the whole gang at Thanksgiving dinner.

We went to the Botanical Gardens where they had a little train display and a train ride for the kids. Harper loved it!

Papa Tom, Devon, Hayden, Harper and Gigi.

Halloween '09

I know, I know...I have been a horrible blogger. I don't really have much of an excuse, so I'll just get right to it.

This year for Halloween Harper's Gigi (my mom) made her a tutu so that she could be a ballerina. It was precious! Here's proof:

Raspberries on Daddy's Tummy

Just watch. It is so cute and funny!

Caught Up

I am finally caught up on blogging. I am planning on posting some pictures of our new place soon.

This next picture is of Harper's little plumber bum. I can't let her walk around in just a diaper anymore because she always tugs on it until it sags really low like this. (This picture is before we had our chouches moved in so the living room was bare.




When we lived in Idaho, we kept our garbage can in the pantry. Well, we don't have a pantry here and Harper has a new found love of throwing things away. I was getting ready to take the garbage out and I heard something vibrating...

She had thrown my phone away. Luckily it wasn't covered in garbage juice or anything.