Finally! A cold day in Utah

To celebrate the cold wintry mix that we welcomed to Sandy, Utah today (snow and rain!!) Maggie and I threw ingredients in to the crock pot and called it southwestern bean chili!! Maggie LOVES to help in the kitchen always wanting to "see, see" and today her favourite smell from all the spices was the cocoa!! Here she is actually saying "cocoa" which she worked in to her mini sentences all day long. Life is good.

Please note the box of honey crisp apples. A wonderful discovery at Target yesterday!!!! A little of the north-east (aka. mid-west) brought out for our fall enjoyment.

She managed to eat about 1/4 of the green peppers that I cut up for the chili. They were delicious and the fresh smell is so tempting. Why not eat green peppers at 9 in the morning?
(Notice "Sneezy", one of the seven dwarfs, on the kitchen counter. This is a new obsession.)

Busy little girl!

I'm trying to keep up with my busy little 18 month old.

Here are a couple of our activities at home:

Tea parties are always fun. I try talking her in to having them just with her dollies but she insists "tea-mama-tea"! And complete victory - I have not broken a little chair... yet (just wait 'til 30 weeks rolls around).

This is a new activity that Maggie started last week. FINGER PAINTING!! So much fun. Although it does say that it is washable, this will be an outside activity. (Thanks to my Auntie Sue for the adorable painters apron from Scotland with Nessie on the front!)

Cecret Lake

Our first REAL family hike in Utah! It started off pretty easy for, you know, someone who isn't pregnant, overweight and in high elevation :) So let me re-phrase, Peter found it to be an easy hike WITH a 30 lb pack on his back!

But "hike" is the real word for it as we just went up and up. I really did love it and although my body was tired I felt great!!
We had to continue coaxing Mags with a "treat when we get to the lake" which she was pretty excited about!

Peter took some great photos around the lake.

There were these weird lizard looking things in the water. Maggie did put her hands in but it was "coooooold"!

Photo of the day I think:

Going back down.

Of course Lamby Lambchops has to experience everything here in Utah with us!

Singing was the best way to entertain Maggie because apparently children don't appreciate the view and tranquility of nature the way adults do. I thought these photos were great of her singing her little heart out!!

The Little Gym

We found a little flavour of Canada out here in the west. It's called "The Little Gym" and it is amazing!! Maggie l-o-v-e-s it and so do I. She gets to run around in a controlled environment and jump and swing and climb and crawl and play with balls and bubbles and other kids and sing and dance and be silly!!! So every Wednesday morning we hang out here in Sandy at the "geem" - and I actually have made some friends through this place too!!!Maggie attempting the balance beam, which she walked across all by herself today! Hurray!

They always have different obstacles set up just the size of the children.

Mr. Braydon - the owner and class teacher spotting Mags on the bars.

Working on holding up her 26 pound self... I'll let you know how that goes.

First Haircut

I just trimmed her bangs...

But Peter insisted on documenting the "first haircut" so here it is!!!