New Years Eve

 2013, how full of memories and good times you were. Some highlights:

Celebrating my 1 year anniversary with Cristian by kicking his butt at GoKarting
Throwing a  "Very Hungry Caterpillar" party for Violet's first birthday.
Cristian receiving a promotion at work to Sales Manager.
Cristian then going on to become the #1 Sales Manager in the district.
I lost 20lbs of baby weight by doing Shaun T's Insanity and going paleo.
I also opened up my very own Etsy shop.
Violet learned how to say many words: "sko" (let's go) "sup" (what's up) "cheese", "ma&pa" for Grandpa and Grandma McMahon, and "please", along with many others.
Violet using her big girl potty successfully for the first time.

2013 had been good to all three of us in the Navas clan, and every day seems to get better and better. There are a few things we would like to accomplish this coming year as a family, but as for now I think we are all just happy to be together. Ringing in the new year tonight has been so much fun and tomorrow will be a wonderful brand new day :D


Happy New Year!

Christmas Day 2013 Photos

Ok, this one was not from Christmas Day. It was from the day before during Cristian's lunch break. She was not very impressed. She would not smile, and barely looked up. Shy, scared, unsure, whatever. It was still fun to get a photo of her and Santa for the first time. :D

 

Christmas morning neither Cristan and I were feeling well, but it sure what fun to watch Violet open up her presents and share her toys with us. I built Violet a little reading nook. I don't think this photo does it justice, but she loves it. She goes in there and sits with her books and has a grand ol' time.

Cristian bought Violet a some legos and a book that goes along with it. You end up making a snail, a caterpillar, and a beatle. Violet's LOVED IT, and really got into the lego's! A million points for daddy for coming up with that one!

 

Stocking were mostly up to me this year. Part of her stocking was stickers! And not photographed was all natural fruit rollups and a set of 6 different flavored chapsticks (which she loves cause mommy wears chapstick also)

 

 

In this photo you can see that Cristian picked out something for Violet to wear. She recieved a batman hoodie, a long sleeved batman shirt, and a short sleeved batman shirt with pants to match. She looks pretty super in it. Also the cushion that went in her reading nook teepee and the blanket Cristian got me so I would stop stealing the one I made for him last year :D

 Finally, her chalkboard piggy bank which we will start putting money into at the beginning of next year. She was so excited when she opened it. She squealed "Is a pig!" and this was the shot afterwards since we forgot to record the whole thing. She is very excited about this. It as a "home" in our bedroom and every morning she has to come and take him out for a bit. But she's good about putting him/her back. It's also fun to color on him!

 

Afterwards we all showered and got ready to go over to my parents house (and I'm just realizing now that we didn't get any photos of Violet at Cristian's house). I need to get better at bringing my camera places. We took a family photo, Cristian is behind the camera, Violet is upset about something, and poor Jelly is hidden behind baby Miles, but this is a pretty good photo considering

This time Talisa is behind the camera. Violet is still unsure about everything but at least we can see Jelly in this one. Someone with mad photo shop skills is going to need to somehow put Talisa in the photo, along with Brian and Jasmin who were in Texas :(

 

 And lastly, the super hero grand baby babies. Miles received his outfit for Christmas too I think. Violet is still very unsure of Miles. She's very used to being the only baby in the house, but also get roughed around a bit by her other uncles and such. Miles is so sweet. So smiley and content and does his best to play with Violet but so far it just hasn't worked out. She's too sensitive, and I think Miles is a little to aggressive for my dainty little flower. She needs to toughen up though with hoard of Uncles who love to play. It's a good experience for her, and Miles just loves her so much. Hopefully she gets used to him soon!



SickDay

Today I am grateful for:


Loving parents who are willing to take my sweet baby girl for the day while I lay in bed and rest.
Aromatherapy to heal my aches and pains.
A caring husband who gives foot, hand, and back massages.
Central heating.
Warm blankets and hot baths
Sleep.
Humidifiers and Vcks Vapor solutions.

Silent Night, Yeah Right

This Christmas was the best one I've ever had. Christmas Eve Cristian had to work so Violet and I spent the day sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, and present wrapping while we waited for him to clock out. It was such a good day, all sunny and bright. And Violet is a very good helper around the house. Once off work we came home, showered, changed and got ready to go out to dinner. I'm not sure if that will become a tradition or anything, I really just didn't have to time to try and cook anything. I was unprepared that's for sure. We went for sushi, had a really great time, and then headed out to my parents house for Carols By Candlelight.
   It's one of my favorite parts of the holidays. We read the Christmas story, sing some carols and then those who wish to, can share their thoughts and testimonies about anything. I was unsure how Cristian would react to everything, and there were parts which probably made him uncomfortable (the carol singing for instance) but it was so nice to have him by my side with Violet this year. ( Last year he was still out doing deliveries till about 10pm) At the end my parents shared their testimonies and then Cristian surprised me (and everyone I'm sure) by sharing he's never been more happy then with Violet and me and life. It made me very happy to hear that. Because I can honestly say I've never been happier as well.
I'm not where I want to be yet, but my calling helps, and having Cristian support me is an amazing blessing in my life. The Lord is looking out for me, and I try to make sure to thank Him everyday for Violet and Cristian being my life.
Afterwards it was time to head home and try to get some sleep. Violet cried the whole way home, and all night. We're still not sure what was wrong but she HAD to have her dad hold her or else she would wake up screaming. It was a rough night, so when we woke up Christmas Day both Cristian and I were sick as dogs......and Violet happy as could be. Isn't that always how it goes.

Watching Violet unwrap her presents was a fun experience. One of her presents was a chalkboard piggy bank. She ripped off the wrapping, eyes grew wider and yelled "Is a PIG!". It was HILARIOUS, and only after did we realize we should have been recording the whole thing. Meh, oh well, that's why I'm writing it down here so I don't forget.
For Christmas one of her gifts was a reading nook in her bedroom. She loves books. LOVES them. So I built her a little hanging teepee with a soft comfy cushion for her to sit on, and a big box to put all her books in. It was a hit, and I just love that my baby girls loves to read.
There were many gifts exchanged as we made our way out to my parents house, and then out to Cristian's parents but my favorite part was spending time with Cristian and Violet though we were both really tired and sick from a long and sleepless night.

I'm so grateful for my family. They are my everything and I'm looking forward to the new year!


We started potty training this morning, and she's already managed to figure it out once today! I'm so proud of her! Big girl status right there. We'll keep working on it, and maybe I can get her potty trained before we head to Australia in February.

"It Is A Fish"

Violet said her first sentence the other day. I didn't have time to be delighted because right after she slipped and hit her two front teeth on the side of the tub. Thankfully THANKFULLY she didn't chip or break her beautiful teeth, though there was a lot of blood and tears from splitting her lip. And by the way her first sentence was "It is a fish!". Fish toys fill the bathtub when we put her in, along with bright hot pink Hello Kitty bubbles which smell like strawberries and vanilla. She's had a rough week. About 2 days before this she was spinning around in circles, got dizzy (of course) and fell against the metal box frame which holds our bed up. She cut and bruised her ear pretty badly, and the following day her cute cousin Miles hit her on the same ear with a red wooden block. She also spent time at her Abuella's house with Jose' and Joshua and they both play pretty rough so who knows what went on over there.
However on the same token I am POSITIVE she had an overall good time. She came home with candy cane in her hair and sticky little fingers, and of course a HUGE smile on her adorable little face.

On top of ALL that, out of nowhere she caught a strange cold. She was fine until about 2 in the afternoon and by evening she was absolutely miserable with snot everywhere, coughing, and a slight fever. We set up a humidifier in her room and she's quickly recovered but my poor girl has been through the ringer this week.


But we've also had fun. I need to be better about bringing my fancy new camera with me places, we made cute little Christmas sugar cookies over at her Ma and Pa's house. She helped me roll out the dough, dumped flour on Tahoe's head and smeared dough with cookie cutters all over the counter. She had a blast and my mom and I had a good time decorating them. It was a fun way to keep her busy, and it was a special moment for me as a mother. I've been spending less time on the computer and have been away from my phone more then usual and it's been so much fun. We read through her books about 5 times each every morning. Her current favorite is "The Escape Of Marvin The Ape", and Victoria found an old Australian story book I was read to as a kid. It's been fun looking through those books and sharing them with Violet. We've been doing lots of baking, and taking special treats into her daddy at work. She loves getting the routine phone call from him in the middle of the day, and has been LOVING the snow. I'm glad when she looks outside and sees the "no", it helps me enjoy it also.

I keep trying to do the potty training, but it's hard with family in town and us running all over the place. I want to get her started while she's acting ready, but that would require us staying home for about a week to get it figured out, and with Christmas this coming weeks it's simply not realistic. Meh. I'll figure something out.

I made a sale through my Etsy shop! Someone in France purchased an owl printed dreamcatcher! First sale! And this evening I made one more on a double half lotus yellow and grey one. I'm pretty excited about it. We celebrated with sushi, udon noodles, and gyoza. It was really fun and I was really excited. And so was Cristian which meant the world to me. I love him so much.

We found out yesterday he is ranked number one sales manager in the district right now. We have a lot of things to be celebrating lately and I am so proud of Cristian. He really is one of the most hardworking men I know, and no one is more deserving of that title then he is. He's moved up so quickly in the company and is full to the brim of potential. I'm lucky to have him, and am so so proud of him and how far he's come. The man needs an outlet though and I was so excited tonight when he said he wanted to play churchball with the guys in our ward. So I need to be sure to figure out what times and days it is, and how fun for Violet and I to watch and cheer. I'm really excited because I think it will also be an outlet for me. And yeah, Violet. It will be good for our whole family.

On Sunday we are all getting together to make gingerbread houses. Cristian and I decided our theme is going to be the movie "Ghostbusters". Don't ask me how we are going to make it come to life but we are certainly going to try. I need to remember to bring my camera. Also sometime on Sunday after church we are meeting with a pitbull breeder who has some puppies who have had their shots and are licensed and such. We'll see where it goes, we both want a dog so badly and if Cristian's job takes him to Clearfield and we end up staying here in the valley it will be good to have a dog around. We'll see.

Good things happening.

All Is Warm, All Is Bright

The weather is getting more and more chilly, and my thoughts about how to keep Violet busy and occupied are becoming less and less inspired. I don't know what we'll do in the dead of winter. At least the sun still shines now and then currently. Violet loves to color. Sometimes on paper, and sometimes on the walls but I love her art. I can't throw any of it away so it's slowly and surely beginning to pile up. I came up with an idea of how to display some of it though, and I'll share more in the next post I write. These little scribbles are basically etched on my heart. Everything about Violet is precious to me. The good and the bad. The easy and the hard. The ups and the downs. I don't want to forget any of the times she's made me smile and laugh, or the times she made me want to pull my hair out. The moments I love the most is when she's calm and content, sitting in her dad's camping chair, or concentrating hard on her "picture a day". I've taken a step back from FB and I've noticed a difference. I think more is needed however. So slowly, day by day, I'm going to work on becoming more and more hands free for my baby girl. I'm never going to get this time back, and I feel at times I have taken that for granted.

 

 

 

We're all ready for Christmas. And in this cold season our tree in the corner of our living room brightens and warms up my quaint little home. I'm so excited to share with Violet what I've spent time making for her and, at some point, sharing and helping her understand what this season is all about. This year there are a few things as a family we have decided to try and do before Dec 25th (which means we need to get ourselves on the ball).

 

 

1. Make or supply our mailman with a homemade treat or gift.

2. "Pay It Forward or Backward" by paying for someone's meal, part of a tank of gas, or an extra "grocery" for someone to take home and enjoy.

3. Drop off a donation at Goodwill, or some other charity.

4. Leave anonymous notes of gratitude.

 

I'm pretty excited.

Violet's latest thing is eating things out of a Valentines Day novelty pail. She loves to carry it around. She been on an apple kick, so slices of fruit currently fill the bottom of it. We sit on the floor and share pieces back and forth and she's as content as can be. I've been blessed with a happy girl. There was one night during my pregnancy I reached utter despair. I knew I was supposed to be the person to nurture and teach Violet. I didn't now how though. I didn't think I could. I prayed for a happy child, because as long as she was happy, I could find a way to do this. She's amazing. Yes, she has her hard days, don't we all, and I know many more will follow, but I know my Father in Heaven answered a very specific prayer for me. And that each day I will continue to learn how to be the best mommy for Violet.

 

This coming week we are going to begin potty training! I found a baby potty I liked at a trip down to Target the other day. I was planning on saving it for Christmas but I think we need to get started while she's acting ready. I haven't physically started teaching her anything, but she constantly pulls down her pants and sits on the seat. I'm hoping this means she will pick things up quickly, but I guess we'll wait and see! Either way I'm excited, I need something to keep me busy this week as Cristian will mostly likely be working much more than usual. Things are picking up at the store, he works so hard. I miss him constantly through out the day and am SO happy and relieved when he makes it home at night. I love watching Violet run full on into his arms all the while screaming "sup sup sup!" (what's up). Then she grabs his nose and laughs her head off. Those two are a riot and mean everything to me. Cristian brought me home 2 bouquets of flowers the other day. Full of purples, yellow, white, and TONS of greenery. I love having them in the kitchen to look at all day. I love him.

I've been crafting up a storm like I mentioned early. Too bad no one is buying my creations. I was really hoping to earn some money on the side with the dreamcatcher/garland thing but so far nothing. I plan on keeping the shop open another month or two, continually adding things and in the end if nothing happens, I have lots of handmade gifts for birthdays, baby showers, bridal showers, and other holidays so that's the upside.

 

These paper feathers really brighten up my side of the bed.

I can't wait to one day have full white walls.

 



 

Let's end with a list about why I'm enjoying winter so far:

 

 

family and friends

herbal tea and hot chocolate

watching Violet crunch her way through the snow

twinkle lights

good smelling candles

soups

mittens

garlands

handmade gifts

sweatpants and warm baths

Violet's rosy cheeks

snow angels with Cristian and Violet

taking warm treats to Cristian at work

leaving love notes in those treats for Cristian

um. Cristian.

 

 

Winter is so much more fun when you're experiencing it with someone who's not quite sure of what it is. I'm grateful for this. Winters usually end up being a tough time for me mentally and emotionally. The cold. The dark. The wet. Violet and Cristian brighten everything up.

 

I love them. That's it.

 

 

 

Fresh Air

This last Tuesday was such a fun one. I decided I wanted to go spend some time in the snowy mountains and give Violet her first experience with how winter is going to look. It was so great to get out in the fresh mountain air and enjoy the snow. It didn't last long, her cute little gloves could hardly keep her sweet fingers warm and dry, but it was nice none the less to get some photos of all of us. And by the last photo you can see Violet started to get into it after trudging along in her big heavy boots and trying to figure out her fluffy snowsuit and coat. It was a wonderful afternoon and exactly what I needed.
I opened up my Etsy shop (BeadsAndTwine) and have been working hard on keeping my creativity up. It's so good to have some kind of outlet to keep things interesting around here.
Cristian is doing fantastic at work and hopefully we know more about his promotion soon, I think the change will be good for us, and if we end up having to move, I think that will be good for us to.
We're all set for Christmas (as far as decorating up the house), but still have all our Christmas shopping to do. It will be fun to get that done, but also stressful.


I've hit a plateau with my weight loss which is just mind blowing to me because Insanity is the type of program you shouldn't hit a rut with. So I've been thinking a lot about what I can do to keep the momentum going. My body feels run down, achy, and very tight so I've been doing yoga, pilates, and have been focusing really hard on my eating. Nothing is changing though so I've been thinking about going Paleo with my husband to see if that starts things up again and gets me feeling better. I've also been drinking lots of herbal teas, water, and taking Epsom salt baths. We'll see how things go the next couple of weeks.

I found out yesterday my brothers whole family is coming for Christmas! I'm so excited to meet my newest little nephew Miles, and see everyone. All of us will be home for Christmas this year with the exception of Jasmin. Really wish we could all be together for the holidays but it'll happen again someday I'm sure.

Violet's newest things these days are saying "sup", "sko" (for let's go), and climbing up on our kitchen table using her dad's camping chair. She's getting very adventurous and turning into quite the parrot, repeating most of what she hears. I said "damn" in the car the other day and next thing I know she's changing "damn, damn, damn) in the backseat all the way to the grocery store. Going to have to keep better tabs on what I say. It was pretty funny though. I also think it's almost time to start potty training! I'm not too excited about it, but she knows when she needs a clean diaper and does a great job at bringing a clean one, and her wipes to me every time she needs a change. So I guess I need to look for a baby potty for our girl and start the process.
Cheers!

Time Out

I have yet to officially give Violet a time out, but I feel as though it is fast approaching. She's a well behaved, very responsive, and very understanding girl. She knows where she should and where she shouldn't. She knows just how to almost push mommy's buttons but she has yet to actually do it, and I love her more then words can say.

I think I need to put myself on a time out though. From FB. It's really been weighing on my mind lately. And I could say I don't know why, but it would probably be a lie. It takes away time for myself, for Violet, and for Cristian. The last couple of weeks I've been glued to my phone. Don't worry I'm still finding time to feed and bathe Violet lol, but what I mean is just that I seem to take my phone with me everywhere, and I feel like I'm checking it every couple of minutes. I'm not that popular so I really don't know what my problem is.

So I'm turning it off for a week.
I'm not going to look or post anything on FB for a week.
And I'm going to see if it makes some kind of difference for me.
I don't know why I feel so plagued by it, but I know it making me feel.... depressed and strange.


I just want to really enjoy my family, enjoy the holidays, and enjoy making crafts.
Blah. Finding a balance is so hard lately. Because is seems like what I would consider my "balance" changes every couple of hours. I'm exhausted.


I think I need to give 100% to my family.
I think I need to give 100% to myself.
I think I just need to spend time in a beautiful place.
I think I need to meditate and do yoga.
I think I need to go hiking in the mountains in the cold and wind.
I think I need to work out until I can hardly breathe.
I think I need to learn how to cook something new and amazing.
I think I need to keep trying different crafts until I find one that I just absolutely love and adore.
I think I need to take my photographs and get to decorating my home for the holidays.
I think I just need to slow down with the social media and focus on what's going on in MY life.



Anyway.
We may be taking a break from this blog also. So if you're reading, HAPPY HOLIDAYS and we'll be back in a month or two.

Counting Sheep

The last couple of nights (including this one) I have had the hardest time falling asleep. After Violet goes to bed I spend some time working on more things for my shop, Cristian relaxes and eats dinner and then we head to bed. He falls asleep within SECONDS it seems like, and I end up laying in bed tossing and turning until about 3am. It's exhausting, obviously.

Things I do when I can't sleep:
Watch The Mentalist
Browse Pinterest
Cut my nails
Think about Cristian
Think about Violet
Munch out
Work out
Do back stretches
Hum songs
Pluck my eyebrows

Sighs.
In other news, I'm in love with these fabrics. It's part of Violet's Christmas present and I'm SO excited to share with everyone what I'm making for her.

Messes

The other night I went to bed without picking up Violet's toys and arranging her books. I felt like such a rebel, and it was ridiculous. In other news my Etsy shop "BeadsAndTwine" will be opening next weekend with dreamcatchers, nature garlands, and maybe a few more things if I find time to whip them up :D.

Out Back

 Check out those leopard pants. We love them over here at the Navas house. Tonight Cristian and I went on a date to see "Thor", and Violet spent time playing with her Uncles. I guess she had a really good time, but I was glad to see her all excited to come home with her mom and dad.

Riverwalk Sundays

 

 

 

 I love those little hearts on her socks :D

 She loves her daddy so much!

Daddy's Chair

This morning Violet and I went to a Stake Primary Activity. Our station was set up so the kids could make fall centerpieces to take home with them. It was fun to feel involved, help the kids get their "vases" going, and spend time with Violet. We had cups, sticks, helicopters, leaves (thanks so much mom!!), glitter, feathers, and candy corn to make the centerpieces and everyone did such a good job. Even most of the mom's came and made one to. I was happy it seemed to be such a hit since I've been kind of slacking on my part with Primary. It was hard to get there for awhile because if I wasn't sick, one of the other two were and around and around it went for about a month. Now we are all healthy and I'm just hoping it stays that way. Tomorrow I have the lesson, and the week after because both Kaitlyn and Tawnya will be gone for the holidays.


Anyway,
Violet LOVED the activity, they had fishing, and donut bobbing, and a tub you had to crawl through and find candy, and a foam croquet court set up and I've never seen her run around so much in all her life. She had a fantastic time, and even helped mommy make a centerpiece.

After the activity we returned the shears to Grandma's house and had some fun swinging outside, playing in the leaves, and helping Grandpa feed Uncle Nick. It was good, but she was SO ready to take a nap by the time we left, which she did all the way home and once tucked up in her bed.


Later in the evening she helped me make a card for Cristian listing all the little things he does that make both of us smile. I think he really appreciated it and I need to do those things more often. Violet loves to color ( and has recently decided the walls are a good surface to draw on), and a little later on she found her centerpiece on the table and decided to eat the candy corn out of it.
Yeah. I let her..
We hardly ever give her sweets ( especially CANDY) so why not....right? I'm not sure what I was doing but at one point I looked over and saw a huge slobbery ropey mess come dripping out of her mouth. She'd thrown up all the candy corn......all over her daddy's chair...........yeah.....

I cleaned it the best I could, then threw her in the tub. I guess candy corn in a no go, and we will always have a reminder of that because his camper chair is stained lol.

Tonight we had a stay-at-home date night (and Cristian actually got off work on time!) because we have no money :( Bleh. We went to RedBox for a dollar movie, and I tried my hand at making authentic chicken tacos for dinner (which turned out DELICIOUS, and Cristian approved..so did Violet), we snuggled up on the couch and nibbled on popcorn with her putting crayons in and out of buckets on the floor.

At one point she stood up by the mantel and discovered HER SHADOW! It was the cutest thing we've ever seen. She kept tilting her head back and forth, waving her arms, and trying to follow it around the corner of the fireplace. Then she'd look back at us and come giggling onto the couch. It was pretty special and I love watching her discover different parts of the world.

Today has been a very busy, and very good day.
Tomorrow we have Primary, making Victoria's birthday present for Monday, and if weather permits, duck feeding.

Target

Last night Violet and I went on an impromptu trip down to Target. I really wish my town had one, but they haven't gotten with the program yet ;). I didn't really have any intention of buying tons of stuff but man... I tell you, I bought a lot. Tons of hats, gloves, and leg warmers for Violet, decals for her room, enough "Thank You" cards and stationary to last me a couple of years, Christmas gift bags, gold sticker letters. It was an adrenaline rush (how sad is that?).
It was good to get out of the valley and spend some time away, and we stopped at Carl's Jr on the way home and split a chocolate malt. Poor Cristian got leftover Kung Pao chicken, and had to find a ride home after work. It was a good time but both of us crashed once we got home. Well, all three of us really. But not before Cristian told me he was taking over a store after Christmas! This was exactly what we were hoping for and I'm so proud of him. So we get to enjoy the holidays a little more stress free than it would have been if he started right now. It was a good night, so I think today I'll make him a celebratory dinner.

Today, well.....
This morning Violet and I woke up about the same time Cristian left for work. We were both showered, dressed, and ready to go by the time he came home for lunch. This never happens. Violet is always ready but I usually end up lagging. Trying to have both of us fed, get a workout in, showering, getting dressed, getting Violet dressed, fixing both our hair, applying my makeup, and having lunch ready before Cristian comes home is a struggle sometimes but today it worked out! After getting him food, taking him back to work, and grocery shopping, I decided Violet and I would pack a lunch and go eat with the ducks at first dam.

It was FREEZING. Much colder than I thought it would be, but we had a yummy Nutella sandwhich, and some kiwi.

Her lips look blue because when we went to the bank this morning the lady gave her a blue raspberry sucker.

She would chase the geese, but once she got really close to them she would turn around and run laughing and screaming back to me. Now she's snuggled up in bed and I have some time to figure out how I'm going to turn our leftover Kung Pao Chicken into something delicious for dinner tonight.