Juliet is THREE

Juliet,

Today you are three. What an incredible three years it's been. How in the world do I put into words the love that I have for you? There really is no way to describe the joy and silliness that you bring to every moment, and there is absolutely no way to describe the love we, your family, has for you.

James often times says you are his best friend. And you are. You two do everything together from making forts, making messes and making me crazy. Your love for each other is deep and pure, and you both speak of it often. You ask for James first thing in the morning and play with him with your last bits of energy before bed. For the most part you get along better than most siblings I know. What a special lifelong bond you've built.

Your Daddy, oh your Daddy adores you. You have him wrapped around your little finger, you know. Little girls hold a very special place in their daddy's heart, but I feel like you've won the jackpot with the Daddy of yours. He does and will do anything for you. And those tight hugs around his neck? The ones where you just won't let go? He is in heaven when you give him those big hugs.

And me. Your mommy. We are together all day, every moment, and I still smile when I see you. Crack up at your poses, and laugh that you use the word "otherwise" in your daily conversations. There is not a thing I wouldn't do for you. You are happy, and you have an entire life of happiness ahead of you.

There is nothing really to show you who you are at three, so instead I took a video of you today. As you can see, you are wild. And happy. And silly. And smart. And sweet. You are prefect.

Juliet, my beautiful girl. You are loved. We couldn't be happier that you are ours and us yours.

xoxo sweet girl, and happiest of birthdays,

Your Mommy

*I sign James's letters "Mama" because even at five he still calls me Mama the majority of the time. You, however, haven't ever called me "Mama". You've always been a "Mommy" girl, and it is just so perfect.

And a little look back into the past:

More birthday posts to come!

Winter at the farmhouse

Three winters ago we went to the farmhouse with one kiddo. I was nine months pregnant and enjoying the last weekends as a family of three. That winter was so mild. Not a trace of snow and warm enough to not wear coats.

This winter has reminded me so much of the winter Juliet was born. It has been so mild. It's snowed all day only once (which happened to be Christmas day!) and it got warm again quickly after. We've had a touch of rain, but really it's been a warm and dry winter.

While I love snowy winters (it's the gray cold days without snow I hate), I also don't mind a mild winter at all. Sun and blue skies and temperatures that beg for bike rides make January bearable.

To make the most of mild days we've been visiting all of our favorite parks, the zoo, the garden, and of course the farmhouse. On the way down we often times stop at The Little Acorn in Spanish Fork. The shadow fighter sandwich is what dreams are made of.

Once at the farmhouse we spent every moment outdoors. We took long bike rides, found the irrigation ditches still running, explored our favorite old barn and laughed the entire day. 

Not once did we wish we were home watching the Super Bowl.

And three winters later, this little mischievous girl isn't so little anymore. On Sunday she turns three! What an amazing three years it's been.

Winter garden

Every winter we try to make it to Red Butte Garden to enjoy the sun and the snow. However, some years the garden feels more like spring rather than the middle of winter. I sure wish we had piles and piles of fresh snow, but if not, sun and high forties makes up for it.

The magnolia had already budded out and was covered with soft little "bunnies".

Snowdrops are always the first to bloom and are so fun to see in early March. Never have I seen them as early as January. We have had such a mild winter.

Juliet has been obsessed with her "Queen hat" as she calls it, and being called Elsa. She corrects us all day long when we forget and call her "Juliet".

Even with the warm temps the pond was frozen solid. We went over to a shallow area and checked to see how sturdy it was. Luckily it was nice and thick and there was no hope we could crack it. Both the kids loved skidding around on it.

 Oops!

 Happy for sun and ice.

 So love the winter garden.

Blue skies and deep powder

Every weekend the kids beg to go to the mountains. "Let's play in the snow!" they cheer. Or "we want to go sledding!"

And every weekend we oblige. Nothing is better for the heart and soul than fresh air, sunshine, and exercise. Raising these little people to agree with our brainwashing theories seems to be working.

This photo is straight off my camera. No adjusting saturation or levels. Nada. Sky was almost purple!

James's snowball maker is always close in hand. The Utah powder makes horrible snowballs (you can never seem to pack it tight enough to make a decent one) but he doesn't mind.

Juliet didn't want to walk far, not because she's anti walking, but because the "snow was so yummy" and she needed to sample it every second step.

The powder was deep. E and I agreed that we will get the kids snowshoes next winter.

Most of the day we were in the shade (which was fine because we still had blue skies!) but for a moment the sun broke behind the mountain, only to hide again minutes later. Nice face Juliet. ;)

James has "snowshoed" here a couple of times before. Once when he was two months old (yes, we were those parents!) and another time when he was a year.

Tips for taking your kiddos into the outdoors in the winter:

1. Invest in great clothes. Nice snow clothes are not inexpensive, so I try to make them last as long as possible. However, I don't buy name brand snow clothes, my kids don't need a North Face jacket that they will only fit in for two years.

• I always buy coats two sizes too large in hopes that I'll get two winters out of them (both kids are wearing the same coats they did last year!). I always try to buy real down filled coats for the kids. The poly stuff is just not nearly as warm. Luckily, for the last two years Costco has sold real down coats for kids for only $25 (which is unheard of). They are the best coats they've ever owned. Brand is Snozu.
• Hats and gloves can last more than one year, as long as they don't get lost. Always make sure you've got them when you leave. Obvious, I know, but sometimes when you've got crying kids a lost glove isn't a big deal. Always keep track of their gear. Our rule is not letting them take them off while we are out, unless we stop and stow into a pack. We got our kids' mittens at Costco and love them. Warm and easy to get on and off. 
• Snowpants I always buy big. Once they have their boots on it doesn't matter if there is extra fabric at the bottom, again, try to make them last more than a year. And hand-me-downs are so easy. Juliet's never had new snow pants, they've all been hand-me-downs from James. 
• Boots, I said above I don't buy name brand but for boots I do. I have found Sorel boots on eBay for 60% off what the stores sell them for. I buy gender neutral so Juliet can grow into James's outgrown boots. "Cheap" boots from Target or Walmart aren't that much cheaper than name brand Sorels if your willing to buy on eBay. 

2. Lots of snacks. We always get hungry when we are out and about and a handful of trail mix does wonders to everyone's attitude. Plus, an M&M bribe sometimes is the only thing that helps get a cranky kid to walk. Also water. Sometimes when it's cold you can't imagine you'll be thirsty, but we are always thirsty. Bring water for sure. 

3. Make it fun. We don't hike far with the kids. We mix it up with sledding, throwing snow and ice into the river, and letting them choose the path. It's all about exploring and being outside more than a set route. 

4. Leave before everyone melts down. Oftentimes we are having so much fun the kids don't want to leave. If we push past lunch time when everyone is hungry and cranky we leave with sobbing kids saying "I don't ever want to do that again" instead of happy kids that can't wait to go back. 

Anything I missed? What do you do to keep kids happy in the outdoors (especially in the winter)?

James says, Juliet says

Last weekend was full of gray inversion days with no new snow to be had. One day we escaped to cleaner air in Park City and visited our favorite blue door, but the rest of the weekend was spent lying low, playing hours and hours and hours worth of Legos.

So instead of a weekend post, I have a long list of the hilarious things these kiddos have been saying.

James - Age 5

• "You are the greatest mommy I have ever had!"
• We were talking to him one day about how dangerous cars can be, and how you always need to watch, even on driveways. After thinking about it for a moment he responded "cars are not the most dangerous, wolves are!"
• "I'm thankful for giving you hugs and kisses."
• "Good thinkin' sister!" This came out of nowhere and it was so cute and funny.
• "Did you know that red liquid fire is the hottest fire? It's hotter than blue liquid fire. And it's really hotter than green liquid fire. Green liquid fire is cold."
• "Do you know why one reindeer is named Fixen? He's the one that fixes stuff!"
• After fighting with robot toys, Me: "Robots aren't aggressive, they help people." Him: "What do they do to help people?" Me: "Well there are robots that help build cars." Him: "Or they could help me fight bad guys that are trying to get me!"

Juliet - Almost 3

• "My bum is a diarrhea fountain." Sorry dear, you said it, not me. 
• "I learned that from my best friend brother James."
• "Me love you so much James. Why we love each other so much?"
• Whenever she tells a story to her dolls: "Pada pada time" (once upon a time).
• "My eyeballs still look sad."
• Looking at this baby photo of James "I like his hair and his beautiful blue eyes"
• "My feelings are feeling sad."
• "Mommy you are the cutest mommy I have ever seen!"
• "I thankful for snuggling you."
• Pointing at her nose, "This bugger factory is all gone."
• Me: "Were those tooters (farts) I feel on me?" Juliet: "Yes, but it's ok because those tooters were warm!"
• And then later the same day "Oh that feels good! Warm tooters!"
• In her most threatening voice "I'm going to break you! Break you into a baby sister!"
• To a nice lady at a store, Juliet: "Hi! It's almost my birthday." Her: "That is wonderful. How old will you be?" Juliet: "My sweet best brother is named James and he's at preschool and I love Peso penguin."

Sledding with the family

We have turned a huge corner this year in regards to our love for the outdoors in the winter. Now, E, James and I have always loved the outdoors in the winter. With the right gear, and willingness to get out, it is amazing. But a year ago, the littlest bunny in the family was not having it.

Last year we struggled to get out for even an hour without a huge meltdown from her. I think she was just too little. Being under two, it is just so hard to walk and move in heavy winter gear. Even small clothes add up to a lot of weight.

But this year, this year she LOVES it! I already posted this happy news last time we went to the mountains, but this visit was colder and snowier, and she loved it even more, if possible!

Her new little alpaca wool hat was hand knit by the owners of our Lava Hot Springs hotel. It is so soft and sweet.

I asked E to bring his camera (all these photos were shot by him) because it is quite a bit smaller than mine. Plus, it's so nice to see me in photos once in awhile. That's me, in the deep fluffy snow.

Plus, E has a great eye.

My sweet boy. He's decided he loves this closed mouth smile. I love it too.

When it's 12 degrees you must lie down in the snow, don't you know?

Lots of snowball fights.

Lots and lots of happiness. And thank you honey for capturing the perfect photo above for the winter header. Happy winter!

Lava Hot Springs

This year it was unanimous. We have too much stuff. Nobody wanted or needed anything else for Christmas. We wanted time, time with those we love. So my dad took that to heart and started researching mini vacation get-aways. He wanted it close enough to feel easy to get to, but far enough to make it feel special.

Finally, he decided on Lava Hot Springs, a tiny town in Southern Idaho that nobody had ever been to. The town is tiny. But it has a handful of restaurants, quite a few hotels, and the glorious hot springs, open every day of the year.

We arrived around 1:00 pm on Sunday and were thrilled to see quite a few restaurants open. Everyone was freezing, the air temperature hovered right around 12 degrees. Luckily, our awesome hotel (it really was spectacular!) let us check in three hours early so we could change into suits.

Everyone was so excited to get soaking! And taking a vacation with my siblings and my dad and his fiancée is seriously the best. Everyone arrived happy and ready to play. We quickly changed, drove less than a mile from our hotel to the hot pots, and started our soak.

This was the first dip, and oh it was amazing!

All the pools are stone, some with a hard stone bottom, others with a loose stone bottom. And the water is crystal clear. Most beautiful water I've ever been in (this photo of my feet is looking down through the water!).

Some pools were hotter than others, but even the coolest pool was hardly cool. Everything felt amazing, and everyone was having a wonderful time. This is my sister in the hottest pool.

The water bubbles up all over town, so lots of hotels have their own private pools, and there are pools in the river you can explore, but these suited us just fine. We were all in heaven.

E and I remarked later at how happy the kids stayed. Splashing wasn't really allowed (we sneaked a few in!), and there wasn't slides or diving boards or anything. But for two days of soaking (three hours each day!) both kids just happily played, visited with family, and stayed generally happy.

After we were fully soaked we headed back to our hotel rooms for appetizers and wine. My dad surprised everyone with wine, cheese and fruit awaiting in our rooms when we returned. Then we gathered in a central room and ate a few more appetizers before heading to dinner.

The town is so tiny that it was easy to walk to dinner. Some small towns are closed down on Sunday, but we were happy that almost all restaurants were open. Even restaurants with tables for eleven (we were a big party).

The snow was gently falling, the town was so old fashioned and quaint and everyone remarked that it felt so magical and special. 

The next day we started with a diner breakfast and ended with more soaking. The mineral water made my skin feel amazing, and so soft. Nobody wanted to leave.

Part of our group. Tracie, my dad, Chandler, Jess, James, Brandon. Missing from this photo is Melissa and Witt, E and I, and Juliet.

The drive home was gorgeous and easy. Everyone agreed that it was an amazing trip and we need to go again next year. So my dad made reservations for Christmas 2015, can't wait!

Same Spot Calendar

Way back in January last year I started a project called Same Spot Calendar on Instagram (#samespotcalendar). The idea was to take a photo in the same spot each and every month for the entire year. I loved the idea, particularly since we take so many walks, and I adore the shift of the seasons.

And I made it the entire year. We had such a mild late winter last year, that January was the only month with snow. I was worried that December we wouldn't even have snow (it was so mild in early December!) but finally it snowed on Christmas and I was able to have a snowy December scene.

Such a fun project. Seeing my kids change and grow, and seeing the changing of the seasons. Love it.

To follow me along next year (because I'm excited to do this project again) check #jjhandholdcalendar on IG. And play along too!