Performances and Manners

Mariah loves to sing and I was able to get her to sit long enough to record this gem:

I then pulled a mom moment and decided that maybe I could get an even better performance:

This Girl...

Our Little Lady

We have a build-up of great stories/quirks/experiences from the one and only Mariah Jeanne. I don't want to forget any of them so they are going on this here blog.

Lately we have started reciting the First Article of Faith to her. Here's a little dialogue of how it went down one night when Aunt Tiffie and Auntie Em were there:

Tanner: We believe in God the Eternal Father
Mariah: We Believe in God the Turtle Father
Tanner: And in his Son
Mariah: Jesus Christ (we were pretty impressed with that, and maybe a teensy proud)
Tanner: And in the Holy
Mariah: Cow

She said it with such certainty. I have no idea where she could have picked up a phrase like that. It couldn't be the countless times I say it throughout the day. Cut me a little slack, I did grow up on a ranch.

She loves the temple and the other day I told her that daddy was going to the temple. She got so excited to go that I had to take her. I'm so grateful to live five minutes away from a temple. And so is Mariah.

Now if we tell her it is time for a nap or bedtime she says, "No, I sleep last night". Well alrighty then.

The other day I asked her if she wanted some sort of snack and she said, "no sweetie, I want grapes." I don't call my children or husband sweetie so she must have picked it up from someone else.

She tells me all throughout the day, "Good job Mommy!", "You're so good!", or "You're punny (funny)."  I have my own personal cheerleader.

She loves to give people hugs. The Primary President told me last Sunday that she went into the Nursery to check on everything and Mariah ran right up and gave her a hug. As we were leaving the Library the other day a woman smiled at her and Mariah snuggled right up to her. She was holding books so she couldn't give a proper hug but she did the best she could. When we were saying goodbye to Tanner's family, Mariah told his mom, "Gamma I need a hug!". That girl could melt anyone's heart.

Mariah now asks me to turn on the music so she can dance. It doesn't matter what kind of music it is, once it starts she begins to twirl. Or she bends her arms and will lift up her elbows in a what looks like the chicken dance. She gets her dancing skills from me. And the dancing wouldn't be complete without her tutu.

Frequently throughout the day she tells me, "be nice mommy". I promise I try as hard as I can to be quite cordial to my children, but obviously Mariah must feel that I need some reminders.

We were over at a Birthday Party a while back and there was a swing set/jungle gym there. Mariah decided that she wanted to climb up to the deck part. It was a straight up ladder but she had her mind set so I let her do it. She would climb up and then jump down into my arms. During one climb she slipped and fell, legs entangled in the rungs, down on her head. She was crying pretty hard while I tried to comfort her but within seconds she was pushing me away saying that she wanted to do it again. She was a little shaky but she climbed right back up, scrapes and all. I was a pretty proud momma, especially with the rancher mentality in me to "get back up on the horse." She did it the other day again when she fell down the stairs on our back deck and scraped her nose up good. She cried for a couple seconds and then went right back to climbing down the stairs.

At a park by our house there is a really tall slide. The first time we went Mariah would only go down it if I went with her. Today I let her climb up to the top by herself and suggested she go down alone. She wouldn't even consider it. I had to climb up and go down with her. The next time she went up I figured it would be easier to just go along with her but when we got to the top she was insistent that she go down by herself. She then went another time all by herself. This is big for Mariah. A little over a month ago she wouldn't go down a teeny tiny slide with someone.

My baby girl is growing up! I love all these little experiences we get to have with our special girl.  

10 Months

I really can't handle it...my baby boy isn't much of a baby anymore. I hope and pray for the day when my children can do certain things: sleep through the night, crawl, walk, talk. Then they do and my heart breaks. Chet is just growing and changing and wrapping me a little tighter around that finger of his.

• We've had a couple full nights of sleep! He still has some rough nights but nothing like they used to be so I am feeling hopeful. 
• He really doesn't like to be put in his carseat. He does the rigid straight leg move every time. But the funny thing is once I get him buckled in he calms right down and does really well. Funny funny boy.
• No one can make him laugh like Mariah can. One of my most favorite things is when they are both laughing their wonderful belly laughs. I don't know of a better pick-me-up. 
• He waves to anyone and everyone. When I go on my run/shuffles he waves at every car that drives by, the horses and even the cute little pot belly pigs (I run in a very classy part of town). 
• He loves to turn his head to the side and give the sweetest smile while he is in his high chair. 
• The boy still loves his food and nothing gets him more excited than strawberries. He inhales those things. 
• He has decided that rolling and being on his tummy aren't so bad after all. No crawling yet but I think he is close. 
• I buzzed his hair this month and he was traumatized. Hopefully he will get used to it because that hair grows fast. 
• He started to clap but he is already over it. Nothing we do can persuade him to clap anymore. 
• He is becoming such a content little man. Lately I have gone in to check on him during long naps and he is just laying in his crib playing with his blankie, waiting for someone to come get him.  

Chet all I have to say is stop growing for a little while! It is all going by way too fast. 

He is becoming quite the daddy's boy. A lot of the time he chooses Tanner over me...can't really blame him though. 

And here's a video of our little dearies. 

Crossley Family Reunion

We were so excited to get to spend another year with all of Tanner's siblings and parents. This year we went to a cabin in Bear Lake. It was huge; and perfect for us!

Instead of going on and on I'm just going to put up pictures. Thats what everyone wants anyways.

I really really love these two. 

Mariah played soccer (you can see her running to the right of Tanner, I wish I would have caught it on video), flew a kite and dug in the sand. 

And Chet just ate the sand...I tried to keep a binkie in his mouth hoping it would help but he just really wanted that stuff in his mouth. 

The two-year-olds. Mariah is so blessed to have all these cousins close to her age. Surprisingly there was very minimal conflict too. 

After we left the cabin on Monday we went on a little hike with Tanner's sisters Natalie and Tiesha and her family. The hike went up to a snow-fed lake. Tanner and Steve decided to go for a little swim. I have never seen Tanner jump out of the water faster than he did there. Makes me smile just thinking about it. 

We then went down to Bear lake again because it was a lot warmer that day than the first time we went. Mariah and Chet even played in the water a little bit. Mariah wasn't too excited about the water. But Chet had a blast. 

We had so much fun with Tanner's family and I'm so grateful that I have such wonderful in-laws. We're excited for next year! 

Back in the Mountains and it Feels So Good!

We are officially Utahns...the plates on our cars, and the distance to our church house are proof enough.

Thanks to my wonderful parents and a couple great sisters, we moved across the country Grapes of Wrath style. I'm still kicking myself for not getting a picture of the pickup truck loaded. It was stacked high and covered in tarps. What can I say, we are classy movers.

We left our prized possessions in Logan in a storage unit and then the kiddos and I headed out to Nevada (Tanner was in Missouri studying away for his glorious boards.) I got to see my handsome new nephew Tate and I was able to be home for the 4th (maybe 3rd?) annual Fishing Derby. It was great to see so many of my extended family.

My older sister Amanda surprised everyone and came down for the derby from Seattle. I cried. All five of the sisters were together. It was wonderful.

Tanner took his 8 hour long boards on a Monday and then headed out for Nevada on Tuesday. Mariah, Chet and I were so happy to see him. Mariah didn't want to leave his side and Chet kept giving him big, goofy grins. We sure do love that man.

The next day just Tanner and I went on a little overnight trip to Reno. He got us an awesome room in the Peppermill hotel. Huge Jacuzzi tub in your room kind of awesome. We went to the Reno Rodeo for PBR night and Tanner was very surprised to find that he actually enjoyed himself. Bull riding is so much more enjoyable when it is the top bulls and riders in the world doing it. Just saying...

And once again, no pictures. Why would we take pictures without the children? Thats just selfish.

On the way back to my parents, we were able to stop and see some dear friends. That made the trip all the more special. (Thanks Grandma Young and Aunt Mandie for watching the kiddos for us!)

Here's Mariah, not missing mom and dad at all. Elise is fantastic. 

Grandma had a little tea party complete with mini cupcakes, and it looks like Mariah was pretty happy with it. 

The next week my parents and little sister left for girls camp so we had the big ol' house all to ourselves. We went on several little adventures and surprise surprise...I took pictures! I was able to take Mariah on her very first horseback ride and it was pretty special. As we were riding she said, "I a cowgirl!"

She also got a lot of four wheeler rides from mom, dad, aunts, and grandpa. While we were riding Pun'kin Head (not his real name, I just think it fits better than Rusty) I spied a Horny Toad. I had to catch it for Tanner because he had never seen one. I knew his life could never be complete until he held a horny toad so I left Mariah up on the horse like a responsible parent and caught it. I felt like a little kid all over again riding back to Tanner proudly holding my prize.

I'm pretty sure he was more excited than he looks in the above picture...pretty sure. Chet had a great time too during all of this. He napped and then hung out on the lawn with a Kitty and Dutch the cow dog. Pretty sure Dutch just wanted to chew on the cat but he was a good dog and just creepily stared at it the whole time.

We also went into my old stomping grounds, the Austin swimming pool. Not much had changed since my lifeguarding days. Still the size of a motel pool, still only 7 feet deep. Yes I guarded a motel-size pool. It was a challenging job. One thing that had changed was the playground out front. We had some fun and Mariah actually went down a slide! This was big.

And a trip to the park wouldn't be complete without some time in the swings. 

Mariah had a blast at my parents and I think one of her favorite things were the dogs: Bonnie, Clyde and Petunia. She would come into the house smelling of dog every time.

We had so much fun at my "home on the range" and are so grateful for wonderful family that welcome us with open arms!