Luaus...Birthdays....and Silly Faces!

This weekend was a busy and fun weekend. Sale got back in town from Denver and a few days later his family preformed at a Luau that our old Bishop was in charge of. It was a young single adult activity or something. We just love and adore Bishop Fowers and his wife. Here is some of the "Tahitian" dancers teaching him and his wife how to "grind the wheat" :) It looks more like they are bumpin pineapples and papayas off their hips to me...but what do I know.

Halia in her Luau appropriate attire. (Thanks Grandma Booty) She can hula like no other baby I've seen! Ha ha

Since Sale is the youngest of 10...we seriously have at least 2 or more birthdays a month except for November. We finally decided from now on we would just do one get together for all the birthdays for the month. Here we are celebrating my niece Mylee and Karlie's birthdays'. I think that I have the prettiest nieces. I can't wait for Halia to grow up and be as cute as them.Yay!....Halia is 5 months old now! I can't believe how much she has changed. She is doing new and cute things everyday. We decided to give cereal another try and as you can see...she loves it much more this time! She also loves carrots and bananas so far. She loves to chew on her toes and loves when books are read to her. She is so intrigued by little people (small kids and babies) and loves to be sang to. She still refuses to roll over. She was rolling over at 3 1/2 months but hasn't since. She got her first earache while her dad was out of town (of course) but just loves her medicine and suction machine. Ha ha! (mommy is always the bad guy) She is over 15lbs now and is catchin up fast to her chubby friend Laney ; ) Who is so stinkin cute!

Halia is always a calm and happy baby. She brings so much brightness to everyone that meets her. (Just like her name says) If times are ever hard or I'm feelin down, I see her smile and all the sudden my worries are forgotten. She was sent from heaven to fill our lives with brightness, and so far that is exactly what she has done. She loves unconditionally and is so quick to forgive and forget. I need to learn from her childlike example. I'm not sure what we have done to have received such a gift, but we are forever grateful.

I miss you daddy!...

Hi daddy! Mommy told me that you sometimes look at the blog when you are at work, and especially when you are out of town. I thought I'd leave you a little message since this is the only way I know how to tell you I love you right now. Soon I will be able to talk, but for now, this will do. As soon as we dropped you off at the airport I couldn't stop crying. I know you told me to be good for mommy but, I just hate it when you leave. Mommy is fun and all, but I just love hangin with my dad. I wanted to tell you ahead of time since I'm sure mommy will tell you soon enough...I wasn't being a good girl last night for mommy. I'm sorry daddy, I just really missed you and it was hard to sleep. Am I in trouble? I'm being so good right now? I'm taking a really good nap so mommy can rest! You should know that the snow storm waited until this morning so you could have a safe flight to Denver. Mommy told me about your fear :)......
It is snowing really really really really really really bad outside. I think it took brother Parks about 2 hrs to shovel our driveway. Make sure you tell him thank you for takin care of us so well while you are gone. He always makes sure we are the first done since we have the steepest driveway of them all. Thank you for working so hard so me and mommy can have a happy life and home. I promise that I'll be a better girl for mommy the rest of the time you are gone. Come home soon so we can take long naps together...that's my favorite! I miss you and love you soooooo much. Thanks for being the worlds #1 dad!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

This is the Valentine that Halia sent to a few of her friends and family. My friend Jessi Pond made it for me from Announcementstoponder.blogspot.com. I just love her in this outfit. My favorite things...ballet shoes, baby leggins, tutus, and girly bows. I love to dress her as girly as I can. She is so much fun. Sale always tells everyone that she is like my real life Cabbage Patch. :)
We took her Valentine pics at my sis-in law Jen's house in her daughter Addy's room. This is Charlee and Addys' cute pink chair and they were so funny trying to get Halia to smile. They were jumpin and laughin and makin any silly face they could to get her to smile. Addy was so confused on why she couldn't sit in her chair with Halia. So cute!

Halia so exhausted before church. This is the position she does when she is sooo ready for a nap. I think it's so funny. I love the pea coat she is wearing. Sale gave it to me when he came home from one of his work trips to Denver. I was still prego and we didn't know if it was a boy or girl yet. He did a way good job picking out a cute jacket! I was excited to see that she finally fit it.This picture is of Halia in her Valentine outfit that her Grandma Booty (Sale's Mom) gave her for Valentines day. She is reading the Valentine card that her Great Grandma Cash (my Grandma) gave her. (She is really smart that she can already read ;) ) Notice how she went straight for the dollar bill my Grandma gave her! (Don't worry, I washed her hands after she touched the money)

Cafe Rio Chicken Recipe (At least thats what I call it)

Ok, so I know this is kinda a funny post but, I was so proud of myself for makin this yummy chicken. It was so easy too! I almost feel guilty, because I really didn't do anything...the crock pot did it all. :) I thought I'd share this with you since I know a lot of you are busy working moms like me, and it's not easy to make quick and healthy meals for your family with a little one. And... as some of you know, Sale is allergic to dairy and eggs. So...this makes it difficult to make a easy yummy dinner that is "safe" for him. So again...my amazing sis in-law Jen Ortgiesen, (she is the best) gave me this recipe when I was at her house last week doin Halia's Valentine pics. I wish she would've gave it to me sooner, it would've saved my starving husband with a too fast metabolism. J/K. Anyways, I have to admit that I was a little suspect that it would really taste like the sweet Cafe Rio chicken. There is only 2 ingredients besides the chicken so it was hard to believe. Here is the recipe.


Cafe Rio Chicken

4 chicken breasts (I put them in frozen because I forgot to thaw)
1 jar salsa (I prefer mild in the next size up from the small jar)
1C. brown sugar

Cook on low setting in crock pot for about 6 hrs or until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Shred chicken in pot and add sugar if needed till your liking of sweetness is reached. (I didn't need to)

We used the wheat tortillas, but you can get the yummy raw ones that you fry up in a pan. It makes it real authentic. Add all your fixins of beans, rice, cheese, lettuce, etc. whatever you like to make your dinner feel like your at Cafe Rio. :)

That is seriously all you do. I came home from work yesterday and dinner was basically ready! Sale loved it! Next time we are going to try it with the beef roast.

I would love to hear your reviews when you try it. If you have any easy non-dairy recipe's for me, that would so appreciated. I'm running out of ideas. (my poor husband)

{The Crib}

She is 4 months old and we finally put the crib together! Yay! We moved the week she was born into our new home, and since I had a C- section I was pretty limited on what I could do. She has been sleeping next to our bed in a cute little white wicker bassinet my sis in-law lent us. Well, she was getting to long for it so we finally had to make the step and put her in her "big girl bed." I was so excited to see how cute the dark wood was gonna look with her bedding, and I really love it.

It makes us feel like she is such a "big girl" sleeping in her own room. I have to admit I'm kinda sad. She has been sleeping in it the last 4 nights all by herself in her bedroom. I must say, I didn't sleep the first two nights. I really missed having her so close so I could hear her breathing.

Superbowl fun "Go Steelers!"

Superbowl Sunday is usually a pretty fun Sunday. This year, I guess "we," (ha ha) weren't really "emotionally invested" into either team that was playing this year. This was good for everyone, so it didn't matter too much who won. Right? Well, I guess ya gotta choose a team anyways, so we were rootin for the steelers. Halia decided to show her pride and dedication to the superbowl by napping with one of the steelers fan club members before church.

For the superbowl we always go to Sale's brothers house to watch it on his fancy screens and eat junk food and get a sugar high. All the cousins play and destroy the house and I usually end up napping from a near sugar induced coma. We always have some kind of game where we buy "squares" that are numbered. If your square has one of the numbers that match any of the numbers in the score at the end of each quarter, You win money. Well, Sale and I won 20bucks this time! It was a good game. (At least that's what I was told. Ha ha)

New Tricks

So I know that all our posts are about Halia, but until somethin more happens, its whats new and exciting for now. She started roll over from her belly to her back a few weeks ago, and she did it pretty consistently every time she was on her belly. For the last week she seems so frustrated at herself. It seems that she can't do it anymore unless I help her. Is that normal? Any ideas?

This is her face of frustration. (I know... she has a unibrow, when is it appropriate to tweeze your childs eyebrows? J/K )

So close! Just a little more!

Just look at the concentration on her face. She really wants that binky.

"Got Milk?"

So last week the doc said we should start trying to give her ceral a few times to get her tounge reflex to go away. (to prepare her for the "good stuff") We tried to give her a few spoonfulls and I'm not sure she likes it so much. The faces she makes are so funny. I can tell she thinks this eating from a spoon stuff is too complicated. I think she starting to get the hang of it though. She'd rather just have milk. Its alot easier. :)

"4 Months Already?!"

Wow how times flies! I swear I just gave birth to this little monkey! (Maybe its because I still have baby weight to lose...Ha ha) Anyways, it is so much fun to see Sale with his baby girl every day. He loves how much she smiles at him, and she seems to really know him now. He gets to wake her up every morning before he leaves for work so he can see her smiling face to start his day. I just love to see how they both get so excited to see each other when he comes home at night. She has brought so much joy to us...I can't imagine life without her and her cuteness!

We were so excited to see how much she has grown since her 2month appt. with the doc. She was 14.13lbs and 25 3/4 in. She is now in the 97th percentile which is a huge jump for her! She was so good, but as soon as the everyone gathered around to strap her down for her shots, she immediately knew what was coming next. I cry every time! I know it hurts me more than her. I never understood what people meant when they said they cry when their kids get the shots... until now.