Frozen in Illinois

2013 Highlights:
Building Elmo (Toria's first snowman), belated pumpkin carving, winning a free mountain bike, family push-up contest, Danielle's birthday, Toria's first kiss (Zayden Maughan), puddle jumping, visiting the arboretum, learning new games (Nice to Meet You, Forbidden Island, & Argicola), moving to Tucson, swimming lots, vacation to UT, a friend's baptism, moved into Winfield Village, got a tricycle, Toria and Greg's birthdays, visits to Curtis Orchard, playing with Phoebe Decker, Thanksgiving and Christmas in Indianapolis, potty training? early Christmas presents, and our 4 year wedding anniversary.

What will God send in 2014? Well to start with we'll be getting a nice winter storm and some arctic cold fronts this weekend. Our winter started late here, just like last year. Speaking of last year, we ended it all with a great, extended celebration of an awesome four years of marriage: approximately 7 moves, two bachelor degrees, one beautiful birthing experience, and now grad school with a tremendous toddler princess who keeps asking for siblings.

One of the things we did together was go to the movie "Frozen." It was delightful and I've had a hard time not thinking about it the past few days. The animation was great, the characters lovable, the story well-told, the music enchanting and varied. But my favorite part was the lessons I learned. A great teacher and friend recently asked us what we would be letting go of as we entered the new year. I was surprised by my response: "To let go of the hardness in my heart over an as-of-yet unfulfilled dream. Love can soften the saddest and hardest of hearts I think." I always knew that God's love for me could work untold miracles in my life. I'm realizing too that the love of a husband or a daughter and the self-love they have cultivated in me are also miraculous. Truly wrote John that "perfect love casteth out all fear" (1 John 4:18). Watching an animated children's film with my husband help me better understand this. That may be cheesey, but I eat cheese...well, goat's cheese anyway!



In addition to more love and miracles, in two thousand FOURteen I'm trying to record our family New Year's resolutions because who says less is more? This year I want to do and be more!!!

More potty training and weaning for Toria
More writing for Greg and studying math for Danielle
More momentum from 2013's successes and instructive failures
More children!

What about you? What will YOU do this year? We talk about starting over and habits we'd like to leave behind. Is there anything you hope to continue doing from last year?

Victoria's 2nd Blog Post

From Mom:

Victoria is acting more and more like me when I was her age. Today she had a "ya-ya" moment with Phoebe. Instead of "What do you want to do...oh you want to run in circles? Okay!" it was "Oh, you want to play doctor, Phoebe? That sounds fun! (dumping out the doctor kit)" She and Phoebe play together in very similar ways to me and "baby Becca." She loves to help take care of younger and/or smaller children (many children are younger but bigger). She will tell me, "Come closer" when I'm just singing or reading from memory and she wants me to actually interact with her. She also tells me that her mouth is full or that she is full when she needs an excuse not to do something. Whenever we're not feeling well she gives us hugs and kisses, tells us to feel better, and that we need to drink some water so we can do so.  She brings me snacks when she is hungry or tells me that someone else needs a diaper change when it's really her turn. Greg figured out that sometimes she does not realize that she id wearing a dirty diaper; that makes it a little easier to be patient than before when I thought she was lying to avoid a diaper change. She also is acting like the adult me when she gets upset, which is unfortunate for her friends, but fortunate for me in that I can better recognize my weaknesses as she copies them.

Today when Mom was extracting the dough hook from the freshly baked bread (thanks again for the bread machine Granny and Grandpa), I looked at the underside of the loaf and said, "I see the bread's bum!" Then I looked at Mom to see what she would do, and she laughed. I like being silly.

I got really sick in the night and woke up Halloween morning not being able to breathe all morning. I kept tell Mom and it was really hard to talk, so I didn't try much. I didn't like getting a chest x-ray, taking a nebulizer, or getting weighed and measured at the doctor's office. But I did feel better and finally sleep for a few hours.  The nebulizer is especially scary because of the noise and the smoke. It took a few days but Mom and Dad and the medicine all helped, and I learned that God could and would help me feel better. I like drawing pictures of God and Jesus because they helped help me and I remind my parents.

Yesterday (Nov. 5th) I discovered what a jack in the box is while playing at my friend Bronson's house. Mom warned me that the music box would open and I liked it. I kept calling the little clown Jack; it was so fun and I was so happy. After dinner I kept asking Daddy, "What does Jack do?" and then we took turns being a jack in the box. I also insisted that we have a picnic on the kitchen floor just before dinner--Daddy came when Mommy wouldn't--and then we drew and colored pictures (spiders, a family portrait, being born: "I was in heaven then came to Mommy's tummy and now I here in this house!", etc.) together before bed. It was Daddy's favorite time.

This morning--while playing with every recyclable that would fit on the kitchen floor--I found a magazine page with lots of small pictures, so I "read" from it the Queen story, [story of Esther], to my friend Phoebe. 

Victoria's September Update

Hi, my name is Toria and I turned two on my birthday a little while ago. I'm cute and I know it. I like to be silly, sing songs, draw pictures, and read books. I love watching curious George with my Dad when Mom goes to the gym.

Being a toddler is fun but sometimes I really miss being a baby. I like using my words and being able to walk, but sometimes I don't get enough cuddles or attention because people forget I'm not a big girl yet. Mom and Dad say I get jealous sometimes too, whenever I get worried about them spending more time playing with my friends than with me. I'll share my toys but I don't much like sharing my parents.

Growing Up Goals
The other day I decided to jump off Mom's lap at the end of lunch. I hit my leg on the chair on the way down and it hurt. I was okay but scared. Mom picked me up to make sure I was ok and I stopped crying fast. I tried again to get down "by myself" and then wiped my forehead and said, "Whew, I did it. I okay now...I stopped crying."

I like to say, "I do" now instead of "I am." I also like to tell Mom when I like something. I like playing with my friends and trying to change Phoebe's diaper (I tell Mom, "Phoebe needs a new diaper," even when it's really me who needs a diaper change.) I get excited to go on the toilet by myself when the timer goes off, but I hate it when Mom catches me pooping and asks me if I want to try using the toilet. I only like pooping in the toilet if it means not pooping in the bath; in my diaper is just fine! Dad made the new rule that I cannot watch TV until I try going potty first; marshmallows are my favorite, so now they're a potty treat too. I think Mom and Dad are trying too hard, so sometimes I resist: I want potty training to be my idea.

What about you? What ideas and goals to you have?

25 months old

Victoria TALKS and sings, reads (memorizes books verbatim), draws pictures for her friends, and even tries to do maternity photos shoots after looking at photos of when Danielle was pregnant with her. Miss Toria also enjoys playing pretend whether it's the rocking horse or rocket or boat going swimming (pieces of bread of cracker at snack time) or nursing her dolls and changing the stuffed animals' diapers. Speaking of diapers, we're slowly but surely entering the world of potty training.

          

Toria look at Mommy! Where's Mommy? "Right there!"

 Of course she had to try and eat the sign at some point.

 Believe it or not this is her face while saying, "Cheese!"

Below: She liked using the giant flower as a walking stick. In the far left picture she told me she was hiding as she refused to turn around.

    

 

Above: Climbing the ladder            Below: Sitting in her window seat

 Below: Nursing two of her teddy bears through her shirt (she's efficient and modest)

  

 This is what her face looks like when she says, "It's stinky (sh-ninky)!"

      

And...she still loves to play in her "exersaucer." It's nice that she has figured out 

how to comfortably get in and out unassisted.

Let's go fly a kite!

Our first scheduled attempt at flying these kites was just before Greg left for his mission.  On that day Rexburg had no wind whatsoever, so we just walked around Smith Park and talked.  Years later we tried again on Labor Day, 

                                 
                        

but Victoria's first experience did not involve much flying. She got more air than the kite I think. 

So we tried again on Saturday afternoon and it was such fun. Victoria was concerned when the kite actually flew and was no longer in reach. Greg found closure and I was surprised at how good the upward tug of a string could feel.

             

                      

September Sweetness (An August Update)

A week ago (Sept. 1st) as we got out of the car coming home from church Victoria wanted to practice driving--again. When Greg opened the door she said, "I need your keys Daddy," and then, "Daddy turn it."

Monday, we tried flying kites before Dad left for school/work--we believe in working on Labor Day ;-). Victoria enjoyed watching and then trying to copy Dad by running around with the kite. She likes to be involved in making decisions we've learned, whether it's deciding when it's time to leave church or whether or not she really needs a diaper change. She decided I needed to "change it on the [coffee] table." Our newest take our toilet training involves her changing her own diapers with necessary assistance. So far so good.

Victoria insisted on trying to eat the chocolate chips out of her cookie while holding it parallel to her mouth. She actually made some progress. Today we made some limeade with sweetened condensed milk:
M: Taste this and tell me if you like it. Is it yucky?
V: It sour.
M: Do you like it?
V: Yeah. It fun.
I think Grandpa Hart also likes limeade.

For those of you who have already enjoyed the photo album, here's an update on our little maid: 5 days ago she wandered around singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" while playing and cleaning. She discovered a copper scrubber under the sink and told me it was a "pretty flower" and then tried to "wear it in [my] hair." She likes polka-dot clothing, telling us things/people are fun, singing while she plays the piano, and giving knuckles. She also occasionally requests maternity photo shoots after looking through older photos (she lies down, puffs out her tummy as best she can, and requests her picture be taken.) She'll tell you she's "so silly silly." More recently I’ve caught her on film singing, “Once There Was a Snowman” and not on film she’ll sing “I Am a Child of God” or “I Love to See the Temple.” She calls “Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam” the “
Jesus song.”

Greg survived the Qual with moderate success. He nailed both statistical mechanics problems but struggle a bit with other portions. He has a year to study up and then take it again. If he doesn't pass this next time we'll be done with grad school and I think he leaves with his masters. We've got a few ideas for careers in our back pocket should this happen, but we're planning on a passing score this next time. The average passing score is something like 66-76% and the cut off is done by percentile mostly. 90% of students pass within their allotted two attempts and it's been 5 or 6 years since someone failed and got kicked out.

Danielle enjoys regular exercise of mind and body (as long as it doesn't involve riding the too-big mtn bike, especially across streets.) Consistently improving her mile run time has been a focus as well as preparing for her first calculus test are the current areas of focus. Thanks Carmen for the advice about running with plantar fasciitis! She also tends a friend's one year old daughter three times a week for most of the day.

July in a nutshell

Dear Everyone,

This is coming a week late because last Sunday (July 28th) we were driving through Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois.

Family

In my last update I mentioned being in Utah the last week of June to see Danielle's extended family and many of you. Upon returning Victoria loved telling us about Leslie, Julia, and Emma. In addition to hearing about these three she can name most of my siblings and their kids from pictures now. She even said Uncle Marshall once when I was video chatting with him and she walked by. She has also started using her whole first name, Vici-toria. Once she losses the extra syllable in the middle she will be ready for the next step.

Tucson

We finished our time in Tucson with some great rain. Victoria loved joining in puddles. While in Tucson we got to attend 5 baptisms, one of which I got to do the baptizing. Danielle tried her hardest to get anyone we knew to show up to any church thing. She was able to have two families over for dinner and family home evening. We also spoke in church our last week. I was able to finish everything at work except the project I started the last week. I had the opportunity to present my work to the management three levels up. It was well received and Micheal Bardach (my supervisor) has been ask by his boss when I am coming back.

Villagers

Our drive back went very well. Victoria was very good, but whenever we were getting back in the car she would tell us "don't want go home". She deserve a reward for her cooperation. We managed to avoid bad weather like the record rain fall in Albuquerque that closed the highway hours after we drove through. We also got to speak at the little Hiawatha branch in Kansas that we stopped at.

Within 15 hours of getting to Champaign we turned around and moved to the village of Savoy. So we are now villagers. We are enjoying our new townhouse and the idea of not moving again until I graduate or two more kids come along.

Odds and Ends

In the last week and a half Victoria has started parroting everything and using sentences by default. Though she struggles use pronouns correctly and often drops little words such as to, am, and is.

We learned this summer that Victoria likes food pure and unadulterated. This start when we tried to introduce her to s'mores and culminated with her getting mad at me for putting cookie dough on my marshmallow: "Noooo, daddy get off." As I type this she is carefully eating around the strawberries in the strawberry jello. Once the jello is gone she will eat the strawberries.

We hope everyone is well and miss those we did not get to see this summer.

Greg

Here is a link to some of our pictures from the month. I will get Danielle to upload the rest this week.