Olivia

This is, technically, a terrible picture. Heavily side-lit, taken at a terrible time of day. But I still love it. I love the look on her face, it captures Olivia. Happy, sweet, her eyes sparkle and her smile is contagious.

We have been so blessed by this amazing little girl. She is a pure joy. She never cries(really, the Johnsons were here for a week and Jenny kept joking that she never heard her cry the entire time) She is the best sleeper I have ever heard of. She is silly, happy, compassionate and fun.

A few updates about our Liv.

She loves shoes. She wants to wear them all day long and gets upset if you try to take them off of her.

She wants to go as fast as she can. We joke that the only reason she walks is because she had to do it in order to run.

She loves her Siblings. She squeals with delight upon seeing them each morning. She loves to tackle, hug and kiss them. (She gets mad if they turn their faces during a kiss... it HAS to be a kiss on the lips.)

She loves mimicking. For example, in the bath she will grab the body wash, shake it onto the sponge, stand up and wash her whole body. Or she holds up the pretend camera to her eye and says, "cheese" (or something like cheese) She has always been such an intense observer and now we see why. This girl soaks in everything.

I love how easily she goes with the flow. I have never had a laid back baby before and, well, its something I could really get use to.

I am so grateful for our little Olivia. She lights up our life in every way. I know that, as crazy as it is to think about, she will be a fantastic big sister.

My Dream

Had a dream last night about the baby.

It was a girl. She was blonde. She had my curly hair. I remember thinking how cute she was. And I was so thrilled that she was mine.

Woke up this morning. Actually marked day #1 of baby excitement. Excitement people, its happening.

(For the record I am fairly certain that this baby, is in fact, a girl)

These made my day!!

I can not wait to put some of these together and put them up in my house. Everyone knows how much I love photography. I think it steamed from having no pictures of my own upbringing. In our albums I go from a newborn, to 6 months, to 2 years. It kills me that there is not more documented by way of photographs of me and my Family. I am sentimental. I adore my Family. I hold tight to any and all memories that I have of growing up with the coolest Brothers and Sisters around.

So when I saw these pictures that my Uncle used in a Christmas Gift, I begged my Mom to send them over immediately. They make me so, so happy. So here are a few of my favorites! I love them so much, they are priceless!!!


I adore this picture. Growing up my Parents were never big on public affection, even just around the house. I think it has rubbed off on me as well. Its just not my thing, in the slightest. So I love seeing this cute picture of them.


I love this so much because it just captures my family. Silly, goofy, fun. Im sure there were more pictures like this than in any other poses. Plus it just makes me think, "Man, my Parents really did make such cute kids"


This is one of my first memories. Little Megan, in Utah, with the chicken pox. I remember looking at her and feeling sad because she had them so, so badly. I also like this because she reminds me of my Olivia in this picture. Megan was just the cutest little peanut. It makes me so happy to have a little girl who reminds me so much of her.


This was very typical. In almost every picture for years was me practically hanging on to my big sister. Charity was always so attentive and so nurturing. I was and am lucky to have her as my Big Sister. This picture gets me excited about having girls, sisters. Because having my own has been one of the greatest blessings in my life. (mostly, usually :)


This was one of my favorites. How I adored my Grandpa Boggs, and how he adored his Grandchildren. He had the softest blue eyes and the sweetest voice, always singing. I also love that this Moses basket is in this shot. I loved it. I remember using it for many a doll bed and Christmas Eve manger. And look at those curls... where are my girls'?


I have never seen a picture of me at this age before. I love it! It reminds me a little bit of Olivia. I also love how my Dad, I assume its my Dad, is carrying me. Just slinging me around, just like I do with my kids. O' how I wish I knew what their life was like with 5 little ones. I wish I could just sit back and watch their day.

I really did have the best Family. I am so grateful and so blessed. So much of who I am and what I want are based around little moments in my past, long ago.

All I want...

To do this all day...



To drink a Caribbean Blend every day from here.... maybe 2 or 3 of 'em



and to wear these all day long without judgment(from myself mostly)



Is that too much to ask?

Dear baby...

How is it possible that I am here again. Writing a letter to the tiny, developing body that sits inside my own?

Yes, you were a surprise. A surprise that took me weeks to come to terms with. It was never the thought of another sweet spirit coming to our Family that kept me awake all night long in those first days. It was my own selfish feelings. I thought about how I wasn't ready to do this again, how my plan was to wait. I knew that we would have another baby, I could feel it deep inside, but in my head I played it out perfectly. 3 year age gap, no new baby in this house, we'd be out of School and into a home of our own. You would have your own room which I would be able to paint perfectly, the Nursery that I'd always wanted. So you see, I had plans. Lots of future plans. I never dreamt that the future would so soon become the present.

I have already learned so much from you. First off, one really can become pregnant while on the pill ( I never believed half the people who said it happened to them, I now apologize for my doubts).

Second, you were meant to come to this Family at this time in this way. I know those reasons will become more and more clear to me as time goes on but I can not deny that Heavenly Father sent you here in His wisdom. Not only was I on birth control but the timing of when this all had to have happened couldn't have made it harder to get pregnant, even if I were not on the pill. Even the Doctor herself couldn't believe it.

And last, but not least, I know that there is someone much bigger in charge of our lives. That we may have plans for our life but that our Father in Heaven knows all and that He has bigger plans for us than we could ever know. And that if we humble ourselves and have Faith in him that He will make more of our lives than we could ever dream. I am so grateful for my knowledge that I have a loving Father who knows exactly what I need in my life. I know he loves me, that he knows me better than anyone and that He knows where this path will lead me. He can see 5, 10, even 50 years down the road. That knowledge gives me complete faith in Him and allows me to easily put my life in His hands to lead me and my Family through this journey on Earth.

So baby, amidst all of the initial scares and through all the many blood tests and nervous waiting, I always knew that you would be okay. I knew that this pregnancy would continue because I know that it is no accident that you are on your way to this crazy Family of ours. I know this is what was always meant to happen.