10.31 and Little Family Update

Happy late Halloween! My parents went out of town so we were solo this Halloween. We answered the door for trick or treaters at my parent's home and took Valarie trick or treating for the first time, (to five houses.) She didn't really understand what was going on, but she was getting candy so she was happy.

Valarie was Boo from Monster's Inc for Halloween. My mom and I had to go through several blogs and youtube videos to figure out how to make this, but two full days of working on it later and it was done! It was super difficult since we had no templates or guides, but we figured it out and I think it turned out pretty well!

 I know this is blurry, but it's one of my favorites I took that night.

 

And now for a Randall family update.

Shane is still job hunting, he has been for a while. His current job is fine for now, but it's not what he wants to do for the rest of his life. The biggest problem is he doesn't know what he wants to do, so his job search isn't really narrowed. The good part is we're in no rush, so it's ok if it takes a little while for him to find something. Other than job hunting, he's just been watching Val at night while I work. We're not very exciting people.

Candice - I am still serving at Sizzler, (and loving it,) but I'm also helping manage it. It's not that exciting, I just make sure guests are happy, the store is running smoothly, and I close the store down at the end of the night, but I enjoy it. I really find it fun and since it's so new still it's refreshing having new responsibilities. A couple of the managers have become my best friends at work and I love working with them. That's really the only new thing going on with me, I said this before and I'll say it again, we're not exciting people.

Valarie is growing and learning new things everyday. She's talking like crazy, it's mostly mumbling with the words she knows thrown in the middle. She loves to play "If you can hear me," which is a simple version of Simon Says that we play in nursery all the time. She loves to play with her dolls, and she sings a lot. Her singing is the cutest. She gets so excited when she sees animals and babies, and she's a just a big sweetheart. She's such a happy girl to be around, and brings joy to everyone who meets her.

We're still teaching nursery at church and we enjoy it most of the time. We're going to Park City for our last vacation of the year in a couple weeks and I can't wait! We're just enjoying each other's time, taking every day one a time.

 

16 Months!

16 months! My baby girl is 16 months old! I can't believe how fast she is growing and how quickly time is flying by! Call me crazy, but I am ready for Val to have a baby brother or sister, (I just need to convince the husband now.)

It's crazy how much can happen in a month. We took our baby gates down because Val can be trusted to go up and down stairs on her own now. She also has started saying things like, "all done," oh man," and "I love you," along with the other 25 or so words she says. She's a little chatterbox!

Valarie loves being independent, she wants to do everything on her own and on her own terms.

She loves wearing shoes and will constantly ask us to put them on her.

Val's favorite movies right now are Yogi Bear and Monster's Inc.

We love our little stinkbug and are so grateful for her everyday. What an amazing blessing she's been for us. She really is a good girl for the most part too, a little hyper, but isn't every one year old?

And now, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you some photos of the cutest little miss ever:

 Helping dad take the garbage out.

 She wanted to carry the bag.

 She was very upset she couldn't eat the plastic grapes at Hobby Lobby. . . 

 . . . VERY upset.

 Obsessed with Monster's Inc.

 Not really enjoying City Creek with Isobel.

 Oh Val.

We're working at Dura-Tuff today because they needed a little extra help. We're super happy for waking up before 6am, (We're used to getting up at 8:30am.) It's been 5 and a half hours that we've been here and she's doing amazingly well, (and napping right now.) What a good girl!

Climbing Fun!

A few weeks ago we went to Classic Skating with the Pikes. We had so much fun going through their jungle gym! I think the adults had more fun than the kids most of the time!

 She was really scared in the beginning, but by the end was fearless!

 Burying Sean!

 Oh just letting the boys traumatize my child. . . 

We had such a blast and can't wait to go back!

15 Months!

Valarie is 15 months old today! I can't believe she's not a baby anymore! She's all over the place and crazy fun!

Valarie is a non stop talker. Her most repeated words are:
Happy
Sad
Hello, hi, and hey
Valarie
Mommy
Daddy
Please
Tank Too (Thank you)
Wow
Bubbles
No
Papa
Debbie
Boobies (heehee. . . )

Valarie loves to push shopping carts, strollers, basically anything with wheels. She loves playing games on her ipad and our phones. She loves going to nursery, (she gets to go since we're the teachers.) All our family vacations helped her learn to love swimming, but too bad summer is over now! She loves watching Yo Gabba Gabba, Barney, and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood.

Val tries to feed herself with a fork, drink out of a big girl cup, and color. She even holds her crayons the right way, (I don't know how she learned that.) She likes the wash herself in the bath tub, and she loves putting on her shoes.

Valarie hates bed time, it has been our biggest struggle so far. She doesn't like the car seat in dad's car, but she loves mom's. She only likes to eat if it's on her terms. She's generally a happy girl and doesn't have a lot of dislikes. She's very easy to please.

At her doctor appointment today she threw a tantrum, which lasts about 20 seconds and then she's over it. She has so many teeth coming in right now it's hard to count, but I can see at least five at the moment. She weighs 21 pounds, (24%) and is almost 31 inches tall, (66%.) Her hair is growing too, she got bangs and I think they look absolutely adorable on her!

 The Tantrum.

 

I love this girl more and more every day. How I got so blessed I will never know. She completes my life and gives me something amazing worth living for. I'm so proud to call myself her mom, and so proud of the sweet, beautiful, independent little girl she's becoming.

A few more things. . .

Doesn't Valarie look like a little monkey here? My heart is melting!

 



We found Val's adult twin at Ikea.

 

 

Brooklyn and I dyed our hair the same color together a few weeks ago. It was fun going into work together, (Brooklyn works with me now,) and hearing people's reactions. I love my little sister and best friend!