Babes In Toyland

Because of this

I now have this

and a clean living room, a clean kitchen, a mopped floor and a vacuumed carpet. I love this thing!

Thank you Angie!

Here, There Be Pirates

Last weekend, we got to go to a fun new pizza place that is pirate themed. We were joined by the always fun to be with Overstreets. It was a great evening!

The place is called Pirate Island Pizza and it is way cooler than I thought it would be. The inside is really really cool! The entry looks something like this:

We got to eat in our own "Smuggler's Cave"

Where the Overstreet boys drove their  dirtbikes over the rock walls

And, after all of the waiting for and eating of pizza, we headed to the (fairly small) arcade. I played skeeball and dance dance revolution (PS: I Stink at Dance Dance Revolution, don't even ASK me to play it with you)

Mr. Darling played some shoot em up game with Mr. Overstreet.

And all of the Overstreets played the airplane flying game.

Their boys are just too cute!

After much ticket gathering

The loot was collected

And then it was time to go home. It was amazing how fast those three hours went.

Thanks, Overstreets! We had a blast!

Come What May

I don't have a lot to say. It is not the best of times in this particular Darling household.




We are focusing on being grateful for all that we have and trying to remember "come what may and love it."

So, to focus on something positive: This picture makes me happy. Thanks for visiting last weekend, little brother!

We have titled this photograph, "What are you talking about? I've found a baby before!"

 Happy Weekend.

If I Could Write A Letter To Me

DeaR mE,

 

today i am five months old! Can you believe it?! It has been a wild few months, and I have grown and learned so much! Just in the last month, I have learned so very many things and seen even more new places than before! It is so fun to see new places, watch new people and learn things I didn't know before. I have five accomplishments that I am very proud of and would like to write down now so that I can remember when I learned them.

The first new thing I can do is sit up all on my own. I think sitting up is so much fun. I don't know why I still have to lay on the floor so often. I wish I could sit up all the time. But, sometimes, I get tired. 

The second thing I can do now is grab toys now and wave them around. I think they are heavy, but it is fun to hear the rattle and squeak. I also really like to hear the sound they make when I throw them on the floor.

I think every item I find needs to be first) touched, second) chewed, third) banged against something to see what noise it makes, and fourth) thrown as far as I can to see exactly how heavy it is.

The third new thing I can do now is raise my head off the floor while on my tummy. I started to be able to do this last month, but now I can do it much better and for much longer. 

I think I am good enough at lifting my head that I feel comfortable reaching for things with one hand while I lift myself with the other. It won't be long before I am moving around, but for right now I can only reach things that are as close to me as my arm is long.

The fourth thing I can do now is drool. And man am I good at this! I can really produce a lot of drool. Then, when I smile, it all drips onto my shirt. I think it is funny, until I am soaking wet. Then I want new clothes cause wet clothes make me cold!

Seriously, isn't that so so cool?

The fifth thing, and by far the most important news, is that I have feet now! It is AMAZING! I can touch them whenever I want, but sometimes they have socks on.

And you know what. feet are my favorite of all my toys. I can put them in my mouth and it is fun to suck on them. I can kick them, I can hold them, and mommy can tickle them. Life is great now that I have them. Or found them. Or whatever. I LOVE my feet!

So there you are. I have learned five new things in the last 31 days and I am proud of myself. Mama and Papa are pretty darn proud of me too. Now we are working on standing and walking and talking. Did you know I have an extra person at home to take care of me? She is never far away and I love to grab her and feel how soft she is. I don't want her to feel left out, so here is a picture of her.

I have a lot to say, but now it is my bedtime. I hope I can write again soon!!!

Word To Your Mother

What do you say to the woman who gave you life, raised you right, and STILL loves you despite the horrible things you have said and done; the fingerpainting on the walls, the 2 am emotional breakdowns, the growing pains and, need I say it, high school? I can only think of a few things.

I love you. Thank you. 

Repeat until your mother believes you.

Living in Utah is wonderful. I love the seasons, I love the mountains and I love the people. 

But my mom is in Florida and I miss her so much.  She is the most wonderful woman I have met and I hope that someday I can be like her. She is selfless and caring. She sacrificed so much for me and my siblings so that we can be the people we are today. She taught me the gospel even when I wasn't interested. She listened when I didn't even know what to say, but needed to say something.

I am so grateful for cell phones. I talk to her nearly every day. So, Mom, I love you. Thank you!

But, I wouldn't be where I am today without another very important mom. To the mother of my wonderful husband, I love you. Thank you. The man you raised is the perfect man for me. Without you, he wouldn't be who he is, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you. 

Your sacrifices, your lessons, and your love were not wasted on him. He is a wonderful husband and father and the light in his eyes when he sees our baby girl is the best thing I have ever witnessed. I will be grateful for you every day of my life.

 And now, for the first time on the this May the 9th, I am a mom, too. How strange. And I am unabashed in my love for my little girl. I am grateful she came into our lives and I strive to be the kind of mom that my mom was too me. The bar is set pretty darn high. So, to Abigail, I love you. Thank you for choosing our home. We are so glad you joined us and someday, I hope, you will be a mom too.

Happy Mother's Day.

Come Fly With Me

Today, after a tearful goodbye to Grandma, Abby and I flew all the way from Pensacola to Salt Lake City by ourselves!

Abby was a champ for most of the journey. On our first flight, at 5:30 in the morning (yuck!!!), Abby fell asleep right before take off. I got to snuggle with her the entire way to Atlanta. She is a great snuggler when she is sound asleep.

Then, we maneuvered her and her stuff and my stuff through the Atlanta airport. She is fascinated by airports. She made the cutest little noises all the way through the halls, on the train, and up and down some VERY long (and vertigo inspiring) escalators.

On the next flight, she said she wanted a window seat.

Abby was really good through the entire four hour flight. She only squawked a couple of times, but was generally very agreeable. The lady in the seat next to us adored her and all of our plane-mates complimented her on how good and happy she was. She accepted all of these compliments and rewarded her fan club with smiles and giggles. It was pretty cute to watch.

And, now we are back home and it is GORGEOUS here too. What a lucky duck I am to have such a great place to live. Everything is bright and blooming and colorful. It is good to be home!

The Beach

Today, for the last time on this trip, Abby and I braved the rain, lightening, and wind and made our way down to the seashore to say goodbye to our little paradise. I hope she remembers how beautiful this place  can be.

In the surf, you can see the orangey oily foam that is seeping up on our beaches. The real oil spill slick isn't here yet, just the tendrils that are leading the way...

Apparently, Abby and I are fairly intrepid. There was nearly no one else out to watch the lightening reach down and strike the water.

Hopefully, our dunes will somehow stay white. This cross has been on the beach for over 100 years. It has been replaced, but the landmark has remained. It marks the spot that the Spanish Colonists held their first sunday services after landing in Pensacola.

Hopefully their prayers for this place still count. It can use all the help it can get.

Roll On Down The Highway

Today, Mom, Abby and I packed up all of Abby's stuff and headed for a drive down the coast. We enjoyed looking at the dunes while we chatted and drove. This is truly one of God's finer creations.

While driving, we saw this guy.

We stopped for lunch and a VERY tired Abigail sat in a high chair for the first time ever. She did ok sitting there for a little bit.

But then managed to persuade her Grandma to pick her up. This baby sure does love to be held!

The restaurant was really fun. Its called Angler's on Fort Walton Beach. The food is fast and fresh and they even put goldfish on their salads like my mom did when I was little. YUM!

Unfortunately, it was kind of a grey and gloomy day. But, this is the amazing view from our table:

Then, we stopped and looked around the outlet mall. I am simply not the shopper I used to be. I picked up a new outfit for Abby and some jeans that were really inexpensive for when she gets a little bit bigger. Then, we headed hom via the inland route. We stopped at the Shoal River to feed Abby and enjoy the quiet of the wetlands.

Abby was fascinated by the tall tall trees.

And here is where the Alligators live. And I am only half kidding. Its pretty. But no way would I walk in there. You can't tell very well, but the ground is entirely covered by about 12 inches of water and the undergrowth is thick.

And then we headed home. It was really fun to get to hang out with my mom and look around at all the wonders God has created. I love how green it is here and how much water surrounds my little community.