It's Time for a Blog Post!

Right now, all of the millions things that I should be doing instead of updating my family blog are being put aside! I'm not sure why I chose today to do this, or why I feel it is important in this minute, but for some reason my fingers typed in my blog web address and I just started typing... So, since my last post was in January, I thought this post should be a recap of the past eight months!

Cherissa
I've been insanely busy balancing (okay trying to balance) being a wife, mother, employee, YW Pres., friend, and individual. Some days I feel like I fail miserably at half of those roles, but I'm striving to be better at accepting that I can't give 100% of my time and energy to everything! I been to Lake Powell twice this summer with my family. I'll be honest and say that I spent most of the time reading a book in the shade with a coke and some treats...and it was glorious! I'm trying to decorate our house, because I never really have until this point! I HATE doing it, but I'm liking the results. I keep setting goals to start working out or playing soccer again, get better at photography and sewing, learn to cook some new and healthy recipes, and finally scrapbook all of Violet's pictures, but for now...well for now I'm just updating my blog!

Bret
What can I say for my hubby?! He is the best Daddy on the planet, works hard for his family, and still manages to save some for weekend dates with me and couple of rounds of golf each week. I call him "my 3rd Counselor" because he helps me so much with my calling. He is dying for the two of us to go on vacation this fall somewhere fun, so hopefully we can make that happen!

Violet
We are smitten with this little one! The past few months have been especially trying though, as we are trying to work through her "eating disorder" that the doctors have diagnosed her with. So far, we haven't found any cause, we just know that she isn't interested in eating. At 20 months, she only weighs 18 pounds. However, she is FULL of personality! The past week or so have been especially entertaining because she talks more and more everyday. She also had a great time in Lake Powell because she loves being around other kids and doing all the water activities. She has gone golfing with Bret and I a few times this summer and is starting to catch on! She is growing up too fast, but we are loving every minute of it!

I have to apologize for not tracking your family blogs and staying in touch. I do check them now-and-again, even if I don't leave comments! I also make this promise, I'll TRY to post on our blog more often than every eight months, but guarantees!

Violet's Ice Cream Parlour

Violet's birthday party was a fun night of ice-cream, hot chocolate, presents, family, and fun. Violet had mixed emotions about some of evening's activities, though. For example, Violet didn't nap the whole day and was a little overwhelmed when guests started to arrive, as her picture with my Mom will show! But then, Uncle Josh came and redeemed himself for giving her a scary penguin toy at Christmas with his giant teddy bear, which she loved. It was no big surprise that she loved the doggy bank that Grandma Stowell gave her, too. Notice the big kiss she gives the dog on the nose in the pictures! Yes, I'm jealous of that stupid dog! Also, Vi didn't love her sparkler candle that I put on her cake. In fact, she was a little terrified of it! I thought it was a great idea since I knew she wouldn't blow out a candle. Once it was removed, she dug right into her cake and got nice and messy, as every 1 year old birthday girl should.

Violet: A Cause for Celebration

One year has passed since beautiful Violet joined our family. I am amazed at how quickly time went by. Bret and I both agree that every moment with Violet has been a gift and we love her more than words can say. Violet's most noteworthy characteristics became apparent early on. She is a happy and easy-going, and wears a big smile all day long. She is her Daddy's sunshine and her Momma's little buddy. Violet has a tender heart and bursts into tears whenever she hears the word "no," even when it is spoken in passing conversation and isn't directed to her! Violet used to say "bye bye" and wave her tiny wrist so cute, but now refuses to do it because she realizes that if she does, someone will leave her. Violet adores dogs, and is beginning to really like her baby dolls. While she is very stingy with giving kisses to her Mom and Dad, she freely shares them with any picture of a dog and all her stuffed dogs (she has several). Just this morning she learned how to feed her baby doll with its little bottle. She feeds the baby for a minute, and then tries to have a little sip herself! Violet is very much a "girly girl." She is obsessed with necklaces, more than the average baby, and is attracted to anything sparkly and pretty. It breaks my heart to see her changing so quickly and growing out of her babyhood, but I admit that each new day is more fun and exciting than the last because she is developing into an amazing little girl. Happy birthday, my love!

Our Little Stocking Stuffer

Christmas was magical this year. Having a baby makes everything much more meaningful, and a lot more fun. Seeing Vi's face when she first saw Santa, Christmas lights, and wore a donkey costume for the Christmas Pageant are priceless memories. Having Violet also made the gifts under our tree a lot more colorful than usual, too. For a long time, I've looked forward to staying up late and setting out the gifts for my kids, just like my parents did. I loved how our living room looked with all the toys, and clothes, and presents. Here are some pictures from our Christmas. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season!

Halloween Pictures...Even Though It's December

I'm FINALLY getting around to posting Violet's Halloween pictures that I took with her cousin Makaylee. For this little photo shoot we dressed them up in their costumes and the darling coats their Great-Great Aunt Linda bought for them, and set them on some bales of hay next to their Grandpa Newton's barn. Makaylee was a little somber during the "shoot" because her Mama wasn't their, but Violet cheesed it up as usual! These too already love each other and are fun to watch grow up together.

Now I've got the Halloween blog posting out of the way, I'll start thinking now about the next one so the Newton Family Blog isn't so uneventful!

Vi's 6th Month Pics -- Finally!

Well, Violet is 7 1/2 months now, but here are some of her 6 month pictures. Violet is still an amazingly easy-going and happy baby. She loves to eat, but still isn't a big fan of formula (hence the 1st percentile for weight). Violet's favorite food is oatmeal. She can down 2 cups of it in about 2 minutes. If you don't hold the bowl right under her chin and continually shovel it into her mouth, she gets really upset because there isn't oatmeal sliding down her throat!

One of the things I love the most is when she copies the growly sound I make when I play "Momma Monster." It makes me laugh so hard! Her favorite thing to do is sit on my vanity while I get ready in the morning and watch me do my hair, brush my teeth, and put on my makeup. She plays with my brushes and kisses herself in the mirror. Also, she LOVES to be scared -- the more startled you make her the harder she giggles. In just the past week she finally has gained an interest in her dog, Pita, and likes it when Pita licks her hand. Violet has entered the phase where she is into everything she shouldn't be. Her newest thing is to army-drag herself across the room to the airvents and stick her head directly over it and let the cold air take her breath away.

Bret and I feel like the proudest parents ever and are SO in love with this little girl!

Hating on Laptops

Ugh. I'm having serious laptop issues. Laptops are an incredible invention that I can't seem to live without. However, once I've had one for about 4 years, and of course my warranty has expired, the technical issues begin and literally drive me crazy. Everyone says that Dell's are the best, so I continue buying them, but honestly I've had nothing but trouble. I've tried everything with my current one to save it for the past two weeks. Finally, I broke down and called Dell Technical Support today. I hate doing that because I get so frustrated when they are telling me to do stuff I don't understand in an accent I don't understand. Anyways, after holding for ten minutes, I finally got some guy from India who sounded like he was going to be able to help me. I was breathing a sigh of relief when my P.O.S. iPhone 4 dropped the call. Ughhhhh, some more! So the guys must have had my number and tried to call me back, but when I went to answer I got the "Call Failed" message.

I'm not giving up, but I am considering hurling this piece of junk out the window of my car while driving. Yes, I've done this before, but it was with my Palm.... another story for another time.

In short, and unlike Kip, I don't love technology - at least not right now. If you are wondering why I haven't posted Violet's six month pictures, or why I'm not making any posts at all, just know the CRAPTOP is still a work-in-progress.

Violet's First Trip to Lake Powell

Violet and I spent a week in Lake Powell over the Fourth of July on my family's houseboat - Livin' the Dream. Bret joined us for the last few days and we had a lot of fun introducing Violet to boating. Here are a bunch of pictures from the trip that are proof of what a good time it was.

Even Superheros Need Naps!

Violet's Blessing Dress Pictures

I want to share these darling pictures of Violet in her blessing dress...and nothing at all! The owners of Barrus Photography are in our Ward and always do a wonderful job and are great to work with. I can't believe how quick this little one is growing up. She is smiling, laughing, and loves to be read to. Books are the one thing that guarantee to make her calm and happy in the evenings - she stares at the pictures, listens to the words, and kicks her legs for more when you finish reading!

I'm a Bingham Miner!

Last Saturday I took my Young Women to the Road Home in Salt Lake to serve breakfast to the homeless. It was really fun and an amazing experience. Afterwards, we stood around talking to some of the regular volunteers. One of the older volunteers asked me, "So do you all go to Bingham?" While my Young Women didn't pick up on the fact that he thought I was one of them, I realized it right away (this happens pretty often!) So I just said, "yup, we do."

I wonder how long it would take before I look like the YW President and not one of the girls. Until I'm 30? 35? Hopefully I get released before then!

Easter Memories

Because I now have a daughter, I've been thinking a lot about my memories from my own childhood. Just the other day I was at Taipan and saw they had a cage full of tiny baby chicks. This sparked a memory I had of my Dad. It was just before Easter and I was about 14 years old when he came to me and said that he wanted to take me to get a surprise. Because my Dad is a big jokester, I wasn't sure what to expect. I followed him to the car, but despite my questions he wouldn't tell me where we were going or what we were doing. A little while later we pulled into the IFA in Draper. I was seriously at a loss, and thought he needed to get something there for the yard and just wanted company on the drive. Again, I followed him as he walked inside and went straight to crates full of tiny peeping chicks. I remember he didn't really say much, he just started looking at them and told me to pick out three. I don't recall him or I talking about what we would do with the chicks once they were grown, we were both just thinking about what was happening right then and there - my Dad was getting me a fun present, something totally random and irrational, a present that was something he and I shared a love for -- animals.

I remember I was kind of scared to hold the chicks. They were wiggly, their nails were scratchy, and I could feel every bone in their fragile, little bodies. I picked out two yellow ones and one reddish colored one and took them home in a cardboard box. When we got home, my Mom just laughed and helped me learn how to hold them. We set up a little nest for them in the warm furnace room under a lamp. I don't remember what I named all of them, I just remember that I named one “Nugget” and people thought it was so mean! I doubt them were very playful pets, but I can remember taking them out in the backyard and they would follow me, hopping and fluttering. When I laid down on the grass they would huddle next to me, trying to get warm. One day I found an egg in their cardboard nest and we knew the fun was over. My Dad called up my uncle who lives in rural Utah and he agreed to add my three chicks to his little farm. They were fun little toys for a while, but I was ready for them to get on with their lives without me!

It’s funny how memories like this one of my Dad stand out so strongly in my mind. I had a good relationship with my Dad growing up, but this memory makes me realize how important it is for Bret to have one-on-one time with his baby chick, Violet, so they can have fun together and build their own special relationship.

Newton Family Pictures

My amazing friend Julie Burton took our first family pictures when Violet was just about two weeks old. Here is a couple of our favorites, along with her birth announcement.

Burrito Baby Blue Eyes

This is the image I see when I get up at 3:30 in the morning to feed Violet. She is wrapped up tight in her "SwaddleMe" and it is the funniest, cutest thing ever. When she is awake, these are the gorgeous blue eyes I see. Look at those baby blues! I swear, she is all Bret.