The best recipe for happiness? Phone calls that surprise you.

Yesterday I received a special phone call. One I haven't had in ages. Brady called me to ask me out on a date. I've gone on three years worth of dates with this man and talked to him hundreds of times over the phone but I was actually nervous. My palms were sweaty and I had butterflies. The voice on the other end sounded just as nervous. Both of us agreed that it felt exactly like the first time he called to ask me out. Every once in a while, it's nice to feel that same jittery, shyness you did when your relationship was just beginning. Oh, and of course I said yes!

The best recipe for happiness? Primary.

On Sunday I was called to be a teacher in primary for my church. I love it when I get that calling. Those children have a way of strengthening my testimony and make me want to be a  more Christlike person.  It's so interesting to hear about the gospel from a child's perspective. So, to celebrate I posted one of my favorite videos called "Mouth of Babes." You'll laugh whether you're religious or not because...well...kids just say the darnedest things!

Happy Tuesday!

The best recipe for happiness? Big, blue eyes.

This picture is currently our desktop background. On Saturday afternoon our little family took a trip to the park. The weather was fabulous. Brady snapped some shots of the landscape while I introduced Tessa to things like waves and ducks. Can you imagine being where she is right now? Where everything is new, just waiting to be explored. It seems so thrilling. I'm really grateful for cameras that can capture moments like this.

Today while fishing through Tessa's drawer to find her something to wear, I found the pants from this post. When she was born they were too big for her and now, even if I tried, I couldn't get them past her knees. I walked to the bathroom to watch her and Brady playing during her bath. I'll admit I got misty eyed. My baby is growing so fast. I asked time to slow down and then I blinked twice and whoosh! in a couple of days my little girl is going to be four months old. This mothering business is SO bittersweet. I love when she hits her milestones but I miss my little newborn in her bundle of blankets.

She loves to jump. She's on the verge of rolling from her tummy to her back and from her back to her tummy. We'll see which comes first. She loves to rub her hands against her daddy's beard. She'll look you right in the eyes and talk to you. She smiles when we practice our ABC's (especially D for Da Da and M for Ma Ma). She has to have her thumb and her baby lamb for nap times. If it were up to her she'd already be walking everywhere. So much personality and so much love. And the best part? Those big, blue eyes.

The best recipe for happiness? Bad weather. Who knew!

Today the weather is absolutely terrible. The wind is just howling outside and it's supposed to rain two inches but things in this house couldn't feel more cozy. After Tessa's morning nap we laid out on the floor in the living room and read books while doing tummy time. We had to take breaks often for some much needed thumb sucking but we both loved it. We read about butterflies and feet, about oddly colored animals and sang our ABC's. She held my hand and I rubbed her tummy. We giggled. 

Tessa eventually fell asleep on our living room floor sucking her thumb and snuggling her baby lamb. She's never slept anywhere but her crib and never by her own choice. I love the days where things outside are roaring but things inside are quiet and calm. I love that she felt safe and cozy enough to fall asleep right where she was. Days like these just make our house feel like a home. The only thing missing is Tessa's daddy. Luckily, it's date night and the weekend so we get him all to ourselves. I'm about to go snuggle my sleeping baby and make some lasagna soup. Today, bad weather is definitely the best recipe for this moms happiness. 

Have a fabulous weekend! And don't forget to snuggle!

The best recipe for happiness? Realizing you have your very own, built in paci on your right hand.

Tessa has developed a habit. It involves her thumb. Brady and I don't give Tessa a pacifier (paci) because, well, it makes her kind of crazy. She screams and screams when she can't have it and she would much rather have that piece of plastic than nurse. No bueno. So, no paci for Tessa. She sucks on her fingers all the time to make up for it. She's had little control of her hands so her fingers don't stay in her mouth for very long. Lately I've noticed her favoring that little thumb on her right hand but she still couldn't quite get it to stay in her mouth...until yesterday. Now all of the sudden they are inseparable. We've started to put her down for naps without a blanket and, sure enough, as soon as her head hits the mattress that little plumb thumb goes straight for its new home. Hopefully it doesn't plan to stay there until she's six.

Tessa and thumb in action:

Happy Thursday!

The best recipe for happiness? Brady's younger sister and brother, Tessa's aunt and uncle, and two of my most favorite people.

I mentioned in this post that Melissa and Curtis were coming up for the weekend. Gosh, I sure love them. I don't have little siblings of my own but these two sure come close. We thought it would be fun to show them around the university's campus. We visited the library from this post and walked around the campus grounds. And of course we had to take them to Pikes Place Market because we ALWAYS take everyone who visits to Pikes (see our Pike adventures here and here). The weather was a little nippy but definitely better than Utah.

^Oh Tessa just loves that coat! More about that here.^

Brady (but I really mean me) wanted to take pictures of everything.We stopped to snap some shots on a bench which would have been really easy/fast if it wasn't for the pesky person in the middle.

^Brady: Kate you didn't smile (meaning you didn't smile right, lol).

Kate: I was smiling... with my whole body.^

^Brady: (looks at picture) Kate! Take a normal picture!

Kate: (sigh) Fine...^

^Much better.^

^Here is our very patient and did I mention awesome photographer.^

Hopefully it's not too long before those two come visit us again. Brady and I will have to go out a little more before they do because we're running out of places to take our family when they visit! 

The best recipe for happiness? A valentine from your baby girl.

When Brady came home from work last Thursday this is what he found waiting for him on the front door:

Happy Valentines Day Daddy!

Love Tessa!

P.S. Mommy had to help me hold the crans (crayons) 

cuz I poked myself in the eye with one 

and tried to eat the other! 

The best recipe for happiness? Sunny days in February.

Today feels like spring and it's only February. Tessa was sun bathing in front of the window this morning. Cutest little naked thing you'll ever see. I didn't take any pictures (sorry grandmas) because I don't want to horrify her too much when she's a teenager. I'm pretty sure I'll do enough of that without naked baby pictures. Today we're anxiously awaiting the arrival of Melissa and Curtis (Brady's younger sister and brother, Tessa's aunt and uncle, and two of my most favorite people). If you're a frequent reader you'll remember reading about our adventures with Melissa here, here, and here but Curtis has yet to be a subject on this blog. I'm pretty stinking excited to spend the weekend with those two and Tessa's super excited because she thinks mom will forget about tummy time. Tessa's not a fan of tummy time.

The best recipe for happiness? L-O-V-E. love.

Then: 

He liked  that he never saw her bare back when she bent over.

She liked that he left at 12 every night, even if they were in the middle of something. 

She was easy to talk to, beautiful, and the first girl he had ever met that didn't have to play "the game."

He knew almost all the words to her favorite Celine Dion song, looked like a man instead of a boy,  and had the best smile she had ever seen.

He remembers parking her car and running it into his the first time they hung out together...

She remembers being so eager to sit next to him the Sunday after she met him that she practically sat on top of him. She found out later that he liked it.

On their first date he missed turns while driving because he was too busy talking to her. He cooked her mashed potatoes for dinner because they were her favorite and accidentally made her smash her hand against his stove because he poked her side with his finger. 

On their first date she made a list of things they could talk about in case she didn't know what to say and practiced them in her bedroom before he picked her up. He made her dinner and she suggested praying over their food out of habit and was really embarrassed after he said he'd never had a girl suggest that on a date before. 

He's not exactly sure when he first fell in love with her but he does know those seeds of love have steadily grown over the years. 

Her mom had said, "You better be careful Kate or you'll fall in love with that boy." Walking out of the kitchen she realized she already had.

Now:

He loves her amazing laugh(s), how she supports him in everything he wants to do and the incredible goodness in her that makes him want to be a better person.

She loves how much he adores his baby girl, that he knows her better than she knows herself, and that she still gets butterflies when he says he's coming home. 

The best recipe for happiness? The question "Quieres casarte conmigo?"

Three years ago today a man asked me a question that would change my life forever.

I answered him with, "yes!" :)

The best recipe for happiness? Laughing so hard your stomach hurts.

A video to cheer you up in case you were feeling down because it's Monday.

Maybe Mondays aren't so bad...

The best recipe for happiness? Grandparents.

Grandma and grandpa Houston came to Seattle for a quick visit this week. Tessa was in heaven. Her fan club increased by two, she never had to do tummy time and she was the center of attention for two whole days. Who are we kidding. She is the center of attention every day in this house! Brady and I are so grateful that Tessa has such great grandparents. We have really fond memories with our own grandmas and grandpas and we're so happy that she is creating some of her own. We decided to go to Pikes Place Market to get some fresh, snow-less air.

 ^Those donuts were literally the size of my head.^

 ^Forget the fish! Check out how red my hair looks in this picture. Wha?^

 ^I didn't expect to see so much fruit but there you have it.^

 ^Oh, the things you find at Pikes Place.^

^Some of us needed to shut down for awhile and recharge our batteries.^

It was a fun visit and we are anxiously awaiting Tessa's Aunt Melissa and Uncle Curtis' arrival. 

The best recipe for happiness? Discovering your own two hands.

Brady caught Tessa looking at her hands a couple of days ago. She'll be in the middle of crying, talking or playing and all of the sudden they'll catch her eye and she'll stop whatever she's doing just to stare. It's been so wonderful to watch Tessa discover new things. She's just in awe of her surroundings and, frankly, we're just in awe of her.

Happy Monday!

The best recipe for happiness? A baby's first laughter.

Just when we thought we couldn't possibly fall anymore more in love with her, she goes and pulls a stunt like laughing for the first time. And we fall. We fall hard. She's still figuring out this whole laughter/talking thing but give her some time. She's finding her voice. And it's making my heart soar.