Dear Olivia,

I have been such a slacker with writing you. The problem is your Dad works graveyards, so he sleeps in the bedroom during the day when I could use the computer and your brother is usually asleep in my bed at night. So there is no time for me to just sit and type. Even currently I'm typing away while your brother sleeps, praying he doesn't wake up!

Let's catch up shall we? Christmas was amazing! I kept accidentally calling it your first Christmas! It just felt like your first! Last year you were only 5 months old! This year everything was new and exciting! From watching you hang ornaments to looking at Christmas lights, everything was magical! Though Christmas was a little hectic this year. See we moved from Bountiful to Vernal the 5th of December! It was crazy and fast and all the sudden we were here and it was Christmas! Your Dad and I had presents arriving in the mail Christmas Eve! We were just so busy! Luckily before we left we were able to go to Layton park and look at the lights. It was amazing! Spending time with our little family is my favorite thing to do! You lit up and pointed at all the lights. You were so enthralled by them! We got out and walked the park this year because it wasn't so cold. You looked adorable all bundled up running around looking at lights. You kept trying to go under the railing to get to the lights! You also enjoyed dancing to the Christmas music in the park. There were a couple times we had to stop and wait because you refused to stop dancing! It was stinking adorable!

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day we were both sick. We had a pretty nasty cold. You were in the beginning stages of having it, so you weren't so bad, but I was miserable! Christmas morning was so magical! Having both my cute kids walk down the stairs was my favorite moment! We opened stockings first and you did awesome at unwrapping those presents! The only problem was is you were hungry and you found cookies! After you had the cookies you could care less about opening presents! Eventually the cookies ran out and you opened presents! We got you a tunnel and you loved it! You began to giggle and shreek the minute we set it up for you! I love watching you be so excited!

I think that sums up Christmas. I was going to write more but I'm going to write you an 18 month letter on our family blog so you'll just have to check for that for other updates. Oh but one more thing before you go...

Your Dad works Sundays, which I means I brave church all by myself. It can be quite a daunting task! By the time sacrament is over I'm usually ready to be done. So as much as I love having my tag along with me when I go to Sunday School and Relief Society, I was excited for nursery! I had subbed in nursery a couple weeks so I was hoping the transition would be a little smoother. Today I walked out of sacrament and took you to nursery. I put you down and you ran off to play with out a care. I knew you expected me to stay. I read once you shouldn't sneak out so I said, "Good bye Olivia!" Boy did that get your attention. You immediately turned around and began to walk after me, whimpering the whole way. I shut the door and immediately looked through the peep hole to see how you were. You were crying and reaching at the door. I wanted to rush in and save you from the horrible nursery leader ;) but I waited like a good mom. Within a minute you were distracted playing with toys! I couldn't believe it! My big girl was in nursery. After waiting and waiting for this day to arrive it had. And then, I was sad! You are getting so big!

I love you!

Mom

Dear Olivia,

Sorry there has been quite the absence in my letter writing. We moved. Yup to Vernal. It's been quite the adventure but you've handled it pretty well. Well actually you've been pretty cranky but I think that's because your teething and miserable. You also have a horrible cough. It's been no fun for you! I am actually doing this on my phone due to an Internet issue. So I'm going to make this fast

You are obsessed with growling. You growl all the time. You'll just walk around the house growling at nothing. It's actually pretty adorable! 

You have started to actually try and repeat words. Before you would just look at us when we would tell you to say something. But now, you actually repeat it. And you're getting pretty good. You can now say Bently instead of brother. Though you mostly just call him brother. You'll say baby when asked and shoes. I'm so excited to see you start talking more and more!!! 

We set up the Christmas tree and you were entranced with putting the ornaments on. It was adorable until the obsession didn't end. You won't leave the dang tree alone. I tried putting the ornaments higher but our tree is pretty short so you can still reach the majority of them. You also are pretty good at getting your brother involved in the action. Today you guys worked as a team and pulled the whole tree down. I was not a happy mama. 

You guys were not upset at all. You thought it was pretty neat. 

With this move it means I get to be a stay at home mom which has been so fun! Lucky for us the weather has been incredible and we've spent some fun time at the park! :) you love the park and have no fear which scares me. :) you climb and climb and go down those big slides! It makes me so proud! :) 

You are at the funnest stage my darling. You run around the house non stop causing trouble and smiling the whole time you do! Speaking of smiling, you have started to smile when I get the camera out. That is very nice. 

I love you so much darling. I'm going I have to better at taking video so you can see exactly how adorable you are! 

I love you!

Mom