Happy Birthday Legend!

Can't believe I have a one year old! Legend has become such a "little man" now. He is no longer a baby, that's for sure. He is getting so close to walking and he is in to everything!
We had such a fun time doing his birthday party and couldn't have pulled it off without his uncle David helping out and working so hard. And thanks to daddy for working extra long days so that we could get the bounce houses and slides for the party for free!
We had so many friends and neighbors show up (although I am surprised more of Brian's cousins didn't come... apparently Kaysville is just TOO far!)  But we had a good group of people.  I thought we were going to end up with tons of left over food and cake, but it almost all was eaten! At one point we had about 150-200 people there.  It was a great turn out!   A lot of neighbors asked, "why would you do something so huge for a one year old? He doesn't even know it's his birthday and he can't really enjoy all this!"  Well, the people who asked must not know Brian and I too well.  We always love hosting a great party and it was about time our neighbors learned who the Williams are and the way we throw down!   Represent! ha ha

 This picture is a little blurry but it was fun taking Legend down the slide. He is such a dare devil!

opening his present from Nana and Grandpa

 Our Neighbor Libby LOVED the cotton candy, it was hanging from her hair! 

First time trying cake. He got in to it for a bit but then got over it quickly. He was too excited about his new toys to worry about eating.  (which was a shocker!)

 He just wanted to sit in his car toy from Nana and Grandpa

The birthday cakes

Thank you SO MUCH uncle David for helping all day. We owe you!

Hanging out with Uncle Trevor

Some of our awesome friends who came

 as well as lots of neighbors

 Makenna LOVED the slide. She is so funny.

Thanks again to Grammy and Pops for helping pay for all the food, and Uncle David for helping Brian set everything up, make hot dogs, cut fruit, clean up and drive. You two worked SO hard all day! 

Legend 12 months

This is way past due... you'd think during the summer time I would get MORE things done, but instead I have just enjoyed being able to "lounge" around the house... in other words, chase Legend around and clean up whatever mess he's just tornado-ed his way through, or re-clean whatever he undid of my cleaning for the day... if that makes sense. All the same, it's still been a pretty laid back summer so far.

So here it is...
at 12 months Legend is

- trying to match the tone in a song as well as singing along to certain parts
- beat boxing with daddy
- will kiss babies and dolls, but no one else
- calls Graci "cee cee", can say Tate, and said "carter" once but refuses to do it again! He also calls babies "di di"
- knows how to sign "take a bath", "dad", "milk" (better than before), "hat", "sit", "baby"
- starting to bounce to music
- makes monkey sounds and dog barks
- will lay his head on your shoulder for a hug and say, "aaaawe"
- blows kisses
- puts phone to hear (or technically the back of his head) and say, "hello?"
- copies dad when he's mad by saying, Shhh!
- gives the dog his food
- jabbers ALL the time

Can't believe how big Legend is getting, it's so much fun to see all the new words and signs he picks up!
Legend is SUCH a cheese ball and loves to be the center of attention everywhere we go. He is standing up on everything and such a wiggle monster that it's hard to change his diaper and clothes because he just NEVER wants to hold still.  He loves to climb in to the dog crate and play with Avett.  Legend loves bath time and sleeps great at night still and is all around a very happy little guy!

11 months

Okay I KNOW this took forever for me to get to this month... now that he's almost 12 months, it's about time I post the 11th month update! Sorry!

Legend LOVES to brush his teeth and to sign it. He even lets mommy do it for him sometimes.
-he is signing and saying "dog".  Mommy was signing this for him every time Avett, our dog, would come in the room, but it didn't seem to be sticking.  That was until one day we were at Nana's house and the neighbor walked her dog past us and Legend just signed and said, "dog!" it was so funny!
-Legend is walking all around the furniture and is getting brave with letting go of things and trying to stand on his own.
-We taught Legend "noggin" and he does it very well... sometimes too enthusiastically, actually.
-Legend LOVES to swing and gets the giggles when it tickles his tummy
- He has started spitting... often when there is food in his mouth.
-He loves to look at pictures of family members on our phones or the refrigerator magnets
- Loves to do "motorboat" noises with his lips, and has started doing it when he's upset and is about to cry or isn't sure if he should cry or just brush it off.
-says "sit" and tries to sign it (mommy has to say that word a LOT when we have bath time)
- Legend is always covered in bumps and bruises from crawling around and pulling himself up on furniture. Poor guy!

always getting in to everything and making a mess!

Summer Lovin'

I just have to say, I am SO happy that it is finally summer!  My last week of work wasn't so bad though. On Wednesday I got to go to Lagoon with Davis High's special ed classes and ride all the rides with two other teachers. That was a fun way to spend a work day and get paid for! Can't complain.  Then Friday was graduation and although I tend to complain about going and it does get long, there's just something about the excitement in the air at a graduation that is contagious.  I guess it partially brings back memories of my own graduation, especially since I was interpreting for the high school I went to. Then to see all the excited, beaming faces of the students in the "ceremony" is just exciting. I felt pretty proud during the school song watching all the students stand up and cheer each other on.

It has only been three days of not working and I am already OUT of the groove of things. And it's great. I get up and play with Legend and spend time with my husband every morning, all morning, and there is nothing else I would rather be doing.  I got three more piano students, possibly another two from a therapist at Brian's work so that is a HUGE blessing for Brian and I.  We were contemplating having me go apply for a part time job for the summer, but getting some extra piano students means I can make the same amount of money in much less time, plus I can teach in the morning out of my house while Brian watches Legend. It truly is amazing the blessings that come when you get back up on paying tithing. I charge $50/mo per piano student, which doesn't seem like a lot in a whole month, but if you consider the fact that I only work 2 hours for that $50, it's not so bad.

Although I am enjoying my first week of laziness for the summer, I am determined to be productive.  Last summer I was big and pregnant for the first half, then just trying to adjust and get used to life with a baby the second half before having to go back to work that summer felt like a whirlwind. So for this summer, I have a lot of things in mind.   Many of which include some SERIOUS home TLC.  I want to clean out and organize, literally every nook and cranny in this house.  I started with the pantry today and it looks way better already. I want to clean/organize the cupboards in the kitchen and laundry room, mine and Brian's closets and dressers, the garage, the three closets in my house, and anything else that needs some attention.

I plan to redecorate (or first decorate I guess, since I didn't really do anything to begin with) our living room. I have some grand schemes and I love to sit and look around the room and think about what I am going to do.  I am going for an eclectic, vintage look for the room.  I am going to use a light pink/peach with minty green/sage color scheme. Sounds kinda weird but every time I go shopping or anything those are the colors catching my eye lately, so that's usually a good sign to me that the colors will work and that something needs to be done with them so I can quit spotting them everywhere I go.
Here is kind of an example of what I'm thinking, but maybe without the intense pink on the far left...

here's a wedding I found done in the colors I am thinking....

love it.

Then I am going to have the far wall of the living room covered with a collage of frames, all different, possibly printed in vintage colors or else in black and white with colored frames... haven't decided yet... of some classic old family pictures..

kind of like this:

With pictures like this:

you get the idea. I'm excited!! 

Then I am going to fix up an old dresser Brian and I found at a garage sale to use a a tv stand, since Legend likes to pull on all the cords with the current one we are using.  I haven't decided yet what color I will paint it, but when I am done I am going to distress it a little bit, then find some cute handles and possibly make them all different to go with the eclectic theme still.

I still need to decide what to do over the piano (sorry Brian, the giant Bob Marley picture has to come down). Then I am going to switch out the curtains on our windows for something thicker.  (it gets too hot in that room).  I was thinking I'd get some heavy canvas material, maybe just buy some drop cloths, then paint a cute pattern on them with a stencil.  Could be cute.... maybe we'll repeat that pattern on top of the dresser or the entryway table? We'll see. 

(maybe a design like this?)

Then over the entry way table I will do more modern stuff. Pictures of Legend/family pictures. and maybe a cute wreath or a cute quote on a wall decal.

This is the wreath I want to make...

or something like unto it.

Then I'm also thinking of painting my door. We'll see! 

This is definitely a HUGE project I have set for myself so we'll see how that goes.  On top of this big project i also want to learn and memorize some piano songs, go on some sweet vacations, spend LOTS of time with my new nephew and Legend's cute new cousin, (and other family too... I guess...) take Legend swimming, take the dog to training school, and whatever other fun things I am forgetting about right now. 

It's going to be a busy summer!!