A year ago this day we were getting acquainted with our new little nearly 8 lb bundle. Now 11 lbs. heavier and bursting with joy, Gracee has enriched our lives immeasurably. All those who know her or have met her are struck by her engaging ways. She LOVES making new friends and seems to really have a love for people. 
Hope you enjoy these two videos! Let me know if they work, this is my second attempt at being fancy by putting videos on here...
So if anybody has advice on moving pictures around to get them in a desirable order--I would love it!! I used to be able to move them, but it's not letting me anymore!!
ANYWAY! Here are some very out of order pictures of a staycation me and Russ took. It was in an effort to get us all refreshed for the 2 year overhaul we have on our hands with Russ starting his MBA program. I think it worked!
We took a whole week off and just played...yup! Here in Utah. Gracee and Russ both do much better in their own beds. =) My mom came to be a permanent babysitter for Gracee so could come and go as we pleased. It was just lovely. Russ made it so fun. Here are some of the things we did:
Fishing with Russ's cute dad!
Dinner at our favorite restaurant--Carrabbas!
On my birthday, for tradition's sake (and mine!), we did a tandem bike ride up the canyon with Gracee hooked to the back! she fell asleep on the way up! (We're making the # 29 with our fingers, if you can't tell!)
Amazing eggs and breakfast in bed from my honey! He's so good=) Look at that cut up fruit, he sure knows me!
Living Aquarium with Gracee. She really like this place!
Gracee at the stingray petting zoo. She had so much fun here!
She liked it here a lot better than the zoo because she was closer to the animals I think.
The zoo. She was pretty bored I think. A little disappointing. Next year?
We at lunch at the Lionhouse in Salt Lake.
We watched a 3-D IMAX show about bugs...it was really cool!
We went to "This is the place Monument" and Village.
We saw the new Oquirrh Mountain temple. We also ate at Sweet Tomatoes that night, yummy!
Good food and good company. That's a vacation to me. The only thing I didn't love was that I still had to do the 'household things' in order to keep my sanity when we were at home. Mom cleaned a ton--but she couldn't do it all. When we go on vacations AWAY from home, I don't have to clean at all!!! Other than that, it was to die for! We wanna do it again! 
We bought this front loader used when we were first married. It's never quite been "right". But being the thrifty couple we are, we have suffered through having to go down and stop the washer in between cycles--otherwise it just kept running. However, a couple weeks ago, our 'well-oiled machine' COMPLETELY stopped working. I cloth diaper and have several sheets to wash a week from my massage practice, so I called Russ right away and warned him that we better start looking. 
Luckily, our friends Heather and Dave let us do a load over there in the interim. Dave also helped Russ with the nasty mess of unhooking our old one and installing AND picking up our new one! I say "one"--but we actually got a new dryer as well...because hey! It has to match! We got a steal on both of them. The dryer was even floor model.
so that left us with an extra dryer...
(Here's the dryer...I couldn't get my pictures to go in the right order today, sorry!)
Here's Dave and Russ trashing the carpet roll that has been cramping my style in the garage for a year! WOOHOO! Good Riddens (sp?)! 
(Here's the yucky mess I was referring to. )
