Tanner Family

Nice Weather!

2012-02-10T18:20:00.000-07:00

It was gorgeous out today. We spent a good amount of time enjoying some fresh air!

Under the Weather...

2012-02-08T20:12:00.012-07:00

The Tanner household has definitely been out of commission the past couple of weeks. First we got the stomach flu, and shortly after we got the horrible cough/cold that's going around. If that wasn't already enough, Gracie got some kind of viral pinkeye. Lola also got it but a milder version. Thanks to breast feeding and it's fabulous benefits Lola has actually stayed pretty healthy throughout this winter, only getting mild versions of what's going around.

I wanted to take a minute and just say how thankful I am for my mom. She is the most charitable person. She's made several trips out to Lehi to bring us food, homemade chicken noodle soup, raw smoothies, herbal teas, and even some natural cleaners. Not to mention the cute red KitchenAid tea kettle she got for us. :) I love it! Thanks to her Gracie was able to get out of the house today, get a new toy, and a kids meal too! She also brought us some homeopathic medicine, and taught me some things I can do with my girls when these horrible viruses are going around. I feel lucky that my mom has taught me so much about natural ways to heal. So far neither of my girls have ever needed antibiotics! (knock on wood)... Even when the pediatrician has prescribed it ... I always try some natural things first that I've learned from my mom. She's pretty amazing and a great example to me. :)

Here are a few things I've learned from my mom when it comes to colds/flu. I thought I would pass these on for those of you who like to take a more natural route.

* If you have a respiratory cold/flu and have lots of coughing, sneezing, etc. Turn the shower on to the hottest setting, and sit in the bathroom with the door shut for about 10-15 minutes. This does wonders in clearing out the nasal passages and helping you breath better. Kinda like a sauna! Gracie, Lola and I did this at least twice a day this week. It helped tons!

*At bedtime rub tea tree essential oil on the bottom of your feet.

*Have a humidifier going throughout the day and all night long.

*Eat HOMEMADE chicken noodle soup. There is actually a science behind why it works, but you have to cook the full chicken (without the skin) in the pot and use the juices from the chicken. The broth of this soup works wonders in helping you breath and feel better. I need to get the recipe from my mom so I can share it. It's one of the rare times she cooks with meat. :)

*There is a homeopathic medicine that we go through like candy. It's called Coldcalm by Boiron. I get it at Harmons. Non-drowsy, no side effects, no drug interactions, works naturally with your body.

*My mom came up with this delicious smoothie specifically for coughs and colds. Raw Coconut-Creamsicle Smoothie.

*Warm herbal teas!

*Open windows throughout the house for about 15 minutes a day. Helps circulate the air and get fresh air in. It's never good to just hang out in a room that's been coughed in all day!

*If your nose is raw from blowing it so much, rub Carmex on it! I use it on my nose and lips when I'm sick. Very soothing.

*Get the 1,000 mg vitamin C packets you get at the store that you add to water, and drink them all day.

*Sleep elevated.

*Colloidal silver. We haven't tried this yet, but I have heard great things.

*Coughing, sneezing, fevers, and all of that great stuff is actually your bodies way of getting rid of the virus. So even though it's not always pleasant, it's good to let your body do what it needs to without always suppressing it with medicine. However, night time is a different story. It's SO important to get sleep to get better, so I think it's okay to do what you have to at night.

Hopefully some of you will be able to use these tips! I can't wait until we are back in business at our house. I'm OVER feeling under the weather. One thing I have enjoyed though, is plenty of down time and snuggling with my precious girls. :)

Who knew "Planet Earth" could be so funny...

2012-01-28T13:16:00.002-07:00

My Little Artist

2012-01-26T22:06:00.004-07:00

As I have mentioned in previous posts, Gracie is very passionate about drawing. She's constantly asking me to print her pictures (mainly of animals) off the computer. She likes to color them, and I often find her just staring at the picture for a long time. I can tell she is really studying it. It's pretty adorable. The whole printing thing started because she used to ask me to draw for her, which usually resulted in a VERY mad Gracie. Mom (and Dad) aren't the best artists, apparently. Lately I've been taking pictures of her art work. She got an easel for Christmas, and I randomly find drawings on it. I have never helped her with any of them!! ALL completely Gracie's doing. These are taken with my iphone, so the quality isn't amazing.

Cat

(notice that she always includes eyelashes, lol)

Pig

Bunny

Not too shabby for a 3 year old! Love my little artist.

Pat-a-cake, Pat-a-cake

2012-01-19T18:48:00.000-07:00

New Glasses...

2012-01-16T16:21:00.000-07:00

I took Gracie in for her yearly appointment a couple of weeks ago. I feel so blessed to have found her eye doctor, Dr. Abrams. He's at Timpanogos Hospital. I never have to get a 2nd opinion, because I feel so confident that he gets us the exact right prescription.

Gracie is still pretty dang farsighted. She's +7 in her left eye, and +9 in her right. She got glasses about a year ago, when she was 2 1/2. She was +6.75 in both eyes then, so they've gotten slightly worse. I have to admit, I was a little excited her prescription had changed so that I could pick out a new pair of frames! I put a lot of time into picking the perfect pair. Her glasses are not cheap due to the strong prescription, and we have to spend an extra $100 on them just to thin them out (totally worth it). If not she would have super thick coke bottle lenses. :( I went with a less bold pair this time. I think she looks more like Gracie. She loves them and immediately told me that she can see better. She has some room to grow in them too. Hopefully they will serve her well this year.

It's hard to see in the pictures, but they are light pink.

Bedtime story... read by Gracie.

2012-01-09T13:07:00.001-07:00

Happy New Year!

2012-01-06T13:45:00.001-07:00

What we've been up to in 2012...

Lots of crafting. Gracie is obsessed with drawing.

It's truly one of her passions right now.

Lola has taken quite a liking to the Bumbo.

She loves her music, and it HAS to be church music. It puts her right to sleep.

Gracie is a Sunbeam!

She's a cute little gymnast too.

Lola is getting big! She is almost 12 pounds and she'll be 4 months old on the 17th.

I love this girl to pieces! She's an amazing baby. So easy and sweet.

One of my favorite things about being a parent is seeing my girls play together, and love each other. Gracie loves Lola so much, and Lola is constantly smiling at Gracie.

I was able to go on a date this week with Ryan. It was long overdue. We had so much fun!

And guess who's 29 today? I have known Ryan for half of his life. He's an amazing person. Humble, hard working, Christlike, genuine, smart, wise, forgiving, handsome, and an awesome dad.

Happy Birthday, Babe. All your girls love you so much.

Christmas

2011-12-27T20:42:00.005-07:00

We had a wonderful Christmas and feel very blessed. Gracie was so much fun this year. She couldn't sleep on Christmas Eve because she was so excited for Santa to come. We spent Christmas Eve going to a movie with my family, and then Asian Star for dinner with both of our families. While we were out Mrs. Claus dropped by some festive pajamas and a cute card for the girls. She's a sneaky one! :) Gracie was SO excited about the jammies. She of course put out cookies and milk for Santa before heading to bed.

I loved having Christmas on Sunday this year. We let Gracie look at everything from Santa, but made her wait until after church to open the rest. We knew we would never get out the door for 9:00 sacrament if we let her open all of her presents. It was a nice program, and I loved the peace and comfort I felt while listening to the choir sing.... celebrating the true meaning of Christmas.

Gracie couldn't wait a minute longer! When we got home it was present time!!! It was so fun to see her open everything she's been asking for, for the past 2 months.

Ryan looking handsome. He sure loves his little Lola.

Someone got a little bored. Guess she's not quite at that age yet to appreciate her gifts.

Hope you all had a merry Christmas!

Lola's Blessing Day

2011-12-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

Lola was blessed on Sunday, December 18th at her grandparents house. All of our immediate family were present and it was a special day for our family. Despite the fact that she cried throughout a lot of the blessing, Ryan did great talking over her and keeping the spirit in the room. The funny thing is that she rarely cries, so it wasn't the best timing! It was a beautiful blessing! Lola was named after her great grandma who Ryan has fond memories of and loved so much. I have loved the spirit that little Lola has brought into our home, and I have known since I conceived her that she is a very special girl. I absolutely LOVE having her in our lives. Anyone who has seen me with her can probably tell that I'm SLIGHTLY obsessed. :) It's such an amazing opportunity to be a parent, and after having 2 amazing girls I can't wait for the future and more kids. I told Ryan I wanted 6 yesterday, haha. He laughed. :(

VT Moment...

2011-12-16T14:26:00.010-07:00

In Relief Society they always ask if we have had any visiting teaching moments. Well, I did today! As my partner was giving the lesson, we got talking about priorities. I remembered the analogy I learned as a kid in primary. The one with the rocks and the sand in the jar. The rocks being our greatest priorities (our families, spouse, reading our scriptures, sincere prayer, family home evening, etc.) and the sand being all other activities. If you put the sand in first, then you can't fit in nearly as many of the rocks. But if you put the rocks in first, then surprisingly most of the sand will still fit in, filling in around the rocks. We all know the analogy.

Sometimes it seems like there just aren't enough hours in the day to add in the little spiritual things that keep us on track. I had a moment while I was visiting teaching today and it just clicked for me. When we do the little things FIRST, everything else will fall into place.... but the biggest thing I realized is that ALL OTHER THINGS that aren't priorities will just get pushed aside for a bit, or out of your schedule all together. And that's okay. I know it takes discipline to do the important things first.

I have really tried to do these things daily for a while because I know how much it enriches my life. However, it can get tough to fit in and now that we are in the midst of Decemeber... well it's not getting any less busy. Sometimes I find myself getting caught up on things during the day that are NOT priorities, putting off the more important things that matter most in the eternal perspective of things. I figure if I do the things that are priorities first, then the rest will just fall into place how it should. Such a basic analogy. I'm a slow learner, I know. :)

I thought I would share this, in hopes that there could be someone else who needed this enlightenment as well.

Speaking of priorities, ha ha ... I made this cute FHE craft with my sister-in-law Jeni. It turned out awesome! I feel that by having this on my wall in my living room, I am more likely to actually do family home evening (even if it's just getting ice cream) and follow through. I also want my kids to know how important it is to me.

Yes, I do plan on filling in the other 2 slots someday. That is if I can talk my husband into it!

blog address fixed...

2011-12-15T23:32:00.004-07:00

I have had some friends tell me that if they put rytannerfam.blogspot.com into their sidebar, it directs them to the old Gerber Days website I had... which is deactivated. I don't know why it does that, but from what I have read it is hard to go from a custom domain, back to a blogspot without complications. I was told that the only way to fix this was to go back to a custom domain! I guess since it's just $10/year it's not a big deal. So... now you can all put my NEW blog address back on your sidebar. It should finally work again with giving updates of the blog. The new address is

tannerfamilyblog.com

This address is here to stay! Add it to your sidebar if you would like future updates on our family. :)

Gracie's Preschool Christmas Program

2011-12-15T22:32:00.000-07:00

Gracie had her Christmas party and program today. I had so much fun volunteering at the party, and then watching the program after! She made me proud. :) Here is a short video below of one of the songs they sang.

Some cute shots of her during the program.

Gracie and Ellie have been buddies since 2 months old.

A special visitor came to the party! She told Santa she wanted a Wuggle Pet, and Simba.

Grandma came to support and hang out with Lola too.

Lola with Santa, ha ha.

Lola's First Haircut

2011-12-14T20:17:00.013-07:00

I decided Lola was long due for the annual baby buzz. Gracie had hers at 4 weeks old, so Lola being almost 3 months... I figured it was time. It looks MUCH BETTER. All I did was even the back out with the section that was pretty much hairless. :) I tried to leave it a little longer on top. Luckily, she has a cute girly face. After I buzzed Gracie's hair, it grew back thick and beautiful. Hopefully Lola's will do the same. Ryan was at work when I did this, so I had Gracie assist me by keeping Lola occupied. She didn't cry at all. Here are the pics...

BEFORE....

AFTER....

She has a cute little red birthmark on the top of the back of her head.

It's more visible now that it's so short.

Good Morning, Sunshine!

2011-12-13T11:22:00.004-07:00

I get to wake up to this adorable little girl everyday! I am super lucky. She is such a cutie. A few things about our little Lola....

*She is almost 3 months old! Just a few more days.

*Lola is such an easy baby to soothe. She rarely cries, and if she does it's just for a couple of minutes.

*She loves to be held. When you put her down she gets a heartbreaking frown on her face.... and I only last a second before I'm holding her again.

*She is yet to sleep out of my arms. She has slept with me since day one, and I have no desire for this to end! I seriously LOVE it, and I know I would miss her if she wasn't there. Ryan likes it too. She's a sound sleeper and doesn't make a peep in the night. She wakes up maybe once or twice to eat, but it hardly phases me since she's just right there.

*Her big sister ADORES her, and talks "baby talk" to her all day long. It's hilarious and I really need to get it on video.

*Her name fits her OH so well. Lola girl could be nothing else but Lola. Love it.

*She weighs around 10 pounds. Definitely a small little thing! However, she eats to her hearts content and looks healthy so I'm not worried. Gracie was much more of a chunk at this age.... here is a pic of Gracie 2 weeks YOUNGER then Lola is now...

What a cute little round face Gracie had!

*I think it's almost time to buzz the back of her hair. The mullet has made it's debut.

*She smiles on command at pretty much anyone. I haven't heard her laugh yet, but I know it will make my day when she does.

*Lola is such a good natured, mellow, and easy baby. The transition to two kids has really not been too hard for me. Gracie has had a HUGE growth spurt (emotionally and physically) since Lola came into the picture. Gracie is an awesome kid! We sure are blessed with our two sweet girls!

Chocolate... lots of it.

2011-12-06T22:35:00.001-07:00

My mom and I had a fun day yesterday making Christmas treats for my neighbors. What we thought would take just a few hours, took an entire day! Luckily, I love hanging out with my mom and spending time with her.

Fully supplied with the goodies!

Lots and LOTS of dipping.

Pretzel rods dipped in chocolate, and then rolled in crushed Butterfinger,

Heath Bar, and (my personal favorite) Reese's Pieces. These were so tasty and fun to make!

We made cute little snowmen dipped in white chocolate.

Gracie got to join in on the fun with this one.

I'm not sure what she liked better.... making or eating it!

Lola had fun observing. Someday she will also be my little helper. To say we kissed her about 100 times yesterday is probably an understatement.

Grandma took a few breaks to read some Christmas stories.

The finished product. I love how they turned out! I hope to make this a tradition. We learned a few things that we will probably change for next year... but for the most part they turned out how I wanted!!

Is it already December?!

2011-12-01T21:00:00.001-07:00

We are a busy bunch these days, and I haven't been the greatest at taking pictures lately. I will try to do better this month. We definitely have a fun filled December ahead of us!

A few iphone shots for now...

Somebody was in trouble for drawing all over the bathroom door.

Uncle Dave giving Gracie a ride.

Can anyone tell me where to get a superman cape? After playing with her boy cousins, she got a little obsessed with being "super girl" and REALLY wants a cape of her own.

Baking snickerdoodles with mom. Yes, that would be her swimsuit on... at the end of November.

I try to pick my battles wisely.

All bundled up for some shopping. I adore these big brown eyes!

Hanging out at Grandma's house.

Ryan checking in to get his tonsils out. Poor guy. The recovery is pretty horrible.

He's a trooper though! As always!

I had to throw in a picture of Lola smiling. I am loving this sweet little girl more and more. She is just amazing. Her little spirit is so so special. I really can't put into words how much I love my girls and how happy they make me.

Grateful

2011-11-20T22:15:00.010-07:00

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and I am SO excited. Mainly because I get to spend tons of time with Ryan. He's not home a ton, and I MISS him. In fact, the next few weeks we will have a lot more time together as a family than we are used to. I am so happy and thankful for this.

For me, this week is perfect to celebrate Thanksgiving. I am feeling more grateful than EVER. Grateful for Ryan. . . he's the best. So thankful for my girls. . . they mean the world to me. Grateful for my family and extended family. Lately it has really hit me how important it is to work on relationships with our family members. Nothing matters more than our families. I'm thankful I am understanding this more than ever. Grateful for the gospel, and how much it has changed my life this past year to really embrace it. Ryan and I went to the temple a couple weekends ago. It had been a while. I am the most in love with him there and I want to start going more. It really keeps things in perspective for me.

I am grateful for so many things in our life, and I can definitely say that having a spirit of thanks makes me the happiest. Tonight I was looking through some pictures and picked a few that just bring me so much joy. It's a random bunch of pictures, but each of them make me happy for different reasons. :) It makes me excited for what is to come in life . . .

. . . because life is truly great.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and remember how much there is to be thankful for.

Preschool Class Pictures

2011-11-15T12:14:00.000-07:00

We got Gracie's pictures back! So cute. Thanks to Lindsey Fromm Photography. I absolutely LOVE her preschool and her teacher Miss Shawna. Doesn't she have the cutest little class?! Can't wait for some upcoming events like the Christmas program. She has really enjoyed school so far, and I've seen a huge improvement in her!

Sassy Muffins

2011-11-14T22:08:00.000-07:00

Today Lola was the model for my Grandma's cute etsy store. Lola is seriously the best baby and so cooperative. My mom took around 200 pictures of her with TONS of different hats. She sat there like a little angel the whole time. Here are just a few of my favorites. If you are interested in getting one of these adorable hand made baby hats, check out her etsy shop, Sassy Muffins.

Full of Personality.

2011-11-07T21:03:00.002-07:00

Smiles

2011-11-03T21:37:00.000-06:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN.....

2011-11-01T12:19:00.001-06:00

...... from an edible little banana

..... and a crazy little kitty

We had such a fun Halloween this year! We started out trick or treating in our neighborhood. We have AWESOME neighbors and we have truly grown to love where we live. We've made so many amazing friends here! It was fun to see everyone out trick or treating. Gracie loved seeing all of her little friends.

After all the neighborhood fun we headed to both the grandparents houses.... starting with the Tanners. We did some trick or treating in their neighborhood followed by some yummy pizza and seeing all of the cousins in costume! After we went to my parents for some wassail and donuts, and some more cousin time!

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday!

Meeting Lola...

2011-10-25T17:12:00.008-06:00

I haven't posted about Lola's birth day yet. I had a photographer come and take pictures this time so that Ryan and I could just be in the moment and not have to worry about taking them ourselves. She did an amazing job. The slide show is at the bottom of this post.

Here is the short story of Lola's birth.... (taken from my journal... obviously many parts left out) :)

Lola Tanner was born on September 17, 2011 at 3:29pm

It all started in the middle of the night (3am). I started feeling her move like CRAZY in my stomach. It kind of seemed like she was in distress and it worried me. Then after a few minutes of her moving like crazy, she just stopped. After not feeling any movement for about 15 minutes, we thought it would be a good idea to go to labor and delivery and get monitored. I didn't truly think there was anything wrong, but I was a bit nervous so I went in.

We got to Alta View Hospital at about 4am. Gracie was with us. She was a VERY good girl and sat there coloring for 3 hours until Ryan decided to take her to my parents. Lola was fine but since I was at the hospital (and was due in 4 days) they decided to induce me. I was nervous but anxious to meet my girl!

Before they started the pitocin I asked Ryan to give me a blessing. I just wanted to make sure we were doing the right thing by getting induced that day. After the blessing Ryan said he felt it was definitely the right day to have Lola, and he felt very good about everything. Amazing how those words, and my trust in everything Ryan says, put my mind at ease. I knew it was Lola's day to come!

They induced me at about 7:30-8:00am. After a couple hours I asked for my epidural because the contractions started getting intense. It worked really well but then started wearing off pretty quickly. After I started crying from the pain they realized something was wrong with the epidural. It wasn't in properly (was starting to migrate to a vein) and I felt like I was going to pass out. They had to re-do my epidural. I got the shakes pretty bad at this point. I was just so nervous and wanted everything to start going smoothly. After the 2nd epidural I could tell it was in right. Shortly after, I started progressing quickly. I was shocked when they told me it was go time! I got the shakes again. I was shaking and my teeth were chattering like I was freezing. Hated that.

Once the doctor got there I felt much better and at ease. A couple of pushes and Lola made her debut! I was in AWE of Lola. She was GORGEOUS!!! Dark hair, perfect and beautiful! Ryan started crying too. I held her close while we looked at her (in amazement) and Ryan cut the umbilical cord.

She weighed 7 lbs. 4 oz. and was 20 inches long. Very healthy baby! She was a great eater from the start and caught along quick! I loved my time with her in the hospital. Ryan was a great support to me. He is such a perfect dad to both of his girls.

Lola has a very special spirit. I feel that I've known her forever (I probably have). :) She is a huge blessing. The miracle of birth/life is amazing!!!.

I love my Lola girl! Gracie is doing great with her. No jealousy whatsoever. Just loves her to pieces.

Gardner Village

2011-10-25T13:47:00.000-06:00

Last weekend Ryan and I thought we would take our girls to Gardner Village. Gracie loved scoping out all of the witches. She insisted on bringing her trick or treating bag, so I let her pick out some treats from the candy store. :) Lola slept peacefully in the stroller the whole time. Nothing makes me happier than spending time with Ryan and the girls. We had a blast and went out for some New York style pizza after. I love this time of year and it only gets better!

Lola's newborn pictures...

2011-10-23T10:26:00.001-06:00

These were taken when Lola was 7 days old. She was a very good girl for her first photo shoot.

DISNEYLAND!!!

2011-10-20T22:44:00.003-06:00

We had such a fun trip with my family to Disneyland!!! Unfortunately Ryan wasn't able to come because he had to catch up on work (already took 9 days off for the baby).... so I decided last minute to join my family for this wonderful trip! I didn't think I would want to go with having a 4 week old, but I felt pretty good and decided a couple weeks before that I wanted to join them. I am so glad that I did! I think everyone should go on a little vacay (preferably somewhere warm :) after having a baby. I loved getting out in the sun and doing something fun! Not to mention all of the help that everyone gave me. It was a nice little break for me. My Mom was EXTREMELY helpful. As always.

We broke up the drive to Cali by stopping in St. George for a night along the way. My parents have a house there that I just love. They've had it for years now and I feel so at home there. Once we arrived in Cali... everyone stayed in a hotel by Disneyland, and I stayed with my sister in Newport Beach! She just moved there (lucky girl!!!) and it was so fun to stay up late chatting it up like we always do. We went to Disneyland 2 days.

The first day started out with breakfast with the characters! The kids had tons of fun meeting all of them and having them sign their books. Here we are with my parents, my sister's family, my brother's family and his in-laws.

Gracie getting an autograph from Chip!

Gracie with her cousins! She of course LOVED meeting all of the princesses.

Dancing with Pluto during breakfast...

We spent much of the first day at California Adventure!

My new double stroller arrived JUST in time for the trip. I love it! We definitely broke it in!

On a ride with my lil girly.

I bought Gracie a chocolate banana... a must have at Disney!

Grandpa giving a much needed lift. At this point it was getting close to Gracie's bedtime.

Day 2 at Disneyland we decided to do Mickey's Halloween Party which goes until 11pm. And yes, we stayed until then! It was so much fun! Lots of music, trick or treating, rides, fireworks and more! Everyone dresses up in there costumes! Gracie is a kitty this year for Halloween, but she wanted to be Snow White for the party. She looked pretty dang cute!

Minnie's house.

My niece Aliyah! The cutest, sweetest girl I know.

We went to Mickey's house to meet him, and Gracie started crying because it wasn't Daisy. haha.

My sister Morgan and I on "it's a small world". It was one of Gracie's favorites.

I think Lola was a fan too.

Mickey's Halloween party officially started at 6pm.

All of the cousins in their costumes!

Trick or Treating

Lola stayed cozy in Grandma's sweater. For some reason she loved this position.

It quickly put her right to sleep.

Gracie was out by 9:30.

I spent the last hour dancing with my sissy and cute nieces and nephews! What a fun vacation we had!!! Can't wait until next time.

Puppets!

2011-10-14T18:27:00.002-06:00

Gracie has been OBSESSED with making these paper bag puppets lately. Pretty sure it's because she made a couple at preschool. She begs me ALL. DAY. LONG. I am happy to do them with her, of course! Not gonna lie though... pretty burned out from making puppets right now. :) She is so adorable when she plays with them. They have been entertaining her for days!

Gracie seriously has the BEST imagination.

Here's my Lola girl just sleeping away in her swing. She loves to be swaddled up tight! Man I love that little face.

Gracie's first time on a bike (with training wheels)

2011-09-30T22:04:00.000-06:00

2 weeks old....

2011-09-30T14:11:00.001-06:00

Lola had her 2 week visit today. She will be 2 weeks old tomorrow. She is up to 8 lbs and 20 inches! Go Lola! She is in the 40th percentile for head, weight and height. They also had to prick her heel to check for jaundice ... although the pediatrician said she doesn't look too bad. I always feel so bad for my little newborn when they do that. Luckily she didn't cry for long. The visit went well and Lola is doing great! It's amazing how much you grow with your first child. I remember my first visit with Gracie I had my mom come with me... I was terrified to do it all alone. I am way more confident this time around. It's nice to feel like I know what I'm doing. Then again, I haven't attempted too many outings with both kids yet. :) I still can't believe we have 2 kids.... it's amazing!

Comparing newborn pictures...

2011-09-27T10:02:00.000-06:00

I've had a few people ask me if Lola looks anything like Gracie did as a baby. I see a lot of similarities when I look back at Gracie's newborns. Have I mentioned how much I am just ADORING Lola? She is a DREAM baby. Easy, calm, good natured, precious, beautiful.... I'm just beyond in love. Here's a picture of both of the girls to compare.

Lola

Gracie

I think a lot of people forget how dark Gracie's hair was when she was born. It changed pretty quick the first few weeks. We'll see what Lola's does! One thing they for sure have in common.... both SUPER cute as newborns. :)

Lola Tanner

2011-09-21T00:00:00.004-06:00

September 17

3:29pm

7 lbs. 4 oz. 20 inches.

*pictures from the hospital to come*

We are so happy to introduce our new little Lola. She is truly gorgeous and we are so in LOVE with her. My labor start to finish was 7 1/2 hrs so almost half as long as my first. There is NOTHING like seeing your baby for the first time!!! Ryan and I both cried. We are still in awe when we look at her! We are just adoring her and loving her to pieces. Gracie is seriously an awesome big sister. She wants to help with everything including diapers! She kisses and hugs her all day long.... so sweet. Ryan is home this whole week and I'm just enjoying this amazing time as a family.

Life. is. perfect.

Preschool

2011-09-06T10:16:00.000-06:00

Today is Gracie's first day of preschool. She was super excited!

Ryan was home this morning so we could drop her off together.

She walked right up the stairs and never looked back.

We snuck a few pictures before heading out.

I can't wait to hear all about her first day! Ryan is staying home this morning so we can pick her up together. I love her preschool and felt so good about sending her to this one from the beginning. Her teacher Miss Shawna is AWESOME. We are really excited for Gracie to have this fun new experience this year.

Last night Ryan gave Gracie a blessing for the school year and it was the cutest thing I've ever seen. She looked so itty bitty on the big chair in the middle of the room. She had her eyes closed so tight the whole time and her legs barely reached the end of the chair. I definitely had tears in my eyes! Seems like yesterday she was just my baby. Being a mom is the best.

37 weeks

2011-09-01T12:27:00.003-06:00

I can't believe the big day is almost here. Just 20 days to go, although I could really have her anytime at this point. We have been so busy around here. I've been working on getting all of my clients taken care of, and cleaning and de-cluttering like a MANIAC. I guess that's one of the perks of having a baby. The motivation is unbelievable when you get close to your due date. I tried to do about one area/room a day for a about 3 weeks and I'm FINALLY done. Every room is deep cleaned, detailed and de-cluttered. Feels amazing. We also finally got our carpets cleaned which is the best! While in my cleaning mode I decided to clean up my blog as well. Took it back to basics. My blog address is now back to rytannerfam.blogspot.com. Make sure you switch it on your sidebar since gerberdaysblog.com no longer works.

We have just a few last things to finish up and we'll be all set to meet our girl!!!

I have to give a big shout out to all those who have been so supportive and helpful during this pregnancy. As many of you know Ryan works a ton these days (bless his heart!) and I have really
appreciated the family and friends who have been there for me. The calls, texts, and help with Gracie is very appreciated. It means a lot and I am not one who forgets small acts of kindness.

My doctor appointments are going well. Baby is doing awesome. No name yet, but I think we have some front runners. Guess we'll probably make our decision once we see her.

Gracie had "back to school night" last night, and next week she starts going to preschool twice a week for 2 hrs. I can't wait for her to start going because I know it will be so good for her. She'll be one of the youngest in her class (July birthday) but she is ready.

She insisted on wearing one of her new outfits and her backpack. She didn't want to leave after meeting her teacher and the kids. (of course!) How in the world do I already have a preschooler!!!

Gymnastics is still going great and she loves it.

I thought I would end this post with some similarities and differences with this pregnancy and Gracie's. I kept a journal with my first, and I'm glad I did because it has been fun to look back and compare.

Similarities

-Cravings... fruit, smoothies!, healthy sandwiches, milk and juice.

-Dislikes..... sweets and chocolate of any kind, heartburn, achy legs and ribs.

-Weight gain is exactly 14 pounds with both. I only gain in the second trimester and then lose a little in the third. I don't really have much of an appetite the last few months of pregnancy.... and I end up living off of smoothies and fruit. At least it's not donuts right?!

-Hiccups multiple times a day with both.

Differences

-More sick with number 2. Threw up the first 16 weeks almost everyday.

-I have developed horrible vein issues in my right leg from the pressure of the baby! Praying it goes away when she's born, but if not then I will probably get them treated eventually.

-Baby moves WAY more then Gracie ever did in the womb. If you know Gracie then you know why this scares me a little!

......................................................................................

All in all, I think it's been pretty similar this time around... just a little more intense. Can't WAIT to sleep on my back and stomach, exercise hard and work up a good sweat, and not be insomniac! But most of all, I can't wait to meet this little baby girl. Every ache and pain is completely 100% worth it.... and I have known this whole pregnancy that it is not our last. :)

Hopefully the next couple of weeks I can spend lots of quality time with my Gracie girl. I keep forgetting my camera but we've been busy doing some fun things! She had a blast at the dinosaur museum on Monday, and we've been doing some fun play dates as well. We're hoping to get in the zoo this weekend with her daddy!

Lagoon!!!

2011-08-16T12:59:00.002-06:00

We had a great day at Lagoon with Gracie's grandma, aunts, uncles and cousins! She loved all of the rides, and considering we were there over 7 hours... she was sure a trooper! The last hour I could tell she was just exhausted! She had a blast and it was so fun to spend an entire day with Ryan. I wasn't able to go on any of the rides being 35 weeks pregnant, but I enjoyed snapping pictures just as much.

Gracie was a little scared on this one. Ryan (red shirt) rode with her and she just held on to him for dear life. She didn't cry at all so that was good. After she was SO proud of herself.

Here she is with Lucas!

... riding with Olivia on this one.

This was one of my favorite rides for Gracie. (She's on the far left.) The lines were never long since there are so many seats, and it lasted quite a while unlike some of the other kid rides.

Ryan is the best dad! He is SO good with Gracie girl. I was glad to have his help yesterday.

These two are adorable together. Georgia is a sweetheart!

Bumper cars were great until Gracie got stuck for most of the ride. Poor thing! I could tell she definitely felt jipped after. Better luck next time Gracie!

Ryan played a golfing game and won Gracie this HUGE stuffed animal. I thought it was really exciting until this morning when I realized we don't have anywhere to store the dang thing! lol. Oh well, if it makes Gracie happy that's all that matters to me.

The girls room!

2011-08-12T13:49:00.002-06:00

We are completely finished with the girls room! Feels good to have everything done and ready to go! They are sharing since our other room upstairs is still being used as the salon. Considering the space we had to work with, I think we did pretty good! I moved the rocking chair to our room which looks great and fits perfectly. I figure that when I am rocking the baby and doing late night feedings... I'll most likely be doing it in our room anyways.

We used the same bedding for the crib that we had before since it's still in great shape. We just kind of worked around that. Sticking with the lady bug/flower theme.

I'm loving the new additions to the room which are Gracie's bed, the wall flower night light, the book case, and the sheer curtains. Gracie is already completely used to her new bed, and I'm not gonna lie.... it's SO comfortable. I have almost fallen asleep in it myself!

This used to just be a valance which I always thought looked weird by itself. My mom helped me put these up and I think it definitely completed the look and added a girly touch!

Here's the crib! Has served us well so far and I think baby sister will like it.

I'm really glad we got this nice big dresser first time around. Plenty of space for all of the girls things.

It won't be long before we have another baby girl in her blessing dress on the right side below.

So now that the room is done, I'll continue on my crazy cleaning/de-cluttering streak. I have been taking out a LOT of garbage bags the last couple of weeks, and really cleaning out everything. My goal is to have everything done by 37 weeks so that I can just enjoy the last couple of weeks with my Gracie girl, and focus on getting all of my clients taken care of before I take my 6 week leave.

6 years

2011-08-11T00:00:00.000-06:00

~The Story of Us~

Today is our 6 year anniversary.... but our journey began almost 10 years ago.

Ryan and I went to the same middle school and high school. We hung out with the same group of friends, and some of our friends were dating. I couldn't really tell him apart from his twin brother Kevin until well into my sophomore year. I usually just avoided saying their first names. Eventually it was really easy to tell them apart. I just looked for the one wearing Easter colors and knew it was NOT Ryan.

Today I was thinking back to when the journey actually began. The first time I really remember talking to Ryan. It was the Summer of my sophomore year and Ryan's senior year. I was running around with my friends at the Pepperwood Pool and Ryan was playing volleyball with some buddies. We were already friends but not way close or anything. He told me I looked cute (I still remember I was wearing a light purple swimsuit, haha) and eventually the conversation led to us planning on hanging out . A couple of days later he called me. After that we became the best of friends.

We hung out a LOT his first year of college and my Junior year of high school. We both had Monday afternoons off and would go to a weekly matinee at Jordan Commons. The first movie we went to Ryan snuck out of the theater and surprised me with bringing back a big "Moose Tracks" ice cream. He knew it was my fav, and the unexpected gesture definitely scored him some points! I started Cosmetology school the second half of the day my Junior year, and Ryan would come visit me and bring Jamba Juices... another thing that I love. He was always so sweet.

We were never a couple or anything before his mission. Just really good friends. We wrote the whole time he was in the MTC and I brought him a blanket I made to the airport before he headed to Paraguay for 2 years. We wrote the entire time. I remember laying out getting a tan in my backyard and I would hear the mailman. I would RUN to the mail box to see if I got a letter. For some reason I just loved getting his letters.

When he got home we pretty much picked up where we left off.... except Ryan totally shocked me by going in for a kiss (first one) 2 weeks after he got home! haha. Guess the mission must have brain washed him into thinking it was time to find a wife asap. ;)

A year and a half later we got married!

For time and all eternity.

3 years into our marriage amazing little Gracie was brought into the world. I will always love that she has so many of Ryan's traits.... and I'm sure Ryan will always love that he has TWO Heathers to deal with for life! ;)

The day Gracie was born was the most amazing day of our lives. We both cried, and I knew more than ever that I married the person I was supposed to. Can you imagine planet Earth without G$??? SO boring.

So here we are on our 6 year anniversary and we are in such a good place. I have learned a lot in the past 6 years, especially in this last year. What it means to be committed no matter what. What it means to be selfless in a relationship (which makes you so much happier anyways). Learning to let the little things go that really don't matter, and definitely what it means to stay grounded in the gospel and the blessings you receive both for marriage and family in doing so.

I love my marriage and our little family so much and I have never been more happy that we are together for eternity.

Can't wait for our second little girl to get here in a month and a half to join the family!

I respect Ryan so much. He's such a solid guy and I have never doubted his love for me. I hope that I can always show him how much he is loved too!!! He deserves only the best. Happy 6 years Babe!

Dentist

2011-07-28T12:09:00.001-06:00

Gracie did great at the dentist this morning! She let them take x-rays, clean and count her teeth, and even got the fluoride. I'm happy to say that she has no cavities, and the doctor said she has absolutely no dark spots or decay. She must have Ryan's teeth! After we left she asked if we could go see the eye doctor now. haha.

Getting a little treat after the appointment.

If you are looking for a good pediatric dentist I highly recommend Dr. Dehart in Draper. Gracie started going to him when she was 2. The entire staff is SO great with kids, the office is decked out to make kids feel comfortable, and Gracie's favorite part is they make her balloons. :)

More Gymnastics...

2011-07-27T12:27:00.001-06:00

Gracie is doing great in gymnastics! She is always so excited to go. I loved watching her today, as always. Here's a couple photos and a video clip from one of the obstacle courses. She definitely gives her best effort! :)

After class she wanted to play in the little pond.

Post Birthday...

2011-07-20T21:00:00.000-06:00

Gracie got a lot of really cute outfits for her birthday. I couldn't help but snap a few shots on our way out the door. She looked quite adorable!

Checking out a bug.

This is my favorite hair style on Gracie lately. Stays in all day and keeps the hair out of her face!

On a side note.... Gracie said the cutest thing to me when she woke me up this morning. She patted my belly and said "What's baby sister doing?" I said "She is sleeping." Then she replied "I love baby sister.... I want to hold her."

It was so cute, and I can tell she really gets that a baby will be here soon. :)

Happy Birthday Dear Gracie!

2011-07-19T09:10:00.000-06:00

My little girlfriend turned three on July 17! We celebrated her special day at my parents house. Her grandparents, aunts and uncles, and her cousins all came to celebrate with us.

Thank you Doodlepie Cakes for making this DARLING and tasty cake. We went with vanilla with raspberry filling and buttercream, chocolate with chocolate buttercream, and red velvet with cream cheese. YUM!

My sister-in-law Megan just had these adorable twin girls 2 weeks ago!

It was such a nice day on Sunday. The kids had a blast playing in the backyard.

... and here is the Birthday Princess!!!

She was sure pooped after her party day. We tried to change her into jammies when we got home, but she insisted on staying in her snow white dress. Notice her new "big girl" bed! I absolutely LOVE it.

Good night my little birthday girl!

Here's a video from her birthday of the kids doing summersaults. Pretty funny and cute!!!

Week 2 of gymnastics!

2011-07-13T16:39:00.000-06:00

I think one of the most exciting things about being a parent, is seeing your child in some kind of sport, dance class, or just whatever. I know I'll be the kind of parent who can never miss a game or recital. I don't think there is anything that makes me happier. I always take lots of video footage of Gracie and then immediately send it to Ryan when I get home. It's funny how exciting it is for us!.... and she is only 3 (this Sunday). Seriously though, I love Tuesday nights because I know Wednesdays she goes to class. Anyway, I'm guessing it only gets more fun from here! She starts preschool in a couple of months and I have been really excited to get her a backpack. haha. Yes I am a dork. I just love being a mom more than anything.

Ryan's hoping to come to one of her classes and watch soon... It's definitely entertaining!

She said she was starving after class. Slice of pizza and OJ makes for a happy kid. :)

Here's a couple of videos of her in class. I sent them to Ryan and his response was "Our kid is one of those kids who lacks the talent, but makes up for it with effort and determination." LOL ... Ryan always knows how to make me laugh!!

Soda Pop at Sunset

2011-07-08T12:23:00.002-06:00

First Gymnastics Class.

2011-07-06T14:49:00.001-06:00

Gracie did awesome! Parents watch from a window upstairs, and I was pretty much cracking up the whole time. She is so dang cute. Her jumping jacks were especially adorable! The class was very structured which I loved. At first Gracie walked in there like she owned the place (big surprise!).... but she quickly realized who was in charge and was very good at listening to the teachers and following instructions. She was the youngest in there, and the shortest. :) Anyway, here are a couple of pics from the class this morning. Some are a bit blurry, but I was pretty far away and she was moving quick!

She had so much fun, and I'm already looking forward to next week! GO Gracie Girl!

Gracie all ready for class. She's been looking forward to it for weeks.

Waiting for class to begin. They had 1 teacher to every 3 kids which was great! They won't take more than 10 kids.

This is my favorite pic. Love the form. ;)

New glasses...

2011-06-30T20:06:00.000-06:00

Gracie got some new frames. It's hard to tell in the pics but they are a plum color... and light purple on the inside. I think they are pretty stinkin' cute on her!!

Reception...

2011-06-23T13:45:00.000-06:00

Last night we went to a reception. We were only planning on staying for about 25 minutes because it was almost Gracie's bedtime. We ended up staying for 2 1/2 hours because she was just having the time of her life. They had a really fun band there and she LOVED dancing to the music. I happen to have my camera in my purse (wasn't really planning on taking pics) but I couldn't resist. She was so cute the whole night.

Ryan was working late so I went with my Mom and Dad. It was really fun to catch up with everyone and none of us were complaining about Cold Stone serving ice cream! That is the best idea.

It's hard to see the detail in these pics but I did my sister-in-law Jeni's hair and makeup. It turned out amazing and she looked so classy.

Sorry Jeni hope you don't mind I put this pic on here!

It was the only one where you could see the hair somewhat. (I made them kiss haha)

Here I am with my mom and my 27 week belly. My nephew Parker was TO DIE FOR in his tux.

Here she is dancing the night away...

Slow dancing with Grandpa.

Cousin Connor. Pretty stinkin' cute if you ask me!!!

2011-06-20T09:10:00.002-06:00

I am so thankful for Ryan who has been an amazing daddy since the day our baby girl was born. If there is one thing I will never have to worry about.... it's that our kids will grow up with a good, Christ-like, caring, responsible and loving dad. He has a great example in his own father and learned from the best!!

This year I made him a blanket and it turned out better than I expected! With the help of my sweet mom I was able to pull it off. It's hard to tell in the pics but the other side is dark brown and super soft. I recently threw away the first blanket I made him over 8 years ago before the mission. It was thrashed so I'm glad he has a new one now.

Thank you Ryan for being the perfect dad to our Gracie. I know her little sister will love you just as much.

Happy Fathers Day Dad!

My dad has always had good advice and I'm thankful for all that he does for our whole family. He is also a GREAT grandpa to all of his grandkids. Love you lots Dad!

Princess Festival!!!

2011-06-15T18:03:00.001-06:00

Yep, another blog post! We have been so busy lately. Seems like we have something fun planned every day! Which is how I like it. I really want to savor these next few months with Gracie before her little sister arrives. I love spending time with my little sweet girl.

Today was SO fun and even more exhausting (for me!).... Gracie of course has endless energy. I decided last minute to register her for the Princess Festival. I thought she might be a little young, but she had the best day. We stayed for about 3 1/2 hours. She is already begging me to go back. They do it every year so I'm sure we'll go again next year.

Are you ready for an overload of pictures?

The festival was at the Children's Discovery Garden at Thanksgiving Point.

The first princess she ran into was Jasmine. Gracie was pretty shy around all of the characters at first (I know shocking!) but she warmed up quickly.

12 Dancing Princesses. This lady was asking Gracie what her favorite dance move is.

She said twirling, lol.

Visiting the Fairies! She loved them, and loved that they sprinkled fairy dust on her.

Getting fitted for Cinderella's glass slipper. She had a huge grin when they told her

that she really IS a real princess. :)

They had some cute plays at the Theater. Gracie loved the singing.

The Little Mermaid... one of her favs.

That looks like a REALLY fun time sitting in the beating sun all day. Poor Mermaid.

They had a section for pampering. She got her nails painted and hair curled. She sat there perfectly. Why won't she do that for me?!

...and then there were the crafts. She chose to make a star wand.

Story time. How precious does Gracie look? She breaks my heart.

Getting autographs for her book. She was SO cute as she waited patiently in line for her turn. The lines were VERY short, thank goodness. I chose to go on a Wednesday rather than the weekend in hopes that it would be less busy.

JASMINE

RAPUNZEL

PRINCESS and the FROG

ALICE

Alice in Wonderland maze.

haha

My special little princess. I love her so very much.

Farm Country!

2011-06-14T14:49:00.000-06:00

Gracie and I had a blast at Farm Country today. I love having a pass to Thanksgiving Point and having unlimited access to the Dinosaur Museum, Gardens, and Farm Country. Gracie was such a brave girl, and wouldn't let me hold her hand while she was on the pony. She absolutely loved it!

She loved the train ride too. It was actually really relaxing!

Gracie's starting to get quite the tan.

We've been outside as much as possible with this fabulous weather!

She loved visiting, petting, and feeding all of the animals...

What a fun day! Can't wait to go back.

2011-06-13T18:39:00.000-06:00

My friend Michelle took this DARLING picture of Gracie.

I'm in love with it.

My Bathing Beauty...

2011-06-11T21:22:00.003-06:00

Can't wait for a Summer full of swimming with this cutie pie!

Fancy Nancy Birthday Party...

2011-06-10T16:31:00.003-06:00

Gracie went to a Fancy Nancy Birthday party today for her friend Ellie! I thought it was such a cute idea! Gracie had a blast, and (as usual) was not too excited when it was time for me to pick her up. The girls were asked to wear their "fanciest" clothes. Gracie has tons of dress up clothes, and I let her pick out what she wanted to wear. Here's what she came up with....

She wasn't too excited about me taking her picture because she wanted to get to the party.

Gracie with the birthday girl!

... and some other fancy little ladies.

She's begging me to get the books now, so it looks like we'll be making a trip to Barnes & Noble soon!

24 Weeks

2011-06-02T20:57:00.006-06:00

So here I am at 24 weeks! I had my apt. yesterday and everything is looking great! It never gets old to hear her little heartbeat. Gracie talks about her baby sister a lot now. I can't wait for her to have a little buddy. It's going to be interesting to see how she reacts to everything, but knowing my Gracie she will be completely obsessed with her! We don't have a set name yet but we have a couple of front runners. We'll see!

Good Morning Sunshine!

2011-06-01T08:18:00.000-06:00

This gorgeous little lady likes to plop in between Ryan and I in the early morning. She likes to sleep a couple of hrs with us, and as much as I cherish my sleep these days.... I am always excited to snuggle her for a bit. We both smother her with kisses when she comes in. Pretty irresistible if you ask me!

Just a random post with some SUPER cute pics .....

2011-05-26T23:23:00.008-06:00

This week I took away Gracie's binkies which was a HUGE deal for us! She really loved them, but it ended up not being a big deal. I just had her throw them in the garbage and I told her the garbage man would be taking them to her cousin Parker's house, and to all of the other babies who need them. Since then she hasn't asked for them even once! It's a dang miracle! Before bed every night she says "blue binkies are with the babies, right mom?" It BREAKS my heart in two, especially because she is so nice about it! lol. I just keep telling her she is SO nice to give them to the babies.

I purchased these new sparkly earrings for her in exchange for her binkies. Ryan thinks she looks like SUCH a lady in them. She loves to point them out to me several times a day.

Gracie has a cute selection of aprons that she loves to put on during the day. She likes to help me cook, paint, or play with her play dough in them. I'm kind of obsessed with her!!!

In other news... I have my 6 month apt next week (24 weeks) and I'm just glad that I'm getting closer to the third trimester! This pregnancy has been a little harder for me due to the fact that I am severely anemic right now. It is really draining me so I am making it a point to work on my iron levels the rest of my pregnancy. I have a list of things I am going to start eating on a daily basis to help with it. We'll see if it helps! I'll post a 6 month picture next week. The baby bump has definitely made it's appearance. I don't show for a while when I'm pregnant, but when I do it shows fast! I can already feel kicking at the top of my ribs. I'm a little scared for the coming months when it starts to HURT.

Gracie is doing great! She is starting to get the concept of a baby sister which is so fun! I'm so glad I spaced them out 3 years. She is going to be my little helper for sure! Thank goodness she is potty trained and binkyless now. Only one baby at a time for me! ;) Gracie starts preschool in September... right around the time I should be having #2, so it's great timing so that I can have some alone time with the new one. I have no doubt that Gracie is going to be obsessed with school. I'm also going to sign her up for her first dance class in the fall as well. I have a few places I'm looking into right now.

Salon news.... I feel extremely blessed that I have been so busy and have so many great clients! I love that I can work from home. I have never regretted the decision to put a salon in my house over 2 years ago! It's very rewarding. It's so nice that I make my own schedule and that I can stay home with my precious girl. I'm sure Ryan loves it because where else could he get a free buzz at 11:00pm every couple of weeks? Don't forget to check hairbyheather.blogspot.com to get upcoming specials.

Well I think that is enough rambling for this evening! Good night and I hope you all have a great weekend!!!

Rainy Day Fun!

2011-05-19T15:20:00.003-06:00

This morning Gracie and I were trying to think of something fun to do, when I came across this EASY recipe for salt dough on my friend Mindi's blog. We had all of the ingredients on hand so we gave it a try! It was so much fun to make, and Gracie just LOVED being my helper. She wanted the dough to be pink (of course).

Isn't my little helper so cute in her Anthropologie apron??!

Gracie stirring up the ingredients before I put it on the stove.

She was entertained with this forEVER!

The best part is that this dough lasts a long time in the fridge! We'll definitely be playing with more "salt dough" soon.

PS..... Potty training is still going GREAT!!! She hasn't had an accident in days. What a big girl!!!

I would like to introduce...

2011-05-11T20:29:00.000-06:00

... the newest potty trained member of our family!!!

After 3 days of going nowhere and really focusing, Gracie is finally catching on! The first day was hard, the second was still pretty hard but she was catching on. But today... SUCCESS!!! She told me all day when she needed to go, and then she would! I am so proud of her. This is my 3rd time attempting. The first time I don't think she was ready (18 months). The second time she was around 2 years old, and I think she could've been trained if I would have stuck with it. However, I work part time from home and it was hard to keep close tabs on her when I was with a client. So THIS time, I was NOT going to fail. I prepared months ago for this week. I scheduled 3 days of absolutely nothing so that I could really focus. I also know my stubborn girl, and knew I had to make it a BIG deal for her to stay interested.

I went to Dollar Tree, and the dollar bins at Target and purchased a bunch of little toys for her. Every time she went in the potty, she got to pick a prize. It definitely worked! The first thing she wanted to do in the morning was sit on the potty so that she could pick a prize.

Here is Gracie enjoying one of her prizes. :)

I also gave her a star every time she went. I loved seeing her progress on the fridge!

I would let her choose whether she wanted to go on the "big potty" or the small. She usually chooses the small, but occasionally she wants to go on the big one. I let Gracie pick out her pink princess seat.

Hopefully things keep going well! I'm still scared to take her out and about, but I'm thinking I'll do it soon. Once she seems like she REALLY has it mastered. For now I think we'll be staying close to home.

Vegas, St. George and Easter!

2011-04-25T10:35:00.008-06:00

We had the BEST Easter vacation this year! It started with a 2 day trip to Vegas with just Ryan and I. We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel for a couple nights which was really nice! LOVED the pool. While we were there we saw the musical Jersey Boys.... amazing. One of the nights we watched sports games at the casino all night. I actually had a great time. Ryan made some (small) bets on some games so it made things a lot more interesting! I played a 5 cent machine for a minute and won $25! haha. Anyway, we enjoyed a LOT of great food and had an amazing time together. I could hang out with Ryan all day and never get sick of him.

We didn't take a single picture while in Vegas. Sometimes I like to leave the camera at home and just enjoy each other and not worry about getting pics. However, on our way out of Vegas we stopped for breakfast at Hash House A Go Go and HAD to take pictures of our food. Ryan had heard about this place from his brother and it was on the Travel Channel. It was delicious! The portions were HUGE so it looked like we hadn't even started eating when we were finished.

Ryan had the Sage Fried Chicken with Bacon Waffles

I had the Griddled French Toast.... YUM!

After Vegas we headed to St. George to meet up with the rest of the family. My parents watched Gracie while we were gone so she just drove down with them. I don't think she even missed us! The girl LOVES being with her Grandparents. We sure missed her though. Even though it was only 2 days we couldn't WAIT to see her.

We had such a great time with my family. My parents have a house there, but they rented a second one this time because there are so many of us now! They're probably glad they did that because our house stayed up until 3:00 one night, and then 2:00 the second night. We weren't the most quiet bunch either. :)

Every year they have an Easter egg hunt in St. George so we took the kids to that on Saturday morning.

I'm completely OBSESSED with my little family. There is no one I would rather be with!!!

My beautiful mom and sister. My sister lives in California so I don't get to see her much. NEVER a dull moment with Morgan and I just wish I had her here!!! I was laughing constantly for 2 days straight. She is my best friend. After the egg hunt all of the girls went out for pedicures, shopping and lunch.

The grandkids. Looks like Gracie already got into the candy. :)

They have baby chicks at the hunt for the kids to hold. Gracie was in HEAVEN.

Sunday morning all of the kids got up together to see what the Easter Bunny brought them! They were all so excited and it was cute to watch. My adorable sister-in-law Jeni (who I just love to pieces) made a fabulous breakfast for everyone and then we all went to church together.

After church we had our annual egg hunt at my parents house followed by painting eggs. The kids had a blast!! Easter dinner was delicious and Jeni made her bunny cake that she makes every year! The kids just love it. (So do the adults) :)

Daddy helping Gracie get an egg from the tree.

Connor, Levi, Aliyah, Parker, and Ezra. Not sure where Gracie and Brooklyn were for this pic.

The weather was so perfect so while the guys played video games we all went to the park.

Gracie with Grandpa

I always look forward to Easter in St. George. What a great week!!!! I love my family.

Easter Dress!

2011-04-17T11:35:00.009-06:00

Next week we won't be at our home ward, so we put Gracie in her adorable Easter dress today.

She's such a little princess!

Isn't her headband amazing?! Check out Cozette Couture. Cutest shop EVER.

Gracie got a haircut!

2011-04-11T10:17:00.003-06:00

... and my favorite one yet. Ryan and I just LOVE short hair on Gracie. It just suits her perfectly. This time I stacked it a little more in the back to create an A line. The best part is that I don't have to do ANYTHING with it! It just falls so perfectly on it's own. What a little sassy babe!

Shapes!!!

2011-04-08T16:13:00.000-06:00

Here's a video of Gracie girl saying her shapes. She's known them for a while but I wanted to get it on video. She will blow your mind with her cuteness!!!!

Gracie's Photo Albums!

2011-04-06T00:02:00.002-06:00

When I first started scrapbooking Gracie's pictures I remember it being really overwhelming. I think it was because I would take so much time on each page and would spend a fortune on the supplies. I then set up a blog for her specifically for journaling and her pictures so that I could just print it at the end of the year to make things easy. However, a few weeks ago I was looking through my childhood photo albums. Not only am I so thankful that my mom took the time to put it together for me, I also realized that there is nothing like real/authentic pictures in a photo album. I decided I want my kids to have that as well. I already had Gracie's first year of life scrapbooked, but the rest I was planning on just printing from her blog. Well... change of plans! :) I ordered over 300 prints from Costco and I am happy to say that I am completely up to date with her pictures!! Now THAT feels good, and so rewarding. I found that I like the way simple looks better so it didn't take me TOO long, and with using 50% off coupons at Roberts it wasn't too expensive either! Win win! I'm sure no one is too interested in my scrapbooking, but it was far too much of an accomplishment in my eyes to not post about it. ;)

I have one album from 0-9 months, the next is from 10 months- 2 years, and the yellow album is currently being filled probably until she is three. Here are a few pages, and you will see how simple I really am. I never spend more than 3-5 minutes on a page. I'm also planning on putting a dvd in each of the albums with video footage.

Now if I just keep up with it from here on out, I don't think it will be too overwhelming.

Oh and FYI... Miss Gracie Girls private blog is no longer needed, so it has been removed. Don't worry Gracie fans... you will still get regular updates on Gerber Days.

ClOSEOUT SALE!

2011-03-25T10:01:00.004-06:00

Hey all! Everything in my Heart Shaped Box shop has been marked down by 40%!!! I have loved making jewelry and having my own little shop the past couple of years, but I am SUPER busy with my salon and toddler.... and planning for the new one arriving in September. :) The shop will officially close on April 8th. Thanks for all the support! Please go to my Etsy shop to make purchases.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/heathtanner64

New Blog Look!

2011-03-17T22:48:00.001-06:00

How do you like my new blog look?! I'm LOVING it. Thanks to my sweet and talented friend Ali Micek. She is so good at designing blogs... her own blog was actually my inspiration! I'm so impressed with her skills. I've tried to figure out how to design a blog in the past, and lets just say I completely FAILED. Anyway, she will have her website up soon with pricing and details. For now just contact Ali via email if you would like her to design for you..... alimicek@hotmail.com

Thank you Ali!!!

My best little buddy...

2011-03-10T14:36:00.007-07:00

I never realized how much I would miss the Summer months until I had a child! I am so excited for the warmer months ahead when I can take Gracie to the park all day, have picnics, go on walks, swimming.... the list goes on and on. Winter months can be hard with kids. All they want to do is run and play! It's not always easy when it's freezing outside. Anyway, today was a fairly nice day out. I took Gracie to a fun little spot to take a few pics. She just looked way too adorable... I couldn't resist!

Some of my favorite days are when Gracie and I spend the whole day together just hanging out. Today we went to the library and also out to lunch together. I genuinely love her company and can't wait for all the years ahead. She's always going to be my best little friend.

New Salon Blog

2011-03-07T15:53:00.003-07:00

Check out my new hair blog! I have St. Patrick's specials going on for next week. If you would like future updates on specials and salon news feel free to follow the blog. ;) Thanks!

hairbyheather.blogspot.com

Day out with Gracie...

2011-03-04T17:06:00.001-07:00

Today I had a fun day out with my girl! We went to Trolley Square and did a little shopping at one of my favorite stores Williams-Sonoma. Then we of course headed to the candy/toy store and I let Gracie pick out something. I thought she looked adorable today so I brought my camera and snapped some shots.

While I was at Williams-Sonoma I grabbed a package of these cute little lollipops. They are really good!

.... and here is Gracie's pick from the toy store.

After we finished our shopping, we thought we would go visit Daddy at work since it was close by.

She really does love him lots.

What a fun day with my girl! She zonked out within minutes of getting back in the car.

Book Club-February

2011-03-03T00:33:00.003-07:00

I have been in an awesome book club for about 5 years with my sister-in-laws and a few cousins. I haven't always been the best at reading all of the books (I have the best of intensions of course!).... so this year I've decided that I will read every single one. I love to read! It's just getting myself to take a break from things and let myself relax enough to do so. :) Anyway, in my attempt to read them all this year, I thought I would do a little post each time I finish. Let you all know how much I loved/or didn't love the book.

February was the Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. Seeing as it is a 550 page book, I thought it would take me forever! However, by the first page I was hooked and it didn't take me long to finish. I absolutely LOVED loved loved it. It's a mystery and kept me on my toes wanting to read on after each chapter. I could never put the dang thing down! It made me feel sad, happy, depressed, stressed, relieved and sometimes excited. I actually think I shed a tear at one point. I'm sure being pregnant didn't really help the cause. (You will understand the last sentence if you read the book) It even included a little love story. I'm a girl who loves happy endings to movies and books. I couldn't quite figure out what I was feeling when I finished. But the mystery was solved and I was satisfied. If you need a good read, I would HIGHLY recommend it.

I LOVE my new jewelry holder.

2011-02-27T20:33:00.002-07:00

My adorable neighborhood friends and I got together and made these awesome jewelry holders. Not only did they turn out GORGEOUS, but they are practical as well. It started as just a wood frame, and this is the final project.

Thanks girls for a fun night!

2011-02-21T19:47:00.003-07:00

This will make you smile :)

2011-02-11T23:10:00.002-07:00

Untitled from Heather Tanner on Vimeo.

Gracie's new 'do!

2011-01-29T14:02:00.002-07:00

I've been going back and forth on what I want to do with Gracie's hair. She has beautiful thick hair, so I thought it would look good to grow it out. However, she looks amazing with short hair, and it looks especially cute with her glasses. In Ryan's words... "She looks smart with short hair and glasses!" haha. So I went with a short A-line bob and I definitely think we made the right choice!! She is one of a kind. Love her.

btw... Gracie is officially signed up for preschool in the Fall! She literally asks me to go to school everyday. I know she's going to love it.

Gracie's newest accessory

2011-01-14T15:54:00.002-07:00

She's looking seriously irresistible in her new glasses...

Don't ya think?!

Apple Pie

2011-01-06T23:29:00.007-07:00

Today is Ryan's birthday, and if you know him well... then you know he would rather have apple pie than cake on his special day. The best part of his birthday (for me) was that he agreed to watch The Bachelor. What a man! He says it's for me, but I know he secretly loves it and would watch it regardless. So we had a lovely night enjoying some pie and watching some QUALITY TV. Don't worry, we are going on a real date tomorrow night. :-) Now for the recipe....

This has been a Tanner favorite for years, and this recipe is from my wonderful mother-in-law. I've been making it for a while now, and it is TO DIE FOR delicious, and easy peasy to make.

Apple Pie

Ingredients:

7 granny smith apples, peeled and sliced. (don't slice too thin or they will be soggy)

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

2 pie crusts (I use Pillsbury pie crusts)

Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour half of mixture on bottom crust. Pile apples on top. Sprinkle with remaining mixture. Top with pie crust. Wash top crust with milk. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon and sugar. Bake 15 minutes at 450. Turn down oven to 350 and bake for 30 more minutes. Check for browning periodically. May need to use foil tent.

My Perfect Little Princess!!!

2010-12-30T20:10:00.004-07:00

Yes.... She is absolutely perfect to me in every way. I feel so blessed to be her mommy! Gracie got TONS of dress up clothes for Christmas (pics to come soon!) and she has been living in them ever since.

Little girls are the best.

My pretty Gracie!

2010-12-19T15:11:00.002-07:00

This morning I took some pictures of Gracie before church. I have been excited all week to put her in her dress!! She looked absolutely adorable, and she made me love her even more when she sat through all of the sacrament program like a very good girl. :-) We love spying on her in the nursery. She is so cute! Gracie always participates and is extremely excited about everything they do!

Festival of Trees

2010-12-08T12:23:00.005-07:00

Every year my family and I help out at the Festival of Trees. Last year I was in the Sweet Shop, and this year I did the same. My dad and I were in charge of the cotton candy. Doesn't Brad look cute in his hair cap?! My dad is too cute. ;)

Here I am with Jan (my brother's mother-in-law) and my dad.

Hard at work!

My adorable mom ringing people up.

When the festival closed on Saturday night, there had been a little over 95,000 people through the doors. I'm so glad we could be part of this amazing cause. Every penny raised goes to Primary Children's Medical Center.

Happy Holidays...

2010-11-28T18:56:00.011-07:00

Wow... has it really already been almost a month since I last posted? The Tanner fam has been busy busy. We are looking forward to the month of December, and don't be surprised if I struggle to get another post in before January! We have a tradition of putting up all of our Christmas stuff the day after Thanksgiving. It's a TON of work, but always worth it. Now we can sit back and enjoy. We decided to get a real Christmas tree this year. I love the smell when you walk in the door! Fabulous. Here are just a few pictures. If you want to see more, you will just have to come pay me a visit! ;)

I still need to order a third stocking...

Welcome SITS community!!!

2010-11-04T23:10:00.005-06:00

It's my LUCKY day! Today I am the featured blogger over at SITS aka "The Secret is in the Sauce." This blogging community has over 7,000 women bloggers, and it takes a dang long time to get noticed over there.... and rightfully so, as it's a BIG community. I am honored they are featuring little ol' Gerber Days!!!

I started Gerber Days as a family blog a couple of years ago. It slowly turned into much more! In the navigations at the top you will find: My Simplify Today series- all about simplifying your life!!! You will find some of my favorite recipes in the kitchen, Heart Shaped Box- my online jewelry store, pictures of my salon, and some hair video tutorials to spice up your look a bit!

Here are three posts that I think you will really enjoy! Killing two birds with one stone, Special Pear Salad, and Front Twisty # 2. Let me know what you think!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Through Today's Lens...

2010-11-03T17:12:00.003-06:00

Have you seen my picture of the day blog?! Sadly, I don't have an iphone like all of my fellow family members. So I just lug my awesome Canon around so that I'm not left out in all the fun! I try to post one everyday (that's not a promise though!) I love how it makes me more observant of my surroundings, and notice things that I wouldn't normally notice. I especially love my picture today. :)

To see more go to... Through Today's Lens

California...

2010-11-01T16:08:00.018-06:00

Beach. Oceanside. shopping. hot tubbing. Disneyland. BAKING. eating. cousins playing. sleeping. BIKING. running. scrabble. teasing. LAUGHING. Uno. beach house. SAN DIEGO. jewelry making. Family. PICTURE TAKING.

A big THANKS to Greg and Karen for making it all happen. We ♥ you.

One year older and wiser....

2010-10-17T10:30:00.005-06:00

This week I turned 26. I love being in my 20s, and I'm glad I have 4 more years of it!!! I am really excited for this year. I can just FEEL there are good things to come.

This year is going to be all about living life to the fullest, and taking every opportunity to experience something NEW. It's going to be about pushing myself to the limits, digging a little deeper, letting myself be uncomfortable at times.... but also taking the time to truly ENJOY life.

This year is going to be all about staying positive no matter what the circumstances may be, and appreciating the blessings in my life. A couple of new things on my list... a full marathon and a bike race... (but it definitely doesn't stop there!) I love making new goals and thinking about the future.

"Make no small plans for they have no power to stir the soul." - Niccolo Machiavelli

Ryan and I on my birthday date!

Toddlers are so much fun.

2010-10-11T15:55:00.002-06:00

Today I want to express my obsession with Miss Gracie Girl.

As if you couldn't already tell! She really couldn't be any cuter. I love her natural curls, her cute raspy voice, and her dark brown eyes. She's a social butterfly, independent, super temperamental and all sorts of SPUNKY.... With a little sass to throw in there too! I tell her I love her 100 times a day and basically maul her all day long! How can you NOT? Her Dad is just as bad as me. The girl just wants to be left alone already! I am SO thankful I am the mother of this absolutely perfect little girl. She is always going to be my precious little lady.

Love you Gracie.

Fun little photo shoot!

2010-10-10T09:08:00.001-06:00

...So I just want to remind everyone that I am NOT a professional photographer. ;) I just take pictures for fun as a hobby... and I just happen to have friends who like my work. Maybe someday when I've practiced for a long time, upgraded my camera, and have plenty of experience.... I will feel comfortable charging. But for now I just take donations! haha. This is one of my hair clients, and she asked me to take some pictures of her family. I think they turned out really cute!!!

Run for Bun!

2010-10-09T11:55:00.002-06:00

This morning we ran for Bunny....

Cornbelly's!... and some words on feeling thankful.

2010-10-01T21:13:00.019-06:00

Today I am feeling thankful. I am thankful for our neighborhood and the life we have here in our city. We really lucked out. I had no idea what it was going to be like when we moved in. We have such a close-knit neighborhood, and we have made some lifelong friends here. We don't have the biggest backyard, but there is MORE than enough open grass space for running and playing.... and an endless amount of playgrounds. Not to mention that our area constantly has activities going on for kids. In our neighborhood it seems like everyone is always outside! Any time of day we can walk out our door and see kids running around playing, and parents sitting on lawn chairs chatting. It has a good feeling! My salon business has been more than I ever hoped! My neighbors and friends are so supportive. Thanks guys!!! I'm in love with our house too. It is perfect for our little family. We have been here for over two years now, and I have truly grown to love it.

This afternoon my good friend Stephanie and I took our girls to Cornbelly's! Here are some of the things we did there today...

The Castle Bounce House

Fun play area

Some Water fun!

Gracie and Keilani... BFF (Ellie should be in this pic too! Next time.)

BUMPY train ride through the corn

Tunnels!

The Chicken Show. They loved dancing to the music!

Gorgeous girl.

Penelope the Pumpkin Princess. Gracie LOVED her. It was good practice for Disneyland. ;)

Coloring center

.... and Gracie's favorite. The balloon man.

Gracie wanted a pink and purple butterfly!

***I posted more pictures of Cornbelly's on Gracie's private blog. Check it out! If you need an invite, leave your email address. As long as I know ya, I would be happy to add you to the list!

Yoga is paying off!

2010-09-27T13:28:00.001-06:00

I was once really flexible back in the day, but lost a ton of my flexibility when I stopped dancing! I've been working on getting more limber because I think it greatly decreases your chance of injury in other athletic activities. Thanks to some yoga classes, I'm slowly getting my flexibility back!! It feels AWESOME!!!

I ♥ Yoga!

So cute!!!

2010-09-22T23:31:00.004-06:00