Christmas in New York

Dustin spent December on an externship in Buffalo, New York. Since I for sure wasn't going to spend Christmas without him Mya and I flew up for two weeks and then drove back with him. We had a great time in Buffalo. Dustin had some time off around Christmas so we were able to see Niagra Falls and tour the church historic site around Palmyra. Both trips were freezing but we bundled up and went ahead! Mya loved getting to swim in the hotel pool and one day while Dad was working I finally took her to see Tangled. She had been asking to see that show the "new one" for awhile and seemed to really enjoy it. Christmas in a hotel was interesting but we still got a tree and set out cookies and carrots for Santa and the reindeer. Mya wasn't bothered at all by being in the hotel and was just too excited finally getting to know "whats in here" for all her presents. After all her talk about santa bringing her a camera her favorite gifts seem to be Toy Story 3 (she is a little obsessed) and her dress up box (that we created from on clearance Halloween costumes). She loves to wear her "save the day" hat (firefighters hat) when she is saving her toys from whatever disaster she has gotten them into. We had a wonderful white Christmas but are glad to be home. Not to mention having all Dustin's externships completed YEAH!

The Falls

Mya and I outside where the Book of Mormon was first printed

Mya in front of our little tree

The Family in front of the Smith home

Mya and I near the Falls

Our lovely ginger bread house, Mya was more interested in eating it!

Mya and Daddy walking to the Sacred Grove

Mya in the Smith's log home (different from the one shown above)

All of us in front of the Falls

Mya and Daddy in front of the falls

More Mya-isms!

Pop Pop recently sent me some pictures from his camera and I thought I would post some of them below.

Also here are some of the latest phrases I hear from Mya daily

-Whatcha doing Mommy

-Let me check something

-Wait a second or minute (she does this with her hand up palm facing you)

-Have an idea

-Ummmm (while touching her pointer finger on her chin)

-No do that or I not --fill in the blank ( she says this with a scowl on her face--She has gotten pretty sassy, it can be funny when she does this though so I have to work hard to keep a straight face!)

-Thank you SO MUCH- it was funny to hear her all of a sudden add the so much!

Mya at the park-it was way colder that day then we thought!

Mya relaxing against Daddy's chair

I don't know what she was reacting too but it sure is cute

Mya had buried herself with her stuffed animals in the bucket (with Gramma's help) and then fell over. She thought this was very funny

Gramma had brought some masks for us to paint, aren't we wonderful artist!

Happy St. Nicholas Day!

Monday was St.Nicholas day and this year Mya sorta got what was going on. We put our shoe out the night before and of course St. Nicholas filled it up. This year things didn't really fit into the shoe however. One of Pop Pop and Gramma's gifts came after they left so I went ahead and included it. Mya also got some footsie PJs (it is freezing here) and a book about Christmas, Llama Llama holiday drama (she loves her other Llama Mama book!) She had a blast opening everything and new right away that the big gift was "real hard" to open and "Mommy needed scissors". She could barely wait for me to get things open. I can't wait to Christmas, she is going to be really fun!

Mya opening her PJs

Mya playing with the toy from Pop Pop and Gramma (it was a zoo that works on the alphabet)

Reading her book

Opening the "real big" one

I asked her to say cheese but she told me to SHHH (it is a BAD habit she is getting into when I am saying things she doesn't want to hear)

Hoopes family visit!

Over Thanksgiving my sister Rachel and her family came to visit us from West Virginia. We had a great time and enjoyed getting to catch up with one another. Mya of course LOVED playing with her cousins Zoe (9) and Ian (7). They were able to go down town twice attending both the Field museum and the MOSI. We unfortunately only got to join them once as the illnesses that I mentioned in an earlier post struck Mya in the midde of their visit, luckily the worst came after they left but we still missed getting some good pictures of the kids (I had such plans for cute pics when we were downtown) but as usual something came up! I should learn my lesson and take pictures the first day of the trip. Anyway we are excited that they are now closer to us and hope that will remain so (we find out where we go for residency mid march) so we can have more visits. We love you guys!

Mya & Dustin playing at the MOSI

Zoe & Ian reading to Mya when she was sick

Mya playing at the MOSI she got so excited when she saw this exhibit since they have something similar at the Children's Museum

Ian reading to Mya when she was sick--she has great cousins!

Mya & Ian (Zoe was there too but missed getting in the pic) all dressed up (well Mya was) & having a tea party

Mya's teaching moment

I forgot to add this little story to my last post. So one evening when Mya had diarrhea we ended up needing to give her a bath. Now she loves playing in the bath and didn't want to get out. Dustin wanted to shower too so he told her that she needed to finish soon so Daddy could shower. She looked at him and said "ok dad wait your turn" and then continued to play! I thought that was so funny, I mean she has to wait her turn why shouldn't we?!

Sick girl

Mya has been sick going on 5 days now. We have only left the house in the last three days to go to the Doctors. She has had a whole array of illnesses. She started out with vomiting, then two days of constant diarrhea, combined with a nasty cough, a fever, and a double ear infection. Nice right. So the Doctor gave her some medicine and she is feeling mostly better, we have another appointment today to see of her lungs and ears are clear. She was wheezing badly so the Doctor put her on a nebulizer. Mya thought that was cool (at first) since I have one and she sees me use it on occasion for my asthma. It is so sad seeing her sick but I am glad she is finally getting better. However now Dustin and I are started to feel the beginnings of a cold! Lets hope it doesn't develop into one.

Mya using the nebulizer, she insisted on doing it herself. I was impressed with how well she did.