Letter to BJ #3

Hi BJ!

Today was fun- ironically so (I mean, we went to a funeral for crying out loud.) We didn't do anything exceptionally wonderful, but some days just seem to be naturally better than others. Today was one of those days. It started with 7 a.m. yoga by me while Ellie sat on the floor and watched, smiled, talked, and played with a pom-pom. We ate breakfast. Dad, Em, Tate, Ellie and I went up the canyon to feed ducks, but to no avail. All the streams, ponds, and lakes we visited were frozen and duckless. We got ready for the funeral and hung out. Ellie fell off the bed at the end of her nap and I found her wailing on the floor, face-down. (Heartbreaker.) We had a photo shoot in our fancy funeral duds. 

Ellie fell asleep on our way to the funeral and slept for about half of it. She was a little restless once she woke up and although she was buried deep in her fury pink coat and new fury white hat, I think was a little chilly. Her nose would not stop running today.

We came home and changed our clothes and then all went to Bajio for dinner. We walked around Riverwoods together, played at Blickenstaff's, and got ice-cream at Ikes.

I started Meredith's solo with her tonight and saw Steph while I was at it. It always feels so nice to dance... usually leaves me feeling happy and full. I'm at home now with my mom watching t.v. Ellie woke up once to nurse and I gave her a kiss from you like you told me to. We're missing you honey, and love you like crazy. We'll talk to you soon. Sleep well.

xoxo- Elle

Letter to BJ #2

Beej-

I got some pictures early this morning of Ellie in the bathtub. She was a riot in that big tub. She's used to being crammed into a tiny kitchen sink you know. She was loving all the space and the fact that she could kick and splash and not hit her head like she does in the confines of the sink. She also discovered a new trick while in the bath this morning and I couldn't stop it because it made me laugh so hard every time. She'd turn her head to the side with her mouth open and let the water gently pour into her mouth. 

I yelled at Donny to come watch her for a second so I could go grab my camera. I got some pretty great shots.

Other than that, nothing very noteworthy happened today. I had a dreamy nap with Ellie, a short walk until it started raining, and a trip to the mall to return some items- all to find out I had left all those items at home. I bought Ellie a onesie today with ballerinas all over it. I think it suits her well. 

Enjoy your Friday honey. Work on your class.

I love you.

Cheers 2011

(I saw this idea on a friend's blog. Loved it. Thanks Brittany.)

2011 was a year to remember. Here are the highlights- month by month.

January

January required a lot of gumption on my part. Going back to school after a long Christmas break was hard, and although I was just beginning to show I thought my baby would never come. January was unusually cold. My baby kept me well insulated.

(Oh my kindergartners... Mondays just aren't the same without you.)

February

February brought fun with friends and family as we watched the Superbowl. I gave BJ a new t.v. for our bedroom on Valentine's day. "The Office" never had such devoted fans. (Hey friends... we miss you!)

 March

Can anyone say Jimmer??? We. were. obsessed. Even Ellie was a Jimmer fan. She'd go crazy in my stomach at those games. We loved BYU basketball season 2011. Didn't miss a game.

April

April was the month of nesting. I worked and worked to prepare Ellie's nursery. I had all my baby showers. My belly grew and I counted down the days til May 19th.

May

Ellie Layne Pugmire arrived on her due date at 5:59 p.m. I think I prayed her here. I thought I would die if I had to wait another day to meet her.

June

In June I tried to settle into my role as mother. There were a lot of tears- on my end and Ellie's. But we were infatuated with our teeny little newborn and she was healthy as could be.

July

July brought a lot of firsts for Ellie: first soccer game, first time swimming, first time on an airplane, first time in New York City, first time in Park City, first fourth of July, first fireworks, and first time sleeping through the night.

August

In August we packed our bags (and every possession we own) and moved to California. The move was bittersweet, but we were excited for our new adventure in the golden state.

September

September brought a lot of changes and adjustment- BJ getting used to working full time, and me getting used to being a mom all by myself- all day every day. The adjustments from September continue to carry on... we'll see when this new life begins to feel normal. A trip home to Utah seemed to soften the blow.

October

Ellie cracked us up at Halloween dressed as a strawberry. She teethed like it was her job, and we were given some responsibilities in our ward.

November

In November, BJ and I celebrated our third anniversary and spent our Thanksgiving holiday in Utah. BJ and Ellie bonded like never before. We worked tirelessly to make Ellie giggle.

December

We celebrated our first Christmas as a family and loved it.

Letter to BJ #1

Dear BJ,

Since you're so disappointed about the fact that we won't be with you for ten days I decided to give you a little surprise- 10 letters to you. You've never been much good about talking on the phone when we're apart, so maybe this'll help you feel a little less left out.

Today was a pretty terrific day. Although, I don't want to gloat too much and make you feel bad about holding a stop sign all day long. You know that me, Em, mom, Ellie, and Tate went on a walk this morning. We were all bundled and walked long enough to see some really pretty houses. We hung out for a while and then went to see the movie, We Bought A Zoo. This is what I really wanted to tell you about. I wasn't expecting to, but I cried through the whole thing. I thought of you the entire time, about our relationship, and about your complete infatuation with Ellie. I really want you to see that movie. Matt Damon obviously is incredible, the story is sweet and true, the music is riveting, and the little girl in it will melt your heart. Go see it honey. You'll love it.

I had lunch with four girlfriends after the movie while my mom watched Ellie for me. It was the exact girl time that I've been needing- so nice to see old friends.

I went to dinner with Donny, Em, Tate, Dad, Dustin, and Amber and had chicken wings and ice cream pie. We're now gonna watch Warrior together. 

You'd be happy to know that Ellie is sleeping soundly. She did a lot of smiling, giggling, and staring curiously today as she always does. She is such a doll. I'm still trying to get a hang of my new camera... not sure if these pictures look much different than the old ones I used to take. I've got a lot to learn.

I hope work was good. I hope you didn't starve. I know Ellie and I both wish you were here. I love you honey. You can expect letter #2 sometime tomorrow.

xoxo- Elle

Lately I'm Loving...

-Ellie's two front bottom teeth. They show when she cries and pulls her strained faces. Pretty adorable.

-Christmas break. I love having BJ around with me all day.

-This stage Ellie's in. When she was a newborn I didn't want her to grow at all, but I'm finding that as she gets older her personality blossoms. I love her talking and giggles, seeing her sit up and eat real food.

-Time with family. The Pugmire and Baum families have got to be some of the best around.

-Movies. Finally some good movies in the theater. I saw War Horse today and loved it.

-Setting goals and writing in my journal.

-Homemade granola and lots of home-cooked meals.

-Utilizing my Christmas gifts. Learning how to use a fancy camera.

-Being a mom. I feel like I went through a rough patch for a while and had a hard time enjoying mothering, but now I'm on the other side of the slump. I love nuturing- holding, kissing, rocking, and consoling my baby. I love being a mom.

Twinkle Twinkle

We went to Temple Square to see the lights on Christmas Eve-Eve and had never seen it so busy. I guess everyone had the same idea to go there that we did. The lights were lovely. It was cold. Our trip was short. That is a long standing tradition however that seems to complete the Christmas season.

Have I ever mentioned that I love Utah?

On Our Seventh Date of Christmas...

J-Dawgs!!!

On Our Sixth Date of Christmas

We went to the mall and picked two names from the angel tree.

Merry Christmas Eve From Park City, Utah

Hope you're having a wonderful time. It just feels right to have chilly weather for Christmas. We're happy to be in Utah. Merry Christmas Eve!

On Our Fifth Date of Christmas

We watched Jimmer play in his first NBA game. We love Jimmer. 

I guess if I counted watching t.v. in bed with BJ as a date then BJ and I have a date every single night. Although... watching Jimmer on t.v. in bed at night doesn't happen every day, so I think it qualifies as a special occasion.

On Our Fourth Date of Christmas

We left Ellie at home in Sweetheart's (BJ's mom) care and went to the 10:20 p.m. showing of the Sherlock Holmes sequel. It was awesome, and I stayed awake for every second.

My Gift to You

I literally love every single thing about this video. Watch it. It will warm your heart.

Can I Brag for a Minute? I Have to Brag...

Did you get a Christmas card from the Romney family this year? Beejer and Me I did...

I can't quit looking at it. How cute are those kids? The little boy waving? Ladykiller. What would it be like to be a Romney? What if Mitt Romney was the President of the United States? I can't stop thinking about this...

Good looking family huh? The envelope was addressed to mine truly. I guess that's what happens when your husband lives and breathes politics. I am still baffled by this card. I feel like I have the inside scoop on the governor.

Are you ready for the primaries? Are you on the Newt bandwagon? Pulling for Ron Paul? Are you a true Obama supporter? How about Rick Santorum? 

You can probably guess who I'm rooting for. If not- just take a peek at the back of my big black car. 

Mitt '12, baby.

Just exercising my freedom of speech here. Thanks for letting me rant.

On Our Third Date of Christmas...

Does it count as a date if your mother-in-law is there? I think so!!!

On our third date of Christmas we ate fish tacos at Wahoo's. (Well I did anyway.)

 Don't let my husband creep you out. He's nice... I swear.

Nothing says Christmas like eating fish tacos at a surf shop in sunny (and windy!!! -darn those Santa Ana's-) California. Ho ho ho!

On Our Second Date of Christmas...

we did some Christmas shopping and ate at Nordstrom Cafe.

Ellie shared my tomato basil soup with me and loved it. I guess she's a true Pugmire now!

We're a bit behind on our twelve dates of Christmas, but it's kinda hard to get out together when Ellie goes to bed at 6:30, and we're typically in bed by 9:00.

Pardon Ellie's unhappy face- I was the one with the tomato soup and she knew it.

Get to Know Me- Holiday Style

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate? 

Neither, but if I had to choose I'd say hot chocolate. But even a few sips of it gives me a tummy ache and a headache from all the sweetness, and I hate the after-taste it leaves in my mouth. I sometimes wonder if people truly like hot chocolate or if they just like the romantic idea of sipping a cup of cocoa. I'd prefer hot chocolate mainly as a vehicle to get whipped cream or mini marshmallows into my mouth.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? Unwrapped- but not under the tree. Designated areas such as couches, fireplace mantles, chairs, and ottomans are used.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White on tree. Always.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No. I love mistletoe though. So adorable.

5. When do you put your decorations up? I like it right around Thanksgiving- before or after- but preferably within the week of Thanksgiving.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? My mom's grapefruit slush she used to make on Christmas day. (It's a great concoction of fresh fruit frozen together and then mixed with Fresca when its time to serve it.)

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? Christmas Eve movies. I still remember so well seeing "Mrs. Doubtfire," "You've Got Mail," and "Ocean's Eleven" for the first time on Christmas Eve.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Doubt began to creep into my mind in second grade when Nick Eyre shouted out he wasn't real during my show and tell when I brought a business card of Santa Clause's to show my class.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Pajamas. Always. My children will do the same. 

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Fancy. As much as I love the idea of sentimentality, in reality I prefer my Christmas tree to look perfect. 

11. Snow! Love it or dread it? I love snow. Snow is a must for Christmas. But I love that this year I'll have snow for Christmas, and 70 degree weather in January upon my return from Utah.

12. Can you ice skate? Yes, but not well. And it's not that fun.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Santa always got us our individual gifts, and my parents always gave us family gifts. We got motorcycles one year, a boat another, those gifts were always soooo exciting.

14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you? Besides my family.... music for sure. Christmas music makes Christmas. 

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? Fudge, because I only eat it at Christmas time.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Christmas Eve in general. I actually enjoy Christmas Eve much more than Christmas day. I love being with my family, full of excitement and enjoyment.

17. What tops your tree? Sparkly branches and sprigs of more sparkly things.

18. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving? Nothing beats the anticipation of giving a gift you'll know someone will love. I will expound on this at a later date. But I also know one gift I'm getting this year that I'm ecstatic about. Again, I will expound on this later.

19. Candy canes: yuck or yum? Yuck. They're sure cute though. I like other candies with candy canes in them though. Like... peppermint bark. Mmm!

20. Favorite Christmas show? If you read my blog 20% of the time you probably know this answer. "The Family Stone" is my favorite movie and favorite Christmas movie. Oh, I love it.

21. Saddest Christmas song? "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"- which is also my favorite Christmas song. But I don't like upbeat versions. I prefer it to be heart wrenching like Judy Garland's rendition.

22. What is your favorite Christmas song? See previous question. I also LOVE "The Nativity Song" from the LDS Children's Songbook because I heard my great-grandma, my grandma, and my sweet aunt Jenae sing it year after year while we acted out the nativity.

23. Do you use an Advent calendar? No. But my children will.

24. Do you go to church on Christmas? If it's Sunday I do. 

25. What were your Christmas morning rules as a kid? We had to stay together in our rooms until our parents came and got us (usually around 6 or 7.) We could not peek outside into the family room, and we had to line up youngest to oldest before we descended the stairs. After a proper amount of time rejoicing over our Santa gifts, we opened the presents under the tree from youngest to oldest. I can't wait to build all these traditions with my own family.