Home Sweet Home

We are home from Cancun and had a great week. The beginning was a little rocky with us almost missing our flight there (stupid American Airlines did not know how to check in an un-ticketed infant) and Sydney crying for a little on the decent into Cancun. Once we got there though, the weather was gorgeous. The room and resort were amazing and we had such a great time hanging by the pool. On Monday we headed to Tulum, Mayan ruins along the coast. They were so cool but we missed most of the tour because Sydney was not having it. It was really warm and humid and she was beyond exhausted. We got cool pictures but I could not even tell you what the pictures are of! :) That day was our first lesson in "How to Travel with a Toddler." Tuesday we attempted a waterpark but by mid-afternoon Sydney was crying and tired again. So the rest of the week we enjoyed the pool and ocean at our hotel and did not stray far. We learned that family vacations are a lot different then couples vacations. Cancun was great, but not a place to go to again with a toddler. I think Danny and I have sworn off 7 day vacations with kids for awhile, unless they are over the age of 4. (maybe) Sydney had a lot of fun though and was spoiled all week. She got whatever she wanted to keep her happy which resulted in lots of french fries, "Miami Vice" drinks (virgin of course, well most of the time!) and ice cream. Now that we are home it is back to veggies, her own bed and a strict bedtime. Just in time for Christmas! heehee

Cancun here we come...

We leave on Saturday for 7 nights and 8 days at the Moon Palace resort in Cancun, Mexico. Don't miss us too much! : ) We promise to share pictures when we return. Adios!

St. George/Triathlon

We have now been back for a week and I am sure you are all wondering how the Triathlon went. I was waiting for the pictures so I could share the entire experience. First, what an awesome weekend! We went up for the Triathlon, but ended up having such a great time with our family and the Reeves. Sydney was a total angel in the car and made the drive a piece of cake. Cailey (my gorgeous sister-in-law) was kind enough to let us stay in her parents house which was amazing! We all had our own rooms along with a movie room to watch Kung Fu Panda, a pool table (I think Danny played at least 30 games) and a kids room full of new toys for Sydney to play with. Not to mention we had our own paparazzi at the Triathlon in the form of my step-dad Victor who got many action shots. Some were too embarrassing to share so I will only give you a taste! Danny and I finished strong and I swear I thought I may die! It was much harder than I anticipated, but I completed it in under an hour (56 mins, barely) like I had wanted to. Shout out to Bryan and Shandie. They were rockstars and totally blew me away with how well they did. Overall we had such a fabulous weekend and were sad to be home. We miss you Devon and Cailey, we can't wait to hangout again. I promise I will keep Sydney away from whisks.

My Hubby

About my man...

What's your husband’s name? Daniel Joseph Lovio, Jr. Isn't that precious, I love the junior!

How long have you guys been married? 4 years and 7 months.

How long did you date? Well, off and on for about 5 years. I was 15 and he was 17 when we met.

How old is he? 27, 28 in January. I tease him that it is only 2 more years until 30. I hear it is all downhill from there.

Who eats more sweets? Oh please! Danny is such a candy boy. I have to hide the sweets if I do not want them gone in a day. 

Who is the better singer? Hmmm... Danny is not much of a singer, but he can definitely carry a tune. I do not know if I am better, but I sure sing more. :)

Who is smarter? I would say a tie in terms of IQ but he has more street smarts then me. Although that boy kills in Boggle, even with all of the reading I do.

Who does the laundry? Me. I wash, fold and put away. But kisses are my reward.

Who pays the bills? He makes the moola but I handle the bills. He is perfectly capable but I am a little controlling and in a sick way I enjoy it.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? He does, but when I was pregnant I did. It was closer to the fan and I was constantly sweating.

Who mows the lawn? We have a whole crew.

Who cooks dinner? I do. I really enjoy it. He makes a mean omelet and his fettucini alfredo is what stole my heart.

Who drives? He does. I like a man behind the wheel.

Who is the first to say they are wrong? It used to be him, but now it is me more. It is easier to admit fault then be angry all night.

Who kissed who first? He kissed me. We were watching My Best Friends Wedding and let me just say my knees went weak. Best ever!

Who asked who out first? I am pretty sure I did. He rejected me at first... funny story, you should hear it sometime.

Who wears the pants? Me. I am totally in charge... umm I mean, Danny.

I tag: All my married friends, tell me about your hubbies.

P.S.  We are off to St. George, UT for the Triathlon. Wish us luck! I should have pictures to share when we return.

Blast From the Past

For those of you who do not know my mom, not only is she the coolest mom in the world but she is the most organized. In her garage she had the negatives from my childhood separated and labeled by year. When I was out visiting her a few weeks ago we went through them, took them to Target and had them all put on cd's. It is so cool to have all these great pictures digital. Especially because I now have pictures of my Daddy. I thought I would share some of the memorable ones with all of you. Stay tuned, we only sent in 1983-1989. Once we do the 90's I will have some pictures that include my sister and littlest brother.

1984- Helping Daddy in the yard

Dodger fans all the way. Daddy, Devon & me

At the LA Fair with mommy and Devon

Halloween 1988- Devon, Dallin & me

Halloween

Pumpkin Shopping

Ward Trunk or Treat as Alice in Wonderland

Pumpkin Carving. Sydney wanted nothing to do with the gooey stuff inside.

Tagged... FINALLY!

Although I have been reading tags for months no one had tagged me until my precious sister-in-law (shout out to Cailey) finally did. So here it goes, I know you have all been waiting with baited breath.

Three names I go by-
1: Stephanie
2: Steph
3: Beffy (only a few people still call me this, my brother Devonia being one of them)

Three restaurants I love-
1: Islands, I love their Hawaiian burger. Yummy pineapple!

2: Cheesecake Factory. They have this amazing salad with apples, bleu cheese and avocado. Wow. Oh, and the cheesecake ain't bad either.

3: CPK. I could eat pizza for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Seriously, I could.

Three trips to plan in the next year-
1: A weekend away with my hubby. Probably around April for our 5 year anniversary.
2: Newport Beach House (only if my mom is doing it again. Pretty please?)
3: That's it... no more.

Three things I want badly-
1: A nap. I biked 5 miles today and jogged a mile. I am seriously lagging while Sydney is running amuck.
2: Perfume. I am lovin on Gwen Stefani's new line Harajuku Girls. G smells divine, like pineapple yumminess.
3: Cold weather. I am tired of putting leggings on and then having to change by noon because it is like 90 degrees outside.

Three pets I have had-
1: Duchess, an English Springer Spaniel. Such a cute doggie.
2: My bunny, Hoppy. I know, awesome name.
3: Another bunny named Buster. Yep, after the character on Arthur.

Three things I did yesterday-
1: Church. Sydney was a doll and slept through part of it. Yes!!

2: Baked cookies and ate most of them. Oatmeal cranberry... I may have to bake some more.
3: Went to a Young Women's meeting. Blah!

Three things I ate today-
1: Trix and toast.
2: Egg salad sandwhich
3: Haven't eaten dinner yet, but I am pretty sure Costco pizza is on the menu.

Three fears I have-
1:Snakes.
2: Losing my child or spouse.
3: Having my teeth fallout. Weird I know, but I have had several nightmares where this happens and it is way freaky.

Three things I plan(ned) on doing today-
1: Getting gas, I was running on fumes.
2: Grocery shopping.
3: Reading, if only Sydney will take another nap.

Three things I plan on doing tomorrow-
1: Jogging
2: Paying some bills... total bummer being an adult.
3: That is about it. I may just roll with the punches.

Three favorite holidays-
1: Christmas
2: Halloween
3: 4th of July

4. My birthday. I had to add this one because I love celebrating it! :)

Three favorite beverages-
1: Water. Boring I know, but I drink it all day long.
2: Cactus Cooler
3: Anything with Baby Ice. I stole this from Cailey, but the joy baby ice brings to my day cannot be expressed.

Three things I can't live without-
1: Danny. Literally he is the hottest guy out there. Plus, he is my best friend. Ahhh, so sweet.
2: Sydney. She makes everyday worth living.
3: My fam

Well that is it. I am not going to tag anyone because I am sure they have all been tagged already. Peace out!

Halloween Came Early

So I must admit that I am kind of a costume snob. My aunt gave me an awesome Elmo costume and Sydney loves it, but I refuse to put her in it for Halloween. This same aunt also gave me an Alice in Wonderland costume. I mean come on, patent leather shoes, white apron, sky blue dress, if I was 18 months I would totally rock it! So Sydney gets to be Elmo just for fun around the house and Alice in public. I know, mean mommy! But honestly, Queen of Hearts or Big Bird. 'Nough said.

Cheese!!

Sick Baby

Sydney had the flu for the first time last week and threw up 6 times. She was so miserable and had a fever of 101. I hated seeing her like that, but I enjoyed all of the cuddling that she needed. Once she started saying "No" again I knew she was on the mend!

Right after she was sick. It was so sad/cute, I had to take a picture.

Taking a nap with Daddy. She felt well enough to give me a smile.

LA County Fair

While I was at my mom's house I finally got the pictures she took at the fair when we went weeks ago. We had such a great time (despite the heat) and Sydney loved the animals. She was a little tentative at first but then she put her hands out and let them lick her. We also ate all of the yummy things the fair has to offer, my favorite being funnel cake. Such a great experience, especially because we were able to share it with my family. Many laughs were had.

Laughing at the animals and the stinky smell.

Corn anyone?

Victor, mom, Sadie, Danny, me and Derek

Off to see Grandma Shannon!

While Danny is in Atlanta this week we are off to see my mom. Sydney is so excited, it should be loads of fun. Hope you all have a fun week and enjoy this fall weather! Yipee!!

The Rules According to Sydney

Make sure you read your scriptures daily. Especially Sunday, right before church.

Look pretty always, even if you are just cleaning the house.

Ice cream is not only for special occasions, but for every day of the week ending in y.

Santa Monica Pier

On Saturday Danny and I had a wedding to attend and Shandie (best friend ever) watched Sydney for us. When we got home she and I were chatting and she mentioned craving Tito's Tacos. Well the weekend before when we went to the temple they had introduced us and now we are hooked. So we decided to be spontaneous and we piled into our car for the drive to Culver City. It was a little after 7pm before we got there, but Sydney was a champ and ate salsa like the best of us. Then we headed over to the Santa Monica Pier because it was only about 5 minutes away. So fun! We had funnel cake, walked around and showed Flat Stanley a good time. Shout out to Bryan for the awesome pictures. :)

Sydney was so excited about this little car and kept laughing. As you can see to the right I am digging for a few quarters. Once I put the change in and it started moving she freaked out and wanted nothing to do with it. Too funny! At least Bryan caught the before look.

Some Fun Things

Thought I would take a second on this peaceful Sunday afternoon to share a few things that have happened. First, Sydney's new favorite spot is my closet. It is a mini walk-in so she can go in, close the door and be all alone. This is great when we are getting ready for church because she is right there within hearing distance and it keeps her totally entertained. It just makes it hard for me to get dressed! :) I have to make a quick exit before she slams the door behind me! This morning she yelled "Mom," I opened the door, she came running out and was back inside within a minute with a book. She read happily until we had to leave. But I digress, the point of all this is to share some pictures I got. On Friday she was in the closet and I could hear shoes falling, so I peaked through Danny's side and saw her trying on my shoes! I had a proud mommy moment when I realized my daughter may turn out to be a girly girl also. :) Here are the pictures..

This is when I first caught her.

Then today we went to check the mail and Sydney got a package! My mom enrolled her in the "Book of the Month Club" and when you first sign-up you get 8 books for the price of shipping. 5 of the 8 arrived today and she was so excited. One was an Elmo pop-up book on manners and Elmo is her favorite. Now we have new stories to read tonight before bed.

A simple rose

Today I was out running errands and I came home to discover that Danny had stopped in for a few minutes before his next appointment. We had just been on the phone and he had not mentioned that he was home so I was pretty excited to see his car in the garage. I came into the kitchen and there on the counter was a single rose!! I was so surprised and touched. I remember when getting flowers felt almost mandatory while we were dating and I began to take them for granted. Now romance to me is bathing Sydney, letting me sleep in an extra half hour or suggesting I get ice cream with the girls when I need a break. Today I realized that I still love getting flowers. They mean even more now, because they are spontaneous and few and far between. Not that I am complaining. I know I would feel guilty if he bought me extravagant bouquets when there are more pressing things to buy. But today I realized that while he was out at work, going about his day he thought of me and that just makes me feel like a queen. 

We are in!

I was talking to Shandie last night and she mentioned that she was doing another Triathlon. I always assumed that I was not that kind of girl, mainly the type to run or do anything remotely resembling exercise. :) But she talked me into it (2 months is long enough to train, right?), so my next mission was to get Danny. I came home super enthusiastic and next thing you know we are both signed up for the St. George Beginner Triathlon. Yay!! It is November 15th, so let the training begin.

Newport Beach House

I finally was able to get some pictures from my mom to share of our trip to Newport Beach. Sydney and I spent the whole week out there back in August (Danny came down Tuesday night) with my family. We had the best time and did not want it to end. The weather was perfect and Sydney was an angel. She was covered in sand head-to-toe within a matter of minutes. At first she was nervous about the water but by Friday she would let Danny and I take her in up to her waist. Sydney also loved my brother Derek and she would follow him everywhere. Nothing like fun in the sun and family.

A taste of what Danny creates...

Here are a few of Danny's most recent pools. I think he is so talented and creative, I cannot wait until we have a backyard!

Where did Sydney go?

Sydney is now playing hide and seek with us, although we do not know it half of the time. The other day I found her under her bed.

I had to laugh

Sydney is a really good baby. She occasionally throws fits, but nothing I can complain about. So far we have avoided any big messes until a few Sundays ago...

Danny and I were in the family room and Sydney was up in the kitchen/dining room area. She got awfully quiet so I got up to investigate...

She found the powdered sugar I keep on a low shelf (when did she get so tall?!) The best part is that she had no idea it was sugar. As Danny was washing her off he gave her a taste. Her eyes lit up, but too late she was clean!

Here we go...

So I must admit that I have been fighting the blog thing for awhile now. I was okay with being a blog-stalker but I found myself taking pictures or having funny moments happen and I would think "This should go on the blog." Yep, go on the blog that does not exist! So here we go! Plus Bryan and Shandie have a blog and they are the coolest people we know, so we feel pressured.

Be warned that I may be posting a whole bunch right in the beginning because I have months of Lovio activities and fun times to share.

Singing Baby

So Sydney loves music. She loves to dance and not too long ago she started lipsynching. She would dance and sing, moving her mouth with no sound coming. About a week and a half ago Sydney started to let some sound out. For some reason she sings the word "Happy." Here are the videos of both.

,