Faces of a new year

There's something that is so wonderful about the fresh feeling of a new year. I love the cozy clutter of Christmas holidays (both literally in the extra decorations and figuratively in the additional items on my social calendar and daily to do list) but I also love the stark contrast that January brings.
It feels clean. I feel renewed.
This feeling was further enhanced when we awoke on Jan. 3 to a blanket -- albeit a thin blanket -- of snow. This is usually a once-a-year treat for us in St. George so I enjoyed it. Not everyone in my family (read: Derek) finds this part of nature quite so enjoyable but every now and then it's really nice. I was sad I had to go to work that day as I would have loved to stay home and play in the yard with Lydia. Snowmen and hot chocolate... mmmm... But it was not to be. Instead I got to hear everyone who walked in my office door griping about the weather. Seriously people -- its once a year. I think you're going to be OK.


After an incredibly low key New Year's Eve (which was perfect for us this year) I have done the following:
* Recommitted to my running regiment after seriously faltering the latter half of December. What can I say -- I am as human as they come.
* "Celebrated" Lydia's 17-month birthday on Jan. 6 by actually remembering to take photos of her on that day.
* Trying to read more.
* Started on my lengthy list of organizational projects and myriad other resolutions.
* Fell off the fitness wagon (yes, just days after re-committing) and have since re-re-committed once again. Jan. 10 is as good a day as Jan. 1, right? I guess we'll see :)
* Tried to document a few of the adorable faces and phases of Lydia in the last week.

She loves wearing these glasses. I think they are absolutely hilarious.

17-months old today (Jan. 6).
This is an adorable phase. She has started to really mimick a lot of the things Derek and I do. One day Derek was peeling and eating an orange with dinner. We looked over to Lydia, who was eating mandarin orange slices, and she was pulling pieces of them off and putting them in a pile just like Daddy was doing with his orange. She also loves to use my extra brush to brush her barely there hair. One day she kept walking over to the trash can and kind of pulling at the bristles, then letting her hand dangle above the trash for a moment. I realize that is exactly what I do whenever I'm done to clean the loose hair out of my brush too.
She's not talking yet but she communicates really well with sign language (more, please, water, milk, all done, thank you, apple, cheese) and she makes some sounds that we recognize as words even though we are fully aware they are not anything the average person could decipher. My favorites are her sounds for keys and cheese (which sound a lot alike) and her sounds for kitty, blanket and binky.

Lately she wants to sit in very tight little spaces. Like under this table or in a corner behind a chair or in her toy box or other things. I don't know why but it's kind of cute. (By the way, she wasn't actually mad in this photo, but my camera's delay didn't capture a regular face).

Some days she just looks so grown up to me. Today we were walking out the door for church and I had to grab the camera. She is just so big lately.