lady of the lake.

So, we live in Michigan.

Facts about the state of Michigan you are probably dying to know:

• 
  
  Michigan has the longest freshwater shoreline of any political subdivision in the world
• 
  
  A person in the state is never more than six miles from a natural water source or more than 87.2 miles from a Great Lakes shoreline.
• 
  
  Only state to consist entirely of two peninsulas
• 
  
  The lower peninsula is often called the "mitten", and one can show where they live by pointing to the corresponding location on their hand (we live just to the right of the middle of the palm).
• 
  
  The Upper Peninsula is called "The U.P" (which I learned in person today)
• 
  
  One can get flipped off for driving a foreign-made car (I happen to drive a Honda).

Facts about the C Family living in Michigan:

• 
  
  Chris has approximately 7 days of orientation ahead (seriously? how much orientating does one really need).
• 
  
  Erin has approximately 7 months (or it feels like it) of unpacking, organizing, and decorating to do.
• 
  
  Carly would eat approximately 7 rice krispy treats a day if she was allowed to.

Ways the C Family has upgraded since the move:

• 
  
  Borrowing an extra old car that Chris gets to drive to campus (he is lucky . . . its a Ford). Merci, Pat and Lisa!
• 
  
  Found a beautiful new desk for 50% off.
• 
  
  Found a beautiful new TV stand for 50% off.
• 
  
  Got DVR (wooohooooo!) and can rewind live TV (already 30 minutes behind in the Twins game).
• 
  
  Now have stairs, though with the laundry in the basement and the bedrooms upstairs I'm starting to wonder if thats really so great.

Things I love so far:

• 
  
  Our new place. Can't wait to decorate it. Too bad all the boxes have to be unpacked and stuffs put away before I can do that.
• 
  
  Our ward. We went to church today, and it looks like we have a seriously fabulous ward full of young student families. We enjoyed our first dinner with friends tonight, and look forward to another one next Sunday.
• 
  
  The weather. Its chilly in the morning (kindof). And you can go outside in the middle of the afternoon and not want to die. I do however, reserve the right to hate the weather in January.
• 
  
  The occasional Fargo accent. Very charming.
• 
  
  Michigan State University's campus. Seriously beautiful. 

Life is good. 

gonna party like its your birthday.

I don't know if you heard, but Carly turned 1 last week. We were in Idaho the week before her birthday, so on the 7th we had a little birthday day for her, and of course to celebrate Sidney Crosby's birthday (ok, not really).

~

First, we headed to the Pocatello Zoo. The thing about the Pocatello Zoo is that is has only "indigenous animals", and therefore has goats, bison, elk, and birds. Their best show is two really old bears. But let me tell you, Carly loved those bears. She would squawk at them and wave and when we moved on, she kept pointing back and them to go see them again. No fear, that girl.

[At the petting zoo. That goat peed on my foot. I wasn't a fan.]

[Waving to her beary best friend.]

[Walking champ leading the pack]

That night we had a little birthday party for her. We blew up balloons and made cupcakes and invited my grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousins over (did I mention my whole family was together except our dear missionary brother? it was fab.) Carly was oblivious to the party, I'm thinking, but she does thoroughly enjoy being the center of attention.

[We won't talk about how many of these GF cupcakes I ate]

[Star of the show]

[Reading her card out loud]

[Not sure about this . . .]

[Ok, now I'm sure.]

[Getting cleaned up.]

[With Carly's great-grandparents]

It was a fun little party and it was nice to get together and celebrate our girl.

It was the first of three birthday celebrations.

Three parties for making it one year?

Not bad.

just a trim, please.

We have a little tradition, my mom and I, that we roll out of bed and go get our haircut whenever I'm in town.

I fly across the country to go to our wonderful Elizabeth, because apparently no one in Kville knows how to cut hair for a reasonable price . . . or for an outrageous price.

So I come home and we go see Elizabeth and we bring Carly and she plays with the kids.

This time Kasee even came, and we got a whole spa girls morning out.

~

Anyway, Carly's hair is getting long. Its a beautiful disaster, to be sure, and something we love about her. But Elizabeth mentioned that if we gave her a little trim, it would grow in fuller and healthier. So I called Chris and he said he was fine with it (honestly, he wondered why I even called him . . . ) and she got her very first Elizabeth haircut. 

Just a little trim.

~

She sat still for about a minute and a half, then began to wiggle and try to escape in any way possible.

She is clever, that girl. 

She figured if she climbed up in Elizabeth's arms, she would have to quit messing with her hair.

But we persevered, and Carly came out with a slightly less chaotic head of hair.

Elizabeth saved some clippings for Carly's baby book.

It was a little emotional for me, thinking she was big enough for her first trim.

The first of many to come.

~

Carly's not the only one who got a haircut.

What do we think of my new bangs?

I'm still on the fence.

p.s. We are loving us a whole lot of family time in Idaho.

It goes too fast.

xoxo.