The Cluff Family

My mom took this picture and obviously couldn't work my camera because she totally  missed my face. This week has been so much fun! Springville puts on Art City Days every year and this was my first year experiencing the festivities. Michelle and I entered our babies into the beautiful baby photo contest. We are still waiting to see the results. We went EVERYDAY and voted for our babies. It was totally obvious that our babies were the cutest so if they don't win... something went wrong ;). The library had a "teddy bear tea party" where they had story time, crafts, and snacks for the children. Bradley and Chloe were a little too young but it was fun for us just to see our friends and get out of the house for a while. We also went to the Cake Decorating contest and I really wished I brought my camera. The cakes were amazing and I was very impressed with the talent and patience people have to make such extravagant cakes. Michelle and I thought we could have entered but after seeing the competition we would have looked SO stupid! The Quilt show was very neat and again... how do these people have such patience? My favorite quilt was one that had patches of different colored dresses and would look darling in a little girl's room. In fact, little girls went straight to this quilt and were asking how much it was because they loved it. Oh how I wish I took a picture! The carnival was really fun. My brother, Andrew, was putting his entrepreneur skills to work  and was running his Italian ice stand. I love the smells, sounds, and whole atmosphere of carnivals and fairs... it just screams summer to me. My mom came down on Wednesday and so Michelle and I went with our babies and it wasn't crowded at all (as you can tell from the pictures). Tanner and I went with Michelle and Mike on Friday night so we could switch off watching babies while we went on rides. It was a little more crowded but still fun since it was at night and the carnival lights were on. We were both able to ride the ferris wheel with our hubbies and have a very romantic time (oh movie,"Notebook".. how you put ideas into our heads). The best part... well I should say for those who were watching ,was probably the hypnotist show. I actually had the guts and courage to go up there. The minute I was sitting in the chair in front of ALL those people... I was SO scared. I regretted going up there and my heart was pounding outside of my chest. I thought for sure it was not going to work on me since I was so nervous.  I guess I was so sleep deprived that the hypnosis worked really well on me and I was totally under. I became the star of the show. Now if anyone knows me... this is NOT like me at all. I am not the outgoing type to just go on the stage and do these crazy embarrassing things in front of tons of strangers. The hypnotist had me screaming, "he's the man!" every time he mentioned his name. Can you imagine? me.. this soft spoken girl screaming this out in front of tons of people randomly throughout the show. I also had to do things like hula dancing/ YMCA dancing/ and thriller dancing. Tanner's favorite part was when I was in my sports car driving down the highway with the wind blowing my hair. My brother-in-law taped most of it so I was able to watch how embarrassing and funny I apparently was. I guess I know I can get hypnotized... and really well! Saturday they had a parade and there will be fireworks tonight but Tanner and I might just watch it from Michelle and Mike's deck. We are a little pooped out from all of the activities this week. Who knew Springville, UT could be so much fun! :)

Bradley turned one on Sunday and he had a big birthday BBQ to celebrate. Both sides of his extended family joined in the fun. It was a blazing hot day but that didn't stop everyone from having a good time. Michelle really put a lot of work into throwing a great party and Bradley loved it. It is hard to believe that just one year ago, I was holding him as a newborn. Since We live in Bradley's basement, I feel really close to my cute nephew and love watching him grow up. He is so darn cute! We love you Bradley and wish you the happiest first birthday! 

Michelle made the cutest birthday banner showcasing off Bradley's first year.

The birthday boy!!

The party theme was all about dinosaurs. Look at Bradley's adorable cake!

Shishkabobs, baked beans, fruit salad, pasta salad, potato salad and desserts!!

Bradley's explosion of presents!



Chloe loved playing with daddy.

Bradley LOVED the toy Tanner and I got him.



Bradley loves cake!

Chloe has grown up so much in the past month... it is unbelievable! She is wearing 6-12 month clothing (more on the 12 month side).  I notice her reaching for objects more as well as staring at her hands and feet any chance she gets. Sometimes I catch her sucking on her toes.  She loves feeling new textures... especially daddy's scratchy face.  My new favorite thing in the whole world is making Chloe giggle.  She has the cutest laugh and I just want to eat her up. 


 She will tolerate being on her stomach for maybe 5 minutes... ( I know it's bad!)... so she may be able to sit up on her own before she rolls over. If I had that much weight to roll over... I'm not sure if I could do it either. When I lay her on her back she has her arms and legs up in the air like she is doing pilates... and they will stay like that for a LONG time. She is going to have abs of steel when she's older.  She also loves to do butt lifts either laying on her back or sitting in her carseat/stroller. She's a strong one, that girl.

She is still allergic to the sun (not really). Everytime I try to take her out in a stroller ride or on a hike she HATES IT.  I'm sure she will get used to it sometime because that means we definitely couldn't move to AZ if we wanted to ;).


She is eating rice cereal and oatmeal and loves both... she was unsure about the carrots for a while. I hope she's not a picky eater like her daddy.

Her hair is growing in slowly but it's coming! It has managed to grow just on top (like a mohawk). She loves playing with her toy Nana gave her.  There is a piano section and she will bang on the keys and play us pretty music all the time. She loves hugs and kisses and story time. She is a very observant girl who just loves to watch what is going on around her.



Her smile melts my heart every time. All I have to do is smile at her and she will give me the BIGGEST grin. Whenever she hear's daddy's deep low voice, her face lights up and she looks around until she can find him.

 When she sleeps she ALWAYS kicks her blankets off (just like daddy) and her bear is lying directly on top of her face. It scares me every time so I go in after she has fallen asleep and move the bear off her face and pull her blankets over her. When I come back in to check on her a few minutes later, the bear is right back on top of her face and her blankets are pushed off. It is the funniest thing but luckily I know that she can move it if she needs to. Maybe I don't make her room dark enough so she needs the bear to hide the light.

We love our little Chloe Bear!

Mom,
I never realized how much you sacrificed for me as my mother. Now that I am a mother I am beginning to realize HOW MUCH you have done for me.  I am grateful for all of the sleepless nights you had so that you could comfort me when I wasn't feeling good. I am grateful for the many times you put my happiness before yours. I am grateful that you were there for me when I was scared, alone, and sad. I am grateful that I have a best friend as well as a mother.

Thank you for teaching me the hard lessons in life even though it may have not been the easier choice. Thank you for taking me to ballet lessons, dance team practice, mutual etc... so I could do what I loved.
Thank you for loving me unconditionally so that I could love.
Thank you for showing me by example how to be a mother.
Thank you for not being perfect so that I don't feel as bad. :)
Thank you for telling me I was beautiful, smart, kind, and honest.
Thank you for helping me find my testimony.

I will always love you mom. Thank you.  xoxo

Chloe had her 4 month check up and she is healthy as ever. She is 27.5 inches tall (100th percentile) and her head circumferance is 17.5 inches (100th percentile). She weighed in at 17lb 1oz (90th percentile). It is safe to say that she is a BIG baby :).... Oh but I love her so!!!