My baby grew up

Conference weekend was very busy at our house, but a lot of fun.

It started with Brett's birthday and ended up with Mark's.

My sister came up to spend conference weekend with us and it was so great to have her here. She helped me with the famous Taylor Conference Turkey, which was really a lot of fun to do with her. She graduated from BYU-I last April and it has been a long time since we have spent time together. It truly was fun having her here.

Mark turned 2 on April 3rd and already he has perfected the terrible 2 tantrum. He definitely wants his independence which sometimes can be hard for Brett and I. I know that he needs to become independent but I am not sure I am ready for him to grow up and become independent yet. One of Mark's favorite things is basketball. So following the tradition of my mom, I designed a basketball cake. Jenessa helped me make it, and it was quite the adventure. ***FYI***You can cover any mistake if you have enough frosting. In between conference sessions we had a small family gathering to celebrate Mark's birthday. He is starting to understand a little more about birthdays and Christmas,

so it as fun to watch him open the gifts. At 2 years old some of the things Mark likes to do are, play basketball, slide down slides, play outside, play with cars, help mommy in the kitchen, read books, chase and play with the kitty, and blow bubbles. He doesn't really like watching TV unless it is a basketball game (and as a dutiful mother I am teaching him to cheer for the Jazz and BYU Provo). Mark likes to sing mostly made up songs but when he is washing his hands or face he likes to sing the "ABC's". He understands most of what we say to him, yet his speech can sometimes be difficult to understand. Mark no longer sleeps with a pacifier, and because of his climbing abilities he is now in a toddler bed. One of my favorite things about Mark is that he likes to cuddle, especially with me. From the minute Brett comes home from work Mark only wants him until it comes time to go to bed, then he only wants me to rock him. That one on one time I have is time that I treasure, because it is during that time that I still have my little baby. Happy Birthday Mark, we love you!