The Fantastic Markham 4

Appropriate work attire

2012-01-25T16:28:00.000-08:00

Ellie and Lexie wanted to go outside and help Nick work. They got dressed in their work clothes (all by themselves) and went outside. I came out to check on them and this is what I found them dressed in.

Snowpocalypse

2012-01-19T14:21:00.000-08:00

This is how Lila has looked for most of the week. Poor little thing has a double ear infection and she obviously isn't happy about it. Luckily I got her into the doctor before the big snow storm hit.

The girls couldn't wait to get out into the snow. It didn't matter that there was just a dusting of snow on the ground. I thought for sure after spending 20 minutes budling them up they would spend 10 minutes outside. The definently proved me wrong. They were outside for a least an hour making snow angels, building snow men or creations depending on who you talked to, and having a snow ball fight. They also had a great time sliding down the dirt pile. They were covered in mud from head to toe. It looked like they had been out mud wrestling instead of playing in the snow.

Wednesday the snow really came down. They woke up and immediatly wanted to get out to play. Again they stayed for about an hour and then went out again later in the day. They have really enjoed the week off from school. They only put clothes on two times this week. The rest of the time they have been in their jammies. In fact under the snow clothes they both have on pajams.

Thursday the ice set in and the novality of having snow wore off. I walked out onto the front porch and you could hear tree branches cracking and falling from the sheer weight of the ice. Nick was trying to decided if he was going into work or not. He cleaned the car off, thawed it out and took off. 30 minutes later he returned. He hadn't even made it onto the main road. He got stuck 4 houses down in the entrance to our neighborhood and a passing by truck pulled he out. Needless to say he didn't make it into work. Overall we faired well in the ice storm We were lucky and never lost power, we did get a large branch off the neighbors tree into the back yard. It took out the dish temporarily but didn't do and damage.

Friday the ice is finally starting to melt and I can't wait to get out of this house!

Sisters

2012-01-18T15:03:00.000-08:00

6 months

2012-01-10T11:13:00.001-08:00

6 Month Stats
Weight- 14.8 lbs (25%)
Length- 23 1/2 in (3%)

A few things about Lila at 6 months
She is finally starting to put herself to sleep in her crib for nap time.
She is a rock star eater. This girl loves her baby food.
She still LOVES the bath
She has a special bond with Ellie, she really likes to be around her
She is super lazy and doesn't even try to roll from her back to her tummy, even though we know she is fully capable of doing it.
She still sleeps tightly swaddled, in fact we had to buy new swaddling blankets in a bigger size.
She is highly attached to a little blanket of hers and likes to lick it when she is falling asleep.
She is starting to show some personality and it is quite feisty.
She is short. So far the shortest of our girls.

Ellie

2012-01-06T20:52:00.001-08:00

All I asked for was one normal smile, this is what I got instead. She is such a silly girl.

Christmas Day

2011-12-30T15:11:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day started out quite early for me. Miss Lila woke up at 5:30 and I never got to get back to sleep. We got up and went to church at 8:30, seriously early for Christmas day, but so worth it. Our ward choir director arranged a beautiful program, that I blessed to be able to be a part of. The closing hymn was O Holy Night. I played the piano for it but there was also organ and a cello. It was pretty powerful and certainly brought home the spirit of Christmas. After church we headed home to finally open presents, yes we were so mean and made the girls wait till after church. They were of course excited that Santa brought them exactly what they wanted. Ellie got a Barbie wedding set she has been wanting for almost a year now. Lexie got a Little People fariy tree house, this girl LOVES little people. Lila got an Elefun ball popper, which ended up a huge hit with the older girls. I most have been very good this year because Santa brought me a new camera. I am loving it and can't wait to figure it all out. We went over and spent the rest of the day with Nicks family, minus a few brothers. We sure missed Uncle Chris who is in Columbia wooing a girl, we also not so secretly hope he brings her home with him. We also missed Robin and his family. I personally cant wait till we get to have a Christmas with all the cousins. The highlight of the day was probably watching Nicks Grandpa play the Kinnect with Lexie. She sure loves him and had a blast playing. The girls were of course completely spoiled and all the things they were wanting from Papa and JuJu. We sure are lucky to have such wonderful family.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-26T18:16:00.001-08:00

Christmas Eve was spent with my family. The kids ran around like crazy, we ate delicious food, opened presents and had a great time. I have to say the highlight of the night was acting out the nativity story complete with costumes. My brothers new girlfriend, who we had never met, showed up right when we were starting. We had towels on our heads, capes on backs, and one adult on the floor acting like a donkey. It was actually pretty fun, and the kids loved it. Hopefully she doesn't think we are to crazy.

Lila and my nephew sat together and "played" with her present. It was actually pretty funny to watch. He wanted it and kept trying to take it, Lila was not giving it up without a fight.

Matt with his gift. When did we get so old that kitchen appliances are considered a good gift?

Santa

2011-12-18T13:37:00.000-08:00

Christmas Wish

2011-12-06T18:56:00.001-08:00

All I want for Christmas is a silent night!

4 Months

2011-11-16T15:04:00.001-08:00

4 months

12 lbs 5oz
21.5 in

Still loves Daddy more than anyone.
Completey refuses the bottle.
Starting to like the binky but more for a chew toy than to suck on.
Sleeps 10-11 hours at night.
Adores her big sisters and loves to squeal in delight when Lexie plays with her.
Bath time is her favorite, she would stay in the tub all day.
She only looks so chubby because she is so short.
Rolled over for the first time Nov. 9.
Explodes every diaper she poops in.
Her favorite toy is her hands, they are always in her mouth.
She still likes to spend the majority of her awake time in her swing.
Starting to take naps in her crib, but must be swaddled.

I can't believe 4 months has already gone by. Lila is such a blessing to our family. I know it is so cliche but we really can't imagine life without her.

Redondo

2011-10-17T15:42:00.000-07:00

Since we had such a beautiful weekend last week we decided to take the kids to Redondo. It is one of their favorite places to go, and I like that it is free. On Saturdays there is a little aquarium that is open to the public. The girls absolutely love going and touching the starfish. They even get to feed them. After the aquarium we went down to the water and let the girls play. They were in heaven!

Shenanigans

2011-10-01T21:15:00.001-07:00

This is the kind of stuff that happens while I'm feeding Lila. At first I was mad and sent them straight to their rooms. the more I thought about it the funnier it became. At least it wasn't my walls.

Many faces of Lila

2011-10-01T21:02:00.000-07:00

2 months

2011-09-13T20:46:00.001-07:00

2 Month Stats
9 lbs 8 oz (10%)
20 3/4 in (5%)

A few things about Miss Lila Jean-
She rarely cries
She grunts ALOT
She sleeps for 8-10 hours at night, eats, then goes right back to sleep for another 2-4 hours
She LOVES to take baths and showers
She adores her Daddy and always gives him the best smiles, he adores her
She still spends most of the day sleeping
She seems to really like Ellie and is usually happy if Ellie holds her
She is a very happy baby, but I fear she may be a little dramatic
She only sleeps at night if she's tightly swaddled, but she hates having her hands swaddled
She doesn't like the pacifier unless Daddy gives it to her, the same goes for bottles

We are truly loving every minute of Lila. Ellie and Lexie think that everything she does is so cute. I personally am completely in love with this little girl and don't even want to remember what life was like without her. She has brought so much love into our family and has changed our family dynamic in a wonderful way. I am so grateful Heavenly Father gave us yet another miracle baby.

Preschool

2011-09-12T12:50:00.000-07:00

Lexie's first day of Preschool was today. I don't think there was anyone more excited to go than she was. I couldn't even get a good picture of her. She ran around all morning singing, first day of school, first day of school. I'm glad she loved it and didn't have any problems being left there.

Kindergarten

2011-09-10T20:49:00.000-07:00

How can it be that my sweet tiny little girl is grown up enough to go to Kindergarten? It doesn't seem possible that Ellie is old enough, it feels like yesterday she was born. The whole idea of Kindergarten caused a lot of anxiety in our house for the entire summer. Anytime we talked about it Ellie said she wasn't going. She would just miss me to much and she wasn't going. It didn't matter what I said I couldn't convince her that it was going to be great. Ellie doesn't do well with change and she really hates having to meet new people. Going into things that she isn't familiar with causes a lot of anxiety in her and she gets really nervous. As the grew closer to start school she started saying she was excited, until the week before. When I asked her what she was scared of she told me that she was afraid that people won't like her because she doesn't always make good choices. It broke my heart that these are the things that she worries about at 5. She went to her orientation day and found out the one of her friends from church was going to be in her class. That was such a blessing! She wasn't so scared anymore because she had a friend. The morning of the first day came and she was up early and dressed for school. She was excited! We drove her to school and I'm happy to say there were no tears, not even from me. She was excited to ride the bus home, and I was excited to have her home and hear about her day. Off to the bus stop we went and we waited, and waited, and waited. Finally her bus came down the rode. The driver stopped, asked me who I was waiting for, and told me she hadn't been put on her bus. After a quick call she found out the she had been put on the wrong bus. The other driver was going to bring home. I had a moment of panic and concern. I was just picturing more poor little girl scared. Boy was I wrong. She happily got off the bus and told me how fun the ride had been, bumpy and long was her description. I was so happy to have her back and glad that she enjoyed her first day

Labor Day

2011-09-09T16:14:00.001-07:00

For Labor Day we were supposed to go to the beach, but I was having major anxiety about doing it. So I chickened out and we went to Mud Mountain Dam instead. We had a great time swimming, playing on the playground and checking out the view point. We barbecued and had tons of yummy food.

This is where Lila was for most of the time. Hanging out in her carseat.

They climbed a few trees, which was fun until Lexie fell out.

Our futile attempt at getting a picture of all the grand kids together.

Lila and Nanny. She was very happy to be being held.

Days 6-8

2011-09-07T13:10:00.001-07:00

The last few days of our trip were spent in Idaho with Nick's brother Robin's family. The girls couldn't wait to go see their cousins. They only see each other about once a year, but when they get together it is like no time has passed since they last saw each other. They played for 2 1/2 days straight.

Ellie and Kenidee are seriously like twins, they are so much alike. We like to joke that they are the same person in two different bodies.

Lila got lots of love from her cousins.

These 2 were cute together! I laid them on the floor together and they just stared at each other. After a few minutes Lila started smiling at Eli. Seriously so cute! I hope they are as good of friends as the older kids are.

There was lots of silliness happening.

Swimming was a favorite past time and it really didn't matter what they were wearing. We would look outside and they would be in each others swim suits, naked, or swimming in their clothes. There was A LOT of laundry accumulated in a few days.

Jumping on the trampoline first thing in the morning.

The dress up was out the whole time. Every time I picked it up they got it right back out.

Even the boys got in on the dress up action.

Lila smiling. She started to spend a lot more time awake while we were gone. Lots of smiles and even some talking from her.

Day 5

2011-09-06T10:53:00.000-07:00

Day 5 we spent at Hogle Zoo. The girls had been looking forward to the Zoo all year it seems. They love Hogle zoo for a few reasons. Lexie loves that they have Giraffes and Ellie loves the train. It was super hot, like 98 that day, so we had to take some time that afternoon to run through the sprinkler. Something they don't do at home because they get to cold.

Days 3

2011-08-30T19:39:00.001-07:00

Day 3 was filled with wedding things. First I guess I should explain that we took this trip to attend the wedding of Korrine. She is the daughter of a couple who Nick became very close with on his mission. They were like second parents to him. We got up early and went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple for the sealing. The girls were so excited to go to the temple and Ellie couldn't believe she actually got to go inside. Granted it was only the waiting room, but she didn't care. The sealing was beautiful and it was so happy to be there with Nick. It's good to go and see a sealing to be reminded of our own. When we came down to the waiting room the girls were out walking around the temple grounds. They came back in and their hair was soaking wet. Turns out they decided it would be a good idea to put their hair in the fountain. Silly girls. After the sealing we got a chance to stop by a visit with my cousin Terra. I haven't seen her in quite a while and it was great to get to visit for a short while. Then we headed of to the luncheon and back to my grandmas for a little rest before we headed back out to the reception. We had a great time at the reception visiting with Nick's old missionary companion Smitty (Ericson) and Korrine's friend Cassie and her parents, the Beahms, (who Nick got to know while a missionary). The girls danced the night away on the dance floor, there was even a little break dancing involved. Overall it was a wonderful day. Seeing how happy it made Nick to see all these people he hasn't seen in 7 + years made the whole trip worth while.

Nick and Smitty

The Beahms

Mike and Karen (brides brother and Mom)

Nick, Brandon, and Korrine

The girls were embarassed while the bride and groom kissed. So cute!

Dancing the night away, I may be biased but I think they were the cutest girls there!

Lexie needed a little lipstick

Driving, driving, and a little more driving

2011-08-27T20:33:00.000-07:00

We set out early with 800 miles ahead of us. One hour into our trip Lexie started throwing up. Apparently she gets carsick. Cleaning up a pukey kid and car seat on the side of I-90 is not exactly how I had envisioned this trip going. Luckily the rest of the day went better. We stopped every few hours to feed Lila and let the girls run around the rest stop. They played a rousing game of hide and seek. (Lexie was REALLY hard to find under that table)

Scared away a herd of cows.

Then gladly got back in the car to watch more movies. Nick picked them up head phones so we didn't didn't have to hear their movies. Yay! The only time we heard much out of them was when they started singing along with the movies, which was very cute.

The highlight of Lexie's day was giving Ronald McDonald a kiss. I don't know what got into her, she climbed up and just kept kissing him. It was so funny, but I don't even want to think about all the germs that were on there.

Sweet Lila happily sat in her carseat for most of the trip. She had a few fussy times but overall did awesome. I did however learn that changing her poopy diaper in my lap on the side of a freeway on ramp is not a good idea. Let's just say things weren't contained.

After 800+ miles, 3 states and 18 LONG hours, we arrived in Salt Lake City at 11:30 pm. We were exhausted and so happy to finally get out of the car.

Newborn Pictures

2011-08-12T11:44:00.000-07:00

My wonderful friend Melissa took Lila's newborn pictures when she was two weeks old. I love them!

The past three weeks

2011-08-04T09:09:00.001-07:00

The past three weeks have been full of...

Baby smiles

lots of photo taking

this sweetness sleeping peaceful during the day (not so peaceful at night)

cuteness to the max

and lots of baths, clothing changes, and mounds of dirty laundry.

Lila Jean

2011-07-15T17:34:00.000-07:00

Lila Jean
6lbs 4oz

17in

Miss Lila Jean decided to join our family a little bit earlier than we expected. I was scheduled for a c-section on July 20th hwich was 39 weeks, but she had a different plan. Sunday morning, I was 37 weeks and 4 days, I woke up around 2. I hadn't been sleeping well so this not a surprise. Around 3 when I was still awake I got up and took some benadryl, hoping to get some sleep. Pretty soon I was feeling pretty awful and had a horrible stomach ache. I got up and went to the bathroom for awhile. I decided to try and go back to sleep. While I was walking back to bed my water broke. It was 4 in the morning and wasn't sure exactly what to do. I woke Nick up, never did either one of us think I would ever have to say the words, "Nick I think my water just broke." We started getting ready to head in to the hospital. We got to the hospital around 5:30 and a little after 7:30 I was taken back to the operating room. It was so surreal and I was so calm. Nick came in after my spinal, which was painless, and they got started. At 8:18 they pulled Lila out and she was screaming. It's pretty safe to say that she has a good set of lungs on her. They cleaned her up and handed her to Nick. I got to hold her as they wheeled me out of surgery and into recovery. it was such a different experience this time. I loved being able to keep my baby with me. Ellie and Lexie are completly in love, as are the rest of us. She is a wonderful baby, very calm and hardly ever cries. I can't believe we have been so blessed with 3 beautiful, healthy little girls.

Happy 5th Ellie!

2011-07-09T13:58:00.000-07:00

I can't believe 5 years has gone by so fast. How can my little tiny baby be 5 already? For Ellie's birthday we decided this year to rent out Super Jump Party Zone. I am so glad we did too. It was such a fun party. The kids had so much fun and were so sweaty and tired by the time we were done. Ellie especially liked that we had a room all to ourselves and it was only her friends that were in there. Plus the adults got to go on the inflatables. She had a blast jumping with her favorite friends and adults. Happy Birthday Ellie Bellie!

Slip n Slide

2011-06-16T18:56:00.001-07:00

The girls got a slipe n slide today. Although it was not really warm enough to use it they had to give it a try. They are quite funny on it since neither one of them actually gets the concept of sliding on their tummy. I guess sliding on your knees and you butt works too.

Something's missing!

2011-06-13T13:06:00.000-07:00

The girls had a dentist appointment today and we came home missing a tooth. Ellie had two loose teeth, but one of them was in need of some help coming out. Her permanent tooth was already coming in behind the baby tooth and it was starting to cause her some pain. She was prepared and ready for the dentist to pull it out. When we got home she ran right upstairs to look in the mirror. She came down the stairs and I asked her what she thought. Her response was, "Not great, not great at all." She did a great job and I was proud of her for being so brave.

Lexie couldn't be left out of the picture taking. She's showing off her clean teeth and dirty hands.
Her dentist talked to her about how she needs to not use a binky anymore (trust me I know she is WAY to old to still have it) She has only been using it to fall asleep and we even cut the tip so it wouldn't suck anymore. This girl is so stubborn she didn't care if it worked or not. On the way home she told me we could get rid of it. She walked upstairs found the last one she has a gave it to me. Now I just have to be tough and not give in to giving it back. Hopefully she will be able to fall asleep without it.

Graduation Girl

2011-06-01T13:32:00.001-07:00

Eliana had her preschool graduation last week. She was so excited to go and recite her poems and sing her songs. I think when we got there she was a little embarrassed to be up in front of people. It's funny to me to see how a different side of her personality came out when she was in front of the group. Normally she is loud and not shy. But put her front of a group of people and she gets stage fright. She did a great job and was cute to watch. We are so proud of her and the progress she made this year. She went into the school year not knowing any letters, sounds, and couldn't write her name. She can now do all those things (which I know is not by any means advanced for an almost 5 year old. But it is a huge improvement for her.) She also starting to sound words out and tell us how things are spelled. I'm just glad she is right on track where she should be and so far isn't showing any signs of learning disabilities which has been a concern of ours with her being a preemie.

30 weeks!

2011-05-16T20:29:00.001-07:00

Thirty weeks and this little girl is still growing! Everything is looking perfect with her. I one the other hand have just been diagnosed with gestational diabetes. That has been a real eye opener. I've never been a "good" healthy eater. Especially during this pregnancy. I had been living off sugar and carbs. It has been an adjustment the last week trying to cut down my carb intake. Since I have been watching what I eat I feel so much better and have so much more energy. Hopefully things will continue to go well for the next 9 weeks, the doctor is anticipating this little girl will be over 8 pounds at birth. What in the world will I do with a baby that size? We are definitely grateful for the blessing of a more "normal" pregnancy this time and can not wait to meet this little girl (in July and no sooner). I'm still in awe over the fact that I am being blessed with another little miracle.

26 Weeks

2011-04-25T20:03:00.000-07:00

At 26 weeks this little girl is still in the %70 for size, with an estimated weight of 2lbs 8oz. I still am in shock that she is so big and everytime I have an appointment I am expecting bad news. We couldn't be more grateful that she is growing and thriving so well. I got to see a pretty clear shot of her face. She looks like a combination of her sisters, She has a very round head, chubby cheeks and we even saw a little bit of fuzz on the top of her head.

Face shot, isn't she pretty!

20 weeks

2011-03-15T18:07:00.001-07:00

Half way there! We went back in for another ultrasound and this little girl is in the 74% and measuring 5 days ahead. We couldn't be more happy about her growth. Now if we could just agree on a name. I want Lila Jean, which happens to be what we had agreed on before we knew gender. Nick wants Mackenzie Jean. The girls are on my side so we will see if we can sway Nick.

It's a....

2011-02-26T11:54:00.000-08:00

GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe number three is another girl. Oh poor Nick. I am beyond excited to have a third girl. The girls aren't quite there yet. They are still a little disappointed that it isn't a bother. They each picked out something for the baby yesterday and that seemed to help them get more excited. The best news of all we received is that this little girl is exactly the right size. At this point in my pregnacies with the other two they were much smaller than should be. So things are looking very hopeful for a "normal" sized baby and a full term pregnancy.

Baby #3

2011-01-29T15:27:00.001-08:00

Baby #3 is due to join our family July 24. Although this came as quite a surprise for us we have adjusted to the idea and are getting excited, especially the girls. I am already being seen by the Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) group and have started a different regimen than I did with the girls. Over the summer I saw a few doctors and had lots of lad work done trying to see if there was an underlying condition that had caused my pregnancy complications. Every test came up negative or normal and we were told if I did get pregnant again nothing would be done differently because of the lack of a diagnoses. Two weeks ago I went in for my first appointment with MFM and the Doctor told me I do have an abnormal test score for a blood clotting disorder called AT3. It isn't abnormal enough for them to say I have it, but there is a strong family history of blood clotting disorders. Because of these two things she decided it would be best to treat me as if I have AT3. So i was started on Lovenox, which is a anticoagulant, in a daily injection. It poses no risk to the baby since it doesn't pass through the placenta. However new studies are showing that there isn't a coo relation between this type of medicine and it preventing IUGR. So we are hopeful that it will help this baby to grow to a bigger size, and hopefully be able to not be in the NICU. I will be seen every 3 weeks by MFM and get an ultrasound to follow babies growth. If baby is small then I will be delivered at 35 weeks, if baby is growing well I will be able to go on until 39 weeks. As of my last ultrasound at 14 weeks baby is right on track growth wise, but at this early on so were both the girls. We go back in for our next ultrasound on February 25 and hopefully this little stinker will cooperate and we can find out boy or girl.

12 weeks- I know I look huge for 12 weeks, rest assured my belly hasn't grown at since and probably won't until after 20 weeks.

Christmas Day

2011-01-11T20:47:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning didn't start until almost 9 at our house. I'm so grateful for little girls who sleep in! They were so excited to see what Santa had brought them, and they weren't disappointed! They both knew exactly what they wanted. Ellie wanted a Fur Real Puppy and a laptop and Lexie wanted a Fur Real Kitty and a laptop. Ellie was really cute as she went to open her puppy she said, "I think I heard it bark." I love this age where they are so excited about what they get. Having little ones a Christmas makes it so magical. After opening presents at home we headed to spend the day with Nanny and Poppy, and the rest of the family including Great Grandma Ellie. the kids had a blast playing with the cousins and at many points in the day it got pretty chaotic, but it was a wonderful day.

Ellie in her Jessie hat doing her diva pose.

Lexie with the kid camera she got from Nanny and Poppy. She was the only one out of the grandkids who didn't have her own camera. She was very excited about getting her own.

Christmas Eve

2011-01-10T09:20:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve this year was spent with the Nick's family. I love the tradition of Fish and Chips and Clam Chowder for dinner. Nicks family also has a new tradition of having some sort of "theme" to dress up like. This year was ugly sweaters and fake facial hair. Pictures to come in another post. The girls were so much fun this year. Lexie got excited about everything she opened, it didn't matter what it was. Ellie got all things that were from Barbie Fashion FAiry Tale and Lexie got things from Tangled, including the wig which is almost as long as she is tall.

Santa

2010-12-13T19:44:00.001-08:00

The girls were so excited this year to go and see Santa. They have known what the want for months and couldn't wait to sit on his lap. That is until we got there, I had to push Lexie into the room Santa was in and she would NOT sit on his lap. She wouldn't even tell him what she wanted. Oh well, maybe next year,

Family Pictures

2010-10-31T09:15:00.000-07:00

My wonderful friend Melissa took our family pictures. I love them. Check her out she does a gret job!

Westport

2010-09-21T19:23:00.000-07:00

2010-09-12T21:16:00.000-07:00

Ellie started preschool this week. A few months ago if we talked to her about preschool she said she wasn't going. Luckily she started to become more excited about the idea. By the time September 8th rolled around she could wait to go. She loved it and couldn't stop talking about all the things she did.

Her face as we got out of the car. She had just told me, "I'm so excited. I can hardly wait."

This is how Lexie felt about not being able to stay at school too. She had become convinced that she was going to preschool as well. Poor girl. One more year Lexie.

When I mentioned to Ellie before bed tonight that tomorrow was a school day she said she didn't want to go back. When I asked her why she told me there were to many rules there. Oh Ellie!

Dash Point

2010-09-12T21:07:00.000-07:00

While Kenidee and Bennett were visiting we took a trip to Dash Point. Stephenie and I were both a little hesitant to do it, but I'm sure glad we did. The kids had so much fun digging in the sand. They were filthy when we were done but it was so worth it.

Zoo

2010-09-12T08:58:00.000-07:00

We bought a zoo pass this summer and were able to go with both sets of cousins. The girls LOVE the zoo. Especially Lexie. She could spend hours in the aquarium alone. Ellie likes to run through the zoo barely looking at each animal. The girls have been about 5 times in the last few months and we have had a blast.

Fourth of July

2010-08-04T15:26:00.000-07:00

This year for the 4th we had no plans. So we decided to put the girls down for a late nap and then head out to a local park for a firework show. We woke the girls up at 5:30 and prayed that it didn't start raining. Luckily the rain didn't come and we were able to have a fun night. Before we left we took the girls outside to do some pop it's. Ellie loves doing pop it's and could finally throw them hard enough this year for them to actually pop. Lexie just threw them on the ground and then stepped on them. We walked around the booths at the park, the girls got free Frisbee"s, played on the toys, and eventually staked out a place to watch the fireworks from. We had lots of time before the fireworks started so the girls ran around and played. Ellie of course made a new friend, she is so social. She even got Nick to play "krispy" with her. (Frisbee) Ellie loved the fireworks, Lexie did not. She spent most of time in someones arms with her blanket over her head. I'm glad we decided to head out on our own. We had a fabulous time and the city firework show did not disappoint us.

Ellie's birthday

2010-08-04T15:14:00.000-07:00

Ellie picked a theme for her birthday about 6 months before her birthday. She wanted a Happy Feet party, luckily I was able to find a few things online on clearance. I love throwing birthday parties for this kid! She LOVES having all her friends and family together. She wanted them same things as the last three years, at pool party a Nanny and Poppy's house with hot dogs and chips. I think this was the best party yet. Everyone had fun and it wasn't overwhelming to plan. Happy Fourth Birthday Ellie! We can't believe how much you've grown and changed in the last year. You are the cutest girl ever and we are so glad you are part of our family!

Point Defiance Zoo

2010-08-04T15:03:00.001-07:00

Nick decided it would be fun to buy a membership to the zoo. The girls have now been three times in the last three weeks. We just went with Nanny, Great Grandma, Uncle Mike and the cousins. The kids had a blast (we only had one tantrum which included the phrases "you're stupid" "I hate you" and "I'm throwing you in the garbage can" She can be a real gem) It was a great trip and the four cousins were so cute trying to pull each other by the arms to show each other what they had found. My favorite part my have been when Lex grab the hand of her cousin and said, "Come here buddy, come here buddy." It was so sweet!

One of the Reasons I Love Nick

2010-06-30T21:15:00.001-07:00

He just bought me this.

A Successful Day

2010-06-28T21:12:00.001-07:00

Many people may come into my house today and think that I didn't get anything done. It appears I was very unproductive. BUT, today my girls were fed 3 meals plus snacks, we went to swimming lessons, watched a movie, played in the back yard, snuck in a quick trip to the store for diapers, made and painted with homemade finger paint, played the piano and sang, took lots of pictures, played dress up, played with little people, jumped on the beds and took baths. Now I have two little girls tucked snuggly into bed, clothes in the drier and cinnamon rolls raising on the stove for the birthday girls breakfast tomorrow. In my book today was a success, cause in my book a clean house doesn't equal a successful and productive day.

Ellie's pictures

2010-06-28T20:02:00.000-07:00

Ellie got her own camera for her birthday. It was one of the things she has been begging for and was so excited when she got it. Over the last two days she has taken over 200 pictures. We are having a blast looking at her pictures, it is very cute to see what she feels is important. Among the 200 have been lots of pictures of Lexie, every room in the house, her blanket, stuffed animals, doll house, herself, Mom and Dad ( which are some of the worst pictures, she always gets my back side while I'm bending over) and the T.V. Here's a little collection of what is important in Ellie's life.

The Kissing Face

2010-06-22T21:04:00.001-07:00

I don't think I have to worry about Ellie kissing any boys as long as she makes her kissing face. She can't give a kiss right now without puckering up and making this face. But really who wouldn't want to give this cutie a kiss!

Swimming Lessons

2010-06-21T13:03:00.000-07:00

Ellie started swimming lesson today. She was so nervous last night and wasn't sure this morning if she really wanted to go. She actually told me she wasn't leaving the house today. Once we got there and the teacher introduced herself Ellie was excited. She listened to the rules and then hopped right in and didn't have a single problem. I was such a proud Momma today!

Trip to Salt Lake

2010-05-04T19:34:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we took a trip to Salt lake with a few friends. There were three adults and 5 little girls. Surprisingly they did awesome since we had an actual T.V. in it to watch movies.

At rest stop in Idaho. We had to let them out to run a bit.

We took a trip to Gateway Children's Museum. Boy did the girls enjoy it. Their favorite part was the Life Filght helicopter that was on on the roof. We spent quit awhile up there flying the helicopter.

One morning we woke up to snow. I knew it wouldn't last long so we bundled up in our impromptu snow clothes (fleece footed sleepers with sweat pants over the top and rain boots) The snow wasn't great to play in but they enjoyed themselves.

No trip to Utah would be complete without a trip to Temple Square. The girls loved getting to walk around and see everything.

Great Grandma Ellie and the girls.

We all met up for a trip to Hogle Zoo. Not as great as I remember it being but of course the girls LOVED it. Lexie has a stuffed cougar she loves so she really enjoyed seeing the cougars, but the Giraffes were a close second.

March of Dimes

2010-05-03T20:52:00.000-07:00

Ellie and I participated in the March of Dimes last weekend. We raised $105. Thank you to those who sponsored us. We made it the whole 5 miles and really enjoyed ourselves. I think we will make it a family tradition to participate every year. I was so proud of Ellie as she walked (the 10 steps she actually walked) because she knew we were doing it to raise money to help babies. Next year we are going to have our own team so if you're interested in joining us just let me know!

I want this...

2010-04-20T14:33:00.000-07:00

How cool would it be to have this in your back yard?

Our New House!

2010-04-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

Come into to my new home! I'll take you on a photo tour. These are of course "before" shots. The painting in about 1/3 of the house, carpet upstairs and appliances will be done this weekend.

Back yard

Ellies room - It is going pink on the bottom half of the walls with white on top and a chair rail in between

Master Bed room- (The door goes into the main bathroom) The paint here is going on shade darker to a soft tan color.

Alexis's room- Painting it white and putting vinyl polka dots as a border at the top in hot pink, lime green and silver. I also got her hot pink curtains.

Down Stairs bathroom- Probably staying white for now.

Bonus room (down stairs)

Front room- The front door is right through the arch way.

Dining Room-

Kitchen-

Entry way hallway I guess you could call it (for lack of a better description) The two stair wells are right of the entry before you walk into the kitchen. The empty space where the tile is really dirty is where the Fridge will go.

Stairs

The front door-

March of Dimes

2010-03-10T13:28:00.000-08:00

I am participating this year in the March of Dimes. I decided I needed to do something bigger than myself and make a difference. Since Ellie and Lexie were both born prematurely this is an event that means something to me. Please help me raise money to help support healthy babies.

Sister love

2010-03-01T13:58:00.001-08:00

I looked over at the couch and found my girls hugging each other. It is so sweet to see them showing how much they care about each other. Then I heard the following conversation,
Ellie- "I yove you Gexie"
Lexie- "I wove you too"

Best Cupcakes I've Ever Had

2010-02-23T15:08:00.000-08:00

Homemade Hostess Cupcakes

Cupcake:
1 devils food cake mix
1 package of instant chocolate pudding
1/2 c oil
1 1/4 c water
4 eggs

Filling:
3 Tblsp. water
1 tsp. unflavored gelatin
4 Tblsp. unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. real vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 jar of marshmallow creme

Glaze:
1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips
3 Tblsp. unsalted butter

Mix cupcakes for 2 min. Fill lined cupcake tin 2/3 of the way full. Bake 20 mins. 325. (mine took longer) Allow to cool completely before filling or icing.

Glaze- Micorwave chocolate chips and butter intil melted and smooth. Cool to room temperature.

Filling- Combine water and gelatin in a medium bowl, let sit 5 mins. Microwave until mixture starts bubbling around the edges and the gelatin is dissolved, about 30 seconds. Stir in butter, vanilla & salt. Mix well. Cool 5 mins. Whip in marshmallow creme until smooth. Refrigerate 30 mins until set. Reserve 1/3 c of filling for the top of the cupcakes. Cut a cone (plug) out of the center of the cupcake. Trim the "plug" to 1/4 in disc. Fill with filling and replace "plug". Frost with glaze and pipe on curlicues with the remaining filling.

I didn't use the glaze I just frosted mine with butter cream icing. Warning- if you use butter cream don't use much, they don't need much icing. I also filled mine by using a large star tip and decorating bag. I just stuck the top into the center of the cupcake and filled it until the filling was coming out the top.

Obsession

2010-02-23T13:59:00.000-08:00

She's taking her binkie obsession to a whole new level!

Happy Birthday Alexis

2010-02-08T22:27:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday my sweet Lexie Roo! Alexis was so into the birthday party this year. She knew it was her day and she wasn't afraid to let you know. She walked around the house saying my birthday not Ellie. She loved having her friends over and really enjoyed having everyone sing to her. We didn't catch it on camera, but the look on her face we sang happy birthday was priceless. Lexie has definitely found her personality this year. There is a saying that fits her to a tee, "I'm just a little girl with a big attitude" And boy is she ever! We love so much and wouldn't trade her for anything, even if I do sometimes threaten to trade her in.

I love this picture, she opened her first present and said, "ohhhh" She loves it!

The cake I spent 3 1/2 hours working on. It was a true labor of love. When I showed Lexie she got really excited and said it was cute. Man I love this kid!

All Worth It

2010-01-29T21:00:00.001-08:00

My favorite part of everyday is when I go check on the girls before I go to bed. Seeing their sweet peaceful faces makes even the hardest day worth it!

I wanted to get a picture of Lexie sleeping but didn't want to risk waking up the beast :)

A Sleepover of Sorts

2010-01-26T19:09:00.000-08:00

The girls have a friend over today and wanted to have a sleepover. So after a delicous dinner of Kraft mac and cheese, hotdogs, green beans and apples, and desert of homemade churros (YUM) we put a bunch of blankets on the floor and gathered up all the pillows in the house. They are currently laying on the floor watching Dora and having a great time.

How cute are they?

Two Years in the Making

2010-01-21T20:14:00.001-08:00

Ellie is finally out of a crib and Lexie is finally in her crib. This is a BIG deal at our house. Although they don't fall asleep in there together there is no little girl sleeping in our room at night. It is wonderful and I couldn't be more happy (I guess I could be more happy if Lexie would go right to sleep and not wake up as soon as the sun rises, but hopefully that will come)

MEXICO

2009-12-27T15:42:00.000-08:00

We just got back from our cruise to Mexico. It was fantastic and the girls had a blast. It was a little tricky at times to get them to go to sleep and we had a few meltdowns. We were that couple that everyone else was talking about on the first day. We were in our mandatory safety drill and Ellie screamed as loud as she could through the whole thing. Luckily Lex was being awesome and just quietly sat in my lap. We had a great time in Cabo, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. We did a little shopping but spent most of our time at various resorts swimming in the pools and playing in the sand. The highlight for Nick and I was going para-sailing in Mazatlan. I was amazing, something I normally don't think I would have tried. I'm so glad I did it. We ate tons of delicious food and enjoyed great company. Coming home was a little stressful and our car seats got lost. Thankfully the airline had loaner seats that we could keep until they found our seats and delivered them, which was the next day.

Cabo San Lucas

Lexie swimming with her Uncles.

The fam

Lex and JuJu

Me para-sailing

Nick para-sailing

Lex played on the steps of the pool for probably an hour with JuJu. She would go down one step then jump into JuJu's arms

Ellie pouting after she fell

Lexie loved the big Christmas tree and was so excited to have her picture taken

Ellie singing twinkle twinkle little star in the talent show. She won a gold metal for her performance.

The girls shared a seat on the plane for a portion on the ride home.

Literally 300 feet from landing in Seattle Ellie finally fell asleep.

Lex luckily slept the whole flight. She fell asleep within minutes of take off and slept until we touched down in Seattle

Funniest Commercials Ever

2009-12-03T20:17:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT9R4--cXSM

Every time I see these commercials I laugh especially the Santa rap and no oversleeping.

Braids

2009-11-25T23:19:00.000-08:00

I think I'll keep her!

Crib Tent

2009-11-25T23:17:00.001-08:00

We've been having a few problems with keeping Lexie in bed lately. Extreme measures had to be taken. It looks pretty strange, but she can't get out. Now if I can only get her to actually go to
sleep in there.

Family Pictures

2009-11-16T14:17:00.000-08:00

For my birthday I wanted to get fmily pictures taking (yes I realize it is now November and my birthday was in May). Our great friend Tami took some great pictures! Thanks Tami, we love them! The girls were not very easy to work with, but we got a few good shots.

Better Late Than Never

2009-11-11T21:59:00.001-08:00

I figured I should probably get some Halloween pictures posted. Apparently my blogging skills aren't any better than my journal writing skills. The girls had a blast this Halloween. Ellie new exactly what to do, Lexie of course had no idea what was going on. She caught on very quickly. After a few doors she was saying, "tick teat" and then would put her hands in the candy bowl and take a handful. I have to say we had the cutest flower and witch ever! We went up to trick or treat at Papa and JuJu's house. Uncle Chris was there before his party, in costume. Ellie wasn't sure what she thought about that, she kind of shyed away. Lexie had no problem going up and sitting in his lap. I think Uncle Chris has completly won over Lexie's heart!

Lexie with both hands in the bowl.

I just love these two pictures, and these two girls! The look of sheer joy on Ellie's face is priceless. Nothing is better than watching your kids when are so happy! I also love how Ellie is helping Lexie, making sure she is standing in the right place.

Uncle Chris the pirate with his girls.

The most beautiful flower I will ever lay my eyes upon.

The best we got of the two of them together. Ellie loved her costume, we let her decide what she wanted to be, with a little help Daddy of course planting the idea of being a witch in her head. She loved her hat until we got out and then she refused to wear it. Oh well.

Feeding the addiction

2009-10-30T21:01:00.000-07:00

I love this time of year! The holiday season is here and with it comes adorable holiday dresses in every store. I can't help myself, I have a serious problem. I wasn't going to buy Lexie a dress since she had a hand me down one from Ellie, but it was so cute. I honestly couldn't stop myself. I think I may have to start shopping with cash only so I can't come home from buying milk with and more of these beauties. In my defense this are their Christmas dresses that they will be having their pictures taken in. Now I can justify these, but the others I'm sure I'll come home with over the next month are another story.

You can't tell in the pictures but the top dress (Lexie's) has flowers embroidered with a sparkly thread. Ellie's has clear sequins all over it that make it sparkle. I can hardley wait to put these on them!

Baking

2009-10-30T20:54:00.000-07:00

The girls have been sick for a few weeks and haven't gotten out of the house to do much. I decided we would bake cookies for a fun activity. They did as well as could be expected, although Lexie completly lost it when it was time to put them in the oven. I think they had a great time and I'm glad they got to do something fun!

Minnie Mouse Pumpkin

2009-10-26T15:48:00.000-07:00

Ellie decided a few months ago that she wanted a Minnie Mouse pumpkin. So that is exactly what she got. We don't have pictures of the girls gutting the pumpkin because the camera batteries were dead. They really enjoyed it. Ellie actually put her hand in the pumpkin and help pull out seed and guts. Lexie wouldn't put her arm in, she wanted Nick to put a handful on the table. She would play with it and then put it into the bowl. Every time she touched the guts she would lick her hands. It was so gross! A few times I looked at her and she was chewing. I'm pretty sure she was eating pumpkin guts.

Every time Lex walks past the pumpkins she takes the top of. That of course makes Ellie upset so she starts to yell then Lexie starts to cry. Oh it's great fun! The pumpkin turned out great thanks to Nick's artistic ability. If it were left to me the pumpkin wouldn't even get carved.

Maris Farms

2009-10-26T15:24:00.001-07:00

The girls were so excited to go to the pumpkin patch this year with JuJu, Uncle Chris and Uncle Luke. Ellie remembered it from last year and would tell Lexie about it. She couldn't wait to ride a pony again and pick out her pumpkin. Lexie was in heaven being there with Uncle Chris. She didn't leave his side for long the whole time. She wanted to hold his hand or be held by him the whole time.

The only picture of Lexie on a pony. She literally jumped off of it after they stared moving.

Ellie got to pick who walked around with her, Uncle Chris was who she choose. Everytime they came around to where we were standing Ellie would yell hi to Lexie and smile the biggest smile I've seen on her in a very long time. She absolutely loved riding the pony.

The yearly family photo at Maris Farms. At least Nick and I are looking

Ellie loved the green pumpkins. She didn't end up getting this one, but the one she picked was green. She was a little bummed out after a few days when her pumpkin was starting to turn orange.

Lexie loved walking around all the pumpkins. She kept tripping and falling. At one point she was on the ground eating dirt.
Although we loved going to Maris Farms I think we will be finding a different pumpkin patch next year. They started charging an enterance fee this year of $5 a person. I little spendy in my book to go pick out a pumpkin and pay for that as well.

Did the Puyallup

2009-10-07T13:17:00.001-07:00

Nanny and Poppy took us to the Puyallup Fair this year. They girls loved the animals! They didn't like anything else though.

Before we went Ellie was talking about how she was excited to see a Camel. We told her that there wouldn't be a Camel at the fair. Boy were we suprised to see a Camel. I think it was there favorite part.

Playing the drums in th Africa exhibit.

Milking a fake cow. Ellie loved this, Lexie hated it.

Ballerinas

2009-10-07T13:12:00.001-07:00

The girls put their Tutu's on and asked Nick to teach them to dance like ballerinas. It was so cute to watch them mimic what he was doing. I caught a picture of Nick showing them a move. He didn't know I was taking his picture, he'll probably kill me for posting this but it was so cute to watch.

Picture update

2009-09-15T12:52:00.000-07:00

Here's how we spent our summer.

Seattle Aquarium with Grandma JuJu, Aunty Stephenie, Uncle Robin, Kenidee and Bennett.

Lex and Bennett. The girls loved getting meet their newest cousin for the first time. He sure is a sweet little boy.

Playing at the park wiht Kenidee. Ellie and Lexie love to play at the park.

More cousin time with Little Man and Kiwi, they spent half a day with us and the girls were in heaven!

We went to a huge consignmetn sale and Ellie scored this treasure. Mumble from Happy Feet, which is currently her favorite movie. Mumble has gone EVERYWHERE we have gone since she got him. Oh she is in love!

Nick repainted his motorcycle, which took forever! Ellie finally gained the courage to go for a ride around the parking lot.

We converted Ellie's crib into a toddler bed, she stayed in there during nap but never fell asleep. By the time she was ready for bed that night she was begging us to put the front rail back on and make it a "baby bed" again. Maybe by the time she's five we'll have her out of a crib.

A Reason to Smile

2009-08-05T23:15:00.000-07:00

Thankful thing:
Lexie! This child makes everything better. I can't even imagine life without her. She brings so much joy and love to my life. Her new thing is to hold my face with both her hands and give me a kiss. It melts my heart!

Rocking an amazing outfit. She wanted to wear a belt with a onesie. How cute is she?

Gratitude

2009-08-04T14:24:00.000-07:00

In light of difficulties I've had with the girls the last few weeks I've decided it is time for another month of gratitude. I need to be reminded of all the good in my life and not focus so much on the bad.

Thankful things:
1- Good friends who help keep me sane and will still come back to play another day even if Ellie bites their child.
2- Supportive family (especially my mom). It has become clear that it is going to be a group effort to raise Ellie. I'm very grateful for family who is there to help. Not just mine but Nick's also.
3- My Mother-in-law. Who is willing to come to my house and watch my girls so I can get away for a while and regain my sanity. I know this goes with number 2 but she is truly wonderful.

And because I need to be reminded today that my girls aren't always awful, a few pictures that just make me smile. How can you not love these cuties?!

Alexis

2009-07-06T21:10:00.000-07:00

Lex has finally started feeding herself. I was pretty sureI was going to have to go with her to kindergarten with her to feed her. She really showed no interest in feeding herself. I gave her fork and her plate and she just what to do.

Lexie is getting quite innovative lately. She emptied a toy container and used it as a stool so she could turn on and off the lights.

Nick was with the girls one day last week while I was out and said the girls had gotten very quiet. He went back to see what they were up to. He found highlighter on the carpet, walls, and Lexie. Good news was that it came off of the carpet and walls easily. Bad news was it didn't come off Lexie. For the rest of the day we called her our little smurf. It did make me laugh a little bit whenI thought of what this must of been like while it was happening. Obviously Lex just sat and let Ellie color on her.

Happy Birthday Ellie!

2009-07-06T20:56:00.000-07:00

Ellie celebrated her 3rd birthday a week ago. She was so excited! Months ago she started talking about her party and what she wanted to do. She informed me that she didn't want any cake (she doesn't like cake) she wanted cinnamon rolls. So she got exactly what she asked for. Here is a few pictures of her opening presents.

Her last present was hiding so she was told to close her eyes while Poppy went to get it.

Her reaction was priceless. She was so excited when she saw her big girl bike.

Happy Birthday Ellie! We love you so much and are so grateful that you are part of family!

Oh Ellie

2009-06-28T13:51:00.000-07:00

The other day Ellie was playing outside and kept telling me that she didn't like me. She was saying it playfully and I knew she didn't mean it. But we have really been working on her talking nicely to me, so I told her if she said it again she would have a time out. Of course she looked right at me and said, "I don't like you" So I put her in time out. When her time was up I told her to come talk to me. She knows she has to apologize for what she did after a time out. She looks at me and says, "I'm sorry that I don't like you." Oh Ellie what am I going to do with you.

Diamonds

2009-06-13T19:41:00.000-07:00

Ellie has developed a love for diamonds. Everytime we walk past a jewelry counter she yells, rather loudly, "Look Mommy, diamonds!" (Which always gets a good laugh out of the women behind the counter) A hot topic of conversation at Nicks parents house when we are all there for dinner is a debate over real diamonds versus moissanite. Nicks brother always says he won't buy his future wife a real diamond. Since Ellie has a love for diamonds I decided to teach her a little phrase to share with her Uncle. Now when you ask Ellie what a diamond is she responds, "Diamonds are a girls best friend." It is pretty dang cute! Unfortunately I think this love of diamonds isn't going away. I think she is going to have expensive taste.

Suckers

2009-06-02T20:56:00.000-07:00

Ellie wanted a sucker, of course Lexie needed on too. So cute!

New storage idea

2009-05-20T21:20:00.001-07:00

A new solution for where to keep your underwear. Just hang them in random places around the house. Ellie makes me laugh! She was geting ready for nap and after putting on her pull-up she told me I'm just going to hang my panties here (on her rocking horse). After I got the girls ready for bed I found another pair hanging on my guitar.

Some random pictures.

2009-05-16T13:44:00.001-07:00

Ellie in the morning. Even with crazy bed head the girl is still adorable!

Lexie's first pig tails. Love it!

Lexie hanging on the bars at gymnastics. I know it doesn't look like she is enjoying it, but she really is.

I had some serious buyers remorse from this outfit, until I saw it on her. I absolutley love it!

15 months

2009-05-12T21:06:00.000-07:00

15 months! How is that even possible. Lexie is no longer a baby, she is a crazy toddler. She runs, climbs, sings, yells, and loves to play. She is my sweetheart and loves to snuggle, I am counting my blessings that she will still snuggle with me. She is finally off formula and started milk yesterday. She wasn't entirely thrilled about that but she doing ok. Her biggest news lately is that she is finally sleeping through the night. It took 14 months and I couldn't be happier to be getting a uninterupted nights sleep. I love you Roo!

Stats:
Weight- 19lbs 7 oz
Height 27.5in

Daddy's Bike

2009-05-12T20:57:00.000-07:00

Nick has had his motorcycle for about a year now. Ellie is always asking questions about it and wants to go out and see it, but she would never sit on it even with Nick. While Nick was out working on bike we went out to see him. Lexie went right to him and sat on the bike. She wasn't at all scared. After some coaxing we got Ellie to sit. She barely sat long enough to get a picture.

Easter #2

2009-04-17T22:29:00.001-07:00

After church Nick tried to get some cute pictures of the girls in their Easter dresses. They looked so cute! They were no being cooperative so we didn't get any good pictures of them together. It seems like holiday pictures have been taken with either Nick or I holding the girls. For some reason they just don't want to have their pictures taken when they are looking the cutest. I don't mind though because that way we get some great pictures of them with Daddy.

Easter

2009-04-17T22:10:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we took the girls to an easeregg hunt. I don't think Ellie really understood what we were going to do but she sure was excited. In the car on the way she said, "I can hardly wait! I'm so excited." When we got there we had a few minutes before it started so we decided to do pictures with the Easter Bunny. Ellie was estatic to see the bunny and ran right up to have her picture taken. Alexis was terified! She didn't want to be anywhere near the bunny. When the egg hunt started Ellie took off and started gathering her eggs. Alexis wouldn't let me put her down. She just snuggled on my shoulder. After a while Nick was able to coax her down and she slowly filled her basket one handed, the other hand held onto to Daddy tightly. When it was time to go she actually got upset, apparently she wasn't done yet!

Smelling Face

2009-04-08T15:20:00.000-07:00

While my Mom was cooking dinner last week my Dad was hodling Alexis. They were in the kitchen and he asked her if she could smell dinner. She is really into imitating so after watching my Dad smell she wrinkled up her little face and blew air out her nose. It was hilarious! She doesn't do it often and I finally was able to catch it on camera.

My Best Friend

2009-04-08T13:03:00.000-07:00

The other night Ellie was being very stubborn and after asking her five times nicely to stand up so I could dress her, I lost my cool and yelled at her. She started to cry then looked me in the eyes, gave me a kiss, said she was sorry and then told me, "mommy your my best friend". I of course melted at that point, all anger was gone and just laughed. Your my best friend too Ellie!

Pony tails

2009-03-17T14:51:00.000-07:00

Lexie had her first pony tail today. I have been waiting a very long time to be able to do something with Lexie's hair. It was a stretch I admit to get a pony out of her hair. It was very little and half of it was elastic. It is just one of the things I love about being the Mom to girls. Pony tails, hair bows, painted nails, dresses, ruffly socks, patent leather shoes, the color pink, oh how I love having girls!

Once There Was A Snowman

2009-03-09T13:16:00.000-07:00

Ellie and Nick went out today to play in the snow. Ellie got to build her first snowman ( She later named him Chester).

This Little Piggy...

2009-03-09T13:04:00.000-07:00

Was mad she didn't get to go out and play in the snow.

Why Oh Why...

2009-03-05T13:45:00.000-08:00

Won't she sleep in her crib? We bought a second crib last year for Alexis. She loves to play in it, she will not sleep in it. She stands up and screams as if someone was hurting her if I put her in there at bed time. She would much rather sleep in the porta-crib. I never thought it would be such a challenge to get the girls to share a room. Lexie really needs to move out of the closet and into her crib! Anyone have any wonderful advise to share? I think I need to write Super Nanny, maybe she can teach my girls to share a room.

Her nice, soft, comfortable, spacious crib, complete with toys and an aquarium.

The small and hard bottomed porta-crib she prefers.

Girls New Toy

2009-03-05T13:42:00.000-08:00

A wonderful person in our ward gave our girls a kitchen set. It was her daughters and she outgrew it. I don't think they have played with much else since they got it. A huge thank you Emily and Addie! It was so generous and thoughful of you. They love it and tell everyone to come over and see it.

Taking a sick day

2009-03-05T13:27:00.000-08:00

I should really say a sick two weeks. We have had colds, ear infections, and the stomach flu all at the same time. I am very grateful everyone is better now and that is over! Neither of the girls had much energy and they just laid around watching T.V. I made them a bed on the couch. It was cute to see them together sitting there watching Caillou. (Although I have to admit I am really tired fo watching Caillou now)

1 Year Pictures

2009-03-05T13:24:00.000-08:00

I love the pictures we got taken for Alexis' one year pics. The quality of these aren't as clear as they could be. My scanner isn't working so I just took a picture of the picture, that's why they look a little blurry.

Happy Birthday

2009-02-23T14:12:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Nick! I'm a few days late, sorry. We love you !

A story to tell

2009-02-20T22:15:00.000-08:00

After dinner today I ran out to Wal-Mart with Alexis. We quickly did our shopping and when we got out to the car it wouldn't start. I figured all I needed was a jump start and everything would be fine. A friend of mine was at Sams which is right by Wal-Mart so I called her to ask her if she could come help me. She showed up about 10 minutes later. While I waited I had the hood up several people came and went from right next to my car and not a single person asked if I needed any help. So when she got there luckily the car next me pulled out and she was able to park right next to my car. When we were about to put the cables on I young guy came out of the store and asked if he could help us. He hooked everything up and it didn't work. Turns out the battery wasn't dead after all. Some one in the parking lot had an alarm system that apparently was on a close enough frequency that is enabled my alarm. We don't use our alarm because the remote broke. So I had no way of disabling the alarm. I called Nick to tell him what was going on and he told me to disconnect the battery. I had no idea what I was doing at this point. A truck pulled in in front of my car and the most wonderful man came and asked if he could help us. So he disconnected the battery and when he reconnected it the alarm started going off. At this point I call Nick again and he says that he'll be right down to help me out. It was then that I realized that he couldn't come help me because I had my keys, which has the only key to the van on it. He is stranded at home, I am stranded at Wal-Mart. I asked him if he knew where the old remote is. If we can find that then we can hope it will work long enough to disable the alarm. No luck there, he didn't know where it was. So at this point we decide my friend will just take Lexie and I home and we'll figure out what to do from there. Then Nick calls me back and tells me to look in the console for the broken remote, it was there. But it had no batteries, so back into to Wal-Mart I went to find batteries, unsure of how exactly I was going to reconnect the battery without any tools. Did I mention while all of this was going on it was already dark. As I was checking out so was the man who was helping us. He thankfully came and reconnected my battery and made sure the alarm had disabled. Finally the car started and my "short" trip to Wal-Mart two hours later finally ended! Thank you nice man who took time to come to my rescue and my best friend in the whole world for staying with me through it!

Tagged: 6 of 6

2009-02-20T22:02:00.000-08:00

OK. So this ones easy.
Rules:
1. go to the document/ my pictures site on your computer
2. go to your sixth file
3. go to your sixth picture
4. blog about it
5. tag 6 people

Eliana from birth to 1 year is my 6th folder. I love this picture! I put her on the couch so I could vaccum and she fell asleep. I miss that little baby so much!

I tag:
1. Melissa
2. Shauntel
3. Sara
4. Sarah
5. Summer
6. Stephenie

A friendly reminder.

2009-02-14T10:58:00.000-08:00

After buckling the girls into their carseats I got the front seat put the car in reverse and began to back out of the parking stall. From the back I hear, "Mommy put your seatbelt on please." After the click of the belt I hear, "Thank you."