Wordless Wednesday - a crack in the snow ;) he he he

...

The funny thing about this, other than the obvious, is that Abby is always the first to point this kind of thing out. She'll say it to me about me, or about other people. Very loudly. In public.

"Mom! That person's BUM CRACK is hangin' out!"

*can't you just hear it?* :)

keep it simple

So, of course I have been stressing over the holiday season. It still seems like it should only be August. I spend too many days in zombie mode that time passes me by. So we hadn't been Christmas shopping yet, and it was 2 weeks away!!! So I cry ... :) of course .... and then we went the next day and got what we wanted for the kids, and it was all good. A couple of ends to wrap up, but nothing worth crying over any more ;) Sheesh. So after all the mood swings, I got a cleaning bug the other day to sort out the toys and piles we have around to make some room for the new coming in. I brought some boxes home from work a few weeks ago (I actually don't remember bringing them, one day JB's asked what was with all the boxes in the garage... oh "I brought them from work" HA!) so I bring a couple in for pile sorting. The kids got ahold of them and here it is.

FREE. No stress. No horns. No buttons. No nothing. Just a cereal box from Winco. This went on for a good 30 minutes.

Merry Christmas

grade school flash back

Remember read-ins?? When you got to wear your pajamas to school and bring your pillow and snacks and read ALL DAY LONG??? What was the point of that? Did the teachers just need a break? Anyways, we rotated out the books in the bookshelf and Ab spent all day over there sorting and "reading" stories.

Then Dax came over and was walking over the books she had sorted and she got mad...

Fun day. Perfect for the snowy cold weather that kept us inside. For a little while at least ;)

Thanksgiving '08

Not very stressful. We went to the church in Kuna and met up with the Hulbert side. Our Brown family were the only ones from the "Petersen" fam. Although, my dad did show up! Anyways, all we had to bring were mashed potatoes(boiled frozen cubed hash browns and then mashed! Thanks hunny!), yummy potatoes(which never got taken out of the warming oven at the church) and 2 gallon bags of cookies.(1 1/2 came home). There was so much food!! I didn't have to work that night, so I was well rested. Well, at least rested ;) JB surprised me at 11 with wanting to take the fam photo that I have been bugging him about for weeks. I'm not sure why we take it on the back steps, but here we are...


I got an e-mail about being thankful that has sorta stuck with me. It was about all the blessing that we don't always think about. Like being thankful for a large heating bill because then we were warm. Having a house payment because it means we are not out on the street. The grocery bill because then we have food... all those things that are a burden, but our blessings as well. Having a job, because it means that I can still get up and work...

Today, and everyday, I am so very grateful for my husband and the man that he was when we got married and the wonderful partner, friend, and daddy that he has become for me, and for our beautiful family. We all adore him.

----------------------------------------------------------------

~ Saturday Nov 29th

We (JB, Tom, Dax, Abby, me) did some errands today.

me: Are we going to Cabela's? (as we pull in down towards Best Buy)

Ab: Yea! Let;s go to Cabela's! We can look at the fish

*pulling into parking spot by Best Buy with the intention of shopping our way towards Cabela's

Ab: No, not this store! Cabela's! Come oonnn! *with that tone of -come on, you know what I want!-

We all started laughing!!! it was hilarious. I am so grateful for that little girl. That, by the way, is fighting to be 4. Don't even tell her that she is 3!

Just now

Sid the Science Kid is on TV. Dax wakes up and just wants out of his crib so he can grab his binki that he chucked on the floor a few minutes before. He wanders out into the living room. "Deee!" His word for anyone in the family that he is excited to see. Abby pats her lap. "Come 'ere Bubba! Good Morning!" He goes to the couch and...

Abby: Whoa Bubba, you're big! Mama! Dax grewed!

Me: Yup, he's growing. Just like you.

Dax: Whoa

Wordless Wednesday

Well, not quite wordless. I took this the other day. Just appreciating the kids, and how big my little 1 1/2 and 3 1/2 year olds are getting. Feeling guilty that I'm mean zombie mom a lot of the time, and hoping that in the weeks to come I can be more thankful for the time and energy that I do have with them. And Jb has been rockin' on doing the dishes! What zombie mom wouldn't be grateful for that!??!

in case you are wondering...

Yes. I did actually fall off the face of the planet. I made my way back and will hopefully post something soon. I mean- at LEAST some Halloween pics, right??! lol

Dax's Words

These wont be in order, and lately he's willing to say everything....at least once ;)

Mom

mommy

mama

and lately Anna

dad

daddy

ya ya is what he called Abby

and about a month ago he started saying Abby

drink

eat

pee

gra-pa

gra-ma

rusty

aunt

dog

cat

woof woff

meow

moon

sun

oo oo ah ah (for monkey)

Wordless Wednesday - Mommy and Me

round and round he goes!

Oct 2, 08 - Well the little man figured it out! He's messed around on it before, mostly just standing on it to reach something else, but I guess he saw Ab do it enough that he decided to try it. It's the new fav!

da plane! da plane!

So we finished dinner and JB said something about going somewhere. Ab says she wants to go to Aunt Julies house. I say all excited "Aunt Julie and Uncle Jim are on an airplane flying to Jamaica to get married!!!! Yeah!!!" "I wanna go!!! I wanna ride on the airplane!" she says. So I start airplaning around the house. "No mom! In the clouds. Please!" So I pick her up and up over my head. "No the clouds are outside. Please mom! Please can we go on an airplane?!" I tell her we can't, that we don't have money to ride the airplane.

Ab: "I found money in the car! Let's go get it!"

me: "Was it a couple hundred dollars?" :)

Ab: "No. Just one."

me: "we'll need more than one."

Ab: "I've got more money in my piggybank!! Wait I'll go get it!!!"

me *sigh*

Ab: "Here it is mom! Now can we go with Aunt Julie??? Please mom?! Please can we go see Aunt Julie?!" Then Dax got into her craft stuff and she got off the subject.

We love you Aunt Julie! Congratulations on the upcoming day. We will be thinking about you, wishing we were there with our kleenex, barefoot on the beach. Enjoy every minute, rain or shine, and remember how much we love you and Jim. Can't wait to hear all about it. Love you SO much Julie soon-to-be-Martin.

she said it

Yesterday, JB let me sleep longer after the kids got up from nap. When I got up to help with bedtime, Dax had been sitting in some poop for a long time so his junk was all red. JB was letting him run around with no diaper and when I came out, Dax came and sat on my nap. Ab came and sat across from us, lifted up the front of his unsnapped onesie and said all suprised and happy,

"Mom, he's got his penis on!"

The Drop Off

If I don't blog anything else this month, this post will be enough. Abby's first day of PRESCHOOL! It's a co-op one with 4 other girls, so I will host and teach on the 5th time. There's Abby, Sarah Smith, Elizabeth Hawks, Jenna Fullmer, and Sydney Richardson. It's once a week, Thursdays, from 9:30 to 11:30am. Abby has been asking to go to preschool for about a year now. Ever since she found out last year that AJ went. :) So her turn has come around. I felt a little like Marlin taking Nemo to school. "Are you sure you want to go this year? You can just wait until next year??" Not like I was dropping her off to someone I didn't know and then she got taken away to live in a fish tank...(yea it's late and I'm tired), but I was just feeling like- like where have these years gone? My baby girl. She packed her backpack, picked out what she wanted to wear and how her hair was done. Dora and piggy tails of course!

"Preschool! Preschool! Preschool!" jumping up and down

(video - press play)

running up to Sarah's house

Sarah, Jenna and Abby running out to meet Elizabeth

Dax, Hannah and Anna - the future Preschool class :)

I was leaving and Celeste had them all sitting in a circle starting the "microphone" going around to say their names. Abby just passed it to the next girl. As I was pulling out of the driveway Penny Andersen showed up with Nick. Celeste said that Abby played with him most of the time. :) The letter was F. They talked about Friends, singing a friend song in English and then Spanish. Ab was talking about amigos all day. And they got to craft a picture of themselves as a friend. Abby's had a lot of glue with not a lot stuck to it. :) She can't wait for next week. Yeah for PRESCHOOL!!!!

Wordless Wednesday - Maddie, Abby, Colt

dusk

I love that time of night. It just starts to get chilly, and the watching the sunset color the sky. Tonight we headed out around 7 playing in the front yard, and then moving to the back with orange dreamcicles. I grabbed a ball and me and Ab ran around the back yard. "Let's play soccer. I'll run the bases!!" she says as she kicks the ball. She's got her sports mixed up. Or maybe she's playing kick ball without knowing it! :) Then we all jumped on the trampoline until it was too dark. Bubble bath and stories. Time for bed.

hey there

I mowed the yard tonight, and JB hung out with the kids on the back porch and trampoline. Everytime I would mow toward the house I'd look at my little guy, and he'd raise his arm above his head and wave his little hand to me. I'd wave back and some times blow a kiss that would get blown back to me. He's growing up so fast, and is doing it so cutely. :)

DQ

We went to the Mary Mac school park this afternoon because it's not too hot out there, and since Aunt Flo is in town we went to Dairy Queen for a Heath Blizzard and some treats :) LOL

I asked Ab to go inside and wash her hands, and when I came in with Dax I heard the bathtub running. Sometimes when there is no stool by the sink she'll use the tub instead. Kinda funny.

Wordless Wednesday

flash back

I know that I have seen a picture of me like this. Blocks all in a line, hair OUT OF CONTROL and a smile. Like mommy like daughter...

I love to see the Temple

We were driving over the bridge and from the back seat Ab says, "Mom, I see the temple!" a stretched out arm and finger pointing. What a nice day. We went down with the Pyrahs and Mom and Mike to the Twin Falls Temple open house. The kids both slept most of the way down so they were well rested. It was a gorgeous day, and one that will stay with me always. Ab said her favorite part was all the rooms, and AJ said the pool which JB agreed with very quickly :) (baptism font) "And the mural" he said. The spirit was there and Ab said that she felt happy. I'm very grateful for the oppertunity we had to go, and thankful to the Pyrah's for bunching us in the group :) It was a great day, and I'm tearing up even now.

these are all from the back lawn

you scream, i scream, we all scream for...

HOMEMADE ICE CREAM!! I got my family fun e-mail for cool summer treats, and they had a way easy recipe for ice cream. So last night we made some. Here's the recipe:
1 c half and half
2 T sugar
1/2 t vanilla
ice
1 c rock salt
So you put sugar, half and half and vanilla in a sandwich size ziplocking bag. Then put in into another bag. Then put those into a gallon size bag half filled with ice and large salt. Toss, shake, roll, play catch for about 5 minutes and SNAP! :) Homemade soft serve ice cream. We tossed ours back and forth across the table and then I added some red food coloring that Ab smooshed around for pink ice cream :) HA! What a girl. JB put some chocolate sauce on his. It makes the perfect single serving. It was delicious. We ate it right out of the bag(placing it inside another bag helps to keep the salt taste from tainting the ice cream bag. We skipped this step-I just wiped them off, but didn't do a great job so I got a little salt flavor every so often) We also put 2 ice creams in the one gallon bag so it took a couple more minutes. I think i'll try it with some mint extract next time, and some carmel, and some sprinkles, and some strawberries-ENDLESS POSSIBILIES!!!! Tom came downstairs and asked what the recipe was, and so I told him. Then Ab says, "Then you put it in a bag with lots and lots of ice and play catch, then open the bag, make it pink, and eat it!" :) Reminds me of my Kindergarden hot dog recipe...

-------------------------------------------------------------------

So with work and trying to sleep and enjoy my kids growing up, my blogging has been put on the back burner. I got hired for the graveyard(midnight-8am) part time shift at Winco on the 11th after turning in my application on the 2nd. It was way fast. So once we get into the swing of things around here, I hope to actually get caught up with last months posts, and get current on this months. But if that doesn't happen, it will be known as the missing summer, and we'll leave it at that.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

My Abby's got some imagination. She just came out of her room (again) and told me that there is a fairy on the ceiling fan that won't get out of her room. Last week it was a witch, and before that a monster. So in the closet hangs a "No Monsters Allowed" sign. I walk her back in her room and help her "poof" away the fairy so that it has disappeared. She was content and climbed in bed. Hopefully she's there for the night, because I've got some tired eyes.

Wordless Wednesday - Piano Lessons

Just a note... I've realized that I haven't posted a lot of my pictures, and so I will be going back to those days and making posts, so that it stays in chronological order-ish. Nothing past the 1st of June, but a lot of posts in June. Like the whole Reno trip!!! Anyways, just a note for you readers out there. If there are any. I'm going to be working on it this week. Filling in the gaps of last month :)

let the music roll

So I moved Dax back into his own room last week. I didn't like how I was handling naptime and if they don't have to share a room, I think it's best they don't right now. Maybe when the way we put them down to sleep is more similar... Anyways, so I was rearranging the toys again and Abby grabs a red chair sits down at the chalk board table. "Mom. This is the Pandoe(piano)" I'm then expecting some finger play along the edge. She pretends to roll something in the air... tells me again it's a piano... and then starts stomping her feet. Silly me. It's a pretend player piano. "Just like at Grandma's"

evenings

It gets to be bedtime, but it's really nice outside. We've been going for walks and playing on the tramp. Ab loves to jump around and sing songs and Dax laughs and runs after her. I love this time of night.

Happy 4th of July!

Abby got all jazzed up for the 4th a few days early when we went to the library and she got her own flag and got to walk in a parade around the library. Ab and Dax were waving their flags and marching to the music. It was a pretty cute sight. So when I told her we were going to Grandma and Papa's for a 4th of July party she was all over it. "Are my friends going to be there?" Well some :) I laid the kids down for nap, and had to wake them up at 4:30 to go. We got there and helped get dinner set up. Ab was way to excited to eat, and when the older girls (Molly and her Pyrah cousins) went to play in the back yard, Ab came over "Mom, Dad, can I go play with the girls?!" It was totally cute watching her run around with those girls. JB said he almost didn't recognize her, she just blended right in. We went downtown for the parade and the kids were all excited. Steve's mom Linda told the kids to stay on the crosswalk line. It was hard being on the outside corner. The kids wanted to scoot in all the time. Ab was pretty good about staying put. When people would go by and throw some candy, it was a bit hectic for lil Ab, but Molls was way nice and shared her candy. And Dax just waving his flag. We left a couple minuted early and got in a swing at Grandma's before we changed for swimming. Dax loved the swing. I held him on my lap, and JB had sat on the grass. Something about Daddy getting closer and then farther made him laugh everytime. After swimming it was dessert time, and then they all headed down to Ann Morrison, but we just drove to Meridian(it was already 10), pulled in a parking lot close to the speedway. Ab sat on my lap, and a conked out Dax barley flinched when the BOOM of the fireworks started. Ab covered her ears for a couple seconds, and then loved picking out her favorite colored ones. "No, that one is my favorite!" We took off before it was over, and JB and her went upstairs, snuggled in a blanket and watched fireworks aross the valley. It was pretty great.

*Dax slept through the night! I woke up in the morning, and rose my fists above my head in triumph... JB says, "So that's all we gotta do??" HA!

Poor man's Roaring Springs

Yesterday at church, Celeste said that her and Jen wanted to go to Settlers Park and let the kids run around in the splash pad since it's been so hot. So at 10:30 we loaded up and heading to park and met up with a bunch of other gals and kids from the ward. The water turned on a couple of minutes later, and every single kid that was playing on the equipment was in the water! Dax and Abby both went running for it, and the moment Abby got close enough she stopped. I don't think she got more than a few drops on her. Dax was a little more brave, and definatly more brave if i would hold him and help him reach the water. But what a great time. Ab had fun swinging with Maddie Kiehl and eating lunch with Sarah. I also ran into Sandy and Pat Clayton! Totally fun seeing their kids and catching up with her. We are going to get together next week. So I took my camera, but never got it out. It was hot and exhasting watching out for the kids.
Abby has been asking to go to Roaring Springs and I told her if she earned and saved 500 tickets that we would go. But after today, I'm not paying 20 plus dollars for her to NOT want to play in the water. So for now, we'll stick with the poor man's version :)

Swan Falls

I asked JB about going out there a few months ago, and he said that we should wait until the spring or summer when there is water in the river. So Monday he mentions that him and Wayne are going to BIKE out there for a workout. Oh No You Di-int! Take your buddy out there before we go!! So last night we made the 20 minute, beautiful drive out there. It was totally fun! The dam isn't really much to look at, but the canyon, and plateau, and water! There was a nice big grassy area with picnic tables and huge trees. We went right to the water first and tried to skip some rocks and splash around. Dax wanted to just walk right in. Of course. Then Ab found a stick that instantly was a wand, and it was "Alacazam" this and that. A round of Hide-and-seek and ring around the rosies and we were good. We walked around and then drove around and looked at the rest of the place. More east to the boat launch, and more west to where the "good fishing" was. JB said that is where Cory comes to paintball. It was a good spot with HUGE rocks to hide behind. It would be fun to take out hiking shoes and explore. Ab kept asking how we were going to get out. The rock walls were tall :) A place I'd definitely want to go back to. Have a nice picnic and play in the water.

"It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting." -The Alchemist

gotta go!

We had dinner at the Chandlers with the Rumseys tonight. There were 6 boys and Abby. She had a blast. All the kids ate really good, and then either were playing outside or upstairs. Dax and Jed hung around with us. Dax was so great. And Ab was being a great friend. So we start playing Scum, and the kids are in the backyard. We were inbetween rounds and I look out and see Abby's naked bum and a wet pant leg. She had pulled down her panties and pants and went potty in the yard!!! We had done this quite a few times on the road trip down to Reno, and we did it the other night in our yard, but to see her pulling up her pants after peeing in their grass was a little embarassing! But, at least she took the time to stop and do it instead of just peeing in her pants :) I borrowed some shorts and went and helped her change. "Hey, mom!", she says when she sees me come out to the back yard. "I went potty in the grass." Yup Ab. I know. She didn't even mind the wet pant leg, she was having so much fun. Funny coming from a girl that gets a drop of water on her shirt and needs to change...

what was i thinking?

We've been talking about moving the kids into the same room. They did pretty good in Reno, and well, I guess I got a rearranging bug yesterday because I moved Dax in with Abby. She was way excited about it, and we got it done in time to have a test run at nap time. It went pretty well, but last night was no good. I think he was just not sure where he was, and it didn't smell the same or something. He woke up 3 times and 2 of them, I don't think Ab woke up. The 3rd time she was telling the he needed a bottle and a new diaper :) good instincs. Today's nap was good, and tonight didn't take as long to get him down. We'll see how the next 10 hours go...

Now heading outside for the moon rise

Garden adventures

June 16, 2008. So, we decided to transplant all the window plants to a spot in the backyard that Rocky came and tilled up for us. It's out there by the well pump. From the seeds that we planted on Earth Day, we ended up with a zuchinni, cantalope, mini pumpkins, tomatos, and beans that were growing beans on them! That's when you know it's time to plant outside :) So JB got an irrigation system started and Ab helped me plant a row of corn, and a few packets of flowers that got strewn about. She had a great time using the hose, and Dax was in dirt heaven. At one point the mud just got too much for him.

Happy Day!

This year, Father's Day felt like it snuck up on me. Wasn't it just Christmas? And it seemes like JB's birthday was yesterday. It's just been crazy around here. But I got the picture done on time. I LOVE how it turned out, and it was totally fun to look at last years 3 week old Dax and two year old Ab with her short hair. I'm pretty sure I saw a tear from JB :) It was a fun day of making cookies and playing "Tag you're it".

BUNKO BABY!

We hosted a couples bunko night on Friday. I borrowed tables and chairs from everybody, and made a million phone calls to get enough people here, and it was AWESOME!!! It's going to be a regular thing, every 2nd Friday. I'm way excited, and JB had a good time, and I got to know some people better. It was our first offical non-related babysitter experience. I called Heather Hamblin from down the street, and she watched them at her house. I took them down there in the wagon with drinks and snacks and toys. Heather called at 8:45 saying Dax had been crying for 15 minutes after he ate everything in site and drink 2 bottles. :) I left the party and went and picked both of them up. He stopped crying the second I held him. Mama's boy! Ab had a great time playing with Janae's little girl Liberty. Ab is only a couple months older. So, all in all, at good fun night. Can't wait until July! I think that I'll try out another babysitter between now and then, so he gets used to other people :)

My blessings, my favorites, my memories

So I was looking around the blogging world during nap time instead of making dinner, and read Lacey's (Hulbert) blog, and her 100 list. I remembered Whit doing one, and so in my dip on the roller coaster of emotions that is my day, I challenged myself to complete the list. :) Here goes!

1. I love to laugh - JB and the kids help me with that everyday

2. I like my new short hair. It makes me feel sassy

3. Music totally changes my mood

4. I'm definitely a list maker

5. I like watching Abby work on a project

6. I'd rather be outside

7. I miss massage, but there is a time and season for everything

8. Jeramiah is my best friend. I love him like a fat kids loves cake

9. I really do love being a mom

10. I rewrite my grocery list everytime, so that it goes in order of the way I go through the store.

11. I do NOT do scary movies

12. I love doing sewing projects. I'm getting better at making time to do them. Plus I'm totally a fabric junkie

13. I like Dave Matthews Band, John Mayor, Michael Buble, Jack Johnson...

14. We have not used a babysitter that isn't family. Ever. And Ab just turned 3!

15. I can't wait to go camping!!

16. I want to be better organized

17. I love the rain

18. My favorite candy bar is 100 Grand

19. I love squatting down with my arms open and watching Dax run towards me with arms open too. And then having him pat by back while we hug.

20. My favorite thing that Ab says is "I lub you too mom"

21. I think the last time I wore nail polish was at our wedding

22. I played the alto saxophone from 5th grade until 12th. 8 years. I can still play "Mary had a little lamb"

23. I've really enjoyed the Book Club cluster group

24. I can't wait to get our garden going

25. I wouldn't mind moving out of state for a while. I think it would be fun to "go and visit family" more.

26. If my husband took the kids on a vacation for a week, leaving me at home, I think that I would sleep the entire time.

27. I was Seminary Vice Pres my senior year in high school

28. I'm reading the Book of Mormon again for a ward challenge

29. I love water. Rain, ocean, rivers, ponds, baths, showers, pools...

30. I like to vacuum

31. My favorite color is turquoise

32. I like to bake

33. I haven't ridden my bike since we moved in 2 years ago :(

34. I love going for walks. Once the kids are older, I've got big plans for hikes.

35. I don't wear any jewelry except my wedding and promise ring

36. I like doing puzzles

37. I have a very handsome husband

38. I love watching Dax discover new things

39. I don't like the tantrums

40. My favorite ice cream is Mint Chocolate Chip from Albertsons

41. I love that I proposed first

42. I would like to learn to play the guitar

43. I love playing at the park with the kids

44. Ab looks a lot like me now

45. I like making things with my hands

46. I like when me and Ab are "us girls"

47. I like watching movies up stairs with family and friends, and snuggling with JB

48. I like to have a schedule

49. I like writing things in my planner :)

50. I still have my first doll. Polly

51. I don't like doing the dishes

52. I grew my bangs out the summer after my junior year, so that i could play in the rain with out messing up my "do"

53. I loved being prego

54. I'm glad that I have my sisters

55. I like to wear the color red

56. I like to be on time, if not early. I do not like being late

57. I love containers. Baskets, cups, boxes, buckets, trays, bottles, jars.... yeah

58. I like to drive. ROAD TRIP coming our way

59. I like sunrises

60. My favorite show is The Office

61. I would love to take a cruise as a couple before taking one with the kids

62. I love that JB built this house

63. I wake up to either Ab tapping me, or Dax letting me know he's ready to get out of the crib

64. I love photographs, photography

65. I main pair of shoes are my flip flops

66. When I was growing up, we ate popcorn almost every night

67. I like seeing Ab wearing something I made

68. I like the smell of chlorine

69. I like the way the lawn looks after being mowed, and love JB for doing it

70. I love amusement parks!!!!

71. I like making thank you cards

72. The Kuna library probably isn't the closest, but they know who we are there-and I like that

73. I sleep on my stomach

74. If I dyed my hair, it would be red ish

75. I check my e-mail way too many times a day

76. I like playing board games

77. I saved the card from the first bouquet of flowers JB sent me

78. We celebrate Valentines day in May

79. I liked Math in school

80. My favorite "Abby" movie is Meet the Robinsons

81. I like going geocaching

82. I spend many a late night watching movies on Netflicks

83. I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Church is a little crazy with 2 kids, but Ab loves nursery

84. I like picnics

85. I collect journals :) I just like the fresh pages and possibilites.

86. I enjoy hard work

87. My favorite book is Waiting for Birdy. It was the first book I related to as a mom

88. My favorite number is 22

89. For a couple of years now, I've wanted to move back to Nampa

90. I am very proud of my husband

91. I love listening to the rain - playing in it is even better

92. Kite flying is a must activity Feb- April

93. My favorite quote lately is "Life's not about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain"

94. I'm surprised at how blonde I can be sometimes

95. I like that I've come from a big extended family. I love all my in-law family too

96. I like making bread and cookies

97. I love when I get the spring cleaning bug, and through out all the stuff i've been pack-ratting

98. I cry ... a lot

99. I love campfires

100. I love my family. Here's to our journey together Jeramiah, Abby and Dax. you have my heart

what's in a name?

Ab has a little pink plastic case that came with one of her dolls that she was using today to hold bandaids. It has a picture of a bear on the top and says "BABY WIPES". This afternoon she brings it over and says, "Look mom! This has my name on it! See?, there's an A - B - B - and Y!" Right you are Abby.

I'll huff and I'll puff !

Scott and Celeste Smith were loading up their packed house, getting ready for the move tomorrow, so Sarah came to play for the afternoon. I'm pretty sure those girls played with everything in the house! They started out drawing and putting stickers all over, to fort building - eating a snack inside and playing "Three little pigs" where I was the big bad wolf. :) then they played around with the cars, driving around the house to the "dentist, grocery store, and gas station" while I made lunch. It was mac and cheese and Sarah was telling me she doesn't like mac and cheese. "Only my mom's that she makes". But after a couple of minutes of watching Ab scarf her's down, she digged right in. They headed outside to jump on the trampoline with their baby dolls, and a couple of bouncy balls. Dax was having a great time on the porch swing, so the girls wanted to join him. It was pretty cute. They kept kissing him on the cheeks. They came inside and played with the tunnel and did tetter totter on the blue swing and then went to Ab's room for dress up. Every so often during the afternoon, one or the other would come say to me, "We're good friends." It was fun having them get along so well. It was getting past nap time for Dax so I laid him down, and came out to find Scott had already loaded Sarah up. It was a pretty fantastic play date. I look forward to doing it again.

tut, tut, looks like rain

This is some great March weather we are having. Lots of rain and evening storms with thunder, lightning, and the occasional hail downpour. But,wait! It's the end of MAY!! Here's Dax standing on the chalk table eating a carrot and watching the rain come down. He liked when I opened the window after it calmed down a bit.

We were shopping at Winco today, and I bought some carrots. D was getting restless so I gave him one to crunch on, and he carried it around for the rest of the day rubbing it into his gums.

Here's Ab playing Memory. She likes finding all the princesses and then animals. I think she knows the names of all the characters, and there are a LOT of cards. For a while there she was making her bed before she came out of her room, and as soon as she saw me she wanted to get dressed. Now, she'll stay in her jammies as long as I let her - bottoms optional :)

explain it to daddy

It stormed yesterday evening while we were driving to grandmas for a BBQ and some swimming. Ab asked why it was raining.
JB: To give the trees and grass a drink
Ab: What?!
JB: The rain is a drink for the grass and trees so they can grow
Ab: No Dad! They can't drink!
JB: Why not?
Ab: They don't have mouths!!!

Dax had a birthday, shout hooray!

Well, our little guy survived his big sister and made it to his first birthday!! We had a fun day doing usual stuff and then after dinner, Dax opened his presents. There are a lot of pics so I made a slide show. We got him a little pool, mom got him some shoes, and dad helped me get him a Little Tikes Cozy Coupe car. It took him about an hour, but then he was climbing in and out on his own. It's funny when he goes to the side that doesn't have the door, and he'll reach across and pull himself in. He's only figured out how to go backwards, so when he runs into something and can't go anymore, he'll just get out. It's been a ... a... a hard thing for Ab. She wants the car, because, well what 3 ear old wouldn't want there own car?! Started to think that I should have gotten 2 :) But it's getting better. Sometimes the turns they take are shorter than others, but we'll get there. We brought Abby's bike in from the garage so that she could ride around on that while Dax rode in the car, but she's still not haveing any part in that bike since the crash. I'm thinking that I need to get her an actual trike. She'll ride the ones in the stores, but she thinks that her bike is too big and it's scary. I can understand. Anyways, then last night we had the family over for cake and ice cream. Dax had been in a needy mood all day, taking weird naps and he had not slept too good the night before. I couldn't really get him to eat anything, and was a little worried about having so many people over. But as soon as they came, he was his happy little self. I cut off a square of the chocolate cake and badly frosted it, sprinkling sugar on it in the shape of a D. Striped him down to his diaper and sat him in his chair while everyone sang. I got the tray in place with the cake and lit candle on it, and he grabbed the flame- but didn't get hurt. I helped him blow out the candle and he started to fuss. He didn't really get into it until I gave him a spoon!! HA!! It was pretty cute. It was a lot of cake, and he ate a good chunk of it. Then we opened presents, and headed outside to play with the sprinkler Aunt Julie gave him. He stayed back laughing at it while Molls and AJ ran through. Of course Ab was keeping her distance. Then we just hung out and the kids played in the fountain. Everyone headed home. We came inside and Ab says, "I like parties!" Me too Ab. Me too.

Here's some stats on the little guy:

-getting better at eating solids. likes green beans, crackers, hot dogs, cereal, puffs, BREAD CRUST, ham, beans, chips. not a fan of fruits.
-loves the bottle. likes the sippy cup
-champ at walking, climbing, and rocking on the blue horse
-says "dada" and "mama" and sometimes something that sounds like "hi"
-loves to give Ab hugs, and open mouth kisses
-would probably love to become a fish so he could always be in the water
-has been wearing 12 month clothing for the past 5 months
-likes being outside, rain or shine
-still no more hair than he was born with
-likes to read books with big sister