We're Baaaaack!

We were gone for so long, but we are finally back and things are normal. The kids and I had a blast in St. George and I had so much fin with all the Oregon girls and I even got to fly to Phoenix to see my best friend. It was hard to leave the kids at the in-laws without Tim there, and to make it even harder, I got a call right before I got to the airport to go to Phoenix that Dustin had to get stitches in his forehead!! He was playing on the playground and smacked his head on the rock structure after he ran around a corner. I guess he only cried for a minute and then he wanted to go play some more with blood gushing out of his head, but grandma and grandpa took him to Urgent Care to get stitched up. And my little man didn't even cry once! He wasn't scared or anything. Six stitches later, he was rippin around like nothing even happened. It was so hard for me to not be there with him, but they assured me he was fine and to go on my trip. So this is Dustin's first big owie! (The first of many, I'm sure)
What a little toughie! Other than that little mishap, we had so much fun. It was sunny and 70 degrees in St. George and it got up to 90 when I was in Phoenix! It was so great to see Chelsea and Tara (miss you guys!) and it was really nice to have a little break at Kimmy's house. She let me sleep in and took me out to eat everyday! It was so great to see her and her family. I have to give a big thank-you to my in-laws because they spoiled us rotten and got me and the kids tons of new clothes and toys. And thanks to Jen, who squeezed me in to cut and color my hair. Do you guys like me as a dark brunette??

A big thank-you and I love you to my hubby, who cleaned the house, painted and redecorated our bedroom, changed all the sheets, and shampooed the carpets while we were gone. Do I have the best guy or what?? I missed you so much babe!

I have to give a huge shout-out to my girl Ann, for helping me SO MUCH on our flight home. She just so happened to be riding our same flight back home and she helped me with our luggage and carried the kids, and then when our plane had to be redirected and we had to get on a different plane, she switched seats so we could sit together and entertained my kids the whole 3 hours we were stuck at the airport and on the plane. Heavenly Father blessed me so much and I felt so grateful to have a friend who was willing to go above and beyond to help me. I love you Ann!!!

It was so great to have a little break but I am very happy to be back home. I have tons more updates that I'll post soon. Missed you guys!

6th Folder, 6th Picture...

My sis tagged me and the rules are that you have to open your 6th folder and post the 6th picture inside that folder and say a little about it. So...this is my sisters high school grad at Tuachan School for the Performing Arts in St. George, UT. For those of you who don't know, I grew up with a family of gypsies. This is my family and my awesome Grandma. This was such a tough year for all of us. I think we all were bawling in that picture. My sis had spent her senior year alone without family (except for my crazy aunt) and Tim and I had just moved from St. George to Florence to help my Mom work things out with my Dad. Yeesh. But Rachel did great at that school and had an awesome duet she sang at her grad ceremony. I feel like I look way younger in that picture than I do now. (Can 5 years and kids really age you that bad??!!) If any of you ever get a chance to see a performance at the Tuachan ampitheatre, take it!! It's all outdoors nestled in the red rock. It's beautiful. I love outdoor performances.
Rummaging through my folders also made me realize how horribly disorganized our pictures are! Does any one else have this problem?? I have a husband who likes to label folders things like, "Dustin Playing" or "Our Vacation" or "Pictures of the Mountains". Um...Hel-looo...how am I supposed to know how old Dustin was or what he's doing in any of those pictures or which Disneyland vacation it was or what the heck mountains he's talking about??!!!?? He's recently gotten better and made me a promise to try and be better organized as far as our computer files go, but we've already got so many pictures that I feel like it's impossible to try and put them all in chronological order! So they just keep sitting in folders that don't make sense. I can't totally blame Tim, because for a long time i didn't even know how to load the pics from the camera onto the computer. I'm pretty technologically challenged since I've become a stay at home mom. And did I ever finish either of the kids' baby books. Why no!-- No I did not. I am also craft deficient. I can't even seem to print pictures and put them in an album. I need some serious help!!!

On another note, I am going to be flying solo with the kids to St. George to visit some friends while the kiddies stay with the in-laws. I need some advice about flying with a 17-month old and an almost 3-year old. The flight is nonstop, but it's a little over 2 hours long. All I can think of is that it's like 2 back to back sacrament meetings by myself!!! Let me know if any of you guys have done this before and what you did to keep your kids entertained.

Nothing to say...

I haven't been writing because I haven't had anything interesting or fun or exciting things happening. My best excuse is that I had really sick kids for almost a month. They got huge sores in their mouths and throats that lasted for a long time. It was so sad. They couldn't eat, they couldn't sleep. They just wanted to be held all day. I started to go kind of crazy with sick cranky kids all day, so when they got a little better I went up to my sisters in Kennewick for 2 days. We watched movies and ate at Red Lobster which I love! A much needed break. Thanks sis.
Lets see...I got a phone call from our adoption worker a couple weeks ago who said that corporate is ready to start the finalization process!! Woo hoo! It shouldn't be too much longer now. As soon as we have a date we can schedule a sealing and she will finally be ours! I'm a little nervous because we have to have a 3 way call with her birth mom tonight to discuss open adoption guidelines. Everyone pray it will go well for us and things will move quickly!
Tim is doing fantastically amazing in his classes and I am so super proud of my husband for being able to work full time, go to school full time, and have a family full time. He has gotten A's in every one of his classes, and still manages to spend time with the kids and take me on an occasional date. Did I mention he is also the ward mission leader? Yeah, my husband rocks.
Dustin is totally and completely potty trained. For a long time pooping was really scary for him. He wouldn't poop for 4 days in a row, and then he would be painfully constipated-- totally not helping my "pooping on the potty is fun" act. But, we persevered, he got over it, and now he poops everyday! I love not changing diapers!! I love the extra moolah too!
Well, I think that's all the updates I have for now. I wish I had something fun and witty to tell you, but what can I say? I'm boring!

Take a picture....

The other day the kids were sitting on the couch watching Imagination Movers. We just love those guys! I think their show is so great. They use their imaginations to solve problems. They call them "idea emergencies." And their music is fantastic! Fun for kids, but hip enough for grown-ups to kinda sorta admit they love it too! Anyway, this song came on called Take a Picture and it's this really sentimental song about taking a picture of all the cool stuff kids do, and how they're growing up so fast. And the chorus has a line that says, these are the days for our memories. I was looking at them, sitting there, with that sweet music playing. And I suddenly became overwhelmed with emotion. Tears streaked down my face as I realized how BIG they are. Dustin is officially wearing underwear, and has done really well on the potty, he debates with me about everything, (I remember posting a while back how great it was that he could talk just enough that I know what he wants, but not enough that everything is a debate...oh yeah, I'm in debate city these days) and he is in love with airplanes, helicopters and cars. He always knows exactly what he wants, (it's never a nap) and he says the sweetest things at the most unexpected times. The other day we were driving in the car and Dustin pointed at me and said, "Mommy, you beautiful" and then he pointed at Tim and said, "Daddy you a boy." I laughed so hard. What a sweetie. One of my favorite things he does right now is wander around singing the ABC's in total disorder. It seems like such a short time has passed since he was cradled in my arms, and suddenly he's independent and so...big. He wants to do everything on his own. His favorite phrase right now is, "I wan to do it by mine-self!" Big emphasis on the self. Audrey is a fun little toddler. She is so beautiful with a sweet soprano voice. She sounds like a little fairy. She has quite the vocabulary. I would guess she can probably say about 50 clear words, which is pretty exceptional for a 16-month-old. Her favorite words right now are, "mine, no, food" and "high chair." She already loves shoes and dresses. She picked out her own Christmas dress because when I held it up to see how long it would be on her, she snatched it from me and walked away saying, "mine, no, mine!" I can't believe how early it starts. There must be something innate in us women. She also loves to give kisses. She probably leans in for a kiss 10 times a day. These are the days for our memories.
Looking at them through tear-stained eyes, I jumped between them on the couch and snuggled them close. I, of course, take tons of pictures. But I don't think pictures will be enough when I'm old and they are grown. I'll want to hold them and see them in their beds asleep. I'll want to pick them up and snuggle them on the couch. I'll want to chase them and listen to them laugh. There are some days it feels like having kids at home won't end soon enough, but there are many other days that I wish it could last forever.

Resolutions...

Christmas ended up not being so lonely after all! My sister and her husband came down from WA and surprised us Christmas eve, and both my mom and dad came to our house Christmas day. It was kinda fun, hosting Christmas for the family. I remember being little and loving having holidays at our house with lots of friends and relatives. I think my kids probably feel the same way because they loved all the extra attention and goodies. I was so thankful this year, probably more so than I ever have been, for all that we have. I'm so thankful for a husband who loves me, 2 beautiful, healthy, kids. I'm so grateful Tim has a job during these unstable times. I'm so grateful for our home. So many have lost their homes. I should never complain about maintaining my home, what a blessing to have one! I think the number of people in need this year was bigger than it has been in the past. I've heard some tragic stories about people and families not able to make ends meet. I felt a twinge of guilt when my kids started opening up their presents. I felt like I should have done more to help others, that I didn't really look to find those in need. In that moment, I resolved to give more of what I have this year. Since we've been married, I've felt as though we've had little to give. I was always one of those "if I had I would give," people. But we have been so blessed and many are struggling far worse than we. I think I can officially throw that excuse out the window. So please everyone, if I start to complain and get a little selfish, remind me that I put it out there for the whole blog world to witness, that I am going to try, try, try, and be more self-less. Happy New Year to you all!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! This time of year always get so busy with activities and party's and presents, I just wanted to leave a quick little note to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas. I hope your testimonies are renewed and the Spirit touches your heart. It's going to be a lonely Christmas at our house this year. No family is coming to visit us, and we're not traveling to be with family or anything, so if anyone out there is lonely too, come on over! The more the merrier! I'm also on the lookout for good Christmas family traditions. One tradition that Tim's mom does is buy everyone a set of Christmas pj's that they open Christmas eve and everyone puts on Christmas jammies and has a pajama party. I thought that would be a fun one to carry on. So if you have any good ideas, write me a post!

Battle of the Buldge...

I've had this ongoing battle ever since we got back from vacation. It's me vs. the scale and the scale is winning. No matter how hard I try I can't beat it! The number stays the same! I'm not one of those people who constantly worry about weight, and I am definitely a pro-eater of all foods, but none of my jeans fit! My "fat" jeans have gotten a little tight, and my "skinny" jeans (0r fasting jeans as I like to call them) won't even button up! I'm not writing this for sympathy or using some warped method to get compliments, it's just so baffling that a woman can spend hours at the gym, eat nothing but salad, and only lose 2 lbs. While a guy could do the same thing for the same amount of time and lose like, 17 lbs! Why does it have to be so hard??? I keep on wishing there was some sort of weight loss judge that could grant me clemency. The judge would say something like, "Well---I've noticed you haven't been able to turn down chocolate cake, and you seem to be a carb-addict, but I've decided to grant you 5 lbs in weight loss anyway." And with a wave of his hand, my 5 lbs would be gone and my scale would stop laughing at me. Sigh, if anyone does anything that works without the use of a weight-loss judge, let me know.

In other news, I've gotten to do all kinds of fun stuff lately. Tim and I got free tickets to the Duck football game last Saturday with my Dad and his girlfriend. We had a free parking pass, so we got to barbecue burgers before the game and everything! We'd never been to a Duck game before so it was super-fun to see everyone in their Duck gear and hear how loud it really is. We screamed our heads off and gave high-fives after every touch down. We won, the weather was perfect, and it was the last home game, so it was even more fun! Here's a pic of Tim and I living it up at Autzen.
Let's see, I saw the new Bond movie which was pretty good. Action packed, but slower paced than the first one. We took my Mom out to Olive Garden for her birthday which is always a good time for me because (as mentioned earlier) I love food! We had a farewell party for my brother who moved in with my Grandma in Calgary. Miss ya Ty! We had a movie night at home with all kinds of snacks and beef sandwiches and watched Kung-Fu Panda. Cute show. We also tried a new place called Chicken Bonz in Springfield. It was really good! Kids eat free and the chicken is sooo tasty. Try it if you haven't! I wonder why it's so hard to lose weight and all of my fun times revolve around food....sheesh

6 years...

On this day six years ago, I woke up to find clouds overhead in the St. George desert. My bridesmaids still didn't have shoes to wear with their dresses, and I discovered that my wedding shoes had been inadvertently packed away in a box, lost in the black hole storage unit. I too, was shoeless. So my Mom, obviously irritated, went to find shoes for us while we went to get our hair done. The hairdresser sighed at my grown-out highlights, muttering some comment about ruining her up-do. She glanced at my unpolished nails and asked me what I planned to do with them. Looking at my blank stare, she rolled her eyes and pulled a set of fake nails out of her pouch. But I didn't care. I wasn't one of those girls who had fantasized about her wedding day since birth. In fact, three months ago was the first time I had ever heard of a color scheme. Highlights, shoes, and nails were all details that any normal bride probably would have obsessed over. I felt kinda sheepish while she applied my shiny new nails, but I really could have cared less. All I knew, was that today, I was getting married to a guy I loved more than life itself.
So when we returned home late from hair and make-up, my already irate mother started to boil over because for some unknown reason, she had scheduled pictures to be taken before the ceremony that we were now incredibly late for. Determined not to let anything bother me today, I dressed as quickly as I could, but fate has a way of pushing irate mothers to new heights. While dressing into my gown, a cut on my thumb got caught and ripped off a scab that put very noticeable dots of blood all over my newly pressed wedding dress. If my mother had boiled over earlier, this was something probably resembling hysterics. I don't remember much, except that we didn't talk on the car ride there and my dress was spot free. But I didn't care. I only wanted to see Tim.
The pictures that were supposed to be taken outside in front of the temple were totally impossible because a flash flood and a monsoon of rain decided to make it's debut for the first time in months. I finally discovered why Flood Street was called Flood Street which you conveniently had to drive down to get to the reception. We also discovered that the wrong address had been printed on the invitations for our reception when people started driving through the flood to the adjacent church a few blocks away. That one kinda frustrated me. But all I really wanted and cared about was holding me tight, smiling at every hurdle. And it's pretty much been that way ever since.
Looking back now, I wish I could do it all over again. I've developed a little more taste for nice hair and color schemes and there's a ton that I would do differently. We couldn't help the weather, but it would have been nice to not have gotten soaked on our wedding day. Maybe that's why so many smart brides choose spring or summer weddings over fall. But, the guy in the tux would still be the same. I would still choose him over everything else. And although the actual day was a semi-disaster, I still look back thinking I was the luckiest bride in the world.

Halloween Fun!

We had a great Halloween! Dustin was a bat, and Audrey was a ladybug. We had a huge struggle trying to get Dustin to put on his costume because he thought it was way too scary. I picked it up at Old Navy thinking it was so cute and also boyish so Tim would approve, but when we tried to put it on him, he started bawling and said it was too scary! We finally convinced him it was a flying pig costume and I warned him no one would give him any candy if he didn't wear a costume, so he willingly put it on for Halloween. They were so cute! Dustin absolutely loved ringing doorbells and saying trick or treat for candy! He thought it was the greatest night ever!

This is the pumpkin that Tim spent like 2 hours carving. (He's very proud of it)

Dustin met up with his friend Davin to hit up some houses. They're holding hands, so stinkin cute!