The Whitings

Rats in the cellar...

2011-02-01T13:26:00.000-08:00

I love this quote from C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity about the process of becoming true Christians:

“We begin to notice, besides our particular sinful acts, our sinfulness; begin to be alarmed not only about what we do, but about what we are. This may sound rather difficult, so I will try to make it clear from my own case. When I come to my evening prayers and try to reckon up the sins of the day, nine times out of ten the most obvious one is some sin against charity; I have sulked or snapped or sneered or snubbed or stormed. And the excuse that immediately springs to my mind is that the provocation was so sudden and unexpected: I was caught off my guard, I had not time to collect myself. Now that may be an extenuating circumstance as regards those particular acts: they would obviously be worse if they had been deliberate and premeditated. On the other hand, surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of a man he is? Surely what pops out before the man has time to put on a disguise is the truth? If there are rats in a cellar you are most likely to see them if you go in very suddenly. But the suddenness does not create the rats: it only prevents them from hiding. In the same way the suddenness of the provocation does not make me an ill-tempered man: it only shows me what an ill-tempered man I am. The rats are always there in the cellar, but if you go in shouting and noisily they will have taken cover before you switch on the light.”

I find that it is easy to love someone when I am filled with the Spirit, someone that I sit next to at the Temple for example. But do I really have charity for my fellowman if I only love those who are kind to me? Certainly not.

I love these verses from Matthew 5:

43. "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

44. "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

45. "That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth crain on the just and on the unjust.

46. "For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

47. "And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

48. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."

I also find that it is easy to serve others when their need happens to be something that I have an excess of, or confidence in. But am I a true Christian if I only love and serve others when it is convenient for me? No. There was nothing convenient or easy about the path that the Saviour walked. If I am to be a Christian, as I profess to be, then I must be willing to follow in His footsteps, which sometimes means doing difficult things.

Slow Dance

2010-11-19T19:46:00.000-08:00

Slow Dance
by David L. Weatherford

Have you ever watched kids on a merry-go-round,
or listened to rain slapping the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight,
or gazed at the sun fading into the night?

You better slow down, don't dance so fast,
time is short, the music won't last.

Do you run through each day on the fly,
when you ask "How are you?", do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed,
with the next hundred chores running through your head?

You better slow down, don't dance so fast,
time is short, the music won't last.

Ever told your child, we'll do it tomorrow,
and in your haste, not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch, let a friendship die,
'cause you never had time to call and say hi?

You better slow down, don't dance so fast,
time is short, the music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere,
you miss half the fun of getting there.

When you worry and hurry through your day,
it's like an unopened gift thrown away.

Life isn't a race, so take it slower,
hear the music before your song is over.

Temple Blessings

2010-08-30T09:16:00.000-07:00

Paul and I joined a monthly Temple babysitting swap with our neighbors and good friends, the Wilsons. We watch their children once each month for them to attend the Temple and they, in turn, watch our children once a month while we attend the Temple. It has now been a few months in this arrangement. It has been such a blessing in my life!

Paul and I had fallen out of the habit of making it to the Temple regularly and rarely attended together even when we did go. Now that we are regularly attending the Temple together I can feel such a difference in our family and our home, and in me personally. We feel happier, stronger, and more united. We feel that we are better prepared to fight off the temptations of the adversary, to avoid the discouragement and stresses of daily living, and to recognize and enjoy the blessings that Heavenly Father has given us.

The Temple helps me to thrive, instead of merely surviving in life. I love the Temple because it allows me opportunities to escape the noise of the outside world and to feel that I am being taught at the foot of the Savior.

R & R...

2010-08-29T13:08:00.000-07:00

The Whiting family week of rest and relaxation continued...

Our family spent this weekend resting and playing at the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs resort in north Phoenix. Even though it is only an hour away from our home, we felt like we were worlds away from our daily stresses and responsibilities.

It was Abby's and Holly's first time ever staying in a hotel so, needless to say, they were pretty excited. They loved hanging out together and exploring a new place.

The hotel has 8 pools and at least as many Jacuzzis so we spent almost our entire weekend just enjoying the water and beautiful weather.

Abby took this picture - she was pretty proud to be able to work the camera all by herself. (Please excuse the shiny sunblock look)

The pools had just the right amount of shallow and deep water for the girls to play. They enjoyed being able to walk in and out of the water without any help. There were also waterfalls and fountains for them to splash in while in the pool.

They especially loved bringing their giant crocodile in the pool to ride on. They made a lot of new friends and enjoyed riding around with the other children on the "Crocodile Express". Abby pretended to be Ariel from The Little Mermaid and even planned to marry one of the boys at sunset. Paul and I had a serious talk with her about how she needs to finish, or at least start, school before she gets married. :)

The girls were picking purple flowers to put in their hair when I asked them to smile at the camera. They loved being near the waterfalls and flowers.

All in all it was a wonderful weekend and we all left feeling rejuvenated and relaxed and, most importantly - just a little more thankful for the wonderful blessing we call family.

First Whiting Family Camping Trip

2010-08-26T08:18:00.000-07:00

We went camping on Monday and Tuesday at Cave Springs camp site in Sedona, AZ. It was my first time ever camping (besides Young Women's) and our family's first trip camping together. We had a blast and plan to do it more often! We have more family fun planned today so for now I only have time to post some pictures.

The first few pictures are of us setting the tent up in our kitchen for a trial run. We had dinner and scripture study in the tent. Then there are a few random pictures of Abby making her talent show poster, Holly trying on her new Princess shoes, and Abby on her way to a sleepover at Grandma Whiting's house. Then the last set of pictures are from camping this week. :)

Or you can go to this LINK to see our pictures.

Poem from Yesteryear

2010-08-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

I came across a poem I wrote on November 23, 1997, which would have made me 15. I remember the night that I wrote it. The words just tumbled out on the page without any effort.

"I don't know what I want and I can't find what I need.
Somewhere deep inside of me is a hunger I can't feed.

I've tried so long and hard to remove all of this pain,
but there isn't enough sunshine to take away the rain.

It seems as though life's loneliness is far too much to bear.
On this Earth peace and happiness are becoming so rare.

But through all this darkness, a glimmer of Hope appears.
The light of Christ shines in my life; My desperate cry He hears.

I want to share this joy I feel with all who seek the truth.
I'll use the Spirit felt in their hearts to serve as my proof.

All the confusion of the World now disappears from mind.
The love and peace I've searched for is no longer hard to find.

Now when I'm all alone and think that no one cares,
I begin to feel His love for I know He hears my prayers."

Learning to Listen...

2010-08-12T15:44:00.000-07:00

I just had a very honest and tug-at-my-heart kind of conversation with my 4 year old, Abby. I was finishing some work on the computer and Abby was chattering away in the background. I was talking back with her, but not focusing or paying much attention to what she was saying. Then I realized how distracted I was and how rude I was being to her, so I walked over to where she was playing at her doll house. I sat down in front of her and took her face in my hands and said, "I'm sorry that sometimes I am too busy to listen to you. I am trying to learn how to be a better listener and I'm sorry." Then she just smiled at me and said, "But Mommy, you are being a good listener right now." I laughed, and said, "Yes but I need Heavenly Father to help me better." And she said, "Yes, He will help you and Jesus and the Holy Ghost and Angels. And I will help you because I am your daughter and I always listen to what you say."

I have tender moments like these every day. I am so blessed to have two sweet little girls to spend my days with, who are patient with me and willing to help me be a better person. I learn just as much from them as they learn from me, if not more. They are my little Angels, sent to me from Heavenly Father to remind me of everything that is important in life and to give me the courage to abandon everything that is unimportant.

As part of my goal to listen better, I have removed distractions such as the internet on my phone, facebook, and reading other people's blogs. I want to listen better to my children, my husband, and the Spirit. I have already noticed a huge difference in my life and I am excited to make further changes.

"Stay-cation" May 2010

2010-07-31T21:11:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know this is super late but here is a slide show with some pictures of the fun we had for our "Stay-cation" in May. We had a blast!

Or you can click on this link: Picture Album

Slip 'n' Slide

2010-07-28T15:54:00.001-07:00

We played on our slip n slide for Family Home Evening a couple of weeks ago. It was a lot of fun! What's summer without some pictures of fun in the water?

The girls couldn't quite make it down the water way on their own so Paul and I gave them a push - you can see Paul's feet in the background because he had just launched Abby.

Believe it or not, in all of my life I had never tried a slip n slide. I was pretty excited about it, but it turns out I'm not great at it. Looks like I'm not cut out to be a baseball player, after all. Sliding in to home base just wouldn't be pretty. I'd probably end up a few feet short and lose the game for the whole team. :)

4th of July

2010-07-28T13:15:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful 4th of July weekend this year. Since the 4th fell on a Sunday we decided to spread the holiday out over the whole weekend. But...My Mom ended up being admitted to the hospital for chest pains and subsequent testing, so our Saturday plans changed a bit and began with a visit to her at Thunderbird Hospital. That was terrible for her because she missed out on our Saturday swim plans at her house, but it was fun for us to get together and visit a bit - my sister, Charissa, and some of her kids (she has 11) visited the hospital at the same time, which was a nice surprise. She lives in Tucson so we weren't expecting to see her there.

My girls love their Grandma, and they enjoyed bringing her some flowers and hugs.

Sunday night we had some friends and family over to our house for dessert and then we headed out to watch the fireworks. We found a park right behind Pacana park, where the fireworks were being fired off. It was the perfect location for us because we avoided the crowds and traffic but still had a great view of the show. We were also close enough to hear all of the booms and bangs that really add to the effect. Thankfully my Mom was feeling better and was able to join us, along with my Dad and sister, Bethany, and her family.

Look at these two love birds! My Mom and Dad enjoyed cuddling while we waited for the fireworks show to begin. No wonder they had 9 children! ;)

As much as I loved the fireworks, I think that my favorite part of that night was before the show when we were all just hanging out on the lawn. We had blankets to lay on, family close by to snuggle and talk with, and a beautiful breezy summer night to enjoy a little star gazing.
It was perfect!

Bethany, Payson, Cody and Kaelyn... Kaelyn really wasn't a fan of the scary bright things in the sky or the loud booming that accompanied them, so they had to leave early. But we loved having them there with us!

We continued the fun on Monday with a BBQ and swimming day with our neighbors and good friends, the Wilsons. We were stuffed with good food and felt blessed with good company. We also let the kids play with some little fourth of July "poppers"...nothing too exciting since everything is illegal in the dusty dry state of Arizona. But we had fun just the same. :)

I cannot end this post without mentioning one of my other favorite moments of this 4th of July - a moment that is much more personal to me. On the morning of Sunday, July 4th I found myself in the same place that I am every other Sunday morning at 9 am - at church. We always begin our meeting with hymns but since it was July 4th we began our meeting by standing and singing the Star Spangled Banner. There is just something so powerful about standing together with fellow Americans, and, in this case, also my brothers and sisters in the Gospel, and singing that patriotic song. I felt moved as I looked around at the congregation, all of us standing and expressing our patriotism and beliefs through the words of that song. I was not the only one with tears in my eyes.

"Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!"

Sports Girl Abby

2010-07-28T02:28:00.000-07:00

We decided to sign Abby up for a community sports class this summer. The class was held every Friday morning at 8 am for 7 weeks. Abby loved playing the sports (Soccer, T-Ball, and Basketball) and also loved getting to play with some new friends. Friday was affectionately labeled "Sports Day" this summer and Abby became our "Sports Girl".

The class for Holly's age group filled up too quickly so she missed out this time. But she was a great cheerleader for Abby and enjoyed sitting on the sidelines watching.

Abby got her own little sports shirt to wear each week, which made her feel pretty important and special. I was amazed at how old she looked with her pony tail, running up and down the field. My little girl is growing up and I couldn't be more proud!

It wasn't as important to me that she learned new skills in sports, although it is a great way to develop coordination and movement, but I thought the class would give her good practice listening to another adult giving directions. I think the "coach" (the teenage boy shown in the picture above, named Jesse) spent more time explaining to the kids how to line up and wait for their turn than he did actually teaching any sports skills. It was pretty frustrating for him, but entertaining for us parents. One time he told the kids to line up single file behind a ball. The kids obviously didn't understand what "line up" meant because they all clustered closely together in a huddled circle around the ball. I had to laugh. By the end of the class, though, the kids had learned important skills like lining up, taking turns, good sportsmanship, and trying their best.

One or two of the other children sort of bullied the other kids around. Not intentionally, I don't think, but they just weren't respectful of others feelings and sometimes ran over other kids in their carelessness. I was so proud to watch Abby try her best and do well, but not forget her manners and kindness in the process. She has such a kind and gentle heart. I am thankful that she got to have this fun experience.

I love Kohls...

2010-06-23T15:04:00.001-07:00

Abby, Holly and I had a fun shopping trip to Kohls today.

We bought for Abby: 2 pairs of jeans, 1 pair of capris, 2 pairs of shorts, 1 shirt.

For Paul: 2 shirts (he wanted some patriotic ones for Independence Day), 4 neck ties (which he doesn't like but they were $2 each so I'll just use them as gifts).

For me: 4 shirts.

2 boys clip on ties for a friend ($1.40 each!!), 4 stainless steel water bottles, 1 mini doodler (for the girls to use at church or in the car), and 1 Barbie convertible for my niece's birthday.

Grand total after Kohls cash: $80. That's an average of $3.33 per item. And my receipt says I saved $310. Not bad, I'd say. :)

2010-04-19T17:20:00.000-07:00

Elder Spencer W. Kimball dispelled the notion that idolatry is a sin of the past that must involve some kind of image or figure.

“Idolatry is among the most serious of sins. There are unfortunately millions today who prostrate themselves before images of gold and silver and wood and stone and clay. But the idolatry we are most concerned with here is the conscious worshipping of still other gods. Some are of metal and plush and chrome, of wood and stone and fabrics. They are not in the image of God or of man, but are developed to give man comfort and enjoyment, to satisfy his wants, ambitions, passions and desires. Some are in no physical form at all, but are intangible.

“Many seem to ‘worship’ on an elemental basis—they live to eat and drink. They are like the children of Israel who, though offered the great freedoms associated with national development under God’s personal guidance, could not lift their minds above the ‘flesh pots of Egypt.’ They cannot seem to rise above satisfying their bodily appetites. As Paul put it, their ‘God is their belly.’ ( Phil. 3:19 .)

“Modern idols or false gods can take such forms as clothes, homes, businesses, machines, automobiles, pleasure boats, and numerous other material deflectors from the path to godhood. What difference does it make that the item concerned is not shaped like an idol? Brigham Young said: ‘I would as soon see a man worshipping a little god made of brass or of wood as to see him worshipping his property.’

“Intangible things make just as ready gods. Degrees and letters and titles can become idols. Many young men decide to attend college when they should be on missions first. The degree, and the wealth and the security which come through it, appear so desirable that the mission takes second place. Some neglect Church service through their college years, feeling to give preference to the secular training and ignoring the spiritual covenants they have made.

“Many people build and furnish a home and buy the automobile first—and then find they ‘cannot afford’ to pay tithing. Whom do they worship? Certainly not the Lord of heaven and earth, for we serve whom we love and give first consideration to the object of our affection and desires. Young married couples who postpone parenthood until their degrees are attained might be shocked if their expressed preference were labeled idolatry.” ( Miracle of Forgiveness, pp. 40–41.)

“Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” ( Matthew 6:21 ).

Testimony of the Book of Mormon

2010-04-16T23:53:00.000-07:00

The Will of God

2010-03-31T13:34:00.000-07:00

The will of God will never take you, where the grace of God cannot
keep you, where the arms of God cannot support you, where the riches
of God cannot supply your needs, where the power of God cannot endow
you.

The will of God will never take you, where the Spirit of God cannot
work through you, where the wisdom of God cannot teach you, where the
army of God cannot protect you, where the hands of God cannot mold
you.

The will of God will never take you, where the love of God cannot
enfold you, where the mercies of God cannot sustain you, where the
peace of God cannot calm your fears, where the authority of God cannot
overrule for you.

The will of God will never take you, where the comfort of God cannot
dry your tears, where the Word of God cannot feed you, where the
miracles of God cannot be done for you, where the omnipresence of God
cannot find you.

~Author Unknown

Payson's Baby Blessing

2010-03-19T17:03:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of March (I think?) my little nephew Payson was blessed in church. Much of my family was able to be there in attendance to witness the special day for the Raue family (my sister, Bethany's family), and we all enjoyed lunch at Bethany's house afterward. Here are a few pictures I took at Bethany's house that day.

We had a lot of fun just hangin' out and spending time together. It isn't often that we get to have this many of us all together at the same time. Wish I would have gotten some better pictures of the whole gang together.

The "man" of the hour...My adorable nephew Payson. He's already grown so much since this picture was taken.

Cody (Payson's proud Papa), Paul, and my amazing Dad

Abby's 4th Birthday

2010-03-19T16:59:00.000-07:00

Abby turned 4 years old on March 5th (yeah, I am late in posting about it). She asked to have a "Belle" party, which gave her and many of her guests an excuse to play dress up.

Abby requested that we play "red light, green light" at her party, one of her favorite games. It was actually very entertaining to watch the kids, even and maybe especially the older kids, race to the finish line.

Abby loved all of the attention that she got and was so excited to have her cousins and friends come over to party with her.

We had a full house and a lot of fun! Thanks so all of the family and friends that joined us for Abby's special day.

Feeding the Ducks

2010-03-19T16:12:00.000-07:00

For Abby's birthday (yeah, a couple of weeks ago), we took her to the park for a little breakfast picnic. Then we fed the ducks and played at the park. It was a beautiful day!

I was surprised how relaxing it was to sit in the warm sun and watch the silly ducks swim and fight for food. I could've stayed there by the water all day!

Paul had the day off so it was extra special that he was able to join us. I love spending time with my family!

Clumsy me...

2010-03-07T20:26:00.000-08:00

On the morning of Abby's birthday last week, Paul and I took the girls to the park to play. It was just some fun hang out time for my family and I. Paul took the day off, so we were able to take it easy and do some of Abby's favorite things.

The girls were laughing while I chased them around the park, pretending to be "Mommy Monster".

I snatched up Abby and continued chasing them around. It was all fun and games until...

I knocked my head in to a bolt on that ledge (the one that my elbow is resting on). Paul didn't see what happened so he just continued snapping pictures while I stood there holding my forehead. I gotta say...it hurt pretty bad. My eyes went starry, my limbs tingly, and my head throbbed.

Ok, so it looks small but it was enough of a head bump to make me feel nauseous and sore the rest of the day. It turned in to a nasty little bump, too.

But it was Abby's birthday so the fun and games went on. Aside from the bump on the head, it was an awesome day! The weather was beautiful and I was with the ones that I love.

God's Little Reminders

2010-01-13T15:55:00.000-08:00

So, the other night I was getting ready for bed and doing one last sweep through the house - turning off lights and making sure the doors were locked. I was tired and anxious to get to bed. When I got to the door in the laundry room that leads out to the garage, I checked that it was locked and turned to walk up the stairs. But something stopped me. I had this feeling that I needed to open the door and make sure that our garage door was shut.

I almost ignored the feeling and walked up the stairs anyway. After all, we rarely open our garage door and there shouldn't have been any reason for the door to be open. But the feeling persisted so I shrugged and opened the door, fully expecting to find the garage door closed as it almost always was. I was so sure that the garage door was closed, in fact, that I only cracked the door open an inch or two - just enough for me to peek out and see the closed garage door. To my surprise, though, when I looked through the crack in the door I could see straight through the garage and out to my neighbor's porch light across the street. Dumbfounded, I swung the door completely open to see that our garage door was actually open. I pressed the button to close the garage, re-locked the door leading in to the house, and walked up the stairs to go to bed.

This experience was so small and uneventful, but it has had a great impact on me. I have thought about it several times since then and it always brings a smile to my face. I believe that it is no coincidence that on the only night that we forgot to close the garage door, I had a burning feeling within me that I needed to check that it was closed. Checking the garage door was not, at least until that night, a part of my regular nightly routine.

I know that God, through His Holy Spirit, whispered to me to check the garage door that night. I don't know what would have happened had I ignored the feeling and left the garage door open all night - perhaps many of our things would have been stolen or perhaps someone would have found the open garage door as an open invitation to break in to our home during the night. Leaving the garage door open could have had catastrophic results...or, nothing would have happened at all. It really doesn't matter. What does matter to me is that God loves me, little insignificant me, enough to remind me to close the garage door.

On a night, just like any other night, God spoke to me in His simple but miraculous way.

Oh, Christmas Tree!

2009-12-28T15:20:00.000-08:00

Abby was a huge helper this year! She loved Christmas and wanted to be a part of all of the fun! Holly was so excited about all of the decorations, too. She would clap and laugh whenever she saw a Christmas tree at a store.

Yes, yes I believe in wearing nerdy hats while decorating the Christmas tree. I actually got this hat for Paul last year but he made me wear it - who could blame him?!? lol The hat didn't stay on my head very long either. :-)

Our Christmas tradition is to let each person choose one new ornament for the tree each year. Here is Abby getting excited to put one of her special ornaments from a previous year on the tree - Santa's coat on a miniature hanger. This year Abby chose a dog ornament (she loves dogs!), Holly chose a red London bus (she loves buses!), Paul chose a Santa boating ornament, and I found a cute house ornament.

Paul tried to hide behind the Christmas tree before I took his picture. We had a lot of fun decorating together!

My Angel Friend

2009-12-14T20:14:00.000-08:00

This is my AMAZING friend, Cherise.

This is my amazing friend, Cherise, cleaning the cupboards in our new house - and, yes, she even smiled through it all. She also helped unpack several boxes to get our kitchen functioning. She is the reason I stayed sane through our recent move from Mesa to Maricopa.

She stayed at our new house and watched our kids while Paul and I finished cleaning out our old house. We were gone for most of the day but she didn't complain once.

She even cooked us a yummy dinner that night. It was so good to sit down in our new home and enjoy a home cooked meal, even when Paul and I were too exhausted to cook it.

She helped us get through our bed time routine and read us all a Christmas story. This was a special treat since I LOVE reading Christmas stories to my kids during the holidays, but had lost my voice from being sick during the move. It was nice to have some level of normalcy and routine during such a stressful time.

What these pictures don't show is how Cherise was there to support me from beginning to end - from the time that Paul and I decided to buy a home until the time that we were completely moved in. She was there with a listening ear when we lost several of the homes we had bid on. She was there to congratulate me and be excited with me when we finally got the home that we wanted. She and her husband were our only friends that were available to help us load our moving truck. She drove with us to Maricopa to watch our kids while we unloaded our moving truck. She came back and stayed at our home that weekend to offer whatever support or help we needed - including cleaning, unpacking, cooking, and watching our kids - as the pictures show.

I just cannot say enough about how special Cherise is to me and how much she has blessed my life. As much as I appreciate all of the physical labor, time and service she offered my family, I appreciate even more that I had a friend there to share the experience with.

Halloween

2009-10-31T23:48:00.000-07:00

Last night (10-30-09) we attended our community's Halloween party - "Boo Bash". They had trunk or treating, bounce houses, booths with games and prizes, a haunted house, food, etc. It was a lot of fun, especially because my Mom and sisters joined us.

Abby wore her pirate costume, the same as last year. It was a little big for her last year but perfect this year. Holly refused to wear a costume to the Boo Bash. She cried and cried for her "Giselle" dress, which is just a regular white dress that she has decided looks like Giselle. She practically lives in the dress because she loves it so much. It didn't look much like a costume but it made her happy.

Abby and Holly both had their face painted. When Abby was asked what she would like to have painted on her face she answered, "Ummmm....a blankie." I helped her change her mind to a pumpkin. I just wasn't sure how a blankie would work out, and a pumpkin is more festive. She liked it. Holly had a pink flower painted on her cheek.

They had a few booths with games for kids to play. This is Holly "fishing" for candy.

Abby and Holly had a blast in the bounce house. They had several set up but this small one was perfect for the girls. They had it all to themselves for the better part of 30 minutes. We just let them jump to their little hearts content. They loved it!

Halloween Night....

A picture of my awesome family on Halloween night.
Abby and Holly were pirates. Paul and I didn't dress up but at least we wore festive colors, right? We'll dress up next year for sure. It's more fun that way!

We went to Paul's parent's church party. It was a lot of fun! I helped the girls walk in the kid's costume parade. They were the most adorable, in my very biased opinion. :-)

They had lots of games for the kids to play to win candy. This is a picture of Abby and Holly doing the cake walk.

Grandma Whiting enjoyed having her grandchildren join the party. I thought this picture was so cute of Grandma Whiting walking Holly around at the Trunk or Treat. The girls scored so much candy!

Playing in the Dirt

2009-10-29T22:05:00.000-07:00

I just had to post these pictures of the girls playing in the dirt the other day. They were being so quiet playing on our back porch that I should have known they were up to something. :-) They completely emptied out a couple of Paul's planting boxes and threw dirt in each other's hair. Needless to say, a bath was needed afterward....

Holly was so grumpy afterward. She refused to smile until we got her all cleaned up. Maybe she'll learn that playing in the dirt isn't all it's cracked up to be...

It was pretty tough for me not to laugh at her cute dirty pouty face.

Halloween Cookies

2009-10-29T22:02:00.000-07:00

Abby missed a play date with her good friend, Ethan. So we decided to make him some Halloween cookies to make them both feel better. Abby cheered up and forgot all about the missed play date, and had fun making some cookies instead.

Abby decided to make a black cat for Ethan.

Holly frosted a yellow moon for her friend, Daphne (Ethan's sister), but took a bite of it before I could stop her. So I let her eat the rest of the cookie. All she ended up doing, though, was licking the frosting off the cookie and then she ran off to play with some toys.

The best part of making cookies - tasting them!

Abby loved getting creative and decorating the cookies. You can see below the black and pink jackolantern that she frosted for Lillie (even though Lillie lives in Kansas), and the black and pink cat that Abby frosted for Daphne. It was a fun afternoon!

Pumpkin Carvin'

2009-10-29T21:38:00.000-07:00

For Family Home Evening on Monday night we carved a pumpkin with Abby and Holly.

At first Abby refused to put her hand in the pumpkin to help us clean out the seeds and pulp. She thought it was too slimy. She eventually joined in on the fun but made a funny face every time she would reach in - she was so grossed out!

Holly wasn't as hesitant about putting her hands in. She seemed to think it was fun to reach in, but would only pull out one seed at a time. I think she was trying to keep her hands from getting too messy.

In the end, we had a less than awesome looking pumpkin, but that's okay because we had an awesome time together!

Halloween Craft

2009-10-28T20:48:00.000-07:00

Last year I bought these little puppet crafts for $.10 at the after Halloween sales. I'm so glad I did because it was a perfect afternoon activity for them today.

Abby called the puppet her "Halloween Guy", and was so proud that she made him entirely by herself. She did a pretty good job!

Holly called the puppet her "Scary Guy", and needed a little more help than Abby did. But since the pieces were peal and stick, she was able to do a lot of it by herself. Oh, and you may notice that she is wearing a dress over her clothes. That is her "Giselle" dress, like from the movie Enchanted. She wore it all day and kept asking me to dance with her.

She refused to show the camera when she was done - She just sat there staring at it. lol I guess she thought he was a little too spooky. But she had fun, just the same.

Holly's Birthday Party

2009-10-28T19:22:00.000-07:00

I know I already posted some pictures from Holly's birthday but here are some pictures from her birthday party. We invited some family over for a small party (she doesn't like large groups of people) the Sunday after her birthday. We had dinner together, opened presents and then ate some cake.

This dress was a little too big for her but she loved it just the same - she thought it made her look like Cinderella, aka "Rella".

Holly was so excited about everything she got - even the cards! She just kept gasping and excitedly showing everyone in the room what she had just opened. As you can see from their outfits, Holly got some new dress up clothes. She loves to wear different shoes and dresses every day, and to walk around with purses and jewelry.

It took Holly quite a few tries but she finally blew out the candle - with a little help from Daddy.

Our week of painting...

2009-10-25T04:36:00.000-07:00

We spent several days last week painting all of our walls white to prepare to move out in a few weeks. We live in family student housing on ASU east campus, so we have to get everything painted and cleaned up so we can pass "inspection" when we move out. We are trying to get a little packing and cleaning done each day so it won't be as stressful in November.

Here are some pictures of the girls helping me paint Abby's purple room white.

Holly loved playing in the paint and making messes. Thankfully I put a drop cloth down to catch all of the spills and splatters. Holly just kept slabbing paint on the wall and then yelling, "Clouds!" It was pretty cute!

Abby loved having an entire wall for her canvas. She just kept painting a little here or a little there. She hardly made any mess at all, and was a great helper.

Abby painted flowers, plants and butterflies. And she also painted our old house and our new house. She is pretty excited to move!

Holly's 2nd Birthday

2009-10-08T22:06:00.000-07:00

Story Time with Grandma & Aunt Mandie

2009-10-08T22:00:00.000-07:00

We had a fun visit with my Mom and sister last week. I feel so blessed to live close enough that they can make day trips to visit with us. The girls just love to have special visitors come to spoil them!

They spent part of the afternoon reading books. Holly got to cuddle with Grandma and Abby was entertained by her Aunt Mandie.

Pictures of our New House

2009-10-02T18:43:00.000-07:00

By request...

Here is a link to some pictures of our new house. I already have some affordable projects in mind to make the house have more of our personality and taste - especially the kitchen. :-)

NEW HOUSE PICTURES

Thirsty Holly

2009-09-28T22:09:00.000-07:00

Stolen Appliances

2009-09-28T13:24:00.000-07:00

We were excited to purchase a home that came with some decent appliances, which is almost unheard of for HUD homes and most foreclosed homes in general. We even bid slightly higher on the home because we thought we could afford to, since we wouldn't need to buy appliances (our mistake - lesson learned on that one). But when we went to visit the house after we had won the bid and started the paperwork, this is what we found...

Where the washer and dryer used to be...

The oven, as it looked on the day we bid on the house.

Where the oven used to be - what we found when we went back to visit the house.

We contacted HUD who told us that they wouldn't do anything about the stolen appliances and that we could take or leave the house. Of course we still want the house - so there is not much more we can do at this point. It is apparently a common problem. People know that these HUD homes and other foreclosed homes are sitting vacant, so they come and steal whatever they can take. We just hope that nothing else happens to our home while it sits vacant. We aren't allowed to change the locks or secure the home in any way until we close on the house on November 13th.

The good news is that our realtor was mistaken about how much we would have to pay down, so we will be able to afford to buy new appliances. It will be fun to choose our own, so the story has a happy ending.

Hair Cuts

2009-09-05T21:05:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I am about a month late on this post... But we took the girls to Cool Cuts for their first "real" hair cuts. Abby has had her hair cut lots of times from Aunt Suzzie, but Aunt Suzzie moved to Kansas at the beginning of the summer. So we thought we'd spoil them and let them go somewhere fun and special for Holly's first hair cut.

They each got to sit in a car and pick out their own movie to watch while they got their hair cut.

Overall, it was a fun experience for everyone. But I don't think I'll take them there again - it was pretty pricey! The employees were really great with kids, though, and I am glad that Holly had this fun experience to make her less afraid next time we need hair cuts.

LittleBowtique.net

2009-08-27T08:26:00.000-07:00

My good friend is announcing the grand opening of her new website LittleBowtique.net

They specialize in handmade gifts and accessories including hair bows, hair flowers, baby name bracelets, tutus, and more!

I have already received an order and LOVE it! Check it out!

4th of July

2009-07-07T10:37:00.000-07:00

We were invited to spend the 4th of July weekend at my sister's house down in Tuscon. Overall, it was a good experience and was really great to visit with my family. But Holly had a pretty rough weekend. She cried most of the time and just wanted to get back home to her own bed. We all feel that way sometimes, right?

The only thing that seemed to make her happy was this rocking horse. My brother-in-law's father made it, and Holly loved rocking on it whenever she had the chance.

My sister, Charissa, was excited to have her good friend, Shauna, visiting from out of state. (I posted this picture for you, Ruffy) We also had some yummy food - an important part of any holiday.

Here is my super cute niece, Wynonna. Charissa has 11 kids and I can't believe how old they are all getting. Tanner and Wynonna, the oldest, are 16 and are learning how to drive.

We had a lot of fun swimming in my sister's pool. The kids especially liked making whirl pools, which was actually a pretty good work out but made me dizzy. :-)

Notice the band aid on Abby's chin - she fell down at Walmart the night before we went to Tuscon and split her chin open. She almost had to get stitches. Poor girl!

My awesome brother, Joe, and his family also came down. It was great to see them and to watch all of the cousins play together.

Playin' Together

2009-06-25T23:29:00.000-07:00

I was doing some dishes and other things tonight when I looked over and saw Abby and Holly taking turns pushing each other around the house in their toy baby stroller. It entertained them for quite some time, and we all got some good laughs...especially me!

Holly couldn't quite maneuver the stroller with Abby in it, so Abby used her feet to pull herself around while Holly pushed from behind.

Their favorite part was bumping in to walls and then yelling, "Crash!"

My Best Friend

2009-06-22T11:19:00.000-07:00

For Father's Day, I put together this little collage of pictures from the past year. If you can't tell from the pictures, Paul is an AMAZING father! Abby and Holly adore their Daddy!...and I love him for the unconditional love and support that he gives us. Paul is my best friend, and I feel so blessed that he is the father of my children.

Hangin' with my girls...

2009-06-11T22:24:00.000-07:00

Abby and Holly like to lay in my bed and read books or magazines, and sometimes wrestle. The other night I caught Holly playing peek-a-boo with Abby. I love watching them laugh and play together!

Abby's Best Friend

2009-06-11T22:17:00.000-07:00

Abby just loves all of her cousins and has so much fun playing with them, but when the cousins are not around...this cute guy is who Abby prefers! This is Ethan and his sister Daphne eating lunch with us the other day. I just thought I'd post it because I love how happy they look together. I'm so glad that Abby has a good friend close by. We love you, Sant Family!

Sunday Nights with Family

2009-06-11T22:14:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite parts of Sunday is our family dinners that we try to have every Sunday night. Both Paul's parents and my parents live in NW Phoenix, so we try to alternate and visit one of them every Sunday night. It takes an hour to drive there and an hour to drive back, but our time with them is so worth it to us.

Sometimes we invite them to our house. These pictures are from a few Sundays ago when my family came over for dinner. Abby had fun doing a puzzle with Grandpa and Grandma while we all chowed down on some yummy cookies that Paul made for us.

Lovin' this weather...

2009-06-09T21:51:00.000-07:00

The weather here has been beautiful this week - in the 90s with nice overcast and breeze. We decided to check out a park we'd never been to before (Cosmo park on Ray road). It turned out to have a dog park. The girls loved watching the dogs splash in the water, and I loved that they were all fenced in a different area of the park. It was fun to get out and enjoy the cooler temperature while it lasts!

The park also had these huge concrete stairs to climb up. You can't tell from the picture but we were up pretty high. Holly likes anything that involves climbing so she was a happy camper.

The park had a pond with a bridge to walk over the water. The water had a bunch of little fish. It was fun to watch them, but I was the only one that could see them. The fish were grey and blended in with the green water. I kept trying to help Abby find one. Hmmm...Maybe she couldn't see them because she had her sunglasses on?

Abby loved climbing on the ropes. It took her a few minutes to gain the confidence she needed. She just kept saying, "Okay, Mommy, what comes next?" That is what she usually says to me when I help her put a puzzle together at home - she must've looked at this as a "puzzle" for her to figure out. She did a great job! It is fun to watch her take on new challenges every day.

Abby was using her arms to help her keep her balance while she walked down a hill. The funny thing was that it was practically flat ground - barely an incline at all. But she acted like it was a mountain. Silly girl!

Holly had fun just walking around and exploring a new place. She LOVED seeing all of the dogs!

I LOVE Holly's blue eyes!

Mandie's Birthday part 2

2009-05-28T17:45:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pictures of the girls playing in Grandma's backyard on Mandie's birthday.

You would think that Holly posed for this picture but she was just climbing on the chair.

Here is my Mom writing a message in Mandie's birthday card. My Mom writes the best birthday love notes! Thanks for being so great, Mom! ...And that is Mandie's present from my parents - a new digital camera. She is really excited to take some pictures.

As part of the fun, I helped Abby and Holly wrap Mandie in streamers. Abby LOVED it!...and Mandie was a great sport about it. Abby just kept singing "I'm wrapping you! I'm wrapping you!" while she concentrated and decorated Amanda.
Thanks for all of the fun, Mandie! I hope you had a great birthday!

Mandie's Birthday

2009-05-28T17:41:00.000-07:00

My awesome sister, Amanda, had a birthday on Tuesday. We had a surprise party for her last Friday, but the girls and I decided to surprise her and visit on her birthday. She had plans with friends but was too sick to go, so we kept her company. We first let Abby and Holly play in the sprinklers a bit and then went inside for Mandie's favorite dinner and pie.

This is Abby on the teeter totter with me.

Holly had more fun playing with Grandpa's ladder and tools than with the water. She kept me busy! She knows no fear.

Grandma (my Mom) had fun watching the girls splash in her backyard.

Abby decided she was too cold to play any more in the water.

Paul's Graduation Party

2009-05-28T16:28:00.000-07:00

Here's the happy graduate with his cake. Paul received his Bachelor's degree in applied computer science, and he is happy to be done with school for awhile.

Paul and his little sister, Wendy. Wendy will be starting her junior year at ASU this Fall. We can't wait to throw you a grad party, Wendy! ;-)

Some members of my family chatting after eating pizza. I like this picture because it shows my Mom before she cracked her head open. We're glad you're okay, Mom! It was quite the ending to Paul's party!

Paul visiting the "cool" table...some of our nieces and nephews.

Abby loved playing with her cousins! Here she is with Riley and Audrey, Charissa's two youngest.
I was so excited to catch this cute smile from Kaelyn. Isn't she adorable? She was so giggly and cute during the entire party.

Baby Landon was the life of the party!

Wendy and nose-pickin' Ambyr.

Holly was pretty excited about the pizza!

Congratulations, Paul! We are so proud of you!

Wildlife Zoo

2009-05-27T16:07:00.000-07:00

Abby loves hangin' out with her cousins. She had 12 of her 21 cousins at the zoo with her.

This is my adorable niece, Kaelyn. I love her to pieces!...as I do all my nieces and nephews.

This is my super cool niece, Josie, and I.

Holly didn't enjoy missing her nap. She was almost comfortable enough to fall asleep in the wagon...almost. She perked up and was much happier during the aquarium. She loved running through the dark halls and looking at all of the fish.

Nursery Holly

2009-04-21T19:22:00.000-07:00

Holly turned 18 months old on April 8th, which means she is now old enough to go to "Nursery" (the church class for 18 mos-3 yrs old). This last Sunday was her first time going to Nursery. Paul and I both thought that she would cry and not want Paul to leave her side, but, to our surprise, she did really well!

Paul had to drop her off because I was conducting "Primary" (the church class for children 4-12 years old). He said that she wouldn't leave his side at first but then the teacher showed her an Elmo car. The teacher pushed it across the floor and Holly chased after it. Paul snuck out and she was fine after that.

These are some pictures that I took of Holly and Paul just before we left for church on Sunday. They like to make faces and play together. What cuties!

Helping Holly...

2009-04-17T22:01:00.000-07:00

This is where I find Holly these days. Any chance that she gets, she goes in to the kitchen, opens the dishwasher, and climbs up to play with anything in there. Latching the dishwasher closed used to keep her out but she has figured out how to open that now. She is just completely fascinated by the dishwasher and cries every time I pull her away.

It is cute and funny but I am worried that she is going to break the dishwasher door off. She weighs 30 pounds so it is bound to happen eventually. Thankfully I have a gate that I can use to close the kids off from the kitchen.

She thought that climbing in the dishwasher was so fun that her favorite stuffed animal the cow (whom she affectionately calls "Mow") might like to stand on the door too. That little stinker!

Gardening Family Fun

2009-03-25T20:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we headed out back to work on our garden. I use the term garden very loosely since we only have a few things growing, but it has been a fun learning experience for us all.

The girls had fun playing in the dirt. We found a few worms, which they were pretty excited about.

Mini-Me?

2009-03-23T21:13:00.000-07:00

The other night Abby climbed in my bed and started to read one of my magazines. She told me that she was going to bed, so she was reading a book. Then she said, "Uh oh! I forgot to say my prayers." So she climbed down and said a prayer. I wanted to take a picture of her cute pretending but felt bad when I realized that she was saying a real prayer. She's so grown up!

Abby's 3rd Birthday

2009-03-13T20:52:00.000-07:00

Abby turned 3 years old on March 5th. She talked for weeks about having a birthday party at the park, so we invited a few friends and family to celebrate with us. She felt special and we all had a great time!

I felt lucky to spend time with the special birthday girl. I still can't believe that she is 3!

This is Abby and her friend, Ethan, looking at the book that Ethan gave her.

Abby was pretty excited about the new shirts she received from her Aunt Candice.

I've posted more pictures at the following link. Feel free to take a look!
MORE PICTURES

Melmo!

2009-03-13T00:11:00.000-07:00

Holly is infatuated with Elmo right now. She walks around the house laughing and saying, "Melmo!" She loves Elmo shows, movies, and books. So when I saw Elmo Live on sale on Amazon for $20 I went for it. These pictures are Holly's first reaction to him. We've had him for a few days now and Abby and Holly both just love him.

Our new ride...

2009-03-12T22:25:00.000-07:00

Paul received a bonus in his paycheck this month, so we decided to buy a bike trailer for the girls to ride in on our family bike rides. You can see from the pictures that they love it! These pictures were taken just before bed time, which is why they are wearing pajamas. Paul put the trailer together and they were so excited to climb in and try it out. Then it was off to bed. We took it for our first ride the next day.

And Abby Drive??

2009-02-06T20:27:00.000-08:00

So tonight I was laying Abby down for bed and singing her songs like we do every night, when she interrupted me and said, "Mommy, where's Gavin's house?" (Gavin is a nursery friend who is having a birthday party tomorrow) I said, "It's by Ethan's park. It's a red house. I'll show you tomorrow." So then she said, "Ok, and Mommy sit in Daddy's chair and Abby drive." I always drive so Abby calls the front passenger seat "Daddy's Chair". It totally cracked me up that my two year old is already asking me if she can drive to her friend's house for a party. I didn't think I'd have to deal with this for another 14 years! What a smart and funny girl. She makes me smile every day.

Exhausted...

2009-01-20T20:00:00.000-08:00

So...This is a picture of Abby at about 10:30 pm last night - way past her bed time. You may have noticed that she is wearing no pants but she is wearing her church shoes. I had put her to bed long before this. I heard her playing in her room but didn't think too much of it; she often plays for a few minutes and then lays down and falls asleep. I asked Paul to check on her when he walked by her room and this is what he found...a half naked Abby pulling out all of her toys and making a complete disaster of her room ( apparently she is also now tall enough to reach the light switch ). What you can't see is the smell... Apparently she has a stomach bug and made a mess in her diaper, which then leaked out all over her pajamas, blanket and sheets. Rather than yelling for me to come help her - she just took off her clothes and her diaper and continued to play, making an even bigger smelly mess. I half felt bad for her and half felt frustrated that I had such a big mess to clean up so late at night, when I just wanted to go to bed. We got her cleaned up and back to bed.

Fast forward to today...Holly was cranky all morning. She was just extra clingy and fussy. After lunch, I picked her up to wash her hands and face. I smelled the familiar smell from the night before and looked down only to find ick all over she and I both. Anyway, it has been a day filled with fussy children and cleaning up messes. I am exhausted and glad that they are both finally in bed. Let's hope tomorrow is better for us all.

Goodbye, Nemo & Flounder...

2009-01-19T19:58:00.000-08:00

This morning Paul and I noticed that Abby's fish tank was murky and a little smelly. Paul has heard that you can help fix the problem by replacing 50% of the water one day and 25% of the water the next day. Anyway, the idea was to take the fish out and clean their tank a bit. Paul prepared some water in our smaller fish bowl and transitioned the fish in to that to hang out while we cleaned the tank. We did everything the way the "experts" suggest (we think?). Holly woke up from her nap, so we decided to run a quick errand and finish the fish when we got home.

Well...When we got home, I noticed the fish were just sitting at the bottom of the fish bowl. No movement. Not good. Paul broke the news to Abby. We told her that they got sick and died. She made a sad face and hugged me. Then she quickly said that now we could go to the pet store to get bigger fish. She apparently didn't need much time to grieve. She asked me to look at the dead fish, more out of curiosity than sadness. Then she helped me send them down a watery grave. She spent the rest of the afternoon singing about the dead fish while she played with her toys. And tonight during her prayers she said that the fish went down the toilet with their cricket friends and that they were all going back to the pet store. Funny girl.

She is just excited to go pick out some new fish tomorrow. Any ideas for names?

Abby's New Pets...

2009-01-14T20:23:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, Abby got two goldfish. The orange one is named Nemo and the white one is named Flounder. When I asked her what we should name them she smiled and said "Fish!" So I helped her with the names a little. She and Holly both just stand there and stare at the fish. Holly says "Wow!" over and over again, one of the few words she has mastered so far.

Yesterday Abby got to go to the Pet Store and pick out a house for the fish. Today we put the new things in the tank. Abby likes to watch the fish play "hide and seek" and swim in and out of the house and bridge.

Here is a blurry cell phone picture of what her tank looks like now...

Our Little Digger...

2009-01-09T19:44:00.001-08:00

Holly has taken up a new hobby...

She gets mad when we ask her to stop.

She has even been caught tasting her treasures.

How can such a cute girl have such a nasty habit? This is her playing peek a boo.
We're honestly not that concerned about her nose picking...she just seems to have discovered her nose this week and is still a little fascinated by it. I can't help but laugh.

Christmas Pictures

2009-01-05T23:42:00.000-08:00

Click the link below to see some of our family Christmas photos...

PICTURES

Christmas Eve

2009-01-05T22:13:00.000-08:00

Abby and I getting ready to open our Christmas Eve pajamas.

Holly and Abby showing off their new pajamas. Holly was having more fun taking her slippers off.

We finished the night by telling the story of Jesus' birth with a finger puppet nativity. Abby was so excited to be involved and we all really felt the spirit. Then we sang Christmas carols. Abby kept asking to sing "Oh Holy Night" over and over again. And she actually knows the words! Then Abby couldn't sleep because she was too excited. Paul and I stayed up wrapping presents and filling stockings. It was a fun night.

4th Anniversary (continued)

2008-11-09T21:12:00.000-08:00

Here are a few more pictures from our weekend get-away. For those of you who asked, the place is called Mogollon Resort Cabins in Overgaard, Az...It is between Payson and Show low. Here is their website... http://www.azresortcabins.com/ . We would highly recommend them. They have a buy two nights, get the third for free, which is why they were affordable for us. Our cabin was the "Maverick"...the only cabin with a telephone and internet. We even got cell phone service up there.

My Mom asked for another picture of the front of the cabin, so here ya go Mom.

We enjoyed sitting on the porch. The weather was usually anywhere from 20-40 degrees.

We played some board games in the upstairs loft... We can never do that at home because the girls bump the game board or play with the pieces and mess up the game. We didn't play for long but it was a fun way to enjoy the quiet cabin. We also took naps up in the loft and read books and magazines.

Yes, this is Paul playing "stair bowling" in his pajamas. We found a handy manny bowling set at the dollar store and decided to play on the stairs... just for fun.

Only fair to post my pajama bowling picture...uh...yeah. :-)

We also watched a few movies... My only rule was that we not watch anything animated, since I watch enough of those movies at home with the girls. :-)

Paul was excited to find a place up there that sold good smoked pork sandwiches. We had fun exploring the town's shops and restaurants.

...the real reason the trip was so relaxing. We were in the spa every day!

Our 4th Anniversay

2008-11-07T08:28:00.000-08:00

Paul and I are blessed to have the opportunity to celebrate our 4th anniversary at a cabin up in the mountains. Our Moms are taking turns watching the girls back home. We miss them terribly but are doing our best to have fun and enjoy some much needed time alone! :-) Here are a few pictures of our place....

Paul relaxing by the fire...

Our little kitchen

It is an A Frame cabin so I just love all of the windows that look out to the trees...

Perhaps the best part...Our own private spa right outside our master bedroom! Paul and I got in last night. The temperature was about 20 degrees outside but we were warm and toasty in the water. We had trees surrounding us...so beautiful and relaxing!

Halloween

2008-11-02T22:30:00.000-08:00

I know I've already posted pictures of the girls in their costumes but here are a few more from Halloween night. We went to our ward trunk or treat and then headed home for a movie party. It was a great night!

Abby got her face painted...She acted totally shy! But she wouldn't let me wash the pumpkin off when we got home so I let her keep it on until her bath the next day. She loved it!

Dr. Paul and pirate Holly enjoying the trunk or treat.

Abby won a cup cake at the cake walk.

Abby trying on my "Jessie" hat just before our movie party.

This is Abby doing her best pirate "Arrrrr". Holly was really good at it too but hers sounded much more like a growl. So funny!

Funny Abby Moments

2008-10-28T22:13:00.000-07:00

I don't often write on my blog the funny things that Abby says, mainly because it is too hard for me to choose which ones to write. But here are a couple that made me laugh just from today...

This morning while Abby was coloring, she held up the black crayon and told Paul that it was "Book of Mormon black".

Tonight Abby was looking at a calendar and started pointing to all of the presidents of the United States (there were pictures of presidents on some of the holidays) and called them all prophets. To her, any old man in a suit is a "prophet".

Also tonight, Abby got out my Faith in God book and opened to a page with a picture of Jesus Christ. After that she called it my "in the name of Jesus Christ book".

Boo Bash - Neighborhood Halloween Party

2008-10-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

Saturday night we went to our community's Halloween party - the Boo Bash. It was fun because it was Abby's first trick or treating (or in this case trunk r treating) experience. She was so excited to wear her pirate costume.
Here are the pirates getting ready to go...
Paul decided to dress up as a doctor and I was Jessie from Toy Story 2.
My sister, Bethany, was a farmer and this is her prize winning chicken...AKA her 3 month old daughter, Kaelyn. So cute!
Here we are walking to the party...
Abby was so excited to say "trick or treat" and then to say "thank you". She walked around practicing all day but was too shy when we actually got there. She did say it sometimes but so quietly. It was funny. She doesn't act shy at home! I usually can't get her to stop talking. lol
Our little pirate in action...
Here we are going on their "train" ride. Abby thought it was fun. And I'm holding her balloon flower that the clown made for her. We also went through the haunted house or as Abby calls it "the scary house". It wasn't too scary for her. She just keeps talking about finding Charlotte the spider in the scary house (there was a spider with red blinking eyes so I told her it was Charlotte to distract her from any of the other scary things). Overall, it was a fun night and it was so exciting for me to watch Abby experience Halloween for the first time.

Abby's New Bed

2008-10-23T22:52:00.000-07:00

We've noticed lately that Abby was getting too tall for her toddler bed. I am 6' tall and Paul is 6'2, so it's no surprise that our 2 1/2 year old is tall also. This week we bought some furniture from a guy in Anthem. He was moving and posted his stuff on Craig's list. I offered him half of what he was asking. The great price was the only thing that made me crazy enough to drive to anthem, an hour and a half away, to pick it all up. In all, we got a matching bed, dresser and nightstand for Abby's room and two new nightstands for our bedroom. Anyway, it was an adventure but we got everything home and put together last night. Here are some pics of the girls helping me. The pictures are from my cell phone, so I apologize for the poor quality.

This is Abby smiling at the beginning of the trip... None of us smiled much on the way home. It was just too much time in the car.

Abby took it upon herself to get the bed rails and carry them in to her room... Dangerous but funny enough for me to get a quick picture of. She was so excited to help me screw the bed together.

Holly helped too. She just thought it was fun to climb on Abby's old toddler bed. She's been practicing her climbing skills this week by climbing on everything!

This picture was taken right before I decided that things were too dangerous for Holly, and she had to watch from the gate that I put up at Abby's door. Poor girl... She really was trying to be a good helper.

And here is Abby in her new bed. We still have to get a few things situated but she is loving it so far! I love it too because now I can lay in bed with her when I read her a bedtime story. And Abby and Holly were caught several times today jumping on the bed. All part of childhood, right? Funny story... When Abby heard me call her nightstand a nightstand, she asked me to help her stand on it. The world must be so confusing to a toddler sometimes. They take things so literally.

Abby the Artist, Holly the Canvas...

2008-10-17T16:10:00.000-07:00

So it has happened. Abby's art project... No, not in a coloring book or even on paper. This time she decided to go all out and color everything in sight!...including and especially her little sister.

We had just gotten home from the store and Paul put both girls in Abby's room to play while we unloaded groceries. Normally Abby's room is the safest place for unsupervised play time, but apparently Paul let Abby color with markers this morning and she hid them in one of her toy cupboards for later. So the two of them had a ball coloring each other, the table, the chairs, the toys and worst of all...both of their brand new Halloween costumes! The worst part is that the costumes are a size too big for both of them but I can't exchange them now because they have red marker on them. And, of course, they are hand wash only. So I have spent my afternoon giving unexpected baths, scrubbing toys, and trying to figure out how to get marker off of a costume.

This last picture was taken after Holly's bath. It took some scrubbing but I am so thankful the marker came off. For awhile she looked like a poor little battered and bruised baby. I was worried CPS was going to haul me off. :-)

Purple Holly and Pink Holly...

2008-10-16T14:11:00.000-07:00

Abby and I were looking at family pictures the other day. Right after we looked at Abby's hospital pictures from just after she was born, Abby started poking her tummy out and rubbing it affectionately. Then she pointed to her tummy and said that it was baby Holly. I laughed and pointed to Holly standing right next to her and said, "But isn't that baby Holly?" So she thought for a minute and said, "No, that's purple baby Holly (Holly was wearing a purple shirt). And this is pink baby Holly (Abby was wearing a pink shirt). "

She's been acting pregnant every now and then and it totally cracks me up! For awhile just after my sister had her baby, Abby walked around saying that she had Kaelyn in her tummy (that's the name of my sister's baby). It's so fun to watch her get older and start to figure out some of these concepts.

And just so Holly doesn't get left out, here is a random fact about her cuteness... She has started saying "cheese" and then posing for the camera. It's especially hilarious because she really doesn't say any other words yet, aside from Ma Ma and Da Da. But ever since her birthday last week when we took a lot of pictures of her, she will just crawl up on Abby's little princess couch, give me the biggest smile, and say cheese.

Holly's First Birthday

2008-10-09T23:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Holly!

We celebrated Holly's first birthday this week. I can't believe it has already been a year! It has been so much fun to give her extra love and attention this week. We decided to have a couple of smaller family parties instead of one huge party... (lessons learned from Abby's birthday parties). So she is getting to have a week long celebration. Here are some pictures from the party at my Mom's house... I had no idea that she would love cup cakes so much! So fun!

Our main gift to her was a "ball pit". We just bought a big blow up pool on clearance at Walmart and filled it with her favorite toy... Balls! 1,000 of them to be exact. We'd love to fill it even more but those balls are not cheap. The pool is big enough for all four of us to fit in at the same time... Of course Paul and I wanted to get in on the fun! We've had a great time!

Love Can Build a Bridge...

2008-09-23T18:56:00.000-07:00

"I'd gladly walk across the desert
With no shoes upon my feet
To share with you the last bite
Of bread I had to eat
I would swim out to save you
In your sea of broken dreams
When all your hopes are sinkin'
Let me show you what love means"

These lyrics have been on my mind the past few weeks. They are from a Judds song that I have on my mp3 player and listen to while I take a shower every morning. I love the Judds but never really appreciated this song until recently.

My Mom has been having some health struggles lately that have made it almost impossible for her to do her normal house chores...simple things like vacuuming or even hanging up her clothes. I've been trying to drive the hour to her house once or twice a week to help out. This week I was feeling like maybe I was too busy or that it wouldn't be convenient for me to go. Paul and I share a car, so I have to work around his schedule. The girls miss their naps when we go so it sometimes makes for a stressful day. It's always easy to find excuses not to serve others, right? But when I listen to the words of this song, and many others, I'm reminded of the love I feel for my Mom. She has done so much for me, so of course I want to do all I can for her. How petty of me to worry about any of those things after all of the years that she has sacrificed her time and energy for me and my 8 siblings. It is a privilege and an honor to have this opportunity to serve her. Thanks, Naomi and Wynonna, for reminding me.

Can it be done?

2008-09-18T13:27:00.000-07:00

So I know it is probably best to not blog about church callings... But I will just briefly say that I am a little nervous about this Sunday. The Primary children will be practicing the primary program in the chapel. That means that they will be in the chapel and expected to be somewhat reverent for the entire 3 hour block. It is important to me that the children enjoy primary every Sunday... I just hope that we can be somewhat reverent, give each child a chance to practice their part, and still have some time for songs and fun. Wish us luck... :-)

A Moment of Honesty...

2008-09-17T15:51:00.000-07:00

So here is my confession... I consider myself to be somewhat computer literate, or at least capable. I'm married to a man who is building his career on computers. So you'd think I'd be able to figure out how to use a simple blog site. But for some reason Blogger has been so confusing for me. This is why I have avoided it. But apparently it is a requirement to have a blog to be a good Mom, or at least to be a Mom with any ounce of sanity left. I like my sanity so I am giving it one more try. My first couple of posts may be odd looking and it may take me while to figure out how to make my blog as cute as everyone else's, but at least I am giving it a try, right? Here are a few pictures of the family that I decided to post as part of my first "practice" blog. Wish me luck. :-)