hodgeypodgeblog

Visiting Teaching - February 2012

2012-02-09T01:55:00.000-08:00

I love the message for this month. Short, sweet, and to the point. Here is what I took from this month's message. It is our responsibility, all of us (as mothers, daughters, sisters, ecetera, ecetera), to work on strengthening the family unit. We are responsible for creating an environment in our home that embraces and welcomes Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. We are responsible for teaching our children, for setting a positive example, and for being a righteous influence for our family. We are not alone in this endeavor. As we learn and follow the doctrines of Christ, we can rely on Him for help and guidance.

That last part, learning to rely on the Lord for help and guidance, is {surprisingly} the most difficult thing for me to remember. Those who know me well know that I tend to do things on my own. I put a lot of pressure on myself to be independent and self-sufficient, but I need to remember that the Lord is always there and that if I turn to him in moments of weakness, or confusion, or (this is me being honest) when I feel completely inadequate/overwhelmed/inept at being a mother, He will help me.

For a full view of this month's Visiting Teaching message, click HERE.

For more reading material and ideas on strengthening families, you can visit HERE and HERE.

Want a copy of the handout card I made? You can download a PDF file HERE.

Happy Visiting Teaching!

Scrap Haps...

2012-02-07T23:40:00.000-08:00

Wait, what?! Becky actually scrapped something?! I know, I know...it has been quite some time since I scrapped a page or two. My mojo pretty much disappeared after Baby #3 came into our lives and it is {just}finally starting to come back. Yay! Even though I do not plan to take on quite as many Creative Team commitments as I previously had (at least, not for the time being), there are some fun things I have planned that will hopefully keep me in the digiscrap loop and keep the creativity flowing.

First, there is a year-long A-Z Challenge hosted by Michelle Batton (one of my fave designers and digi friends) that I plan to participate in...even though the only thing I've completed so far is the cover page. Guess I better get scrapping to make up for the challenges I've missed, eh? Second, although I technically resigned from the FPD Site CT after having MacKenzie, I have been making the sales ads, banners, and product ads for the Designer Collabs that appear in the weekly newsletter and forums. This means that you may occasionally see a layout or two using some of the fantastic kits from the FPD shop. Third, I DID reach out to one of my all time favorite designer, Sarah Jones, and ask if I could create some pages using her amazing kits. Luckily, she said YES, which means you should be seeing quite a few layouts featuring Sarah's creations. I am very excited and thankful that Sarah decided to let me create for her.

So, there you have it...the latest scrap haps for this little scrapper. On that note, here are the pages I have scrapped recently...I hope you enjoy!

A-Z Challenge Cover Page using Flutterby and Storyteller by Tracy Martin Scrapbook Designs

Warm Winter Days using Winterfrost Collab by Crossbone Cuts and WM squared Designs

2 To Love using Smitten, Imagine Me & You, and Saying I Love You by Sarah Jones Designs

~~Snow~~ Beach Day using Blizzard Conditions and Woodsie Designer Kit by Sarah Jones Designs

Thanks for stopping by! Have a super scrappy day!

Sk8r GiRlz...

2012-02-04T21:59:00.000-08:00

Aiden was feeling brave today and decided to pull out Doug's skateboard for some playtime. She's getting better at it...she's able to cruise and balance for a few seconds all on her own, without any help from me. Reilly wanted to jump in as well but didn't seem as comfortable on the board. Aiden was super sweet and offered to help Reilly out...it's the special little moments like today that just melt my heart.

And what did the little one do while big sisters were skating and mom was busy snapping photos? She happily watched from her little bouncer in the doorway. Good time for everyone.

Happy Month O' Love...

2012-02-01T23:40:00.000-08:00

I cannot say how excited I am that it's finally February. I love.love.love. the month of love. I mean, really...how can you not help but enjoy pinks and reds, hearts, hugs & kisses?! As a kid, I loved February because it meant we got daily visits from cupid (a.k.a. my mom) who would leave little treats/notes/surprises on our beds while we were at school. I have tried a few different variations of this with the girls, but I think this year I am going to simply do it old school - just like my mom did. I have a few ideas in mind (I'll blog about those later), but for right now I wanted to share some festive decorations ideas from my never-ending project to-do list...just to help get you in the mood for the month o' love...

So much inspiration from Paper Source...so little time. Just visit the site for some lovely ideas...

Not sure what I love most about this mantle...the teal backdrop, the yarn LOVE letters, the fun pink mirror, or the love letter garland across the top?!

I love the different uses of pedestals/candlesticks. Definitely thinking of stopping by Goodwill this weekend.

Burlap. Stripes. Buttons...what's not to love?!

Such a cute card...so simple. So adorable. I just might have to make a few of these...

Although I am planning to make Valentine's for the girls (don't worry, I'll share them here if I do), I couldn't help but share these adorable FREE printables...grab them HERE

Burlap + rosettes + wreath = WinWinWin situation

Heart garland...so many different variations to this, but all of them are so, SO cute.

Delicious and cute...a perfect combination

And that's all for now! I would love to see what ideas/projects/inspiration are making your heart flutter this Valentine's season, so please feel free to share!!

In Review: January 2012...

2012-01-31T22:19:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe the first month of the new year has already ended...will things ever slow down?! Here are the highlights (and lowlights) of our January 2012:

Week One: 2012 started off with a stomach flu epidemic for our family...every single one of us got hit with it at some level. Not fun. We tried to stay up New Year's Eve, but I think we all ended up crashing at about 11:30. Aiden had a really bad fever that night and I was starting to come down with the symptoms...we were just too, too tired. Lightweights, I know. Doug and I should have been able to celebrate our 8th anniversary, but the day came and went without much ado, thanks again to the flu bug. I guess we'll just have to make it up next year with an extra special celebration. I thought the girls were in the clear so I sent them to school on the 2nd. After an hour and a half the school nurse called to say Reilly had thrown up on her way to recess...so, I made the executive decision to take both girls home and take a sick week just to make sure we were fully recovered before attempting to return to school.

Week 2: After having 3 weeks off from school (2 weeks of Christmas vacation + the sick week), Aiden and Reilly were more than ready to go back. They love their class, they adore their teacher, and they missed their friends. Aside from homework and make-up work, this week was filled with lots of after-school scooter rides and walks...a great way to release the pent-up energy from the previous week.

Week 3: Two wonderful things happened this week. First, Doug got to take a day off from work (thank you Martin Luther King, Jr.) and the girls and I absolutely LOVED having him home. Second, Aunt Becky, Uncle James, and baby Declan came out to visit us from Arizona. We had a great time hanging out, eating good food, visiting the beach, and simply enjoying their company.

Week 4: Probably not the most exciting week for us...Doug had a dentist appointment, I had a doctor's appointment and some labwork done, the girls had an appointment scheduled, but the doctor ended up having to reschedule at the last minute. Aiden and Reilly have been having a rough time with their asthma...the doc put us on a new medication that doesn't make them as hyper/jittery/anxious/off-the-wall-crazy (yay!!). Mac has also had some issues with wheezing/coughing...she's too young to be diagnosed with anything but we've had to do breathing treatments with her as well. Oh how I wish I could make this go away for my three little chickens.

Week 4 1/2: The girls went on a field trip with another kinder class to the Santa Ana Zoo. Aiden's favorite animal was the baby monkey she got to see...it had been born just the night before and she couldn't believe how small it was. Reilly was super stoked to see some peacocks...but she came home a little disappointed after getting to see only one, and that one "didn't even have his pretty tail feathers out...the tail just stayed there." The girls got to ride a school bus for the very first time; Aiden loved it but Reilly says she likes the seats on the city bus better. The girls also got to go a butterfly birthday party for a friend of theirs from church...they made bracelets and decorated butterfly wings...Aiden even ate the chocolate birthday cake without the slightest bit of hesitation! She is definitely starting to venture out from her "vanilla only" phase. We finished the month off by joining some friends for a delicious Sunday dinner at their home, and then two days later I met up with some of my friends from church for a wonderful night of potluck and bunco.

Pumped Up Kicks...

2012-01-24T22:41:00.000-08:00

Little Miss Mac debuted her pink Chuck Taylors today (which were a total impulse buy a few months back but a definite steal at $6)...and while I know I am totally biased on this, I think she was the coolest looking baby around. We didn't go anywhere special, she had to tag along with me to some doctor's appointments, but the nurses and staff ooh'ed and ahh'ed over her all morning.

Simply put...she rocked the shoes.

Bored-walk....

2012-01-22T22:27:00.000-08:00

One of the benefits of living where we do is that we get the fun of taking spur-of-the-moment walks along the beach and pier, just like we did today...with Aunt Becky and Uncle James...on a lazy, slightly overcast Sunday afternoon.

What could be better than this?!

Chocolate Decadence...

2012-01-21T22:38:00.000-08:00

Thank you, chocolate chunk brownie smothered in chocolate malted crunch ice cream, for ending my day on such a wonderful note. My waistline may not appreciate you, but I sure do. You were delicious.

8 Months New...

2012-01-21T21:14:00.000-08:00

Let's see...at 8 months MacKenzie has 4 teeth (2 bottom, 2 top) with two more top teeth cutting through. She finally seems to enjoy sitting and playing (she was fighting it for a while...seemed to absolutely hate sitting up. She would arch her back and throw herself backward so she could lay down and roll around). She doesn't crawl in the traditional sense, but rather moves around by throwing her arms out in front and then pulling herself along. She loves, loves, LOVES her bouncer (thanks again Aunt Cynth!) and hanging out with her sisters. MacKenzie is very easy-going when it comes to mealtime. She likes fruit and {most} veggies, and she has recently discovered the simple joy of Cheerios. We've also been making a lot of smoothies lately and she likes to share mine after our morning walks. Mac is such an incredibly happy baby...she continues to brighten our lives and we are all so happy to have her as part of our family.

Happy 8 months, MacKenzie! We sure do love you, kiddo...

Study Time...

2012-01-19T23:31:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe we are almost halfway through the school year...and Aiden and Reilly continue to love every minute of it. They are learning so much, both scholastically and about themselves as individuals. Aiden loves to do homework, she usually flies through the weekly homework packet without a complaint and offers to help Reilly if needed, but doesn't seem as confident in the classroom or when taking tests. Reilly detests homework...she will literally sit for hours and stare at the page if she doesn't like it. However, in the classroom, she is energetic and eager to follow directions and doesn't think twice about testing and such.

One similarity is that both girls love to help...each other as well as their classmates. Tonight before bedtime, the girls were quizzing each other on their rainbow words. I was finishing up with Mac's bath and such, but (me being me), I couldn't help but snap a few photos of such a sweet, simple, ordinary, everyday moment.

A Good Start...

2012-01-10T22:18:00.000-08:00

....to a wonderful day. After dropping the twins off at school, Mac and I went for a much-needed walk. We had a great time. Mac seemed content in the stroller and it was very refreshing to be outdoors, breathing the fresh sea air and enjoying the beautiful ocean views.

Visiting Teaching - January 2012

2012-01-10T00:40:00.000-08:00

I am not big on resolutions, primarily because I have a poor track record of following through with them, but one thing I am determined to be more diligent with this year is completing my Visiting Teaching each month. To help keep me motivated, I have decided to create a handout highlighting a portion of each month's message and share it here with you. Sometimes, all we need is a little boost to get ourselves going...and I hope this boost will be just enough to keep me in touch with the sisters I am blessed to visit.

First, if you are reading this and wondering to yourself "Just what in tarnations is this whole Visiting Teaching thing about?" you may find it beneficial to visit HERE and HERE and possibly READ THIS to get a better understanding of its intent and purpose.

Second, if you would like to read the full Visiting Teaching message for this month, click HERE. The message talks about how we may provide "watchcare by contacting each sister, sharing a gospel message, and seeking to know her and her family's needs....As we provide consistent and prayerful watchare, we learn how to best minister to and meet the needs of each sister and her family." My favorite part of the message was the following quote from President Thomas S. Monson "Often small acts of service are all that is required to lift and bless another" a question concerning a person's family, quick words of encouragement, a sincere compliment, a small note of thanks, a brief telephone call... . If we are observant and aware, and if we act on the promptings which come to us, we can accomplish much good."

I have been blessed to have some of the most wonderful visiting teachers and companions over the years. I did not always recognize or acknowledge the consistent and selfless acts of kindness, but in hindsight I know that their actions were inspired by promptings of the Spirit. I will never forget Shannon Harker, who was so kind to visit me and paint my toes while I was on bedrest during my pregnancy with the twins, and that was just a few months after giving birth to a baby boy. I doubt Shannon will ever know the profound impact she had on me...offering me friendship and companionship during a time when I felt so isolated and alone. And Rachel Sugden who brought me the most delicious pumpkin spice muffins during our "quarantine period" when the girls had RSV and we were not allowed to go anywhere, unders doctor's orders. Despite the chaos and mayhem that was *always* evident in our cramped 2 bedroom apartment in Arizona, and my weird schedule of working nights/going to school/being a mom, Rhonda Michie and Megan Craghead NEVER missed a monthly visit with me and the girls. More recently, the delicious meals and spur-of-the-moment "twin-nappings" provided by Jen Jackson and Katie Garcia while I was so sick during my pregnancy with MacKenzie. I will never be able to fully repay any of these sisters for their kindness and service, nor will I be able to adequately express my gratitude and appreciation for their inspiring examples of charity and selflessness.

These sisters, whether they realized or not, were diligent in providing watchcare and ministry over me and my family...and that is something I hope I will be able to do for the sisters I am blessed to visit teach.

Here is the handout I created for this month. If you would like to download a copy of it, click HERE.

Happy Visiting Teaching!

Sitting Up...

2012-01-06T11:36:00.000-08:00

on her own, without the bumbo or boppy or anything...finally. Just like her older sisters, MacKenzie is proving to do things on her own timeline...when she wants...and when she decides she's ready.

Happy New Year...

2012-01-01T00:30:00.000-08:00

It's no surprise that 2011 was quite the roller coaster ride for our little family. To quickly summarize, we had a job, lost a job, got a job, quit a job, got another job, lost that job, had a baby, then got a really good job...and that was just in the first 5 months! The latter part of the year was spent trying to get things back to normal. Aiden and Reilly started kindergarten and have enjoyed the new found freedom, education, and friendship that school provides; Doug has worked hard at his new job and received a well-deserved promotion; I turned the big 3-0 and have been trying to adjust to momhood x 3, and MacKenzie has quickly stolen all our hearts and wrapped every single one of us around her tiny little pinkie fingers. It has been a busy year - one filled with ups and downs, uncertainty and doubt, hope and faith, and more blessings than we can count or could have imagined. We may not know what 2012 has in store for us, but we are excited for the New Year and for the opportunities/adventures/struggles/and growth that are sure to come.

Congrats to the Newlyweds...

2011-12-28T23:53:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe my baby sister got married today. Crazy. I still remember the day she was born (partly because I ended up in the Urgent Care that same afternoon, but that's besides the point)...she was so tiny and perfect and I loved her before I ever saw her. That sisterly love has only grown stronger as I have watched Emily grow and blossom into a beautiful, strong, independent, capable, intelligent, graceful, and loving young woman. I am so happy that she has found someone to love and be with forever and ever. And I'm also so happy to gain another wonderful brother-in-law. Congratulations Emily and Janweb. We are all so, SO happy for the two of you!!

(For whatever reason, I only managed to snap a few photos the ENTIRE day...horrible of me, I know. Luckily, many others took pictures so I can share them with you now...)

(This one makes me laugh because it looks like I'm knocking Doug out)

LA Temple...

2011-12-27T23:07:00.000-08:00

With my baby sis Emily getting married tomorrow, we decided to stay the night in the apartments on Temple grounds. This was one of the last things I saw before I closed my eyes for the night...not a bad thing to say good night to.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-26T23:45:00.000-08:00

To say that our Christmas morning passed by in a flash would be a serious understatement. I honestly don't know what time the girls woke up (it was sometime after 5am since that is when I was last up with Mac), but they snuck out of their room super duper quietly and didn't wake me or Doug up. I awoke in a panic at 7:45 realizing I had not heard my alarm (a.k.a. Aiden and Reilly), knowing we had to be at church at 9 and that we had promised the girls they could open their presents in the morning before we had to leave. Surprisingly, the presents got unwrapped, cleaned up, breakfast was eaten (thank you Doug for picking up Cinnabon the day before), and all 5 of us made it to church on time (well...close enough!!)

So, now that you know the circumstances of our morning, please excuse the very blurry photos below...I could have deleted them, but figured I would keep them and post them so we could share the fun and excitement of our rushed morning with you. Enjoy!!

Amazingly, MacKenzie slept through the excitement of her first Christmas morning...looking cute and sweet and perfect as ever. Once she finally did wake up, she was as happy as could be!

After we got home from church, the girls couldn't wait to put on their new threads. I know I'm totally biased on this, but we really do have some pretty cute kids. Check out our little fashionistas...and please excuse Reilly's VERY full bubble-gum-mouth.

From the pictures above, you couldn't even tell that Aiden threw up within minutes of us getting home from church. She still wanted to put on her new clothes, but shortly after she obliged Doug's request to get some pics, she asked if she could put herself to bed. She fell asleep within minutes, slept for a couple of hours, then felt good as new. I debated whether or not we should go up to my parents' house as originally planned, but since it was mainly just water that A threw up and she didn't have an accompanying fever or any other symptoms, we decided to make the drive to Upland and spend Christmas with family. The drive was DEFINITELY worth it. In addition to joining my parents, we also got to join two of my sisters and my brother and his sweet wife who were visiting from Utah. We ate ham, cheesy potatoes, whipped jello, celery w/cheese spread, homemade rolls, apple pie, 7-layer dip...all Leach fam Christmas classics and all very, VERY delicious.

Good company, great food, family fun, some new toys and clothes...all-in-all, I have to say it was a really great Christmas for our little family! We hope your Christmas was just as happy!!

Christmas Eve...

2011-12-26T00:25:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve happenings were kept pretty simple this year...after a long day of playing and finishing up our Christmas shopping, we came home, wrapped presents, then opened our traditional night-before-Christmas-gift of jammies.

Our house seems to be colder this year, so the girls received very warm (and soft and fuzzy) PJ pants. Doug received some of his favorite socks to keep his toes nice and warm, and the girls picked out some cute red and white striped pants for me...Roo said they looked very elf-ish. Mac wore some very festive long johns that fit perfectly for the holiday...they are actually hand-me downs from the twins who received them as a gift from their Aunt Shauna. They were too big to fit the twins for their first Christmas but they fit Mac perfectly!!

It actually turned out to be an early night for all of us...Aiden and Reilly went down without much of a fuss (they knew Santa still had a chance to change his mind and skip our house...Oh, the power of bribery) and Mac and I crashed on the couch while Doug watched a little pre-bed TV.

Happy Holidays...

2011-12-23T22:41:00.000-08:00

Spreading Some Holiday Cheer...

2011-12-22T23:45:00.000-08:00

...thanks to the festive (and sparkly) trees and wreaths at Target. Nope...never a dull moment with these two girls around. Thanks for the laughs, Aiden and Reilly...you have no idea how much happiness and joy you create.

"Look mom, look! We're Christmas wreaths...aren't we funny?"

{cue the giggles and silly faces}

"Now I have a tree on my head, look!"

"Wait, Aiden...you need two and then you'll be a super tall tree"

{Lots and lots of giggles}

"Hey, you know what's pretty cool? This would be a funny hat. Don't we need silly hats for something mom? I think we should get these and then we can be tall, silly heads whenever we want."

"We are ALREADY silly heads, Reilly...."

{More giggles and silly faces}

"Wait, mom...wait!! Mac needs one too...take a pictue of Mac!"

{MacKenzie, unfortunately, could have cared less about the photo and only wanted to eat the sparkly pieces of foil...that's okay, doing this got more giggles and silliness out of her two older sisters}

We hope your day was filled with lots of happiness and cheer!!

7 Months New...

2011-12-21T21:46:00.000-08:00

Guess what?! I am now 7 months old. Everyone keeps telling me I'm growing too fast, but I just can't seem to stop myself! I love to be around my sisters...they are so much fun and make me giggle all the time,and I am super lucky to have them home from school for the next couple of weeks.

I am learning to sit up by myself...almost there, I just have a few balance issues I need to perfect. Luckily, I have my bumbo chair that I love to hang out in. I have been a kind of sick lately, some breathing/wheezing/coughing stuff. Mom took me to the doctor and she wants me to start doing breathing treatments like my sisters. To be quite honest, those treatments are my LEAST favorite part of the day. Most of the time, I just give up and end up like this...

Mom says it breaks her heart to make me do the breathing treatments, but she knows it will help my breathing get better. If my sisters can do it, then I guess I can too!! Hopefully this next month will be a month of growing and getting healthier!!

Boat Light Parade

2011-12-14T23:11:00.000-08:00

This year marked our 2 annual year of attendance to the Newport Beach Boat Parade (woo-hoo!)...and it was just as much fun (if not more) than last year. The girls love sitting on the little dock, watching the boats pass by, and waving to the people on board. This year, Doug's parents joined us for the fun. The weather has been a little chilly, windy, and rainy the past few days, so we made sure to bundle up, bring extra blankets, and take along some cups of steaming hot cocoa. It's pretty tricky taking photos of moving boats at nighttime with a camera phone, but here are the pics we got of the evening.

We hope you are having a bright and merry holiday season!!

Gingerbread Houses...

2011-12-14T21:08:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things as a kid was Christmas baking with my mom. Sugar cookies, gingerbread men, coffee cake, orange rolls...you name it, we baked it. However, I have to confess that I have been absolutely HORRIBLE at continuing that tradition with my girls. Every year I keep telling myself I am going to be better, that I am going to DO better, but every year I fail on my own resolution. Lucky for me, the girls have an amazingly fun teacher and they were able to make some adorable gingerbread houses at school.

Reilly's House

I love how she broke the Neccos and put them on the side of the house like rocks...and her candy cane heart in the background was one of her favorite parts. She said she used all the colors of the gumdrops because they are all her favorites...and because she wanted colorful lights on her house like we have on ours. She also used the redhots to make smaller red lights, but she said she tried some in class and they burned her mouth...so, they are only there for decoration, not consumption.

Aiden's House

Aiden loves, loves, LOVES little peppermint candies...and she likes the green ones even more because they aren't as "spicy." Bet you couldn't tell that by the number of red and green discs she had on her house, eh? (She actually had a few more but ate them before I snapped these photos). She also wanted to use only purple gumdrops because that is her favorite color, but she told me she didn't plan to eat them because they taste gross. She wanted to put candy canes on all sides of the house, but since she knew she had to share with her classmates, she decided to just put them on the front and back sides.

Aiden wanted to help me take photos...then she insisted I get a snapshot of her pretending to chomp down her house. What a goofy gal...and one that I love SO incredibly much!

A Hawaiian Christmas...

2011-12-14T15:14:00.000-08:00

Program, that is. The theme for the Kindergarten Holiday Program this year was A Hawaiian Christmas. The girls finally had an excuse to wear their cute hibiscus print skirts that Grandma L. made months ago but were a little too big and now finally fit. Of course, I made them wear leggings and sweaters since it's been pretty cold and breezy around here. I also made some festive hibiscus-looking hair clips from a white lei I found for less than a buck. Not too shabby, eh? (Reilly wasn't happy that I tried getting photos before we got to school that morning. She smiled for one...and one photo ONLY...all the other photos that morning resulted in a Roo scowl).

Grandma and Grandpa H were in town for the program, and the girls LOVED having special visitors in the audience. The auditorium was jam-packed...we are talking standing room only...since the lower grades all performed in the morning. Luckily, the kindergarteners were last to go, so we were able to move up in our seats as the other parents left. I was still a little too far back to get clear photos, so I tried taking videos instead....not the greatest quality, but here is what I ended up with! Seeing their position before may help you spot them a little better in the videos, so here is a closer look at where Aiden and Reilly were..

SONG: Must Be Santa

SONG: Merry Hula

SONG: Mele Kalikimaka

Personally, I think Aiden and Reilly were adorable...and it was fun to see them perform with their friends and classmates. They practiced these songs for weeks beforehand and talked non-stop about their music class with Mr. S., so it was rewarding to see all their hard work pay off! I remember how much I loved performing in grade school and I am greatly looking forward to watching the girls for many years to come.

The girls were a little more cooperative with me on our walk home from school, so here are a few more shots of my cute little Christmas haoles...

Merry Christmas everyone!

Howdy Grandpa...

2011-12-11T23:45:00.000-08:00

Doug's parents came out to visit us for the week. I'm not sure where I was when this photo was snapped, but I love the expression and wave that got captured...kinda like Mac was trying to say something. Just wanted to share it with you all...I hope your homes are full of friends and family this holiday season!

Breakfast with Santa...

2011-12-10T22:10:00.000-08:00

The girls and I visited my parents last night. We slept over and then joined in their ward's Breakfast with Santa. The food was delicious (oven-baked french toast, sweet rolls, cinnamon rolls, egg/bacon/cheese casserole, orange slices, and bananas)...I didn't get any photos of the food because it literally disappeared in the blink of an eye, but it was super-duper tasty.

After everyone finished eating, we split into 3 groups and went to different Christmas activities. The girls made star ornaments at one station (glitter and glue?! TOTAL score!), played Christmas Bingo at another (I think more M&M pieces ended up in their mouths than on their score cards), and then read the candy cane story and sang Christmas songs at the third station (Reilly was super excited about the candy cane).

Once the stations were finished, all the kids lined up and waited for a turn to sit on Santa's lap. Aiden and Reilly were very skeptical about whether or not they were going to meet the REAL Santa. After debating the matter, they decided the guy who visited was not St. Nick, but rather one of the Big Guy's helpers.

Roo: Mom - his beard wasn't real. I could see his real whiskars underneath and they were dark. Santa's are white.

Aiden: I think it's too close to Christmas anyway. He'd be crazy to leave the elves right now...he's just too busy.

I didn't even think to have Mac sit on Santa's lap, although in hindsight I suppose I should have at least tried for the photo op. Oh well...at least she looked cute and festive in her Christmas long-johns!

All-in-all, a really great way to spend our Saturday morning!

Christmas Craftiness...

2011-12-08T22:22:00.000-08:00

One of these years, I WILL have time to complete all the little crafts I have been drooling over. Until then, I will just have to settle for sharing some of the Christmas craft ideas I have secretly (or not) been coveting this holiday season. If I happened to remember to save the web page when I saved the pic, I'll make sure to link you up so you can see the full details on the craft. Enjoy!!

Advent Calendars

(love. Love. LOVE these....so many varieties yet they are ALL so cute!)

Christmas Card Holder Tree

Ruffle fabric/ribbob/lace Trees

Handmade stockings

(these are two of my favorites...love the colors, love the polka dots)

Frosty the Pumpkin

(Every year, I feel a twinge of guilt when I have to chuck perfectly good pumpkins into the trash come December. This clever idea will be put to use next year so I can start the holiday season off guilt free!!)

Festive Burlap Pillows

Christmas Wall Art & Decor

Miscellaneous

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree...

2011-12-04T22:22:00.000-08:00

We made our annual trek to Home Depot to pick out our Christmas Tree yesterday. I know, I know...the local hardware store doesn't have quite the same nostalgia as going to a traditional tree farm, but it's become a tradition for us and it just seems to fit our little family. It was pretty busy being a Saturday morning and all, but we had a good time.

For Aiden it was LOVE at first sight...she saw it, she wanted it, and she wasn't going to budge. I wasn't quite sure...it looked pretty new, kinda green (no pun intended) like it was cut too early, and I really wanted the pine fragrance to last. Doug was happy that Aiden picked out a Douglas Fir (cheesy, yes...but kinda cute), but Reilly really, REALLY wanted a tree that was close to her height so it would be easier to decorate.

Here is Roo with her tree of choice (note the Noble Fir...a girl after my own heart)

And here is the tree that made it home with us...as it appears after its first round of decorating. I say first round because the girls love to continually move things around, add ribbons and bows and candy canes and whatever else may strike their fancy as the holiday progresses. They informed me it's not very sparkly, so we'll have to figure out a way to add some festive bling to the tree. I should mention that Aiden and Reilly were very excited about having a star on top of our tree this year. In year's past, we have made bows or had nothing at all, but they were adamant that we had to have a star or an angel because "that's just what people put on their trees, mom." We lucked out and found a sparkly silver star in the bargain bin at Target and the girls could not have been happier.

And, since decorating is the best part, here are some pics from our FHE of decorative fun...complete with Doug's mandated once-yearly viewing of the Christmas Story!!

Thanks for joining in our Chistmas tree fun!!

Dear Aunt Valerie...

2011-12-03T01:45:00.000-08:00

His Birthday, My Birthday, and 2 More to Boot...

2011-11-27T22:05:00.000-08:00

That's right...November is the month of birthdays for our family. Doug's came first...the old man is now 31 years old. The girls wanted to buy some birthday balloons and then we had a celebratory birthday breakfast at the Pancake House, a place Doug has been wanting to try out for a while. The food was pretty tasty, but it was pretty crowded and service was slow...maybe we'll try it again on a weekday so we can avoid the weekend crunch? We decided to do a birthday breakfast since we had a ward Fall Party that evening. The ward party was pretty fun...good food, great company, fun games. Afterward, we came home and sang "Happy Birthday"so that Doug could eat his cupcake of choice - yellow with chocolate frosting.

Then came my birthday...the BIG 3-0. I don't think I'm in denial of entering a new decade, but I really just didn't feel like doing much of anything for "my" day. I'm not sad, I don't feel old...I just figured I would have my act together by the time I turned 30...at least, a little better than I feel like I do. I will admit - I'm still learning this whole mom thing. Yes - even after having 3 kids, I am figuring things out as I go along...taking things one day at a time. But now I'm rambling...this is supposed to be about birthday celebrations. The girls were very excited when they realized my birthday had come, and while making breakfast for them before school, they stopped everything and insisted on singing to me...over, and over, and over again. Have I mentioned how much I love my twin girls? And, despite my best efforts to quietly forget this birthday, my sweet friend Nicole took sympathy on me and brought me a beautiful bouquet of roses, a delicious strawberry shortcake, some candles, and a sweet card. She absolutely made my day...even though I honestly wanted nothing made of it.

Next up came Aiden and Reilly's birthday. This year it happened to fall after Turkey Day, so they didn't have to share their special day with any other holiday...just each other. We started the day off with their breakfast of choice (pancakes of course), let them open their first present of the day - pink Razor scooters with light up wheels. They were in heaven...and couldn't WAIT to get moving on their flashy new scooters. We asked the girls what they wanted to do, and they surprised us by saying they wanted to go to the mall. So, we went...and they got to ride the carosel, pick out some flashy new headbands, and ended up with some fancy new kicks compliments of Doug (I should never have let them enter the Vans store). Reilly chose a pair of sparkly pink vans and Aiden went with sparkly purple ones...both were VERY excited for their "first" pair of tying shoes, and they immediately went to work perfecting the art of tying their shoes. We finished off their special day with a family dinner at Old Spaghetti Factory (of course!)...complete with balloon animals and celebratory ice cream dishes. The girls thought it was pretty cool that the waiters and other restaurant guests sang to them, although they tried to play shy at first. Before bedtime, the girls got to open their final presents - Hello Kitty pajama pants, T-shirts, and slippers (from our sweet neighbors). All-in-all, I think Reilly and Aiden had a wonderful birthday...I, however, am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that my sweet, little baby twin girls have turned 6. They aren't quite so little anymore, and I need to accept that and embrace the fact that they are growing up.

And that, folks, is how we spent our 4 birthdays this month!

**I should mention that our camera has been on the fritz lately, so these photos are all courtesy of Doug's phone...please forgive the less-than stellar quality on some of them...it's hard to get a non-blurry shot of our active little girls**

Happy Thanksgiving...

2011-11-24T22:50:00.000-08:00

Just a few photos of our little turkeys hanging out at Uncle Dan's while waiting for the bird to fry. We hope your Thanksgiving day was filled with family, fun, and super tasty food!!

One Little, Two Little Indian Girls...

2011-11-22T23:56:00.000-08:00

Little did I know that when I went to pick up my girls from school today, I would be greeted by two friendly indian squaws instead. They were so cute, Mac and I decided they could come home with us.

They weren't too keen on having photos taken, but they made up for it by bringing home handmade gifts.

From Aiden

From Reilly

I just have to say that I love my new Thanksgiving decorations, and I love these two little Indian girls!!

Fun With Chalk...

2011-11-21T23:01:00.000-08:00

What can I say? My girls love to play, draw, and create. Sidewalk chalk has become a staple in our household...and you can see why from the photos below!

At first I didn't understand why the girls were drawing a massive blob of chalk...but then I realized that they decided it would be just as much fun to wear the chalk as it is to draw with it. Oh well, at least they're happy!

6 Months New...

2011-11-21T22:18:00.000-08:00

Weight: 16 lbs. 0.4 oz (50th percentile)

Height: 25 1/2 inches (25-50th percentile)

Head: 17 inches (50-75th percentile)

I love tummy time. I love to roll around and try to keep up with my sisters. I already have my 2 bottom teeth in and I think my top 2 are coming in soon. I am not yet crawling but that's okay...everyone else seems content to help me get to where I need to go!! My favorite foods are oatmeal and sweet potatoes...but eaten separately, not together. I don't care too much for carrots or peas, but guess I'll eat them if I have to.

Coo-coo for Cocoa...

2011-11-20T23:26:00.000-08:00

When the weather starts to get chilly (or when you're constantly freezing as it seems to ALWAYS be in our little old home), there is nothing better than making a cup of hot cocoa to warm yourself up. We all like it a little different, but here's a glimpse into how we do cocoa...

Vanilla (Aiden), chocolate (Reilly), or loaded with marshmallows (Me), what's your flavor of choice?

Shark Pride...

2011-11-18T22:55:00.000-08:00

Today, Aiden and Reilly were the lucky recipients of some Shark Pride awards at school. I knew beforehand, thanks to their considerate teacher who wanted to make sure I would be there and ready with a camera, but it was a total surprise for the girls. Seeing the shock on their faces when their names got called was priceless...and seeing my (normally) very outgoing girls exhibit some shyness was a little bit of a surprise for me.

Reilly's award recognized her "Enthusiasm For and Active Engagement in Learning" and Aiden's award was recognized for "Loyalty and Friendship to Her Classmates"

Little Mac was so proud of her big sisters

After the assembly was over, the girls just wanted to get to class and be with their friends...BUT, me being me, made them step aside so I could snap a couple of photos. They weren't exactly cooperative, but at least I got a little photo to commemorate their FIRST school award.

Playing Hookie...

2011-11-16T21:49:00.000-08:00

Okay, not really. In all actuality the girls did not have school today. Parent/Teacher conferences are this week and today was a day off so the teachers could schedule the bulk of their conferences together. What better way to start the day off than with McDonald's breakfast and a walk along the boardwalk and pier? The sun was shining, the waves were good (which meant lots of surfers were out), and the girls had an absolute blast.

Bumbo, Bumbo...

2011-11-15T23:41:00.000-08:00

All hail the new-ish bumbo chair that we picked up tonight. It was totally worth sitting in traffic and depleting the car's quarter stash to cover random toll fees. Thank you craigslist for helping us out. And thank you Doug for putting up with me through nights like this one. I love you. And so does this little munchkin.

Toothless...

2011-11-04T20:34:00.000-07:00

This week has been a big one for the Tooth Fairy...the girls have lost 3 teeth between the two of them (2 for Aiden, 1 for Reilly). The girls were ecstatic...they have been telling anyone and everyone willing to listen that they have finally started losing their teeth. Whenever asked if they got something in return from the Tooth Fairy, their reply was "Yeah...like 10 bucks!!" (DISCLAIMER: No, they did not receive 10 bucks...they received a dollar per tooth. I was amazed at the rate of inflation since I was a kid). Anyway...total excitement in our household. Here are some pictures to convey Reilly and Aiden's happiness.

10/30/2011: Aiden lost her first tooth at home, right at bedtime. Although I had plans to make a cute tooth pillow/holder (kinda of like THIS one), this tooth loss caught all of us by surprise and we had to settle for a quicky tooth envelope. Her 2nd tooth came out 3 days later.

10/31/2011: Reilly lost her tooth the very next day while at school. She got to go to the nurse's office and pick out a tiny little treasure box in which to hold her tooth until she got home. She was super excited and couldn't wait to share the news and show off her nifty little treasure.

Our toothless twins...aren't they cute?!

Halloween Haunting...

2011-10-31T23:53:00.000-07:00

My two little jack-o-lanterns...right after school, itching to get their costumes on...

Aiden the spooky witch...

Reilly the mummy princess...

The frightful duo...

My three little monsters...man, oh man, how I love these girls!!

Halloween 2011 Summary: Aiden and Reilly could not WAIT to go trick-or-treating tonight. They put their costumes on early, suffered through photos with mom (most of which turned out blurry thanks to my cursed shakey hands), and shoveled down some lasagna all in record time. We wove around some of the surrounding streets then ended up on the "BIG" street nearby that does haunted houses every year. It was crazy busy...a little too busy for our liking...so we turned around about 1/4 of the way down and headed up to our friend's house to join in on a little Halloween shin-dig. AND, can I just tell you that you that the "little shin-dig" was absolutely adorable. I wish I had my camera to take photos because the festivities would have put Martha Stewart to shame!! If I can get hold of some photos, I'll post them here...seriously, it was the perfect ending to a great night.

**I am posting the photos that Karly posted on her website...the pics are not my own. Any and all credit should be given to the amazing Mrs. Barker**

So, in closing...cute costumes + happy girls + trick-or-treating + hanging out with friends = one REALLY great Halloween!! We hope your night was just as spook-tacular!!

Oh Happy Day...

2011-10-29T16:02:00.000-07:00

...how can it not be with this smiley little girl by my side?!

What a Hoot...

2011-10-28T23:18:00.000-07:00

Made these adorable little cupcakes for the fall festival at the girls' school. So much fun...and so delicious!

And, since not everyone in our household likes chocolate, I made some vanilla-y options as well...you can see it didn't take long for sneaky little fingers to test out the frosting and sprinkles.

Another Confession...

2011-10-27T22:14:00.000-07:00

It's time to come clean. Again.

Time to admit that I am a faker.

I would like to think I can sew, but deep down inside, I know I am just fooling myself.

I can handle a basic stitch or two, but the problem is that I get all sorts of

brilliant sewing ideas in my head...and then I fail completely on the execution.

Point in case, Reilly really, REALLY wanted to be Spider Girl for Halloween. Pink Spider Girl.

And after spending a few days battling my machine, I finally had to give up and admit defeat.

Then came the task of finding something else that I could make last minute for Reilly.

Since Aiden is going to be a witch, we came up with the idea of being a mummy princess.

I found an idea online that I think I can copy. The sewing is pretty simple, but I think (hope) it will look super cute when it's done. Here's a preview of where we are at so far...

Roo isn't totally certain about the costume change, but she is warming up to the idea. Let's hope the finished product will win her over.

5 Months New...

2011-10-21T23:16:00.000-07:00

I love, love, LOVE looking into these gorgeous baby blues. It's hard to believe that five months have already passed since we brought this little girl home. She is such a blessing and a joy for our family.

"I am going to name her Polka-Dot..."

2011-10-14T23:27:00.000-07:00

...because she is pretty and has polka dots all over her. That's a good idea, don't you think?!"

Aiden found a new friend on our walk home from school today. Surprisingly, it climbed right onto her hand and let her bring it home. Also surprisingly, it hung out with us for over an hour...even while the girls excitedly passed it back and forth between one another. Even more surprising, was how soft and gentle the girls were while handle the fragile little insect. Aiden wanted to keep it as a pet, she even went and got a larger tupperware container and filled it with leaves and flowers and such, but once the damp fog lifted the butterfly decided to fly onto other adventures.

By far, this was the coolest butterfly experience any of us have ever had.

Almost Ready....

2011-10-12T23:38:00.000-07:00

....and we absolutely cannot wait to make some fresh guac from our home-grown avocados. Should be ready to pick in a few more weeks!! Mmmmmmm....so, SO good!!

Halloween Craftiness...

2011-10-10T22:29:00.000-07:00

So many crafts, so little time. Even though I may not be able to make everything I want to this year, I figured I would share some of my favorite craft ideas for this Halloween holiday season.

I would love to see what you've been crafting this Halloween!! Feel free to link up some of your recent crafts (or crafty ideas)...

Love...

2011-10-04T18:10:00.000-07:00

...everything about this moment.

Homework...

2011-10-03T22:01:00.000-07:00

So here we are...five weeks into school...and the girls absolutely LOVE homework. Who would have thought, right? Every day on our walk home from school, the girls ask me what they get to do for homework. Most days, I have to make something up since they get a weekly packet of work on Monday and the girls like to finish that all in one afternoon. I'm not going to complain - I hope the girls love for learning continues to grow over the years.

Here's a peak into our typical afternoon...snacks, crayons, and fun-filled homework packets.

It has been fun to see the differences in the girls' work styles...how they color (Aiden loves all kinds of colors but Reilly usually alternates 2 or 3), how they organize things (Aiden colors everything first, then cuts, then glues; Reilly colors/cuts/glues one or two things at a time, then goes back for another one or two things and repeats the process), how they write (Aiden is starting to alternate between uppercase and lowercase letters; Reilly still prefers to write all in capital letters), how they glue things (Aiden puts the glue on the intended square of the background paper, going in order from left to right, top to bottom; Reilly lathers it onto the small piece then places it randomly onto the background paper)....just fun little differences the further prove their individuality.

Fancy, Fancy...

2011-09-24T22:44:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how much fun these two can have with $0.60 sunglasses and princess crowns/necklaces from the Dollar Store. So entertaining...and so stinkin' cute!

4 Months New...

2011-09-21T23:31:00.000-07:00

My 4 month stats are:

13 lbs. 9 oz.

24 inches long

15 3/4 inch head circumference

Notes: Guess what?! I am really good at rolling from my back onto my tummy...but then I get stuck and I haven't figured out how to roll back over. I have "officially" found my thumb and prefer to suck on that (or any of my fingers) over a binkie. I have also discovered my cute little feet and I love to lay on my back and play with my toes. I still love bathtime, but we have moved from the kitchen sink to the bathroom tub. I have so much room to splash and kick - it's great fun. Mom says I'm a very happy baby...I love to smile and giggle and make noises all the time. My favorite time of day is when we go to pick up my big sisters from school...I sure love seeing their smiley faces.

Sickees...

2011-09-21T22:59:00.000-07:00

The girls have been home sick this week...a nasty coough/chest congestion/fever thingee that is being passed around their school. Some of the neighborhood moms said I'm being a little too overprotective (me?!), but I don't want to be the mom who sends my sick kids to school so they can infect everyone else. Sorry. That's just not how I am.

Even though they missed going to class and playing with their friends, the girls were in pretty good spirits this week. Here they are on day 2, hanging out on the hide-a-bed, watching movies with me and Mac. While I wish the girls weren't sick, I do miss lazy days like this.

Family Photo...

2011-09-20T22:27:00.000-07:00

The girls needed to have a current family photo for the school emergency packs...since we haven't had anything taken recently, we decided to use the ol' timer on the camera and snap a new photo.

First attempt...

...second attempt...

...third attempt...

...and the best one of the group...

I sure love my cute little family!

Confession Time...

2011-09-17T23:47:00.000-07:00

I think it's time. Time to admit that I'm a hoarder. Not a hoarder of physical objects, like on the reality show where people are living within stacks and stacks of boxes and items and such. Rather, I am a hoarder of creative inspiration. I love searching the web for crafts and projects and ideas. I wish I had the time and resources to copy all the things I see, but that's not possible right now. Maybe one day, just not now. Why then do I continue to search and save and search and save? Because seeing other people's creative endeavors inspires me, it helps me strive to be better, to think and create and improve things around me. Things have been a little rough lately...personally, emotionally, hormonally...you name it. SO...as a pick me up, I've been going back through my creative stash and figured I would share some of my favorite ideas.

Enjoy!

Love the teal, love the eclectic collection of plates...but I would never have the guts to paint our ol' piano

This is a song that I sang to the girls as infants...and continued to sing to them as they got older...and now I sing it to Mac while rocking her to sleep. Something similar to this will get made soon...

Love the simplicity of the glass jars and the ribbon...ribbon makes everything cuter

Love the butterfly drape box (don't know the technical term but it sure is cute)...would love to do something like this in the girls' room

These are adorable...if only I had more wall space to hang these...or a playroom, for that matter

This is a great quote...something I need to be reminded of often

So cute...kraft paper, cherries, and adorable bi-colored twine...how could you go wrong?

I love the shutters being used as a functional backdrop to the desk...I've been scouring craigslist and Goodwill for some cheap shutters of my own but haven't had any luck. Bummer.

Another reminder I need often...

I love the eclectic-girly-whimsy of this room...if I ever get the time (and the patience) I would love to paint stripes like this in the girls' room

Such an adorable collection of chalkboards...the girls would absolutely love a wall like this

When I found my $27 wooden kitchen set at Goodwill (3 pieces at $9 each) I snatched it up with the hopes of making something uber cute like this...a year and a half later, that play kitchen is now sitting in a storage unit waiting for Mac to be old enough to play with it. Maybe by then I'll get it put together

Buttons...stitching...so colorful and cheery...perfect!

Not sure what I like more...the hodge-podge collection of frames or the fun cluster of pompoms hanging from the ceiling (I still want to create something like that over Mac's crib...but on a much smaller scale)

Such a cute piece of family art...and I love the tiny little vase (silly, I know)

Love the art prints in this photo...the stacked birds and modular date are right up my alley

I love the cluster of photos around the big letter

With Halloween just around the corner, this is one of my favorite ideas for a homemade costume...too bad the girls don't share my love of owls

Love this mobile...this idea was a runner up to the cluster of pompoms for Mac's crib

Again, the cluster of letters and photos...so cute

Love the simplicity and pops of color...love the painted shutters in the background

Felty, blocky robots...so cute (love the tongue sticking out)

Another super cute idea using felt and buttons...and perfect for the girls while they are learning to spell

One day, we will have a house with a room just for the kids...and when that day comes, I hope to create something that is bright and clean and cheerful...just like this room (isn't that corner couch so cute?)

One of my all-time favorites...some day I'll have a free wall to create something like this

Afternoon Delight...

2011-09-14T22:40:00.000-07:00

The girls and I made some yummy chocolate covered strawberries today after school. It was a lot of fun (I mean...can you go wrong with ooey, gooey melted chocolate chips and plump, juicy strawberries?!)...but I think the girls were most excited about plating them up and sharing them with our neighbors.

While Doug will most emphatically disagree, I think Fancy Nancy was right...sprinkles DO make things taste better.

Go Trojans...

2011-09-10T22:55:00.000-07:00

Doug's friend Adam scored some tickets to the USC game...again. Lucky, lucky guys.

Morning Showers...

2011-09-10T13:24:00.000-07:00

As a kid, I used to love rainy days. Rainy days meant a fire in the fireplace, rides to and from school (most of the time), and mom's homeade chili for dinner. I still love rainy days...and it appears the girls enjoy rainy days just as much as I used to (and still do).

We woke up this morning to the first autumn rainstorm. Not quite sure if it could be called a storm...more like scattered showers. But with the sun breaking through the clouds at the same time thunder and lightening were happening, it was a pretty awesome way to start the day. My photos don't do it justice, but here is a recap of our morning showers.

I love these girls and I love moments like this...moments that remind me to enjoy the little things in life.

First Day of School...

2011-09-06T13:23:00.000-07:00

Today was Aiden and Reilly's first day of school. To say they were excited would be an understatement.

We started off the day off with the girls' favorite breakfast - pancakes with sprinkles. They picked out their outfits, made their lunches, and packed their backpacks the night before, so the morning went pretty smoothly.

The girls couldn't wait to walk to school in the morning...they barely paused as Doug and I tried to snap a few photos. Our neighbors were nice enough to wait for us, and the little brood happily took off to school.

I tried snapping some photos on the walk over, but the girls simply wouldn't wait for anyone. They were too excited to get to school and start their big day.

When we got to school, we found the line for their classroom, they hopped right in and immediately started chatting it up. I tried snapping a few more photos, but they were too busy looking for friends. I didn't cry (a major surprise in and of itself), but it was a little sad to see them go off so easily, without a second thought or glance. I guess it just shows how ready they were to start school.

Aiden and Reilly...two of the cutest li'l kindergartners I know!

Sunday Snooze...

2011-09-04T21:30:00.000-07:00

There is nothing better than getting to take a Sunday afternoon snooze...especially when your snuggle buddy is as cute as this little one! Check out my little side-sleeper...I love waking up with this little one tucked in beside me.

And for the record, I just have to say how much I love baby leg warmers..especially on this little one...

Fishy Fish...

2011-08-31T21:48:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share a little something I made for a special friend of mine. I came across the idea somewhere on the web and thought it was such a cute way to let this gal know just cool she is.

Beach-Themed Bridal Shower...

2011-08-27T00:19:00.000-07:00

Those who know me well know that I tend to be a bit introverted when it comes to social situations. I love to serve and help others, but I prefer to do it quietly and behind the scenes. That being said, I decided to step outside of my comfort zone and help put together a bridal shower for my sweet friend Nicole (here she is with her fiance and sweet grandmother).

I really should give all the credit to my co-host Sherri...she's amazingly organized and nothing would have gotten done on time had it not been for her. But, I did contribute some of my creative talents via decorations and invitations and such. I may be biased, but I think the shower was fabulous fun. Here are some photos (compliments of the very talented Tracy of Tracy Elder Photography) of our little shin-dig...hope you enjoy!! I also should mention that many others helped make this shower a success - Amy and her mom for creating the delicious crepe bar and chocolate cupcakes, Katie for the yummy fruit salad, Karly for jumping in last minute to help with the flowers, and Mikken for allowing us to use her beautiful home. I apologize if I have forgotten anyone...I promise that everyone's efforts were greatly appreciated!!

Best wishes to the happy couple! So glad I could be part of your fun day!!

3 Months New...

2011-08-26T23:57:00.000-07:00

Time is going by way too fast. It's hard to believe baby Mac has already passed the 3 month mark.

Little Mac...

2011-08-22T20:34:00.000-07:00

...sure loves to smile...

...and I simply can't get enough...

...of her adorable toothless grin.

Rascally Rodents...

2011-08-19T11:14:00.000-07:00

Let's see...we've had possums and squirrels and even a little field mouse. Now, we have a group of racoons that has been raiding our avocado tree and running relays across our rooftop at night.

The photos are pretty crummy (sorry) but these not-so-little racoons were not scared about asserting their territorial claim. On this particular night, there were 3 of them together...the smallest was just a little larger than our neighbor's dog Hugo. When they run across the roof, it sounds like a person is actually up there.

Crazy things...in the 1 1/2+ years we've lived here, we have never seen these guys. Let's hope they decide NOT to stick around for the long haul!

Pipecleaners and Pompoms...

2011-08-18T14:05:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought that a bowl full of beads, pompoms, and bundle of pipe cleaners could make for such a fun morning for me and the girls?!

OC County Fair 2011

2011-08-12T23:54:00.000-07:00

Here is a recap of our day at the fair...

Bumper boats, fun houses, and slides...we took full advantage of the $2 rides...

...and the girls loved every minute of it.

They also loved hanging out with their friend Pete...

...and participating in a pre-magic-show game/contest. They both won 1st place ribbons and they were so proud to show off their prize...

Up, up, and away...on the ferris wheel

They must have gone on the slides 10 times or so...and they had a blast every time. There was also a really cool ride that made them feel like they were flying...and they were so happy to ride it all by themselves.

The merry-go-round is always a favorite.

This is how little Mac spent most of her day, but we did have a few moments like this...

And of course, the animals...they loved the animals. Aiden even took a turn with the camera and snapped away to her heart's content.

I thought these were pretty cool...some of the winning cakes for this year

Love these girls...

The photos says it all...

These guys were pretty cool...Aiden made us chase them down so she could snap some more photos...

Special thanks to Granpa for joining us at the fair...

And Doug was able to meet up with us after work for a bit o' fun...

With kettle corn and ribbons in hand, we headed off to a family dinner at Old Spaghetti Factory...the perfect ending to a perfect day!

Doug's Fishing Excursion...

2011-08-09T23:09:00.000-07:00

We are pretty lucky to have an awesome neighbor who loves to go fishing...and who happens to like Doug...which means, Doug now has a fishing buddy. They have been on a couple of trips lately. This one was a late night trip. Doug caught 2 for the night but came home empty handed because they ended up in someone else's fish bag. Bummer. The good news is he had a lot of fun!

Love Our Garden...

2011-08-06T23:56:00.000-07:00

11 Weeks...

2011-08-06T20:44:00.000-07:00

Big Sisters...

2011-08-05T23:29:00.000-07:00

...and so very proud to be. I know I am biased on this, but Aiden and Reilly have turned out to be two of the best big sisters around. They love MacKenzie and are so excited to have her in our family. These two beautiful girls tell anyone and everyone about their new baby sister. They shower her with hugs and kisses and more hugs and kisses any chance they get. I have said it before and I'll probably say it a thousand times more...I am so, so, SO very lucky to have these two girls in my life.

Friday Five...

2011-08-05T23:28:00.000-07:00

Love my three beautiful girls. Love precious moments like this.

Love this baby, her smile and gigles, and polka dot leg warmers.

I love my little miss Aiden.

Love my smiley Reilly Roo.

Love snuggling and capturing happy moments like this.

Thank You Card...

2011-08-02T23:56:00.000-07:00

Got a little crafty today with some paper and I wanted to share what I came up with...

Catching Up...

2011-08-02T00:21:00.000-07:00

Yes...it's been well over a month since I have posted anything substantial. My apologies...time with our newborn seems to be slipping by faster than I can handle. That being said, I am going to try and get this blog updated over the next few days. I'll be adjusting the posts to the corresponding date, so you may need to look back a bit....but for anyone who might still be following us, you can pretty much accept that any post for July 2011 will be a new post.

Scrap Haps for June and July

2011-07-31T21:45:00.000-07:00

So, I've only scrapped a few pages in the past couple of months...nothing like having a new baby in the house to put a stop to all creative endeavors!! The desire is there, but I just don't seem to have the time or energy to get on the computer and scrap as I would like. I'm working on it though, and hope to get more pages scrapped in August. For the time being, here are my latest creations for your viewing pleasure!

Tropical Wind Grab Bag by River Rose

Family Matters collab by Donna Duncombe Designs and Roseytoes Designs

One and Only Template Pack by Little Green Frog Designs

My Mother's Arms by Donna Duncombe Designs

Juicy Paper Pack from Recherché by KH Designs

Summer Lovin' by Trixie Scraps

Using the Wildflowers Collab from the FPD Design Team

Americana by Jen C. Designs and Luv Ewe Designs

Old Glory Collab by Sarah Bennett Designs and Trixie Scraps

Double Trouble Template Pack by Little Green Frog Designs

Don't Leave Home Without It Alpha by Lauren Grier Designs

Riding with the Girls Full Kit and Cardstock Paper Pack by Trixie Scraps

Doubled Over Template Pack by Little Green Frog Designs

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a scrap-happy day!!

2 Months New...

2011-07-21T23:24:00.000-07:00

2 Months Stats:

11 lbs. 9 oz.

23 inches long

15 inches - head circumference

Notes: I think I am doing a good job of being a baby - I eat, sleep, and repeat. I love my swing - especially looking at the birdies and the mirror above my head. I love bathtime, but mom thinks I'm getting too big for the kitchen sink. I am starting to discover my hands and fingers, but I haven't quite figured out how to work them just right. Give me time and I'll figure out what they are supposed to be used for. Reilly and Aiden sure love to snuggle me...they are the best big sisters around!!

Again?! Are You Kidding Me...

2011-07-18T23:34:00.000-07:00

Yes. It happened again.

For the second time (third if you count a practice run on some poor, unsuspecting Barbie dolls).

But this time, both girls participated, not just one.

This time the damage was irreperable and the only thing we can do is wait and give it time to fix itself. Too bad school starts in a month. Think anyone will notice?

Guess we'll need to get creative with headbands.

And hats. And comb-overs. And maybe even try some clip-on hair extensions if we get desperate enough.

One day, I will look back at this and laugh. It is just hair, after all, and it will grow back. But today, right now, I am not laughing. I am angry. I am frustrated. I feel like a complete failure as a mom. And I may have cried a little. And I probably yelled some. Okay, I probably yelled a lot.

Not probably. Definitely. I definitely yelled. But can you blame me?!

And I threw the scissors away. Again. But they have a habit of magically reappearing.

All this, and yet I still love my girls. They worked me today. Hands down, they kicked my butt. But messed up bangs and all, they really are the cutest things around.

Just don't tell them I said that. I need to be mad for just a little while longer.

P.S. Thank you Sherri for doing what you could to try and fix their hair. You're awesome.

And, just in case you are wondering what kind of mother allows her 5 1/2-year olds to play with scissors unsupervised, I feel the need to explain that the girls snuck them into their room after they found them in the special hiding spot they placed them in last week after they dug them out of the trash. The scissors had been thrown away as punishment for chopping off all the hair on their Barbie dolls. I thought they were long gone.

My mistake for not double checking.

I also happened to be a little distracted today with the littlest one, who did not fare well after receiving her 2-month immunizations. A nasty rash and swelling and lots of pain that neither motrin, tylenol, nor cold compresses could relieve forced us to return to the doctor for a steroid shot...yes, another shot.

Go figure.

But it did the trick. And after a long day of being in pain, not eating, and uncontrollable crying, MacKenzie calmed down and was finally able to sleep.

Poor thing. Definitely a rough day for all.

Newborn Photo Shoot...

2011-07-15T03:12:00.000-07:00

Remember my friend Tracy, the amazing photographer? Well she came by to do a newborn photo shoot of MacKenzie and even managed to get some amazing shots of the girls. I've said it before and I'll say it again - she's AMAZING!!

I thank the Lord every day for blessing me with such beautiful, healthy girls. I don't know what I did to deserve them, but I am so, SO grateful to be their mama.

And I'm grateful for kind friends who are willing to share their amazing photography skills. Thanks again Tracy!! You are seriously awesome.

Fouth of July Recap...

2011-07-05T10:13:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Doug and his nifty phone, we have a few photos of how we spent our Fourth...at the beach, with family, digging for sand crabs...basically, just enjoying the freedom we are blessed to have.

We hope your 4th of July was just as wonderful as ours!

Happy Fourth of July...

2011-07-04T09:15:00.000-07:00

We are at the beach today, playing with cousins, but I still wanted to post a photo that kept in spirit of today's holiday (yup...it's from our February photo shoot, but that's okay). We hope you enjoy your 4th as much as we are enjoying ours!

Happy Birthday America!!

So Much For Trying...

2011-07-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

Do you remember back in February when I put lots of time, thought, and hard work into making this ABC Canvas for the girls?

Well...unfortunately the girls decided to add their own artistic touches to it using orange marker and a Sharpie. I nearly cried when I saw that the special gift I made just for them had been ruined. There was no hope of saving it, no sense in even trying.

Guess I won't be making them anything new any time soon (although seeing the smiley faces on the ice creams cones does make me chuckle now...but definitely not when I discovered their artistic contributions). Maybe this is their way of acting out to all the changes that have taken place in our family? Many people warned me this would happen...with the new baby and all. But really?! Do they have to be so destructive all the time??

P.I.T. - Photographers in Training...

2011-07-02T17:09:00.000-07:00

Every time I go looking through my camera, I find oodles of photos taken by my sneaky little girls. I figured if they love to use the camera so much, I might as well let them practice! Here are a few of the photos they've snapped recently...man oh man, do these girls make me laugh.

Roo the dancer and Aiden the photographer

MacKenzie's welcome home sign

Aiden insisted on getting one of me and Mac...she wasn't too happy about having to wait until I was done nursing, but such is life...

And, of course I wanted to get one of my 3 little stinkers...not that clear of a pic, but I love the different expressions captured in this photo!

Bathtime...

2011-06-27T23:44:00.000-07:00

By far, MacKenzie's favorite time of the day seems to be bathtime. She loves being in the water, splashing and kicking to her heart's content, and she cries the second we take her out. It won't be long before she's too big to bathe in the sink, so I plan on enjoying every single moment of tub time.

Looks like we have another fish on our hands...

Lucky To Be Me...

2011-06-24T02:05:00.000-07:00

These girls, whether they realize it or not, are such amazing examples for me. I know I should be the one who does the teaching - being the mother and all - but I can honestly say that a day doesn't go by when I don't learn something (or a lot of somethings) from these amazing little gals. I am amazed at how much sweetness can be bottled up in such little bodies. They are so patient and forgiving, are filled with so much tenderness, and are the definition of pure, genuine, unconditional love. Bottom line...I cannot adequately express my gratitude or state enough just how. much. I. LOVE. these. girls.

Yup...I'm the luckiest mom ever.

I. LOVE. THESE. GIRLS.

2011-06-23T23:00:00.000-07:00

'nuff said

1 Month New...

2011-06-21T00:41:00.000-07:00

1 Month Stats:

9 lbs. 4 oz.

21 inches long

14 1/4 inches - head circumference

Notes: Yay!! I am officially one month old today. After a rough first week in the hospital, I have been able to spend the rest of my first month of life at home with my family. I sleep a lot...and I get lots of snuggles and cuddles from my sisters, and papa, and mom. I sleep in a bassinet next to mom's bed, but I also love my swing and boppy pillow. The doctor is very pleased with my growth and progress...so much, in fact, that she says I don't have to go back for an entire month. Yippee!!

Family Night Out...

2011-06-14T22:22:00.000-07:00

Tonight we took a family night out. We decided to hit up the street fair in downtown Huntington Beach. The girls really wanted to participate in the jumbo bounce houses, but settled for taking a walk along the bridge (a.k.a. the pier) instead. Ever since we lived in Oceanside, these two munchkins have loved pier-walking. By now, it has become somewhat of a family tradition. It was a little chilly tonight, and pretty windy, but we toughed through it and enjoyed our evening stroll.

On the way back to the car, we stopped and let the girls pick out some mini cupcakes. What were the flavor choices of the evening? Aiden chose purple cotton candy flavor, Reilly went with blue bubble gum, Doug hose german chocolate, and I went with Red Velvet. What a perfectly delicious ending to a great family night.

MacKenzie Taylor...

2011-06-04T21:59:00.000-07:00

...the newest member of our family has arrived!! Although the arrival came a couple of weeks ago, I am just now getting around to posting photos of our sweet baby girl...sorry for the delay.

For those wanting to know the stats, MacKenzie weighed in at 7 pounds 9.3 ounces and measured 19.5 inches in length. She was delivered by C-section. Unfortunately, she had a lot of fluid in her lungs which resulted in low oxygen levels and difficulty in breathing. Little Mac had to spend the first day in the transition nursery under the watchful eye of nurses until she could regulate her breathing on her own...that was a long and lonely day for me. On day 3 of our hospital stay, the pediatrician noticed a small dimple along her spine (usually indicative of an under-developed spinal colum...a big problem) which resulted in a field trip down to the radiology department for an ultrasound. Luckily, everything turned out okay and the ultrasound showed that MacKenzie's spine is fully developed with no holes or gaps or anything bad. Day 4 was supposed to be release day, but Mac's bilirubin levels were a little too high so we had to stay an extra day so that she could lay under the blue lights and get into normal levels. Aside from hating the eye mask, she did pretty good with the whole treatment and we were able to leave the following day by noon.

Aiden and Reilly absolutely LOVE their new roles as big sisters. They want to help with anything and everything baby related...from changing diapers to dressing to bathing to feeding (when possible) to burping. There have been no jealousy issues with the baby (which seems to be the first question people ask), but they seem to be fighting more amongst themselves than usual. In addition to the very helpful BIG sisters, we have been fortunate to have received a tremendous amount of help from my parents, Doug's parents, and family and friends. Tonight is the first night where we don't have any help...and I'm a little worried about the reality of it all. I want to do this right...I want to be a good mom...I want to include everyone and give everyone the same amount of attention and I want to stay on top of things around the house and try to maintain a routine and to be patient and loving and easy-going and not mess up. My mom kindly reminded me to not set unrealistic expectations...she knows me too well. So I have decided to simply take things one day at a time.

I will try to keep the blog updated with the haps and mishaps of our transition from a family of 2 kiddos to a family of 3 kiddos...but since I don't know how regular or frequent I will be at posting, here are some photos from our stay in the hospital to hold you over until next time...

Catching Up...

2011-05-17T23:01:00.000-07:00

I've been a little negligent in posting photos for the past little while...sorry folks. To try and make up for it, here is a smorgasborg of pictures of what we have been up to...compliments of Doug, the best husband/dad ever!

Play days at the park...and an afternoon with Uncle Dan

Family night at Boomers!...we had a super fun time miniature golfing and playing arcade games

Fun at the beach...the girls never get tired of the water or sand

Photos with Papa and Uncle Dan...

Who doesn't have fun with bubbles?

More beachy fun...this time with friends (and followed with a romp in the sprinklers)!

I seriously LOVE these girls...their smiles and laughter are contagious and they add so much happiness and joy to my life. I'm not sure what I did to deserve the privilege of being their mom, but I am so grateful they were given to me and Doug and I hope they know how much they mean to me.

Freebie Template...

2011-05-15T23:26:00.000-07:00

I created a template for the second part of this month's Template Challenge at Funky Playground Designs....stop on by and play along for a chance to win some $$ to the FPD Store!!

Download link: http://www.box.net/shared/mk7s45jc05

Mother's Day Love...

2011-05-08T22:25:00.000-07:00

In primary today, the girls filled out a Mother's Day questionnaire. I thought it would be fun to share their answers (be they good, bad, true, incorrect, embarrassing or not) with you all...

My mother likes to:
A: Go to the park with Reilly and me
R: Wash dishes and drive the car

The most fun or funniest thing I ever saw my mom do was:
A: Stick out her tongue
R: Twirl her eyeballs

I like it when my mom:
A: Does coloring with me and Reilly
R: Gets us squishees and dolls

My mom's favorite food is:
A: Peanut butter sandwich and cereal
R: Bananas and strawberries

If I could give my mom anything, I'd give her:
A: Necklace, new pajama pants
R: A new ring, new ~~underpants~~ dress

I think my mom would like to go to:
A: Church and the grocery store
R: Ralphs and Target

The think I hear my mom say the most is:
A: "I'm goofing out," "Stop," "You look beautiful"
R: "You are freaking me out"

When my mom wakes up, she:
A: Gets dressed and eats her breakfast
R: Gets dressed

I wish my mom wouldn't:
A: Throw my toys away
R: Spank me

I love my mom because:
A: She's beautiful
R: She is the most beautiful mom ever

I loved reading these because it reminded me of life through the eyes of a child. I often wonder what the girls will remember about me and our family from this stage in life...I hope they remember the good and fun things and overlook (or at least forgive me for) my faults and mistakes (like the whole spanking thing...which, for the record, does NOT happen often).

I am not the perfect mother, and motherhood is not something that I feel has come easily or naturally to me, but I have tried really hard to develop myself and to find joy in the special and unique offerings of motherhood. I am grateful for Aiden and Reilly and for everything they have taught me...their giggles and smiles and kisses and hugs are what make motherhood so rewarding. I cannot imagine life without my little twinsers, and I am thankful for each and every day I get to spend with them.

I also want to pay tribute to all the amazing women in my life who have helped me become the mother I am today. To all the wonderful women in my life - my mother, mother-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, and friends - thank you one and all for your amazing examples. I hope your Mother's Day was super special!!

Scrap Haps at FPD...

2011-05-01T20:50:00.000-07:00

I'm back on board with the Funky Playground Designs Creative Team...which means I took the liberty of taking a break from baby-prep activities to create some layouts!! Here is what I came up with during the past month (click on the image for full layout credits)...

Pickles and Ice Cream collab by Girl.Boy.Girl Designs and Daybreak Scraps by Dawn

Butterfly Kisses collab by the FPD Design Team

Funky Fresh Collab by Brine Design and Studio Demo

Endless Summer Days by Michelle Batton

Gaga For Little Monsters by Sir Scrapalot Designs

Butterfly Kisses collab by the FPD Design Team

Up, Up, and Away by Sir Scrapalot Designs

Salt Water Taffy Collab Kit and Template Pack by the FPD Design Team

And I recently joined the CT for a new designer at FPD, Little Green Frog Designs.

I actually "met" Andrea while I was on the CT at ScrapMatters (oh....how I have missed SM) and I have to tell you that she is uber talented and I am super excited to be creating with her templates!! Andrea's shop just opened on May 1st, so here is just the first (of many) layouts using her stuff...

Build It Yourself: Everyday Template Bundle by Little Green Frog Designs, Hot Cross Fun by Brine Design

That's it for today! I'm not sure how much scrapping I'll get done in the next few weeks....you know, with baby girl#3 coming and all...so if you don't see very many pages from me, then I hope you have a fantastic and crafty May!!

Thank you for stopping by!!

Easter Festivities...

2011-04-27T01:05:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning the girls and I woke early to catch the annual egg hunt at The Dunes. The hunt was sort of a bust (Aiden had her eye on a sparkly green egg and was so heartbroken when another kid got to it first, that she basically just stopped and didn't know what else to do...), but the girls had a blast in the bounce house, playing at the playground, and posing for a picture with the "costumed" Easter Bunny (the girls informed me the real Easter Bunny was just too busy for pictures and even though they knew this one was just a costume they still liked him).

After the egg hunt, the girls and I ran a few errands...including a stop at Home Depot which resulted in the following fun photos....

Sunday morning was a little rough...Roo woke up with a blazing fever and it was raining. The girls and I didn't make it to church, but Uncle Dan came up for a visit and they absolutely loved the indoor egg hunt he and Doug put together for them. My camera battery was basically dead, but here are two photos I managed to snap that morning before it quit on me for good.

Hope you all had a fantastic Easter!!

Fun With Face Paint...

2011-04-27T00:34:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought a quick trip to the grocery store would result in an afternoon of pure happiness for the girls? Note to self - a little bit of face paint equals a whole lot of FUN!

Catching Up...

2011-04-27T00:29:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos of what we've been up to this past month...sorry for the mass posting, but time just seems to be flying by these days!!

Riding the bus to gymnastics, waiting at the bus stop, and just having fun!

Family photo time (Aiden decided to wear my glasses)...and some belly pics (this was me at 33 weeks)

More painting...first the ceiling in the girls' room then the kitchen (Doug also decided to paint my belly...nerd)

Last-minute decision to take the trip to Utah to cheer my sisters on while they ran the SLC Half-Marathon

Weird weather on the way up (yes...we had snow during the trip. The girls LOVED it!)

Cousin time after the marathon and me and the girls with Great Grandma & Grandpa Leach

Total, Complete Awesomeness...

2011-04-19T22:25:00.000-07:00

In case I haven't previously mentioned it, I just want to put it out there that I have the most awesome sisters ever. This past weekend, four of my five sisters ran in the Salt Lake City Half Marathon. Em and I were there in heart and spirit - Em had a dance committment and I, of course, couldn't really run the race at 34 weeks pregnant. Fortunately, my ever-growing belly did not stop the girls and I from cheering my sisters on as they completed this amazing feat.

13.1 miles?! Shoot...that ain't nothing for these awesome gals!!

Dear State of California...

2011-04-18T10:41:00.000-07:00

This is the first year we have owed taxes. Ever.

Needless to say, We are not happy about having to send you our hard earned money. I wish I could say I knew it was going to be put to good use...but, I know better than to expect that.

Enjoy the green. This will hopefully be the last (and ONLY) year you receive payment from us.

2011 Pan Jiu Jitsu Tournament

2011-03-25T23:01:00.000-07:00

This weekend is the 2011 Pan Jiu Jitsu Tournament in Irvine. Doug and his brother both competed this year - Doug in the Blue Master Medium-Heavy and Dan in the Blue Master Medium Division. Doug had a tough first match and unfortunately lost by 3 points. Dan won his first two matches by points but went out in his third by tap out.

Although the tournament did not turn out as well as the guys would have liked, both of them fought good fights and had some tough competitors. The guy who beat Doug ended up placing 2nd out of the 29 guys in their bracket, and the guy who beat Dan ended up placing 3rd out of the 43 competitors in their bracket. All-in-all, it was a good learning experience (what is it they say? There is no such thing as losing...you either win or you learn...) and an even better bonding experience. The guys had a blast spending some brotherly time together and the girls sure loved having their Uncle Dan around. Here are some photos from the tourney...and once I get hold of Doug's phone, I'll be sure to post some photos from the past week.

The cutest little cheerleaders around...and NO...despite what you may think from the photos, we were not facing blizzard conditions that morning...just a little rain.

The Contenders area...this place was packed...I took the photo just to give a better idea of how many people compete at this tournament.

The mats (obviously)...just a random photo - neither Doug nor Dan were competing at the time I snapped this

Park Days...

2011-03-24T22:26:00.000-07:00

We love park days...absolutely love them. Aiden's favorite things are still the slides and swings...even though it has gotten more and more difficult for her mom to push her. Reilly has recently branched out and conquered the monkey bars; she simply can't get enough of them.

Park days make the girls happy...and happy girls make for one happy mama. I am so grateful we live in a neighborhood with so many different parks/playgrounds to choose from.

Two Peas in a Pod...

2011-03-21T22:43:00.000-07:00

Twins? Yes...but these two girls couldn't be more different from one another.

Reilly loves skirts...and skirts with shorts attached (girl shorts as she likes to call them) are even better. She is very particular about matching colors and patterns, and accessorizing has become a must. Even if it's just for a short walk around the block, Roo likes to add a purse or necklace or something "extra" to her outfit. Clothing preferences aside, Roo likes to play with her zhu zhu pets and dolls...she is very particular about how their homes get decorated. She loves to ride her bike and is fine playing by herself or with other kids...no preference, as long as she is having fun. Reilly likes to do her own thing on her time. If you ask her to do something, she'll get around to it when it's convenient...and if it's not convenient, she has no problem telling you so (or trying to delegate the task to someone else).

Aiden has turned into my t-shirt and jeans girl. She is kinda picky about the jeans, and almost always rolls them up at the cuff, but she'll pick jeans straight out of the wash before she chooses anything else. Unlike her sister, she's not too picky about color combos or patterns...if it fits and it's comfortable, she's happy. Aiden also likes to layer things...she'll put on a couple of shirts at a time and add a sweatshirt or sweater...guess she picked up the layering habit from her mama. Aiden loves, loves, LOVES to color and draw and practice writing her letters. If she's playing outside, she prefers to have someone to play with...outdoor play is more than a one-person activity in her opinion. Aiden is always willing to lend a helping hand...if you need something done, she's the gal to go to. Whether I'm folding laundry or washing dishes or cooking dinner, her first question is "Mama, can I help you with that?"

Differences aside, I love both of these girls so incredibly much. They make me smile every day and make me laugh even when I don't feel much like doing so. They have become such good friends, wonderful sisters, and I am so lucky to have been blessed to be their mom. I love you Reilly! I love you Aiden!

Things to Remember...

2011-03-19T02:56:00.001-07:00

Since my memory fails me often (even more so during this pregnancy), here are a few recent conversations/events/happenings that I want to remember for years to come...

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

(Occurred at the park the other day, while I was pushing Aiden on the swing...Reilly was busily trying to conquer the monkey bars)

Aiden: "Mama...are you going to marry daddy again?"

Me: (a little surprised by the question) "Well, papa and I are married now...usually you don't get married more than once to the same person."

Aiden: "But, that's not fair."

Me: "Sweetie...I'm confused. I'm not sure I understand what you mean..."

Aiden: "Mom, I want to be able to go to your wedding. I want to be at the temple with you and dad, and me and Reilly can wear beautiful dresses just like you did. Can we do that?"

Me: "We can walk around the temple anytime you want...and when you're older, we can go inside together as a family."

Aiden: "And the wedding party....can we have a party and dress up and dance like you and papa did?"

Me: "We'll have to see what we can do about the party, okay?"

Aiden: "Okay. That sounds like a good plan."

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

The other night, after we said good-night and tucked the girls into bed, they decided to stay up and talk for a while. I went in after about 20 minutes and discovered that Aiden had climbed out of her bed into the top bunk with Reilly. "We're just telling stories to each other, mama...it's okay. We're talking softly." Since the rule is they can talk softly after prayers as long as they stay in their own beds, I helped Aiden down and tucked her back in.

About 30 minutes later, the girls were still talking so Doug went into the room. "Dad, we're just telling bedtime stories to each other. It's okay...we're in our own beds." Doug laid down on the floor and asked what the stories were about....the girls then hopped out of bed, grabbed some blankets and pillows, and joined Doug on the floor. The three of them snuggled together and told bedtime stories until the girls finally fell asleep. Yes, it was a late night...but totally worth the time that Doug got to spend with his little girls.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

(Said by Reilly...this was a recent wish on a wishing flower...)

"I wish, I wish....that dad would come home right now and that we could have lots and lots of money so that I could have my daddy back and he wouldn't have to work...but not that he would get fired, because that's not very nice."

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

(Reilly whispered this in my ear while we watched Tangled at the cheap-o theater...it was during a part where the old lady was being particularly cruel to Rapunzel)

Reilly: "Mom - please don't ever be mean to me like that. She is not very nice for making her cry."

Me: "Don't worry...I don't ever want to make you cry."

Reilly: "Thanks mama. She's not like you, at all...she's not a good mom. I really love you."

Me: "Thanks, Roo...I really love you too."

(Yup...that sweet little girl made me cry right then and there. I don't deserve these girls...they are so sincere and genuine, and they have such big hearts...I learn a lot from them and their examples)

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*

Every night, after we say prayers and get the girls tucked into bed, Aiden hugs my belly, gives it a kiss, and whispers good-night to her baby sister. Reilly loves to snuggle up to me during the day and pat her hand over my belly....she usually nuzzles in and whispers "hi."

Although each girl is demonstrating different traits/characteristics/reactions to this baby girl growing in my belly, I have no doubt that BOTH are going to be a wonderful big sisters. Aiden is very excited to help with bathing and feeding and changing diapers (she says that now, but I'm sure it will change once the baby comes) and Reilly cannot wait to share her clothes and teach her to ride a bike and swing on the monkey bars.

*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*--*