Harris Life

The Boys Turn Two.

2012-01-23T07:14:00.004-08:00

Last night I decided to throw a little birthday party for the boys. It turned out a bit of a flop. My first mistake was doing it close to bedtime. I made the boys cupcakes and the rest of us had chocolate eclair cake (delicious). The boys are super picky about what they eat so I had to make two separate desserts (mostly because Mike really loves chocolate eclair cake). The boys loved their cupcakes, so that was a plus.

Christian looks perpetually surprised in most pictures I take of him. I think it's his giant eyes.
Anyway, at this point in the picture taking I realized the mop of hair of Christian's head was looking pretty wild. We had a quick hair combing session and....

that's when the party started falling apart.

My second mistake during the birthday flop was not previewing the presents beforehand. I have heard of parents of twins buying identical toys for their kids and I always thought that was ridiculous (and I still do), but I understand the reasoning. These kids are obsessed with the same things. So when Christian opened up a box containing a yellow pick-up truck, they both audibly gasped at the same time. I knew that the party was over at that moment. The fighting that ensued was pretty typical. William collapsed on the floor bawling and Christian was yelling at William and flailing his arms around to protect his truck. Eventually William had to leave the room to calm down and then was given his turn with the yellow truck.

Pure happiness. And now the truck is hidden away. It might be awhile before it makes another appearance.

Halloween Weekend

2011-11-01T11:27:00.002-07:00

Last weekend started with plenty of snow. It was weird to see snow three days before Halloween, but Rose loved it. All in all, Halloween was great. Rose went as a cat, William as Darth Vader, and Christian as Chewbacca (I'm not really sure about the spelling). I tried very hard to get a picture with boys and their head gear...but I couldn't quite manage it.

Darth Vader having a quick bottle.

Chewy excited to go trick or treating.

Christian completely understood the concept of trick or treating. It was fun watching him rush from house to house shoving his bucket at people. William spent most of his time trying to break into people's homes and banging on their door. I love living in a neighborhood that I can feel safe taking my kids around trick or treating. I love that we had a ton of trick or treaters come to our home.

Congraduation...

2011-05-15T13:08:00.002-07:00

Mike graduated today! Thanks to a great friend, we were able to attend minus twins. Rose was so excited to watch Mike graduate and cheered for every one named Michael (and Laura). Right before Mike made it to the stage Rose informed me she needed to find a restroom and quickly. At least she's predictable.

Here's Christian practicing for his graduation.

2011-05-03T12:41:00.007-07:00

It's our final finals week. Mike has a few take home finals left and then we're done. In the next few weeks we have graduation, and then we are moving out. We are really only moving a short distance away, but I think it will be a whole new experience. We are moving from city life to suburb life and I couldn't be happier.

Today, instead of boxing up the items in my apartment, we had an outdoor photo shoot. I want to remember our little courtyard.

Bronx Zoo

2011-04-04T19:40:00.002-07:00

We did hang out at the zoo on a warmish day last month. Rose informed me that it was the best day of her life too. Although, judging by her sulky face you might not know it.

This was the line to see Dora's 3D experience. And actually it was pretty great. The sprayed water on us (Christian and William weren't thrilled with that), vibrated the seats, and used various smells for different scenes.

Spring Fever

2011-04-04T19:23:00.003-07:00

I am so ready for Spring. We have hibernated all winter long, and we are ready to find some real sunshine.

September - October Highlights

2010-10-30T19:07:00.017-07:00

I love New York in the Fall. We have been keeping ourselves busy before it gets cold. In September, Rose started preschool. And in October, she started ballet. She loves them both but let's face it...dance will always win out over school.

First Day of School

First Day of Ballet with one of her BFFs

The twins are getting so big it almost makes me sad. I say almost because the older they get the easier it gets. They are both crawling and babbling a lot lately. Their favorite spot in our apartment is the little window seat in our front room.

Rose celebrated her birthday in September. We had a rooftop tea party. It turned out so cute.

On Columbus Day, we ventured out to Connecticut for a little apple picking. The boys stayed home, while Rose and I added a couple of extra girls in our car. We had to make sure there was plenty of giggling and squealing.

One of my favorite things we did this month, was go and see Jane O'Connor read her new Fancy Nancy book. Rose and two of her friends dressed up fancy for the occasion and headed to the Upper West Side to meet their favorite author.

Rose and Belle....looking very fancy and a little eighties

For School, Rose had a Crazy Hat Parade. It involved a lot of marching around and singing Halloween songs.

And of course, we had Halloween and trick-or-treating. Rose was dressed up like Rapunzel. She watched the trailer for Disney's new movie Tangled, and can't stop talking or dreaming about it.

I planned on dressing up the twins as Tom Cruise in Risky Business and Top Gun. But the boys were so miserable that night, I didn't even attempt it.

Summertime

2010-09-03T12:17:00.006-07:00

Summer is almost over, and I realize that it will take me forever to play catch up with my blog. So I am going to cover our entire summer in one post with very few details. Someday I will be a great blogger...I'm just not sure when that's going to be.

Las Vegas with Great-Grandpa

Train Town in Sonoma, CA

Point Reyes, CA

Hanging out in ML with the twins and Davey Jenks. Don't they look like triplets?

Back Home in NYC. William looks like he's thought up an evil genius plan.

Cuteness

2010-04-05T20:35:00.002-07:00

This photo shoot was the only thing I accomplished today, and I don't mind. The dishes can wait.

WANTED:

2010-03-26T07:43:00.005-07:00

An extra set of arms, and the ability to function on 3 hrs or less of sleep.

Two month stats:

Christian - 8 lbs. 12 oz.

William - 9 lbs. 1 oz.

I should have posted this yesterday.

2010-02-23T08:52:00.004-08:00

Yesterday was my due date, and the boys are 5 weeks old. Happy Due Date to them. For posterity, their one month stats:

Christian
5 lbs. 10 oz.
20 in. long

William

5 lbs. 13 oz.
20 in. long

P.S. Christian came home from the hospital last week. Life is back to normal (whatever normal is).

RSV

2010-02-14T13:07:00.007-08:00

If you have 3 week old preemies with RSV, I would suggest the following:

1. Ignore the pediatrician when he says the babies only have a cold.
2. Always ask the pediatrician to take a culture.
3. Take the babies to the hospital when you first start to suspect they have RSV.
4. Make your pediatrician give the babies synagis during their first pediatrician visit (this really only applies if you have preemies during the flu season).

If you follow those rules, you will hopefully have a shorter and less eventful stay in the hospital.

Christian in the ICU

I suppose even if you follow those rules, it doesn't mean the above picture can't happen to your baby. Christian ended up with severe RSV, while William had a milder version of it. They both came into the ER with low core body temperatures, and were treated for hypothermia along with RSV. Apparently, when your body is fighting off infection it will either increase in heat (a fever), or decrease in heat to protect the bodies major organs. If you walk into the ER with a low body temperature you will get more attention then if you walk in with fever. Shortly after we arrived, Christian managed to get the attention of the entire ER staff by not breathing. It was the scariest moment of my life. I am so grateful we were in a hospital when that happened and not at home or in the car. Every mother should know this, in case you are at home or in the car.

On a positive note, William is home from the hospital and almost completely over it. We are hoping that Christian will be home soon. We are also so thankful for all the prayers and fasting from our friends and our family.

They're Home!

2010-01-24T16:52:00.008-08:00

I do realize that the surrogate blogger did a better job in my place, so I will attempt to follow his example. I guess I'll start with the delivery. Last Sunday, I finally decided I was officially in labor. I had been have contractions for about two days and had tried to just keep hydrated and be still...hoping that would slow things down. When I went into the hospital they checked and said I was dilated to a four. They gave me two bags of saline to help slow down the labor and send me home. One saline bag later, I was dilated to a five. After a lot more painful contractions they decided that maybe I was truly in labor.

The boys were delivered via C-section. To prepare myself for a C-section I had been watching TLC's "A Baby Story" (especially if they happened to be showing a C-section during the episode) but I still wasn't prepared for it. It was pretty scary. The moment they wheeled me in the the operating room and put me on the operating table, I started to get really nervous. Luckily with the help of an epidural and my husband sitting by my side, I managed to not freak out.

The boys have been doing great in the past few days. Their weight has stabilized and it has even started to increase. William is currently just under 4 pounds and Christian is 4 lbs 4 oz. The trip back and forth from the hospital has been a little emotional for me. I hate to leave them. The first thing I do in the morning is call the NICU to check up on them and then we usually visit in the morning/afternoon and we come back after 8 pm for our last visit. So this morning when I called I was so happy to learn that the boys were ready to come home. Rose is so excited her brothers are home, but hasn't been able to hold or touch them just yet. She has a cold/flu since yesterday. I am so happy and grateful we are all home together.

William hanging out under the Bili lights a couple of days ago.

The nurses had put them in the same bed this morning.

William getting ready for his first car ride.

At home.

My Last Day of Surrogate Blogging Duties...

2010-01-20T20:48:00.003-08:00

Laura comes home tomorrow, so I will relinquish control of the blog after this post. The boys are doing great. Christian moved from the "more intensive care" part of the NICU into the "less intensive care" room today. He is up to a whole ounce at each feeding. William will move when a spot opens up. Their body weights are stabilizing now and should start climbing again. William actually gained 20 grams yesterday. The boys have successfully kicked their IV drug habit and now just take the bottle. Here are a few more pictures.

William is a very peaceful sleeper.

William and his proud mama.

Christian napping on Laura's lap.

On the Third Day...

2010-01-19T20:22:00.005-08:00

The babies are still doing well. They are eating more and seem to be having a fine time. Laura was up walking around today and overall felt much better. She will come home from the hospital on Thursday. They gave her the option to come home tomorrow, but she would rather stay close to the boys. The nurses shot our first family photo tonight. Rose was saying "McDonalds" instead of cheese. She wanted to get another Alvin and the Chipmunks toy. Rose sang Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star to both the boys today and told everyone that her brothers are "cute little guys".

William

William. He is not hanging upside down. I just can't figure out how to rotate the picture.

Christian has a lot of hair. Laura thinks he already needs a haircut.

Family photo.

Day 2

2010-01-18T20:11:00.004-08:00

The babies and my babies' mama had a good day today. Laura is slowly feeling better and she was able to spend some time with the boys today. Christian lobbied hard and convinced the doctor to take the tubes out of his nose. Then he posed with his velcro mustache. He actually started breathing better with the tubes out and is on par with his younger brother. William slept the day away and lost a little weight. His nurse told me he is now 3 lbs 15.4 ounces. I never thought I would be getting weight updates to the tenth of an ounce. The weight loss is pretty standard stuff I am told. Both boys had their first meals today and drank well from the bottle. They also each "forgot" to breathe once today. I think they were just messing with their nurses. Here are a few pictures from the day.

Mom and Christian. Hopefully Laura doesn't get mad at me for posting this. I think she looks good.

Christian thinking long and hard. He held this pose for a good two minutes.

William thinking long and hard. He held this pose all day.

Christian and his velcro mustache.

Babies

2010-01-17T21:30:00.003-08:00

Our little (and I mean little) baby boys were born today. Christian Edward (formerly known as Baby A) weighed in at 4 lbs 10 ounces and measured 17 1/2 inches. He came out screaming and has been termed "fiesty" by his nurse. William Robert weighed in at a paltry 4 lbs 2 ounces but measured a respectable 17 1/2 inches. He has been quiet and easy going thus far. He was so easy going that he didn't even bother breathing right away. The doctors got the gunk out of his lungs and he is now breathing just fine. Christian is breathing on his own but needs a little bit of positive pressure to keep his airway open (hence the tubes). He does not like the tubes up his nose I am told. The boys will likely spend the next few days in the NICU to make sure they have the basics down (eating, breathing, etc.).

Laura is doing well. She was resting in recovery when the nurses kicked me out.

William Hanging Out

William Again

Christian

Christian with his breathing aparatus.

Bed Rest

2009-11-11T04:47:00.003-08:00

I'm officially on bed rest. Yuck. My doctor said to prepare for a long rest. She tried to call me on Friday to put me on bed rest, but I lost my cell phone and didn't find it until yesterday. I'm sad, but really it could be worse...I could be on hospital bed rest. I am so grateful for the friends I've made here. I've already received calls to help with dinners and anything else. Now only 11 weeks to go...

Halloween 2009

2009-11-08T12:25:00.005-08:00

Rose loved Halloween this year. Last year she saw spiderman and refused to leave the house to do any trick-or-treating, but this year is wasn't so scary.

The day before Halloween we spent trick-or-treating around Mike's school campus, which was great because Rose crashed afterwards (that was her first nap in three months). On Halloween we had a big party for the building and went trick-or-treating afterward.

So, I thought I would also post a pregnancy picture. Reminder: I AM HAVING TWINS, this is why I am huge. I got at least twenty comments about my size today, and a lot of "when are you due?!?!". Oh and I am 25 weeks pregnant.

This pregnancy is so different from the last one, it's like being pregnant for the first time. I started having bh contractions around 15 wks, so around 24 wks they started threatening me with bedrest (I was told no more cooking and cleaning). Apparently, once you hit the 24 wks mark you are officially high-risk and doctors start threatening you. I am trying hard to follow the doctors orders, but I can really only live in a messy house for so long, and I don't feel ready to hand over the cooking to a three-year-old. On a positive note, these babies are constantly moving. It's very sweet. I can usually tell which twin is moving. It feels a little like a wrestling match is taking place inside my stomach.

2009-11-05T15:28:00.003-08:00

We had our first visitors in the big city. Thanks Stacy and Kate for coming! We did just a few things…

American Natural History Museum
Time Square
Rode a Ferris wheel in the middle of Toys R Us
Ate Crumb Cupcakes in the middle of Time Square
Visited the lobby of the Empire State Building (zero visibility that day)
Rockefeller Center
The Plaza Hotel
FAO Swartz
Central Park
Carriage ride in the park
Shopping

And that was just on a couple of the days they were here. Needless to say, we had an amazing time with them. I felt like I was on vacation too.

Connecticut in September

2009-09-30T10:17:00.009-07:00

Monday was Yom Kippur, which means schools out for the day, so we (5 moms and 12 kids) decided to take advantage of the last nice day this season and go apple picking. We caravaned to a cute little apple orchard in Connecticut where we pet and fed animals, ate lunch, and picked apples.

It was a great afternoon. I also had my first celebrity siting here. As we were standing in line to purchase our apple bags, we noticed a really tall man standing behind a couple of the girls. It was Hugh Jackman. There was even a group of paparazzi following him around for a short while. I felt a little stalkerish because Rose kept running after his family while we were picking apples. She finally gave up and we finished picking our apples. I think I have enough apples to make two pies, an apple crisp, and still have a couple left over for snacking.

Single Parent Household

2009-09-26T07:05:00.002-07:00

An insight into my life from the mouth of a three-year-old:

R: “Mommy, where does daddy live?”
Me: “He lives with us.”
R: “No he doesn’t.”
Me: “Where does daddy live then?”
R: “Umm…school.”

Toy Paradise

2009-09-25T19:45:00.000-07:00

We spent a few hours here, one afternoon in the city (FAO Swartz is the store featured in the movie BIG). And surprisingly, we only left with candy.

The little girl standing in front of Rose is Scarlett. She and her mom took us out on this adventure. We have been so lucky with the people we've met here.

On a side note, Rose has come up with some names for the twins...Cookie and Tootie. I'm not sure when she started watching the Facts of Life, but how else would you come up with Tootie? Her other suggestions: Kate, Quinn, and Tree.

2009-09-01T13:04:00.002-07:00

2 twin boys + 1 bossy older sister = What I have to look forward to this February.

I had an ultrasound today, and even though I'm only 14 weeks along, it was pretty obvious. They are both the exact same size (4 oz.) and they are both doing well. Now I need some names. Any suggestions?

By the way...

2009-08-27T05:55:00.002-07:00

I've been waiting to post this and I think I've waited long enough. It's not really that much of a secret, since most everyone I come in contact with I've told. I mean I have a hard time not telling complete strangers that I meet on the street. Anyway, I'm pregnant. I am 14 weeks pregnant with TWINS. That's right, I'm having two babies this February. And yes...Mike quit his job, we downsized to an apartment, and moved across the country...knowing that I was pregnant with twins. We're crazy.

We're here.

2009-08-22T05:32:00.009-07:00

The move is finally over. What a trial, I was so stressed out. After we moved our stuff we took off to California to see Mike's family. We spent most our time in Monterey, for the Monterey Historics Car Race. Rose loved looking at the cars, but when it came to the actual racing it freaked her out a bit. It was just too loud for her. Below she is sitting in one of the race cars.

Rose and I took a red-eye flight Tuesday night, and arrived Wednesday morning (Mike came out on Monday). Rose fell asleep within the first five minutes of the flight, while I stayed awake because there was crazy turbulence. The first thing I noticed when we got off the plane was the humidity. It reminded me of Mazatlan in August.

The movers showed up on Wednesday morning. Mike supervised the move in, while Rose and I slept off our jetlag. The unpacking has gone a lot faster than the packing did. Rose keeps asking how her stuff got here. She hasn't made the connection that this is home.

I'm excited for my new life to begin, but I'm kind of homesick for Arizona. Some of the things I miss:

1.Dry heat

2. Convenient grocery stores (especially Fry's Food)

3. Having cell phone coverage (I don't have any cell phone coverage in the building so I haven't been able to take any calls or call anyone)

4. My friends (although we have met some members already, and they are very nice)

Okay, I'm done. Really this place is amazing and I'm excited to explore it. I just have no idea where to start.

Updates to come...

2009-07-16T13:41:00.003-07:00

Okay, my life is crazy right now. I am trying really hard to pack up my house. Most of our stuff is going into storage, so we are doing two moves. We're hoping to move our stuff into storage in the next couple weeks. Then we plan on doing the big move. I still cannot believe we're moving to NYC. It's going to be crazy. I have a ton of things to update. But I really need to get back to packing.

Oh, I have to tell one funny thing that happened last week. I was at the doctor's office with Rose sitting in the reception area. The receptionist was really annoyed with her job, and kept glaring at Rose. Rose was standing by the water fountain taking a drink every five seconds, so I guess this annoyed her. Anyway, Rose walked up to the receptionist desk and just stood there for a minute until the receptionist looked at her. Then Rose ordered lunch, candy, and a bottle of milk from her. It was seriously so funny. I had to grab her and explain we weren't getting lunch, we were waiting for a doctor. Rose didn't quite get it, because she kept coming back to the desk to order more food. I guess she was hungry.

Weekend in Vegas

2009-05-25T11:14:00.006-07:00

We visited Las Vegas last weekend. It was so nice. We hung out with Mike's parents, Grandpa, Aunt and lots of cousins. I think when you live far away from family, it really makes it special to see them. We spent majority of the time just outdoors visiting. Rose loved Tona's big pool, and swam three times a day.

So, Mike's Aunt Tona is a collector. Her house is full of beautiful antiques and treasures. It's really a dream for a two-year-old, so I was prepared to shadow Rose's every move. However, she was pretty good. I think we had a couple of near accidents, but for the most part she was very careful.

When we got home, a package showed up from my mom. Inside were two tutus (amongst other goodies). Needless to say, we've been wearing tutus everyday since. I love this picture because you can really see how much Rose loves her tutus (she calls them toot toots).

2009-04-22T19:24:00.011-07:00

Easter has come and gone and I just getting around to posting my Easter pictures. These were taken before church, which explains why her hair is still done and her shoes are still on. I just have to point out the sky in the second picture. I love the cloudless blue sky here.

Last week, Mike and I finally attended a Diamond Back's game. We went with our friends who kindly supplied the tickets (they got them from their hometeacher), and we had a great time. People watching happens to be one of my favorite pastimes and nothing beats a huge stadium full of crazy sports fans.

Picking up Rose after the game.

Easter Fun

2009-04-07T15:07:00.012-07:00

Last night we did the following:

We invited some friends.

Then we...

The final result.

The happy camper.

Friday Night

2009-03-30T15:56:00.004-07:00

We had our neighbors over for dinner on Friday. It was nice to finally meet some of our neighbors, technically we met them two years ago so dinner was a little overdue. When they were over Rose leaned over next to them and said, "you stink". It was pretty funny.

March

2009-03-20T14:02:00.003-07:00

Well, I finally decided to update my sorry excuse for a blog. I can't believe this month is nearly over. A couple things of interest from this month. I got to see Missy and her kids for an afternoon early this month, it was great. The next day Rose would comment on the baby Beatrice, reminding me of everything the baby did. Rose seems to be as baby-hungry as I am. Also, Nate had his birthday this month and Rose called him to say "happy ber-day". It was cute, except I'm pretty sure Nate had no idea what she was saying.

My mom flew in on Monday to hangout this week. It's been so great. She is helping me clean out my closets and they look amazing. Tomorrow is our annual community yard sale and since I was planning on de-junking my house, this is the perfect time to do it. The hardest part was sorting through my books to sell. It was so painful I stopped trying. Apparently, I'm too emotionally attached to my book.

Tomorrow, I'll post my earnings. It should be funny, considering I can't really imagine anyone paying me for some of this stuff.

To Ashley

2009-02-25T19:42:00.004-08:00

Happy Birthday and go to Happy Sumo.

Just so you know, this is from Laura and Amber (since she has no Internet right now). I wish I had a picture of the back of this hairdo. Was this the hair with the rat tail? I can't remember. I'm so glad you can remember things like that.

Weekend Getaway

2009-02-24T12:01:00.006-08:00

I always wanted a sister when I was young. I can remember when my brother Ryan was born, and being really disappointed that he wasn't a girl (no offense). In fact, I bawled my eyes out and hid from my parents when I heard the news. I have since forgiven Ryan for being a boy.

Luckily, I have some pretty amazing girl friends that have been like my sisters since birth. Some of my earliest memories revolve around these girls. Last weekend, I got to see them all. Missy, Tiff, Ash, and Amber flew into Arizona on Thursday. Missy's MIL has a condo in Gilbert and we used that as our home base. We spent the majority of the weekend eating and talking. It was so much fun. Mike spent the weekend with Rose at home (what a great guy).

Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera with me. However, I do have some oldies but goodies.

I miss you guys.

Baby Clothes

2009-02-12T14:42:00.011-08:00

I've been going through Rose's baby clothes to give to Goodwill (not the good stuff, just the onsies and stained stuff). I've been feeling the need to get rid of things before we move to a 500 sq. ft. apartment. Anyway, I got maybe halfway through a box of her clothes and couldn't do it. They smelled just like she did as a baby. I just sat there and smelled them. Maybe when I'm paying through the nose for a storage unit, I'll think about getting rid of them.

I miss this.

2009-02-03T14:19:00.006-08:00

Yesterday, we received a box of goodies from Grandma (Thank you Trina!). Inside the box was this adorable pink dress (among other things...like a novel for me), and it kind of inspired me to take some pictures of my daughter. The stuffed animal you see in Rose's arms hasn't been put down since she pulled it out of Grandma's box of goodies.

P.S. I'm counting down to the 19th this month, BECAUSE my girls are coming to Arizona!! Sixteen days left.

In case you're wondering...

2009-01-21T19:15:00.013-08:00

This is the result of our potty training efforts.

Yes, that thing on her head is part of her pretty pink potty. Fortunately (and unfortunately), it has not been utilized...yet.

I'm not really thinking about potty training. I don't think I'm ready for that challenge. We have enough challenges around this house with out adding to them. For instance, keeping my linen closet clean is a challenge.

Also, keeping the cat from turning into a pink tri-cycle roadkill has been interesting. Grandma got this for Rose after the completion of our new patio. It was suppose to remain on that patio, but it seems to have become an "indoor" bike (do people even have indoor bikes?).

2009-01-06T21:20:00.003-08:00

My parents have been here for about two weeks. It was so much fun. I love having visitors, our house seems so lonely when they leave.

While they were here, my Dad worked in my yard and built me a patio. He did some pretty nice work. He's one of those people that can't sit still while on vacation. I definitely benefited from his restlessness. I don't have a before picture, so imagine a gravel pathway.

Mid-way through the project.

The finished product. Beautiful, right?

~Merry Christmas~

2008-12-25T09:22:00.004-08:00

All Rose wanted for Christmas this year was a balloon. When I asked her what Santa was bringing her, she would respond "a balalalooon".

On Christmas Eve we opened one present and watched Fred Claus. Rose loves watching movies involving Santa Claus. Santa Claus has been kind of a sore subject in our house this year. Mike has been questioning the entire idea of perpetuating a myth...but I told him it was a tradition. That didn’t really convince him. Then I told him we would end up with the only jaded 2 year-old. She would then have to inform her friends and cousins that it was all a gimmick, and we would be blackballed from everyone’s home during Christmas.

Thanks to all the Grandmas and Grandpas...Aunties and Uncles...cousins and friends that made this Christmas special (95% of her presents came from these people). Mike and I really didn't spend that much this Christmas. It was great (we're trying to save some money before we move to the most expensive place on Earth). Plus, I'm trying to keep her expectations low.

Thanksgiving in Vegas

2008-12-21T19:35:00.004-08:00

I know that this was a while ago, but I've been really meaning to blog about my Thanksgiving. We went to Las Vegas and spent a week with all of Mike's extended family. We attended two family reunions and had Thanksgiving dinner with 32 family members. It was great.

Rose with her Great-Grandpa. He's 94 and works at the Temple two days a week. We love going to Las Vegas to see him.

We launched rockets in our spare time. I thought Rose would love this, considering she is always pretending to launch rockets at home. However, when the first rocket was launched and started to fall back down she totally flipped out. She kept yelling for people to, "Watch out!". She was really worried that the rocket would fall on Mike's head.

The family picture. Rose was so cranky for this photo shoot. This isn't the final product but I thought it was funny because you can see how miserable Rose was during the shoot.

Reception

2008-12-18T09:29:00.000-08:00

We're home from our trip. I feel like I've been gone for months. It's great to get back into the swing of things. Rose was really good flying except for take-off and landing. During these times, she would scream as loud as she could, "Blast Off". Although, I'm not sure why we were blasting off while landing.

The reception turned out well. A lot of people showed up, even with the drill team performing that night. The kids were all pretty good, but it helped that Matt brought his video Ipod and McDonald's food.

The Men.

Mike hated the shirt I was wearing that night (especially the sleeves). Can you tell?

The cute Hardy family.

Just Married

2008-12-12T20:03:00.002-08:00

This morning Ryan and Stephanie were married in the Columbia River Temple. It was so beautiful. They were so happy, it made me remember my wedding. Tomorrow is the reception. I'm feeling a little nervous for the couple...because some of the invitations didn't arrive. Hopefully, people know just to show up. If you're wondering if you are invited....you are.

2008-11-10T17:29:00.002-08:00

If Rose is being really quiet...this is the spot where I generally find her. At one time, I had my makeup in those drawers. I have learned my lesson, and now keep my makeup out of reach. As much as she loves her cars, trains, dinosaurs, and dump trucks...she loves her makeup and shoes more.

Saturday morning Rose worked on her photography skills. She only wanted to take pictures of her balloon (she LOVES balloons). When she took the pictures, she would stick her butt out. It was cracking me up.

2008-11-06T08:42:00.001-08:00

I am contributing to Matt's food blog. Check it out.

Halloween

2008-11-01T09:58:00.004-07:00

Halloween has come and gone. I really do love Halloween in Washington. Halloween in Arizona is in the 90s, which seems a little unnatural to me. We didn't make it out trick or treating last night. Rose took one look at the first kids to approach our house and screamed (the most awful bloodcurdling scream you can imagine). She hated any costume with a mask and all Spiderman costumes were especially terrifying. Oh well.
P.S. Happy Birthday Bea.

2008-10-26T10:03:00.005-07:00

We had our ward Halloween party last night. It was a success. Rose kept her costume on the entire time, plus head gear. And yes I know Rose is basically wearing a do-rag with a comb on top.

The costume was really easy to make. I sewed together two shirts, stuffed them with batting, attached a feather boa and dyed a pair of leggings. The hat was made from a pair of tights and red felt. I couldn't find a white pilot hat so we improvised. I can't really take any credit for the costume, since I basically copied a friend in our ward. She had made this costume twice, so she had a lot of pointers. Rose and her son looked pretty cute together. This is the only picture I could get of them standing still.

She refused to wear the rubber gloves on her feet.

Rose and her BFF. They really are inseparable. At church today they kept screaming each other's name during a talk. K (that's what Rose calls her) eventually gave her dad the slip and ended up on our bench for awhile.

FHE

2008-10-21T21:15:00.017-07:00

This is the result of a really long FHE. Pumpkin carving is harder than I remember. I think I was scraping out the inside of the large pumpkin for thirty minutes. We didn't even finish Mike's pumpkin (Rose picked out pumpkins for all of us, plus the cat). I think I'll save the last pumpkin for next Monday.

Benji

2008-10-16T18:23:00.007-07:00

Today my little brother came home from his mission. Ben was serving in the Fort Worth, Texas mission (spanish speaking). Everyone (except Mike, me, and Rose) picked him up at the airport wearing matching shirts. Nate surprised Ben in Salt Lake and flew the rest of the way home with him.

The logo above was on everyone's t-shirt. This video makes me a little sad, because I wish I had been there. Props to Rhino for capturing the moment.

Spring Chicken

2008-10-11T09:01:00.003-07:00

I'm making Rose's costume this year.

This is my inspiration:

This is what I've done so far...
I couldn't get her to sit still, hence the fuzzy the picture. Hopefully, she'll let us dress her up as a chicken. She was excited about wearing this for maybe two minutes.

Another one bites the dust...

2008-10-09T22:39:00.003-07:00

Congratulations Ryan and Stephani.

(Ryan got engaged tonight!!!)

Dancing Queen

2008-10-08T13:41:00.003-07:00

Today I was listening to the Mama Mia! soundtrack, and got caught dancing in my car (not the first time). It really wasn't that big of deal, except I was doing an entire body shimmy. I must have looked crazy, considering no one could see my dancing two year old in the backseat. I do realize, that there will come a day when she will be completely mortified by my dance moves. Until then, we will be a couple of dancing queens.

Combat Ballerina

2008-10-05T11:22:00.002-07:00

Rose and I have a common obsession with boots. These are her new patent leather boots from Old Navy. I love them and so does she. When she wears them, she likes me to wear my four-inch patent leather pumps...so we match.

Also, I have learned that kids take everything literally. On Friday, Rose was into everything...and it was driving me nuts. I kept getting after her, calling her "naughty pants". After maybe three "naughty pants", she looked down at her pants and quickly took them off. It made me laugh.

Coronado Island

2008-09-29T22:01:00.007-07:00

Last weekend we met up with Mike's parents and sister in San Diego, for our first real family road trip. It went surprisingly well, thanks to our portable DVD player. Mike's dad was racing in the Coronado Speed Festival, so it was pretty fun to see all the cars. Rose is now obsessed with cars. I have a feeling I have a future racer on my hands.

I got to drive around the track, when they racers did a memorial run for Phil Hill. I went with the man pitting across for us. We didn't go fast, but it was still really noisy.

This is me.

Of course you can't go to San Diego without hitting the beach. Our first morning there, Rose and Grandma went for a walk on the beach. She fell in love with first sight.

Since we've been home, Rose has made two things very clear. One, all cars belong to Grandpa. Two, everything yummy comes from Grandma.

Catch Up

2008-09-24T22:12:00.009-07:00

Did I say Rose wouldn't need a pair of golashes in Arizona? I was wrong. She has found a use for them.

Please, don't judge me for putting my daughter in a two-piece. I can't help it. I blame Nordstrom Rack and their 75% off rack.

This is Rose's look-a-like BFF. She comes over once a week, and Rose visits once a week. I really feel like it has helped with her separation anxiety. She is now able to enter Nursery without screaming like a crazy person. It also gives me a morning off (when Rose goes to Kate's), and helps with my sanity. I love play dates.

And finally, the BIG news. We're moving to New York next fall. That's right...Mike was accepted to Columbia Business School. YEAH!!!

Rose is Two...tomorrow.

2008-09-20T16:15:00.005-07:00

Today, we celebrated Rose's 2nd Birthday (her actual birthday is tomorrow). In honor of her special day, I will share some of her favorite things.

1. Curious George/Monkeys.
2. Killer the cat.

3. Soccer.

4. Baba and Mamama

5. Shoes.

Check out the cakes. Mike and I took a crash course on fondant this afternoon.

Breaking Dawn

2008-09-13T14:26:00.005-07:00

I was going to do this post earlier, but I didn't get the pictures until recently.

Last month my ward split in half. Right before the split, we had a girls night out. It was really a Breaking Dawn party. First, we reserved our books at Barnes and Noble (the night of the release). We then met up a restaurant/bar and hung out in the bar for two hours (eating appetizers...I swear).

After the bar, we went to Barnes and Noble. I really thought I was a fan, until I met the real fans.

The night was pretty hilarious. I saw a lot of screaming teenage girls. However, next time I think I'll pass on the midnight release party. I'm just too old to be out that late. It's making me tired just thinking about it.

Forts and Scones

2008-09-07T20:07:00.003-07:00

This is how Rose likes to watch television, under a tent. I recently purchased a little portable DVD player with an IPOD dock. It's been my favorite purchase this year. Unfortunately, I can't tell you how often I've seen Curious George on a nine-inch screen. I keep trying to indoctrinate Rose with musicals and old movies, but it always comes back to George. I'll be glad when she moves on to something new.

On a side note, I made scones tonight. When I was in Washington, Grandma Earl made Ashley, Shaila, and I the best scones. I couldn't stop thinking about them. As a result, scones became our dinner. They were pretty yummy, but not as good as Grandma Earl's

Out for a walk.

2008-09-04T20:22:00.003-07:00

We've been taking a lot of evening walks. Tonight Rose had to wear her new galoshes, a find from our local Tuesday Morning. I know we will never have any reason to own galoshes in Arizona, but they were cheap and I couldn't resist.

This is Bebe, and we have to take her everywhere.

lizards and curls

2008-09-03T22:50:00.010-07:00

I'm not quite sure how this happened, but I love lizards. I've been trying desperately to catch one, so Rose and I can have a pet. It's pretty much impossible to catch one, they move like lightning. Anyway, I suppose it's for the best; Killer (the cat) would probably eat it.

Speaking of Killer...here's a nice little family photo (minus me). Killer really didn't want to sit for the picture.

This was the only picture that turned out. Really, I was trying to capture Rose's hair. Mike put it in curlers that morning for church. I bet he never thought he would ever accomplish such a feat.

The curls. Her hair is naturally wavy, so we were really just trying to help it out. It turned out a little crazy.

Cousins

2008-08-28T17:03:00.002-07:00

Shaila and I tried to coordinate a cousin picture, the day Rose and I left Washington. The results speak for themselves. It was pretty much a miserable photo shoot for the kids.

Rose has been missing her cousins, uncles, aunt and grandparents like crazy. I'm definitely not enough entertainment for this girl. Today Rose picked up a flash card with a carrot on the front. She handed Mike the card and said, "Baba" (Baba = Grandpa). She carried that card around all morning. Mike thought it was strange, until I told him that she and grandpa kept eating carrots out of the garden.

Ten Years Already?

2008-08-19T14:29:00.011-07:00

I've been trying to write this post since last week, but I have too much to say. Ashley wrote the best post about our weekend. In a way, I feel like copying and pasting her post. Suffice to say, it was great. I missed a lot of people that did not come, but we still managed to see a good number of old friends. I really loved it. It was a little sad too. On one hand it is so great to see people you know and love, and on the other hand it's really hard to say goodbye again. I'm a little surprised that I enjoyed myself so much, because I'm slightly ant-social. Mike said, "I can't believe that someone as anti-social as you would attend their class reunion". I have to admit that I was thinking the same thing, when we pulled up the first night.

I think Rose enjoyed herself more than I did. She spent a lot of time with her cousins. One evening, they all decided to go watch one of Jeff's soccer games (he plays on a local team and helps coach a girls soccer team). While they were there, a huge brawl erupted in the middle of the game. During the fight, Rose was playing on the jungle gym next to the field. As the fight started moving toward the playground, my mom started screaming for my brother's to grab Rose (she was on the top of the jungle gym) and run to the car. Luckily, the fight broke up before they hit the playground and they decided not to finish the game.

All in all, I loved my trip.

2008-08-04T14:13:00.005-07:00

My mom reminded me today that I had a blog. I guess that means I should use it. This summer is practically over for us. School is back in session, and the public pools have closed. I think this is ridiculous, because the temperature is still in the 100s. I love the summer, but I can't help to pray for some type of reprieve.

Mike's been working on his photography skills lately. It's so nice, because this means I have art to hang on my walls. We hung a picture similar to the one below (he also took the picture of Rose above). It's a blooming plumeria from our back yard. They are kind of like miniature tropical trees. I love that we can grow things here that normally grow in Hawaii or Costa Rica. It almost makes me forget we live in a desert.

The actual picture he used the RAW format and it was a little large to upload onto Blogger.

Tables and Tattoos

2008-07-12T20:36:00.005-07:00

A few weeks ago, I decided to make a table for Rose. I hate the idea of buying something for $130, when I can make it for $20. I decided to make it old school, so everything was put together with dowel pins and wood glue ( that's what happens when you watch New Yankee Workshop on the weekends). It turned out very sturdy and quite cute. Mike wanted to build chairs, but I knew it would be a six-month project. Instead, we bought two chairs from Ikea.

By the way, check out her sweet tattoo. It turns out, that those fake tattoos don't just wash off with a little rubbing alcohol (like the instructions suggest). She has another tattoo on her other arm. Last Sunday she had the privilege of being the youngest member sporting tattoos during church.

One of the perks of having your own table, indoor painting. She spent at least 10 minutes on this piece of art, and another 5 minutes painting her face and hair.

2008-06-30T20:45:00.004-07:00

Mike cut Rose's hair last week. He really just trimmed her bangs (she kept pushing her bangs off her face, so she could see...a clear sign it's time for a cut).

(Rose is performing her favorite dance move. It's called "the driver on the bus". )

From shaggy to chic

Since the weather is almost unbearable (110 degrees), we haven't been spending a lot of time outdoors. Luckily, it cooled down (100 degrees) for an evening photo shoot.

Rose insisted on wearing her sunglasses. She thought she was so cool.

Hmmm.

2008-06-12T18:08:00.006-07:00

You know you have a problem with sarcasm, when your 20-month-old is saying "nice" every time she does something naughty.

Thank you!

2008-06-05T19:07:00.005-07:00

Yesterday, Rose got a package in the mail from her cousins in Washington. It contained a backpack, fairy notebook, crayons, and book (I've been wanting to get her a cute backpack, but couldn't find anything). She loved it. This is how she likes to wear her new backpack. In fact, I'm pretty sure she just thinks of it as a very large handbag.

I did manage to get her to wear it properly for a short while.

It's Here.

2008-06-05T18:48:00.003-07:00

Yeah! Our infamous Camaro is finally here. It only took two months to get from California to home. I'm so glad it's home.

Mike wouldn't model with the car, but Rose didn't seem to mind.

We're having a cold spell.

2008-05-24T11:57:00.005-07:00

Yesterday the temperature dipped into the mid-sixties. We promptly broke out the winter gear.

More Please....

2008-05-15T14:18:00.003-07:00

Rose grabbed this out of the fridge and refused to part with it. She also had the whip cream for a moment, but decided the chocolate was better.

Weekend Pictures

2008-05-13T16:26:00.005-07:00

Out for a drive with Grandpa.

Future landscapers.

Mother's Day Tea

2008-05-13T16:07:00.004-07:00

Saturday Shaila, my mom and I went to an afternoon tea party. We had scones, salad, sandwiches, and dessert. Everything was delicious. I didn't have my camera with me, so I plan on stealing pictures from Shaila.

It was nice just having a reason to dress up and go somewhere without kids. After the tea party, we had a graduation/blessing party for Matt and Winston.

Makeover

2008-05-13T16:00:00.002-07:00

Friday night I gave Ryan a makeover. It was almost like having a sister.

His before shot. Ryan is the only one who inherited my mom's hair. He has very lovely hair.

His after shot with Jeff and Winston.

Yikes

2008-05-06T12:05:00.004-07:00

I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted. First two shout outs:

1. Happy Birthday Mom!

2. Happy Graduation Matt! I'm so proud of you, and can't wait to see you guys.

This week Rose and I are going to ML. I can't wait. I plan on mostly just visiting and going to the movies. It's funny because I'm a movie person but Mike hates movies and especially movie theatres.

Although, I am dreading the plane ride with Rose. This time, I have a secret weapon. Cheetos. Rose's new obsession (and who can blame her?).

The Curse of the White Camaro

2008-04-16T15:10:00.005-07:00

Well...check out our new ride. It happens to be an 87 T-top Camaro. We picked it up after spending last weekend with Mike's family for our niece's baptism. Rose and I flew home (thank goodness), and Mike attempted to drive it home. I was planning on immediately washing it in our front yard sporting jean cutoffs while blasting "Living on a Prayer" (actually any Bon Jovi will do). Unfortunately, it has not made it home. After several failed attempts of getting it from California to Arizona, it is still currently residing in California. However, Mike did make it from San Francisco to Palm Springs. He was stranded there for about a day and half before renting a car and leaving the Camaro at a mechanic shop. This car has quite a history (stolen twice, second time it was involved in bank robbery and shooting), and I would hate to see it go...but Mike refuses to talk about picking it up. I think the whole trip is a little too fresh in his mind.

Gotta be handy with the steel if you know what I mean, earn your keep (Warren G)

2008-04-09T15:48:00.003-07:00

I've been meaning to blog about Mike's metal working. I keep forgetting to take pictures of all his projects. So yesterday, I took pictures of a few. The top picture is a light he finished for my parents. In fact, I am sure they are wondering why I haven't mailed it to them. Sorry Mom, I'll try and get it out tomorrow. The middle picture is of a little water feature. It is kind of hard to see, but it's the Calla Lilly in the middle. The bottom picture is of a set of lights he made for the front yard. He had them out for two days, and someone stole all of them but this one. He's still pretty bitter about it. He has also made a trellis, and a lantern.

2008-04-09T15:44:00.002-07:00

"No Daddy"...is all I hear all day long. It is Rose's favorite phrase. She says it to me, Mike, and our cat. I am attempting to teach her "Yes Mommy".

Easter Sunday

2008-03-23T17:42:00.004-07:00

Easter Morning with her go go.

Rose and my garden. In the Fall, my mother-in-law and I planted over 40 different flowers. They are finally blooming again.

Update

2008-03-22T21:03:00.003-07:00

I can't believe how long it's been since I posted last. I think my life has become so routine, that I have absolutely nothing to say. Pretty sad. Rose has hit the terrible twos (six months early). I have been sporting a few battle scars from her tantrums. Why do screaming tantrums always lead to headbutting? When does this particular childhood phase end? These are a couple of questions that I've been pondering all week.

Summer's Here

2008-02-27T07:00:00.005-08:00

Man, I can't believe that this month is almost over. My parents have been in town since last weekend, and we have loved it. My dad is finally thawing out from the ML winter, and we all got a little tan yesterday.

A couple of weeks ago we made a trip to the Indoor Outdoor store and purchased a chandelier for Rose's room. We got it up last night, and Rose loves it. She woke up this morning, and sat there admiring it. I kept hearing "ooohh" and "aawww" over the monitor.

Cowgirl

2008-02-07T18:16:00.000-08:00

Rose has a major shoe obsession. In fact, she is happy to look at shoe catalogs with me, and loves to do a little shoe browsing at the mall. And in true girly girl fashion, she usually wants the sparkliest (I know that's not a word), brightest, shiniest pair she can find. Lately, she hasn't been satisfied with her own shoes, and has been branching out. She is particularly enamored with my boots.

Winston Clark Hardy - My newest nephew

2008-02-02T18:32:00.000-08:00

Born 2/2/08 at 2:20 pm. He's 20 inches long and 7 lbs. 7 oz. (I think 2 will be his lucky number). I actually stole this picture from Matt and Shaila's blog. Congrats Matt and Shaila.

Killer the Cat

2008-01-29T09:46:00.000-08:00

The week from Hell

2008-01-27T19:06:00.000-08:00

Monday: Rose decided to take off her jammies and diaper, and sleep in the buff. Needless to say, she was a mess when we found her. Luckily, she was only a soggy mess. We put her in the tub, and she was so happy when she left a little treat for me in the tub.

Tuesday: A break from the messes.

Wednesday: Rose threw up all over herself and crib, in her sleep.

Thursday: Rose has the flu all day.

Friday: I get the flu.

Saturday: I throw up all day and night. Rose looks like she might be getting over her flu.

Sunday: Rose is sick again.

We still took pictures.

New Camera

2008-01-08T18:56:00.001-08:00

Yeah...I have a new camera. I love it. Here are a few sample pictures.

New Photos

2008-01-07T12:29:00.000-08:00

I just got some pictures back from my father-in-law. They are a little old, but cute. The first group of pictures are during Thanksgiving week, and the second group are during Memorial Weekend.

I love this shirt on Rose. She just recently grew out of it. It makes me sad.

My Rose garden. Yes, this is late November in Arizona.

Thanksgiving in Reno. I made the rolls.

Rose with her cousins. Notice the shoes.

On Lake Tahoe.

Rose with her cousin Alex. Alex is two weeks older than Rose.

Cafe Rio Night

2008-01-07T12:20:00.000-08:00

On Friday, We invited friends over and had Cafe Rio for dinner. It was so yummy. Of course, it wasn't really Cafe Rio, but it tasted pretty similar. The following recipes are for all the sad people who miss Cafe Rio as much as I do. Combine all the recipes in a tortilla and you have a Cafe Rio burrito.

Sweet Pork
3lb. Pork Roast
16-oz. Chunky Salsa
1 Can Dr. Pepper
2 Cups Brown Sugar

Put pork in crock pot and fill half way with water. Cook 4 hours on high. Drain water, cut the pork in thirds. Mix together sauce (blend in blender) and pour on top of pork. Cook 4 more hours on low. Shred pork.

Cilantro and Lime Rice
In saucepan saute:
2 T. butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced

In a large pot (or rice cooker) bring to boil:
6 2/3 cups water
8 tsp. chicken bouillon
1/2 bunch cilantro chopped
2 tsp. cumin
2 sm. cans diced green chilies
1 T. lime juice
1/2 tsp. pepper
3 - 3 1/2 cups of rice

Black Beans
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 cup tomato juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 T. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick pan, cook garlic, and cumin in olive oil (until you can smell it). Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving add cilantro.

And if you want to make the Pork salad...

Tomatillo Salad Dressing
1 pkg. dry Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing
1 Cup mayonnaise
1/3 Cup buttermilk
1 Cup cilantro, chopped
3 tomatillos (skins off)
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Combine ingredients and blend. Chill and serve.

P.S. Matt and Shaila first made this for us, over Christmas. I stole the recipes from them as we were walking out the door to fly home. Thanks for the recipes!

Christmas

2008-01-03T09:22:00.000-08:00

Christmas was amazing. We were there for 10 days, and then moved on to the Bay Area (to see Mike's family) for another 4 days. It was a very nice and long vacation.

Rose is a shoe thief. She was in love with Quinn's snow boots.

If you ask Rose to smile, this is what you get. I love it.

It snowed the last day we were there. Rose had to borrow Quinn's snow gear (minus the coat, she picked that out herself), but she loved it.

When we were at Mike's house we had an etiquette dinner. It was so cute. It was only for the grandkids and grandparents. The parents cooked and served the dinner. The kids all looked very nice. It wasn't black tie, but it was pretty fancy. Rose had a very pretty crushed velvet blue dress for the occasion (compliments of Grandma) and only attended the main course. She was around for a little during the hors d'oeuvre, but after she grabbed a handful of cheese cubes, I hauled her off to the kitchen with the adults. I think it was a pretty great success. The kids loved having a special dinner with just the Grandparents, and they learned a lot.

We have arrived...

2007-12-20T16:07:00.000-08:00

Rose and I left for Moses Lake five days before Mike. It consisted of two flights, an hour layover, and two leaking diapers. After the flight into Salt Lake, I stood up to find a wonderful surprise seeping into my jeans. Luckily our layover allowed me enough time to clean Rose up, and wash out her pants. (It's funny because I thought to myself that morning--Rose won't need an extra set of clothes. She's too old for that type of behavior. HAHAHA. Yeah right.) As I was sitting in the airport watching my daughter dressed in everything but her pants, (her pants where laid out next to me drying) I realized that this wasn't the most ridiculous I have ever felt. In fact, on a scale from one to ten, it was only a five.

Of course, when we had another leaking diaper in Spokane I started to feel a little more ridiculous.

Ahhh....

2007-12-13T14:58:00.000-08:00

My hair is turning gray. I can no longer deny it. I would like to say that it's from the stress of being a mom, or from watching scary TV shows (CSI, Law & Order, House, etc.). It's just genetics. My mom's hair turned gray, when she was around my age. So, it's not a huge surprise. I'm a little sad though. Maybe I will have very striking streaks of gray, but I doubt it.

My Christmas List

2007-12-13T14:34:00.000-08:00

Last year, Mike and I decided to not exchange gifts. It just seemed like a huge hassle, and we didn't really need or want anything. This year, I have needs and wants. Specifically these....

"I believe in my Mormon faith and I endeavor to live by it. My faith is the faith of my fathers -- I will be true to them and to my beliefs" M. Romney

2007-12-06T08:23:00.000-08:00

2007-12-04T09:37:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving was spent in Lake Tahoe, this year. Rose spent the majority of her time toddling after her older cousins. Her older cousins spend the majority of their time mothering her. It was nice; I had a whole gaggle of babysitters. We also took family pictures. I have big plans of sending out Christmas cards this year (of course, every year I say this and it never seems to happen). This year the pictures were great, but I have a little editing to do. The poor girl is as clumsy as her mother.

Also, my brother Matt's birthday was recently. Happy Birthday Matt!! I have been trying really hard to find the perfect cookbook for him (he loves to cook, and is probably the best cook I know). I checked out the entire section of cookbooks from the library. Unfortunately, the library selection was limited (Anyone with cookbook suggestions?).

Tagged

2007-11-10T13:16:00.000-08:00

Okay, Marlies tagged me. Actually, she did so about a week ago (sorry Marlies, I am a bad blogger). I am suppose to list six fact/habits about myself. I thought about this, and realized that the ten people who read this blog probably know almost all my facts and habits. So, here goes anyway.

1. My laughter ranges from a hiss, to a snort, and a cackle.
2. When I buy new jeans, I wear them everyday for atleast two weeks. In fact, I will get ready early to put on my new jeans. Also, I think there is nothing sadder than losing interest in a pair of jean.
3. I used to live next door to my best friend, Ashley. I just came across the sweetest letter from Ashley. It was written when we were in high school. In the letter, she apologizes for doing something that made me mad..although she didn't know what I was so upset about. I laughed so hard when I found it, because I remember exactly what it was. I was upset, because Ashley was getting ready early that morning and couldn't find a pair of shoes to wear. So, she ran down to my house to borrow some of my shoes. I woke up a little later to find not a single pair of shoes left, and a little note explaining she had borrowed some shoes. Hahahaha. I had to wear my mom's shoes to school. When I read that letter, I missed Ashley and her shoe swapping ways. I wish I still lived next door to my best friend.
4. I met my husband at a dance club.
5. I am a germaphobic. I am constantly washing my hands. In fact, my hands resemble a scouring pad. I try to put lotion on, but I can't seem to keep them hydrated. Mike's hands are very soft and lovely compared to mine. It makes me sad.
6. I just finished the best book. It's called, The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. It was very well written. In fact, she reminded me of John Steinbeck and Charlotte Bronte. It was kind of like an old gothic romance. Except, there wasn't that much romance. I would highly recommend it.

ML Weekend

2007-11-07T17:37:00.000-08:00

Mike informed me a couple of weeks ago, that he would be attending a vintage car race with his dad (his dad was racing in it). He said, "I know how you get freaked out when I'm gone...why don't you go home to Moses Lake for that weekend." So I did. Shaila, Matt and the boys came home too. It was a real party. I love watching Rose with her cousins. Malcolm was so sweet with Rose, and Quinn was hilarious. You could tell he really enjoyed having someone younger around. Rose seemed slighly obsessed with him. She followed him around all day.

Quinn loves balls. He was pretty excited to show off his ball kicking skills.

2007-11-07T10:03:00.000-08:00

Which Twilight novel character are you?

You're Bella Swan - You are intelligent and kind but not quite sure what you want out of life yet. You have a feeling there's something more out there for you. You're attracted to those who are real and avoid the fake. Sometimes you're a bit accident prone, but your true friends will always be loyal to you and come to your aid when you need it.
Take this quiz!

Why am I obsessed with this book series?

Halloween in ML

2007-11-06T18:15:00.000-08:00

We didn't go trick-or-treating. She did get to answer the door a couple times. We only had three doorbell rings (and one was Doug and Connie (they were not looking for candy)).

I didn't get her tights, because I thought we were going to be in Phoenix. Turns out, it's a lot colder in Moses Lake on Halloween than I remember.

Update

2007-10-29T16:09:00.000-07:00

I can't believe this month is almost over. Arggh. I have accomplished nothing. However, Rose has accomplished quite a lot this month. She has mastered walking, and finally started saying Mama. Her hair is also long enough to put into pony tails...very little ones. I have taken up making miniature bows for her hair. I think I bought six different types of ribbons at Michael's Crafts. A girl can never have too many bows (This is kind of funny for me to say, considering my mom couldn't get a bow in my hair to save her life).

Yesterday we went shoe shopping. Rose is obsessed with shoes. Really obsessed. She stole the shoes off some poor kid at church a few weeks back. I think she picked the wrong kid to steal from, because his twin was quick to fight for his brother's shoes. It was pretty funny, breaking up a fight between three one-year-olds. I can't even imagine what nursery will be like for her.

Anyway, shopping was fun because we ran into a friend at the mall and ended up with a shopping partner. We spent a couple hours looking for shoes. Unfortunately, we were not successful (for Rose...I, however, found a nice shirt). The problem is the price tag. I can't justify buying her a pair of shoes for 30 bucks. I think she will have to be shoeless for a little longer.

Rose and Mike...chillin'.

Rose and Grandpa

2007-10-11T19:02:00.000-07:00

This was making me laugh. The first time I did it, Mike's look-a-like was Jasmine Bleeth and Rose's look-a-like was Yassir Arrafat.

http://www.myheritage.com/collage

By the way, I love Angela Lansbury. I think I could watch (and I have many times) Murder She Wrote all day long.

Top Five

2007-10-01T17:52:00.000-07:00

Rose has been referring to me as "Kitty", today. I mean she only has four words in her vocabulary, so I should really take what I can get....but it's a little sad. Her four words: book, daddy, bottle, and kitty. I guess she has her priorities. However, I am really pulling to make the top five. In order to help, I have been referring to myself in the third-person...constantly. It's a little embarrassing. I'm turning into Donald Trump. I just hope I don't slip and refer to myself as, "Mama", in public.

A Day at the Zoo

2007-09-28T16:58:00.000-07:00

Rose got a safari hat for the occasion.