The Rest of the Fun...

Since Aaron was on SICU rotation  (Surgery Intensive Care Unit) and we weren't seeing much of him, we decided to stay for 2 weeks. Here's some more fun we did.

Watching the Jazz games with Jordan and my sleeping mother

Bajio, Cafe Rio...mmmmm.

My mom took the girls to get twirly skirts and cupcakes. They loved it!

Making smores in the fireplace

Hangin with the fam

Jordan thinks he is so tough. Nice Jord.

Dustin wanted to dispaly his sweet shirt for the pic! Love ya Dust.

Don't look too happy to be taking a pic and getting hugged Dust :). You know you love it.

 Going to see niece Storie and fam on her 10th bday

Visiting with Aaron's mom and Bill. They were SO nice to watch my girls while I went. The girls had a blast and they loved playing with them. Hallie is all about the milkshakes!

Park with SIL Linds and Gayla and Bill

Peyton LOVED Grandpa Bill

Playing with cousins. I just love how we can be gone for months and my girls and Nat's kids act like they see each other everyday. They greet each other with squeals and hugs, run to the toy room and shut the door and begin their play immediately. It's so cute. Maybe someday we can live by each other.

We tagged along to the Bean Museum with Natalie and Avery's preschool (thanks for the pics Nat)

Seeing my friend Andrea. We lived in Iowa together while both our hubbys did the med school thing. It was so great to see her and meet her new little Millie. Hallie LOVES Mykah and was so excited to see them (even if she whined the whole time about her dang bandaid falling off :))

horrible pic, I know. Andrea does not have a multicolored face in real life :). I was too lazy to fix the shadows.

Seeing Sarah and Whitney and meeting little (not really little) Luke. Wish I had a pic.

Going with my friends Lindsey and Beth to St. George (thanks to my fam for watching the girls)

All night card nights require drink runs!!! I LOVE that these girls can and want to play cards just as long as I do. They are the best!

So...do you remember the show Teen Angel? Yes, this is him. Beth pointed him out at Red Robin and I was so excited. Totally had a crush when I was younger. Lucky for me I had my point and shoot camera in my purse (which is what the majority of all the pics in UT are taken from). I made Beth pretend she was taking a pic of me and Linds and zoom as close as she could to snap a pic. Yes, she thought I was retarded, but I didn't care!

So this guy next to us was like, "Hey why don't you let me take it so you can all get in the picture." Notice the total fake smiles of "I'm so glad he didn't know what I was really doing."

Little Maggie Mu joined us too. So cute.

Lunch with Grandma Janice at Brick Oven. So sweet of her to take us out.

Midnight hangouts with my mom eating our guacamoli and chips, watching TV and me wishing I had a snuggie (thanks to Dicksy).

Pirate Island
 (showing off their prizes)

And my favorite...the number of injuries Hallie got while we were there.

1. Running smack into a glass door (bruised nose and forehead)

2.  Smashing/cutting fingers in door.

3. Gashed forehead from a rocking chair.

4. Lip cut while playing (not quite sure how)

5. lip gashed open from tripping and hitting a chair (see pic)

6. lost count of how many falls and trips (she loves to run with her head turned backwards.)

7. Ringworm (gross)

(showing off her fat cut lip)

Hooray! Finally got that out of the way. Now on to the current...another day.

Hallie's February Captured Saying

• “Oh, thank you sir!” (talking to Aaron while playing store)
• “I just love you sweetheart” (I overhear her say this to Peyton a lot)
• After I said a prayer, Hallie said… “Wait Mommy, you forgot something!” “Please help Peyton to not laugh at me and cry and just go to sleep. K, bye. I mean Amen.”
• When we say our prayers before bed she says, “Ask to help me fall asleep 2 times!”
• I had been wondering if Peyton had an ear infection. Hallie said, “Well Mommy, you just need to take her to see Doctor Daddy.”
• “Happy Valentine’s Day Mommy!” (said this TONS) “Know why we say that a lot? Because we just love the people SO much!”

• Hallie: “How come I’ve never seen a unicorn before?”
Me: “Remember they are just pretend. There aren't really unicorns. Just pretend.”
Hallie: “NO THEY’RE NOT! I’ve seen them on Dora before! They are REAL!”
Me: “Oh, I’m so sorry. Because surely Dora is real too.”
Hallie: “Do you know how they get around?
Me: “I have no idea!”
Hallie: “They ride around on rainbows.”

• My sister Natalie is a much nicer mom and animal lover than I am. Well they got a dog and Hallie’s cousins are in love with it. We spent some time with them and so of course, Hallie and I had the following conversation.
Hallie: “Mom when will we ever get a cat?”
Me: “Never”
Hallie: “Ohhh…why?”
Me: “I’m allergic to cats.”
Hallie: “What does awergic mean?”
Me: “It means I’ll get really sick and die.”
Hallie: “Oh. Okay. Well how about a dog? Are you awergic to dogs?”
Me: No, but we can’t get one until you can take care of it all by yourself.
Hallie: I could! I could!
Me: You would have to feed it and give it baths…
Hallie: I could do that!
Me: And you’d have to play with it and take it on walks…
Hallie: I could do that too!
Me: And…you would have to pick up its poop.
Hallie: “EWWWWW!!” How bout you just do that part.”
Me: “Nope, if you want a dog you would have to do it.
Hallie: “I know! I could let you use my cleaning tools in my toy room and scoop it up in my little dustpan. Then you could do it!”
Me: “No, you would have to do it sweetie.” And…you would have to keep all your toys picked up or the dog would chew them up!
Hallie: (long pause) “Well…how about I just think about it for awhile.”
Me: “Sounds great!”

Peyton's February Captured Moments

• Really gets into singing and actions at story time.
• Loves to take care of her babies. Rocks them, sings to them, feeds them, shhs us when we are loud, etc.
• Loves watching the animal channel. She is fascinated by it and could sit and watch it forever.
• Still thinks she’s so funny with the diaper. Much to my horror, she took her diaper off in her crib with poop in it! Not once, but twice! GROSS! Bring on the duck tape.
• LOVES to be a tease.
• Loves to wear my high heels and dance around it them.
• Twirls in circles until she literally runs into walls. But she’ll get right back up and continue dancing again.
• Loves babies. Anytime she sees one she’ll point and say, “bebe bebe”
• Loves the boys. We went to Utah and she seriously was so attached to the men. It’s the same at home. She loves her daddy.
• Likes to say her animal sounds. Her favorite is a tiger. She can roar pretty good.
• Loves reading books. She can sit and jabber to each page forever.
• Imitates Hallie in her actions.

Family Vaca Getaway

Aaron had a week off in January so we decided to plan a last minute trip to Corpus Christi Beach. We realized this was our first family vacation that was actually just us, and not a "vacation" going to visit family. We had a good time. The weather was colder and windier than we had planned for, but we still had a good time. We rented a little condo on the beach and the girls had a blast. My camera battery died so I don't have many pics, but here's a few (most are from my phone so not great quality).

We had fun building a sand castle. Peyton would not touch the sand. Even with shoes on she would not have it. Hallie had a blast playing in the sand. She played forever and helped us build this sandcastle. She got tired as well as Peyton and they just wanted to sit in the car and eat candy/sleep (you can drive your car on the beach so it was right by us.) Well..Aaron and I being kids at heart were not ready to go until it was finished. It was so fun to make.

Hallie begging me to take her pic by the pink wall.         

Hallie was SO terrified to be by this shark. It was so funny.

No matter how many times we told her it wasn't real,

I don't think she quite believed us.

Horrible attempt to get a picture on the beach

Peyton was WIRED at our condo. Seriously she was hilarious and was quite the entertainment. Her favorite games of running around with clothes on her head, playing with the phone, putting Hallie's puzzle and remote control in the toilet, etc...kept us entertained and exhausted!

A few from my phone. Sorry for the quality.

It was so great to have a little getaway and spend time with Aaron and the girls. We definitely enjoyed our time together and had a great time!

We're Going on a Leaf Hunt

Today I was getting into my jewelry box and saw a little leaf awaiting me. I smiled and placed it on my dresser, only to realize I had five other leaves sitting there too that my little Hallie had given me earlier. It made me smile to think how such small things can make a child so excited and happy. It will be a sad day when these types of days are gone. Finding a tiny  flowerweed drowning in a cup of water by my bed, pictures, leafs, etc. will all be missed. I am enjoying it while it lasts. Hallie LOVES leafs. Everyday at least a couple times Hallie will find "the perfect leaf" and say, "Mommy, I have a surprise for you! Close your eyes, hand out!" I learned my lesson fast to make sure I keep them around for awhile because Hallie would ask me days later, "Mommy, you still got that little/big/shiny/cruncy leaf I gave you?"

About a month ago we went on a leaf hunt with the girls (crazy that in December the leaves are finally falling) . They loved it. Peyton thinks she is just as big as Hallie. She doesn't want anyone to touch her or help her.

We made a couple art projects with all the leaves they collected.  The girls had a blast. I love being a mom! Today was a reminder for me to cherish the small little things because they will be gone before I know it.

Sidewalk Chalk Bodies

The girls had a blast with the sidewalk chalk! They were out here forever tracing bodies and coloring them. Being outside makes my kids so happy!

Hallie and her sweet crooked glasses.

She ALWAYS has to wear them when she's outside. It's hillarious.

Hallie's buddies. She loves to play with these cute girls.

Hooray! Nursery here we come!

I have been waiting for this day for quite awhile now! Sundays are supposed to be a "day of rest" etc, etc...but I will be the first to say that I have dreaded Sundays pretty much since we've moved here. Aaron hasn't been able to come with us too often, which in itself is hard trying to get me and two kids ready and out the door to church.

But ATTEMPTING to teach a sunday school class full of 10-14 boys with a napless, sassy menace (AKA Peyton) and a missing husband has been anything but enjoyable. If you wanted to see entertainment, this would be the class to come to. Every week, someone in the class would say, "when does she go to nursery?". This proved the point that it wasn't all just in my head.

Well...she turned 18 months and I shipped her off! Hooray!!! I was quite nervous to see how she'd handle it. I took her in, ripped the bandaid off fast and left. She cried for a few minutes but then did great. I peeked in at her once and she looked so cute just sitting in her little chair watching everything going on. It's like she felt so big. She loved it!

Hallie is like the little mother of the family. She just started Primary and LOVES it! When I go to pick her up, she is like the little adult. She will say, "How was class mommy? What did you learn about?". Well, I think she was more than pleased to talk to Peyton about how it would all go down in nursery. She told us that we needed to have Peyton pratice drinking through a big girl cup so she wouldn't spill it in nursery. And told Peyton what toys she should play with, which teachers she liked, etc, etc.

It was so cute to hear Hallie talk to Peyton afterwards.

(all in a little motherly voice)

"Peyton, did you have a good time in nursery? Yea? Yea?" (Peyton nodding her head)

"What toys did you play with? Did you play with the babies like I told you to?" (Peyton nodding her head)

"What snacks did you eat?" "Did you spill your water?" "What did you learn about?" "Did you say the prayer?" "Is this your picture you made? Oh good job Peyton!" "Do you like nursery?" "Good job Peyton!"

She even let me take a quick pic! My girls are getting SO big! Hallie and her are so cute together.

Hallie's Jan. Captured Sayings

Hallie’s Captured Sayings
January 2010
(3 1/2 yr.)

• Calls hand sanitizer “hanitizer”
• “I wish I could be a bird cause then I could fly high in the sky. That would be WAY cool.”
• “This is the greatest night ever!” (said this 4 times on our short 5 min. drive to get ice cream)
• Hallie: “I really miss Iowa.” (silence for a little bit while her little brain is thinking.) “But no people live in Iowa anymore. All the people moved to Texas!” (silence) “So…it’s okay.”
• “My nose is kinda crunchy. Crunchy means there’s lots of boogies on the side.”
• Loves to hold hands in the car with Peyton. Several times I have looked back to see them holding hands and smiling.
"I have the greatest idea!" (says this alot)
• Ever since I read her a book with Cookie Monster in it, she totally has incorporated the word “meself" into her talk. “I’m going to get meself a drink.” “I can do it by meself.” “Peyton and meself are just playing.”
• I had just turned on a Disney movie for her and the castle at the beginning of all the movies came on. She yelled, “There’s the temple! They have a temple in this movie!”
• Quite the tech savvy girl!
“Mommy, I just sent you an email on my computer.”
“You’ll need to order it online.” (talking about a dress she wants)

Peyton's Jan. Captured Moments

Peyton’s Captured Moments

January 2010

(17 months)

• Waves and says “bye-bye” at everything.

• Still into ripping her diaper off.

I went to get her one morning in her crib and she was butt naked. She had managed to get all her buttons undone, rip all her clothes off, diaper off and pee all over. She just had a little smirk on her face like she was so proud.

• New words: “cook cook” for cookie, “cece” for cereal, “beebee” for binky. She has been talking a ton more. Every day I find her trying to say new words.

• Finally got rid of the binky! I thought it was going to be awful, but she has done quite well with it.

• Loves to hold hands with Hallie in the car
• Loves to be sneaky. If I haven’t heard her for more than a few seconds, I know it only means trouble. Toilets, getting into the pantry, pulling out all the DVD's, finding a treat to eat in a hidden place, etc.

(example: Found her sitting behind the island eating a tootsie roll that she had managed to get out of the advent calendar)

• Loves wearing her sweet sunglasses. Most the time they are upside down, but she still loves it.
• Miss Independent. She is fearless at the park and has me on my toes. Will go down the tallest/windiest slides all by herself. Tries to climb the ladders, stairs, walk up the slides, etc. Hates the swings because she is trapped and can’t run around.
• Loves to do naughty things to get a rise out of me and Aaron.
• Toilet obsession is back. She crawled inside the toilet. Also on our vacation decided it would be fun to stir the water with the remote control and dump Hallie’s puzzle pieces in the bowl too.
• This month Aaron and I noticed that she is all of the sudden acting so much older.
• Started nursery!!!

• Is getting better at letting me get her dressed. Now she is into wanting to wear layers of clothes (of course only the ones that SHE has picked out. Might I add she knows how to throw a tantrum until she wins the battle of putting them all on.) Example below.