Introducing Our Newest Family Member...

Funny story how this worked out.

After our last kitty run away, or got caught by coyotes, or was catnapped- we'll never know- Ryan and Monica have been wanting to get another kitty. So I put a stipulation on when we could get another one. I knew that Siamese kittens were hard to come by. And females seem even harder to find. So I said I would agree to get another cat when we found a female Siamese.

Then about a month ago, Aunty Sarah called us up and said she was babysitting an adorable kitten who needed a home and fit the criteria exactly that I had laid out. So before I even had a chance to say, "Let me talk it over with Ryan," Ryan said we would take her no questions asked. HAHA! So we now have a new member of the family. We hope to make this one long term that we all cry over in 15 years when she's too old to walk and needs to be carried to her food bowl.

So, without further ado, I present

FIGARO

Now I have to explain her name. It was Monica's first choice to call her Figaro, but Ryan and I initially vetoed it. So then Monica suggested "Heavenly Father". That felt a little too sacreligious so then she started throwing out nonsensical things like "Shinnydoo" and "Makatita" (which is a 'word' Monica uses when she thinks she's speaking Spanish). So we turned to Facebook friends for help and got a bunch of really good ideas of what to call her and Monica didn't like any of them. So after about two weeks of calling her "The Cat", Ryan suggested we finally go with Figaro. I call her Fergie, for short.

The girls love playing with Figaro and she allows Monica to pick her up all day long and somehow doesn't mind when Leah puts her in a chokehold. Thank goodness I mind, so she never has to endure the torture for long. But she rarely scratches, is very playful and just goes with the flow. She is the perfect cat for our family and we love her!

Sisters Make the BEST Hairdressers

I couldn't hear the girls playing one morning when they were in the toy room, so I thought I'd better check on them. I found this...

Monica was patiently letting Leah play with her hair.

And Leah was being pretty gentle, not pulling Monica's hair.

They were both having so much fun, and Leah was enjoying being the hairdresser that I had to take a few snapshots of the moment. I think it could be a glimpse into the future of what I'll find in about 10 years when I pass by their bathroom, only Monica will probably be painting her nails as Leah brushes her hair.

Sisters are the best!

"My heart is CRUSHED!"

This was so sweet, I had to record it in our blog.

Tonight on the way home from Costco, and after an afternoon of subtle disobedience, I finally told Monica she couldn't have the cupcake she was working for. Of course, the waters works were unleashed immediately. So I asked her if she thought she deserved a cupcake. She wailed, "No! Because I wasn't listening and I'm crying and screaming, but my heart is CRUSHED!!"

Then when we put her to bed, she was still crying about the cupcake, so I told her I was sorry she couldn't have her cupcake but she could start being good again tonight and continue in the morning. She sat up with crocodile tears in her eyes and sobbed,"But Mom, my heart is CRUSHED! Do you know any songs that can calm someone down when they are upset?" So with a huge lump in my throat I sang her "I'm Trying To Be Like Jesus" and "Jesus Loves Me". She calmed down, but was still pretty sad. So hopefully tomorrow she is really good and I can give her a cupcake!

Halloween 2009

This year we channeled Peter Pan.

I was Tiger Lily, Leah was the Tinker Bell fairy Rosetta, Ryan was a pirate and Monica was Tinker Bell.

Tinker Bell

Monica was still trying to cheer up after spraying her hair "yellow".

I should have known getting the cheap stuff wouldn't turn out right. Oh well.

We know better for next year. Monica already thinks she wants to be Tinker Bell again.

At least I wouldn't have to buy a new pattern!

Rosetta

In the Tinker Bell movies, Rosetta is a garden fairy.

I'm pretty proud of myself that I only spent $6 on Leah's costume.

Aunty Sarah gave me the fabric a couple years ago when I was first pregnant with Leah.

So her dress was free, and the wings and tights were each $3!

After making Monica's dress, Leah's was a piece of cake.

The following are just some of my favorite pictures from the rest of the night at our ward's Trunk or Treat event. Monica enjoyed it, but totally got spooked at the Haunted House the YM were in charge of. I think it was the idea of crawling alone that did her in. Anyway, here are the rest of our pics.

Our pretty fairies!

Oh no! The dreaded pirate captured a fairy!

It was COLD!!!

There were even more awesome costumes I wish I had gotten pictures of, like the Three Amigos and  the Toy Story gang. And the sister missionaries dressed up as the Pearl of Great Price, The Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants. So cute!

Pumpkin Carving with Matt and Elisha

I thought I'd get these pictures up before the official Halloween costume pictures, since we had so much fun!

Our carved pumpkins

Monica's pirate skull...thanks to Uncle Matt and Elisha who helped her carve her pumkin!

Ryan's witch

My Tinker Bell

Originally, when Matt took this picture Ryan had red eyes.

Unfortunately, I think he looks worse with the black eyes!

Uncle Matt helping to carve the pumpkin.

I'm not sure how we missed getting a pic of Elisha doing her part too.

After we were finished, Matt got some good pictures of our lighted pumpkins.

Matt took this sweet picture of Leah.

I was really trying not to make Tink's nose too big.

Ryan taking his time.

Matt- getting into the spirit of Halloween.

The girls love their aunty!

Leah kept "sneaking" pieces of the pumpkin.

I'm not sure what the draw was.

Finally, we had to do something with Leah's itty bitty pumpkin.

When I bought the Mickey, Monica looked at it and gasped, "Mom, what happened to Mickey?!" I told her he dressed up for Halloween as a vampire and she said, "Oh. I don't like vampires."

No Twilight for her!

The First Snow of the 2009-2010 Winter Season

I looked out the window, this is what I saw. I rushed and got the girls to show them it was snowing and they begged me to go out in it. About 10-15 minutes later, after trying to bundle them up properly....

...there was a pretty good layer of snow on the ground.

Look closely at Leah's lips. She's "oooooh-ing" with excitement!

This was another of Leah's firsts.

This was her first reaction to snow, and she LOVED it!!

 And for some reason, the water table is still popular even after the water is frozen!

So the girls had fun...

For about 10 minutes. And then the snow melted.

BOO!!!

The cold is only worth it when you have something to show for it.

I think there were too many people praying for it to melt so my prayer for it to increase didn't stand a chance.

Oh well.

It's still early yet.

I'm sure we'll have more snow and better pictures!!

X these are my fingers crossed X

Reading a Book is Fun To Do...

Fun to do, to do, to do...

Especially when you can cuddle up with your best friend!

Leah and Monica love to lay side by side and 'read' their books.

Monica will often tell Leah what is going on in the pictures and make up a story to go with it.

Then Leah will take a turn and tell Monica in gibberish what is happening in her book.

I love that Monica sits there and goes, "Uh huh. Yeah, Leah! And then the puppy finds a frog!"

P.S. Leah's feet were wrapped up because we were trying to rehydrate her excema ridden skin there. We had a blood panel done and she has no food allergies. It's really excema and it looks like it's around to stay. Thankfully, we have a pediatrician who is personally concerned about Leah. She prescribed a topical steroid for Leah's skin and it has been working wonderfully. No more insane bandages here. Leah's feet were soft again within 3 days of using the stuff and we are just grateful for Dr. Millea!

Pumpkin Hunting

You know those blog posts that seem just a taaaad bit overloaded with pictures?

You have been warned.

But this is our family's picture journal, a.k.a. digital scrapbook.

So here goes...

The last two years, we made it out to the McCall's Pumpkin Patch in Moriarty. This year, it wasn't really possible with work schedules, drill schedules and the like. So we had to go local.

We meant to go to the Pumpkin Patch on Paseo, but got it confused with the one on Paradise. Since we were already there, instead of driving the extra block to get where we wanted, we figured we'd see what the United Methodist Church pumpkins were like. It ended up being pretty cool and Leah was M-A-D when we left. She wanted to stay and run through the aisles between pumpkins some more.

My BOO-tiful girlies...

Monica surveyed her options...

Then decided on one she could barely carry, but she got it!

She's such a turkey!

Last year, Leah was too little to pick a pumpkin.

So this was her first time and we got some great pics of her.

Leah went for a pint sized pumpkin just like her.

She saw another one she just had to have...

Two little bitties for one little bitty girl.

I just love how this picture turned out.

Leah and Monica immersed in the sea of pumpkins

Leah got a kick out of the scarecrow.

Picture posing time...

Monica Kay

Leah Grace

The Allred girls

Daddy and his little girls

Mom and Dad

Sweet sisters