Allred Family

Hope on the Horizon

2012-01-11T14:35:00.000-08:00

          A little less than five years ago, Ryan and I made the decision to get out of the active duty Army in order for him to pursue a bachelor's degree so we could get back in the military, Air Force the next time, and eventually commission as an officer. We had sat down with Bob and Becky Clinton, friends we both really admired and respected, and with their help, mapped out our future. As we went home and prayed about it, we felt a calm assurance that we were on a good path.
          We lost sight of that goal once, when Ryan was burning out a bit from doing school non-stop two years in a row. And I had gotten used to having him around. But it only took six months of deviance for us to remember the path we had started on and why we had chosen it. The move to Las Cruces was, as we felt, inspired. It was even quite effortless. Everything fell into place so beautifully for us to be here.
          In August 2011, Ryan began his final semester for his bachelor's degree. In preparation, he also began talking to an Air Force recruiter. He told Ryan to wait to submit any paperwork until October when the new fiscal year for the military began. So we waited. Ryan jumped through hoop after hoop, and finally, on the day when his classmates were walking the line at graduation, he was being poked and prodded as he was processed into the military. We were so excited! This is what we had worked so hard for. We were promised orders in about a week. That was December 9th. As time went on, the days got longer and the military vacation window drew nearer, until finally we were told we would not hear anything about orders until after the new year.
          That's okay, we thought. It was the last step to achieving what we set out to achieve all those years ago. We were in. We just needed the assignment. All our hopes were centered around receiving those orders. And then, Ryan got a call. Turned out the job he was promised was no longer available. The only thing available was EOD. So, Ryan went down to the recruiter's office to get the full story. Apparently guys had been "shuffled around" and now contracting wasn't available, only EOD. No thank you, Ryan said. Complete deal breaker. EOD is explosives ordnance disposal. The Marine recruiter next door came in and tried to convince him to take it. And Ryan said maybe if he didn't have a family he would have considered it. But because of his family, it wasn't even an option. Sgt. Ullmann agreed to see if he could get him SERE Instructor instead. So Ryan came home and told me the news. I didn't take it very well, to say the least. I just sat on my bed and cried. This wasn't part of the deal! But if he could get SERE Instructor, it was still better than EOD, better than nothing! And Ryan, being the wonderful man that he is, looked me in the eye and said, "Well, maybe we can make someone else happy today instead. Let's finish building Soquel's desk." Eli came over and he helped Ryan out and kept us company.
          Then at lunch we received the call, the final blow. There were no jobs left. Ryan would not be receiving orders at this time. Now we were in full panic mode. At least I was. Ryan was patient enough to not freak out until all the details came in. Unfortunately, we haven't received any details of explanation. It felt like Ryan had just lost his job. We were counting on this job for so many things -- health insurance, dental, income. We could wait patiently and stretch our pennies the thinnest we've ever stretched them so long as we knew we just had to wait for orders. Knowing they weren't coming; that was cruel. I felt like everything we had worked towards got all shaken up. Snatched away at the last second. I was so ready for the next chapter to begin. To be done with the student-with-a-family lifestyle. To be on to the career stage. I was ready to put on my support-my-hubby-in-training hat. The doing-it-all-because-it's-gotta-get-done hat. I was ready to start packing and start the new adventure of life back in the military. After seven years in the Army and Reserves, I knew what I was getting into, and I had a plan. I had my good attitude ready. My optimism was ready. And we had told EVERYBODY who would listen how excited we were.
           Eli started mentioning the CIA, FBI, NSA, and other government agencies who were always looking for someone with military experience and a degree. We tucked that info away, but felt deeply the loss of this opportunity. We wanted to blame someone, so we blamed Obama. The day before he signed the new Defense budgets, and then there were no jobs. It made sense in my mind. This was his fault. I let everyone know on Facebook that we weren't getting orders. My sister called to check in on me. It was sweet of her to do so. However, my emotions were so raw and chafed that I couldn't express calmly the disappointment and panic I felt. All our eggs were in this one basket and they all got dropped. I was devastated. She ended up hanging up on me, which I probably deserved. I was struggling to hang on to my surety in faith that the confirmation we felt at the beginning, and even just a year ago, was still there. I was struggling to keep a smile on my face for the sake of my children and husband. And I just couldn't do it. The dust was too thick. I couldn't see anything past my own anxiety. I couldn't see past my anger at the loss of this opportunity. At the timing of it. A few minutes later, Kris called, and it was like she had put a warm blanket on me and she just let me cry there on the phone with her. After a really good cry and a nap, the dust began to settle and I could finally see that the world was not about to end after all. I could see that Heavenly Father might be protecting us from something if we had gotten what we wanted right now. Tina checked in on me, too, and it was good to talk through Plan Right Now. Ryan had given me a blessing, in which he said there was "hope on the horizon" and that the issue of his job would be soon resolved. I needed to put my faith in that.
          We finished Soquel's desk and seeing her face when we delivered it was absolutely wonderful. It is a really good feeling to help someone else be happy. Ryan started looking around different government agency websites and found some really cool jobs. When we first found out Ryan wasn't getting orders, my initial thought was that we weren't worthy of the blessings yet. And then Ryan found a job that was the same as the one he was hoping to get in the Air Force. And then I though, maybe Heavenly Father really does having something even better than what we originally hoped for. Maybe we weren't unworthy. Maybe we were just being shortsighted and we needed to take the Air Force blinders off. So we decided we ought to quit feeling sorry for ourselves, refocus our faith and started coming up with Plans B, C, D, and E. Maybe the Air Force will come around. Maybe it won't. But at least we will be doing something. With his degree, Ryan is far more marketable. And I have to thank Heavenly Father for that direction at the very least. He would not qualify for any of the jobs he is now applying for without his degree. That foundation is still standing.
          Our home teachers came to see us and shared with us President Monson's message of the ABCs of faith. That we can choose to have a good Attitude. That we need to Believe we can do the things we set out to do. And that we need to have Courage. The more time we have to think about it, the more possibilities open up. In some ways it feels like we are back on square one, trying to choose a direction for career and future. But in other ways, it feels like we are armed quite a bit better this time around. After a blessing from Brother Peterson for Ryan, and the good, timely counsel we received, we truly feel like there is hope on the horizon. Smiles and laughter have returned. Goals are being worked towards. We don't have all the answers, but we know it will be ok. Heavenly Father has shown His hand in our lives too many times for us to ever doubt Him.

Family Pictures

2012-01-11T12:56:00.000-08:00

I tuned one of Lesa's friend's piano last week and when I was done, Lesa practiced her photography skills. The subject? Our family. I think she pretty much rocked it!

New Year's Eve

2012-01-11T12:50:00.000-08:00

We had a small, quiet New Year's Eve this year. Ryan traded in some of his games at GameStop to get the girls "Just Dance for Kids" for the Kinect. They had a blast! They love playing dance games. And what was even more fun than watching Monica and Leah doing the dance moves? Watching Jillian totter to her feet to try and dance with them! Dad even got his groove on, too. We watched the ball drop together on the couch and Leah even made it until midnight. After our family prayer and sparkling cider toasts, Leah promptly crashed. Monica probably could have stayed up even longer, but she couldn't argue with church being the next day! It would be a new year with new beginnings!

Christmas Night

2012-01-11T12:38:00.000-08:00

The girls got really spoiled this year. They essentially had three Christmases. One at Nana and Papa's, another at Aunty Theresa's, and one when we got home Christmas evening from Albuquerque. Monica asked Santa for only two things - the spy cars from "Cars 2" and My Little Ponies, and Leah asked only for Strawberry Shortcake. Santa definitely delivered! Which made our shopping from Mom and Dad super easy on Black Friday. I made some skirts for the girls and will have to take pictures of them in their matching skirts, but I forgot to take them to ABQ with us for church. So they didn't get to wear them then. The girls were tired, (and so were Mom and Dad!) after the drive home, so we read the story in Luke of Jesus' birth, opened gifts and then went to bed!

This was the first year Ryan and I did not exchange gifts with each other, having agreed to have our Christmas when he got orders in the Air Force. We just wanted to make sure the girls got what they wanted, and it was worth every smile and little gasp to see their excitement! And we were spoiled by all our family. It was a beautiful Christmas.

Nana and Papa

2012-01-03T11:56:00.000-08:00

Last year, as I was looking through the year in review in our blog, I realized we didn't have any pictures of the girls with Nana and Papa! So, before we left to come back home, we had a little photo shoot in front of the tree. We got a few gems!

Strike a pose.

Silly faces!

We love Nana and Papa!

"Easy, It's Just A Picture!"

2012-01-03T11:50:00.000-08:00

Maggie and John were such good sports when I asked for a picture, on Christmas morning. Before breakfast. And they turned out so cute! We really loved being able to see them and hang out.

I don't think Ryan and I have had a recent picture taken of us, so we got one in front of the tree, too.

Sweet girls!

While we were taking pics of Aunty Theresa and Uncle Bruce, I told them to kiss.

They did. And as Uncle Bruce went in for another kiss, Aunty Theresa goes, "Easy, it's just a picture!"

It was so funny!

These are some of my favorite pics.

In my someday house, actually sooner, I'm going to have a happy wall.

And it's going to be filled with pictures of people we love purely and honestly laughing. True blue tickled pink.

Doesn't that just make you happy thinking about it?

Christmas Morning 2011

2012-01-03T11:41:00.000-08:00

After we got to see everyone at Mom and Dad's, we went across the river to see all the aunties and uncles. We had so much fun! A little girl talk with Maggie, Jessy and Melissa. "Just Dance" was super fun. I even beat Jessy for high score on one dance. I have to brag about my one achievement because she's on an elite dance team and is uber talented. I'm sure next Christmas she will squash me like a bug. But it sure was fun trying to keep up with her. And it was fun to watch Uncle Paul and Uncle David out dance her on a belly dancing song. HILARIOUS! We spent the night at Aunty Theresa's and got to open the girls' stockings with Maggie and John, and Aunty Theresa and Uncle Bruce.

Christmas Eve 2011

2012-01-03T10:37:00.000-08:00

This Christmas Eve we were able to go up to spend it with family in Albuquerque. It was so fun to see everyone and I think the best part for me was watching the girls have so much fun with all their cousins. I remember reading a saying somewhere that cousins are your first best friends. This was so true, especially when as we were leaving, Monica said she, Katie, and Julie all said they were the "bestest friends". I love it!

Mark and Emily built this awesome snowman pinata and I think it should be a tradition from now on. The kids each took a turn who wanted to, smallest to biggest, until Austin was able to smash it. Ashley didn't even get a shot at it! But I don't think she minded too much.

Mark and Emily put little goodie bags in the snowman with all the kids' names on them and Jillian loved her marshmallows!

This was my favorite of all the cousins on the stairs.

Baby Steps

2012-01-03T10:09:00.000-08:00

Jillian has begun taking her first steps.

She got this fun walking toy from Nana and Papa for her birthday and she loves it! It's only been a month, but she is making a lot of progress. She has started standing up without pulling up on anything and even took 7 steps at once. But they are not consistent yet. She still feels more confident crawling, so we are doing our part to take her walking around the house. She'll stand up and think about taking steps, even taking 2 or 3, but then will decide crawling is safer, or more effective. I think being cautious is a part of her personality. That makes this mama happy!

Cookie Decorating

2012-01-02T21:56:00.000-08:00

We made the traditional advent chain to count down to Christmas, but wrote down different things to do inside the links. One of them was to tree attack someone, so we made some cookies as part of the tree attack and let the girls decorate the cookies. Sans parental assistance. They turned out beautifully!

Some of Monica's cookies

Leah's cookies

Jillian, Apple Thief

2012-01-02T21:48:00.000-08:00

Soquel came over one day with her boys. We'd just been pulling Jillian around in the laundry basket, so Kade was offered a ride. After a couple rounds, Jillian commandeered the basket. And his apple. But he wasn't too upset about sharing either with her. It was really cute!

Then, when we picked her up, we saw just one lone toesie poking through her jammies.

Monica and Leah about died laughing. They were so tickled!

So, naturally, we took a picture. This jammy set has particular sentimental value because my friend, Sara Whetten, gave it to me with the bundle of clothes she gave me when Monica was born. It's been worn well and well loved.

Jill loves her apples!

Are You My Mother?

2012-01-02T20:48:00.000-08:00

Since we started homeschooling, we try to do thirty minutes of fun reading before bedtime. Leah loves to listen to Monica read to her and Monica loves reading to her. One night they were all snuggly in their winter jammies and I just got caught up in watching them be so sweet with each other reading one of Leah's favorite stories. Monica read it complete with sound effects and inflections, much to Leah's delight. Sometimes I feel like my heart might just burst from the love I feel for my children. And seeing them be so loving with each other just intensifies it. I love these girls!

Crazy Laser Kitty

2012-01-02T20:26:00.000-08:00

One day after the girls went to bed, Ryan pulled out his laser light and played with Figaro. She went nuts. It was so fun to watch to her flipping and twisting. I had take a few pictures.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty!

2011-12-20T23:47:00.000-08:00

If ever there was a day to praise God and give thanks, it is today, and I am afraid if I don't get this down now I will forget the important details when I tell my children this story when they are older. It started out ordinarily enough. But after lunch when Ryan went to the grocery store for a few things, his card was denied. This was very strange to us because he had just done some handyman work yesterday and I had tuned a piano, (Did I mention I do that now? I love it!) so we knew we had money in the account. Until I checked and realized that an automatic credit card payment had gone through, completely wiping out our funds. Suddenly, we were in a mess. A downright ugly, menacing mess. And suddenly we were overdrawn, panicking, and having to face making some difficult choices. Like not going to visit family in Albuquerque for Christmas. Like using part of another credit card we have been working so hard to pay off to get us back in the positive. This afternoon we had $5 in our account and only one appointment to bring in some extra cash flow. Our outlook was very bleak, indeed.

Ryan had plans and Samuel came and picked him up. I got the girls all settled with a movie and then I went to my bedroom where I let the tears flow freely. I was so disappointed and overwhelmed! We knew Ryan had a job in the Air Force, we just didn't know when he would start or where he would go. We had no direction, basically. After working towards him finishing his degree and getting into the Air Force for the last four years, we really expected to have more answers than we do at this point. Anyways, all I could do then was fall to my knees and start praying. I felt like the weight of uncertainty would crush me. All I could do was think His name, "Heavenly Father..." because I didn't even know where to begin. He had blessed us with so much already, with Ryan's paperwork being approved and finally making it to MEPS. But I finally just prayed and poured out my heart to Him. I didn't see how we were going to make it. There were three bills that were threatening to break us, two credit cards and one utility. While I was on my knees, trying to listen for an answer, all that came was an unexplainable calm. It made me think of the scripture that talks about "the peace that passeth understanding". I've always loved that phrase, because of what it suggests. That even though things seem awful and desperate, that there is still a peace that can come to your heart. And that's what I felt. I honestly had no idea how we were going to make ends meet.

Then I thought about a blog post I read a few weeks ago, on my friend Becky's blog. It was about Corrie Tin Boom and her sister giving thanks in all circumstances and giving thanks for fleas in their bunks. So after pleading my case to Heavenly Father I started to think of my blessings. And I thought about how, if the electricity did get shut off, our rent was paid through the month. So we still had a roof over our head. And we have a fireplace. We could move the entertainment center to another wall. And we have a ton of wood on the side of the house from all the projects Ryan had been building. And we have a decent food storage stored up. We could heat cans of food in the fire if we really needed to. If everything we had got shut off, it would not be comfortable, but we could still survive. And I thought about an offer from one of my dearest friends that if things got so tight that we couldn't pay for everything, that we could live with them until Ryan got his orders. And I thought about all the family we have that I know would be to our side in a heartbeat if we asked for it. I thought about the love of three precious little girls, that is mine unconditionally. How excited they were to tree attack someone's door. We didn't need extravagant treats for that. We could still do a lot of things together that were 100% free, and 100% service oriented. And then I started to pray that I could remember joy, and optimism, and hope. That when I left my room, I would be able to smile genuinely with my beautiful girls.

Ryan came home, sent out a text and we discussed maybe getting a payday loan. I had looked into them, but with APRs of 608%, I was considerably reluctant. We are still trying to right the wrongs of some very, very stupid credit card mistakes we made years ago. But very quickly, we were running out of options of getting the money we needed in a hurry. He could get a job, but the first check would be two weeks after the electricity got shut off. So, I went to my friend's house to print out a bank statement. While I was there, Ryan called and told me he'd sold his guns for quite a bit more than what we needed. I knew this was a huge sacrifice for him. H.U.G.E. And he was willing to sell his XBOX 360. Thankfully, I was able talk him out of that. After we got the girls all in bed, Ryan went back to the grocery store. This time, an NMSU alumni chatted it up with Ryan in line and commented on Ryan's Aggies hoodie. He congratulated Ryan on graduating this semester and recollected his years at school and then paid for our groceries!

So two of the bills that seemed insurmountable were cleanly taken care of, and we had enough to pay the electric bill for this month and next and have some extra. We benefited from the kindness of a stranger, which we will pay forward, and we saw directly the hand of God in our lives. We avoided adding a nasty bit of debt and we will be able to see our loving family this Christmas! I've missed them so much! AND, thanks to the help of wonderful friends spreading the word for me, I have four more pianos scheduled to tune before the end of the month! All of this happened in just a few hours' time. How often does that happen that your prayers are so beautifully answered so quickly? We might have to wait another week or two to receive orders we were promised a couple weeks ago. But I feel like this was Heavenly Father's way of letting me know how very much aware of me and my little family He is.

My most favorite hymn is "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty". There are so many wonderful turns of phrase in it that are absolutely beautiful.

"Praise to the Lord, the Almighty,
The king of Creation.
Oh my soul praise Him
for He is thy health and salvation...

All that hath breath
join with Abraham's seed to adore Him...

Ponder anew, what the Almighty can do...

Hast thou not seen
how all thou needest hath been
granted in what He ordaineth?"

And, of course, I also think of "Count Your Many Blessings":

"Count your many blessings
Every doubt will fly,
And you will be singing
As the day goes by."

I'm not entirely certain that last line is right. But it sure fits how I feel. I still don't know how we are going to make it all work. The Air Force personnel in charge of orders could still be slow even after the holidays. We may be in limbo for far longer than we anticipate. But I know that God is aware of us, and I know that we will be taken care of, whether it's under this roof or another. We are so very blessed to have such wonderful friends and family. It is no accident that we are where we are with who we are with. God is over all!

Leah's First Haircut

2011-12-08T22:38:00.000-08:00

It was time. Leah's hair has gotten really long, and as a busy 3 year old, a little bit in the way. Not to mention her big sister cut a chunk of her hair in the middle of her forehead for her because Leah asked her to. I know. So, I pulled out the shears and cut bangs for her and evened out the rest of the length. I think it turned out adorably!

EDIT: I should have taken before pictures, but her hair was down to the top of her tushy. I cut off four inches from the length of her hair. When her hair is dry it's a lot shorter because she has natural waves and curl.

First Snow, Part 2

2011-12-08T22:35:00.000-08:00

We convinced the girls to wait a few hours til there was enough snow to play in because they were constantly wanting to come in and out. So, for about 4 hours, Monica and Leah were glued to the windows. They were mesmerized. Jillian thought it was pretty cool, too!

The First Snow of the 2011-2012 Winter Season- Part 1

2011-12-08T22:27:00.000-08:00

We got snow a day earlier than expected. And it was awesome. Monica got them all bundled up, except for gloves, and they were so giddy and happy trying to catch snowflakes on their tongues.

The timing of the snow couldn't have been more perfect. I was starting to reach my limit for needing a mental health day and this was just such a perfect photo opportunity. There is something about taking pictures of your children that reminds you how beautiful and innocent they are. That re-opens your eyes to the part of them that makes your heart pitter patter for them, instead of the part that is making your hair fall out. I think I've found my new form of therapy! These girls are so fun and their laughter is so infectious. How can I be frazzled when looking at these sweet smiles?!

Holly, our Elf on the Shelf

2011-12-08T22:15:00.000-08:00

Guess who came from the North Pole to visit us this Christmas season?

Her name is Holly.

And she's an elf.

And she sits on the shelf.

Or the fan.

Or the fridge.

Or the Barbie house.

She's all over the place!

Tripod

2011-12-08T22:13:00.000-08:00

Nothing makes us all laugh more than when Jillian just randomly does this...in the kitchen, the living room, under the table, in the hallway. So funny!

Jillian is One Year Old!

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

It seems like every year of each of my children's lives goes by faster and Jillian's first year is no exception. She is blossoming into such a fun girl! She loves cats, her big sisters, wrestling with Daddy, and smiles so sweetly. She also loves to wave and pretend she is talking on our phones. She gets her feelings so hurt if you put her down when she is not ready, or if you sternly say "no" when she smacks your face. It's really endearing. For now. HA! She also really loves to empty drawers, and plink the keys on the piano.

We so love our silly Jilly! She makes us laugh and brings such joy with her.

This year, we kept it simple. We really couldn't go all out like I wanted to. So we had cupcakes together as a family. Jillian really liked hers! She attacked that cupcake with ferocity. She wasn't too smiley because she was ready for a nap. But it was so much fun to watch her devour her cupcake.

Jillian's Birthday

2011-12-08T21:49:00.000-08:00

After the cake, Jill needed a little cleaning up.

She thoroughly enjoyed her cupcake.

For Jill's birthday gift, I found this fun drum/percussion set. I figured it was about 9 toys all wrapped up in one. And ALL the girls loved it. Loved it.

Nana and Papa sent this beautiful dress, some onesies, and super cool walking toy that I have pictures on my phone, but not my nice camera. I'll get some of those up soon.

Happy first birthday, sweet girl!

Thanksgiving- Part 1

2011-12-08T21:30:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun for Thanksgiving!

Jeff and Jodi came down from Ramah on Wednesday and were able to stay with us until Saturday. It was a great time, playing Canasta, having a mini Harry Potter marathon, and Black Friday shopping. Thanks for coming to visit, guys! We love you so much!

Thanksgiving-Part 2

2011-12-08T21:25:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about Thanksgiving is the chance you have to reflect on all your many blessings. And this year it was even more special by getting to spend it witnessing one of my most favorite families be reunited.

Chase and Lesa

Ashlynne and Lesa

I've never been able to watch from the tarmac.

Welcome home, Doug!!

Isaac and Lesa.

There he is. Seconds away from...

Reunion!!

Love you, Millers!

Thanksgiving- Part 3

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

The kids had so much fun for Thanksgiving and the weather was perfect for them to run around and eat outside.

Hide and Seek

2011-12-08T21:11:00.000-08:00

Ok, the top picture was just too cute.

Jillian loves to try to go through the garage door. If it's cracked open, she sneaks her little fingers through and pulls the door open. We have to be on constant alert. Ryan was out in the garage and Jillian was tickled pink to open the kitty door and see him out there.

Wind Beneath My Wings

2011-12-08T21:01:00.000-08:00

Have you ever walked through a closed screen door? No, just me?

How about plowed through an open entertainment center glass door? Again, just me?

Mwaha! NOT just me.

One morning, we woke up to a very loud thud. When we finally pulled the shades all the way up a few days later, we found the evidence of another like-minded creature. What cracks me up is you could see the outline of the beak and face being smashed against the glass. I imagine a similar outline might have appeared on the screen door I walked through, or the glass door I shattered. You know, if I was a big greasy bird.

Funny Figaro

2011-12-08T20:49:00.000-08:00

We have such a cute kitty and she is so patient with the girls. Especially with Jillian. It cracks me up every time Jill sees Figaro. Her already high pitched voice rises another octave and she emits these tiny squeaks of pure joy. Had to take a few more pictures to document Figaro.

I imagine she is singing, "Going off the rails of the crazy traaaaain!"

Getting ready to pounce.

We love our kitty!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

2011-12-08T20:38:00.000-08:00

Jillian's personality is really starting to shine through. She has been crawling and in October she was really starting to cruise around the furniture. Here she is up against the barricade, or as we like to call it, the "Jillicade". She was up against the barricade, would throw her head back, and then look at us and laugh. It was so adorable!

Jillian and Monica are good buddies!

Leah fell asleep with her reader. Too sweet not to capture.

Sweet.

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T00:09:00.000-07:00

We had a great time for Halloween this year! Instead of just a ward activity, it was a multi-ward affair. There was a huge carnival with face painting, cookie decorating, bowling with pumpkins, blowing through a straw obstacle course, doughnuts on a line, Meet a Princess, popcorn and a pirate ship. And there was a trunk or treat, but in an effort to keep the sugar to minimum for mom and dad, and for the girls as well, we offered the girls a toy instead of candy. We are thrilled that they picked the toy! Whew! I don't think they felt jipped in any way, though. They ate plenty of candy and cookies at the carnival. So much so that Monica said, "Uh, I don't feel very good, Mom. I think I'm going to throw up." To which, Leah replied, "My tummy hurts a little bit. Actually it hurts a lot." We had a great time dressing up and mingling with our friends. We sure love Las Cruces!

Monica and Leah both wanted to be princesses this year. I think they were far more excited about wearing some makeup than their actual dresses! Ryan and I decided to be Gnomeo and Juliet. And we were going to have Jillian be a garden bush, but I couldn't find enough green for her. So she ended up being a gnome with us. Blue dress, red hat. (If you haven't seen "Gnomeo and Juliet", it's the Reds against the Blues. Super cute movie!)

When I finished doing Monica's eye makeup, she opened her eyes and I was just awestruck. I told Ryan we were in trouble. I almost had to redo Monica's makeup. She thought I said she was in trouble!

Our sweet girl.

Oh, Gnomeo, Gnomeo. Wherefore art thou, Gnomeo?

Sweet Jill! She didn't quite know what to think of her hat.

Beautiful, Leah. She fell asleep while I was curling Monica's hair, so she was a "get ready right before we go" girl. She didn't seem to mind.

Cinderella (Sara Hicks) and Snow White (my visiting teaching companion, Michelle McDonough) sewed their dresses. They turned out amazingly well!

Leah kept cracking me up. She'd blow through the straw and then toss the ball forward with her hand!

Got it!

A New Direction

2011-10-23T21:27:00.000-07:00

Today is Sunday, October 23, 2011. I feel like I am standing at the precipice of a monumental move in my family's life- the undertaking of my children's education. I feel divinely inspired to take on this task. There is so much that I feel. This post is specifically for me, to remind myself of the feelings and pondering that have led me here in the moments I want to throw it all up in the air and declare defeat.

First of all, it is not the teachers' fault that we have made this decision. I must not blame them. I believe that the vast majority of them feel the call to arms and have a great passion for teaching our nation's children. But they are stuck in a system that stifles their natural talents for teaching and inspiring. I believe, that if left to their own creativity, without the demands of national standardization, the great equalizer, our teachers would be far more effective, our children would be far more inspired to learn and study, and they would be far more successful.

Secondly, I need to remember my resolve to create a sure foundation for my children to stand on. When questions that don’t seem to have answers build stress along the fault line between the world and the gospel, the resulting quake can cause casualties of faith among those whose foundations are weak. In spiritual tectonics, it is not our proximity to the epicenter that determines the quake’s effect on our testimony but our proximity to God.- Adam C Olson I don't know exactly what kind of pressures my children will be called upon to face. But one thing is sure, the line between what is right and wrong is being grayed at every turn. General social acceptance, or being "politically correct", has led to mass confusion among the youth. There are more and more voices just talking and saying that anything goes, morality has no value, so that the minority of voices shouting of truth can hardly be heard. 100 years ago, things that were morally taboo were generally discovered in the late teenage, early adulthood years. 50 years ago, they were commonly accepted in the college years. 40 years ago, it began its infiltration of common acceptance in the high school years. 20 years ago, the middle school years. And in the last decade, the formative elementary school years. And the age they are exposed to the most vile filth continues to get younger and younger.

There are some wonderful things about our world, outside of school. It is not all bad. The social pecking order, negative social constructs of those with morals, bullying, and overall negative influences are something my girls will have to eventually face. And they may likely face it in places I haven't even thought of. But I want them to have a sure foundation in the teachings of the gospel before they do. I want their education to be at their pace, to not be held back when they are ready to run, and to not be sped up when they need a little more time. I want their love of learning to be fostered in a loving place where they are free to be silly and free to not be the same as everyone else, to develop their own individual strengths. The prophets have warned that there will come a day when reading scriptures together as a family and having a family prayer once a day will not be enough. I think that day is already here. It's not about how evil the world is, because there is an equal amount of good and that is what we want to focus on. It's about building a testimony, where they have the knowledge and know how to put it into practice, of how to discern right from wrong. It's about them remaining sensitive to right and wrong.

Next, it's absolutely about education. I remember the day I realized I knew nothing. Random bits of information, here and there. But overall, I felt cheated that in twelve years, I came away with very little actual knowledge. I learned how to get good grades. I learned how to be likable, and do the minimum input to get the maximum output. I had a small handful of teachers who really inspired me and pushed me against my own potential, not everyone else's. But school was most definitely a social game that you could not pay me to go back and do again. Now, as a mother, I vehemently believe that my children deserve far better. And with the sheer amount of books written on the "dumbing down" of America, I really am my children's best hope of getting consistent, quality education.

This decision is not a commentary on my parents. They did the best they could with the resources they had and by all accounts, I got a decent education comparatively. I'm a stellar reader and have a natural gift for spelling. I was encouraged to develop my talents and they shelled out good money for me to, as I believe, learn at the feet of a master in my music studies. My values and standards are already established. I chose them for myself, wholly and completely while I was in college, out on my own after having been taught righteously. I am truly grateful. But I think the day will quickly be here when my children will have to choose for themselves before they leave my nest.

And they will shine brightly. Of that, I have no doubt. They will be beacons of light for their friends who struggle. They will help to heal a broken society. Monica will bring empathy and comfort. Her heart is naturally tuned that way. Leah will bring laughter and peace. Her heart is naturally tuned that way. Add confidence to them both and I foresee a powerhouse between them. Jillian is yet to be determined, but I have no doubts that Heavenly Father has entrusted to me bright minds, willing hearts, and trusting spirits to guide back to Him. I cannot fail. And right now, this, homeschooling, is our greatest hope for success. I know it isn't for everyone. And I need to remember that.

When I consider if I have the ability and strength to follow through, I need to consider that I have been blessed to teach and promised special blessings for my efforts. I will need to read my patriarchal blessing. I will need to remember when Ryan deployed to Iraq, after I'd only been in Germany for a few weeks, it would have been really easy to turn right back around and go back to the United States and either stayed with my parents or in-laws for that time. But I stuck it out. And I had some of the most fulfilling experiences I have ever had, through both deployments. I will need to remember that I went back to school when I was 27 and slowly finished a liberal arts associates degree. I'm still working towards my bachelor's degree in English in creative writing. I haven't given up on that and I will be thirty years old in February. When I learned that my diet was the root of a lot of my issues, I had to cut out the vast majority of my favorite foods. But I haven't given up on that either. I started a family blog in early 2008. We are nearing our fourth year of keeping that going. And with every single one of these endeavors, I have felt a sense of obedience to God's will for me, just as I feel it now with homeschooling. And have felt His hand leading and guiding me and at times patting me on the back as if to say, "Well done. Keep going." I have been creating a new habit of following through. So I really need not fear that I will just give up.

Finally, I need to remember my enthusiasm and excitement for this endeavor. Not only do I get to teach my children, I get to learn alongside them. I get to study with them and discover the world and share those discoveries with them and witness firsthand their excitement or boredom. With Heavenly Father's help, I can tailor their curriculum to their individual needs. Sharing a learning experience, watching the light bulb flash on is a treasured experience I have shared with many students at the piano. I look forward to that with my own precious children!

Family Photos

2011-10-09T12:19:00.000-07:00

It's been a tradition over the last four years that we take a family photo when we select our pumpkins. There is something about Fall photos that I love.

Maybe it's just because they are easier because no one is freezing their tushie off, or burning up. The weather is just asking for you to take a photo. So we kept the tradition alive and have this year's pictures at the pumpkin patch.

I love this shot that Ryan got of Jill. Look closely in her eyes. You can see a beautiful scene!

Mesilla Valley Pumpkin Patch 2011

2011-10-09T12:05:00.000-07:00

Probably the cutest outlaws the West has ever seen.

Peter, Peter pumpkin eater, had three girls and couldn't keep 'em...

Headed to the top of the mountain...

Can you see Leah?

Isaac, Monica, and Leah

This picture reminded me of the evolution chart.

Lesa and I went to the top of the slides to see if Ashlynne and Leah needed our help.

Yeah, we weren't necessary. Mom? Pssh. That's what big sisters and big brothers are for. Those slides were actually pretty fun!

This is how we roll.

The Miller bunch.

And Leah.

Who we did not see behind them until later.

Even right there as I took the picture, I didn't recognize it was her until they reached the bottom of the slide. HAHA!

Lesa and Chase.

Jillian loved gnawing on this apple.

It kept her occupied while the rest of us went on a horse-drawn ride to see the pumpkins. Ryan opted to stay and watch all our stuff and contemplate the universe.

Ashlynne, Leah, Chase and Isaac in front of the horses.

Jillian, Music Maker

2011-10-09T11:45:00.000-07:00

Why is it that only babies can get away with seriously mismatching and still be cute???

Anyways, Jillian is loving the piano. She stands just tall enough that when she reaches up she can play the keys. I tried getting a picture of her reaching up for the keys but she kept turning around every time she heard the camera focus. I'll keep trying because it is seriously adorable!

Our Little Artist

2011-10-09T11:38:00.000-07:00

Every week at the Farmer's Market downtown, there is an artist who draws on the street. He is amazing and Monica asked if we could talk to him the last time we were there. We asked him a few questions about how he got so good and how old he was when he started drawing. I expected the normal, "practice makes perfect" response, which is what we tell Monica when she is disappointed in her work, but he said something that stuck with me.

Not only was art regularly encouraged, but he said his mom sat down and drew with him and his brothers every day. He said she would get huge sheets of butcher paper and then just tape one to the kitchen table and everyone would take a side and draw. Leah likes to draw and color, too. But I'm not sure we can do the whole butcher paper thing just yet. However, we do have a nice-sized patio. And lots of colored chalk. During piano lessons this last week, Monica set to work. Monica has been getting better, for sure, but this drawing was the first time Ryan and I have been really impressed. She has two sides of artsy fartsy in her genes. I'm excited for her! Her skill is really starting to be honed.

Nothing is safe!

2011-10-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

For months, Jillian has been a pro at Army crawling. She really makes her daddy proud. But at 9 months old, she discovered real crawling, up on her knees, with its accompanying speed. Now she really takes off and this girl is fast! I honestly cannot recall Monica or Leah crawling as fast as Jill does. At least not without being chased. So now I have to be even more on guard, because not only is she fast, but she has been standing and pulling herself up on e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g! I was in the garage changing laundry, for maybe a minute, and when I came back in to the living room, Jill was gone. I found her in my bedroom and she had already had some fun emptying Ryan's bottom drawer!

Raspberries

2011-10-09T11:10:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, Jillian gets on a raspberry-blowing kick and it's like she turned it on, but can't turn it off. It is hilarious! She just goes and goes. I had to take a couple pictures to preserve the memory!

Labor Day Weekend with Gramma and Grandpa

2011-09-28T10:16:00.000-07:00

Kris and Lonnie came to visit for Labor Day weekend and we had a great time. We went to the Farmer's Market, ate lots of yummy chile, painted toes, watched a BYU football game, made a cake, and made special treasure boxes. A couple weeks after the visit, Leah told me, "I sure wish Gramma Kris was here. Can she come to our house again?" I explained to her that Gramma and Grandpa live so far away they had to fly in a plane to get here. She thought about it, then put her hands on her hips and said, "Well, can we go to her house, then?" Apparently, just because Gramma lives far away doesn't mean we do, too!

Thanks for sharing such a fun weekend with us!!

Chile Season

2011-09-27T11:13:00.000-07:00

We had a couple friends over to teach them how to peel and pack roasted, authentic, delicious, Hatch green chile. We had a little peeling party. We did Sara and Michelle's 25 lbs and then Ryan and I did about 75 lbs of our own. We are set! We love green chile!

That weekend, Kris and Lonnie came to visit. Kris requested some red chile, so the next picture I dedicate to my dad, who taught me how to make the best chile in the world. This batch turned out wonderfully. We ate it all within two days!

Leah- 3 year old

2011-09-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

Some things about our favorite 3 year old.

1. Favorite Foods: Bread, any fruit, and popsicles.

2. Favorite Colors: Blue, pink and purple.

3. Favorite Activity: Play dough, riding her bike, dancing, twirling, and whatever her big sister is currently doing.

4. Newest Skill: Making her bed.

5. Developing Skill: Choosing her clothes in the mornings. She is getting quite good putting together an outfit that matches.

A few other fun facts about Leah.

1. Leah can eat a whole tub of strawberries by herself. She's done it several times.

2. Leah has impeccable comedic timing.

3. Leah loves to give reports when she succeeds and is great at shrugging off failures.

Leah is the life of the party here, with her easy smile and laughter. She loves to follow in her big sister's footsteps and is learning to be a big helper. She is easy going and often the yin to Monica's yang. She has a wonderful way of bringing out the best in Monica and just as easily can push buttons to bring out the worst. She is a true little sister. She loves to snuggle and be in Mom or Dad's lap whenever she can. She hates picking up unless it's her idea and loves being read to. She is a bottomless pit and will eat all day long if we let her. Leah is a great blessing to have in our family!

Monica- 6 year old

2011-09-27T09:42:00.000-07:00

A little bit about our favorite 6 year old.

1. Favorite Colors- Pink and purple

2. Favorite Movie- "Barbie in a Fashion Fairytale"

3. Favorite Activity- Drawing. She loves to draw cartoon characters, her family, love notes, dress designs, animals, etc. If she can imagine it, she will try to draw it.

4. Newest Skill- Reading. She loves to read to her sisters.

5. Developing Skill- Cartwheels.

6. Favorite Food- Cheese sticks, enchiladas, and mango.

A few things you probably didn't know about Monica.

1. Monica is fashion conscious. She loves to dress herself and go shopping for accessories.

2. She has a very low threshold for pain. Bandaids will make just about anything feel better.

3. Monica secretly loves showers. She loves to let the warm water fall on her.

4. Monica is very spiritual. She has learned to pray when things are hard, when she needs help calming down, and when she is scared after a bad dream. She has a very sweet testimony.

5. Monica likes her hair to be evenly distributed around her head. She does not like all of it on one side of her face.

6. Monica wants to learn to play the piano. I decided before I had children that I would never shove piano lessons down their throat. I didn't want to be that mom that forces their own passion on their children. It pleases me that she finds the piano compelling on her own.

We sure love our sweetheart, Monica. She is passionate, funny and loving. She sets a good example for her younger sisters and gets her feelings hurt more often from offering her help and being rejected than anything else. She loves to help and finds joy in being of service to others. She loves learning. She is a joy to have in our family!

Birthday Time (The Pictures)

2011-09-27T08:42:00.000-07:00

This year Monica turned 6 and Leah turned 3 years old. Since their birthdays were in June when Ryan was working in California for the summer, they opted to wait to have their party so Daddy could be there. Monica wanted it to be a surprise and Leah just wanted cake and presents. So we did our best. Ryan came home August 1st, so if it was going to be a surprise, we had to wait until Monica wasn't thinking about it anymore. We had to convince her we just weren't having a party. The surprise eventually got spoiled in order to secure cooperation on the day. The girls had stayed up really late the night before messing around so they were none too happy with each other the morning of the party. It was just the trick. We had a fun party with some of our friends. We have felt so welcomed and made so many friends as well as renewing old friendships that we felt bad we couldn't invite everyone. We had a water balloon challenge, a three-legged race, and a corn bag toss with (gluten free) cake and ice cream. Here are the pictures.

Monica's "Barbie in a Fashion Fairytale" inspired cake.

Leah's Strawberry Shortcake inspired cake.

The two sides.

Leah is 3!

Monica is 6!

Our party-goers:

Katie Harrington and Elena Curnutt

Isaac Miller and Monica

Ashlynne Miller and Leah

May and Camille Harrington

May is one of our fabulous babysitters. We love her!

Katie Curnutt and Chase Miller

The corn hole toss.

Blowing out the candles.

Later on, Brigham, Bennet and Emmaline Parry were able to come and party with us with their brand new baby sister. After the fun was over, Ryan watched the kiddos so Lesa and I could go do a little shopping at Old Navy.

One man. Five kids aged 3-7. He really is a stud.

August Gems

2011-09-27T08:13:00.000-07:00

We found these tiny cans of coke and couldn't resist them. Ryan has been trying to quit soda for a while and we thought these would be perfect for those "gotta have it" moments, instead of the 44oz. cups from Sonic. Ryan grabbed one and Jillian got a hold of it. She has been teething and loved the feel of the cool tin against her gums.

We had an awesome rainstorm and we got inches of water running down our street to the arroyo at the end of the street. Monica and Leah plopped themselves in the front door to watch the water rush by. Ryan went out in the rain and got soaked in about 3 seconds flat. I waited to have my fun after the rain stopped pouring.

You have to love a good rainfall in the desert!

Ryan, Awesome Dad post #471

2011-09-01T19:37:00.000-07:00

I suppose there is a danger in being the only male in a house full of females having to deal with:

The estrogen overload.

The excessive amount of tears.

The drama.

There are good things, too.

Like the extra hugs and kisses.

The love notes on the back of homework papers.

The talent shows.

The makeovers...

He's such a good sport!

Back to School- First Grade!

2011-08-24T16:24:00.000-07:00

Monica is in first grade!

I didn't realize how much I counted on her to keep Leah out of trouble. We miss our big girl around here. But she is happy to go to school everyday and loves to tell us about the stories she reads in class and is learning some sign language from her teacher, Mrs. Medina. She let us know at registration that she is hearing impaired and would be teaching some signs and we are totally supportive. Now, Monica crosses her fingers and waves them in the air in front of us when she wants our attention. I'm enjoying the loss of the incessant "Mom. Mom. Mama. Mommy. Mom. Mommy. Mommy." HAHA!

I have a couple of friends who have been posting the adorable hairstyles they do on their daughters' hair on Facebook and have been generous in sharing the links they find the tutorials on. So, we looked through the links and Monica picked the hairstyle she wanted for her special first day of first grade. It suits my ponytail-loving girlie girl. I get to have fun braiding her hair and she gets all that thick and heavy hair off her neck.

You can't see it in this picture, but on Monica's shirt is the Eiffel Tower. She has the Barbie "Fashion Fairy Tale" movie, which is set in Paris. She got to pick three new shirts for school and all three of the shirts she picked have the Eiffel Tower on them. It fits that the city of love would be her favorite as she is all about loving- giving hugs and kisses, writing love notes to Mom and Dad, and always trying to give special gifts to her family.

How is Leah doing with Monica being at school? Well, she's three year old and ruling the roost. She loves having me basically to herself, and likes being the big girl and helping with Jillian. Sometimes that's a great thing, like when she picks up her room and helps me do the dishes and make breakfast and lunch. And sometimes Jillian is the unfortunate receiver of Leah's services, like choke holds as Leah tries to move her back into the living room. Needless to say, I don't leave them alone in a room for longer than 10 seconds to grab what I need in another room, or I take Jillian with me.

We're optimistic for the school year. Monica is reading really well now and loves to count and add her numbers. She has also started a Ballet Folklorico class, which she loves. She has a natural sense of rhythm and is picking up the steps fairly easily. It's really a pleasure to take her to class.

Summer's End

2011-08-24T15:33:00.000-07:00

We've been doing a parenting overhaul. As part of our new routine, the girls have to do one hour of R/R: rest or read. So, we got the girls the V. Readers from VTech toys. They are awesome. Some days they use them for the whole hour. Some days Leah brings hers to me after 15-20 minutes and puts herself down for a nap. Some days they don't turn them on and Monica reads out of the Dr. Seuss books. Leah knows "Go, Dog! Go!" and "Put Me in the Zoo" almost by heart because she loves Monica reading to her. And some days they are happy just laying on their beds. One day, Monica heard Jillian before I did and took her into their bedroom for quiet time. When I went to let them know their hour was up, I saw all three of them huddled in the little corner in front of the closet. How could I resist taking a picture? I couldn't.

Monica came running in the house after a little rain shower telling me to grab my camera. I went out wondering what was up and saw a beautiful rainbow. Monica has become quite the little artist and has a wonderful appreciation for all things beautiful and lovely, no matter how fleeting. She watches the world around her and always finds something to say, "Oh look it! It's so beautiful, Mom! Can we take a picture?" Or, "Can I draw it?" That's my favorite one.

It was the last weekend before school started. After a fun summer, we asked Monica if she could do one last thing before school started, what would she do? She picked camping. We asked her if she wanted to go to the lake or just in the back yard? Thankfully, she picked the back yard. So Ryan, Monica, and Leah slept in the tent and Jill and I enjoyed the indoor A/C. They loved it! Ryan was a trooper. He had to wake up in the middle of the night to put the rain fly on because they were getting rained on, but apparently the girls slept right through that part.

Swimming Party

2011-08-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

About two weeks before Ryan came home, we made a little visit to Albuquerque and were able to stay with our friends, the Milbergers. They were packing up, getting ready for a big move to Texas, so it was wonderful to get to spend some time with them before they left. Monica and Katie have been besties for a while and in true bestie fashion, they got together and seemed to pick right up from where they left off. It hurts my heart for Monica when she tells me how much she misses Katie. She has friends at school, but no one she gets to play with regularly like she did with Katie. On the other hand, it's made Monica and Leah get to be even better friends.

Anyways, after a miscommunication on our last trip to Albuquerque, we didn't get to see Aunty Theresa and Uncle Bruce. So, we made sure we got to visit this time around. She was so sweet, with a little surprise party for Monica and Leah. I'm pretty certain that in their eyes, swimming + cupcakes = the best day ever. Emily and her kiddos came, too, so it was a fun party!

Jonah

Leah and Aunty Theresa

Monica is becoming such a fish!

Sweet Jill

Emily and Jonah

Monica is going head under!

Me and Monica

Me and the girls

The party favors

Leah went from not going in the water at all to swimming without help!

Catch me!

Me too!

Shark attack!

Hey ladies!

Cupcakes are awesome.

I love this candid shot of Uncle Bruce and Jonah

Aunty Theresa finds the funniest toys. These little singers are great!

I thought it was too cute that Jonah and Leah were so enthralled with the Singa-Ma-Jigs.

Thanks for the party, Aunty!

Fourth of July- The people

2011-08-23T08:57:00.000-07:00

I am so grateful for truly good friends! Ryan and I love to celebrate the 4th and with him working in California for the summer, it was wonderful to have the Harringtons and Soquel over to celebrate the 4th with the girls and me. We BBQ'd, played a bit in the water, watched the fireworks and then did our own sparklers in the backyard.

Mark and May

Jillian, Me, Soquel, Emily, and Camille

Lays' slogan completely applies to Leah. She can never just have one olive. And they are olives until they make it on her fingers. Then they are "froggie tips". My kids make me laugh!

Kenny was the dual sparkler master.

Camille

Monica's sparkler.

Kenny

Miss Katie. I had some really cool pictures of her posing with her sparklers but they were too blurry and made my eyes go crossed.

The girlies.

Camille, Katie, Leah, Emily, and Monica

Fourth of July- Fireworks

2011-08-23T08:26:00.000-07:00

This year we got really lucky. One of the places the city was setting off fireworks was just across the street from our house. Literally. You go down our street, cross an arroyo, and a soccer field, and on the other side of the field was where they set them off. So we invited our friends, the Harringtons, and Soquel Stewart, to come over and watch them with us. It was so fun! And our seats were perfect right in front of our house.

I had so much fun with my camera. I'm still learning a lot about how to use the different settings on it, so I was so excited that I actually did capture such great fireworks photos!

Summer Fun

2011-07-15T23:10:00.000-07:00

I love how expressive the girls are when they are really having fun!

Cousins!

2011-07-15T22:49:00.000-07:00

We went to Ramah for Maressa's reception and Travis and Wendy stopped through on their way home to California. So we had a mini Allred reunion with Jeff, Jodi, Travis, Wendy, us and our kiddos. We had 10 of the 15 Allred grandbabies so we had to take a picture!

Wedding Bells

2011-07-15T22:31:00.000-07:00

On June 17th, one of my most favorite people on the planet got married.

Maressa was a gorgeous bride and Nate a handsome groom!

Congratulations, Revos!!

Mini Baumholder Reunion

2011-07-15T22:11:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you make friends that become family. Our friends from Baumholder are like that. No matter how long it's been, it's like a family reunion when you get together. Amy Puentes and her kiddos were driving through El Paso on their way to San Antonio, (I think) so we had a fun pool party at Jeaneice's. They have a huge tree out in the front that the kids were having fun climbing and jumping down from. In the 30 seconds it took us to take pictures, Ashlynne climbed to the highest part of the tree. In her undies. Barefoot.

Doug had to climb up to the top to get her!

Jillian's 6 month pictures

2011-07-15T21:57:00.000-07:00

Just some pictures of our 15 lb, 6 month old baby girl. (As of May 28th, 2011.) She is growing so fast!

See Ya Later, Daddy!

2011-07-15T21:46:00.000-07:00

Ryan got a great job opportunity to go work with his dad in California for the summer, so before he left we had a little family photo shoot so he would have some pictures to take with him. These are my favorites!

May Planting

2011-07-15T21:37:00.000-07:00

One day in May, I thought it would be so much fun to plant seeds with the girls.

So. Much. Fun.

I got a couple pictures of them before the fun.

The fun we never had because the sun came out behind the clouds and Leah and Monica swore they were 'melting'. So, I just planted the seeds as fast as I could. I'm happy to report that two zucchini plants have sprouted and are growing happily. Everything else? Well...weeds are pretty, too. Even if you didn't mean for them to be the only thing that grew.

Five Year Old Professional Bed Maker

2011-07-15T21:13:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the summer I challenged Monica to see who could keep their bed made longer. So far, she is beating me. I missed two days. She's only missed one. I don't think she even remembers the challenge anymore. But she makes her bed as soon as she gets up and has even begun to help Leah with her bed. I took this picture on the second day of our challenge. I haven't had to remind her at all. Needless to say, I am pleased with my girl!

Mother's Day 2011

2011-05-08T13:59:00.000-07:00

I have a blessed life. And not just blessed, but richly blessed. I received the best Mother's Day gift. After dinner on Friday night, I was told I wasn't to do any cleaning for the rest of the weekend. After dinner, Ryan and the girls cleaned off the table and Ryan did the dishes. The girls have taken their part of the gift seriously. Monica reminded me yesterday and this morning that I wasn't to touch a dish or pick up. Did I remember?

I was marveling last night, that even though this whole weekend has been about me and showing appreciation for my role in our home, that I feel this loved and appreciation on a day to day basis. Maybe that will change when schedules get busier, but for this Mother's Day, I don't feel a marked difference because I already feel so loved and acknowledged. I'm thankful for that. For the love of a good man who brings out the best in me and is supportive. For the love of precious children who are eager to please and who treasure my hugs and affection.

I'm also grateful for my mothers, all those who have loved and served me. I have a truly blessed life.

Jillian On the Move

2011-05-05T07:47:00.000-07:00

It's been a couple months since Jillian could roll herself over.

But it's just been recently that once she starts, she can't seem to turn it off.

She begins in the middle of the floor...

takes off...

gets her bearings...

and pushes off again.

If I walk away for just a minute, I find her all over the place.

Like under the swing.

Or the piano.

Or the kitchen table.

But no matter where I find her, she always gives me the sweetest smile!

Mom, I Said a Prayer in Time-Out

2011-05-03T08:22:00.000-07:00

Most of the time, Monica and Leah are great friends. They love each other deeply and often want to show it by hugging each other. But there are times when one of them wants to hug the other, and the other is just not in the mood for it. Feelings often get hurt more because hugs were not returned than anything else, which can lead to shoving and hitting. Oh, the irony!

That's what happened yesterday. Leah tried hugging Monica, knocking her off-balance. When they got up, Monica shoved Leah off of her and pushed her away. Cue the weeping and wailing. Having witnessed it, I was obligated to send Monica straight to time-out as we don't give warnings for hitting and biting. Monica started up her attempt to bargain with me, offering promises of never doing "it again, ever, ever, ever," just to avoid having to stand in the humiliating corner. But I stood firm. To the corner she must go. So, she stomped her way to the corner, muttering under her breath. Perhaps it's a blessing I can't hear well. I'm sure I'd be hearing a barrage of complaints of how unfair life is and how mean I am.

Anyways, since Monica is five years old, she stands in the corner for five minutes on her first offense and ten if she does it again. Maybe we are really mean. It's not often that she has to do a ten minute one, though. So, I think we'll keep it. But I digress. After a minute of complaining and muttering to herself, Monica quieted down. The last few minutes passed with her standing perfectly still and calm, with her arms by her side.

I called her out of time-out and praised her for how quickly she calmed down. Then we talked about things she could do if she didn't want a hug from Leah. I asked her if she thought Leah was being mean when she tried to hug her. She started crying and said no, she knew she was just trying to show her love. Then she said, "Mom, I said a prayer in time-out for Heavenly Father to help me not be mean." That's when I choked up. I asked her if she felt better, and she said yes, but mostly she just felt sorry for hurting Leah.

What else could I do but gather this girl up and hug her tight? I feel like she teaches me about sorrow and doing what is right more than I teach her, sometimes. I know when I'm taking my "time-outs" when I've said or done something unkind, my thoughts don't always go to praying for help to be kinder. I tend to try to justify my words. But here, in the pint-sized angels I have at home, I am learning the lessons I need.

Progress

2011-04-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

I am just ecstatic over the progress I have seen in my health, lately! I thought I should update so I don't forget what amazing things have happened. When I first cut out sugar, gluten, and soy, I thought it would be a good idea to restart the exercise program I had started but was having a hard time keeping up my energy to complete the workouts. I love Chalene Johnson's Turbo Jam workout program. Everything about it, the kick boxing, music, dancing, and capoeira moves just speak fun to me. She came out with a strength training program, Chalean Extreme and a high intensity Turbo Fire program. I borrowed Chalean Extreme from Cristine and Ryan got me Turbo Fire for my birthday. I figured if I did the hybrid program, I would stand a chance at losing the baby weight that I had gained with Leah and never lost since I was to that point. That was my focus.

Then, it took so much energy to just change how I prepared our meals, that my exercise went out the window as I focused on what to eat. Eating like a diabetic celiac with a soy allergy is not as tough as it sounds. Oh wait, yes it is. There are so many catch 22's. Take bread, for instance. If it doesn't have gluten, which is good for the celiac part, then it has sugar, bad for the diabetic part. Trying to find the right bread mix is going to be hard. A lot of the gluten free breads are high in starches, like rice and grasses, that are high on the glycemic index. So evaluating food takes a lot more thought and preparation as I try to pair low glycemic foods with high ones to minimize the sugar spikes, but also be free of gluten.

After the first few weeks, it is getting easier. Thank goodness the girls aren't overly picky! I figure now is the perfect time for this so they can become accustomed to fresh foods and learn to like them while they are young, instead of fighting a stubborn teenager down the road. I think of how I used to sneak spoonfuls of sugar to pour on my Frosted Flakes, and how many times Mom told me I needed to lay off the sugar for my health. Well, twenty years later, it's finally sunk in. I've always done better when I understand the whys and hows. And, I guess, now I do.

I was able to get in some exercise and actually complete them in the past week. After my first workout, though, I thought I should see if my eating better had helped at all from when I first did all my measurements. I had seen weight-loss on the scale, but just chalked it up to water weight. But it wasn't just in my head. I lost .5 inch around my waist and 1.5 inches around my belly! I lost .5 inch on each of my thighs and 1 inch around my hips! I felt like Quincy on "Little Einsteins" who always exclaims, "I can not believe it!"

I've been told for so long to double my timetable for weight-loss, to celebrate a half pound loss if it came, and that I would be at risk for Type II diabetes because of my slower metabolism, which makes gaining weight super easy and losing it incredibly difficult. And I lost eight pounds in one month. Just from changing my diet. I am in utter shock. I still have a hard time believing it and this revelation came a week ago. I'd been diligent at counting calories, but I was eating all the wrong stuff. Since I changed our diet, I haven't counted calories once. I've just been paying attention to the first signs of satiation. I eat when I'm hungry. Snack on nuts, fruit, and veggies. And eat as fresh as possible.

It dawned on me recently, when Monica was singing "I Love To See the Temple", at the end, she always says, "I'll repair myself while I am young". Even though we correct her with the right words, she always says 'repair'. Anyways, while I was considering a menu, she was singing it and I just felt more strongly than I ever have about the divine nature of our bodies truly being temples. If we are to strive to make our homes like temples, where the Spirit can dwell, I ought to be doing what I can for my body and my family's to be healthy and whole so that the Spirit can dwell with us. And my body needs repairing, so that I can be around and be the mom and wife I want to be. It hasn't been fair that I get so exhausted that Ryan has to pick up more than his share of my slack. It hasn't been fair that we had more 'movie days' than 'play with my kids' days. And it hasn't been fair to me, when there has all along been something more I could do about it, that I have felt as slow, sluggish, foggy and down as I had been, all for a lack of knowing. I don't feel the Spirit as well, or pay attention to promptings, when I don't have energy to follow through. I don't feel that desire to align myself with God's will when I am down on myself and can't think straight. This last month has been life-changing in a way I can't help but want to share. I just keep finding studies upon studies that show the extent to which our culture's diet has made our bodies susceptible to disease. The sheer amount of diagnoses, and most of them food related, is astounding. But don't take my word for it. In the words of Network Television, "The more you know, the more you grow." The information is out there. We just have to find it. And do our own experiments for ourselves.

Easter Pictures

2011-04-24T21:59:00.000-07:00

Easter Baskets

2011-04-24T21:51:00.000-07:00

We asked the Easter Bunny to keep the candy to a minimum this year. I don't think the girls minded!

I had fun decorating the baskets.

Monica's face says it all.

Our Easter Bunny tradition is that we color our eggs on Saturday and put them in our baskets before the girls go to bed for the Easter Bunny to hide and then he fills the baskets with goodies. After they empty their goodies, the girls then look for the eggs we colored.

Egg Decor

2011-04-24T21:36:00.000-07:00

We kept our egg decorating simple this year. Someone, some genius somewhere, invented these no-spill egg decorating bowls. They were fantastic! I know we would have had a multi-colored carpet without them. Anyways, the girls loved it, as usual. And as usual, more effort went into the preparation and cleanup than the actual event. But I feel like these little moments and memories will be worth all the effort.

See the no-spill cup? Genius!

The only drawback was you had to catch the egg.

Look at our colorful fingers!

Monica's First Field Trip

2011-04-21T21:38:00.000-07:00

One of the fun things about Monica being in school is that we get to go with her on field trips! On April 15th, we met her class at the El Paso Zoo. We passed a few animals before I remembered I'd brought my camera with me. We had a blast and Leah has been asking to go to Monica's class and the zoo ever since!

We decided there were more little monkeys on our side of the fence than on his.

Not only does he walk slowly, he even drinks slowly, too!

This monkey was sitting there all by its lonesome.

The other monkeys were hopping all around and no one invited her to play.

I love the little garden area. I think it's a memorial garden because there were plaques and stones with people's names on them. I loved the colors of the blossoms.

This one was my favorite.

CONTAINS Soy.

In other words, Anna, you can't have any!

Mrs. Springler's 2010-2011 Kindergarten class.

With one wishes-she-could-go-to-school.

This sea lion just looked so comfy floating on his back, letting the water fall on his tummy.

What a life!

Sea lions seem so peaceful.

These guys were in a pecking war when I passed by.

Leah loves the zebras.

Hi!

It's official. I want a meerkat.

It's Melman! We were hoping to find a hippo, but there aren't any in El Paso.

I thought it was so sweet that Monica's classmates helped Leah anytime she needed a boost to see something. This little boy holding Leah and Monica's hands, Jonathan, is who Monica says is her best friend in her class. She says that Jonathan is always nice to her and helps her when she falls down on the playground.

Monica's class said she was Nala.

And he was Simba.

Peek-a-boo!

Black bear, black bear, what do you see?

Pretty bird!

I think this little cat is mine and Leah's favorite part of the zoo. He just looks so sweet all curled up on his rock!

The cheetah. Rowr!

King Louie. He was really fun to watch. At one point he picked up a stick and was trying to fish something out of a mailbox-looking-thing.

Jillian liked not being in her car seat.

We always love going to the zoo, and we especially love when we get to hang out with Monica more. I picked her up from school this week and she asked me if I missed her. I told her I miss her everyday she is at school and it makes me so happy to have her come home. She giggled and then thought for a minute before saying, "I miss you, too, Mom. Tonight, can we snuggle?" Love my girl!

30 Years Old

2011-04-21T20:26:00.000-07:00

Things were pretty hectic this year around Ryan's birthday. The couple weeks before, Monica had a case of strep throat and then Leah had a nose that wouldn't stop running, so I hesitated inviting people over to celebrate Ryan's milestone. Then, when we found out about Essential Oils' On Guard blend, the girls got better. Just in time for our trip to St. George. So, I got the idea to throw Ryan a surprise party after his birthday, since most surprises are before. I couldn't have picked a busier day for the surprise. I thought two weeks after his birthday would be perfect since he wouldn't be thinking about his birthday anymore. Since I invited a ton of people, I was worried our little house wouldn't be able to accommodate all the adults and kids. So I made the invitation an Open House. "Come when you can," sort of thing. I shouldn't have worried. In the two weeks since I sent the invites, friends were dropping like flies. It was a busy day. For everyone. Luckily, Lesa came up from El Paso and helped me to get the food made and the cake turned out awesome! It was a devil's food cake mix, with Wilton frosting blended with real, freshly crushed peanut butter. We also crumbled up Reese's peanut butter cups and stuffed the middle layer of frosting with crumbles.

I sent Ryan to a movie, and then on a search for limes and Simply Limeade. He came home and it was the moment of truth. Did he suspect what I was planning? No, no he really didn't. In fact, Lesa and I were reminded of when he found out I was pregnant for the first time. These were the only two times he's been truly surprised. And he didn't take it well both times. We had to laugh later, once he'd got over it, that his reaction was more like he found out we'd shot his favorite dog than that we were throwing him a surprise party. He pulled himself together just as Lesa was leaving and the Curnutts and Sam Parry came over. We were able to get in a game of Corn Hole, which is always fun!

So, my attempt to celebrate Ryan's thirty years on this beautiful planet didn't quite go as planned, but it's ok because everyone loved the cake! (By the way, thank you Lesa for baking it!)

No sugar, no soy, no gluten. Say what?!

2011-04-18T23:29:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of March I decided I was sick and tired ... of being tired. Not in the way that babies-who-don't-sleep-through-the-night-yet makes you tired. Tired in the way that I had to talk myself out of bed. Every. Single. Morning.

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease, hypothyroidism almost eight years ago. And I did well on the levothyroxine for a while. But for the last couple years I have still had all my symptoms. And then Kris suggested I start researching what I should be eating for optimal thyroid function. The results of my weeks of research culminated in a suggested diet of no sugar, no refined carbohydrates (white breads and rice, cookies, etc.) no unfermented soy, no polyunsaturated fats and no gluten. I decided before I bought into it, that I would experiment to see if it would be worth it and what the effects of these things had on me. Soy was pretty straightforward. Slows metabolism, makes you fatter, more sluggish. Polyunsaturated fats block thyroid secretion. But what about sugar and gluten? I understood what they blocked, but not how it would make me feel.

I went off of sugar, gluten, and p.u.fat for three days. And that's all it took for me to become a believer in avoiding them. I was alert. I could get out of bed as soon as I woke up, no hitting the snooze button fifteen times. I didn't need two or three power naps during the day. If you think I'm exaggerating, ask Ryan what a zombie I've been and the energized woman I've become. After those three days, Ryan and I discussed whether or not it was fair to change our entire family's diet just because I have a health issue. We decided the benefits outweighed the negative. So I went through our pantry and tossed everything with soy, soybean oil, soy lecithin and soy protein in a box to donate.

But I still wanted to know what the difference between sugar and gluten on my immediate physical response would be. So, I had some bread. And some crackers. And some rice. I overdid it, really. And I paid dearly for it. I had the worst stomach-ache that night and an overall heaviness in my gut. It was not pretty.

I waited a week in between gluten and sugar. And sugar sapped all my energy. I was back to sluggishness, and needing power naps. Needless to say, I was sold. But what has soy, sugar, (including the ever-present high fructose corn syrup) and gluten? Everything. Seriously. Go through your pantry. I dare you to find 10 items without at least one of them. What's left are obscure foods like vegetables, and fruit, and whole (gluten-free) grains.

I've made some new friends in the last couple weeks. Our palate is changing to accommodate unrefined virgin coconut oil and quinoa. It'll take some getting used to. Oh, but butter has been welcomed back with open arms. Turns out it's not the heart-attacking fat after all. It's a complete lifestyle change, but one I know will be worth it. For our whole family. We'll have to always have a garden. And we'll probably need to develop the skill of canning. But what better way to get better at nutrition, than to study it?

That's right. I'm hoping to add registered dietitian to my resume over the next 10 years. It'll be slow going, but I'll be going. I feel so strongly about the need for this kind of particular knowledge. When in three weeks, I can turn my energy around, simply by avoiding what I now have to consider as poisonous foods. I have to do it.

Reading Princess

2011-04-16T22:44:00.000-07:00

One of the things Monica and I have been doing is this program called, "Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons." We have about two weeks left of the program, and I am just amazed at what a good reader Monica is becoming! She loves to read books, magazines, store signs, advertisements, you name it. If it has words on it, she is sounding it out.

Recently, after Monica came home from school, I noticed her pull out her dress-up box and watched her accessorize her outfit. She is really becoming quite the fashionista as well. Anyways, once she was satisfied she looked the best she could, she tap-tapped her way out in her heels to the grass, sat down, and opened up the little reader pamphlet she got in school that day and set to work sounding out her words. I couldn't resist taking a picture of my little fashionable book worm.

Spring Break in St. George

2011-04-16T22:34:00.000-07:00

One of the fun things we did in St. George was dip strawberries in chocolate.

Kris found these ginormous berries at Costco and the girls just went to town.

Especially Leah, who can never get enough strawberries. Ever.

It was a wonderful treat!

Every time I look at this picture of Gramma and Monica, it just warms my heart.

How can you not smile?

Sweet sisters checking each other out.

Our last day in Utah, we headed up to Cedar City to see our friends, Bob and Amanda Gedeborg and their sweet family. Ten years ago this fall, these guys were mission companions in Buena Vista, Virginia. And now, between them, they have 8 girls and 1 boy. I think all the girls were in heaven having each other to play and scream with. Ben might have felt just a tad outnumbered.
We love the Gedeborgs!!

Now, did I mention that the house we were visiting waves a Cougar flag? Ok, maybe not literally, but they are avid BYU fans, and since BYU had two games while we were there, I got to see what Jimmer was all about. I'd heard about him all over Facebook. But I always thought maybe he was just one of those players with way too much hype. And maybe he is. But I have to hand it to Jimmer Fredette. The boy has skills. The first game I watched, it was actually really fun. Then came the Sweet 16 game and it was a little painful, but he still had a few good moments where I could see what the hype was all about. And in a gesture of true love, Gramma, Kris and Lonnie decided to forego seeing the game live in order to have a birthday dinner for Ryan at Chuck-a-Rama before we left.
Then we made the long trip home with a short stop in Albuquerque to eat at Tucanos for Ryan's birthday.
The girls each ate several chicken hearts.
They must be good.
I'll take their word for it!

I Love to See the (St. George) Temple

2011-04-16T22:03:00.000-07:00

This year, being the first year Monica was in school, we got to celebrate Spring Break in all its glory and significance. We went up to St. George to visit Kris, Lonnie and Gramma LeBaron and we had a wonderful time. The girls had a jammy party with Kris. She bought them the cutest jammies for the party and then we watched "Bambi". Gramma and Kris held Jillian so much, which was so wonderful, because let's face it. Mamas' arms get tired! And it was wonderful to see those bonds forming. But you can't go to St. George and not see the beautiful temple there. It's easily one of my favorites. So we had our own little photo shoot. We also saw Elder Bruce C. Hafen on his way to his Sacrament Meeting. It was nice to chat with him and for him to remember visiting our little branch in Baumholder. He remarked on how touched he and his wife were on the way the sisters upheld each other. Later on, before we came home, Monica and I drove by the temple again on an errand and we sang, "I Love to See the Temple". It was something we had to do, because it's nearly tradition now, since almost every time we drove by the temple in Albuquerque we would sing the song.

Anyways, on to the pictures.

I thought these pictures of Lonnie and Kris were too cute!

We are a forever family.

New Beds

2011-04-16T21:20:00.000-07:00

After we got home and everything was back to normal, city energy-wise, Ryan and I got to work on some projects we had been talking about for a while. Leah had been getting out of bed every night for almost a year and we were at our wits' end. Then one night I was able to get out of Leah that she was scared of her bed under Monica's. Then we moved to this little house and the one dresser was too small for two growing girls, so we had piles of clothes everywhere.

The solution? We searched our new favorite website, www.ana-white.com and took her plan for the twin storage bed and added a layer of drawers. Two identical beds, with drawers large enough for all their clothes with extra room to spare. And the best part? Leah stays in her bed. WOOHOO! Of course, a year's worth of habit still rears its ugly head, but a little bit of coaxing gets her right back in bed.

Ryan did most of the building. I got to help a little with the drilling and screws. But my main job was painting. I loved the names of the colors, "Mickey's Glove" and "Pretty In Pink".

We got the inspiration for these beds after Ryan built a farmhouse bed from the same site for our friends, the Millers.

29 Years Old

2011-04-16T20:51:00.000-07:00

It's hard to put into words what I felt about this year's birthday. Celebration-wise, I made out like a bandit. I got to have cake and ice cream at Mom and Dad's, with one of my besties, Stephanie, as well as lunch with my El Paso crew. Not to mention a hubby and children who spoiled me rotten.

But emotionally, I had a hard time. My mom, Monica, was 29 when she passed away. And this year I felt the significance of just how young she was. So this year's birthday was a little bittersweet.

I was, however, able to get some good pictures of family that I didn't get a lot of during Christmas.

Strike a pose!

Facebook in February

2011-04-16T20:01:00.000-07:00

Time for the February edition of Facebook postings.

Me: We're going to read out of Mosiah.
Leah: Bull's Eye?
Me: Mo-si-ah
Leah: Oh, Bull's Eye.

Monica picked up a dead bird today, held it out to Ryan and said, "Daddy! There's a serious problem here."

Lots of "eww-ing" and "go wash your hands until the soap dispenser is empty" ensued. Go ahead and laugh (I did!) and say a prayer we don't get the bird flu!

February 7 at 10:32pm

We're building new beds today! I can't wait for the girls to see them. Cubbies and drawers built into the frames. Woohoo!

February 10 at 10:42am

So, Monica got her first Valentine's gift from a boy in her class. A cute teddy bear and candy. Her teacher is going to "address the issue" in parent-teacher conference with Lorenzo's mom because we just got Monica to stop talking about kissing & boyfriends. So, now I'm torn. I think it's really sweet that he wanted to get her a gift. Do I tell the teacher not to worry about it? Or leave it alone?

February 14 at 3:05pm

Monica: Leah, stop eating my face!
Leah: Yum! Yum! Yum!
Monica: LEAH!
Leah: Does it taste good?
Monica: No. It tastes like peanuts!

February 15 at 8:11am

I went to my first Parent-Teacher conference today. I love hearing how awesome and smart my child is!

February 18 at 10:17am

After all Leah does to the cat during the day (i.e. body slamming, choke holds, tail yanking) it's quite surprising to me that Figaro still cuddles up to Leah during naps and bedtime. She does get her revenge sometimes, though, like pouncing on Leah in the middle of the night scaring the poo out of her. I guess it evens out.

February 24 at 9:36am

Monica punched the boy who gave her a Valentine's gift for tickling her too hard. She had to be taken out of the school assembly.

February 26 at 2:09pm

Snow... in Las Cruces?!

2011-04-16T19:15:00.000-07:00

About a week before my birthday, newscasters started throwing around words like "record-breaking" and "snow". But, the weather itself was mild. And why shouldn't it be? Las Cruces is in an area known for mild winters and scorching hot summers. But then the storm rolled in. If I remember correctly, 13 El Paso Electric generators shut down because of the cold, causing school cancellations, rolling outages, and pleas to conserve energy.

We did our part by going out of town. We went up to Albuquerque for Ryan's last drill with the United States Army Reserves. But before we skipped town, we had a little fun. And when I say little, I really mean little. It was less than 10 degrees and the girls begged to go out and play in it when they woke up and saw the blanket of snow. I tried to hold them off til the afternoon, thinking it might rise to the double digits. No such luck. Apparently it was warmer in Anchorage, Alaska than it was in Supposed-To-Be-Sunny, New Mexico.

So, we bundled up and I played with the girls for about five minutes. Monica lasted another five minutes, while Leah managed almost forty five minutes. Cold? What cold? Fuhgeddaboutit.

Maybe it's just me, but I love the snot faucet.

Taste-testing.

I think this picture says it all.

After ten minutes of playing, this was as close to a smile as Monica could muster.

MEANWHILE:

Jillian slept snug as a bug in a rug in her new swing.

January 2011

2011-04-14T23:15:00.000-07:00

January came and went in quite a blur. And since I don't remember much of it, how about some Facebook posts? I'm realizing the daily posts are a little bit of a journaling opportunity. They give a good idea of what is going on and some of the cute things the girls are saying.

Here are a few things I do remember, though.
1. At the end of the month, Monica and I started some reading lessons. The book is called, Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. I'll update on that later.
2. Ryan began a grueling semester of all upper level classes and has been doing great.
3. Leah began to grasp potty training more fully on her own. (YAY!)

Facebook Ramblings

Wow! There is nothing like being welcomed home after 10 days with a slap in the face of yuck. Note to self: always make sure to unlock the kitty door BEFORE you leave!

January 3 at 10:32pm

I love the little squeaks and coos coming out of our little Jilly! After nights of crying, the squeaks are a wonderful reminder of the sweetness hiding in there. I'm crossing my fingers she outgrows the colicky-ness quickly so we can see more of it!

January 5 at 7:32pm

YES!!! 3 days before school starts and I got into the classes I was on the wait list for. Wish me luck. I just have to pass and I will have my associates degree completed in May. I'm at a major milestone- halfway to my goal! WOOT!

January 7 at 10:27pm

Monica: 'B-aaawts. No. Buh-ooo-sss-t. Boost? No. Buh-oo-t-ssss. BOOTS! It's BOOTS!

January 10 at 8:56pm

Monica: "Mom, when I grow up can I be a Hobby Lobby helper?" Me: "sure! But why?"
Monica: "Because I like to organize things."

January 14 at 3:43pm

Leah: "Mama, can we go to wobby wobby? I like wobby wobby."

Hobby Lobby- the new favorite store.

January 24 at 9:17am

Jillian smiled at me!!! It was so sweet watching her discover she could control her lips. I LOVE this girl!

January 25 at 3:02pm

is singing praises this morning. Jilly slept for 7 hours straight! And probably would have slept longer if I hadn't jostled her to make sure she was still breathing...

January 26 at 8:50am

Monica inherited my sensitivity. We were watching Strawberry Shortcake and when Mr. Longface got caught in his lie, Monica started crying and wailed, "This is the sad part, Mom! He doesn't have a family!" Which, of course, then made me want to cry.

sniff

January 30 at 10:31pm

Oh, how I love my Monica! She hugged me when I picked her up from school, stepped back and said, "Mama, your tummy is getting more and more and more shorter!"

January 31 at 2:45pm

I wanted to take some 2 month old pictures of Jillian, but Leah kept jumping in front the camera.

Future model? Maybe.

But I fell in love with this picture of her eyes.

Beautiful girl!

I love naked baby pictures!

Jillian was just getting good at lifting her head.

So I was able to catch her after her bath, trying to see the world.

This picture was too cute!

We were eating at Subway when I looked over and saw her grinning in her sleep.

Luckily, Ryan had just traded me ipods.

(His had a camera, mine had 10x more memory.)

So I was able to capture, if but a bit fuzzily, this sweet moment!