Monica is 4 and Leah is 1!!

I cannot believe my little girls are a year older.

It feels like just yesterday I was holding Leah for the first time, while she was all gross and birth-y, but still feeling that rush of love for a new child.

And it was yesterday that she barely fit into a newborn diaper.

And it feels like just a few days ago, I changed Monica's first poopy diaper.

And I cried because I didn't hear the nurse tell me the first time that I had to wet the wipes.

And all I was doing was spreading her poo all over.

And just a few days since Ryan and I were staring at Monica when she was just a couple days old, and we had just taken her home.

And we had NO IDEA what to do next.

And now Monica is 4.

She is a riot! She is unpredictable. She is funny!

Monica has the best laugh/giggle.

And an arsenal of Monica-isms.

1. She still says soda -- "soo-da"

2. There was a man visiting our ward and she pointed to him and said, "Look, Mom! That guy should be on Biggest Loser!"

3. At the Lambson Reunion, Ryan's cousin Shannon asked Monica if he could take her baby sister home and she replied, "No. You can get one out of your mama."

4. In the car, we were talking about Leah teething, so Monica turned to Leah and said, "Are you so excited to be getting your own teeth? Good job, Leah!"

5. Again, at the Lambson Reunion, we were walking behind Grandma Kris, and I needed to readjust my grip on the chairs I was carrying, so Monica and I fell behind. As we were walking to the pavilion, Monica said, "Grandma Kris is in heaven. I can't see her anymore. She went up in the clouds with Jesus!"

6. I wasn't feeling good one day, so I laid out on the couch to doze while Ryan watched the girls, but so I could still be available if I needed to be. Monica came up to me and said, "I'll be your mama, and you'll be my sweetie pie. I'm going to take care of you." Then she proceeded to stuff her purse with her socks and cover me with them.

Leah is growing as well.

She is 1!

She has taken her first un-clinging-to-finger-solo steps.

That happened about a week and a half ago at Nana's house. She has also cut her third and fourth tooth - the top two. She said "up" clearly today, and has started to sign "more". She is still the easiest, happiest, non-squawkiest, laid back baby. She is still under 18 pounds. AND- NEWS ALERT- SHE IS SMILING MORE!

I know every mom feels like their kids grow up way too fast.

I have enjoyed every minute of it.

Ok, so maybe not EVERY minute, but close enough.

There used to be a part of me that wondered "what if?".

Now I just can't wait to plan, and have an answer to Monica's,

"Then what are we gonna do after that, Mama?"

I LOVE my girls!!!

And I am so grateful to Heavenly Father for giving them to me.

I hope they will always know how much I love them.

New Family Pictures

Christina took some family pictures for us and they turned out great!

I have so many options to choose from for prints and I am so pleased!

Thank you Tina!

Celebrating with Aunty Theresa

Aunty Theresa and Uncle Bruce.

Aunty Theresa has reached 10 years of working for Continental and invited us to help celebrate! We ate at Buca di Beppo in the Pope Room.
It was really cool, with pics of popes all over the room and a pope in the middle of the table!
Jessy and Melissa.

One of the coolest things was the huge lazy susan in the middle of the table.
Leah thought she was pretty cool when she got a ride on it! And yes, she had a lot of fun with her chocolate milk.

Emily and Julie, feasting on the yummy salad. Aunty Sarah and Mikey. Uncle Paul, Aunt Michele and Cynthia.Aunty Theresa blessed the dessert, which was SOOOO GOOD!
Devilishly good.
Pardon the pun.

Congratulations, Aunty Theresa!!!

In the Merry Month of May...

I was going through my pictures and found some pictures of posts I was going to post and never did. Since this blog is effectively my journal for my technologically advanced posterity, here is a quick view of May with the Allreds...

I just thought this was cute, of Leah trying to help Daddy! And of course, I had to catch Ryan doing the dishes. It's really not that rare of a happening. He does the dishes more often than me!

We went to Silver City to visit Spencer and Tricia for Dakota's 5th birthday. While we were there, Monica got to go with Sailor to her ballet class. Monica LOVED it!

Just some fun pics of the party. They had a pinata, water balloon fun, cupcake decorating and gifts!

I know, Monica's face looks burned. But 10 minutes and a glass of water got her back to her normal shade. No worries! These girls had a lot more fun together than this picture shows. Monica loves her cousins!

Leah discovered the fun of eating bubbles. And with her hair in a ponytail all day, when I took the elastic out, she had a Leah Lou Who hairdo!

Ryan gave the girls their bath while I did the dishes one night and afterwards Monica came up to me and said, "Look, Mom! I look like you!!" She was so proud. I just have to document these moments for the future when she tells me I ruined her life. At one point, she really did want to be just like me! :)

What's more fun than a spontaneous date night?

Making it a double! Our friends, Kyle and Stephanie Milberger. We saw "Star Trek" together (which I HIGHLY recommend) and then got some ice cream and had some laughs.

On Sunday, May 25, we looked out from the window in the den and saw an incredible, this-picture-does-not-do-it-justice, bright double rainbow! So we all went outside for a few minutes to admire the beauty. I bet if the clouds weren't so dark, you could have seen a third rainbow. It was gorgeous!

For Memorial Day, I dressed the girls in red, white, and blue. This was the best attempt of getting a good picture. I think it turned out pretty well!

With only 5 days left, I have to say this has been a busy and fulfilling month! Ryan and I also started school, and it has been fun to take a class together. I wasn't entirely sure I would like our instructor. He sort of antagonizes the class to provoke thinking. But I am slowly liking his way of teaching. Ryan loves it, even though he hated it at first. This is his second class with Jeff. My other classes are Writing for the Media, Juvenile Delinquency, and Cultural Studies. I am LOVING studying again. And if you're wondering why I am going for an English degree, the plain, simple, honest answer is that I'm doing it for me. I don't plan on having to do anything but expand my own mind, increase my writing skills, and help my children in the future with their papers. I'm doing it because I want my own degree. I want to continue learning. Besides, how can I expect to encourage my own children to further their education after high school, if I never did? AND- something cool I just learned, an interesting tidbit of info- 20-something women who are college-educated, religious, and wealthy are 43% less likely to divorce than their uneducated, agnostic, poor counterparts. I'm doing my part to preserve the sanctity of marriage! Ok, so it's probably not that big a part, but it's a part.

I Looked Out the Window and What Did I See?

A FULLY bloomed rose bush and spanish broom bush! SO- I decided to take some pictures of all my beauties, floral and offspring.

(Hee hee, get the pun?

offSPRING?

Am I being like Bob Saget and the only one laughing at my own joke?)

Well, anyways, here they are!

Aren't they beautiful?

Oops! I did it again...

A few weeks ago, I went to Savers with Grandma Kathy. I was trying to find a fun alphabet-ish toy for Monica to help her with her ABC's. She picks them up fast some days, and not so much on others. To make a long story short, what we found instead has given hours upon hours of amusement. It's this Barbie guitar that we found for $8. With Grandma's 30% off, it was only around $6. Monica finally learned some of the words. It only has clips of 3 different songs. But on the "I'm not that innocent" part, Monica either sings "I'm not that elephant" or "I'm not that hm a nit." Just watch! So mostly, I think it's cute. But every once in a while I scratch my head and wonder if I should take the guitar away because, seriously, do I really want my little girl singing Britney Spears?

P.S. Can you hear Leah singing along???

Mom, Can I Have the Honor?

That's what Monica said when she saw me filling up the pool.

I was so surprised by her question that I didn't respond at first.

Then she gently took the hose from my hand and said,
"Please, Mom? Can I please have the honor?"

How could I resist?!

So she filled up the pool.

And we had our first swim of the season!

Monica named the floatie Miss Dragon.

Of course, Leah had to join the fun...

Ryan had a great idea to put the umbrella shade from the lawn table near the pool to block the sun so little Miss Leah can join the fun without being in danger of burning. She is so much fairer than Monica and me.
So if you want to come over and play with us, bring your swim gear!