Curtis, Taylor, Ansley and Olivia

Lately.

2012-02-10T08:56:00.001-07:00

Craft room overhaul.
Chalkboard love.
Entertaining Livvy with quick crowns and bracelets.
The perfect pincushion.

Olivia Kate: 3 years

2012-02-02T13:28:00.000-07:00

Olivia Kate turned 3 on January 28th.

I was in Florida :(

Talk about Mom guilt.

I was with my Grandma, exactly where I needed to be.

But, I still feel a little badly about it.

Curtis made sure she had a little family party,

and did a great job making her feel loved in my absence.

Here are a few things about Olivia at 3:

She is the most loving child I know. Full of hugs and kisses. And "I love yous".

She is FULLY potty trained!!! It suddenly clicked.

She is the best eater. She loves all foods. Truly, from fish to curry to spinach.

She is a talker. Great at communicating her needs/wants.

She is a total girl. Loves sparkles. Sequins. Tutus. And pink.

She only wants to wear dresses. The fancier the better.

She loves to draw and color. She draws a very cute little stick person.

She loves playing with her cousins and friends.

She still loves Ansley the most.

She is still obsessed with my elbow. Will it ever end!?

She loves her babies, shopping cart, stroller and purses.

She loves to dance and sing.

3 year stats:

29 pounds (25th percentile)

37 inches (50th percentile)

I knew she had a growth spurt! My girl is getting tall!!

We love you Olivia Kate.

We cannot imagine life without you.

Uh oh.

2012-02-01T12:49:00.001-07:00

My resolutions are failing.
Between January sickness,
And a last minute trip to FL I am not doing too well.
February is my month.
Our new treadmill is calling my name.
Healthy recipes to try.
And life to blog about.
It's ok to just try again right?

Love is in the air.

2012-01-19T15:26:00.000-07:00

January is not my favorite month.

It's cold.

It seems long and borning after the holiday hustle and bustle.

And, living out in the middle of nowhere,

it is somehow even worse.

Boredom has hit a new low.

Valentines decorations went up almost as soon as Christmas came down.

I am sure I will add to this,

as the cold continues on...

New wreath I made this year.

My old wreath wasn't in good shape.

And, I hade all this stuff laying around.

I need to switch out the mustard lace still,

but it works for now.

I really junked it up :)

It's my Valentine's theme this year.

LOTS and LOTS of details.

Linen and doilies make me happy.

These little heart pillows have a story.

The darling florist we used for my sister's wedding had little pillows like this.

They were hung on her staircase,

and I loved them!!

I have thought about them since last Valentines day.

She was sweet enough to send me a picture of them a few weeks ago.

I got right to work.

Hearts aren't easy to sew.

Ignore the lumpiness...

I just love them,

and can't wait to put little love notes in them for my girls.

(I will wait until February for that though.)

The infamous "tree".

Are you getting sick of it yet??

I printed little vintage Valentine images on cardstock,

then I embellised them with rickrack, lace, and rhinestones.

I think I am becoming addicted to Holiday decor.

2011 Fall Family Pictures

2012-01-11T16:41:00.000-07:00

I am one of thoses crazies who loves having family pictures done.

I love planning what we are going to wear.

Finding a cool location (or giving my favorite photographer, Triana, that job.)

The only bad part:

Fighting with my little ladies to smile for the camera.

So, this year as we were getting in the car to meet for our mini photo session,

on a cold, drizzly morning (aren't they always when we do photos!?)

Ansley stared to complain.

"I don't want to take photos. I hate taking pictures.

It's going to be cold.

It isn't fun.."

You know the typical 7 year old. Or 33 year old. No names...

I chose to ignore this when Livvy piped up.

"Ansley, WE do not act this way.

WE are nice girls.

We LOVE having our picture taken."

Glad someone listens to my pep talks :)

I am happy to report that the pictures went amazingly well.

We were done in 20 minutes,

with 150 images.

Yes it was cold,

yes it was wet.

But, there were SMILES!!

And no complaints.

Mommy was a happy lady.

Here are a few of my favorites from our fall shoot!!

Thanks again Triana.

We LOVE them.

(so much I even got a few printed... I said I like having pictures taken,

never said I actually printed them!? Working on it...)

Tiny Dancer

2012-01-08T14:00:00.001-07:00

One of the incentives we used for potty training was dance class.

You have to be potty trained to go.

After several months she is 95% trained.

(Why are my kids to stubborn!? Anyone with any book suggestions, please share!!

we are still working on this, good days and bad.)

She started last week.

We signed her up for the class with her cousin Jordyn, who is 6 months older,

and has been taking since the fall.

Livvy was very shy and scared when she got there,

and I was so afraid she wouldn't stay.

But, as soon as Jordyn got there she perked right up.

Jordyn took her hand,

and led her to her flower.

As I turned to leave I spotted these cute little girls still holding hands.

I snapped a picture really quickly with my phone.

I love these sweet little cousins.

Christmas Part 3: Christmas Day

2012-01-08T13:50:00.002-07:00

Santa came.

Of course, spoiling the little girlies.

Livvy's reaction was priceless.

I wish I could describe it,

luckily we have it on video, which I will post soon.

Livvy asked for a shopping cart.

Over and over and over again.

Santa delivered.

But, Livvy didn't even notice.

She wanted to make sure Ansley saw her Barbie house.

Complete with an elevator.

They are such sweet sisters.

Livvy's face looked this surprised all morning.

I love the excitement.

It's so much fun, and so short lived.

Opening a card from Grandma and Grandpa Larson.

While wearing several new hair things from her stocking.

Chef Livvy.

Thanks Preston and Katy!

She looks like a pro while cooking in her kitchen.

And super cute :)

Livvy did notice her shopping cart eventually.

And then packed it full of every gift.

We had such a wonderful Christmas this year!

Full of family, food, and lots of fun!!

Resolutions

2012-01-05T11:00:00.000-07:00

I have never made a New Years Resolution.

Haven't ever wanted to set myself up for failure.

But, I am feeling very commited, and motivated at the start of this New Year,

and thought I would make a couple.

I am pretty sure they are all the normal ones.

Those are always the good ones anyway.

Eat Clean. Curtis and I have made this resolution together. This is a lifestyle change.

We typically eat pretty healthily, but we are taking it to the extreme.

I honestly couldn't be more excited about it!! I have done a lot of research,

and I am really loving the Paleo diet plan. 2 days in 2012, we are doing awesome.

Exercise. When Haley and I attended TOFW in the fall we both left wanting to run a marathon.

I know.... Hahahahaha. Yeah. I am laughing too.

I am starting small on this one. I am just going to work out 5 days a week.

20 min. a day, and I will build up from there.

If I can work out this month from home like I plan to, next month I will join the gym.

That sounds like I am already planning to fail.

But, truely, I am commited. 2012 is the year I am getting back in shape!!

(And maybe running a 5k. hehe. Baby steps.)

Blog more. I want to document our life.

Take more pictures. Actually get them ONTO the computer. My Dad has challenged

me to blog weekly. Seems doable right?

So, Dad this ones for you! You better keep reading, this could really get good :)

Serve. I feel like I used to do more service than I do now.

I want to work on that. Each week I am going to try and do more service.

So, that's it.

I figure if I wrote them down, maybe I would feel more accountable.

I will try and keep you updated on my progress.

You know, since I will be blogging more.

Christmas: Part 2

2012-01-02T20:09:00.000-07:00

Christmas Eve.

We had a lovely Christmas Eve with all the family.

It was wonderful to have everyone there to celebrate.

The kids (mostly) made a delicious dinner of beef tenderloin (Pioneer Woman! Yum!),

famous mushrooms (a beloved family recipe, and Ansley's request),

and the fanciest salad ever, roasted beet and carrot, prepared by Preston.

Our resident chef.

After our dinner,

we read the Christmas story.

Of course, getting the girlies (mostly the little one) to sit still was challenging.

But, in the end, everyone took a turn reading.

We then watched a few videos.

Livvy thought baby Jesus was "so cute".

Christmas Jammies!!

A Grubbs' family tradition.

Writing Santa a letter.

She made sure to ask for a note back.

Santa delivered :)

Leaving cookies and carrots.

It was so fun to share this sweet moment with my siblings.

I love the way they all love my girls.

I am grateful for loving Aunts and Uncles!!

Christmas Day to come.

Merry Christmas: Part 1

2012-01-01T23:35:00.001-07:00

The part documented on my phone.

We celebrated Christmas with my family this year. And had a wonderful time. My brother Preston and his wife Katy were in town from ATL. It is always fun having them here!

They are also the most thoughtful gift givers in the family. Really, it is inspiring me to start planning gifts for next year now! I want it documented, Katy's gift made my parents cry. So, maybe my Mom shed a tear or 2 with our group gift too, but Katy's family recipe cookbook, complete with family pictures from our childhood took the cake.

We drew names this year. The guys drew a guy, girls drew a girl. Katy had my name. Once again sweetest present ever. A few weeks (ok maybe days) before their trip Preston texted me asking for silhouette pictures of my girls, for a school project. I didn't suspect a thing. They made the CUTEST silhouettes of my girls. I live them!! Thanks Preston and Katy!!

More Christmas to come. Including the Christmas video Katy is doing. Which will be awesome.

Be Merry.

2011-12-13T15:14:00.001-07:00

Decking the Halls.

2011-12-07T19:59:00.001-07:00

I love this time of year.

I couldn't wait to pull out all of my decorations.

All the memories.

This year, I added a lot of new ornaments to my tree,

replacing many of my more sentimental ones.

It was tough.

They will sit in a box,

until we are a 2 tree house.

That day will come.

Here's a glimpse of our Christmas decor.

I am making a red polka dotted ruffle table runner.
But, it isn't completed yet (or really even started),
so you'll have to use your imagination.

Having a mantle is so much fun!!

Our elf "Buddy" has returned.

And, he has been a mischievous little guy this year.

Drawing horns on our family pictures,

swimming in marshmellow bathes,

and watching a "drive-in" movie with Barbie.

The girls have been so excited to see what he's been up to every morning.

I must take a few pictures of his nightly shannagins.

My tree!!
I am so happy with the way it turned out.
I wanted to remove the large amounts of PINK and LIME green in my tree.
I was just a little tired of it after 5 years.
So, here is my happy white, red and TEAL tree.

Oh Ansley.

2011-12-06T22:42:00.001-07:00

I feel like I often get to write all the cute funny things Olivia says, because as Ansley gets older she doesn't say as many.
So, when Curtis came home from taking Ansley to school the other morning I was loving this cute story:
(Liv rode with them, and they were passing the the local nursing home.)
O: Ansley, look at those nice new apartments!
A: Those aren't apartments, that's a nursing home.
O: No they are apartments .
C: No, Olivia that's where the old people go to live.
A: Don't call them old people....
Call them... Over aged.
My cute girl, I am so happy she still has those sweet/funny moments.
They are mixed in with a lot of sass these days ;)

Catch up.

2011-12-03T21:01:00.001-07:00

We have been really busy.
I like to be busy, and I totally do it to myself, but this was a bit much.
And, really I am not even sure what I was so busy with.
Why do I do that to myself!?
Here's life according to my cell phone.
More detailed update to come.
Soon.

For now: (in no particular order.)
Babies.
Letters to Santa.
Crafts. Crafts. And more crafts.
Snow coat love.
Lala loopsy love.

Halloween: Trick or Treat

2011-11-07T15:02:00.001-07:00

I was so not in the Halloween spirit this year.
I was busy preparing for a craft show, and didn't really put as much effort into Halloween as I should have.
Oops.
My sister in law, Courtney, and I did take the kids to the trick or treat at the park.
And we did do a few houses before calling it quits pretty early...
But, there was still plenty of candy between the girlies.
And, they didn't complain :)
My camera battery was DEAD!??
I only got these pictures.
( They were Lalaloopsy dolls. The wigs were one size fits... Neither of my girls... And drove me crazy!!)

Lately.

2011-10-16T18:49:00.001-06:00

Preparing for a Halloween party.
Found an awesome chair for my porch. Finally.
Mary Poppins.
Carmel. Apples.
Let the girlies paint my nails. Never again.
Lalaloopsy. Lots of them.
Cute girls. Cute hairbows.
Happy.
Cupcake success.
Lately. Life is good.

October

2011-10-02T15:37:00.001-06:00

I love October.
I love fall.
I love the cooler temps.
I love the recipes I haven't wanted to make during the summer months.
I love the changing leaves.
I love boots. Scarfs. Cardigans. A lot.
I love pumpkin patches and corn mazes.
I love planning my kids costumes, and even mine and Curtis' this year.
My favorite thing of all though in October...
Halloween Decorations!!
Ah. October. I can finally feel ok about having my decorations up.
I *might* have done that in
September.
(And sorry for all the phone pictures lately. It is just so easy. Plus, I can then blog from my phone. I am blogging more. So maybe it isn't such a bad thing!?)

Mermaid Toesies

2011-09-28T16:00:00.001-06:00

The girls' have been loving having their toes painted lately.
And they are both to the point where they sit still.
Which is awesome.
A few weeks ago I decided to get creative, and gave them green glitter toes.
However, Olivia really only likes nail polish of the pink variety, she really only likes anything pink...
So, to convince her that green would be ok (I had no other glitter color, and living where we do, no way to get others. See, I am making do.) I told her they were mermaid toes.
Which I later thought was really funny, since mermaids don't have toes.
Told you we were getting creative around here.

Life.

2011-09-26T20:05:00.002-06:00

Just a quick little update on our life since our move.

It has been 7 weeks since we moved to this new little town.
We are settled in, we have been actually for 6.5 weeks.
Unpacking/decorating went very quickly,
for which I am grateful.
I hate living with boxes everywhere.
Living here has been an adjustment.
Not having "things" (shopping, restaurants...) near by has been different.
I have literally filled my car up once since we have lived here.
I am home. ALL. DAY. long.
It's a good thing I like my house.
I am learning to entertain myself and Livvy with out all the "stuff"
that normally filled my days.
There has been a lot of sewing.
Crafting.
Cooking.
Cleaning.
Thank goodness I have hobbies.
There are days that I am just plain bored too.
But, that is OK.
I am sure many people would love to be bored.
I miss SF still. It was home.
I loved having my family close by,
and many dear friends.
I miss that.
Somehow though, this is home too.
It doesn't feel like I am vacationing, or that I will wake up from this dream,
as previous moves have felt.
This is where we are supposed to be right now.
It has been nice to be close to Curtis' family.
The girls are loving having cousins to play with close by.
And, I am enjoying having my sister in laws.
We are making new friends, Curtis is getting reacquainted with old.
We are making a life for ourselves out here.
And it is just fine.
Most days ;)

The Plum Verbena

2011-09-20T14:28:00.002-06:00

It's official.

The Plum Verbena is on Facebook.

We are just testing the waters,

and still trying to figure a few things out,

but we are posting projects.

We will be doing a local craft show in October.

And ready to ship items will be available just in time for Christmas!!

So, go check us out of Facebook.

Like our page.

And don't foget to enter the giveaway that is going on right now.

You may just win something!!

Haley and Clay Visit.

2011-09-19T12:00:00.001-06:00

We love visitors! Especially since moving away from my family.
Having Haley and Clay come for the weekend was so fun.
We gave them the tour of our new town.
It was short :)
Friday night Haley and I worked on a little Halloween craft. Pretty excited to decorate. Come on Oct.1st!
Saturday we took them up to Flaming Gorge. Clay loved it. But, we didn't see a moose. Like he had hoped.
Livvy snoozed in the car.
Saturday night Haley and I made cute wreaths for our door. No pictures yet.
And, Curtis worked on his talk for church.
It was a successful trip.
Thanks for the coming to see us.

Olivia Kate: Things I don't want to forget

2011-09-15T23:35:00.001-06:00

This girl cracks me up.
All day long.
Now that Ansley is in school,
She is my little sidekick.
We do everything together.
She loves to push the button on the blender when I make our green smoothies.
She always wants me to ”do” her hair.This requires a round brush, and the flat iron. He he.
She wants ”eegurt” first thing every morning. It is ”liscious and yummy.”
Yesterday, she held up her fruit roll-up and asked me, ”Does this have sugar in it? How bout caffeine?”
This girl is too cute.
I love spending my days with her.
But, we do miss our Ansley while she's at school.

New House: New Pillows

2011-09-06T15:13:00.004-06:00

I have been wanting new pillow for quite awhile now.

It seems I can never find the perfect fabric.

Well, it finally happened,

I found fabric with EVERY color I wanted.

Thanks to pinterest.

I ordered the same fabric,

but I did do the pillow a little differently :)

(And her photography looks way better!!)

The chevron stripes look crooked.

But, I promise they are not.

I stalked Hawthorne Threads until Sandi Henderson's new line Secret Garden was available.

I knew it was the perfect fabric.

And, I ordered it,

Sight unseen.

Luckily it worked.

The best part about these new pillows....

ZIPPERS!!!!

That's right.

I conquered my fear,

and each pillow has an invisible zipper.

And, you know,

the zipper part wasn't bad. At all.

The kitchen chair update with be next.

They are almost done :)

Olivia Kate: Funny Girl

2011-08-29T15:21:00.002-06:00

Lately Olivia has been making us laugh. A lot. She is at that very entertaining stage, where every other thing she says has us cracking up. I wanted to write a few thing down to remember.

Ansley, ”Mom, we need to decide what to eat for lunch. We need food.”
Livvy, ”We don't need food, we ate food last night.”

Me, ”You will be going to time-out if you keep crying.
Livvy, ”But, we don't have any stairs!?”
(she always sat on the stairs for time-outs at our old house.)

When trying to get her into her,own.bed at night, and not in ours... As she is climbing up into our bed,
”Livvy, this is not your bed. You need to go get into your bed.”
Livvy, ”no, it's fine.”
We finally get her to her room, and 5 minutes later she is back in our room. We ask her what is wrong with her bed/room.
”It's fine, except Mom isn't in there.”

As we were watching Say Yes to thr Dress one night, Livvy says, ”I wish I could go to Haley Clays wedding day again.” She its obsessed with the day they got ”murried”. Everytime we put on her flowrer girl shoes she starts talking about it. So cute.

She also says ”sure” to everything. any question you ask her, the answer, ”sure”. It is so funny. Strangers laugh and comment whenever they hear this.

Today she cut my hair. This isn't funny, I know, but, when I realized it and screamed (you would too!) She gets right in my face and says, ” Don't scream at me.” She cut my hair, and I was the one suddenly feeling bad. and for the record, she cut a very small section, and it blends. Thank goodness. And rather mine than hers, I have a lot more :)

We love our cute, funny girl.

Ansley: 1st Grader

2011-08-25T20:26:00.003-06:00

It's true.

Ansley is in 1st grade.

Really not quite sure how or when she got so old!?

We are at a new school this year.

Obviously :)

And, there is bus.

Last year, there was no bus.

I drove her.

Every day.

I tried to drive her today,

but she wasn't having it.

She insisted on riding the bus with all her new little friends.

She also insisted on going to the bus stop. Alone.

And she did.

For about 5 minutes.

Until I remembered that I am the Mom, and I wasn't missing this moment.

I joined her there,

much to her dismay.

She was SO embarrassed.

Poor girl.

Mother's are so humiliating.

But, I am glad I saw my baby girl get on the bus :)

As a 1st grader!!

Snazzy new backpack.

We love sparkles.

" Do I have to hold this sign!?"

Heading to the bus stop.
Check out this look.
This is the look that says, "Mooom!?"
I know that one well.
I am so in trouble in a few years.
A few years too soon I fear....

New House: Olivia's Room

2011-08-15T12:10:00.003-06:00

Livvy's room is pretty much the same as before.

With the exception of BIG GIRL beds!!!

That's right, no more crib.

These were my great grandmother's beds.

I love them,

12 cans of spray paint later....

Olivia's handmade doll bought at the SLC Farmer's Market.

LOVE them, and all the detail.

Big girl beds.

Everyone asks about the bookcase. Ikea. Baskets, Land of Nod.

"O" for Olivia.

New House: Ansley's Room

2011-08-10T20:28:00.003-06:00

One of our favorite things about our new house is the girls have their own rooms!

It has been awesome. Bed time is so much easier.

And, it was fun to get to decorate a room for just Ansley!

Again, pictures out of order....

Blogger!?

Obviously, dresser, and pictures. Hehe.

This was my bed when I was a little girl.

I love that she gets to use it.

I spray painted it yellow the day we moved in.

The bedding was a great find from T.J. Maxx.

I always find bedding there I love.

I had planned on making a quilt, but when I found this decided against it :)

My wallet and my sewing machine are both thanking me.

Love that I got to reuse her welcome home banner!!

First of many pillows to come.

Thank you pinterest for many, many ideas.

There are still a few details I would like to add, but I am loving it so far :)

Olivia's First Carnival

2011-08-08T09:19:00.001-06:00

In June, when Ansley was gone, I took Livvy to her first carnival. Or is it called a Fair!?
Triana, Chris, and Gavin showed us all the fun things to do!
Liv had a blast!! And wasn't afraid of a single ride. Even the big slide.
I think it was the most fun she had ever had.
We definitely need to take advantage of more of these events!!
Thanks Ord's for a fun night!

Welcome Home Ansley

2011-07-27T13:37:00.001-06:00

Ansley spent the month of June with her Dad in Florida.
We really missed her.
Especially Olivia.
At one point when she went potty on the potty, knowing she would get a reward, she asked, "Now can Ansley come home?"
We greeted her at the airport with a banner and lots of hugs!!
We are glad to have our girl home :)

Watermelon Strawberry Smoothie

2011-07-26T11:58:00.001-06:00

I saw this recipe on a blog and had to try it! We love smoothies, and this one didn't disappoint!

Watermelon Strawberry Smoothie

Seedless watermelon (I filled my blender about half way)
Frozen strawberries (maybe 6?)
I added a couple spoonfuls greek yogury

Blend. And enjoy.

(And it happened to match my nail polish.... He he)

Life.

2011-07-21T10:57:00.003-06:00

The past 6 months have been chaotic.
I feel like many things have gone neglected.
My friends.
My house.
Even my family at times.
Obviously the blog (but, let's be honest, when has it ever not been neglected?).
In the past 6 months,
I have planned a wedding.
Played room Mom in Ansley's class.
Tried to still have parties, GNO's, craft nights, BBQ's.
Curtis has had 3 different jobs... in one week.
(Not complaining I know that is a blessing, but it did add to the chaos.)
The last and current job means moving.
We have been house hunting with no hope,
in a difficult rental market.
And then just throw in life.
A 2 year old in the mix of all this!?
Oh, and did I mention that most of this was done as a single parent?
Yeah, there was/is that.
I know that to many this list doesn't seem overwhelming,
and it is just daily life.
For me,
it was hard.
Too hard some days.
I don't like limbo. Not knowing what is going to happen.
The question marks in life.
I want a plan.
I wish I handled stress better.
My husband has been amazing.
Putting up with far too much whining and complaining from me.
And then, I remember to count my blessings.
I sit and I name them, one by one.
And I realize how lucky I am.
How truely blessed.
To have wonderful, supportive family and friends.
A roof over my head.
To be able to stay at home with my children.
The list goes on and on.
I am a lucky girl.
I take a deep breath, say a prayer, and try to have faith and trust in the Lord.
And the peace comes.
The comfort comes.
Patience.
Yesterday we got THE house.
The house I really knew was ours all along.
It took a leap of faith.
And I feel peace.
I feel the joy of knowing our family will be together.

(Beautiful photography by Amber Holt photography.
Curtis was out of town during the shoot.)

Olivia Kate: Bye Bye "Bappy"

2011-06-28T22:54:00.003-06:00

Livvy is PACIFIER FREE!!!!
This is a big deal.
Things have been crazy the past few months,
and even though I knew it was time to take the
"bappy" (as she called it) away,
I was reluctant.
There was always an excuse.
After this... After that...
My Dad finally made the move.
(He is not a fan of 2 year olds with pacifiers!? Can you imagine...)
And, it wasn't bad.
At all.
She only asked for it ONE time after the initial take away.
It has been about a month now,
and we are loving life not having to hunt for her "bappy" all the time.
And, I think it means my baby is getting big :(
Thanks Dad for giving me the push I needed!

We love you little Liv.

Taylor and Curtis: Las Vegas!!

2011-06-03T14:33:00.005-06:00

In May, Curtis and I had the opportunity to go on a little Vegas trip.
Curtis won a free stay at The Wynn hotel.
My parents kindly offered to watch both girl for 2 nights.
And, we enjoyed 2 kid free days of yummy food, shopping, people watching,
The Lion King, and a luxury 5 star hotel!!
Doesn't get much better than that.
Thanks for the awesome trip Curtis!!
And for letting me snap this photo of you :)
(Curtis LOVES?! having his picture taken...)
And feel free to laugh at my lame picture of myself.....
I am.

Ansley: Kindergarten Grad

2011-06-03T14:27:00.002-06:00

We are so proud of Ansley.
On May 21, 2011 Ansley graduated Kindergarten.
It was a great year for our smart girl.
She loved her teacher, her class, and learning new things!!
We look forward to her starting 1st Grade in the fall.
(We recorded graduation, so I didn't bring my big camera, this was taken with my phone...)

Sewing: Easter Dresses

2011-04-29T18:42:00.004-06:00

Making the girls Easter dresses is my new traditon.

I just decided :)

This is the second year I have made them,

and I love that I can pick out exactly what I want.

I love spending the hours sewing them,

and seeing the finished product.

This year I made Ansley a skirt, and a dress for Olivia.

I fell in love with this skirt pattern at my local quilt shop.

It was sold out, and the minute it came in a bought it.

This skirt was tedious.

It is a Jona G pattern.

I am a quick sewer.

And this took 5 hours.

It was 88 inches of gathering,

for both layers!!
It made for a very full skirt.

I am happy with the way it turned out,

but will not be using this pattern again any time soon.

Liv's dress is a Juvie Moon pattern.

http://fairytalefrocksandlollipops.com/catalog.htm?item=2637

I had never used their patterns before.

They are darling.

And simple.

I didn't get a great picture of Livvy's dress.

Getting a 2 year old to hold still is impossible.

And I gave up.

The girls got matching outfits for their dolls from the Easter Bunny.

They held their dolls ALL day long.

It made me SOO happy.

Ansley kept pointing out that their dolls had bows :)
This is the best picture I got of them together.

Like I said, impossible.

I tried getting them standing...

That was a complete joke.

A smile from Olivia.

On camera.

An Easter miracle!?

Hehe.

At least one of my girls can cooperate for the camera.

Easter baskets and the rest of Easter coming soon!

Easter: Decorations

2011-04-23T22:21:00.007-06:00

I had too much fun decorating for Easter this year.

This is actually the first year I have ever decorated for the holiday.

Lately I have really enjoyed trying to make each holiday more fun for my girls.

Decorating is totally part of that. Right??

Because I was starting from scratch this year,

I based all the things I made on a little chick and bunny I found at a cute local shop.

Before I even bought them. He he :)

I love the way everything turned out.

And, it is nice to have a little "Spring" in the home,

when the weather hasn't been quite so outside.

(Blogger has uploaded my photos WAY out of order... so I am just going with that.)

So, not exactly Easter, but, I did hang these the day I decorated.

And I love them.

My frame is vintage, found at a consignment shop.

I duct taped the chicken wire to it.

I am classy like that.

Eventually I will clothespin pictures to it.

Book page wreath I made with a friend.

It was time consuming (like 5 hours...), but totally worth it.

It is one of my favorite things in my whole house.

I have become the banner queen.

I am obsessed.

Any and all banners.

And, I have quite the collection.

This was actually one I made for a friend's baby shower.

It matched my decor so well I hung it up for Easter.

This is the COOLEST paper fabric!!

See, this is where it would be helpful if these pictures were in order.

These are the little eggs that hang from my "tree".

I wanted sparkly eggs.

I looked everywhere for them,

never found the perfect ones.

So, I ended up with these cute little eggs.

I hung them with fishing line,

covered that up with ribbon,

and flowers.

And they cost me $5 for the whole project.

Look!

THE bunny and THE chick.

I love, love, love them.

Another banner.

Told you I was obsessed.

This one says SPRING.

It is hard to tell in the picture.

And those are more book pages behind the glittered letters.

Love cutting up old books :)

My tree.

I totally copied a friend after seeing hers.

This has been the BEST decoration for anything.
Birthdays, baby showers, EVERY holiday.

I hope you made it through this post.

And that it wasn"t totally boring.

I love looking at every one's cute holiday decorations,

so I thought I would share mine.

Happy EASTER!!!

Olivia Kate: Things I don't want to forget

2011-04-08T22:20:00.001-06:00

Livvy has been so cute lately!!

Her talking is crazy.

Like, full sentences.

All the time.

She has started telling "stories".

It is the cutest thing I have ever heard.

Earlier this week her story went something like this,

"I saw a ladybug.

And then,

I said,

Go away ladybug,

GO away."

(all the while making hand motions.)

She was actually recounting a story about a fly.

A fly she called a ladybug.

And that she did actually yell at.

When she tells such stories,

they always include,

"And then..."

The other day she climbed up the outside of the stair case.

She yells to me,

"Look Mom, I am taller!"

Olivia LOVES to sing.

Her favorite song,

"Happy Birthday to you,

You're 102,

and you still go to preschool,

and you miss your Mommy."

Thank Ansley for that one :)

I am loving this funny girl of mine.

A lot.

Sisters: Pedicures

2011-04-05T21:19:00.000-06:00

One afternoon a few weeks ago Ansley asked me if she could paint Liv's toes.

I have never let her do this before,

and I must have been distracted,

because I said yes.

Several minutes later I walk in to find this set up.

It had to have been one of the sweetest sister moments I have ever seen.

Ansley set up her "stool".

Livvy's potty seat. He he.

And lifted up those cute little piggies.

Ansley would blow dry after each toenail.

How cute is that!?

Olivia sat SO still the whole time.

Here is the best part.

I totally didn't even notice this until I took the picture...

CLEAR sparkly polish.

Ah, what a relief.

No mess :)

(It is totally bothering me that I forgot to round these corners!!!)

And the best big sister.

My Ansley.

She really is THE best.

I love her,

and the way she loves her little sister.

I couldn't ask for more.

Sewing: Lace Ruffle Pants

2011-04-02T19:54:00.005-06:00

My friend Triana spotted the most darling pants on a little girl at Target.

I knew I had to have them the minute I saw them.

I also knew where the fabric was from.

Perfect.

A few days later I grabbed the materials I needed.

I made these sweet little pants today in 30 minutes.

And I am in LOVE!!

I couldn't wait to blog them.

So, excuse the quick photos. And uncooperative model.

She is still cute though :)

I LOVE the lace!!

Especially because it meant I didn't have to gather ruffles.

I hate gathering ruffles.

I need a ruffle foot.

(Curtis!)

For anyone interested,

I just used a basic pants pattern.

(Mine is sew sensible boutique bottoms.

I add length to them though.)

I added lace found on a spool at Hobby Lobby.

It comes in a lot of colors.

And is cheap.

Super cheap actually.

www.dana-made-it.com

Has a great pants tutorial as well.

I have the girls' Easter dresses done.

And I will post those soon.

Tonsils: The Real Deal

2011-03-24T11:37:00.002-06:00

Now that it is over, I want to document our experience.

The first few days were the "honeymoon period".

It got worse.

Way worse.

Ansley hated the way the pain meds tasted.

All of them

Tylenol with codeine, tasted like vomit she said.

(Lovely, right!?)

Motrin was too strong.

Chewable grape Motrin hurt.

Livvy's Tylenol was "just yucky".

Basically we had to force her to take it,

and threaten trips to the ER.

Which, would have been a reality had she not taken it.

She quit eating for DAYS!

And would wake in the night crying.

It was the saddest thing.

To watch my tough girl in pain.

It has now been 2 weeks,

and she is pretty much recovered.

Except her little voice. She sounds different.

Yesterday was her first day back at school.

I LOVED that when we walked in (late), her class CHEERED!!

It was the sweetest thing,

and I think she loved it too :)

I am glad that we did it,

I am VERY glad that it is just over.

And, I never want to see another Popsicle again.

Olivia Kate: 2

2011-03-16T20:46:00.002-06:00

Olivia is a funny girl.

She is a talker.

Just like her sister :)

And we love it.

There is nothing she cannot say anymore,

and we can have conversations with her now.

Her new favorite word is awesome.

Awesome, right?

She uses it a lot.

"Grandma Bair is so awesome."

(My Grandma was recently in town.)

"Mom, Jamba Juice so awesome."

I have to agree with her, on both counts.

She also likes to say that things are,

"sooo cute."

Recently while asking her who was a boy,

and who was a girl, we stumped her.

Her answer to whether Clay is a boy or a girl,

"Uncle Clay sooo cute."

Way to play it safe Liv :)

She keeps us laughing.

In huge Olivia news,

she is officially,

100% weaned.

That is right,

now who wants to throw ME a party??

23 months people.

Crazy? I think yes.

Olivia is obsessed with baby dolls.

She loves pushing them in strollers.

Changing diapers.

Feeding them.

And stripping their clothes off.

All of her babies must be naked.

At all times...

So annoying if you ask me.

We have a lot of cute doll clothes :)

This past month she has cut out naps.

Or maybe I cut out her nap.

She was not going to bed at night,

and it was killing me.

No nap= 7:30 bedtime= happy mommy.

I do miss those 2 hours of free time during the day,

but I like my long evenings better.

Potty training is next.

Wish me luck!

LOVE you Livvy Kate!!

Ansley: Tonsils

2011-03-10T09:21:00.003-07:00

Ansley had her tonsils out yesterday.

I am SO proud of how brave she was.

Ansley is SUCH a positive little girl,

she always looks for the good in life.

Instead of being scared,

or worried about the pain,

she looked forward to popsicles and ice cream!

We had to be at the surgery center at 6:45.

Ansley was such a good sport.

We went through all the paper work,

Ansley charmed the nurses :)

She suited up,

in her adult sized gown.

It swallowed her.

And came untied 15 times.

The nurse gave her a warm blanket to wrap up in.

After meeting with the doctor,

we walked her to the big doors,

where we parted ways.

She walked so bravely with the nurses.

I was so proud.

And, I tried not to cry,

walking to the waiting room.

15 minutes later.

No really,

they came out to tell us she had done GREAT!

And they would come and get us in a bit to go to recovery with her.

I waited anxiously to go see my girl.

Waking up was a bit rocky.

And she had a mild reaction to the morphine.

But, over all she was amazing.

And we headed home about an hour later.

She has been great.

It is just day 2.

So, obviously, there will still be some ups and downs.

But, 15 popsicles, 2 bowls of ices cream,

3 cups of chicken soup, LOTS of gatorade,

and gogurt later...

Oh, and the tomato soup I begged her not eat.

(worried it would burn)

She is not even complaining.

Praying for a continued speedy recovery.

You are a tough girl Ansley!!
And we love you!!!!!

Life Lessons: Olivia Kate

2011-03-10T08:57:00.002-07:00

This picture was taken Christmas Eve.

I don't remember what happened.

It might have been that I wouldn't let her take the pictures!??

She wasn't happy though.

And, I love this picture.

Not all moments in life are happy.

We have had our fair share of those lately.

I think this 2 year old stage is tough.

I wish I could sugar coat it.

But, Olivia has many unhappy moments these days.

Frustrated she cannot do everything she wants to.

I don't blame her.

I would be sad too if I couldn't use a knife every time I wanted to.

Or if I wasn't allowed to play outside, but my sister was.

Or if I couldn't eat ice cream at every meal.

I mean, life just isn't fair when you are 2.

Or 26.

These are hard lessons to learn.

But, we love our girl.

And we are trying to teach her.

Trying to keep her safe.

MARCH!!

2011-03-09T11:20:00.002-07:00

We made it.

February was a long month.

Not the easiest one.

But, March is here.

I am determinded to find motivation.

I have projects to do!!

A lot of them.

If I write them here, will I be more accountable?

(Maybe. Maybe not.)

1. Craft BLOG!! You heard it here. It is coming. And I am excited. My friend and I have had it in the works for a long time. It *should* make its "launch" this month :)

2. Easter dresses. Easter decor.

3. Clean out the girls closet.

4. Clean out the craft closet.

6. TAKE pictures!! And, not on my phone... And print pictures for...

7. Photo wall!

8. Paint my desk. And actually put the hardware back on it. And the nightstand too. Who wants pictures of the finished product??? Anyone?

9. Update the recipe blog. I have been cooking. Just not blogging about it.

Here's to a productive March!!

Nevermind we already 9 days in...

We Love Haley and Clay

2011-01-31T13:20:00.003-07:00

My sister is getting married!!!
My BABY sister!?
Pretty sure she isn't old enough.
After all,
we were just playing barbies last year.
Or so it seems :(
We are very excited for Clay "officially" to join our family though.
He has been around for nearly 4 years, and we kinda like him!!
The best part, according to Ansley:
"Lot of new little cousins!!"
Haha.
I think they might wait a few years for babies.
So, in the meantime,
they make a great Aunt,
and Future Uncle.
(Even for their favorite borrowed nephews.
Baby A and G-Man!)
We love you Haley and Clay.
Looking forward to May 27th!!!!!!

Olivia Kate: Cookies and Milk Party

2011-01-29T22:48:00.005-07:00

Olivia turned 2 and we had a party!!

I was super excited about a cookies and milk theme,
after seeing so many cute ideas floating around the blogisphere.
I love throwing parties!
Especially pink ones :)
I loved all the little details I was able to do with this theme.
The pink paper straws were my favorite part!!
I am so grateful for the many willing bakers that I had!!
And, all the party guests should be too-
considering everything I touched was ruined that day.
Happy Birthday Livvy Kate!!
Hope you enjoyed your birthday party.
(Or at least the party you stayed awake for.)
P.S.
I am having major issues with blogger- so this is all backwards.
And I gave up!!?

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T07:53:00.002-07:00

Olivia Kate {22 Months}

2010-12-05T12:36:00.003-07:00

This girl of mine...

She is getting so big!

So full of personality!!
It has been a fun month with our Olivia Kate.

She keeps us smiling,

and occasionally...

wanting to pull our hair out :)

Livvy LOVES to jump!

It is so funny to watch her.

She also loves to dance.

She has some great moves too!

Livvy still has Daddy wrapped around her little finger.

Curtis loves that baby girl.

And she loves her Dad.

He puts her to bed at night.

It's their time together.

I cannot remember if I have shared before,

but she has an obsession with elbows.

Yes, super strange, I know...

When she is tired,

she will says,

"Elbow,"

And you have to pull up your shirt sleeve,

to expose your bare elbow,

for her to hold.

A shirted elbow will just not do.

And she often needs both elbows.
Not sure where it came from,

or why she does it.

And yes, we think it is so weird!!
But, it puts her to sleep.

Every. Time.

There were some BIG changes this month for Livvy!!

I finally weaned her.

Well, almost :)

She is down to just nursing in the morning.

It wasn't easy,

and she is still "mourning" the loss.

But, I am so grateful to be down to once a day.

I am glad to have nursed for so long,

but it was time.

When she started saying,

"other side."

it was definitely time.... TMI!?

And now, she is eating so much better!!

Her favorites are:
Eggs, black beans, avocados, oranges, and yogurt.

Livvy is talking tons.

And pretty clearly.

We love it!!!

She can pretty much express anything she wants.

A few nights ago she and Ansley were playing in her room.

Ansley closed the door,

and I hear,
"Ansley, I tuck in here!"

(She cannot open doors yet!)

Ansley immediately opened the door for her :)

Liv and Ansley have such a sweet relationship!

We love you Livvy Kate!!

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-12-05T12:22:00.002-07:00

We headed out to Curtis' parents house for Thanksgiving this year.

I brought my camera,

but sadly didn't take a single picture!?

We had a wonderful time though!!

Eating yummy food,

and enjoying time with a lot of family!

(But we sure missed Wayne and Renee!!)

I love this time of year,

when I reflect on the things that I am thankful for.

A loving husband, who takes good care of his family!

Two beautiful girls.

My supportive and wonderful parents and Curtis'.

Awesome brothers and sisters, both my own, and Curtis'.

Cousins.

Cute cousins for my girls to play with.

Family.

Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles.

Eternal families!

Friends who are always there. No matter what.

My faith and testimony.

A warm, cozy home.

Curtis' job.

My sewing machine... Really, it is my sanity some days.

And so many, many more things.

We are so blessed.

{Olivia Kate 21 Months}

2010-11-06T19:33:00.003-06:00

Olivia Kate is 21 months!?

Wow...

I say it every month,

but really!???

She is going to be 2!

Soon.

This month Livvy showed intrest in the potty.

So, we got her a little pink potty.

She has yet to use it.

But, she loves sitting on it.

Clothed or not.

Yes, her foot is stuck in her pants.

One of her favorite things is to talk on the phone.

No idea where she gets that!?

Right....

She loves to call Petch or Grandpa.

And talk, talk, talk.

She is usually not ready to get off the phone when the other person is.

And will say,

"Wait! Wait! Wait! Minute!"

Olivia loves to draw and color.

We are all very impressed with how well she holds her crayons!

Coloring will entertain her for about 5 whole minutes!
This is a LONG time :)

I cannot get over how much more she is talking.

Every day it is more!!!

Repeating anything we say.

This week, she started saying,

"tank tue much"

I love it!!!

She will also say,

"Ansley, where are you?"

She is loving books!

Which I am really enjoying.
We read several books before bed.

And then she takes them to her crib.

I heard her the other night,

"reading" to herself in her bed.

She has been really sweet with Ansley lately.

Wanting to sit beside her.

And hugging her a lot.

Ansley has noticed the difference too!

And she loves it!!

We love you Livvy Kate!!

Halloween

2010-11-06T19:24:00.003-06:00

Halloween is not my favorite holiday.

I know... I know...

Everyone loves Halloween.

It just seems like a lot of work to me.

Add rain, and freezing temperatures,

and I am the parent that doesn't want to take the kids out!?

This Halloween was a bit CRAZY!?
Olivia had a darling butterfly costume.

She hated it.

So we borrowed the CUTEST octopus costume last minute.

It was a size 6-12 month, and just fit.

I added a bow, of course :)

Ansley was a pirate.

She wore her costume 3 days in a row.

Dance, school, and then trick-or-treating.

Amazingly it was still clean by Saturday night!?
After attempting to go the mall,

where ALL the stores were out of candy!?
We made the rounds in my parent's neighborhood.

It was a fun night.

But a little chaotic!

Trying to get a picture of the two of them is IMPOSSIBLE!?

See what I mean!?
Love this picture though.
Classic.

At least Ansley was ready!!

Happy Halloween 2010!

Pirate Island Birthday Celebration!

2010-11-01T22:16:00.004-06:00

Instead of a big party for Ansley this year,

went to Pirate Island Pizza.

We had never been there before.

It was surpisingly fun!!

It was a nice low key evening with family.

Pirates, Presents, and Pizza!

Olivia enjoying her pirate hat.

Or not...

Clay and his girlfriends!

(Did I mention, Clay is HOME!? and in Utah!?)
Clay and Haley got Ansley a Barbie house!
She LOVES the thing!!

Aw!!

Grandma and Ansley!
Enjoying the yummy salad bar!

Ansley is 6!?

2010-10-21T12:59:00.003-06:00

On October 16th Ansley turned 6!?

I cannot believe my little baby girl is 6!!

She is getting so grown-up!
Kindergarten.

Losing teeth.

Ballet lessons.

Talking about cute boys!?

It's all happening too fast!!

My beautiful toothless girl :)

She has now lost 3 teeth.

She still thinks visits from the tooth fairy are the best thing.

Ever.

Well, that and her Barbie house she got for her birthday.

Aunt Haley did a good job!

She is still one spunky little Miss!!

Ansley loves strutting her stuff for the camera.

Or putting on a show for friends.

She models for us whenever she puts on a new outfit.

The shoulder action involved in her model walk is hilarious!

She loves to sing!

Her favorite food is pizza.

Or spaghetti.

She loves Wizards of Waverly Place.

And Hannah Montanta.

She is growing up too fast.

Ansley loves school.

She is starting to read!

She declares everyday is the best day she has ever had.

I love her great attitude about life!
I could not be more proud of the girl she is becoming!!

She is a great sister,

and daughter.

A wonderful friend.

Smart.

And pretty cute too :)

We love you Ansley!!

We are so glad you are a part of our family!!
Happy 6th Birthday!!!

Cornbelly's

2010-10-17T10:13:00.003-06:00

Ever since moving to Utah I have heard about Cornbelly's.

Somehow though, we hadn't ever made it there!

Fall break seemed liked the perfect opportunity to meet good friends,

for some fun at Cornbelly's!

It will definitely be a yearly tradition!!

Livvy was a little young for it, but Ansley had a blast!!

What a fun day it was!!

Thanks Brit, Kaylee and Ellie for the invitation!!

And for the pretty pictures :)

Livvy LOVED the big jumping pillows.

But, wouldn't venture too far on her own.

At one point she was toppled over by a little boy.

She didn't even cry!

I helped her bounce on the edge.

Ansley and her good friend Kaylee!
She calls the time that Kaylee lived a few doors down,

"the good ole days!"

We miss Kaylee and Ellie!!

(And Britney and Kevin too!)

Those were good days!!

Ansley had no problems jumping all on her own!!
That girl has endless energy it seems!

A better shot of the Ghost shirt, on my cute girl :)

Ansley and her early birthday present.

My girl turned 6 yesterday,

Girly Ghost Shirt

2010-10-15T14:58:00.003-06:00

Livvy NEEDED a Halloween shirt :)

Ansley has 3 from last year, I didn't want Liv to feel left out after all.

I searched the mall for a cute one.

And left empty handed.

So, I made her a girly ghost one!

Copied from a Gap tee that they didn't have anymore.

I pretty much LOVE it.

And the best part:

It only took 1 hour it took to make!

Now, if I could just teach her to pose for the camera :)

Pink bow, pink hightop. Does it get any cuter than that??

Olivia Kate {20 months}

2010-09-27T14:08:00.003-06:00

Our little Liv is 20 months.

Well, she will be tomorrow- but I have time to blog today!

I feel like she has turned into a little girl this month!

It breaks my heart, just a little, to see this girl grow up.

But, we do love watching her learn new things.

Like how she gives the best kisses.

With her sweet little fish face pucker.

And, when she says goodbye, she blows you a kiss!

It will melt your heart.

I promise!

She is always on the move.

Sitting still only for moments at a time.

But, those sweet still moments are the best of all,

because she is usually paused for a hug.

Her talking has taken off even more this month.

I love hearing her saying new things daily.

Like at Gap a few weeks ago,

when she grabbed a shirt off the shelf and declared it,

"Cuuute."

Or when she throws something in the trash:

"Ewww, deguteen" (disgusting.)

When she sees her own picture and says,

"Baby!"

She has loved trying on her new fall clothes.

That is what big girls do!

She will even spin when you ask her turn around!??

And, then she doesn't want to take them off.

She has an obsession with her blue loafers.

Bought by her favorite person,

"Nana" (Our fabulous friend, and taker of the above pictures, Triana.)

She is obsessed, and wants to wear them with everything!

So, when you see her in her cute blue loafers,

and they don't match,

remember I am picking my battles!

She just doesn't seem much like a baby anymore.

Today, she wanted to wear panties!

Panties!!!

She is 20 months old.

She ran into the closet, and grabbed Ansley's panties.

She was yelling, "Ansley," and pointing to them as I put them on her.

It lasted 20 minutes, when I finally wrestled her back into a diaper.

Mama isn't ready for potty training quite yet!

Maybe next month?

We love you Livvy Kate!

Stay little for just awhile longer, please??

Sealed: For time and all Eternity

2010-09-26T20:35:00.004-06:00

June 26, 2010 marked the most important day for our family.

Curtis and I were sealed for time and all eternity in the Draper, Utah Temple.

Olivia was sealed to us.

It was such a special day. A day I will never forgot.

A day I will always be grateful for.

A day we waited a long time for.

We were so blessed to be joined by wonderful family and friends.

It still brings tears to my eyes to remember the feelings of the day.

We are an eternal family.

(Picture September 2010 by Triana Ord Photography)

The Tooth Fairy

2010-09-02T11:24:00.003-06:00

Ansley lost her first tooth last night!

To say she was excited would be an understatement.

We tucked the tooth into her sweet little tooth pillow.

(Which I should get a picture of, but Livvy is napping right now, in the room with the pillow)

And Ansley reminded me that she wanted a figurine, not just money from the tooth fairy!

Being a tooth fairy is hard work!

Poor fairy had a hard time finding the tooth pillow!!

Don't worry though, she did.

And she left $2, special fairy dust, and a hand written teeny, tiny note!

Fair dust is nice and sparkly. And comes in a pretty jeweled container!

But, wouldn't you know?

Those jewels don't stick very well.

So the tooth fairy had to make some apologies in her note.

Her note read:

Dear Ansley,

Congratulations on your first tooth loss!

Here is some special fairy dust for you!

Oops. Looks like I lost a jewel! Hope you don't

mind.

Love,

The Tooth Fairy

P.S.

I hear you are tooth fairy too!

In case you have forgotten,

Ansley is the tooth fairy!

My Dad and she play this game.

She knew the tooth fairy was real because,

"She wrote in cursive, and even knew my name.

Plus she lost a jewel. And that is something tooth fairies do!"

This morning, when Ansley woke up she was SO excited!

She ran into my room to tell me,

"The tooth fairy is AWESOME! This is better than my birthday!"

On the way to school she called Grandma to tell her the big news!

And what the fairy had left her.

She told her all about how the fairy dust was real!

"I used it in my room, so it didn't work,

but when I get home from school I am going to use it outside.

And I will fly! I have been waiting years to fly!"

I might have some explaining to do after school!

Uh oh...

First Day of Kindy!

2010-08-23T09:39:00.002-06:00

Ansley started her first day of school today!

I cannot believe she is in kindergarten!!

She was so excited this morning, she asked me,

"Mom, you aren't just tricking me, I really do get to go to school today, right?"

Ansley is getting so grown-up! It kills me :(

Some days I just want her to stop.

But most days I just enjoy watching the little lady she is becoming.

My little camera ready girl. Always has a pose!

With the backpack. A sweet gift from Grandma and Grandpa Larson!
She's one styling girl!

Is it time yet??

We stopped to pick up Grandma on the way.

She didn't want to miss the big "drop-off"

Grandma cried, I did not.

I was sad though.

Just a little :)

And just a little excited too!

(That doesn't make me a bad Mom, right?)

Ansley LOVED her first day!

She jumped in the car after pick-up, and said,

"School is AWESOME! I don't just like it, I love it! I am going to go everyday!"

Hope she feels that way about school for many years to come!!

Livvy says...

2010-08-17T17:09:00.000-06:00

Luh loo.
So cute!

Loose Tooth

2010-08-13T13:33:00.002-06:00

Ansley has her first loose tooth.

And she is SO excited!

When she discovered her loose tooth, she excitedly exclaimed,

"This is better than my birthday,

let's call everyone we know!"

We proceeded to make about 5 phone calls.

She wanted to make sure Grandma would

wiggle the tooth, so she would KNOW it was loose.

She told Aunt Haley,

"I cannot wait to see what the tooth fairy brings me.

It'll either be money, or a knick-knack!?"

Haha....

A knick-knack!?

This morning she woke up and told me the tooth more wiggly today.

So now we are waiting for our very first visit from

the tooth fairy.

And I am on the hunt for the perfect knick-knack :)

Ansley's To-Do List:

2010-08-05T15:24:00.006-06:00

I am sure most of you read this on FB, but I wanted to write it down

somewhere that I will be able to look back and remember it.

So, here it is again...

Yesterday morning while I was getting ready Ansley came into the bathroom

with a to-do list for the day.

It was drawn in a tiny notebook. And numbered:

1. Go to the park.

2. Make cupcakes

3. Collect sticks to make fairy furniture

4. Go hunting for mermaids.

I really wish that it had been the kind of day where I could have

dropped everything else on my to-do list and completed hers.

I want to be that Mom. (I am not that Mom.)

It just wasn't in the cards though.

We did make it to the park. And we did eat cupcakes at the park.

Brought by a friend :)

A mermaid hunt is in the works.

Anyone want to join in that fun?

18 months

2010-07-28T21:15:00.004-06:00

Today Olivia is 18 months. That is a year and half!??

How did this happen? My baby isn’t really a baby anymore.

She is a toddler!

Here is what Olivia is up to at 18 months.

She can make a great “mean” face. But every now and then a little grin slips through

Ansley is still her favorite person. Every morning when she wakes up she points to Ansley’s bed (where Ansley is still sleeping) and says, “What’s that? Ansley!”

She also greets Ansley with a big hug and kiss every time she sees her. Livvy really loves her big sister!!

Every now and then she even drinks from a sippy cup.

But I am pretty sure this girl might still be nursing in kindergarten. Okay I am totally kidding- but it sure feels that way. Any advice on weaning a toddler???

I am open to any and all suggestions.

She loves being outside. And running around! She is constantly pointing to the front door and saying “doutdide” (outside).

She loves my new camera. She thinks she is a photographer. She puts the camera strap around her neck and everything.

And every now and then, she actually lets me take a picture.

And even smiles!! So pretty

She eats every meal with a fork. We are very impressed with her coordination. And what a neat eater she is. She makes very little mess, and wipes her mouth every few bites.

She is talking up a storm. Here are some of her latest words:

elbow

sock

ear

nose

hair

counting- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5!

upstairs

here

shoe

Olivia has become a much better napper and sleeper! (YAY!) she takes one 2 to 3 hour nap a day. And sleep from about 8 to 6, when she wakes up to nurse, and typically falls back to sleep until 7:30. Even better, she lays down fully awake without crying!! As long as she has 2 babies, her teddy bear, a blanket, her lovey, and a pillow!

She is wearing size 12-18 months clothes. And a size 3 or 4 shoe.

*edit to add stats*

21lbs (13 %), 31.5 inches (45 %- growth spurt!), and again cannot remember her head circumference, but it is in the 45 % as well. Not such a pin head anymore :)

She loves wearing her bow headbands everyday! She will walk into the bathroom where her bows are kept and point for me to get her one. Then I will put it on her, and she will say “piddy.” She also does a very cute head tilt when we get out of the car and she has removed her bow, so it is easier for me to put it back on her :) Haha! She is my girl. No bow, no go!!

She can point to and say most of her body parts. Even surprising us today with “elbow”

Olivia is such a joy to have in our home! Although we have some difficult days with her, she is quick to remind us how very wonderful she is with an unasked for hug and sweet kiss!

We love our little lady so very much!

Pioneer Day

2010-07-24T13:58:00.006-06:00

In an effort to do more fun things with the girls

(because I am pretty sure trips to Target and Gracie Lou's

aren't that entertaining for them),

we got up bright and early to go to the parade in our little town.

We were a little nervous about how Olivia would behave,

but she was wonderful!!

She enjoyed watching the different trucks and floats go by.

Ansley of course made new friends with neighbors

from my parents ward.

They each got an otter pop, and came home

sticky and tired.

There are still festivities tonight.

BBQ and Fireworks!I sure do love living in Utah :)

Daddy and his mini watching the parade.

The start.

Ansley and Olivia watching from "Petch's" lap.
(Ansley dubbed my Dad, Petch, when she was about
Olivia's age. Bet he is the only Petch
out there.)

Livvy would clap and wave at every float.
And dance when there was music.

I am pretty sure if I ever had a tractor it would be pink :)

Happy Pioneer Day!!

Ansley's Umbrella Dress

2010-07-07T13:12:00.003-06:00

I read a lot of blogs. Craft blogs. Cooking blogs. Pretty blogs.

It's kind of an obsession.

But, I do find great ideas on these blogs.

This dress was one of them.

It is a Leila and Ben pattern I saw on a blog.

I knew it would be the perfect pattern to modify and make over and over again.

I have already made several of them.

I even convinced a few friends that they needed the pattern too!

It is Ansley's favorite dress to wear.

(I added the pockets, it needed something.)

I also think this dress would be darling with a ruffle all the way

down the middle. Who doesn't love ruffles??

I am pretty much in LOVE with the umbrella fabric. Which I found at

Material Girls. CUTEST shop!!

Wish I could remember the designer.

She is a good little model for me :)
Love my Ansley!!

Fishy Face

2010-07-04T21:47:00.001-06:00

Olivia does a pretty good fishy face! Don't you think so too??
(She literally spent 15 minutes trying to copy my fishy face until she mastered it.)

17 Months

2010-06-28T17:14:00.003-06:00

Olivia is 17 months today. I cannot believe it. That is almost a year and a half. AND, that is one month until nursery!!! YAY!

My baby girl had a rough month. Thrush, and a tummy bug. Poor girl. She didn't eat for weeks! It was the saddest thing. But she is better now, and back to normal. Eating and asking for "bite" all the time.

She is starting to talk more and more. I love hearing new words from her daily. The other day while at the store we were in line to pay, and she looks at me and says, "iaunna tookie" (I want a cookie"). You can bet that cookie came home with us. I was so surprised. She said a full sentence. The lady in line ahead of us even commented on it! And today she said "peas" (please.) Adorable.

She is still a little peanut. But, she finally hit the 20 pound mark this month! And she is 30 inches. And we can finally find shoes that fit. Pretty easily :)

She missed her sister while she was away, and would often stand at the front door and scream her name. "Anlee" SO sweet! She loves her sissy!!

She is a busy, busy girl. Running everywhere. And has recently decided that she doesn't like riding in her stroller, and would instead like to "wa" everywhere. "I wa, I wa" she says. And then she runs away the minute her feet hit the ground.

We love our girl!

She's Back!

2010-06-24T17:34:00.003-06:00

After 3 weeks spent with her Dad, Ansley is HOME! And, just as funny as ever. She said several cute things today that I want to write them down before I forget!

First thing this morning when she got home I pulled out my new camera. It's a fancy one, that I don't know how to work. She obviously could tell I was struggling, because she looks at me and says, "I think you just need to wait until Triana can show you how to work that thing!" (Triana is our amazing, and all knowing photographer friend).

Then while we were eating our lunch she says, "Grandma made the best friend squash. This was no ordinary squash. It was breaded like chicken." Who says ordinary at 5??

In the right context no less.

Later in the car (I told you she was really funny today, this isn't even the last story.) Livvy was making whistling noises, and she says, "Guess it's true what they say, the younger ones always do whistle first." I've never heard this, because I'm pretty sure it isn't what "they say" but I laughed. Pretty funny. Ansley cannot whistle. And neither can Livvy. Really. Lol.

And then at the doctor's office (where she was getting tested for strep, I'll post about my crazy week later...) the nurse gave Ansley a cup of water. Of course Olivia then had to have one too. Which Olivia proceeded to dump all over dress. A few minutes later Ansley looked at Olivia and said, "Her water mark looks like Texas." And it DID look like Texas. Did anyone teach her the states? Because I didn't. And my Mom said on the airplane on the little map they had she knew all of them. That girl is too smart...

We have an exciting weekend ahead. I'll update soon!

Park Days

2010-06-03T19:27:00.002-06:00

It is FINALLY warm enough for the park!!!!! A group of friends and

I have been meeting once a week to hang out and let the kids run.

It is so nice for the SUN to be out :)

My little chipmunk cheeks! She was so enjoying all

the food being passed around.

I am pretty sure these cheeks are full of the pizza she picked

up off the grass. YUCK!!

Anlsey and Leah! Ansley LOVES Leah!!

Not sure what that tongue is about!?

Still working on the pizza!?
(I just realized this is the same picture, it is
supposed to be a different one...)

Cassie and me.

Ansley and Morgan!

We love our friends :)

Thank goodness for friends!!

2010-06-03T19:17:00.005-06:00

See, when you write a post about how you don't take pictures, pictures suddenly show up in your inbox :) Thanks Em for saving the day!!

These are from Ansley's preschool graduation. Her and Spencer were not in the same class (which was sad, and not well planned on my part), but they did get to sit beside eachother at graduation. These will be so cute on their wedding invites someday!!

It was fun to see what the kids had learned this year!
They sang several cute songs, including "Kiss your Brain" and "Hannah had the Hiccups"

Counted down from 10, and made several letter sounds for us!

Then they got a cute little diploma!

We are proud of our Ansley! She is one smart girl!!!

June!? Already?

2010-06-02T11:54:00.002-06:00

The month of May flew by. We were busy wrapping up Ansley's last year of preschool, attending her dance recital, a wedding, Curtis' birthday, mother's day, enjoying a few warm days here and there, and I was getting Ansley ready to go to her Dad's house for 3 weeks. And sadly- I don't think I got pictures of ANY of this!?? (I should add that other people did take pictures of some of these events, and the recital was recorded on Curtis' phone, are we awesome parents, or what!?) I have decided that the reason I am not good at blogging is because I am not good at taking pictures. And what is a blog post without a picture??? So, I dug out the camera, actually found the charger, and in June I am taking pictures!

Olivia is talking up a storm. Saying new words daily. A few weeks ago she closed the door to the closet (her on one side, me on the other), and said, "Bye, lub ju". CUTEST thing ever. And just in case you weren't sure what that was, it was "love you". She is such a funny girl! She has so much personality! She is quite the little dancer, I really really should get that on video. It is the best!! And, her hair is finally starting to grow. A little.

Ansley is at her Dad's house until the end of June. She was so excited to go and spend time in Florida with him. It will be the longest she has ever been away from home, but I know she will have a great time! She finished up preschool before she left, and even had a cute little graduation. She is so excited to start kindergarten in the fall! I am also hoping to put her in girl scouts! So get ready to buy some cookies :)

Look for some new sewing projects posts soon. I have a few fun sewing days planned with friends and hope to get a lot accomplished!!

Baby L's Present

2010-04-26T20:43:00.004-06:00

I love giving hand-made gifts. Especially little tiny pink ones! I had so much fun creating this set! The fabric was so fun- perfect for a summer baby. There are so many great craft blogs out there with wonderful ideas, it makes gift giving easy!

(I forgot to take pictures before wrapping the present- so I had to have the mommy-to-be's Mom take pictures at the shower.)

Heather Bailey's bitty bootie pattern, modified into mary-janes!

Tattered-rolled flowers are pretty much my favorite thing ever! And SO easy to make.

(I am trying to remember the blog I found the tutorial on- because you have to try them!)
I appliqued the front of the ruffle-butt onsie with an "L". And the onsie dress has a ruffle around the neck.

The doll is from a tutorial on www.60piggies.blogspot.com

It is very simple, once you draw out the pattern. If anyone is interested I have a drawn out pattern I am willing to share. I made one for Ansley before making this one- and she loves it!

With my pretty Mom :)

I cannot wait to meet precious little "L"!

Ansley.

2010-04-24T19:46:00.002-06:00

A few new Ansley stories:

When asked by the dance photographer to smile with her teeth (at 5 she has decided that she doesn't like smiling with her teeth!?):
"I don't like smiling with my teeth, especially when they haven't been brushed!"
This was only slightly embarrassing!? She HAD brushed her teeth.

I had to put make-up on her for the dance pictures, and she looked in the mirror after I painstakingly applied eyeliner to her little eyes- yes I was proud:
"I look like a whole new me. All my friends will think I am a grown-up."

My very favorite-
I came down the stair one morning after getting ready for the day, and Ansley was on the couch eating a bowl of A1. Yes, she had poured herself a bowl of steak sauce for breakfast. I win mother of the year I am sure. To make it even more funny, she was watching HGTV. House Hunters. And proceeds to tell me:
"I really hope they choose the big house with the outdoor living space. It is the best one!"

Word Explosion!

2010-04-24T19:35:00.002-06:00

Olivia is almost 15 months and has suddenly started saying SO many words. It is so much fun to hear new words everyday! We love watching her watch us talk, and trying to repeat what we say. Right now she can say:

Ansley (Anlee)
Haley (Halee- which she says more than anything else. Aunt Haley loves this. Really, we'll say, "say baby." "Halee." say ball." "Halee.")
Baby
Ball
Mommy
Dad
Uh-oh
Uh-uh
Mine
Me me (when ever she wants something!)
All Done (which she signs, and sounds more like ah da- but it is cute)

I am sure she says more, but this is all I can think of right now.

Easter Dresses

2010-03-24T22:43:00.003-06:00

My wonderful hubby recently bought me a serger. BEST. PRESENT. EVER. I think I have used it every day since opening the box two weeks ago. I am officially addicted to sewing, and may never leave my house again (well except for more fabric). Especially now that I have a dedicated sewing area.

My first "big" project was making the girl's Easter dresses. I found a darling pattern, read up on how to make the "rolled hem" and in 6 hours I had made 2 dresses. Not too bad, right? And for $15 a dress!!! I will be making Ansley's clothes a lot from now on :)

Olivia's dress. With sweet little birds!

I wanted their dresses to be exactly the same, but when I fell in love with a print that was too big for my tiny Olivia, I went with cooridinating not matching. The sashes are the same on both.

The shirring detail- which is like smocking, with elastic thread. If anyone is interested in shirring, Sandy Henderson's blog, portabellopixie.typepad has a wonderful tutorial. It was shockingly easy. And I have to say, I am pretty proud of my straight lines! I didn't even use chalk!

Ansley's dress! This fabric is so pretty in person. It is from Heather Bailey's Nicey Jane line. All of the fabrics in that line are gorgeous. I also made Ansley a pair of pants with another print from the line.

Their dresses together. The pattern is Izzy and Ivy. The Avery I believe. It was so simple! And totally well written! I would recommend it to anyone!

(And it can be done without a serger)!

And in case you were wondering- pictures will be posted of them in their dresses later!

Ready for SPRING....

2010-03-07T10:59:00.002-07:00

February was a long month. Isn't it always?? Uneventful, besides a lot of sickies. I am ready for some sunshine and warm weather...
Here is a little update on the family:
Curtis is still working in the office, although we fear those days are numbered. He has been asked to return to Norway in May possibly. We are not looking forward to him traveling again. But, are ever so grateful he has a good job!! He also started working on his MBA this past week. I am so proud of my hard working hubby :)
I have been keeping busy with the girls- as always. With all the colds we passed around this month, I have had a lot of time to plan all of the crafts that I want to start on soon- SOON! I got a wonderful surprise from Curtis last week- a serger!! I cannot wait to use it! We are in the process of getting a sewing area together.
Ansley is doing well in school. Learning more and more each day. And keeping us entertained :) We are crossing our fingers that she gets into the charter school for kindergarten this fall! They have a full day program- which would be wonderful for all of us!
Olivia is 13 months. And busy, busy, busy. She is quite the Mama's girl, and spends most of her day in my arms. She has also become a little climber. After turing my head for 2 seconds, I found her on the sofa table! She is cutting 2 more bottom teeth!
So, besides looking forward to warming months ahead, life is good! We are blessed! We are happy!

1 Year Stats

2010-02-02T15:20:00.002-07:00

Took Olivia for her one year check up today. Everything looks good. She is still itty bitty for her age!? She is growing, just at a slow pace. She weighed in at 18 pounds 10 ounces (8th percentile), is 28.5 inches long (25th percentile) and her head is 17.5 cm. (32nd percentile). The doctor was surprised she could walk on her tiny little feet :)

ONE year old!!

2010-01-28T16:53:00.002-07:00

Olivia is 1 today!! Hard to believe that one year ago today this baby girl was all hooked up to wires spending some time in the NICU! I am so grateful that today she is a happy, HEALTHY, 1 year old!! I feel like this year has gone WAY to quickly. Here is what Olivia is up to now:

Walking, she rarely crawls these days.
She FINALLY has 4 teeth!!
Loves baby dolls. It is so sweet to watch her "rock" and "pat" her baby.
Eating and trying more foods.
Still nursing a lot though :)
Saying bye bye and waving.
Holding the phone up to her ear and saying what sounds like hello.
Sleeping not so much, or so well....
Playing peek-a-boo and saying, "ah boo"
Giving sweet open mouthed kisses.
Pointing to Mommy's nose when asked where it is.
Clapping a lot!

She is a sweet, sweet baby! The past few weeks she has been pretty fussy cutting teeth, but she is normally very happy and smiley! She has her 1 year check next week, so I will post stats then! Happy Birthday Olivia!! We love you SO much!!!

(Thanks to Triana for MORE faulous pictures. We love them!)

2010

2010-01-26T10:53:00.002-07:00

Way behind- AGAIN or maybe I should say STILL. I am not going to try and catch up. I am going to just start over and do better with 2010...

I must say so far, not loving 2010. It has been a sad year :(

First we said goodbye to Curtis' brother and his family, who moved to Kentucky for a job. Although we didn't see them as often as we would have liked, it was comforting knowing they weren't too far away. We are so happy they get to have this adventure in Kentucky, but we will miss them! A lot!!

Then, on Friday, January 22 my Bubba had a massive stroke in the night and passed away later that evening. Words can not express the sadness I have felt over the past few days. I was very close to my Grandfather. I am so grateful for the time I did have with him. I am very lucky to have many, many wonderful memories of him. He taught me to drive. He wouldn't say much, in fact at times he would read the newspaper while I was behind the wheel (such trust!?), but just when I thought he wasn't paying attention he would tell me what to do. He also taught me to play backgammon. Bubba liked his sleep, and always went to bed early, unless we were playing cards, or backgammon. And he would NEVER let you win. EVER! It was so frustrating when we were younger, but as we got older, and could actually beat him we knew it was the real deal! He was an amazing card player, I have many fond memories of playing cards with him. We often accused him of cheating, because he always won- (for the record he didn't cheat, it just made us feel better). One of the BEST things about Bubba were what we coined "bubbaisms". He had phrases, sayings, that I can remember him using from the time I was a little girl. Anyone who knew him could name a few I am sure. A few favorites, "Bubba loves you, loves you, loves you." He always said this when he hung up the phone with you. "I am perfect in every way." I can remember him even saying this in church when his Pastor would announce that no one was perfect :) "I'll do all the work, you just sit around and look pretty." This was said often, very often. Like if he did the dishes, or took out the trash. "Hey pill, I mean pal." I used to hate this as a kid. I am crying just thinking about how I will never hear it now. "Hollywood's after me." or "they just want me for my body." Ah, he had the best sense of humor. He loved milkshakes, and we would always make a few trips to the Shakeshop when we visited him. He also made THE best Fried Egg sandwiches. He LOVED his mayo. (he would only eat Helman's) and we always teased him about his generous amount he put on EVERYTHING! He felt the same way about butter :) He loved my girls, and was always quick to ask about them and Curtis whenever I called. I am so glad that they were all able to meet him, and spend time with him. More than anything, I am thankful that life is eternal and we will see him again. I miss you and LOVE you Bubba!!!!!

Almost Walking.

2009-12-16T09:30:00.002-07:00

Miss Olivia is taking 5-8 steps at a time now! Won't be long before this baby is walking all over the place. A few short months and she will be 1! Party planning has begun. I am sad my baby is getting so big!!

p.s. had I not left the disc at the photo lab, our new family pictures would be up.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-16T09:26:00.002-07:00

Gonna get these in the mail today.... I hope....

A tooth!

2009-11-24T15:47:00.001-07:00

Olivia got her first tooth this week. I found it on Sunday while at church. I cannot believe at nearly 10 months old this girl FINALLY got a tooth. I was beginning to think she might not ever get teeth. She will not open her mouth enough for me to get a picture. She insists on sticking her tongue out every time I try... Oh well.

Sweat Pants

2009-11-02T10:38:00.002-07:00

As I was putting Ansley's sweats on her this morning (and yes I am now finding it odd that I was actually dressing my 5 year old, guess I need to work on that!?) she asked me if we were going on anywhere today. I told her that we were, her response:
"Then why am I wearing stay at home pants?"
Haha! My little fashionista....

Happy Halloween!!

2009-10-31T22:07:00.003-06:00

For Halloween this year Ansley was a black cat, and Olivia was Olivia the pig from the Olivia books. I am very proud to say that I made both of their costumes. For Ansley it was just a tail and ears, but for Livvy I made her ears, and dress. They looked so cute! I had a terrible time trying to get pictures of them. This is the best I got...

The glow sticks they got trick-or-treating. Neither one would hold still!?

This is the only one with Ansley and Olivia that was even close to okay... It is so hard to get them to look at the camera. And for those that have not seen me with dark hair, here it is.

Livvy's nose was painted pink, and I put two little black dots on it. She looked SO cute! And her bows on her ears like Olivia the pig :) LOVED it!

Mommy and Livvy!

Olivia at 9 months:

2009-10-29T14:11:00.003-06:00

Baby Livvy is almost a year old- just a few short months!? She is one busy baby! At nine months she is:

Pulling up and crusing the furniture.
Crawling everywhere!
Saying Mama, Dada, and what sounds like 'baby"
Eating finger foods like: puffs, cut up pear, frozen peas, cantalope...
Loves her big sister Ansley, and gets big smiles when she first sees her in the morning.
Sleeping 8 hours at night, waking up, and going back to sleep for a few more. This is a huge improvement, and I cannot complain.
Climbs the entire flight of stairs.
Still has no teeth!?
Napping once a day, at 12:30 for about 2 hours. You are not a good napper Miss Olivia... Mommy is really working on it!
Standing alone for a few seconds occasionally.
Wearing 6-12 month clothes. Finally.
Says "mmmm..." when ever you eat anything. So cute.

Olivia weighs 17 pounds 14 ounces (25th percentile) and is 27.5 inches (25th percentile). Her head circumference is still in the 3rd or so percentile, at 17 cm. She is the sweetest thing! And we love her so!!

My cute little ladies:

2009-10-22T21:23:00.003-06:00

It is nearly impossible to get them to look anywhere near the camera at the same time. This wasn't too bad! I love my little ladies!

Sweet...

2009-10-22T20:54:00.001-06:00

Napping after church.

Greek Yogurt

2009-10-22T20:40:00.004-06:00

After trying tons of different food with Olivia with little success we finally found something she likes! Greek yogurt of all things!? What can I say, she is a girl after my own heart! She loves the stuff with a little cinnamon sprinkled in it. While she may not look to enthused in the photos, I assure you, she like the stuff! And I could not be happier with her choice, because incase you didn't know, greek yogurt is SO good for you! She has in the past few days started eating other things as well including: kiwi, cantalope, carrots, and avocado. All things she orignally didn't like! I have hope this girl won't be a picky eater! Yay!

Ansley is FIVE!!!

2009-10-22T20:32:00.003-06:00

Ansley turned the big 5 on October 16th! Unforuntely she was sick on her big day! It was so SAD!! I had planned a wonderful birthday party for her at a spa here that does the coolest little parties for girls. We had to cancel it the night before! Bummer. It is rescheduled- in November! Luckily, we had already celebrated with Curtis' family so she had gotten to blow out candles and open a few presents! More to come on her birthday after her party....

The much loved Doctor's kit! G&G Larson have one at their house that keeps all the grandkids well entertained! She loves it!
Blowing out her candels on the cupcakes I made (well Curtis made, and I frosted).

Mama!!

2009-09-29T20:53:00.000-06:00

Livvy says Mama! Oh it is a good day :)

Pictures soon- promise!!

Cooking Blog!

2009-09-22T16:23:00.002-06:00

Check out my cooking blog! I just started it a few weeks ago! Check back often for new recipes, tips, and ideas!
www.athymeandaseason.blogspot.com

Liv says...

2009-09-17T22:04:00.000-06:00

Dada! It is so sweet :)

Livvy Talks

2009-09-13T12:30:00.002-06:00

She has started babbling "blah, blah. blah, blah" with inflection it is hilarious, especially combined with her arms going all over the place in the air! This morning when Curtis was talking to her, and she responded with her new banter, "blah, blah, blah, blah, BLAH" he told her to quit being such a smart alick! Won't be long before she is keeping up with Ansley!?

(I need to get this on video!)

It's too soon, right!?

2009-08-25T10:12:00.001-06:00

For Livvy to be pulling herself up that is!????

Busy!

2009-08-19T09:15:00.002-06:00

Sorry for the lack of blog updates, we have been super busy wrapping up summer! Block parties, going away parties, and birthday parties having been filling my weeks!

Ansley starts ballet today, I am more excited than she is I think! She is taking a combo class of tap, jazz and ballet- I cannot wait to get her dressed in her leotard and tights, and do her hair!!! How cute is she going to be!? Her preschool starts in 2 weeks, this will be her 4th year... Gotta love that she misses the kindergarten cut off by just a month and a half. Of course, Ansley is still cracking us up with the funny things she says! Yesterday she told a friend that she looked pretty, but that she thinks a lot of things are pretty, because she is looking for the beauty all around her now, when the friend asked what that meant, she said that when she was in my tummy she had nothing to look at, so now she sees lots of pretty things! She also told us that Olivia does the "whale" trying to explain her crawling technique- Curtis said, "the whale, do you mean the worm?" She said, "yeah, I mean the worm."

Olivia is growing, and getting so much more personality by the day! She spent most of August with a cold that kept her pretty fussy, and me exhausted from long nights. Luckily, she is now feeling much better, and back to her happy little self! Like Ansley poitned out, she is still not really crawling, she is doing the worm. I know it really bugs her that she can't get around as quickly as she would like- but she is patient, and keeps trying!

I am hoping that once school starts back we will have a little more time for blogging!

Stella and Dot

2009-08-03T11:35:00.001-06:00

I have a started a new business with an awesome jewelry company, Stella and Dot. Check out my website: www.stelladot.com/taylor

If you are interested in hosting a party let me know, or in becoming a stylist!

6 Months!

2009-07-30T13:24:00.002-06:00

My little Livvy is 6 months! Where has the time gone!? That is half a year! WOW! Yesterday she had her 6 month Dr.'s visit. I had planned to have my Mom come and watch Ansley while I took Olivia for her shots. So, yesterday morning my Mom comes over at 9:00 to watch Ansley, who just woke up and is still in her jammies. As I am walking out the door I tell my Mom that I am sad that Livvy has to get shots (because it is awful watching your baby get poked!). Ansley freaked out, like sobbing! She runs to the door and stands to where I cannot open it, and tells me that she doesn't want anyone to hurt her sister, and that she is NOT getting shots! All through sobs. She then proceeds to run to the car and buckle herself into her carseat in her nightgown! I ended up letting her come with me, and my Mom tagged along to help. On the way Ansley said what I think might just be the sweetest thing ever, "I wish I was Olivia so I could get the shots for her." How sweet is that!? What a good big sister!!!

The Doctor's appointment went fine, and Ansley left the room while we did the shots! Livvy barely cried, and actually grinned a the nurse after he was done.

She weighed in at 15lbs 12oz (47th percentile), 26 inches (60 percentile), and her head which I cannot remember the measurement for is finally in the 20th percentile! Dr. said she was doing well, and doing all that she should be at this age!

Liv is up on all fours, and scoots everwhere! She has started laughing a ton! And she has tried avocado, sweet potato, bananas, and apples, and was pretty unimpressed with all of them. She still likes mama's milk best- and that is fine with me!

Update

2009-07-14T22:38:00.002-06:00

I met with the doctor yesterday about my liver. He basically said that he just wants to watch the spot and see if it grows or not. I will be having an MRI in 3 months. He also wants to do a HYDA scan on my gallbladder, because he says my syptoms have to be caused from a diseased gallbladder, even though I have no stones. If I do have my gallbladder removed then they will do a biopsy of my liver spot since they will already be in there. He said that to remove the mass would be major and invasive surgery, so he doesn't want to go that route if he does not have to, as most of these things are pretty harmless... Not exactly what I was hoping for as we still don't have the most clear answers, but I feel at least some relief.

Never a dull moment!

2009-07-07T11:28:00.002-06:00

Since most know, and it easier for some to keep up with us through my blog, I just wanted clue everyone in on what's going on around here. About 2 weeks ago I went in for an u/s to look for gall stones, and while my gallbladder looked good, they found a large mass on my liver. As of now, they do not know what the mass is. They do know that is big- bigger than they thought it was, at 8 cm. There are some ideas as to what it may be, the most likely one being a hepatic adenoma- you can google that one for more info, and it will probably have to be surgically removed. I was supposed to have an appoinment today with a specialist, but found out yesterday that they do not take my insurance (which is SO SO SO frustrating, because I want to know what this thing is growing inside of me, and more than anything, I want it OUT!), so it looks like I will be waiting ANOTHER week to see what is going on. Incase any one wanted to know, I do feel sick pretty much all time, I have pain in my liver a lot, and I am TIRED!!! So, that is what I know right now, I will keep everyone up to date!

My Ansley...

2009-07-01T14:57:00.002-06:00

Listen to what she just said to me:

"Mom, you were much prettier on your wedding day than you are today, because you wouldn't have wanted Curtis to think you are gross, right?

Ah....

Thanks babe!

And she said:

"Heavenly Father isn't controlling the world very well today because it is SO hot outside!"

She always keeps us laughing!