Hicks Family

Mother Payton

2011-07-22T10:25:00.000-07:00

Payton is such a good little mommy to all of her babies.

She wraps them,
holds them, pats them,

sings to them & then puts them to bed.

It's a very big job but someone has to do it!

We are in TROUBLE!!!!

2011-07-22T10:11:00.000-07:00

We are in TROUBLE because

Guess who's walking!

The best part about her starting to walk is that her personality just shines now. She's silly, she's serious & she is fun!
Just look how happy she is! This is what freedom looks like.
I don't know what it is about the tongue being out but both my girls have their tongues out when they are concentrating about something.

For some reason it is always easier for babies to walk while they are holding something. This time it was the lens cap for my camera.

But all good things must come to an end.
And it's not always a happy time either.
But once she got the hang of it there was no stopping her. She's into EVERYTHING now but she is so happy & becoming good friends with Payton.

Fort Matanzas in St. Augustine FL

2011-07-22T09:22:00.000-07:00

We had the greatest luck when we went to go visit Fort Matanzas. They were having a "Living History" day where they had people dressed as sailors & they shot off the cannons.They shot off a barrel full bread but don't let that fool you... it was loud & you felt it in your chest. I had Katie's ears covered & Payton was ready with her ears covered.
Other than the fact that it was really, really hot we had a lot of fun.
I loved this picture because the sailors were sitting there just smiling at Payton while she was taking her picture.
Payton wasn't all that interested in walking thru this "boring, old building thing" (her words not mine) until I showed her something that was "so cool"
They used coquina (crushed shells) to make the walls & it became a game to see if we could find big shells in with all the little ones.
Our little model allowed us to get a few shots of her. I love that her hair is starting to show signs of curling! It's just not long enough yet to see if it will be as curly as Payton's.
Payton loves getting in pictures with her sister.
This whole area was so pretty.
I have to explain the flag. The sailors that were 'manning the fort' were British so thus the flag.

One of the few family pictures that we have. Not too bad.
I just love this face that Katie gives us. In order to get to the Fort we had to take a ferry over & the girls enjoyed it.
This is Katie's favorite place to be.
We are having so much fun in Florida!

Downtown Disney

2011-07-12T10:49:00.001-07:00

Being so close to Walt Disney World we had to go at least to Downtown Disney. Donald & I didn't tell Payton that there was a Disneyland here in FL because we weren't sure when we were going to be able to go & didn't want to be pestered every day about it.

We were there about 5 minutes when the questions started. "hey why is there a statue of Cinderella?"

"Why is there a Snow White made out of legos? & the dragon & Prince Philip?"
"Wait a minute is that a Cinderella pumpkin carriage on top of that store!"

We were in the World of Disney store waiting in line to check out (we'd been at Downtown Disney for about 40 minutes or so) & I said, "Payton where do you think we are? Have we ever been to a store like this that wasn't in the mall?"

A huge smile came across her face "Are we at Disneyland?" Yup we are, but we aren't going to where the rides are until Daddy is with us so he can have fun with us. "So we really are here?" Yes we are. "So that means Grandma lives close to here" No this is the Disneyland in Florida not in California. "Oh, well that's okay at least I can have Disneyland even if I can't have Grandma!"
At the Lego store Payton made a car & raced it & won!
I think it had something to do with her own little person touch that she included. Do you see it?
Leave it up to Payton to find a stray flower on the floor & add it to her lego car.
"But Mom how would everyone know that this was a girls car when I don't have any glitter, glue or beads?" That's my girl!! So very true, how would they?

Orlando Splash Park

2011-07-12T10:33:00.000-07:00

Our first weekend in town Donald went to Texas to go to a wedding & the girls & I headed down to Orlando to spend the weekend at our friend Naomi's house. It was so much fun & so perfect since I didn't want to be by myself with the girls in a new city.

Naomi had the perfect idea to take the girls to a splash park. The girls both had a great time!

The picture below is a perfect representation of Payton while we were there... running from one thing to the next & having a great time.
All she needed was a friend to run around with. Unfortunately she didn't make a friend until right before we left.
Katie wasn't walking yet but still had fun.

She was happy walking around or just sitting.

Katie getting tired.
I love that instead of getting grumpy & whinny she cuddles.
Below is another thing that I love. She puts her head down on my shoulder & then reaches up & puts her hand my cheek. Most of the time she just puts it there but sometimes she rubs my cheek. It's so sweet until of course she decides to claw me & grab my face, otherwise it's so sweet! That's just like Katie - a little sugar & spice!
Now that I'm thinking about it that is the perfect phrase to explain Katie! A little bit of sugar & spice!

Sometimes it's hard being 1

2011-07-11T12:02:00.000-07:00

A few days after we arrived our normally happy baby was not so happy! Cranky Cranky Cranky! Yes finally teeth right? No not yet!

Such a sad face!
It's so hard being 1!

Our first trip to the beach!

2011-07-11T11:42:00.000-07:00

The 2nd day after we arrived to took our first trip to the beach. We are only 15 minutes away from the beach & I can already tell we will be here a lot. We were concerned that Katie would not like the sand. She really REALLY doesn't like grass & I was sure that it would be the same with sand. I was wrong! She loved the sand so much she was storing some for later!

East Coast beaches are so much better for kids. It is shallow for a long time & there are no waves to slam you into the sand. Heaven! I tell ya, heaven!
Katie is turning out to be our little water baby!
Katie was not phased at all when the water got a little deep.
Loving every minute of it!
Payton loved being there too. She spent a lot of time just laying in the water.

Since she wasn't walking yet she crawled everywhere. I was surprised that she only had a few scratches on her knees at the end because there were a lot of shells on the ground.
And yes she would crawl straight into the water.
No fear!

She was very happy until all of a sudden she put her head down & we knew she was almost done.
She was still really good for a while longer.

My happy little beach girls! They had such a good time & I'm so glad that it is so close!

South Carolina = Fun!!!

2011-07-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

We were able to stay a full day in South Carolina with Donald brothers. The girls had SO much fun. Donald, Allan & Craig took Payton to the park where she got to throw a frisbee to Belle.

Here she is...
So I already knew we were getting a dog once we get into a house after school but now Payton says that she wants a dog just like Belle. She told me "I don't think Uncle Allan & Aunt Allison will want to give her to me so we will just have to find another one just like her." We've got a long time to talk about it but she's pretty much decided that is going to be how it is.
Payton loves to swing too.
Payton loves being outside & if only it weren't so hot that day they probably would have stayed longer.

Below was by far Payton's favorite part.
She loved that she could hold Belle on a leash.
Apparently even though Belle was suppose to be the one running up & down the hill, Payton did a lot of running herself.

In the end both Belle & Payton were tired. Belle came back & passed out & Payton came home red faced, ready for water & a little down time.
Katie was just a good girl. She actually went to Allan & Allison, which up until about a month before she was strictly a mama's girl. What a pleasant surprise to have someone else around that Katie would go to other than Donald & I.

I love this face. It's so funny because she doesn't have any teeth.
We had a good visit & the next day we drove the 5 1/2 hours to Jacksonville. Not a terribly long drive but at the end of a long trip even 1 hour is too much. We arrived & found that the place we will be staying in is very nice & it will be perfect for the summer.

Delaware - Our first stop!

2011-07-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

It was raining almost the entire time drive down to Delaware & while we were there but that didn't spoil our visit. We were able to relax & hang out, the perfect way to break up our car trip! I guess we didn't pull out our camera because we didn't go anywhere. Oh well!

There was a short break in the weather so Jamie & I took the girls outside for a wagon ride. I started out pulling but Payton decided she would have more fun doing it.

And from Katie's face she was having a better time because Payton was running. We were all running to get out of the rain. I think that was Katie's favorite part.
The next day we drove 9 hours to get to Charlotte South Carolina to stay 1 day with Donald's brothers. Donald drove the whole way.
Payton talked most of the way, the only silence we got was when she slept & that was only if we gave her Dramamine & that was only when she refused to wear her 'car bracelets'.
We very quickly figured out that if the girls couldn't see each other they left each other alone to sleep. So most of the trip we had blankets up on the windows & in between them.
I included this shot to give you an idea of how incredibly full our car was. And no we could have fit 1 more thing in the car. Yes we have purchased things that will need to come home with us... No I do not know how we are going to get everything home. Donald has proven himself a capable packer so I'm sure he'll figure it out... at least I'm pretty sure! :)

What we did before we left for Florida...

2011-07-11T08:59:00.000-07:00

I have been neglecting my blog lately, well, um this year. Opps! I know it's terrible.

So Donald got accepted to go to Jacksonville Florida to work for a railroad company called CSX. So these are the only pictures that made it with us down here.

Before we left Katie had a birthday. Our almost walking, still toothless angel turned 1.

We got this for her & she loved being able to walk where ever she wanted (as long as it was in a straight line & there wasn't anything in the way)... well not everything is perfect but she loved it.
When it was time to actually celebrate her birthday she was sick, contagious sick. So we had ice cream in her honor, while she slept... She won't remember, although Payton still is talking about it so she might be aware of our horrible neglect, someday.
While Katie underwent several days of breathing treatments... oh I wasn't blogging in January so a little catch up is needed... Okay so we all got sick over Christmas & in the month of January Payton went to 7 days of school, TOTAL! Payton was sick with the flu/throw ups then when she had finally been 48 hours fever & throw up free (our rule, school's rule is 24 hours free) she went to 1 day of school (Friday) & had a painful ear infection by Sunday which turned out to be a symptom of pneumonia on Monday & by Wednesday, Payton's follow up appointment, Katie had RSV. Actually the reason we caught Katie's RSV before requiring hospitalization was because Payton was so sick & we were in the Dr.'s office 2 to 3 times a week. We went into tropical mode at our house, 2 humidifiers running 24/7 & boiling water for 30 minutes every hour or so. Both girls were watched extra close & we were able to avoid a hospital stay for both of them. I guess it wasn't so terrible was to spend a cold, snowing January in such a tropical climate but next year I'll take the cold & snow verses kids sick with a cold.

Okay so below is Katie getting a breathing treatment in May because she got a cold (that was probably picked up from the Dr.'s office when we went in for her 1 year appointment) & she was wheezing. It was a less severe form of RSV but required these breathing treatments. She was so good about doing the treatments. We would put on Backyardigans & turn the sound up really loud & start the treatment. All I can say is that I was ready for a battle each & every time but never had one. She is such a good girl!Katie loves to put things on her head. I am probably going to repeat myself a lot but I LOVE Katie's silly little personality! She is so much fun to be around!
She had some help from Payton but she really does enjoy it because she will take it off & put it right back on.
Payton's favorite thing to do was to take us to her school playground. She loved having Katie there on the slides with her. Katie just loves to swing no mater where we are.
The toy we got her was for walking & later riding on but Katie found a different use. It's her own personal chair for an up-close view of the TV. I don't know why I thought this was so funny, it could have been the look of satisfaction on her face, especially when it took her a couple tries to actually sit down without falling.
Preparing Payton for us leaving to Florida was something we prepared for very carefully. We never EVER talked about the fact that she would be missing school because we were leaving almost 5 weeks before the end of school. We did plan a play date for our friends from church & school to come to. In the mall they have an indoor play place that has all these blow up slides & jump houses for the kids to play in. They kids had so much fun!
Below are Payton's best friends from school. We have talked about them a lot since leaving, A LOT!
Below are our neighbors & church friends. There was a short list of people that she wanted there to play with her & the above & below group made up 99% of her list. She had so much fun & is trying to plan another trip as soon as we get back.
Katie is my biggest & best helper. There was a really long list of things that needed to be done before we could leave & packing up the space heaters & putting them in the attic was one of them.
See how helpful she is.
We also had to pull out the next size of clothes for Katie, & she helped. This is actually her favorite thing to do... empty boxes, clear out drawers & bookshelves.
She doesn't put anything away so my next kid (not making an announcement) needs to enjoy putting things away & I'll have the perfect set up!
The hardest thing about getting ready to leave was that Donald had finals & was always gone. We were really lucky to have almost a full week with him home before we left. One of the things Payton really wanted to do was go to this Glow in the Dark mini golf place, also in the mall. We were in there for a long time by ourselves so while Donald & I played each hole Payton ran around doing which ever hole she liked. Katie 1/2 way thru decided she was done in the stroller so she got in on the action too.
Payton just loved the fact that her shirts glowed!
Katie helping out with laundry. I don't mind her help as long as she gets distracted when the piles start to get bigger. I don't like laundry as it is so having her there to help is enough of a detour-ant for me not to get it done.

In the end we were a couple hours late in leaving but we left to apartment clean & the car was packed & the girls ended up sleeping almost the entire way to Delaware (our first stop)!

It's cold inside...

2011-03-01T07:09:00.000-08:00

When it started cooling off outside I noticed that it was getting cold inside. It was drafty & the heat never ever kicked on. So we had them turn down the temp thershold (twice) to get the heat to kick on & had the re-seal the windows. Having the windows re-sealed made an amazing difference but it was still cold so we had them come back & adjust it again & that did the trick.

It wasn't cold enough to need hats but Payton decided that everyone, including her babies, needed to bundle up. Katie actually kept this hat on for several hours... of coarse she won't do it now that it's really cold but I never really expected her to anyway, but I can always hope.

Katie is so good to allow Payton to play with her like this. I don't know if it show patience, love or she just realizes that it's part of her lot in life... either way I'm proud of her.

Snowmen: Dad vs Mom

2011-03-01T06:52:00.000-08:00

Donald & Payton went out to get the snow off of the car & I came down to find that I had a friend waiting to come with me to the store. Payton thought it was so funny!

Payton wised up really quick but the first few times Donald was able to get her by shaking a tree she was standing underneath.
When I came how I found another friend waiting at the bottom of the stairs.
So Donald had to go back to school & Payton still had snowmen on the mind so I went out & we made a big one.
I do have to admit that the ones that Donald made were cuter but these are real snowmen!
Katie came out with us in her little cocoon but her face did get a little red from the cold. As you can see it wasn't too cold for smiles!
She just loved being outside & watching Payton & I roll these snow balls around.
Just another cute shot of a really cute baby!
Payton came in & cozied up on the couch. Can you see how red her ears are? After this it got a little cold to take Katie out so I was glad we got to do this. The snowmen stayed for several weeks before they got knocked down.
Now Payton gets her snow play out of her system at school. They sled & build snow forts, but mostly just sled. She absolutely loves it. The only thing that was on her list to do was to go ice skating... I'm thinking we'll do it next year when Katie is older & Donald will be able to come with us.

What do you use your laundry basket for?

2011-03-01T06:50:00.000-08:00

As soon as Katie started to sit up on her own this is where we put her. Think about it... she can throw her toys & it most likely won't go anywhere out of her reach. Don't have to worry about her falling back & hitting her head. And most importantly she can't roll anywhere so you can leave the room without worrying she's getting into trouble. We did have to make sure it was up against a couch so that she tip the whole thing over when she got excited & starting rocking back against it. It was perfect!

Payton loves to hold her sister, & Katie is starting to realize that Payton can be fun.

In the beginning Katie loved to be held by her sister, now that she's a little more mobile... yeah not so much.

They are becoming such good friends. I just love watching them interact.

Snow

2011-03-01T06:44:00.000-08:00

This was the first day it snowed. We were all excited. Payton's favorite thing in the begining was writing in the snow.

And making now men. I know, I know he's pretty pitiful but we got better, I promise.

I so rarely get in any pictures these days so I thought I would include this one.

I find it rather funny that on the day I post about the first snow the current snow is melting away. I'm sure we'll get another snow fall before the winter is over but still.

Thanksgiving in Boston

2011-02-17T17:05:00.001-08:00

One of the perks to living on the east coast is that my BFF Sarah does too. So after a short 6 hour drive (which only took 8 1/2 hours due to Payton getting car sick twice... boo!) we spent the fastest 5 days known to man. We stayed up late talking, went shopping, baked cooked & ate.

I would have been perfectly fine hanging out inside the whole time but Donald's one request was to see something touristy. So we went down to the Freedom Trail.

First we went to this really cool indoor market that had any & every food you could want.
Then we walked to Paul Revere's house. The brick line on the ground is the Freedom Trail.

We also got some really amazing Cannoli's. Okay I now understand the whole cannoli bit. When we got there the line was literally down the street. But it was well worth it!
These were taken right before we left. These girls had so much fun!
Especially these 2 girls!
I was so happy that Abby & I were still good pals. Thanks again Sarah & Darin for hosting us. Good food, good company, good everything!
Donald & I were prepared for a terrible ride home, I actually dreaded it! But about 30 minutes in to the ride this is what we had. They both slept for about 3 hours & it was so nice to just be able to talk to Donald & not hear "excuse me, can I say something, are you guys talking about me? (& if we said no "why not?").
Payton did get a little whoosy when we got off the highway for the last 30 minutes but was able to keep it together. We now have figured out the best way to come home.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

2011-02-17T16:54:00.000-08:00

This year we put our Christmas Tree before Thanksgiving. We were going to Boston for Thanksgiving & we needed something to help count down the days till we got to see Chloe & this was perfect.

Payton loved decorating the tree. We have A LOT of ornaments & I loved being about to tell her about each one. The one she's holding above we got from Payton's Cardiologist in CA & the one below she received from her Papaw Don for her 1st Christmas.
Katie was happy to participate too. Once she figured out that the bell made noises she whacked herself in the head several times before we just had to take it away.
Daddy was home for the event so he helped too.
At this point Katie was still just rolling so every time she was on the floor in the living room she ended up under the tree.
There were some low hanging fruit that she was so excited & determined to get.
This one Santa in particular.
She tried from every position.
Just after these pictures she actually got a hold of it & almost pulled the tree down (it's a cheap tree).
Below is what happened after I took it away from her & moved it up higher. Life is hard!

Mom I need help...

2011-02-17T16:53:00.000-08:00

One day Payton came home from school & was a little down. After some time she finally told me that she needed my help with something. Her friends at school really liked to play hop-scotch but my poor baby has THE WORST balance on the planet. She asked if I could help her learn to play hop scotch better. She was so sweet & I couldn't say no.

So after my sister suggested tape on the floor we were good to go. We used flowers for place holders & we played.

A lot of time was spent on the floor... but as you can see she still had fun.

At the end she decided that it was okay if she wasn't good at playing hop scotch because she figured out that older kids were better at playing it & she wasn't older yet.

Princesses at Church

2011-02-17T16:37:00.000-08:00

Payton was given this dress by a member of our last ward & this was the first day she wore it. Once Payton was dressed she announced that "the people at church will be so surprised to see a Princess at church with them!" Payton then told me that I could take pictures of her if I wanted to, basically 'Mom take a picture'. For the one below I told her to pose & smile really pretty & this is what I got.

Katie is usually very good for church but it is in our best interest to get her straight home & to bed. This usually means she naps in her church clothes.

She went thru a phase where her face had to be covered while she slept. It drove me crazy because I always needed to go in & make sure there was room for fresh air... I included the one below so you wouldn't think I let my child smother herself.

My Goal...

2011-02-15T09:02:00.000-08:00

So my goal for this blog is simple, Just Post....

So I hope to be on here at least once a week in an attempt to get caught up but since I just posted about Halloween I've got a lot of material to post about.

Thanks for continuing with me & I'll do my best to stay on top of this.

Love - Jenn

Payton - A Stylish Teacher

2011-02-15T09:01:00.000-08:00

Payton has always had her own sense of style but it hasn't been until recently that she has fully asserted herself. She loves to put on Donald & my clothes & pronounce that she is ready to leave. The picture below was taken after I noticed it had been quiet for a little while & I peeked in Payton's room to find her going thru my bracelet box. She came out 20 minutes later is the 'perfect matching' bracelets that she told me I just had to give to her.

One of the best things that I have seen since moving here is that Payton has really started to be-friend her sister. She will sit & play with her & help her to play with toys. Payton is very good at keeping her patience in check & we've had many, many conversations about how we have to teach Katie. Lately Payton has started several conversations like, "Did you teach me how to do blank, or did I already know how to do it?" I was cleaning in the room by Payton's & I overheard her tell Katie, "If you want to play with this you have to learn how to not stick things in your mouth, giggles, & that too, giggles but I can hear frustration, Katie I don't think you can plan with my toys yet"

Payton really is the best big sister & she takes her job very seriously. She has even uninvited me from the room so that she can be the one to play with Katie. I love these girls!

When everyone wakes up happy

2011-02-10T06:07:00.000-08:00

It is always a good day... when everyone wakes up happy!

Saturday is usually the only day this happens because we are not up at 6:30 & I'm usually not happy. :)

Saturday is also 1 or 2 days during the week that I will make something for breakfast. Payton has since told me several times that the only good thing about not going to school on Saturday is that she gets desert for breakfast (muffins, cinnamon rolls, pancakes, etc) not actually desert...

Random thought.... Bill Cosby does a comedic routine about parenting & his kids that is just so funny. There is a part where he talks about chocolate cake for breakfast & I just had to share. It is long 9:30 but is so funny. At around 3:40 he starts talking about the children coming down for breakfast, but the whole thing is great!

I hope you enjoy it, I had a good laugh!

Halloween, Yes Halloween....

2011-02-10T06:02:00.000-08:00

We had Blue from Blue's Clues.

We had a Fairy Princess Ballerina. Payton has already told us that she wants to be a fairy next year to which Donald said, "I thought that's what you were this year".

P "No Dad, I was a Fairy Princess Ballerina & now I just want to be a fairy, that is very different!"

Donald "So we can reuse the fairy parts of your costume for next year."

P "There are no just fairy parts. I'll need a new one that is Fairy only"

Donald "So it'll be a different color"

P "No dad I'll be a pink fairy in a costume that is only for a fairy!"

Well he tried!

Donald had a school costume party & he borrowed some key pirate items from a friend at church & was off. Not too bad for spending a penny!

I was a clue... Picture me with a paw print (like Donald is wearing above).

When it gets quiet I start to worry

2011-02-10T04:49:00.000-08:00

These 2 are never EVER quiet... so when it is quiet instead of enjoying some peace I get worried.

This time all was well, kinda. I guess it will depend on who you ask.

Not sure what make up Payton thinks Katie needs on her neck!

I just love her facial expressions. This was one of the first 'beauty sessions' so Katie was not quite sure what to expect but she has since become a more active participant. Payton hasn't done it as much now that Katie doesn't sit & endure it anymore, she 'wants to help'.

Just to prove that there were more than just concerned looks that day!

hehe the one with the blush brush, it makes me smile! What does that look say to you?

Katie rolls over

2010-12-06T10:33:00.000-08:00

Now that Katie has figured out how to roll over she is so much happier.

This was the first time & although she was very frustrated she was able to get it done. Can someone say DETERMINED! Between her & Payton, I'm in for trouble!

She thinks she is hot stuff now.

But this is by far the cutest result. She loves to roll over & sleep on her tummy. That was all she needed to help her sleep thru the night. Yes, THRU THE NIGHT! Hello Sanity! Goodbye Diet Coke, okay well maybe not yet.

More apples...

2010-12-06T10:29:00.000-08:00

Yes you can say that we are all appled out. We did get smart, waggons make it so much easier. Maybe not for Payton but definitely for me.

I'm so glad I grabbed this picture because when we went back for pumpkins with Donald neither of the girls were in a cooperative mood.

Here are some pics of Payton having fun in the leaves.

She is 'developing' a very unique style. She asked me to do her hair in 2 piggy tail balls.

Would Julia Approve??

2010-12-06T10:20:00.000-08:00

Payton loves to help me bake. She has her own apron w/ pockets & in those pockets is her cooking necklace. Before we start she has to put on her apron & then her necklace. It makes me think of the movie Julie & Julia about Julia Child... This particular day sometime during the baking process Payton's pants came off & I couldn't resist the picture below.

We are working with Payton on being modest &... well sometimes... okay it's not working yet. But I figure that eventually she will have the urge to stay clothed while inside.

I asked Payton why she liked to help me & she said it's because she's good at measuring & licking.
She is good at it so there is no arguing with that.

(Her curls were adorable this day!)

When it rains....

2010-12-06T10:11:00.000-08:00

One thing I wasn't quite prepared for was the rain. It rains A LOT!

What is the only thing to do in the rain... Jump in puddles!

One day it had been pouring all day & it was almost time for Donald to come home on the bus. SO I put Katie in the baby carrier & we went out in the rain to play. I figured we'd meet Donald at the bus then I would have help getting them in the bath while I finished dinner. Unfortunately Donald missed the bus. Payton still talks about the day that she got to get soaking wet & I didn't make her put on a jacket. I am not totally irresponsible, she is wearing rain boots I just didn't tuck them in good enough & couldn't bend over to fix them with Katie strapped to my front.

I'm glad she had so much fun!

I Love(d) Fall

2010-12-06T10:03:00.000-08:00

I absolutely loved Fall. Everything was so pretty. My favorite were the trees that turned bright & deep red. We have several around our house that were huge & amazing

I don't know why buy I am in LOVE with Donald's building! If I had a mansion it would look like this!

Donald saw I was taking pictures & struck a pose. Not sure what he was thinking. Payton thought he was so silly & we laughed about it for a few days.

If you ever get the chance come to the East coast in the Fall. Wow!

Lessons learned...

2010-12-05T18:30:00.000-08:00

The local Dr.'s office finally received the girls' medical records so 1st I took Katie & the next day was Payton's turn. Katie's appointment was during school so it was just Katie & I. She was so good. She got a shot but was over it very quickly & then slept the rest of the day & even slept as usual that night.

The next day was not the same! Lesson Learned - never take the younger when the older is getting shots.

After Payton got her flu shot she was upset, which made Katie REALLY upset.

One thing I thought was cute, after the fact, is that both of my girls cry with their fingers in their mouths.

Needless to say I will never take Katie when I know that Payton will have a hard time.

You can tell from the video that Katie truly is sad for her sister. She only reacted when Payton did. So maybe it's not so bad, they have empathy for each other.

Delaware

2010-12-05T18:06:00.000-08:00

Don't you hate it when you get in your car to leave & you find the camera you thought you forgot to bring in the first place...

After my mom left us she went down to Delaware to my bro JD's so that she could be there to help with their baby, who was born 3 days after she arrived (In our family boys are just more obedient than the girls.)

We were powered by M&M's & Diet Coke... Payton the M&M's & the Coke was mine. While in Delaware we went to Costco so we had the back of the car filled with the essentials; TP, Paper Towels, Tuna, Can Chicken, Diaper Wipes, etc.

The drive was so pretty. All of the trees were changing & I was able to get a couple of pics that weren't blurry.

Payton was a very big help with Katie! She intertained Katie for a solid hour before she fell asleep. In several trips since Payton has gotten majorly car sick so I know that I was MAJORLY blessed during this trip. She didn't get sick ONCE!!! I didn't know how incredibly lucky I was until recently... that story will come later (if I ever get caught up to Thanksgiving!). Hey I'm trying!

Sarah's Visit

2010-12-05T17:44:00.001-08:00

I have to admit one thing right here, right now. I suck at being a long distance friend & pretty much everyone I know is long distance. I don't call & I don't write. Having said that, one thing I love about my friendship with Sarah is that she doesn't care! So it doesn't mater how long it's been, we jump right back into the swing of things as if we were never apart.
And the 2nd best thing is, so do our girls!
I love that they love each other. They were thick as thieves for pretty much the whole trip.
I also made a new friend! I hadn't seen Abby since she was 2 1/2 months old & I was so glad that not only did she tolerate my presence she actually interacted with me. And for her that is huge.

We tried to do as much as we could while they were here.
And how could we not go to the U-Pick.
We had to make Apple Pie! Thanks Paula Deen, that was the easiest, yummiest apple pie I have ever had.
Sarah had moved to Boston a little over a year before we moved out here. I never thought we would be this close (5 hour drive) so as soon as we were accepted I called Sarah & told her the good news. Actually we were waiting to tell everyone because we needed our health insurance & a job but I called her the day we found out.
It was a great visit & very little sleep was had but I can't wait to do it again!
Thanks for making the trip all by yourself. You are so brave!!!

Let's go to the U-Pick

2010-12-05T17:41:00.000-08:00

If you asked Payton what it is she wanted to do she would say "let's go to the U-Pick!" We picked Apples...

& Raspberries...

And have a freezer full of freezer jam & a pantry full of Applesauce & Apple Pie filling to prove it!

Grandma Came...

2010-12-05T17:36:00.000-08:00

About 2 months after we moved here my mom came to visit. Payton got to show off her favorite spots. We went to 2 local waterfalls & just had a lot of fun.

We were able to have her for a whole week. She was here for the first few days of Payton's school year & Payton loved sharing that with her.

It was so good to have her & can't wait for her to come again.

Ithaca is not nearly as pretty as it was when she came & a whole lot colder so we'll have to see when she will be able to come again. Hey Mom, Hey Dad, your room is ready for you anytime!

Taughannock Falls...

2010-12-05T17:17:00.000-08:00

Remember that teaser... well here is the rest only 2 or 3 months later. :)
The one thing I loved about this trip is that we were able to get quite a few really good shots of the kids & one of the whole family (not the one above, it's below)
Katie & Payton were both being very cooperative that day.
I love the one below. Payton is always snuggling up to her daddy & it's just the perfect shot.
The one below really turned out well.
Usually Payton is not this cooperative... so I had to take advantage. I just wish I didn't let her get herself dressed that day. It's one of my least favorite shirts, oh well.
The best shots of Katie are when she is smiling at her sister. I don't get smiles that big from her... Actually that's not true. My best smiles are when I go in to get her from her naps. Now those are really good.
We ended the morning with a picnic & it was really pretty. We will definitely be going back in the summer.
Here Payton is trying to figure out how she can convince someone to take her out on their boat.
And we can't go anywhere without bringing home a souvenir of some kind. This day it was a rock.

Payton loves school

2010-12-05T17:16:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I haven't blogged since school began... Oh well... I make no promises but I hope to be better, much better. :)

Payton loves school. She loves her teachers & her class. She even has more than 1 friend (which is a new thing for her compared to last year, she would have short, intense friendships which one person until that went south & she'd tell me at least once a week, "so & so is not my friend anymore because..." This is a big improvement & a welcomed surprise to me! Not nearly as much drama as last year.)

She also rides the bus. She absolutely loves it.

Yeah she thinks she is pretty hot stuff!

Teaser

2010-09-30T18:44:00.000-07:00

Here is an awesome picture that I took at a local state park. I'll post about it in the next few days but I just couldn't wait to share.

I want you to know that I've re-committed (again) to updating this blog more regularly. I don't know if it will be weekly or bi-weekly but I really want to keep it current. So expect a lot of posts in the next few days & weeks.

We are really loving it here & it is so beautiful. The leaves are all changing & all I can say is WOW! The colors are truely breath taking. I found myself telling Payton to look at the trees that were changing colors & see how pretty they are, to which she replied "yeah, just a minute mom I need to finish my picture" & I flashed back to a car trip we took up to Wyoming where my mom was telling us the same thing & we were responding just like Payton. :) And all I could do was smile & then I claimed I saw a pink tree & for the next 45 mintues she helped me find more pink trees. Yeah I know how to get her attention & some really did look pink!

Did I mention we see deer?

2010-09-30T18:26:00.000-07:00

Yep we see deer... all the time.
For Payton it doesn't get old... ever!
Her favorite is to find the babies with their 'families'.
But when she does see one alone she wonders why they are all alone.
She is convinced that some of them are actual pets. (note the tracking collar on the one all the way to the right) But she knows that we aren't going to get a pet until we have a fenced in yard, so she hasn't directly asked that question yet... but I'm sure it's coming.
The males are starting to have their antlers grow a little more, I'll hear her say 'that deer doesn't have forks at the top yet, don't worry you'll grow up bigger someday!' Seriously where does she come up with this stuff!

Cayuga Heights Street Fair

2010-09-30T18:07:00.000-07:00

I went to pick up Donald from school, not prepared to go anywhere in public, & we were heading home when we heard music. Payton was convinced that there was a party & we drove to check it out. She was right, there was a strip mall that was having a 'come see the shops' fair. A local radio station was there, the Fire & Police Departments & the Country Club was giving away hamburgers & hotdogs. As soon as we figured that out there was no getting back in the car.
Payton was happy to get a sucker (even though you can't tell in the photo) & Katie was all smiles!
One of the beauty shops was giving away flowers & Payton put it in her hair
Katie, being the good girl that she is slept for most of the time.
It took about 1 hour but Payton finally decided that she did want to see the face painter. We got in line & about 10 minutes later she closed the line.
At first Payton wanted a rainbow that started on one side of her face & ended on the other side... luckily she saw an example of a unicorn & that was that.
She chose the colors that she wanted.
Pink body.
Sparkly golden shoes.

And red hair.
She was absolutely thrilled with it. On the way home she just blurted out that she wasn't dirty anymore (she didn't want to take a bath!). We were so late in getting home that I was fine with that.
It lasted for 2 days & Payton loved having it.

Finishing projects...

2010-09-30T18:04:00.000-07:00

Some of you Pasadena Ward ladies may recognized this... better late than never right? How long has it been? 2 years or just 1... oh well it doesn't matter.

Payton wanted to help so I let her rub it before I started to pull off the backing paper. I was expecting it to be a lot harder than it was mainly because of how long I had waited but it was farely easy.

My favorite thing about these pictures & I didn't even realize it until after I was looking at the pictures on the computer, was that she is dressed up as Cinderella. I have yet to get it actually hung up in her room but now that she's in school I've been able to tackle more projects so it's on the short list.

I don't know if it's just me but she looks so much older in the picture! My baby... :( is growing up!

Walk to school

2010-09-30T17:40:00.000-07:00

We found out 1 month before school started that Payton was able to get into the local elementary school's pre-kindergarden program. We are so very fortunate to get in & Payton is loving it...

So the day we found out we went on a walk over to the school. There is a paved walking path that begins right by our apartment & ends at the school. Payton decided to ride her bike...
While Katie 'enjoyed' her carrier.
Can't you tell how thrilled she is? (She's a little taller now so she fits a lot better now.)

On our way we saw 1 deer in the bushes & after we got out of their way we saw there was a lot more.
This was a first encounter with deer so it was a big deal... now it's a regular occurrence so Payton doesn't get quite as excited. She is really good at spotting them now.
The whole time they were running away I just kept praying, Don't get hit by a car! There is a busy road up there & I didn't want to taint Payton's first experience with deer.
Payton rode & walked her bike home.

Freezing Pie

2010-08-31T05:57:00.000-07:00

Like I mentioned before I follow a lot of blogs. I don't know if I was just really hungry for desert or what but I saw this on Pioneer Woman & had to try it. (Plus it looked super easy so I gave it a whirl).

Lets just put it this way.... We had "Freezing Pie" every day after lunch. Payton named it freezing pie. I tried to explain that it was Raspberry Cream Pie, in which she started to explain how there were no raspberries or cream & that it was freezing cold so it's Freezing Pie. Followed by a DUH MOM look. Yes apparently I am that dense & would have missed the obvious if I didn't have my 4 1/2 year old explain these things to me. :)

Payton liked to help me eat the crust.

I've made 2 of these & all of a sudden have a need to make (& eat) another one...

Daddy Daughter Date

2010-08-31T05:52:00.000-07:00

Donald's school had a Lake Cruise during orientation week that he took Payton on.

It started out as me explaining to Payton what he date was suppose to do on their date... Talk to her only, sit with her, not ignore her... you know the kind of thing a social butterfly like Donald might be tempted to do.

Payton told me all about the sail boats.

When they got home I asked Payton if Daddy was naughty or a good date. She said, "well he was a good date all the way until the end. He talked to someone & I had to say excuse me two times." After discussing it we were able to determine that Daddy was a good date, even with that little slip up at the end.

I think that we will arrange at least one Daddy Daughter Date a month. Payton talked about it for a few days afterwards & absolutely loved it!

Katie going to sleep.

2010-08-30T06:59:00.000-07:00

I love it when your kids can effectively train you. Let me explain. When your baby is tired she will cry.

Crying can mean so many things though... i'm hungry, i've got gas, i don't like how you are looking at me, etc.

Lately Katie has been letting me know in other ways & I finally got it on camera.

This first video is a little hard to watch because she is in her swing.

This next video actually catches her falling asleep so this may be the best one. I included the first one for the grandparents.

I'm Famous

2010-08-30T06:31:00.000-07:00

I have A LOT of blogs that I follow, thank goodness for Google Reader is all I have to say! So I saw a give away for some do it yourself doll houses using cardboard. And I said to myself "I have a lot of cardboard!" So I went to her Etsy shop... "I have peg people!" said Jenn who was getting even more excited! Since I already had everything that I needed I decided to buy her patterns.

So Payton helped me to decide what everyone would be wearing & who we were going to make.

From left to right... Payton, Donald, Me, Katie, Grandma, Grandad, Ryan, Tyler, Melissa, Casey & Sydney.

I didn't mention in my last post that Ryan, Payton, Donald & myself went to the opening social with us. Everyone & I mean EVERYONE met her Peg Family. Oh joy! Even in this picture they are completely done. I have finished them but they are currently MIA at the moment. :(

So I ended up contacting the seller because I misread the description & wanted to ask her a question. We ended up exchanging emails & I sent her a picture. With my permission she posted this to her blog.
http://dollsanddaydreams.blogspot.com/2010/08/peg-doll-dolly-wraps-to-rescue-one.html

I still haven't finished the doll house. I hope to do that this week. I've been able to start crafting again & wow does it feel good! I'm still getting caught up on here but I'll post as soon as I finish any crafts. Thanks for being patient & not sending emails asking for new blogs! More to come soon.

Children for Rent...

2010-08-30T06:29:00.000-07:00

We went to a opening social for Donald's school. We were very late because I had an unwilling participant that was throwing a tantrum. I've learned that Payton can get over it & get all her naughty energy out then she can be VERY pleasant afterwards. We walked into the Atrium, when was the room that had all of the tables in it, & it was so noisey. Payton asked me if there were bees in there & it really did sound like a bee hive. So when we arrived we found Donald at a table talking with some friends, he had been there for about 45 minutes or so. When we arrived he took Payton to go get some food & came back several minutes later. It was very crowded but I figured he just stopped to talk, we are talking about Donald here. When he came back I gave him Katie & he went to go get me something to drink. After about 10 minutes I went to find him. He didn't even make it to the drinks yet. I didn't think too much of it.

So apparentally NO ONE can resist Katies cheeks. Donald would walk by a group & someone in the group would oooh & ahhh over Katie & then the conversation would stop & Donald & Katie were at the center of it. He wasn't able to pass by more than 1 group without being stopped.

We were talking to a group of guys at the end & they were commenting as to how hard it was to join a conversation so they could get to know more people & here's Donald who just has to walk by & the conversation turns to him. I told them that if they wanted to risk bodily fluids I would gladly rent them one of my children.

I mean seriously, who can resist this face! Donald may have started out as one of the more popular ones. Our kids were the only ones who were there & needless to say that there were more families at the events to follow. Not trying to say that it was because of Donald but I think that others may have seen the benefit to having their kids there.

Watkins Glen State Park

2010-08-30T05:45:00.001-07:00

We had a Stake activity at Watkins Glen State Park. It was about 40 minutes away & was really fun. We couldn't leave until 12:30 because Donald had a class (yes a class on Saturday... during orientation, yeah we are NEVER going to see him!). We got there with enough time to catch the end of lunch.

A quick story... So we were trying to get our food to a picnic table where our neighbors were sitting. Payton knew them so I told her to walk towards the table & she said she recognized them. So I sent her on her way. I went inside to get us drinks & came right out. When I next saw her she was holding her plate of food & sobbing uncontrollably. So the lady that was helping her took Katie from me & I started talking to her to see what was wrong. I thought that she got turned around so I didn't ask why she started crying. We got a few steps from the table & she finally stopped crying enough to say that a spider jumped on her & she couldn't get it off because she didn't want to drop her food cuz she was hungry. My poor baby! So I held her until Donald came & then she starting sobbing again when she started to explain it to him. And then I saw it, the jumping spider, I'm not trying to be funny, it really did JUMP! It was very small but still it jumped. For some of you this may be a common thing but not for me.

They had a very nice pool there & Donald got in with her.
After the pool we went on a hike down into the gorge. Yes Payton is holding a hotdog, the perfect hiking food right?
Katie was there too. And didn't complain at all. Everyone that walked by us commented on her cheeks, which we accentuated by the carrier.
This is what happens when you run down a gravel path. She had just gotten done telling me that she didn't need to slow down because she was being careful.
My legs are starting to shake just remembering this hike!
The signs on the trail head boasted that there were over 800 steps in the state park... This is just a sample of the steps.
But without the steps we would have never been able to see the beautiful waterfalls.
When I see pictures like this it just confirms that I need to learn how to take better pictures.
Below is the waterfall that is in the dark background.
If you can see behind it, the walkway goes behind the waterfall when was really cool.
Below we are behind the waterfall.

It was so beautiful there & I would like to go back & do it again when I am in better shape.

So peaceful.

I got to this point & Katie started fussing so I decided to turn back so that I could get back to the car & feed her. Sounds logical right? WRONG!!! If I would have kept going I would have had 2 maybe 3 small staircases to go, but I turned around & had at least double that, plus a long hill to climb up. My legs were shaking & lets just put it this way, I survived.

Primary at the Hicks House

2010-08-30T05:42:00.000-07:00

Payton loves Primary! So much so that she holds primary every day (a few times every day).

Above she is whispering the scripture or prayer into the bears ear... & yes you would be right if you thought that she was reading from the scriptures that are in front of her.

I have yet to get a video because when ever I pay attention to her she gets embarrassed & stops. I've tried several times but I don't have the sneakiness required. I will keep trying & hopefully I'll get it for you.

Our new crib...

2010-08-30T05:37:00.000-07:00

So the day that our stuff finally arrived we discovered that my beloved couch would not fit in our apartment. It was very sad. About 5 minutes after making the discovery I received an email stating that the free crib that I saw on craigslist was mine if I would only drive 20 minutes to the other side of the lake. So I was off.

Isn't it awesome! The lady I got it from was so nice & gave me the bumper. Katie loves it & will just stare at it when she wakes up. It fits perfectly in our room & when the girls start sleeping in the same room it will work in there too. Getting it for free was such a blessing. So now we have money to find a couch, something we were not expecting at all.

2010-08-30T05:29:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics & videos of Katie.

She is really starting to show more personality & I love it.

Maid of the Mist

2010-08-15T17:58:00.000-07:00

Maid of the Mist is a boat ride around the bottom of the waterfalls, both American & Niagara. If you go I would definitely suggest doing this.
I was a little nervous about the plastic & Katie but it wasn't as bad as I thought.
There was an upper deck & a lower deck. The upper deck was for the people who wanted to get wet, so Payton & Donald went up top & Katie & I stayed below. As long as I kept my back to the wind, which also meant the waterfall, then she was fine.
Apparently Payton was pointing at everything & was so excited about all of the rainbows that she saw. As far as I know there weren't any full double rainbows :)
The yellow dots on the lower right of the picture is the Cave of Winds. We didn't go & do that one because it was so late. It has a deck right up next to the falls & from what we heard the feeling of the waterfall is intense but fun. Maybe next time.
Below is the beginning of Niagara Falls.

Payton loved getting wet!
I know that you can't see anything in the one below but that is because they drive into the middle of the horseshoe that is where everyone gets soaking wet.
On our way back Donald & Payton came down to join me.

We were able to get some good pictures even though we were trying to be careful with our camera getting wet.
Payton's hair & shorts got wet. Donald was so good to tie the bottom of the ponch so that it wouldn't blow up & get more of her wet.
Another shot below of the Cave of Winds.
And one last shot of Niagara Falls.

Here we are, both Payton and Katie & I in front of the American Falls.
So much fun & worth every penny!

Here is the video Donald took while passing the American Falls. The text of what Payton is saying is below.

- We are on the boat.
-We are looking at the rainbows & soaking.
-The Steam
-Yes
-The colorful rocks too.

Niagara Falls.

2010-08-15T17:43:00.000-07:00

We finally got to Niagara Falls around 5 (a lot later than we had planned but oh well). It was amazing. I've always loved waterfalls but this one definitely takes the cake!
So the waterfall directly behind us are the American Falls & the one in the back with the huge plume of mist is Niagara Falls.
My mom always told us to get pictures with people in them but I was just so amazed at the amount of water that went over the falls that I had to take a video. Sorry if it's boring. There will be one in the next post with Payton & Donald in it.

These were taking after the Maid of the Mist boat ride. There were stairs that went up close to the American Falls. Donald & Payton went while Katie slept in the carrier.
It was so pretty there & the sound of the waterfall was so loud.
Okay I promise that she can breath! She is leaving back against my chest & has at least 2 inches between her face & the carrier. These were taken on the Observation Tower deck.
It really was amazing & we are going to come back when my mom visits (unless she's totally against the idea) so we'll see.
Both girls slept on the way back. I tried but couldn't get comfortable enough. We didn't get back until almost 2 am which was brutal. I'm so glad we decided to go.

Palmyra, NY & the Sacred Grove

2010-08-15T17:12:00.000-07:00

Before Donald started school/orientation he wanted to go out & 'see some stuff'. So we decided to go see some stuff that was a little farther away & required a whole day. We decided to go to Niagara Falls which was 3 hours away. We saw that Palmyra was 'on the way' so we stopped there (which was about 1/2 way there so a perfect pit stop). So first we went to see Joseph Smiths home & the Sacred Grove.
I really enjoy walking thru, especially with Payton she can be so funny!
Katie was in a good mood so that helped. Payton took the picture below after she discovered that there 'were babies that long ago'. Some of the things she said was as if she were talking about the cavemen or something.
This picture below was taken in the upstairs of the 1st Smith home. Payton thought it was cool that all of the girl siblings slept in the same bed.
We were able to see the temple on the short walk between the 1st Smith home & 2nd one that they built.
I really liked the 2nd Smith home.
It had some of the original wood & bricks which was really neat.
It was a really nice day. And we met an Elder & his parents on the tour. They were picking him up from the Carolina's & then were making stops as they drove back .
The mom asked if she could hold Katie & within 5 minutes of her getting Katie, Katie was fast asleep. She said it was the Grandma's Touch. She held her for the rest of the tour until we entered the Sacred Grove.

There she goes with my baby. She kept reassuring me she would give her back. I knew that part of having the Grandma's Touch was also knowing that they would hand them back when they were hungry, so I wasn't worried at all.
We all just loved these wild flowers in the surrounding fields.
They were so pretty!

The Sacred Grove was beautiful. It was so quiet & peaceful. There was a slight breeze & well, just nice.
There was this really old tree (now stump) & I couldn't help but think that it could have been old enough to have been present when Heavenly Father & Jesus appeared to Joseph.
Katie usually doesn't like being bounced around in her car seat but she was very good.
After we left the Grove we went over to the temple. Payton talked the whole time about going & seeing it.
She was so excited to see the same Angel Moroni that was on the LA Temple.
I fed Katie in the car while Don & Payton roamed around.
Payton took the picture below of Donald. She really is getting good with the camera!
The girls & I outside of the Temple.
I really enjoyed being able to visit. It'll be good to go back. The Palmyra Temple is our local temple so when Katie gets older I'll be looking forward to attending a session.

Blueberry picking

2010-08-11T07:12:00.000-07:00

We were invited to go blueberry picking with some members of the ward. It was about 30 or 40 minutes away & it's a 'you pick'. As you can probably guess you pick what you want & get to take it home for a small fee per pound.
Payton found some friends & roamed the whole hill picking blueberries. Every time I saw her she came back with an almost full bucket.
One of the other moms had made these bucket necklaces that worked out really well. I didn't think that Payton would really get into it but she did.
I explained that she needed to pick only the dark blue berries & not any that had red in it. She was very good about not bringing back unripe ones. I tried to get her to taste them but she wouldn't... & still hasn't!
The patch was on a pretty steep hill but that didn't stop Payton from exploring the whole patch up & down.
When we got there Katie was still asleep so Donald stayed up by the car & picked close to the car. When Katie woke up she came out & enjoyed the day with the rest of us.
We left our house around 5:30 got there at 6ish when the sun was starting to set. It was really nice once the sun went behind the trees. I was expecting bugs & mosquitoes but they never came & it was very nice.
We filled up 4 of those pitchers.
See look how steep the hill is. Donald is holding the car seat level.
Come on daddy if you will just drop one & can get it & no one will ever know!
Here is a shot of the whole patch. Actually there is still a little more to the right. If you can see those 2 little dots down near the end that is Payton & her friend.
I zoomed in as much as I could & there they are again.
So we ended up with 12lbs. Here's house this works, you drive to this house where there was a scale, you weighed your loot & paid the $1.25/lb & placed it in the jar. There was some honey there too that Donald bought to make it an even $20 purchase. The honey is excellent!
So when we got home my work began! I washed & de-stemmed the berries.
Separated out the bad ones, which I was surprised at how few there actually were.
And measured them out into bags of 2 cups & 4 cups & stuck them in the freezer. There was about 1 1/2 cups of them left over that we ate through out the week. About a week later I made freezer jam.
I made a couple different kinds. The thought of only having blueberry jam didn't sound that great to me so I bought some strawberries too. So I made 4 jars of each. We now have strawberry (left side), in the middle is the blueberry & on the end is strawberry blueberry. 12 jars to last the year will probably be just fine but I plan to do more, but not any more with blueberry in it.
So the rest of the blueberries will go into muffins, pancakes, pies & just for eating. My freezer is getting full & I love it. Raspberries come back into season in the fall so I'll be adding Raspberries to the stash as well. There are a lot of You Pick patches around here. Apples & Raspberries are next. I think I might try to make Applesauce, I hope it doesn't require to be in the freezer or I may not be able to do it. But Raspberry freezer jam sounds to good not to try.

Making adjustments

2010-08-11T07:02:00.000-07:00

In California we were able to bath Katie in the sink. It was nice & super convenient because I wouldn't have to bend over the tub.
But in our new apartment the sink is not big enough or deep enough. :(
I tried holding her in the shower & I was so afraid that I would drop her. I realized it wasn't working when I looked down at her slightly purple leg & that was the end of that!
So we found this bath recliner thing & she loves it. Katie loves being in the bath with Payton & Payton loves to help wash her. My back can't take it for too long but it gets the job done. I would rather have done a baby bath that could have set in the kitchen sink but I figured that it wouldn't have worked as long as this one hopefully will.

Cornell Campus - Sage Hall

2010-08-11T06:52:00.000-07:00

We went over to campus to see daddy's 'preschool' as Payton calls it. The campus is beautiful & the building is awesome. Other than the clock tower & possibly the law building it is the most beautiful on campus.
We went & found a classroom so that we could see where daddy was going to be spending his days. Buzz Lightyear had to come too.
Below is the courtyard. It is enclosed & looks so cool.

Payton is still getting used to the cicadas buzzing. She thought that it was one big bug at first but then I explained that it was lots of little bugs. It took us sitting on the swings & just listening to them before she caught on. It helped that there was one really close that she could hear all by itself before the others joined in.
Don't you just love this building... I know it just a building but I think it's so cool!
Payton call it a castle & on several occasions asks if it lights up at night & changes colors. Then we either talk about whether or not daddy is a prince/king & if I'm a princess/queen still even though I don't go to school there too.
I'm starting to find my way around. I'm still getting lost quite a bit but hopefully that will pass.

Hiking thru the 'Spooky Forest'

2010-08-10T06:57:00.000-07:00

As soon as we found out Donald got into Cornell we looked up where we were going to be living on google maps. We are literally surrounded by trees. Payton automatically started saying it was the 'Spooky Forest' from a Bernstein Bears book. I kept trying to tell her it was like the forest in Sleeping Beauty (& not Snow White, which she had watched just the begining of the night before, yep great timing!).

So the day after we arrived we set out to explore. We heard there was a trail at the end of the complex into the woods & decided to check it out. We loaded Katie in the backpack, which she LOVED & we were off.

I was very impressed how well the trail was maintained. It was a warm & humid day but it was really nice under & amongst all of the trees.

Katie lasted only about 15 mintues & then she was out cold.

I'm still getting used to how green everything is here. We've had a lot of rain & some good thunderstorms since we've been here. So far we love it & are having a lot of fun. I say so far because it's not cold yet & everyone just smiles & says 'your definition of cold will be modified soon enough'. The smiles makes me nervous, but like everything else in life you have to adapt (says the person who still thinks of cold as the inside of the freezer). :)

Red Eye

2010-08-10T06:46:00.000-07:00

We took the red eye from LA to Philadelphia & it wasn't too bad. I didn't sleep longer than 30 minutes at a time but Payton & Katie slept basically the whole time. It wasn't restful sleep but it was better than nothing. As you can see from the pics we were all really exhausted!

Our stuff was suppose to meet us here but it didn't. We arrived on Wednesday & our stuff got her Sunday so it wasn't terrible. We met someone from the ward as soon as we got here & were able to borrow a card table & 2 chairs, a crib mattress for Payton to sleep on, some kitchen stuff & an aero bed & bed linens from the Bishop. We survived until our stuff arrived. Thank goodness our car was delivered on time & we could do some things for ourselves.

Painting Birdhouses

2010-08-09T20:15:00.000-07:00

About a month before move day Payton decided that Nana & Bumpa needed a birdhouse for their backyard. So it morphed into her painting one for them. Thinking it was a great idea I put that on the list of things to do. So about 3 days before we left we finally got the birdhouses.
Knowing that Payton wouldn't completely cover them in paint,I painted them white so that they could still look 'finished'.
She is very serious about her painting. She always has been.
So because she was painting one for Nana & Bumpa, Grandma & Granddad got one too. Ryan & Casey got a pirate ship that I painted & it turned out pretty good too, I just forgot to take a picture of it.
Payton picked out the colors, as if you have any dought.
Nana & Bumpa really liked theirs & so did my parents. We gave Nana & Bumpa ours when we stopped there on our way to the airport... gosh that seems so long ago now.

Sydney's Blessing & Good Bye to the Wards

2010-08-09T19:51:00.000-07:00

The Sunday before we left Sydney was blessed. Daniel & LeaDawn were in town to go to the beach & to also see us before we left. We had a really good time & enjoyed being at mom's with them.
Daniel holding both girls... I think he's ready for twins! Just kidding! :p
LeaDawn made some crust & I made the filling. It's Zucchini Pie but it tastes just like apple pie. No lie! We were all really liked it!

When it was time to leave the girls were asleep so we got a picture of them together.
I spent a little bit of time every day leading up to this (saying goodbye to Ryan & Casey) for a few days before hand, you know, trying to prepare her for it. And in the end I was the one crying & Payton got her hugs & blew kisses & was "see ya later alligator!"
Casey cracks me up in all of these pictures! I love the expression on Payton's face above... "yeah these are my home boys!"
She really can be sweet sometimes!
Oh Casey I just love you to pieces!
Notice the toys lined up in the background. They had to be involved too!
It was so nice having my sister so 'close'. We are really going to miss not being able to drive out for a weekend & then be able to loose track of the kids & not care...

Signs that you've had a successfull beach trip!

2010-08-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

There is still candy left over. You planned well!

Towels are piled & ready to be washed.
There are plenty of baby holders
Granddad & the kids are all wiped out!

None of the kids came away 'crispy critters'. The trip was a success.

Treasure Hunting

2010-08-05T06:53:00.000-07:00

So one thing that we like to do for fun is Geocaching. Payton calls it treasure hunting. So I have a new ap on my phone that tells us where any local caches are & there was one just down the boardwalk.
So we loaded up the kids, wrapped them up & went for a walk.
The troops were very excited.
With map in hand they were ready. They were even singing the pirate song from Backyardigans when they are looking for a treasure.
And then we found the 'treasure' & they weren't all that thrilled. I think they were expecting something different... :)
Well Donald & I were still thrilled to find it.
The kids still had fun in the wagon ride down there. So it wasn't a total loss.

Newport Beach

2010-08-05T06:40:00.000-07:00

Every year my family rents a couple of beach houses near the water & this year we went for a few days. It was SO COLD! Katie didn't like the wind & we figured this out the first day we were there, the first & only walk down to the beach. Luckily Melissa was there & took a picture so I have proof. :) And even though it was cold Payton was determined to have fun. See her in the background trying to keep warm.
It was cloudy almost the whole time. We were 3 houses away from the boardwalk & it was at least 10 degrees warmer at the house then at the water.
Here's a picture from the upstairs balcony.
The kids loved LOVED making & destroying the sandcastles that were made.

Payton & Ryan had so much fun together!
Being clothed didn't make a difference to Payton, if she was close to the water she was near it!
We had such a good time! Next year I hope the sun decides to join us.

Phineas & Ferb

2010-08-01T19:16:00.000-07:00

There aren't many shows that Payton likes anymore, which is a good thing, but Phineas & Ferb are one of them.

This particular morning I was not able to get anything done so I turned on a show for Payton & when Katie got frustrated that I kept walking away from her I stuck her in there with Payton.

Katie lasted about 10 minutes but it was a very productive 10 minutes.

4th of July

2010-08-01T19:12:00.000-07:00

Our ward had a breakfast & bike parade on the 3rd. Payton was so excited about it that we actually put the flags on her bike 1 week before & the bike became known as her "American Bike". As soon as the flags where off the bike was demoted back to just "Bike" & was said with no enthusiasm at all.

Payton loved to ride her bike where the cars usually drive! Or at least that is what she kept saying on our way home afterwards.

Katie was a very good girl. She slept thru the whole breakfast & parade. When she started to wake up it was time to go.

Melissa & Tyler where in town for the 4th & we decided that we would rather stay home instead of deal with over tired kids the next morning. I did go out to my parents back yard & look at the fireworks all over the valley. They were all very small but that didn't matter because I was in my PJ's, playing cards & not dealing with crowds, so if that makes me an official old fart then bring it on! :)

I did go in & get Payton (who wasn't asleep yet) & took her to the backyard to watch them. The whole time she kept saying that it was bedtime & wanted to know why people were out when it was bedtime. She wasn't too concerned because as soon as I said that she could go inside if she wanted she was on the bandwaggon to stay outside, in the dark, watching fireworks that really weren't all that exciting from so far away. She's no dummy!

Donald Got Into CORNELL!!!

2010-07-30T08:06:00.000-07:00

Donald just came in & told me that I should probably explain why we have moved since we've only talked about it on Facebook so far. We are now living in Ithaca NY. Donald got accepted into their 2 year MBA program & he is so excited to get started. We found out in February but could spill the beans until near the very end... & by that time my computer was already on the truck coming out here.

So I'm no longer managing apartments which is a nice change especially because I was having a really hard time figuring out the best way to do it with a baby around.

So our place was crazy for a bit while Donald packed us up... have I ever meantioned how wonderful he is. I think I only have to pack 5 boxes & that was my fabric so it was really REALLY easy. The movers picked up our stuff the Monday after 7/4 & we cleaned up the next day with the help of some Young Men & some friends from our ward. We stayed with my mom for 3 weeks which was so much fun!

So we are here & still getting settled. Donald starts his month long of orientation on Monday so time is passing by fast because there are still a lot of things we want to get done before then & well not enough time to do it. But I just want to say how proud I am of Donald & the hard work he has done that has made it possible for him to be able to be accepted. I don't want this to sound bad in any way but I had no idea he had it in him & I hope to be able to give him the support he needs to do well over the next 2 years. So here we go with another adventure!!!

Katie loves her Daddy!

2010-07-30T07:52:00.000-07:00

Katie loves her daddy.

Except for when he has pokey's (that's what Payton calls his facial hair)

And decides to kiss her cheeks.

Donald got in trouble after I realized what caused her to cry because he knew exactly what he was doing. As Payton likes to say & does quite often..... "Daddy is Notty!"

Last days at Disneyland

2010-07-30T07:26:00.000-07:00

For Payton's birthday, before we knew we would be going away to school, we bought a season pass to Disneyland. We we able to go over 10 times (which more than paid for the pass) & Payton loved going. After Katie was born Donald & Payton went down by themselves & had a fun day. The cool thing about their trip was that they were approached by a market research person & asked them if they would like to fill out a survey & of course Donald said yes. It turns out that they asked him if he would record their day at Disneyland & turn the digital video camera back in for $50. So I didn't get as many pictures as I would have liked to see but Payton was able to take a lot of the video (not sure if that is what they were intending or not) & also got a toy out of it.

Payton loves this picture because she LOVES Toy Story right now.
And Payton is becoming a really good photographer as well.

When Katie was 5 weeks old she got to go to Disneyland. Normally I would not have taken her but California has this new water show called "The Wonderful World of Color" & since our passes were about to be blocked out for the summer figured we would go.
Here are some videos of the show. It was really good but it probably would have been better if we were able to watch it from the front. So here is the show from the back. :)

This is the one where you can really see some of the images. Especially John Smith from Pocahontas

This last one is of the end. It was cool because it added the fire element... and who doesn't love a little music from the Pirates of the Caribbean!!

Katie slept thru almost the whole thing. She woke up because some kid had a flashing toy & I didn't move down her shade soon enough. Oh well.
I promise Katie didn't cry the whole time. We were waiting in line for the submarine (Payton wanted to go on a ride together as a family) but Katie had other plans. She wanted to eat so I fed her while they went on the sub.

And just to prove it here she is after getting back to the car. See nice & happy & warm.

Katie's Blessing

2010-07-30T07:10:00.000-07:00

Katie was blessed May 30th... I have to admit that I had to go to my sister-in-laws blog to figure out the date, thanks Jamie for posting about it so I could remember the date! :)
Katie wore the same dress as Payton. Grandma Church made her this blanket which arrived just in time to use it! Jane it is beautiful! (And sorry these pictures took so long to make it on here!)
I made Katie a little keepsake bracelet with her birthstone, Emerald.
Payton loves her little sister & she couldn't believe that she wore the same dress herself.

***

I just had to include this one. I get this face a lot from her & it cracks me up!
We ended up getting dressed up again later that day for the picture. I think it's so cute that both girls have a similar expression, yeah your parents are crazy, get over it!
The one below is a typical dad shot, oh let me just watch her while she cries! I know he does it on purpose so that I will take her away & take care of her. He thinks he's so sneaky.

Katie seems to love to sleep on her bobby, it's just hard to get her down without waking her up. But when I did she was able to sleep for a long time.
But by far she loves it when someone will hold her.
And maybe even sleep with her.

We are still here...

2010-07-30T07:09:00.001-07:00

We are still here, but here is now Ithaca NY. I will do my best to update my blog in order. Sorry for the lack of posts lately but over the next week you will probably have your fill of us. :)

-Jenn

Friend & Cousin

2010-06-24T18:15:00.000-07:00

Isn't it nice when you are born with a cousin that is so close in age. Payton is so excited that Katie has a friend! On the right is Sydney who is 15 days younger than Katie.

After reading one of the comments I realized that I neglected to tell you who's child this is. This is Sydney, Ryan & Casey's sister... who are all children of Melissa & Tyler. So the grandchild count for my parents: from Jennifer - 2 girls, Melissa - 3 (2 boys 1 girl) & JD - 1.5 due in September (1 girl & a whole boy that is 1/2 done). ;)

Guess who's sleeping thru the night!?!?!

2010-06-16T11:08:00.000-07:00

SHE IS! I AM!

Katie has been waking up 1 time at night to eat & then goes right back to bed. Katie will also let me sleep in if I can. That all depends on when Payton wakes up.

I haven't been taking very many pictures (by now I already had 100's of pictures of Payton... ) & haven't been posting but I thought that I would share these. Sorry they are more of her sleeping but that is all that she does right now.

Last day of Preschool

2010-06-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

Payton love Loves LOVES preschool. Above are her 2 teachers, Mrs McCoy (above) & Miss Nikki (below). Payton talks about them all of the time & has learned so much from them.

She has also made some good friends.

And she loves her classroom. I think that I was more sad for her than she was. Is it that kids are resilient or is it that they are clueless of change?

Either way I am so glad that we chose to have her go here.

Bath Time

2010-06-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

Please over look everything in the background. I know my kitchen is dirty in these pics but I have time to blog now & these are the pictures I have.

Payton loves to help & even though Katie is crying in some of these pictures she actually does enjoy her bath.

Payton's favorite part about helping is cleaning under her neck. Also she helps by washing her back while I hold her up.

I just wish that my sink was bigger, she growing out of it pretty quickly.

2010-05-26T16:41:00.000-07:00

Right now I have 1 hat that fits her little head. So I had to improvise.

And yes people this is how she sleeps. This explains all of the movements & discomfort I had in the end. She was just trying to stretch her hands up to get comfy.

Ready to be impressed....

2010-05-17T12:21:00.000-07:00

I sure am.

We went to a friend of Donald's house so that we could get some pictures taken. His wife is starting up a photography business. It was a good experience & I'm thrilled with the results. Payton wasn't all that cooperative & Katie wasn't asleep as much as either myself or Julie wanted, but we were still able to get the most precious shots.

Although she claims that she's just starting out I was very impressed with her ability & would love for you to check her site out. She made sepia and black & white options of all of these, but I just love the color shots! Julie - Thank you so much for working with us & doing such a great job!

I'm so excited that one of these turned out. I didn't see the rest of the shots taken, but since I was there I know that there couldn't have been that many to choose from.
At the end Payton was able to get a couple of single shots in. Again happy that at least 1 of those turned out...
Julie was able to get some fantastic shots of Katie. These are amazing & oh I just can't stop gushing over these! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
I love love LOVE the little flower head band.

We tried to get a few more with the tutu but she's to young to understand that dress up can sometimes be uncomfortable. Oh well. We were able to sneak it around her once & got these. Well worth it!

Oh I'm falling in love all over again!
Okay when I saw the one below I gasped out loud. I can't decide, is it that she doesn't look real? There is something too perfect about this picture! Gerber baby material here!
Correction: I just went to look at the Gerber Baby site & not even close! Katie's much cuter.
Check out those blue eyes! I wonder if they will stay blue.
And to end with the sweetest one of all.
So I would like to give my recommendation to this awesome, up & coming, local photographer.

http://www.julieandressphotography.blogspot.com/

I hope you enjoy these as much as I have!

Jenn

2010-05-12T12:25:00.000-07:00

So this first picture is my favorite so far. I've noticed with both of my kids that when I take pictures of them sometimes I don't think it really shows what they look like or how I see them. I know that may seem odd because it's obviously them in the picture... anyways... My point is that this 1st picture really does look like her to me. These next 3 pictures is what I got for taking pictures of her while she is awake.
1) Mildly disgusted by the flashes of the previous picture.
2) Really you are going to continue with the pictures, well you asked for it!
3) Take that mean mommy picture taker with your evil flashes.
And as soon as she started screaming Payton came of with several quick kisses to the forehead & she settled down. It doesn't always work but it did this time. Payton loves it when she can settled her down with lots of quick kisses to her head. Which is usually followed by "see mom all she needed were some kisses". Yeah I guess I should try that next time... or just not take so many pictures :)
Payton loves to hold her hand. As you can tell Katie sometimes doesn't get the point.

The best part about having Katie home is that Payton is able to help & really feel useful. She loves to be apart of the diaper changing process & the feeding process.

Our first few days with Katie...

2010-05-11T15:09:00.000-07:00

Our first day home from the hospital 5/5. There was a lot of sleeping & eating.
I love this picture! Those cheeks, how can you not just want to kiss her all day...
Here is our 2nd day home 5/6.
I was changing her & as soon as the sleep pj's came off she was content for about 15 minutes.
So of course it was time to break out the camera.
Payton loves how tiny her feet are. She always wants to take a picture of her feet & hands.
& of course Payton gets in on the picture taking.
Payton is so good with her & so far is being very careful with her. I'm sure that will change when the new-ness wears off.
The best part is that Katie is a very happy & content baby. She is so easy to take care. My only complaint is that she gets the hiccups while she's feeding. I know she doesn't appreciate it too much either.
More pictures to come. I was able to get some good ones today that I'll post later. Gotta get this one posted.

The New Family

2010-05-06T00:11:00.000-07:00

Payton had to get in on some action, here she is showing how proud she is to be a Big Sister.

This is the first pic of the new whole family. You would have never guessed that Jenn just gave birth just over 12 hours ago. Introducing the new Donald Hicks Family.

Payton and Katelyn...newest BFF's

Good thing Grandma has enough room for 2 on her lap, Payton was starting to feel the pain of sharing the attention. Hang in there Payton it only gets worst before it gets better. Thanks to Grandma & Grand Dad Grant for watching Payton while the new baby came!!

It's Baby Time

2010-05-05T23:49:00.000-07:00

Finally the time has come to head to the hospital for the delivery of the newest member of the Family

One last profile shot just for posterity!! :)

Of course Payton has to be a part of everything. One last in the womb kiss from her big sister.

4 1/2 hours after being admitted to the hospital here comes our 2nd princess to the "Royal Family": Princess Katelyn Marie Hicks. At the moment she was not very happy about coming out of the oven, "Go to the Happy Place...go to the happy place..."

Here she is now warm and found the Happy Place. It is amazing how much she looks like her sister Payton. I will be digging out some pics of Payton and posting the comparison in another post later.

Payton's Currency!

2010-04-10T12:32:00.000-07:00

Payton is usually very good, but lately she has started on a rotten/defiant streak. The best thing to happen to me is to figure out her currency. Let me explain. Payton is very stubborn, VERY! So the problem that we have been having lately (especially because it's harder for me to bend over & pick up toys) is that she doesn't clean up. And if she does decide to humor us with a little effort it is short lived. I hate being the one to tell her to pick this or that up & take it into her room.

SO one day Donald told her she had to clean up a small mess before getting on the computer. Me being the Doubting Thomas that I am just stepped back & watched & waited for the meltdown to come... and I waited... & watched while she picked up every toy, she even ran at times.

I am so grateful to have someone who is willing to 'try' new things, especially when I know it won't work. :)

Payton gets on the computer at least once a day & she picks up her toys all by herself. She has even expanded this to her room. I caught her cleaning up her room without being asked & was amazed. I asked her what she was doing, she said that she was cleaning 'just in case'. Wow! Who are you & what have you done with my daughter?

So the moral of the story is once you find what your child is willing to work for (aka their currency) life can become a lot easier.

Master Hunter

2010-04-10T11:51:00.000-07:00

This year we only ended up doing 1 Easter Egg Hunt so Payton made the most of it. She ran around like a mad woman getting as many eggs as she could.

It was always so fun to she her expression when she would find some.

She loves hanging out with all of her cousins (2nd cousins) & loved loved loved finding eggs. She is really getting into the holidays lately. Last year for easter she kinda did but not like this year. She's been hiding toys around the house & making Donald & I find them. She'll even stay in the bathroom or bedroom while we hide them for her (she not mastered the whole patience thing yet... well niether have I) & enjoys it so much.

Hoppy Easter

2010-03-24T16:40:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine Dana posted this a few days ago & I saw it & thought... now that is something I could do & finish in 1 day, HA! Well it took 2 days (with one day off in between, so really 3) but we finished.

Actually I should probably say that if the bunnies were the only thing that I was doing then yes it would have been completed that day but I always complicate things & tend to make projects bigger.

I let Payton 'paint' on the faces above but she wasn't interested when I pulled out the rest of them to do (remember I mentioned how projects I do have a tendency to just get bigger). I've never been good at following directions & there are always consequences of not following direction like our little wandering eye'd bunny on the end.
You see you are suppose to paint the faces on then sew them. Needless to say I was a little bit nervous when Payton wanted to paint the faces on the finished project rather than the unfinished ones. She did really good until the end... Sorry little guy. She was insistent on doing it & I only had time past the first morning to pull it out at night so it had to be that way... but now it has character... right?
So I'm now following the directions....

The other thing I added was the eggs. I spent a while cutting out shapes & Payton decorated all of the eggs. It took literally all morning to cut & then get Payton to finish with the eggs. We glued on the shapes & put them aside until it was time to sew... sadly the glue didn't do anything so I had to put a few stitches thru each shape to get them to stay on. So I have several more eggs to stitch & then 2 more garlands to assemble. Even though it was a lot of work I think they turned out so cute.

Yeah to me for finishing a 1 day project in 2 days! I'm not going to count the extra ones I'm doing...
And a double yeah to me for posting something current!

You want me to what?

2010-03-19T11:27:00.000-07:00

Payton was walking around with Donald's head lamp on. I asked her to give me a smile so I could take a picture. This is the face I got. Cute... yes. Full of Personality... absolutely... with a dash of attitude.

On the Edge... asleep

2010-03-10T22:58:00.000-08:00

Every night before we head to bed we check on her. This is what we found. What you can't see in this picture is that she has all, & I mean ALL of her 'babies' neatly & methodically tucked in next to her.

So why is she sleeping like this?

Because she is being a good mommy & leaving plenty of room for her babies. She is going to be the best big sister... now if she can only stand to wait another 8 weeks. This pregnancy has gone so fast for me, but so slow for her. I know she doesn't understand how much this new baby is going to rock her whole existence but I do know that there has not been a more excited girl on a crash course with reality. But having said that, she will do great & I can't wait to see them together.

Marching to her own drummer...

2010-03-05T11:09:00.000-08:00

Payton likes to change what she's wearing at least once every day... actually it's a good day when she only changes once... that would be more accurate. Sometimes the outfits she puts together just have to be documented.

So we have a Winnie the Pooh Jumper w/ matching pink shirt. A flower summer dress that is a jumper as well but she wanted to wear it like a skirt instead. & my tennis shoes. She was very proud of herself & kept saying that she could find something beautiful for me to wear. Yeah with my expanding waist there's not much that fits me so I told her she could help choose what the baby will wear every day & you would have thought she won the lottery.

I just love her personality, now if only she were more coordinated so that she didn't fall & hit the side of the wall while trying to walk/dance/ice skate/whatever it was, while wearing my shoes. Yep that's what happened right after this picture was taken.

The best cared for bears...

2010-03-05T11:02:00.000-08:00

While Payton was sleeping in our room after the carpet in her room got wet again we had her on a pad in our room. She usually would put the bears to bed at the foot of her bed (like she doesn't in her own bed), but this night was different.

I walked in & couldn't find her. When I turned to Donald he was just laughing then he pointed to the bed. When I asked Payton the next morning why she slept in our bed she said that the babies slept on the floor & their mommy (her) slept in the mommy bed.

I think it might be time to pull out Goldilocks & the 3 Bears to read.

How does Payton measure happiness?

2010-02-27T09:58:00.000-08:00

I went to a boutique dress sale thing a friend of mine hosts every year & picked up this dress for Payton. Once she saw it she had to try it on (it's a 5T so she hasn't worn it out yet). She immediately went to the hallway & started spinning.

She said: I'm so happy for my fancy dancing dress. The pink pota dots & pink belt makes me happy & dance really good. See I'm a Princess Dancer.

Hey that's my Brother!

2010-02-27T09:50:00.000-08:00

When the pictures finish uploading here is the conversation Payton & I had.
P: Hey that's my brother David!
Me: You mean David is your brother?
P: Yep, my sister is in your tummy & my brother is David.

Me: What about David's Mommy & Daddy? Are they the same Mommy & Daddy you have?
P: No

Me: Then why are you saying that he is your brother?
After giving me a duh mom why are you so dense look...
P: I love him & he's a boy so that makes him my brother.

How can you argue with that?

Little brother qualities that David exemplifies.
1) He loves to touch her hair (& surprisingly hasn't pulled it, at least hard enough to cause a meltdown)
2) Follows her around.
3) Giggles when she giggles.
4) As you can tell by these pictures, P ignores him & is unfazed by him trying to get her attention.
5) Loves to take the toys she's playing with, but mostly just to get her attention, which works.
And last, I don't know if this is a 'brother quality' or not but it's my favorite...
6) Every time I get to watch him I will catch them hugging each other. It's so quick that I haven't been able to get a picture yet.
It melts my heart every time! Thank you David for being such a good 'little brother'!

Cousins are Fun!

2010-02-27T09:38:00.000-08:00

Right before we took down all of the Christmas decorations at my parents house the kids decided to hide.

My favorite picture is below.

Payton & Ryan are 5 months apart & I love to watch them play together. Neither one is always the 'leader'. This particular day Payton followed Ryan around. They are such good friends!

Something funny for the ladies!

2010-02-09T15:49:00.000-08:00

This was something that my parents received & I just had to share. I especially love the prayer at the end. - Jenn

THE SHOEBOX

A man and woman had been married for more than 60 years.

They had shared everything.. They had talked about everything.

They had kept no secrets from each other except that the little

Old woman had a shoe box in the top of her closet that she had

cautioned her husband never to open or ask her about.

For all of these years, he had never thought about the box,

but one day the little old woman got very sick and the doctor

said she would not recover.

In trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man took down

the shoe box and took it to his wife's bedside. She agreed that

it was time that he should know what was in the box. When he

opened it, he found two crocheted dolls and a stack of money

totaling $95,000.

He asked her about the contents.

' When we were to be married ' she said, ' my grandmother

told me that the secret of a happy marriage was to never argue.

She told me that If I ever got angry with you, I should just keep

quiet and crochet a doll. '

The little old man was so moved; he had to fight back tears.

Only two precious dolls were in the box. She had only been

angry with him two times in all those years of living and loving.

He almost burst with happiness.

' Honey ' he said, ' that explains the dolls, but what about all

of this money ? Where did it come from ? '

' Oh ' she said, ' that's the money I made from selling the dolls. '

A Prayer :

Dear Lord,
I pray for Wisdom to understand my man ;
I pray for Love to forgive him ;
And I pray for Patience for his moods ;
Because Lord, if I pray for Strength,
I'll beat him to death.