Tuesday, November 1, 2011

The Sick House

Once again, been too long since I've hit up bloggerville.  I don't think single parents should be allowed to get sick.  Then again, being sick has forced me to slow down a little and take a sick day from work which is why I'm sitting here updating the blog in the first place.  So I guess I'm glad I got sick?  First Avril had this cold/flu thing... then McKel... and I'm the lucky last one to get it.  I did get a flu shot this year... not that it did me any good.
So here are the updates:
MOM:  I recently was hired for a full time position at the Cache Valley Specialty Hospital.  I have been training for my new job the past week, and there are still a world of things to learn, as I have never had a job quite like this before.  I do enjoy it, because its new, I love to learn, I get to work with awesome people, and I am working with money, which I'm good at :)  I will be in charge of doing the billing for the hospital... which is a VERY busy job, and I'm finding that there are lots of improvements that need to be made in that department.  I have my work cut out for me.  This position will be nice because I can now get benefits, a little bigger paycheck, and more job security.  The downside is that my dream of being at home with my kiddos cannot happen at this point in my life.  I miss my girls terribly every single day.  But, I do have lots of help from friends and family members and we found an excellent daycare/preschool so this is our new life and we are becoming accustomed to it.  I think prayers are being answered... sometimes I have my doubts, I must be honest.  But I keep praying anyway...
AVRIL:  Avril is becoming such a silly little thing.  She is so entertaining.  I cannot imagine how her little brain works.  She says the most random, hilarious things all the time!  She is now in a preschool class at her daycare, which has actually worked out quite well.  Avril is so smart, and she really needs something like that to keep her mind working all the time.  I started hearing her say, "Oh my world!"  This is because Nana says, "Oh my word!"  Its pretty funny to hear :)  Avril had the time of her life at Halloween.  It was just about the happiest I've seen her.  She was squealing with delight as we went trick-or-treating, and she wasn't even shy!  She would say Trick-or-Treat!  And Thank you, and shout out, Happy Halloween!!
MCKEL: McKel is at the stage where she is learning and growing so quickly it is hard to keep up with all the changes.  I feel bad for not being more on top of all the exciting new things happening in her life, the way I was with Avril... but its just so much more difficult with all the working I've been doing lately.  McKel now has 4 teeth...2 up top and 2 on the bottom.  The top two came in within the past month.  The majorly exciting news with McKel is that she is 100% walking now!!  By her 10 month birthday she was already taking several steps.  I need to get a good video of this but I haven't been around with a camera much to catch it.  But she loves to practice walking all over the house, and doesn't mind taking some stumbles along the way.  She just walks around with a big grin on her face.  She is generally such a happy baby girl, as she always has been.  Unfortunately, she did not get to join in on the Trick or Treating this year but we did dress her up for a Halloween party at the daycare.  McKel was sick on Halloween but it gave mommy some alone quality time with Avril so I guess it turned out ok.  McKel's favorite thing to say is "Uh Oh!"  She repeats this over and over.  Usually she will sit at her high chair and drop things over the edge then say, "uh oh!"  (not really an uh oh if you ask me).
So... that's whats new with me and the girls!  Here are some pics:

Avril got in to the cereal cabinet and found some vanilla flavored soy protein powder.  For some reason she thought it would be a good idea to dump it on McKel's head.  McKel didn't seem to mind.
Powdered McKel
My lil punkin Avril...  I have to show a pic from a previous year when we made her a real punkin' :)
Avril Halloween of 2009 as a real punkin!  Love her chunky lil legs :)
We also had a lil watermelon for Halloween this year.  We had many compliments on our cute harvest this year!
Mommy helped Avril make a spider web at her Halloween daycare party.
Love those big baby blues

Nana as Dolly Pardon and our lil punkin girl on Halloween, getting ready for trick-or-treating!
Dolly giving McKel a bath in the sink

McKel loves to stick her tongue out and rub it back and forth across her teeth :)

Mommy and her lil melon going to the party

Could they be any cuter?!!
 



Happy Halloween!  From the Punkin, the Watermelon, and the sick Mama!

A clip showing some McKel's first few steps...

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Sisters


Matching pajamas, riding the rocking horsey. Sooo precious!

Friday, September 30, 2011

Do You Believe in Miracles?

...because I have proof that miracles exist... just look at my two miracles.












Saturday, September 17, 2011

The Making of A Nerd...

Papa likes to read the newspaper at the table.  He always puts his glasses on to sit and read.  Sometimes he will eat graham crackers and dip them in milk as a bedtime snack.  Avril has observed this many times, and decided she could be a big girl and do this too!!  So she plopped right down in the chair next to papa and picked up the paper, saying, "I want to read the paper.  Hmmm... where's my glasses?!"  Nana found Avril some glasses and she had a great time reading the paper and having her bedtime snack with papa.  :)

A pensive Avril

Doesn't get much nerdier... or cuter.  Note McKel in the background, admiring her older sister :)

Verrry interesting...

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Videos and snapshots

So I started training at my new job this week and I'm working a lot of hours right now... I LOVE my job... I work with the nicest people ever, and it feels like a family there already.  I do miss being away from my girls though.  Anyway, I've been so busy that I'm a bit blog-behind.  Again, I can't thank people enough for the encouraging words sent, the prayers, and all the love we feel sent our family's way.  It truly means a lot to us girls.  God is great!  :)

here are some random recent videos of the cutest girlies:

McKel eats corn on the cob


Avril rides the motorcycle at the mall


Avril in her new twinkle toes shoes

A nice way to pass the time in church
Adorable McKel
More cuteness
Avril is intrigued by the rhinos at the zoo!
Avril doing what she does best... having fun!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Hogle Zoo/ Bike Rides

Lots of pictures from our fun day at the zoo. Not much to say... I'll just let the pics speak for themselves. We had a great time! Avril never stops talking about the animals.
















Brittney and Avril... cousins riding bikes down the driveway together.  So fun!
Danger?  Ha!  I laugh in the face of danger!



The smile that lights up everyone's day!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

So Blessed

Lately I try to remember when I get up in the morning and brush my teeth, to say Thank You for.... and start listing the things I'm grateful for each day.  When in the midst of a loss, its sometimes easy to focus on what you don't have.  I am soooooooo grateful for my two kids, who bring me smiles and make me laugh every single day.  The other night I was upset and Avril heard me crying.  She was upstairs and said, "I'm going to go downstairs and give mommy a princess band aid so she feels better."  That is just the sweetest thing I've ever heard :)  She is a total angel.
Another cute Avril quote:  "I went to see the three baby boys, Parker, Medicine (meant Edison), and George!"  (these are my aunt Trish's triplet babies).
And yet another:  "This is my new car!  It has penguins in it!"  (referring to the new Odyssey my parents just bought, since we watched Surf's Up and Happy Feet on the way down to Salt Lake).
And just in case those cute Avril quotes didn't make you smile, this will:



I am also blessed to have some great friends.  My friends Sarah and Alycia  recently took a trip to the little zoo here with all of our kids.  So fun!

Baby Alex, Ethan, and McKel.  They are all one month apart!  McKel is the youngest, but she is not intimidated by older boys!  She kept trying to grab Ethan in his stroller :)
Avril and her friend Kate were having fun climbing on the rocks and exploring

Sharing some candy and chillin in the shade!

"I want honey on my tongue!  Like Winnie the Pooh!"  Honey makes for very sticky fingers :)

*Thank you for all the kindness we've received from family and friends... as well as all the many prayers said on our family's behalf.  We are truly grateful.  I don't mind being selfish when it comes to prayers... we'll take all we can get!  God bless..