I tried to stop her!

I tried to convince Audrey to go back in time and turn three this year.  I told her she could go to 3, then 2, then 1 and then she could work her way back up to 4.  5 years old is the year when she will go to school!  But in spite of my constant reminder that she was turning 3, she decided to be 5 years old. 

 Her new bike was waiting for her when she got home from preschool and she was too excited to even take off her backpack before she hopped on.  We let her ride outside for a little bit but it was so cold!  The problem with a January birthday is that she won't be able to ride it too much for awhile.

 This is the famous birthday hat from preschool.  I'm not sure it could be bigger.  (Does it remind anyone of the pope's hat?)

 This year we decided to have a friend party!  Our theme was Strawberry Shortcake.

Yes, she is eating birthday cake with a tablespoon.  She's not dumb!

The girls were all so good!  I had the help of my mom and Ryan's mom and I thought things went perfectly!  What a wonderful little, um, big girl!

Ode to Sisters:

A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost.  ~Marion C. Garretty

Sad confession:  I am a middle child with middle child syndrome.  Worse:  I am a middle sister.  So here's what it boils down to...  I have yearned for identity my whole life.  I have paled in comparison.  I wanted desperately to be someone's favorite that I became a sort of bratty-confidante.  

I remember when my older sister first got her driver's license going out driving with her and she shared little tidbits of her life.  I decided she was too good for that guy whose house we'd driven by a hundred times because he would never give her a second thought.  We weren't really close growing up though because she's 6 years older.  Now my two girls are both about 18 months younger than her two girls so we've become really close over the last few years and it's been so great.  She is "the perfect older sister."  

Sisters is probably the most competitive relationship within the family, but once the sisters are grown, it becomes the strongest relationship.  ~Margaret Mead

My brother and I never had our 'downs' but we had our 'ups' and our lulls.  My brother is a writer.  In his mind is a never-ending story.  I remember reading fantasy books that he loved just so I'd have something to talk to him about.  He let me read some of the stories he had written and I was in awe that anyone's mind could work like that.  He's the kind of brother that hides in the background of 3 strong sisters, but when you get a look into his mind or his heart you realize there's nothing faded about it.  (Sorry to leave Nick out of this post from here on out).

Now my relationship with Kaleena is very different.  I am 3 years older than her but people wanted us to be twins.  We got twin gifts, we were constantly being confused for one another, we shared EVERYTHING including a room until I was 12.  I knew when we were little that she wanted to BE me.  I hated it.  I felt like I needed an identity and sharing one with my little sister was not going to cut it.  In some ways we played really well together.  No one got our games.  I never had to explain our make-believe world to her.  We both just got it.  So the bad times could be pretty bad and the good times could be really good, the best. 

If you don't understand how a woman could both love her sister dearly and want to wring her neck at the same time, then you were probably an only child.  ~Linda Sunshine

Once I moved out, Kaleena seemed to blossom overnight when she wasn't under my thumb and I am so impressed by how wonderful she is in spite of my influence.

Big sisters are the crab grass in the lawn of life.  ~Charles M. Schulz 

Now every day I watch the sisterhood of my girls.  There are times when I would do anything to keep them apart, to stop the fighting.  Then there are times when I want to cry because they are just the sweetest things.  Mostly I laugh because they have so much fun doing some of the craziest things.  Audrey has her days where she just wants to be left alone and Kennedy has times that she feels the need to exert some power over Audrey.  But I catch Audrey saying things like, "Kennedy, you are the best little sister.  I love you."  And I love watching Kennedy mimic everything Audrey does.   I love that she cries when we drop Audrey off at school and that Audrey begs me to let Kennedy miss a nap so they can keep playing.  Then later that day I wonder why sharing and taking turns has to be explained to them AGAIN.

Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid of.  You know whatever you do, they'll still be there.  ~Amy Li

These are the times when I reflect on my own relationships with my sisters.  I tell Audrey that she has to be an example to Kennedy, not because I was one but because I had them.  I also explain to her that little sisters just want to be like their older sisters because they love them so much.  This took me 20+ years to figure out so I hope I can help her understand. 



 

Some fun in December

December was, as always, a whirlwind of activity, tradition, shopping and relishing in the spirit of the wonderful season!

The kids loved helping putting out the village and decorating the tree.  Casualties were less than expected.  Audrey broke a piece of one ornament and Kennedy tore the window off one of the village houses- not too bad.

 

 The Festival of Trees is a tradition we've loved each year.  This year we went on a Friday night which we knew would be rough and we'll try to avoid in the future.  Pretty crazy!  I parked in what I can only assume was a compact car spot and our car is anything but.  If we could have crawled out of the trunk, it would have been easier.

 The Rapunzel tree was a hit.

Kennedy to this day will point to her cheek and say "hohoho."

 We did lots of the kids games.  Face stamps, fishing, nail painting, necklaces and bubbles.

This is our niece Chloe.

 Audrey and Kennedy go to Young Women's activities with me sometimes.  Audrey thinks she's one of them I think.  Ice skating was a must!  Audrey was fearless.  She didn't want to stop.  She was okay with falling down.  It was great to watch her!

 Kennedy, on the other hand, was not interested.  She was okay staying outside the rink eating Swedish Fish.

 This year we tried "Elf on the Shelf."  I always wondered if it would be a little creepy for the kids to imagine him watching us all the time.  We named our elf Buddy.  The girls had a lot of fun looking for him each morning.

 Audrey had her preschool program.  There were probably about 2 million people there (give or take a few) so even though we were 20 minutes early we were on the back row.  Audrey did a great job.  It's always entertaining to see how the kids react to the pressure.  Some kids refused to participate and some let their enthusiasm get the better of them at times. 

 This is Audrey's 'special friend' Breea.  Miss Heather gave all the kids a book for Christmas.

 Audrey also had a Christmas recital for dance.  They were cheerleaders.  I had never curled her hair before so I was actually interested to see what I could do with it.  For her dress rehearsal I curled the top pieces with a curling iron which actually seemed to straighten it.

 For the recital we tried curlers.  It would have been a little better if we could have left them in all day.  We had errands to run so it went a little flat in places.

This is where they're yelling "GO SANTA GO!"  (It looks like Audrey is a little bit ahead, moving on to the next step or something.)  She did well.  It's a lot of fun to watch her on "the big stage" as she calls it.

Christmas is always fun, but it's the stuff that comes with it that make it a season worth remembering.

No tricks, just treats!

Well, for the last few years the Halloween Scrooge inside me gets smaller and smaller.  I still don't agree with decorating your yard to look like a graveyard or having the crap scared out of you at a haunted house.  But the fun costume, kids, and candy part is so much fun!

My costume ideas this year were inspired by how my kids actually look and act.  (I hope I don't say the same thing for the years where they're scary.)

Audrey was Fancy Nancy.  For any one who hasn't read the Fancy Nancy books, here's a brief description.  Nancy is probably about 8 or so.  She is ALWAYS dressed 'fancy' and she loves to talk 'fancy.'  The books are adorable!

 This is Nancy's posh party dress.  It's my favorite one that she wears and it became my inspiration.  The reason I chose Fancy Nancy for Audrey is because she loves the books, she loves to be fancy, and she has crazy-curly hair!!

I chose Pebbles from the Flinstones for Kennedy.
 

I think Kennedy looks a little bit like Pebbles, she's kind of a wild one and she refuses to wear shoes!

Happy Halloween!!

The girls had a blast trick-or-treating, partly due to the beautiful weather.  Audrey was sweet to make sure she got Kennedy a piece of candy since Kennedy was too shy to get close to anyone.  Kennedy was anxious to dive into the candy so I thought she'd be ready to go home at any time but she cried when we got home so she must have understood what was happening all along.  When we got home we watched 'It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" while we wound down and the girls each got 2 pieces of candy.  It was fantastic!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wait, how old ARE you?

Oftentimes, I'm talking to someone and they stop and say, "Wait, how old ARE you?"  When I tell them they usually say I look like 22 or 23.  I know it's supposed to be a compliment so I don't feel too badly about it.  But I'm glad I'm not 23.  I'm so excited to finally be able to say, "I'm 30!"  It's here! The big one!  The birthday I've been told is so hard.

Before I move on into the next decade I'd like to share 20 things from my 20s.  Before you roll your eyes at me, let me preface by saying I am not going to brag about accomplishments (which are many I'm sure). They're things that affected me and even changed me.

In my 20s I...

1.  I moved 5 times but stayed in Utah County the whole time and I've come to love it. 

2.  I started working at Sears.  I really think I owe a lot of my self confidence to my management and Human Resource positions there.  It's been good for me.

3.  I welcomed a few more books to my favorite books list...The Secret Life of Bees. The Twilight series.  Prodigal Summer.  In 5th grade my teacher suggested I lay off the Sweet Valley High and maybe read deeper books.  I started reading classics and stuck to that until my 20s.  I still read classics and I still read fluff but I've tried to also read lots from this century and there are some beauties.

4.  I cut my hair really short once because I always said I'd do that when I was 25.  Turns out I just can't do my hair whether it's long or short.

5.  I went through a few callings in the church but I think Young Women Secretary is a permanent suggestion on my church records.  I love being around the Young Women.  I'm always reminded that I'm a daughter of God.

6.  I visited 14 new states bringing the total to 20.  This country is so amazing.  In every city and every state the people there take such pride.   

7.  I added a few new wonderful friends to my list of already the most wonderful friends in the world.  A couple of them are a lot older than me and I really appreciate their examples.

8.  I went from 4 (one in-law) siblings and my parents to 10 siblings with the new parents in-law and they've all turned out to be wonderful!  What are the odds?

9.  I also added 7 nieces and 2 nephews to my family.  We have had so much fun with new talent, new personalities, new love and happiness.

10.  Ryan's extended family is really amazing.  Having them as my family has been such a blessing.  I am down to 1 living grandma and to have Ryan's 4 grandparents alive has helped to fill that role a bit.  I wish the others of mine were still here to see my kids.

11.  I became a mom.  The day Audrey was born changed my life forever.  I can never go back.  I will never look at the world the same way.  I have learned so much from her about love, forgiveness and happiness.

12.  I wondered how I could split all that love I had for Audrey in two until I had Kennedy and learned there's no splitting at all.  Love that wasn't there before came along brand new, just as strong. 

13. I developed a seizure disorder.  It came with a CATscan, three MRIs, 3 EEGs, 1 EKG, one spinal tap, one sleep disorder specialist, a neurologist and probably a lifetime prescription.  I look at the word "disorder" in a new light.   I don't feel like I should have that kind of label.  The hardest part has been the unknown.  It's hard to be scared of your own brain. 

14.  I have found that there are many ways to be busy.  I thought going to school full-time was busy.  Then going to school and working full-time.  Then working and a baby.  Now I work, have two kids, and Ryan and I both have pretty demanding callings.  I look at the people around me with older kids and I wonder if I can handle it.  But I have learned that regardless of how busy you are, it is all about priorities and taking it day by day.

15.  I have hoped and prayed that I would eventually grow out of my bad skin.  I haven't.  I probably won't. 

16.  I used to think that the pressures of being a teenager were rough.  Dressing right, having the right clothes, listening to the right music etc.  But it is nothing compared to the pressure of being a perfect mom.  Confession: my kids are not perfect.  I read the magazines, I compare to other kids, I push and pull and try and cry but they just aren't perfect.  I do think mine are the most beautiful in the world though!  Also, I'm not crafty enough or resourceful enough.  I don't have three months of food storage for my family.  I can cook alright but not great.  I don't do charity work in my free time.  The good news is that I have lots of room to get better!

17.  I have developed an addiction to online shopping.  I rarely pay for shipping and I don't have to drag the kids around.  Win, win!

18.  The last couple of years I've come to actually enjoy yard work.  There's something really satisfying in pulling out weeds.  It's wonderful to plant and then watch and tend what you've planted and enjoy!

19.  In my 20s I've lived with sports.  People tell me all the time that I'm a good sport to support my husband's obsession but I really don't mind.  Baseball on t.v. is probably my favorite and then BYU football live is second.  I can carry on a fairly good conversation with any guy about just about anything sports.  When things are bad, I start to wish Ryan would give it all up.  But then I remember that his passion for the things he loves is something I love the most about him.  Which leads me to number 20.....

 20.  I married Ryan.  It was the best decision I ever made.  He's helped me understand and respect myself just as I am.  I don't pretend with him.  I trust him.  When I am not sure what I need or I don't want to say out loud what I need, he usually knows.  The girls adore him.  He's a wonderful dad!

While I don't want to re-live my 20s (they were hard), I do wish I could re-visit them.  I could just be there to watch some of the happiest moments of my life.  What a great decade!  I can't wait to see what my 30s will bring!

In my 30s I will...any guesses or suggestions?

ROAD TRIP!!

A few months ago, my brother-in-law decided to go to medical school in Lebanon, Oregon.  As soon as the decision was made, Ryan's brain was hard at work planning a road trip for our family.  He loves it and is really good at it!

 First stop was Shoshone Falls in Twin Falls, Idaho.  I had zero expectations going in and the falls were actually amazing.  Definitely worth the detour.

 On the drive out there the girls were both really good.  There was a small bookstore in our backseat but it was worth it.

 Ryan's trips are never complete without a sporting event.  This time it was BYU at Oregon State.

Ryan's brother Devin, SJ, and Megan

 I knew Kennedy was tired at the game when she wouldn't let me move her from my shoulder, but part- way through I could tell she was also running a fever.  Audrey took this picture of her.  After that, Kennedy was pretty sick.  The fever lasted three days and it came with a nasty cold.  I've never heard a little one snore like she was snoring.  At church on Sunday we had to take her out, not because of her usual craziness, but because she was snoring so loudly.  Poor girl!

Sunday afternoon we drove out to Newport Beach.  It was terribly windy and really cold.  But Audrey was really looking forward to it.  She wanted to collect sea shells.

 Audrey loved it!

 Monday we drove to the Columbia River Gorge to see waterfalls.  About 8 years ago, Ryan and I did some hiking there and it was one of our favorite trips ever.  This time we had kids so we only saw one waterfall.  Multnomah Falls is the second highest waterfall in the U.S.

 We hiked a while up the mountain but we weren't on the path that lead to multiple waterfalls.  Our path would have lead us to the top of Multnomah but we didn't get to the top.

 This is a scary bear we saw in her cave!!!!

 After the hike we went to some outlets and the girls rode this little merry-go-round at least 5 times.

 The drive home wasn't as easy as the one going out because of how badly Kennedy was feeling and how hard it was for her to sleep. 

But check out the smile on her face!  That's barbecue sauce on her face.  This girl loves her sauce!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had a great time together as a family.  Audrey was such an angel the entire time.  I couldn't have asked for better from her.  Everything she did was with so much enthusiasm, it made even the smallest things exciting!