What you should do in AZ...

My friend's sister had a Glitter Toes party and while the mommas were getting their toes done, the kids were playing on this. Joe loved it! He could have stayed here all day! So fun!

Lynden at 10 months

Lynden (aka Jane) is clapping, waving, and laughing at you when you ask her to not touch something. She waves and then claps for herself since she's doing such a great job. She crawls sooo fast and crawls on her feet so she doesn't mess up her skirt/dress/tutu.

Caught her clapping for herself

Laughing when I ask her not to open Grandma's hutch

Loves doing big kid stuff

Lynden 

*eats great

*still has only bottom 2 teeth

*sleeps ok, naps fabulously

*adores Joe and anything Joe does

*at the very curious stage-opening everything-cupboards, doors, attempting toilets

*gives kisses before nap and bedtime

*is an excellent car rider

*stands by herself

*says mama, dada- mama first

*takes 3 baths a day because she is such a messy eater

We love you sweetie!

I love my kids

I love my boy and my girl so much that there are days more often than not that mom doesn't get a shower until lunch or later. 85% of the time, mom goes without makeup and tries to dab some on right before daddy gets home. I wipe their sweet bums, feed their hungry bellies, and in Lynden's case, give numerous baths a day because of crazy messy eaters. I drive Joe a good 15 minutes each way to and from preschool 4 days a week so he can have friends and fun playing. Daddy and I "patiently" help him eat for at least an hour a night because of his picky habits. We try to teach them to be polite and to remember to say please and thank you. We help them understand why they aren't allowed to play with scissors, only color on paper, and to stay away from the stove and oven when mom is cooking. We love teaching them about Jesus and Heavenly Father and it is so amazing to see it all start to click. Being a parent is hard hard work with not a lot of recognition, but there is nothing else I'd rather be doing than spending my days with these two.

Lynden at about 9 months...smiling for pictures

Giving her "cheer facials"

Still adoring her brother (playing restaurant)

Still going along with whatever Joe wants her to do (place an order)

And is still quite the little daddy's girl

Happy 5 year Anniversary to us!

I can't find the picture we took as a family and think I lost the memory card, but Steve and I celebrated our 5 year! We actually paid for a babysitter and went and saw Salt, since we were too late for Inception and went out for a quick bite to eat. We had a great night walking around together and enjoying each other's company. 5 years brings, 5 moves, 2 sweet kids, graduation from college, career, church callings, lots of trips to see family, and lots of adventures left. We are very lucky! I love Steve and am so grateful for the rock he is in my life. He is very content and easy going which makes him easy to please. He mellows me out and has helped me become more patient. He is the hardest worker and best dad I could ask for. Love him!

We got a Costco membership...

As trivial as this sounds...our little family got a Costco membership. This was a huge step in our marriage as we have mooched off Steve's parents when needed or my sister and Benny boy on a few occasions to score some sweet deals. I even BEGGED Steve to get a membership so I could get a hot dog during my pregnancy with Lynden and was beside myself when he didn't! At the same time, we were hesitant to get one because I don't really buy in bulk having 2 small kids. Here we are getting ready for our first evening trip to Costco! Thanks to Grandma Maralyn for the adorable outfit, shoes and headband!

Grandma Rose's paper towel holder

It's official...my dog broke...accidentally fell off the counter with the help of some little hands that were trying to be so big. The body broke right off the head. I snagged this from my mom because it was my Grandma Rose's and wanted one last picture of it before I, I mean Steve, throws it away. I love it, well actually I adored my grandma and every time I looked at this dog obviously from the 80's with its mauve rose and country blue, I think of my sweet grandma.

Hope recovery doesn't take too long!

July 8, 2010

On my mother in law's birthday this year, I was having a nervous breakdown getting ready for knee surgery. I took my kids to my cousin Jessica's house. She likes to laugh me off, but seriously there is none other I feel more comfortable than to leave them with for hours at a time, especially when we had no idea what to expect. I got checked in and the idiot scheduler booked me for the wrong knee. Luckily they ask you 7 times which knee they are operating on and fortunately I was coherent enough every time to answer the right one. I hope the guy next to me was that lucky, he kept growling at the nurse when she would try to ask him questions. The doctor put his "brand" on my knee and my hubby got there to watch them put the hair cap on, the comfy purple socks on, and poke and prod me. I met the anesthesiologist, got a sweet kiss from Steve, started getting wheeled back, saw the stupid clouds on the ceiling-really people, no one is going to forget they are in a hospital on the way to the OR room because you have clouds on one panel of ceiling!, moved my relaxed body to the table, took 2 breaths in of an oxygen thing and I was out. I woke up to a nasty taste of fruity something and immediately asked for my husband. I was told I was in a restricted area and he would come soon! Yay! I was alive! Hallelujiah! I never said anything crazy coming out of it! I'm pretty sure I did tell Steve though I was so excited for this second chance at life and that I was going to be the best wife ever. He laughed at me and we will say that that is a work in progress, sometimes a very slow work! I guess I had an excess of meniscus. It's supposed to be in the shape of a C and mine was like an oval which was probably causing my knee to pop out, so he cut off half of it and we are "hoping" it doesn't happen again. It better not happen again!

I couldn't nurse the day of just as a precaution from the medication I was on and because of the stuff from the hospital I was coming off of so Lynden got to have her 2 favorite boys cater to her. She loved it and took no time getting used to it!

I LOVE this picture of my 2 sweeties! How incredibly lucky they are to have each other for brother and sister. Lynden adores Joe when he's trying to pick her up, bugging her, playing with her, teasing her, giving her kisses, reading to her, throwing toys at her in the car (usually they are soft), and feeding her. He was helping hold the bottle and her head while she just looked up at him and fed her chunky little face and while I sat at the end of the couch groggy, tired, swollen, and grateful for the help. I told Steve he should feel special because this is the first thing in our whole entire marriage-of almost 5 years-that we have done 100% by ourselves. Usually my mom is right here and if she can't be Steve's parents are. This time because of the craziness of life, we needed to be grown ups. It's been hard, but I think I appreciate Steve even more for it. He's done the cooking, the cleaning and the DRIVING. I've had physical therapy twice a week and guess who has had to drive me and take time off of work and then work weekends as a consequence? Steve. He has pulled through and has really helped out. I thought I was a really lazy person, but I guess I'm a little bit productive. I never used the crutches and haven't stayed down probably as much as I should have. Maybe it's not that I'm productive, I might be obsessive about how I like things done and when I like to do them. Thanks to my sweet friends who have helped out and who have offered to help out. This has been a struggle for me, but luckily this wasn't worse and hopefully I recover fast!

Few days before surgery

So after a X ray, an MRI, and a couple of appointments with the knee Dr. I found out I needed knee surgery. I had discoid lateral meniscus in my right knee and from the looks of the MRI we thought some of the meniscus was torn, but couldn't be 100% until surgery. I felt pretty comfortable about the whole procedure until the hospital kept calling asking about a living will. Even though it was for legal reasons, I kept thinking, great how many people have died from knee surgery and pretty much had anxiety for a few weeks and to get my mind off of it and try to enjoy whatever summer we had left, we went out.

We tried an aquatics center I'd heard about with Madison, Kendra, Kylie, Jacey, and Nichole. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Joe couldn't go on the big slides, but it was easier here than it would have been at a water park because I would have been saying no the whole time. Here there were 2 big slides then a pool with a slide, water guns, a little beach entrance, diving board and lazy river. He was plenty occupied.

Who would have known Joe would want to try to diving board? He did, he loved it, swam over to the side every time without a breath, and gave me thumbs up every time before he jumped just to make sure I was watching.

Here is Buzz Lightyear, to infinity and beyond, jump. He'd go under pretty far and then just paddle, paddle, paddle over to the side. I was SUCH a proud mother! He was the youngest one jumping off the diving board!

We met up with our friends Heather, Kena, Benson, Courtney, and Colter at the Tempe splash pad. We all live in different areas and it was fun to try something new.

Little cherry blossom loving the water

I love it when there are toys just in between 3 and 5 so that he can enjoy them and he's not too small for them and when he isn't too old for them. Some splash pads Joe can get bored at easily if there aren't any of his friends around.

Ready for some In N Out fries, shakes, and burgers for lunch! Thanks friends for getting us out to try some new things!

St George girl

I had to post these pictures because I found this little outfit in a box my mom kept of her favorite stuff that was mine as a baby. We were laughing when we found this "St George" outfit because who ever thought I would have found my Prince Charming in St George, Ut? Haha not me, no offense to all of my sweet friends there, but I found him there and learned St George isn't really Utah. I mean, like Provo, Utah! I love it there tons and too bad there is no industry for Steve to go work there! I guess I thought Lynden was smaller than she is...a couple more weeks and this shirt would have been a crop top.

The bum says Let 'er buck...only in St George

She is a girl after my own heart...will take anything she can get to be taller. In this case, it happened to be a flimsy make up bag.

Cute little outfit from sometime in the 80's. Love St George...Could go for some Pizza Factory breadsticks, Cafe Rio, 25 Main cupcakes, Krumpets, some shopping, and some qt with my amazing in laws!

Happy 4th of July!

Daddy and his little girl all ready for church

We were decked out in our red, white and blue for church! The weather was really hot and we had no motivation to go find fireworks so we watched them on tv. Next year! We love America and the freedoms we have here!