Silly Girl

Just have to record something funny Hannah just said. She was drawing and wanted me to trace her hands. Then she put her head down on the paper and said "Draw my face." Pretty funny. I tried to explain that tracing her face might not work out so well. :)

Last Summer Adventures and General Conference

In the last few days Summer has ended and Fall had arrived. The days have gotten shorter and colder and we've dug out our sweaters. The urge to bake has come upon me like a whirlwind as quickly as the temperatures have dropped. We have been trying to spend a lot of time outside before it becomes too uncomfortable to be out for long periods of time.

We've had a few adventures in the last month or so. The biggest was our short and long trip to Tennessee. (It was only one trip but it was only 3 days and felt like 10!) Damon got a bee in his bonnet to go to Tennessee for some reason so off we went on a long weekend. We spent 2 nights in Nashville and one night in Memphis. We didn't do as much as we would have liked because both kids were being themselves. Damon did get to go to 2 Civil War battle sites; The Carter House or the Battle of Franklin I think it was called, and the Battle of Shiloh. I didn't get to enjoy the tours because of some unnamed individuals who desperately needed naps. We also went to the Grand Ole Opry and walked around. I wish we could have gone to the show that night but with no one to watch our kids it just wasn't an option. The girls loved the cow-girl hats we bought them and their carousel ride in the mall next door. Hannah had to wear her had for the remainder of the trip and still wears it quite frequently. Myah is not much of a hat girl but she'll come out wearing it once in a while. They look so cute wearing them. Over all it was a crazy trip that I'm not ready to repeat any time soon but it was fun to go to some new states and see some more history.

Here are some pictures from the last monthish.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

This weekend is our Semi-Annual General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In this conference the leaders of our world wide Church speak to us to offer up encouragement, direction, and love to all the members of the Church. It is one of my favorite times of year. I love hearing from our Modern day Prophet who like prophets of old receives revelation from the Lord for OUR DAY. It is such a blessing to know that the Lord speaks to men today through His prophets as he did in ancient times. I know that our Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson is called of God. I know he is a true prophet and that if we follow his counsel we will be guided, protected, and HAPPY!

Death by Pictures

As promised here are the bunches of pictures I've taken since May. I think I'll forgo posting Damon's graduation pictures right now and save them for their very own special post. Ok, here for your viewing pleasure, death by pictures...

Make a Smilebox slideshow

You know its been a while...

You know it has been a while since you updated your blog when you can't even remember what your background looks like! Speaking of backgrounds, maybe its time I changed it. Maybe.

Well for you few faithfuls out there (I have a hard time believing there are any after all of this time!) here is a little update on us.

On May 22nd we moved from Cleveland, OH and made our way to Scott Air Force Base in IL to check out our soon-to-be new home. After spending a few days on base we flew out of the St. Louis airport to Portland, OR to spend almost 2 weeks with Damon's family. After that we headed to Rexburg where the girls and I have been until August 3rd. Damon left to go to his Officer's Training for the Air Force on June 28. He spent the next 5 weeks at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama learning how to be an officer. The girls and I flew out of Jackson, WY on Monday, August 3rd and after over 5 weeks go to see Damon again. We were in temporary housing for a about 5 days and then moved into our new house. It is a ranch-style duplex that has just been remodeled. We're the first people to live in it since the remodel so it is basically brand new. It is definitely an upgrade from our home in Cleveland. It is 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. There is a master bedroom and bathroom that I LOVE! I have a laundry room (with my very own new washer and dryer!) We have our own little fenced back yard (so nice!) and a little playground 50 yards away. Damon's commute is a 2 min. walk to work and we're just really enjoying life so far. There are still boxes all over and we just got the Internet today but we're gradually getting settled into our new life. I promise I'll post pictures and more details about the last few months later. And it won't be 5 months later either! Don't hold your breath but as soon as I find the cable to my camera you'll be sorry! Just you wait!

Long overdue pictures

So since I didn't blog for 2 months I have some pictures to catch up on. I'll just chose my favorites of the last 2 months. Enjoy!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Grand Slam Gala

Last night was the Grand Slam Gala aka the Dental Formal. Some friends in the ward were so nice to babysit for us (Thank you! Thank you! Hawkins!) Since this was our last year I insisted that we go. I'm sure glad we did! We had a great time, so great I almost came close to forgetting that we had kids at home. :)

I had a great time dress shopping with my friends Carissa and Elise and finally came home with a nice (read: too expensive!) dress-but I wasn't too sure about it. It ended up working great and I felt like a princess (well, close anyway).

One really fun thing they had there was a photo booth. It was free so you could go in as many times as you wanted. We had fun trying to come up with some fun poses (but most of the time I forgot where I was supposed to be looking!)

Being there last night, dancing the night away, I looked around me at friends and acquaintances that I knew and realized that this was the end. In less than 2 months we'll be leaving this place and friends and heading off on a new adventure. When we moved here I didn't think dental school would ever end. And now here we are, at the end-which turned out as most endings do-to be a beginning.

I am a slacker

There! I admitted it. (As if you all hadn't figured it out). But, just to make myself feel better I am going to list a few reasons why I have been a slacker:
1. We've basically been sick for 2 months. We have had little pockets of wellness here and there but it seems the majority of the last 2 months have been filled with colds, flu, and more colds.
2. Since we have been sick there isn't much to blog about.
3. Since we have been sick there haven't been a lot of pictures being taken.
4. Since we have been sick I have been kinda grumpy (you know, not feeling well and not really having anyone to take care of me-me being the mommy and all) and therefore have not found my children as cute and funny as usual.

Do you get the idea?

Let me add #5 now: We've been looking for a new car! Yes, you read that correctly. We have been doing SOMETHING other than being sick.

Speaking of new cars....we finally brought home our new addition tonight! It is a 2008 Mazda CX-9 (a 7 passenger SUV) and so far we love it. Although Hannah told me on the way home from the dealership tonight "I don't like this car!" Too bad for her she'll be spending a lot of time in it this summer. :) Below is one of the dealer's pictures of it. It is much cuter in real life.




We are very excited to have a new car and have a little bit more room. We were trying to explain to Hannah about us having a new car and Damon's brother, Tyler, possibly taking our old car. This is what she thought about that: "Tyler take Hannah's car? That's not very nice!" We had a good laugh about that one.

I'm not really sure I have much else to report right now. I'll be honest, I don't think anybody even reads this (I mean before, when I actually updated it occasionally). My own mother doesn't read it so why would anyone else find my life exciting and worth reading about? I dunno? Maybe some of you love me more than my mother (just kidding mom-if you ever read this) :) I don't care. I've actually enjoyed putting fingers to keyboard and watching the words appear as I think them. I think it has been too long since I have done this. Hopefully it doesn't take me another 2 months to update this again.

Oh, before I go. I have to tell you (whomever you might be) about something funny that I did today. Apparently I was pretty distracted (talking to people, trying to find my cell phone, round up children to head out of the door of one of my visiting teachees [is that a word?] house, etc) and I picked up Hannah, thinking she was Myah, and proceeded to put her in Myah's infant car seat and start buckling her in. The terrible thing is that I didn't even notice I had the wrong kid! Kate finally told me "You're putting the wrong kid in!" while Hannah said (in a whinny voice) "Hey! This is Myah's seat!" I laughed so hard I nearly cried. And that is what being sick for 2 months does to you.

Who do they look like? - 2

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Family roots - Free genealogy search

Who do they look like?

MyHeritage: Look-alike Meter - Ancestory - Roots

Things I've done

I've seen this on a few of my friends' blogs and I thought it might be fun so here goes: (things I've done are in blue)

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland (when I was like 3....time to go back!)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors-the country, not the specific place
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied-I guess, I don't think about it too much. I have everything I need so I guess I am satisfied :)
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
50. Ridden on a Ferris wheel
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class-I took a women's self defense class, does that count?
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London-In Greece, didn't wait around for it in London.
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House-the outside, on the street...okay, this probably doesn't count.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox-twice
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury-Believe it or not I'd like to!
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Seen Mount Rushmore in person
101. Learned to play an instrument-not well mind you
102. Been south of the equator
103. Had your car totalled
104. Lived in a basement for more than a year-it was an apartment in a house
105. Had famous neighbors
106. Had stitches --see # 94 :)
107. Flown an airplane
108. Traveled to the Eastern Hemisphere
109. Broken up with someone
110. Been dumped by someone
111. Lived in an unfurnished apartment for more than 3 months
112. Lived in more than 2 regions of the U.S.
113. Rung the Salvation Army bell at Christmas time
114. Been to a local movie premiere!
115. Looked death in the face and survived.
116. Sung at General Conference!
117. Performed somewhere famous or for someone famous. Carissa said that singing in the Kirtland Temple counts so I'm counting it too!
118. Flown alone with a baby
119. Driven across the continental U.S. -Well, most of it (not all at the same time though). I've driven from Idaho to the West Coast, from Utah to Ohio, Ohio to Washington D.C. so I think that totally counts!
120. Been to 30 or more LDS temples.
121. Had your life saved by someone.
122. Been bit by a dog.
123. Held a sleeping child.
124. Been homeless.
125. Slept in a bed infested with bedbugs. --probably, but not definitely
126. Had your dinner interrupted by a live pig running through the room.
127. Used roosters as an alarm clock.
128. Slept under a mosquito net in the mountaintops of a rainforest
I'm adding 2 more because it needs to end on a more even number I think!
129. Had your tonsils removed.
130. Ever been so happy you cried.

So now you know a little more about me. I've love to find out more about you too!

Winter is here

We got our first good snow-storm recently (and it has snowed pretty much every day since) so Damon took Hannah out to play. I am a boring mom and never take the girls out, although in my defense it is pretty cold to take Myah out, especially since she has been sick. Hannah had a great time and came back in with a read nose and rosy cheeks ready for some hot chocolate.

Headed out to play.

On a side note: The potty training is not going so well. We tried really hard for a week but then Hannah got sick and we just haven't been able to pick it back up. The picture below describes perfectly how the "big girl panties" are being used. Hopefully we will be able to get back on the bandwagon soon.

Better late than never

I thought I would finally post a few pictures from Christmas. We had a very nice Christmas. We just stayed here and bumbled around. The girls both got colds during the break but seem to be feeling better now. We missed our families very much but enjoyed starting our own traditions with our little family.

Hannah wasn't too sure about Santa Clause coming to our house. She seemed to remember him from last year (see picture below [if I can find it]) and didn't want him to come to our house. When I told her that Santa would be coming on Christmas Eve she said, "No Santa! No House!" When she woke up in the morning and saw the toys that he brought I think she softened to him a little. Now whenever she rides her bike, or plays with her train she is sure to tell me that Santa brought them to her.

Myah playing with her new toys.

Hannah's new shades from Nana and Papa
Myah loves the new bear that Nana made for her

Hannah opening all of her loot.

6 Months Old

Myah is now 6 months old! The time has flown by and it seems just yesterday that we brought our sweet little(ish) baby home.

Myah is such a happy, sweet, girl who brings so much joy to our home.

Weight: 18 lbs 9 oz
Height: 27 inches

Loves: baths, cuddling, peek-a-boo, nursing, playing with toys, sitting up, and playing with Hannah.
Hates: getting your clothes changed, solid foods, taking medicine

Myah, we love you so much!

WAHOO! DAMON!

I just wanted to give a quick shout out to my great husband, DAMON! He got his board scores last weekend and he PASSED! (You can't believe how relieved he was, I think he actually thought he was going to fail. I knew he wouldn't. He's such a smarty pants.)

Damon, I love you so much and am so proud of you. You're a great husband and a wonderful daddy and our girls love and adore you almost as much as I do. Congratulations!

We're going for it

So I've been reading this book, The Power of Positive Parenting, and there is a chapter on potty training. I've been really afraid of potty training for awhile now, not quite sure how to start. Diapers are just so convenient, too convenient. I don't have to know where the nearest bathroom is everywhere I go, I don't have to pack around an extra pair of pants and underwear, I don't have to deal with all of the stress involved with potty training. But, I think it is time I bit the bullet. I don't know if either Hannah and I are completely ready, but I'm at least going to make a go of it. I think here in the next couple of months is the best time for us to do this, before we move and all of the changes that will be taking place.

The book talks about using positive reinforcement to teach your child bladder control. The author made it sound all too easy. I found myself thinking, "Is that it? Is it really that easy? I can do that!" I think it was the lack of sleep. I think I was delusional, I think my brain was malfunctioning. Regardless, I made up my mind to try positive reinforcement potty training. The author (Dr. Glenn I. Latham) said you just check them periodically during the day trying to find times when they are dry and praising them for it with words like: "Oh Hannah! You're doing a great job keeping your diaper dry." Followed up with a reminder of what you expect of them, "When you need to wet, come tell mommy and we'll go to the potty together." I created a little chart for her too. When she sits on the potty she gets to draw a "smiley face" in a box. If she wets on the potty she gets to draw 2. Once the row is filled up (8 smileys at the moment) then she gets a piece of chocolate. So far today:

1 suggested (ok, I put her on there) sit on the potty.
The result: 1 smiley.
Hannah: happy.
Mom: doing ok, not too stressed.

We'll try again after the nap. Wish me luck!

Oh, any and all potty training tips are welcome...I have no idea what I'm doing (I think that's obvious).