Stuck In A Bind

I was busy doing something and I kept hearing Saige in the background stuggling, but I didn't think much of it because it was right after breakfast and she usually tries to climb into her high chair and do the buckles up. SO, naturally I thought that is what she was doing. After a few minutes, I turned around and realized I hadn't heard her for a while, but couldn't find her. That is when I found this: STUCK! I was laughing my head off and had to snap a picture!

This is Saige waiting for me patiently...

This is Saige starting to get frustrated after being so patient while I took a couple of pictures!

First Time Playing In The Snow

I felt so bad, all this snow was falling a few weeks before Christmas and they had nothing to wear other than just their coats. So I told Bryce, we'd better get them their snow pants, gloves, and boots for Xmas, so they can go outside! And that is just what we did. Here is their very first opportunity playing in the snow! Little cuties!

Christmas 2009

It has been a fun and exciting Christmas for our girls this year. Saige really took a liking to ripping the paper off the presents. Savy on the otherhand, got one present open and wasn't interesting in opening the rest (and they were even clothes, too)! She loves clothes. Just goes to show how rediculously unpredictable kids can be! You think you know them well, but then they turn around and stun you to death! LOL.

Surprisingly, our Christmas was very low key this year, and I give all the credit to myself. It started out even before the holidays that I wasn't much in the mood for it. Yes, the kids were the only reason why I even put up a tree this year! No decorations were put up other than our stockings and 7, yes SEVEN ornaments on the tree, plus the trim and the Santa topper. Other than that, our house was pretty scarce when it came to holiday decor. OOH, I forgot I got out the snowman cookie jar, too.

Anyway, we had a nice time at Bryce's parents house on Christmas Eve where the kids exchanged their gifts between all the grandkids and then we did a white elephant gift exchange between the siblings and spouses. Saige and Savannah got Little Pet Shop stuff and Reagan got a little penguin that you can punch with some balls in it. Then Grandma and Grandpa got the girls (to share) a play pack n play and stroller. Reagan got some Winnie The Poo toys to attach to her Little Einstein play mat and some bath toys. The kids decorated gingerbread houses and we had a bit to eat. I let my girls open their first gift of Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa's house, which were their jams! We then came home and found Papa waiting for us as he always spends the night with us on the Eve of Christmas.

Christmas morning the girls slept in until about 8:00 or so and we let them open their presents. The main thing the girls got was their babies and snow gear (boots, gloves, bibs). Bryce and I already had Christmas in July when we purchased all our ski equipment in preparation for teaching the girls this ski season. Papa got them a cool rocking horse with animation, ski helmets, and more legos!

I then started on the breakfast. A new tradition on Christmas morning is to make cinnamon rolls. They turned out to be very delectable, however I didn't think to take a picture of them. Not kidding, the rolls were huge, about 6 inches in diameter! They were awesome and full of butter and fat which makes them even better!

After breakfast, we loafed around. I began making Mountain Mans breakfast and we had that for lunch. The girls when down for a nap and then Papa left. At 4:00, my mom, Curt, Kim, Jordan, Carrie, Tyler, Jim, and Uncle Jeff came. Grandma P gave the girls some cute SOCK MONKEYS and really cute blankets. They love to play with the monkeys.

After my family left, we went to visit Bryce's Grandma Venable for a little bit and then came home. It was so nice to only leave the house to visit one other instead of making stop after stop. That gets a little monotonous when traveling with 3 youngsters!

Visiting Santa on Christmas Eve. They weren't very fond of him! We waited in line for about an hour and this is all we got. Saige did sit on his lap for .02 seconds. I think they were just in it for the candy canes!

Our scarce attempt at decorating for Christmas.

Sleepy head Saige. We finally had to go wake her up. She may have slept another hour or so, plus Savannah was already starting to dig in!

Reagan opening her first present. "Books, yayee!" I am so sure that is exactly what she was thinking!

Babies, babies, babies! Now, they are really like mother like daughter!

Reagan soon became the bow disposal!

Beanies

So, I got this cute idea from one of my third grade students for her economics fair. These beanies are to die for and are soooooo cute! I have made some and they turned out super cute! Check it out! I can customize it with the colors you want and the size, all you have to do is just let me know your two colors and the circumference of your head! I sell them for $7.00 a pop!

4 Months!!!!

I can't believe my baby girls is already 4 months old. I took her to see the Doctor today and here are her stats:

Height: 25 inches (between the 75th and 90th percentile)

Weight: 14.8 lbs. (75th percentile)

As the Doctor was telling me some info about letting her self-sooth, I began to brag about her that she is really the perfect baby. I explained that she has been sleeping through the night since she was 9 days old (probably sooner if I would have let her). When she wakes up in the morning, she will never cry...I can just hear her talking softly to herself and waits patiently for me to come get her. She doesn't puke, just a few minor spit-ups every once in a while. She rarely complains...and if she does, its usually because she is poopy...even then her complaints are not cries. She does cry when her sisters bug her, but other than that, she is really THE PERFECT BABY! When I was finished gloating, he said, "Well, she really is the perfect baby!" He was very impressed.

They Just Crack Me Up!

These pictures were taken early this morning.

Man-O-Live...can these girls just make me giggle inside. It really is a love-hate relationship, I'll tell ya! Not 2 seconds after these pictures were taken, they were fighting over playdough and hitting each other. Hmph. The nice thing is, they really do get along really well. In part of their upbringing, I have decided to let them try and work out most of their problems on their own. So far, it has worked and they don't need a mediator as often as I imagined. Usually one or the other will pick their battle, however when it comes to a major disagreement, then I will jump in. Saige is the bigger of the two and usually holds her own. Savannah is an emotional little girl and often gets her feelings hurt. Sometimes Savannah will get her way and Saige will sometimes just brush it off, but when she doesn't, look out...volcano evacuation is needed!

These pictures were taken later this afternoon. I find them in Reagans room often, cuddled up in the big white chair! So, of course, its a photo opp. OOO, they always steal Reagan's binkies...is it really considered stealing if she never uses them? hmmm...

Funny Things They DO For FUN!

The funny things they do for fun, I'll tell ya....

I bought some blocks to give away for a present and they just had a blast with the box. Who needs TOYS to play with, just buy boxes for cry'n out loud! LOL.

My Little Bug!

Reagan is such a happy little baby. This is honestly what she is like every day. She is happy, smiley, giggly, and just content to be here! She especially loves it when her Daddy gets to spend some time with her, but she is like this no matter who she is with! SO, no offense Bryce! She is also very patient with S & S, no matter what they might do to her! They just love their little sister and have so much fun! Reagan is just about 4 months old now and her personality is coming out more and more each day. Last night, she slept a whole 12 hours. I definitely have been blessed with well behaved children when it comes to sleeping! I am lucky!

Our Thanksgiving

This Thanksgiving, we had a very pleasant one! We had dinner at our house this year and had Mike & Debbie (Bryce's parents), my dad, Chase (my younger brother), and Bryce, Me, Saige, Savannah, and Reagan. Bryce did a great job on the turkey and the stuffing. I prepared the apple pie, green beans, gravy, Gram's red salad, and most of the mashed potatoes. Bryce's mom brought the wonderful pumpkin pies, and my dad brought the awesome yams (so I heard). I don't like yams, so I am taking everybody else's word for it. It was a great time. The girls enjoyed themselves.

After dinner, we cleaned up a little bit, then sat and watched a little football and the girls play! We chatted and looked at the Black Friday ads, then we dug in....TO THE GOOD STUFF! PIE! After pie, we played POUNCE and had lots of fun! It was nice not to have very many people so that we could actually visit with each other. Last year, we went to Bryce's parents house where all his aunts, uncles, and cousins were there too. It gets a little busy. It's nice to see everyone, but gets a little hectic! So, this was nice!

Girls playing with their new Princess Castle that my good friends, Kris & Madie, gave to them! The girls, Papa, and Grandpa put it together while anxiously awaiting dinner!

I also have to laugh at this picture, because Saige always has to have shoes on. So, she just happened to find her runner shoes instead of her nicer shoes that goes with her little skirt! She is a hoot!

This is Savannah after dinner, waiting for PIE TIME!

Congratulations Bryce!

Bryce is finally finished with all his classwork for his MBA. Tonight is his last night of school. It will be so nice to finally have him back. He has worked really hard trying to make sure he is doing what he is supposed to be doing for school, let alone home, kids, wife, and work! He is a very hard worker and very determined! It is nice for me to be able to see the light at the end of his tunnel, too! His graduation wont be until spring time, but at least all the coursework is done!

Congratulations, Bryce, YOU FRIGGN FINALLY DID IT!

HORAAY!

Need A Recorder?

I have two, 21 1/2 month old girls........ just say'n!

Now-a-days, Saige and Savannah are just two little recorders walking/running about the house and repeating every little thing me or Bryce say.

Just this evening at the end of dinner, I catch Saige dumping her milk and spreading it about her tray, I tell her, "No, no, no, don't do that!" She repeats back, "N-n-nooo, doen-doo-att!

When I yell for Bryce: Me, "Bryce?" Saige runs about the house yelling for him too, "Byce, Byce, Byce!"

When they are getting into something they shouldn't be, I will tell them "Out, out, out." They will usually run out saying "Outoutout!"

I will ask the girls if they are ready to go ny-night, you can tell if Savannah is ready. If she is ready, she will say, "ny-niiiight." And if she isn't ready, "NOOO."

It is very fun to listen to their growing vocabulary and begin to put words together.

Words they say clearly:

Mommy, Daddy, Papa, Gizzy, Baby, see (Saige), ball, eye.

Other words they say:

"ou-sye" = outside

"in-sye" = inside

"OUT"

"up"

"ba" = bath

"coooooo-kie"

"cacky" = cracker (Saige)

"Gama" = Grandma

"Gampa" = Grandpa

"ka-kee"

"ka-ka"

"Cott" = Scott

"Ka" = Car

"Tuck" = Truck (Saige)

"bye-bye"

"Hi"

Parts of the body they point to:

belly button, eye, nose, ears, hair, mouth, teeth, arm, hand. Savannah will point to her bum when asked and do a little pose.

Saige loves to put things together. She plays with the legos and pieces things together. Savannah loves to get diaper wipes and clean everything with them, including Reagan. They both are obsessed with their blankies, Aunt Liz got for them and they still have not attempted to climb out of their cribs. They love to go outside. They love to play at grandma and grandpa's house. They love it when Papa comes over to play with them in the stair-well by him throwing all the balls up at them and they throw all the balls back down at him. They love to play with each other and do it so well. Every once in a while, we will have some sibling rivalry going on, but I try and let them figure it out for themselves. I figure it is better for them how to learn how to solve their own problems, than for me to figure it out for them by separating them.

I love to see them get excited when they see me after a long day of work. It is even funner to see them get elated when Papa comes to visit, Daddy comes home from work, or we pull in the driveway of grandma and grandpa's house. They are so much fun, despite the work! It has been so worth the "busy-ness."

I am Grateful for:

I think I would be very unhappy with myself if I didn't express how many of the wonderful things I am grateful for. It is so wonderful to be living. To experience the joys and happy moments. None of it would be possible had two people not fell in love.

Therefore, I am grateful for my parents, despite the hard times. For the hard times I too, am grateful for!

I am grateful for the lessons I have learned, for the knowledge that I have, and the wisdom I have earned, thus far.

I am grateful for a wonderful husband, who does nothing more than want to make sure I am happy. I do not tell him enough how wonderful he is. I am the lucky one.

I am grateful for my children. For their laughter, tears, frustration, and sweet faces and personalities. What would I have ever done without them! I beg that I never have to find out, knowing what I know now!

I am grateful for learning, for which I would not be where I am today. I am grateful that I have a desire to learn and accept the occasional epiphanies that may come my way. How lucky I am to witness a deeper understanding for things that need my attention!

I am grateful for friends who listen to me. You are my counselors. You pick me up when I am down. You contribute a lot to those epiphanies that are so needed in my life!

I am grateful for laughter, embarrassing moments, and the sore tummy from the belly giggle, when it is all said and done! Looking back of all the embarrassing things that have happened, hmmm....LOL!

I am grateful for the comfort of my home. Food. Clothing. Trials. Annoyances.

I am lucky to be me. Also, I am grateful to be an Ordinary person, doing extraordinary things!

P.S. Sorry for the "testimony." But I am also grateful for the gospel and that I have a testimony!

Happy THANKSgiving!

0 2 3: This 2 This

I cannot believe my baby girl is already 3 months old! How time fly's when you are having fun! Reagan is such a good baby and I have absolutely no complaints, what so ever! She has been sleeping through the night since she was 9 days old and even up til then, I was still waking her up! What an amazing little miracle, right before my eyes! She is such a delight to have in our family and we love her, mmmm, just love her to death!

See how ReAgAn has gone from this,

ThEn:

Reagan, first ride in her car seat on the way home from the hospital!

TO this,

AnD nOw:

Taken (11/15/09) 3 months old + a couple days

Can You Feel The Love?

How fun are these three! Saige and Savannah just love their little sister like no other! They definitely love to be near (or on top of) her! It is so much fun to watch them all interact with each other. Right now, Reagan just smiles at them and watches them play. But Saige and Savannah play so well together and I love it when they laugh at each other, try to get each other, and just play together! Such a wonderful feeling knowing that all of them will be such good friends. Now only if little Miss Kennedy was in the picture, there would be four little hot chic-a-roonies!

Cuddle Fun!

These little ones are just so much fun! Savannah can't get enough of the remote. Surprisingly, she hands it over when you ask her to. Saige loves to sit in the big comfy chair while snuggling up in her blanky. Both of them just love their blankets, what would we do without them?

My Funny Bannah!

One day, I was doing house chores and hadn't heard from Savannah for a while. Saige kept coming around me and playing here and there, but there was no little Bannah! I decided to go into their room and this is what I found. Silly little girl! She totally emptied out the basket and made herself right at home, of course it had to be with her blanky! Can't live without that!

Pahvant Elk Hunt September 2009

Bryces dad drew out on a trophy elk in Central Utah. These are the results. After 10 days of hiking in the crunchy wilderness, this is what they ended up with. They claimed to see bigger, but never could get a good shot, per muzzle loading!

Halloween!

We had a really great and busy Halloween! The week before, it was Uncle Tim's birthday, so Aunt Emily threw a Halloween/Birthday party for him at Grandpa Mike's school. There, they played games and just ran around! Then, October 30th at Grandpa Mikes' school again, they had a Halloween carnival. We had pizza and went around to all the rooms to play games, get our faces painted, do the duck pond, and all sorts of stuff. It was fun! Then Halloween night, we met up with Papa and he gave us some tooth brushes and tooth paste to make sure we don't get any cavities for when we eat too much candy. After that, we went to Grandma and Grandpa's in Hooper to their Trunk or Treat! All in all, we were exhausted, but had sooooo much fun!

Savannah the Witch

Saige the Ladybug

At the Halloween Carnival

Finally Getting To The Shed!

After nagging Bryce for so long, I'm finally getting a shed! Ok, ok, he wanted it just as much as I did, but I did have to remind him a few times to get started on it. On a Saturday before he left for China, Bryce, Mike, and Scott got it most of the way finished! The girls of course, wanted to help and they were very much so in scattering the nails, playing with Grandpa's tool belt, trying to climb on the ladder, and playing with all the block pieces left over. The girls sure do love to be outside!

Saige and Uncle Scott

Uncle Scott, Savannah, and Saige

Grandpa, Savannah, and Uncle Scott

Fun With My Hat

One day, I left my hat out and the girls decided it was fun to play dress up in Mommy's hat! And of course, what one does, the other has to do as well! They are such funny little girls!