Odd Places

Here are a few places that I've found my girls lately and was quite shocked and they all deserved pictures! I'm going to tell you ahead of time that I really do give my girls a nice comfy bed to sleep in! Anyway, you'll see with the pictures...


This is where I found Cora this morning as I was getting breakfast cleaned up. She is always at our heels waiting to use the computer...well she got the computer alright! It was too cute and she was just laughing when she saw me come in!! It was cute!!!

I found Cora right here...actually behind me when I was prepping my tomatoes from our garden to be frozen. I guess she was really tired. I knew she was down there singing, but I didn't think she was falling asleep...it was so sweet looking though! Definitely picture worthy!!

I found Kayley like this when she was supposed to be in time out. I guess it ended up in a time out for me as she ended up taking a nap waiting for me to get her out of time out! Not sure if she learned her lesson or not. Oh well.

Our Smart Kayley

Today is just an update. Kayley is now 3 years old! Not much has been going on with us lately as we’ve slowed down on our driving places this month, which has been nice to just be at home and enjoy the surrounding scenery. Anyway, so the other day for fun we went to Liberty to hang out with Michelle and Kendall and do our most favorite thing…garage sales! Then we hung out with them at their house for the rest of the day to let the kiddos play with each other. Kayley had to go potty so she went into Ashlyn’s bathroom and then called for us to come wipe. Well, she then ceased to amaze me with how smart she is as she told me that Ashlyn’s toilet paper is different than ours. Now you may think this is not so smart as most likely we don’t buy the same toilet paper…but this wasn’t what she was talking about. She was talking about the way the toilet paper came off the roll. She said ours goes this way and motioned her hands to where the toilet paper came around the back of the roll, then said theirs goes this way and motioned her hands the opposite way to have the toilet paper come off the front of the roll. I was so shocked that she picked up on such a minor detail. Most people could careless about the way their toilet paper comes off the roll…to them, toilet paper is toilet paper. However to Kayley it is different and I guess I have to admit that I’ve created a monster as I’m very particular about the way our toilet paper faces…so I always put it the same direction, but I’ve never told her how to put it on or that I prefer it that way. And apparently I’m not the only one that has this disease as I had this discussion with Kendall afterwards and he is the same way, only he likes his toilet paper coming off the opposite way of me…I guess it’s a good thing that we aren’t married to each other otherwise we’d have to have different toilets! :) But, needless to say, Kayley ceases to amaze me with how smart she is and on the smallest details that she pays attention to. We sure do love her and enjoy her wit and smartness!

This by the way is a picture of her at her 3 year well check-up...it was the first time we had to wear a hospital gown while waiting for the doctor...too cute of an outfit to pass up taking a picture and she liked wearing the hospital gown..it was fun to her!

My Big 3 Year Old Kayley!!

Our little Kayley turned the Big 3!! She was so excited for her birthday to get here. In fact, on Monday we were at Walmart to get some last minute supplies for the big event and I decided to let her pick out some Princess napkins for the festivities. She was so excited, she put the napkins on the conveyer belt and then grabbed them out of the sack as soon as we paid for them…you’d think they were a toy or a piece of candy the way she loved them! Then when we got home she wanted to take a nap with them and sleep with them that night. The next morning I woke her up and told her Happy Birthday and one of the first things she asked me was if she got to open her napkins yet. She was very patient all day and carried them around again all day. Then in the evening when we had her party at the pool with her cousins, she was so excited to get them out and hand them out to everyone. She sure was cute!
We did have a fun day. We got up and she was given the choice of me making her anything for breakfast…and she actually picked toast! (I was a bit relieved as that is easy to make and clean up, but glad that she picked something as she has been sick lately and not had much of an appetite.) Then, about mid-morning, she got a special phone call from the real Ariel…she loved that! Then, we headed off to McDonald’s to pick up her choice of a Happy Meal, with a pop and all, then took our lunch to Daddy’s work to eat with him. Then we went on some errands and went home to take a nap before the big event. In the evening the Carles and the Walkers came over for a swimming party with cupcakes and popsicles. Kayley didn’t want to swim much so she could open presents and eat cake. Typical of a birthday girl! She had a great day and loved her birthday presents and her party! She sure is cute!
We are really blessed to have Kayley. She is such a sweet spirit! She is so smart and surprises us everyday. She is very kind and gentle too. At dinner every night, she goes around the room asking each of us “Mommy, how’s yours?” and so forth. Then she says, “Thank you for making this Mommy.” She is a fun little sprite. She is always up for fun and always asks why we have to take a nap and go to sleep. She is always trying to help me with Cora and loves her little sister. She is constantly asking me if Cora is her sister. She is always good to get me diapers, wipes, even put dirty diapers away for me without complaint. She also likes to help me get food ready for Cora at mealtime. She is a fun little girl and we are so glad that we have her! We love you very much Kayley!

The Newlyweds!

Quentin and Natalie got married on August 9th, 2003 in the St. Louis Temple. It was a great ceremony with a lot of in depth knowledge given out by the sealer...although I know Quentin didn't enjoy all the questions on the most nerve-racking day to begin with, but as a bystander, I enjoyed being able to sit back and soak in all the knowledge! Then it was on to the pictures...and boy was it HOT! I remember how hot it was on our wedding which was also in August 5 years ago, but I think their wedding was hotter as there was no breeze for theirs! But, we endured, even with screaming kids. Then we all went to Chili's for a great lunch with the family. Then it was on to Columbia for the reception that evening at the Stake Center. It was really great to catch up with friends and family there...that's the part about weddings that I love! It was a great event and we are glad that Natalie is now an official part of our family!

Our First Date...The Memories!!

Here are some pics I took of the 63 diner on our 5th Anniversary. This was one place from our first date. Our first date was August 16th (or 17th...can't remember which...whatever that Saturday was that year) of 2002. We doubled with Steven Richardson and Anne Jacobs. It was a tribute to Elvis Presley as his birthday was around that day or something I think. So we went to dinner at the 63 diner, which had tons of memorabilia of him and others from his time. Then we went to watch an outside play at the Maple Wood Barn Theater (which would later be the official place Nick proposed to me.) The play was Bye Bye Birdie. Being an outside theater we took camping chairs to sit on. One thing that impressed Nick like crazy was that when he popped his trunk, I grabbed for my chair and offered to carry my own chair. I'm not sure why that impressed him so much, but it did. What impressed me about him was that he was so chivalrous to me that night. Opening doors, pulling out chairs, offering to get me water or anything I wanted during the play.

Oh...and another cute memory from this night was the flowers...err...the phone book. I was house-sitting for the Loves that weekend and he came to pick me up there. One thing that I did in Columbia that I learned from my sister, Katie was to always carry a phone book in my car in case you got lost or needed a number or something...this was before all the I-phones and GPS's. Well, I only had a big phone book and didn’t even know that a smaller version existed. Well, when Nick came to pick me up for our date, instead of bringing flowers, he brought me a small phone book that would fit better in my car. He said as he was walking up the sidewalk to get me, he thought he should have folded the pages to make it look like a big flower; well he didn’t have time at that point, so instead he told me. I thought it was very cute and sweet. I still have that phone book today and ironically, it’s still in my car even though we don’t live in Columbia anymore…I just don’t have the heart to take it out yet! But, that's my Nick, always being sweet, but practical at the same time!

Another thing that I thought was sweet and cute was at the end of our date. I knew Nick really liked me as our sisters, Katie and Michelle were really good friends and would talk and in turn tell us some information here and there. I was worried about the whole, walk you to the door thing…do you kiss, shake hands, hug…what? Well, as I soon learned throughout the rest of our courtship, Nick is pretty forward but polite. So, he asked me if he could give me a hug at the end. Of course I said yes as I liked him a lot too and he proceeded to give me a hug only to step on my foot! It was funny and cute! Well, a year later we got married and here we are! But we were sad to see that the 63 diner was closed where we first went out…oh well…I guess we’ll have to make a new memory of something first together!

5 Years of Happiness!

On the 8th of August, we had a special day...not only was it 08/08/08, but it was also our 5th year wedding anniversary! We had a fun day! We were lucky to celebrate throughout the whole day.

First we headed to Columbia to go to the 63 diner where we had our very first date only to find that it was closed...evidentally it got foreclosed on? So, instead we went to McDonald's...I know how romantic...but we had coupons for free chicken sandwiches and for those of you who know us real well, this is our way to celebrate...Cheap!! :) Then we went to the Stake Center to help set up for Nick's brother, Quentin's reception, who was getting married the next day. The set up went really quick evidentally since when we got there, it was finished...sorry about that! So, we then we visited some dear friends in Columbia and then headed to St. Louis to the Temple. Since Quentin and Natalie were getting married the next day, we were able to go through the Temple that night and see Natalie receive her Endowment. It was a great session and it was great to see everyone there. Then we headed to the La Quinta for a hotel stay for the night…another way to celebrate! J I get excited to stay in hotels. Then the next day we went to the Temple again for Quentin and Natalie’s wedding, which was very lovely and hot…but we endured!! After that it was onto Columbia again for the reception that night. It’s so fun to get together and see friends and have a reason to celebrate! Then, after the reception, we headed to Branson, Mo for our vacation pulling in at a mere 1:55 am when the cut-off to check in was 2 am! Then we stayed in Branson for a week and had a great time…more to blog about that later!

But we had a great 5th wedding anniversary and it is hard to believe that we have been married this long! It’s been a good 5 years. As I mentioned earlier, it was great to go to the Temple for our anniversary as it brought back memories from when we got married. One distinct memory that I hope to never forget was the day of the wedding. I had stayed the night in St. Louis with my Mom, my sister, Mary and Sarah (my best friend at the time, but now my sister-in-law!) I hadn’t seen Nick for a few days before we got married. I don’t remember being too nervous, just excited as it was a big day and a big event. However, when that morning came, the nerves came on a little. I remember when I arrived at the Temple, the first person I saw was Nick and I ran to give him a hug and the most calm, peaceful feeling came over me in an instant. I knew as I had known before that we were doing the right thing. I’m so blessed to be married to him. He really does complete me (I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s true.) We are so compatible with each other. We rarely argue and when we do, it’s over shortly as we both hate to be mad at each other. We can read each other like books now. I can only imagine how much better it will be 5, 10, 50 years from now! I love him very much and am so grateful to have him in my life!

The Cake

Cora didn't seem to like her cake as much as I thought she would. She just sort of picked at it and didn't eat very much, which is crazy b/c anytime anyone has any food around her, she wants a bite! You'd think she was a little Michelin baby by how much food she likes, but instead she's super skinny still! Anyway, it was still fun to watch her eat it! She didn't like the clean-up very well though as you'll see by the pics!

Follow Up Post

I failed to put some pics of Cora's birthday party on here...so here they are as well as hopefully some more blogs as I'm way behind and August was a busy month for us with birthdays, anniversary, and vacation! So, keep reading...there will be more!

My Baby is 1 Year Old Today!

Yes, I can't believe either. Cora is 1 year old today! My how times flies. Let's see, this time last year I was in the hospital and had just had my water broken about an hour ago and was watching the Today show waiting for our little Cora to come into this world! I have to say that her labor was easier than Kayley's, although Kayley's wasn't that hard either. (I've been very blessed in that department.) But, I remember being very worried that she wouldn't be cute when she was born. I know it sounds silly, but I remember Kayley being such a cute baby from the moment she was born that I didn’t think we would be so lucky a 2nd time. Boy was I mistaken! She was adorable when she was born. I remember her just crying when she came out and then when they wrapped her up and put her in my arms, she just calmed down and looked at me with this deep inquisitive look. It was very sweet.

Now she is a year old and she is still very sweet. She loves to pat your arm when you pick her up kind of like when you’re giving someone a hug and you pat their back. She also loves giving hugs and kisses. She is constantly trying to give Kayley kisses, even when she’s asleep. I really have to time their nap schedules to coordinate with each other b/c otherwise I’m constantly trying to take Cora out of Kayley’s room as she is always crawling to the end of her bed waiting for her to wake up. And aside from a while back when Kayley wanted to sell her on craigslist for $100, Kayley really does love Cora. They always chase each other around the house and they both get a kick out of it. Little Cora is just crawling towards Kayley to play and Kayley thinks she is chasing her so she runs faster, then Cora crawls faster. It’s cute!

This week she has also learned how to blow kisses and fold her arms for prayer. It is absolutely the cutest thing! We say prayers with the girls before they go to bed at night and Cora is so proud of herself for folding her arms. Last night for dinner I forgot to ask her to fold her arms and she actually folded them herself once she realized we were saying prayers….which is great b/c she is normally pointing at the food and going nuts in her seat until we feed her. And yesterday for naptime she was folding her arms before I wrapped her up for bed. So, now we say prayers before each of her naps, bedtime, and meals…she’s going to be getting a lot of blessings! She also likes to be swaddled still, hard to believe since she is so old now. I’ve had to make a special blanket that is big enough for me to wrap her up in it. She is really cute in it though and still sleeps great when she is swaddled.

We are so blessed to have Cora. She is a great addition to our family. She is a really calm, easy going baby. I thought Kayley was easy; Cora has even been easier than her! What can I say more than she was sleeping through the night at about 2 months (8-9 hours mind you!) We love our little Cora and are excited for her milestone as a 1 year old. We’re excited for her eat cake and enjoy her birthday later today! We love you very much Cora! On to the 2’s….!!

I've Been Tagged!

I guess I will respond to this tag…sorry it has taken me so long. And sorry Jamie that I didn’t respond to your previous tag, I’ll just count this one as my tag for that too, if that’s ok!?! Here it goes…

JOYS:
1. Nick ~ Nick and I are so perfect for each other. We just can’t get over how well we mesh sometimes. However just like any couple, we do have our tiffs at times, but they are definitely outweighed by how well we fit together! I’m glad that we married each other.
2. Kayley & Cora ~ Kayley is my big 3 year old soon. She is so cute and so smart. She is constantly surprising us with how smart she is. She always wants an explanation for things. For example, oftentimes she asks me why we take naps and why we sleep…I guess she just wants to play all the time and never sleep. Cora is almost my big 1 year old soon. She is also so cute and so smart. She is quick to pick up on how to do things. She is very loving. She is always eager to give out kisses to you and pat you on the shoulder with a few love pats. I sure do love our girls and am so grateful for them. If and when we have more kids someday, I’m not sure if we could get any kids that were any cuter or smarter!
3. The rest of my family. Other than spending time with Nick and the girls, my favorite things to do is spend time with family, whether we go on small weekend trips to visit them or just chat on the phone with them. I love that my family and Nick’s family are so close. I think it’s really special.

FEARS:
1. June Bugs ~ I hate them. The way the buzz and run into you like they are idiots…what are they good for anyway?
2. Heights ~ You would never catch me jumping out of an airplane. It sometimes scares me to climb the ladder to get into our attic.
3. Loosing a loved one. I know that I would be able to see them again someday, but it sure is hard living without them until then.

GOALS:
1. To lessen the amount of tv our family watches. We like to veg!
2. To somehow find a way to get rid of our weeds in our yard once and for all!
3. To make a habit of a consistent workout schedule and learn to enjoy it.

OBSESSIONS:
1. T.V. – Considering my #1 above, I have to list this as an obsession that obviously needs to be lessened. But what is more fun than just sitting and vegging with your family!?
2. Cleaning my ears out with q-tips after I shower…I have to do it or it feels weird the rest of the day.
3. Craigslist. I have a routine that I go through each day of things I’m casually looking for to buy on craigslist. It’s sad, but hey…I do find good deals…it may just take a while! I love craigslist!

RANDOM FACTS:
1. My birth mark is actually in the exact same spot as my sister Jan’s, however it’s the opposite leg. Funny too that this sister is the one that my body shape/style is the most like.
2. I can spin on a knee board. It takes me a while to get the courage up to do it, but I can do it. I also can stay on a tube a lot better than Nick!! :)
3. When I was little I wanted to be a Veterinarian, but as I got older I realized that my allergies would take the best of me and shatter my dreams. Good thing I decided to be a mom instead!

Well, there you have it, a little bit more info about me that maybe you didn’t know beforehand! Now I get to tag others.
1. Stephanie
2. Mary
3. Katrina

Good luck girls!! :)