Clydesdale Farm

A little over a month ago, we took the girls to a Farm where they raise and train Clydesdale horses. The farm is open to the public, and it's free! They have some little Shetland ponies and a donkey the kids can pet, and you can just open the horses' feeding gates to pet the HUGE Clydesdales. The girls really liked it, until Laney's fingers got nibbled by a pony because she tried to feed it a minuscule little flower. She was kind of nervous after that. (Two days later, a goat at the petting zoo in Wichita bit her fingers. Not her week.)

A January Spring

We are supposed to have weather in the 60's all week! Glorious! And Mike didn't have school today, which made it an even more beautiful day. We took the girls to the park this afternoon and had a wonderful, relaxed time!

And Mariah made her own bed today, without any help . . . .

It was the best of times; it was the worst of times . . . .

Charles Dickens does well in describing our December. The girls and I spent all of December in Utah (I spent a week in Arizona). Mike joined us after finals; we had a wonderful time . . . some of the time. The girls were sick the ENTIRE time. Seriously. The WHOLE time. They had colds/coughs before we left home that persisted through the whole month. Then December 20, they came down with a strange flu bug that had them throwing up and diarrhea-ing intermittently for 2 1/2 weeks. Misery.

So, despite many sleepless nights, cranky kids, lots of midnight laundry, and hundreds of nasty diapers, we survived, and I'm pretty sure we're glad we went. It was so good to spend time with both mine and Mike's families. We had relaxed down time with both families that we rarely had when we lived in the same city.

I tried to capture some of the highlights (Christmas and the New Year will get their own posts):

I have a 3-year-old!

Mariah turned 3 a couple weeks ago! (We were in Utah for all of December; I have a lot of catching up to do.) She informed me a couple weeks before her birthday that she was going to have a "princess birthday." Oh, really?

Well, a little girl's prayers were answered. Without spending a penny (thanks to very generous cousin hand-me-downs and equally generous grandparents and others), we were able to deliver the most princessy birthday ever: 2 princess dresses; 2 pairs of "glass slipper balls"; a princess record player; a magic wand; princess polly pocket dolls; a very fancy princess ballerina skirt; a cinderella nightie; and a pink princess cake.

If you dare, here's a compilation of videos taken throughout the day. It's about 5 minutes long, but if you can endure, my favorite part is the last 30 seconds or so.

I love my 3-year-old! And although she challenges me daily to be a better mom, she really is a delight. Some of her favorites:

• wearing princess dresses and paraphernalia
• "reading"
• singing or humming primary songs
• dancing
• "helping" mom in the kitchen
• treats

She is so smart and keeps me on my toes. Here's a funny exchange we had yesterday, but first some background. We're having the usual issues with bed- and nap-time. Since we got back from Utah (2 days ago), I've had her take naps on my bed so Laney can move out of our closet into the girls' room. So, yesterday, Mariah was napping in my bed:

Me: If you have any more problems, you won't be able to sleep in my bed.

Mariah: Well, Mom, where else could I take a nap? (Like, "Mom, I know you don't have a solution to this problem . . . .")

And last night (she has a princess toddler bed):

Me: If you have any more problems, I'll have to take your princess bed away.

Mariah: Well, Mom, where would I sleep?

Me: On the floor.

We didn't have any more issues last night.

Tonight the promise of treats waiting on her dresser for her in the morning kept her silently in bed. We didn't have issues with her or Elaine; a very nice change.

And a memory story: As we were driving the first day of our 2-day drive home, I was explaining that we'd drive for a long time and then stay in a hotel and then drive for a long long time again, and then get home to our house in Oklahoma. Mariah said, "And we'll go to breakfast in the morning at the hotel. I will have oatmeal." (She's stayed in a hotel one other time in her life--6 months ago when we moved to Oklahoma. She had oatmeal for breakfast.)

Liberty & Independence

The day after Thanksgiving, Nate and Hayden joined us, and we drove to Liberty and then Independence, in Missouri, to see some Church history sites.

Our first stop was Liberty Jail. Mariah didn't like the "scary noises" (horses running, etc.) during the informational recording, but I think the girls enjoyed themselves for the most part. They were well behaved, which was a relief to their mother.

We drove from Liberty to Independence, Missouri, where Joseph Smith dedicated 63 acres of land for a temple. The saints were driven from Independence before they were able to build that temple, but it will someday be built.

The girls' (and Hayden's) favorite place of the day was the U.N. Peace Fountain near the visitors' center.

Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving, we drove up to Kansas City, where Mike's cousin, Nate, is attending dental school. We stayed with him, his wife, Kate, and their little boy, Hayden, for a few days and had a great time.

The girls were amazing travelers! We drove up Wednesday and just visited and chilled that evening.

Thursday we had a pretty relaxed day. We played on the playground behind the condo for a couple hours in the morning, and then put the kids down for naps while we prepared dinner. Kate hosted Thanksgiving dinner at 3:30, so the couple hours right before were a bit busy. Dinner and the company were great! There were 8 adults and 6 kids. And LOTS of food!

After dinner, we went to a gymnasium around the corner from the Georges' place. Someone in their ward owns it and had offered to have everyone over to play. The kids loved jumping and running around.

I love Thanksgiving; and I love the fact that it's still all about family, friends, and the blessings God has given us. The world hasn't run away with it yet. I'm so thankful for Mike, my girls, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and all of our blessings, family, and friends.

Thanks, Nate and Kate, for a great Thanksgiving!

(A funny Mariah story: While I was packing our stuff to come home, I caught her several times trying to sneak in some of Hayden's toys. I thought I had seen and removed everything that wasn't ours. But, about 30 minutes after we got on the road, Mariah opened her purse and pulled out almost the entire magnetic alphabet from the Georges' fridge. The little sneak! We mailed them back yesterday.)

Outings

I feel much better when we are out of the house. So, we bought a zoo pass, and I've been taking the girls once or twice a week.

A couple weeks ago, we went to the botanical gardens in downtown Oklahoma City and had a great time.

Turner Falls

Mike had a one-day fall break in the middle of October. We joined some of his classmates and their wives and went camping. We loved it!

Turner Falls is about an hour and a half south of us; it's beautiful. Huge falls with a fabulous swimming hole and river. It was a tad cold for swimming, but we'll go back next summer.

The girls had a great time. Mariah especially like "The Castle," which is just that--a castle built into the side of a hill by some guy in the early 1900's. He actually lived there.

We also went on a somewhat treacherous hike to some cool rock/river formations. The girls were very brave in the packs.

Perhaps my favorite part of the trip was that I didn't feel sick almost the whole time (as long as I had food in my mouth). The moment we walked in the door at home, I started gagging again. Aah, pregnancy . . . .

(Sorry about the randomness of some of the pictures. My children will not pose for pictures.)

My Baby

Laney's growing up so fast. I put her hair in pigtails today. It lasted all of 2 minutes; just long enough to snap some pictures. She wasn't thrilled, but she sure was cute.

Rub-a-Dub-Dub and Other Fun Things

I loved doing this as a kid. I tried it on my girls for the first time a few days ago. They thought it was great!


We gave Mariah a mirror to see herself. I was a little nervous that she'd have a come-apart because she's very particular about being beautiful ALL the time. But she laughed and laughed. She asks now to "be a clown" when she's in the bath.

Elaine requested all these headbands. They lasted 30 seconds (maybe).

My cool girls.

We've been sick for the past week or so (Well, Mike and the girls mostly; I had a mild case for a day). Poor Mariah has watched more Disney Playhouse in the last week than her whole little life put together. (She doesn't seem to mind).

A few days ago, I was tired of being cooped up, so despite the rain and runny noses, I and the girls went to the park. We tried out a park we'd never been to. It was great! And only a 5 minute drive! (We have zero parks within walking distance). There was a great playground (2 actually), a little lake, lots of ducks and geese, and some trails through forested areas.

After we played on the playground for a while, explored the dock, and chased the ducks, I asked the girls if they wanted to go for a little hike in the forest. Mariah immediately leaned forward, put her hands in front of her in claws, and said in a very drawn-out, spooky whisper, "It's the Black Forest!" Thank you Little Einsteins.

Just as we entered the forest, a large predatory bird (an owl maybe?) silently swooped down in front of us and glided along the trail for a while before disappearing around a bend. Maybe a little bit spooky.

We had walked for maybe 50 yards along the trail (I carrying Elaine, and Mariah walking along jabbering non-stop), when I spotted very large, very fresh-looking k-9 tracks in the mud. Hmm. I quickly decided I, alone with the girls, did not want to meet up with whatever made those tracks. I don't remember exactly what I told Mariah--something about big paw prints and a possibly dangerous animal. We turned around and high-tailed it out of there. Mariah did not seem concerned in the least and loved talking about (in the same drawn-out, suspense filled whisper, with her hands stretched into claws) the "dangerous animal paw prints." Thank you Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. She told the story again (in the same voice with the same hands) to Mike at dinner that night.

I liked the park so much that we went back the next day with the stroller. There are miles of trail. I probably walked 3 miles or so before I finally decided we better get home and make dinner.

Another funny thing happened (only to me) in the forest. I just finished the last book of the Twilight series, and I was thinking to myself that this forest would be a perfect place for vampires and wolves. (I know. Nice thoughts to have while walking alone in a forest with 2 girls in a stroller. Although, the forest is really just a strip, maybe 50 yards wide, with houses on the east, and the park on the west, so it's not like I was really removed from civilization.) Anyway, I had just had some happy thoughts about vampires when I rounded a corner, and there on the ground (I'm not lying) was a set of fake vampire teeth. Very funny.

Fun with Texas Cousins!

Goodbye, Utah . . . Hello, Oklahoma!

We packed up the truck on June 10-11th (thanks to all who helped!), said goodbye to our house, and then stayed at my parents for a few days. (We didn't want to beat the truck to Oklahoma.) The Hirschis arrived from Texas to stay--in between homes--moving from Texas to Arizona. We had a great (and short) time with them.

The Georges/Hindmarsh's had a going-away party for us on the 14th. Thanks Bronsons, Grandma and Gramps, Mom and Dad and crew. And thanks, Teri, for the cookies!

We left Utah on June 15th. The girls were great travelers for our 2-day trek. We stopped the first night in Albuquerque.

We arrived at our new house at about 5:20 p.m. on the 16th. The truck arrived 10 minutes later. And the moving crew (14 men from the ward and dental school) arrived 30 minutes later! I was amazed and touched. I don't know what people do who don't have The Church to receive them. Thanks, guys! The truck was completely unloaded in 45 minutes, and most boxes were in the correct rooms!

Mike just finished his second week of school (pretty grueling), and we're gradually getting settled in here. We miss everyone in Utah, but we're excited and grateful to be where we are.

One Year Ago . . . .

. . . my little squishiness was born. The year has flown by, and Elaine brings me joy every day. Here are a few of her favorites:

• words: dog, doll (sounds the same as dog), hot, uh-uh (while shaking her head), dad, mama, again (also means "more")
• signs: all done, tired, nurse, bye-bye (same as nurse)
• songs: popcorn popping, pat-a-cake, mouse a cookie (the whole cd)
• music: She loves all music.
• dancing: Laney has danced to music from the time she was tiny. She bounces and/or sways to the beat. Even if she's lying down (getting her diaper changed, for instance), she starts moving her head from side to side if music comes on, or if I start to sing.
• toys: babies, strollers/bikes (anything with wheels that she can push), anything with buttons she can push to make music
• book: Little Mommy. She carries it everywhere and loves it when I read it to her.
• food: oatmeal, potatoes (in any form), fruit of any kind

Elaine is very aware of space and the way things work. She's very coordinated and has a lot of control of her body. She already eats quite well with a spoon/fork. She also loves putting things inside of other things. She'll get a cup or bowl and find little things to put inside. She also tries to put shoes on her feet.

She loves putting small things in her mouth and carrying them that way. She's usually quick to give me whatever is in her mouth when I ask. This is a common scenario: "Laney, what's in your mouth? Is that a rubberband (or rock, or button, etc.)?" She then fishes out whatever is in there and holds it up for me to see. "Please give it to me." She hands it over and goes on with her life. The only thing she has swallowed (that I know of) to date is a small shiny star from one of Mariah's crowns. I found it in her diaper the next day.

She is not walking yet, but has taken one step several times; then she stops or sits down. She loves standing up in the middle of a room, but has not yet gone anywhere on two feet. She does have a pretty fast bear walk, though.

Laney loves jokes and always tries to make people laugh. (She's got the parade wave down for when I take her out of sacrament meeting). She makes funny faces on purpose (and has since she was very young) and loves the attention she gets for it.

Here's to a year gone by:

Happy Birthday, Laney!

Yesterday was little Laney's birthday. I can't believe a year has passed. I plan on posting some "growing up" pictures later, but for now, here's a little slideshow.

I would like to say our day was carefree and filled with fun. Not so. There were fun moments, but it was one of my children's crabbiest days yet on record. (And for those who know my children, that's saying something!) Mariah spent much of the day in her room (Having a little sister with a special day is very hard. Especially when the little sister gets a new stroller and dolly that are so much newer and more fun than your nicer stroller and 3 dollies. The new shoes I wrapped for her didn't even help. Thanks, Grandma Shaunna, for easing the pain a bit with an un-birthday present for Mariah! I wish we had had the package first thing in the morning!) I fed the girls dinner before Mike got home; we had a quick party when he arrived, and it was off to bed by 7pm. (They've been staying up until closer to 8, cause Mike doesn't get home until 6 or so.)

April Showers?

April 16th, at my parents' house, we woke up to this:

So, Mariah tried on her Christmas dress (which I had acquired the night before at a Relief Society swap meet) to celebrate, and then she and I headed out to shovel the snow in the warm April sun.

The snow melted very quickly and was almost gone by the end of the day.

Island Park

For spring break, my parents rented a condo in Island Park for a week. Then they got asked to speak in church Easter Sunday, so they decided not to use the first 2 nights. They offered it to us! So, three days after I got back from St. George, we packed the girls up and headed out for a snowy getaway. We figured out it was the first family vacation we have ever been on! (We went to Arizona once, when Mariah was small, for one of Mike's dental school interviews, but that wasn't a vacation.)

We had such a good time! We had our doubts when we arrived Friday night (late), and Mariah was up until 1:30 a.m., loudly pitting her will against ours. But the rest of the time was so relaxing and pleasant.

We had a lazy Saturday morning, with French toast and hashbrowns for breakfast. Then, while Elaine slept, we took Mariah out exploring in the snow right by our condo. Ten feet of snow and pine trees. Beautiful!

After lunch we headed over to an Easter egg hunt and swimming. The girls loved the water, even though it was a bit chilly. Mariah did not want to get out.

When we got back to the condo, Mariah fell asleep at the table, in the middle of a bite of grapefruit. I was so shocked (she has never fallen asleep anywhere except in bed or in the car) that I didn't think to take a picture until I had moved her to the couch. She slept there until dinner time.

The girls were in bed and quiet by 9 p.m. (after some struggling) Saturday night. Mike and I played some Screeble and had a nice relaxing evening.

Sunday morning we got up and had pancakes and hashbrowns for breakfast. (Can you tell I like an excuse to break from our daily oatmeal?) Then we headed to Rigby to visit Mike's grandparents, Grandma Carol and Grandpa Joe. We went to church with them and then had lunch at their house before heading home. Grandma made some fabulous rice with veggies. She had even gotten some tofu just for me. Everything was delicious.

The girls were angel travelers, both on the way there and on the way back. We met up with Mom, Dad, Vic, and Davie in Salt Lake to exchange the condo key. Then we went "home" to their house to puppy sit Yankee for the week.

Uncle Eldon

(Life has been crazy busy, and I haven't posted forever, it seems. Things have settled down somewhat, so I'm going to play catch up.)

At the beginning of April, my dad's Uncle, Eldon Gentry died. He was the last dairy farmer in St. George; he was an incredible man. Dad lived with Eldon and Yvonne while he went to Dixie College. He worked on the dairy with Uncle Eldon to pay his room and board. Eldon had a great impact on his life, and thus on mine.

Growing up, we would stop at the Gentrys' each time we passed through St. George (usually a few times each year). I have very fond memories of their house: the pink swivel chairs at the kitchen table; the mirrored living room; sleeping in sleeping bags on their front lawn when we arrived too late at night and didn't want to wake them.

I also remember visiting the dairy and being fascinated with the milking machines.

We always referred to Eldon and Yvonne as "Uncle Eldon and Aunt Yvonne." Until well into my teenage years, I thought Yvonne's name was "Auntievon."

I will always remember Uncle Eldon with fondness; I'm so thankful for the example he was to my dad and to all of us.

Christine and I drove down for the funeral. We took Elaine and Orva and had a great time. Laney and Orva are opposites in many ways, but their voices sound exactly the same! We could not tell them apart. Christine and I had the following conversation a few different times:

(baby crying, talking, or growling)
Christine or me: "Who was that?"
Christine or me: "Don't know."
(another baby sound)
Christine AND me: "Oh, that was definitely mine!"

Jump! Jump!

Elaine is the happiest, squishiest, most pleasant baby!  When she's especially excited (like when I go in to get her out of bed), or when she's just having a good time, she jumps up and down on her little bottom.  It's the greatest!

I took this video of her jumping today.  It's actually 2 clips put together.  The first one is just jumping.  Right when I stopped taping, she started jumping and saying, "Duh! Duh!" in the same tone I had been saying, "Jump! Jump!"  So, I had to take another one . . . .

Do I say her first real word besides "Mama" (which I think she says on purpose, especially when she's sad or whiny) is "Jump!"?

more laney

Elaine is being so cute and funny the past few days.  Here are more pictures of her funny faces.  She was cracking us up at dinner tonight.  (Yes, we do have 2 children, and Mariah is still cute.  She'll get some blog time soon, I'm sure.)

Big Sister Mariah

Mariah is learning to be a good big sister. She often talks about "Big Sister Mariah." She'll ask Elaine, in a very high, sweet voice, "You love Big Sister Mariah?" or she'll tell me, "Eyaine love Big Sister Mariah." I even heard her singing today, "I love Eyaine, she loves me . . . ." (I use the term "singing" very loosely here. It's mostly words said in the rhythm of a song).

She also talks a lot about being a good sharer: "I'm such good sharer!" And she likes to go find toys for Laney to play with. She hands them to her, telling me what toy she's sharing with Laney. (She lets Elaine keep the toy for about 3 seconds before taking it away again. We're making progress).

Anyway, we have more and more of what I think of as "sisters are smecial" moments (thanks, Liza).

Yesterday, I was sitting at the computer, not really paying attention to what the girls were doing behind me. At one point, it registered in my brain that Mariah had been saying, over and over again, for quite some time, "Where's Eyaine? There she is! Where's Laney? Peep-o!!" etc. I quickly turned around to make sure Laney was ok. Then I grabbed the camera . . . (Put the cursor over a picture to see the caption).