Live In the Moment

And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less” (Elder Ballard’s talk May, 2008 quote by Author Anna Quindlen speaking of her children)

- I put this on here to remind me to take time to enjoy the little things in life, or to enjoy the moments that make some of Life's Precious Memories.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

On Our Way to Disneyland

One of the best parts of anything exciting that happens is the anticipation. Nathan agrees with me. He loves to talk about "anticipation". Anticipation for Christmas, for a Birthday (for which we wait all year), Disneyland...

So here are our "Anticipation" pictures.

I love these pictures. The girls are just so excited. And they even loved the bus that took them to Disneyland the two days we were there.

Here's Rebecca and myself on the bus to Disneyland.

It was a short ride to Disneyland on our bus, and yet here is Rebecca with 3 pictures and each one on a different lap. Can you tell what game Rebecca played while we were waiting in lines at Disneyland? Yip, Musical arms.



Waiting in line at Disneyland. Like I said, I love all of the excited faces.






Emily, getting her first glimpse of Cinderella's Castle. We had been looking at Disneyland pictures online, so she had at least a few things in her mind that she knew she would see. Cinderella's Castle and "Finding Nemo"!


Sunday, November 20, 2011

My Grandparents 50th Anniversary Celebration

My grandparents celebrated their 50th anniversary this summer. They celebrated with a float in the morning parade (for the corn festival) and a party that evening.

The girls on the float. (Yes, this was the best picture I could find of the two of them.)

Most of the grandchildren in this picture. I came on the float later, even though I wasn't planning on it. I sat next to my Grandpa. The seat of honor. :)

Me and My girls.

Aunt "Candy" as the girls like to call her. She received her nickname at the hand of Emily. I have no idea why she started it. She was saying Mandy just fine. Here she is with Becca on the float.

Aunt Candy serving the girls Ice Cream at the party. (Mandy, this is the best picture I got of you. Smile!)

Yummy!

Rebecca who wanted NOBODY else except Mommy.

Best "Sister Friends" is what Emily started calling the pair of them. I LOVE it and have continued to use the term.

Meredith at the party.

Emily at the party. In the back is a quilt my Aunt made with the pictures of all my Grandparents children, the temple they were married in and a picture of the two of them. They had 8 kids.

Lots of fun. And definitely WAY past overdue to post. I loved celebrating my grandparents' anniversary with them. They are a fabulous example to my family. Love you tons, Grandma and Grandpa!


Sunday, November 13, 2011

Zoo with friends

I've been so bad about blogging that I just can't remember when we went to the zoo with our friends. It seems like it was a couple of months ago. (Could it have been that long, REALLY!?!)

The kids in front of the panther.

Which one looks most scary?! Just kidding!!! This is a Caiman or a miniature crocodile. My kids love it. Sometimes they are hard to find, but this one was just PERFECTLY posed. Best picture I've ever been able to take of this animal.
Sometimes the monkeys that actually belong in the zoo don't provide some very great acrobatics, but the kids can more than make up for it. So silly.
It must have still been relatively warm when we went, because Rebecca looks hot. She wanted out with the rest of the kids, but I think it was hot enough for her to not put up too much of a fight about staying in the stroller.

It's always fun to go to the zoo with friends. Hopefully I'll get the pictures off my camera soon and post the pictures of the latest zoo trip with Daddy.


Sunday, November 6, 2011

Yogurt & Our First Time Bowling

Rebecca LOVES yogurt. I didn't actually give it to her. I mean, I buckled her in, poured the yogurt in the bowl and ran off to help the older girls with something thinking I had left the yogurt out of her reach. Um...Ooops. But she liked it!

Here are some pictures from Emily and Meredith's first time bowling. They LOVED it! We went bowling back in July when we came to Utah. Thank you to our friends for going with us!


Sunday, October 30, 2011

Photo Shoot at Temple

Here are a few of the pictures that I took at the temple. My cousin was sealed in the temple to her sweetheart a few weeks ago. I asked Nathan if he felt up to bringing the girls to see the pretty bride come out of the temple. I didn't think he was going to do it, but he did! We had fun taking pictures with the girls afterward. He did pretty well dressing them, didn't he.



She was coming for me. She's a MOMMA's girl. She woke up at 2:30 a couple nights ago. Nathan went to get her, but she wouldn't fall asleep until she had Mommy. I just love these little arms reaching for me.


World's Best Daddy Let's Mommy Nap

A while back, many Sundays ago, but still fairly recently, I was SO tired that I took a nap and Daddy was left in charge. Here's what kept them occupied for part of the time.

Playing with Masking Tape! Who'd have thought. I think I left it out from my staff project. Oh, you have to have a picture of that one now. I made a giant staff for my piano students. I LOVE it. Meredith is SO interested in taking piano lessons that she's faster at finding the notes than a some of my students. After reading lessons though.

Meredith with her "belt"

Emily with her house made of masking tape.

World's Best Daddy. I have NO idea who was in charge of the camera. Meredith?

Emily's First Day of School

Yes, this is a very late post, but I'm going to do better. This is the best and easiest way to get pictures to my sister on her mission. (I love you, Mandy!...oh...I mean Sister Jones!)

A traditional, and our second because we have pictures for preschool, picture on the first day of school in front of the door.

My Sister-in-law had many cute left over bows from a boutique she did just before 4th of July, so Emily's school bows came from that stash. Saved my bacon because I STILL haven't had time to make hair bows.
Emily LOVES kindergarten. Meredith can't wait to go, but she wants me to go with her. Haha! Love it.


Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Busy Mommy Journal


The busy Mommy journal is facebook! When they do something cute I just post it thinking I’ll go copy paste it into my journal later. Well, later really means laaaaater. So, I’m going to “journal” it on the blog. So, if you’re extremely interested in reading people’s journals this post is for you.

May 19th 2011 - Meredith: I poked my finger. Emily: On what? Meredith: A pokey. (I love listening to my kids talking to each other)

May 24, 2011I - was feeding the girls lunch and I tried to give Rebecca some more food. Apparently she was all done because she scrunched up her nose and gave me a look so I'd know she was done.

May 31, 2011 - Today while I was waiting for someone to answer the phone (you could hear the ringing because my phone is loud) Rebecca says, "hi, hi". She's also trying to mimic my animal noises for a dog, and cat. She is growing up too fast.

June 3, 2011 - Meredith is getting crackers "for the baby". Uh huh.

June 6, 2011 - Meredith turned 4 today. Ate pancakes (one in the shape of a 4), we went to the zoo, McDonalds for chicken nuggets, came back home and swam in the kiddie pool, the girls watched a movie while mom went shopping for last minute b-day shopping (dad was working from home today), had pizza and an ice cream birthday pie (cake) and presents. She tells us she had a good birthday. And Emily says it's the best birthday ever.

June 10, 2011 - Just spent a wonderful "afternoon" with the girls. (That's what we call the time before naptime or Rebecca's second nap. After that it's a whirlwind of dinner preparations and tidying up for daddy's arrival.) We sang around the piano, chased each other around, heard lots of cute little giggling, received lots of kisses and Rebecca practiced giving all of us her version of a kiss. Very cute, very slimy. :)

June 12, 2011 - Rebecca was so cute at church today, as usual. She showed the Young Women at church how she says, "hi" on mommy's cell phone. She tried escaping from me into the very "echoie" cultural hall into a quiet Elder's Quorum meeting, she danced to the hymn in Relief Society and was just plain adorable. She is such a joy.

June 13, 2011 - Meredith has an infected finger. It started out as a little scratch with a scab and she kept picking at it. Urgh! We went to the doctor to get some medicine and she does a fake little cough everytime I give it to her to make sure I know she's "sick". Nathan told her, "Oh, I'm not sure your sick." She gave him a quick little cough to let him know that she was indeed sick.

June 14, 2011 - Emily was crying today that she'd hurt her foot. Rebecca came over to give her a hug (her version of a hug) and smile at her. This is the second time Rebecca has done this act of "comforting". It brought a smile to Emily's face. It worked. Rebecca is the sweetest little baby. Rebecca is also learning how to say, "bye, bye". Babies grow up so fast!

June 15, 2011 - Life is crazy right now. Really crazy. That is all. (Side note: this is when we found out about Nathan’s new calling and I wasn’t feeling too well from the pregnancy. I felt slightly overwhelmed.)

June 15, 2011 - I told Emily, "if you pick up the trash off the kitchen floor (the girls made a mess!) I'll let you mop!" Oh, she's so excited! I love little kids. :)

June 29, 2011 - Rebecca is already becoming quite the musician. She dances to music (even the hymns in church) and I was just singing and she started "humming" along. I love it!

July 1, 2011 - Meredith was being naughty, so I told her to go to bed. She's tired.
And she says, "I'm not going to live in your house anymore."
She keeps repeating this over and over again. Finally I tell her. Fine, go take your nap and then you can leave
She bursts into tears and says, but I want my mommy and daddy to go with me.
So cute.
She threatens me with leaving, but wants me to go with her.

July 5, 2011 - Emily just showed me her two songs that she "made" on the piano. One is called "Brian's Song" for her leopard? (Apparently she has an imaginary leopard named Brian.) The other song sounds suspiciously like her piano lesson song. Adorable. Oh, and right now she is teaching Meredith how to play the piano which consists of teaching her "Brian's Song".

July 25, 2011 - So, Emily is a very well trained helper. She mops the floor, empties the trash, makes her bed, gets dressed without nagging, showers without help, empties the dishwasher, rinses dishes, loads the dishwasher and now it's time to start Kindergarten. What!?! I just finished training her so she can help me. Ugh. Now I have to start all over again with the next one who is not exactly cooperative. Oh, and she tidies any room I ask, which is a HUGE help.

July 26, 2011 - My freedom is over in 2 weeks. Emily will go to school and I will have to be on a set schedule every day. I will have to make sure she eats, gets dressed with her hair done and to school by 8. Plus, I'm missing my big helper, which actually means a lot more work to me. I am excited for her. Gone are the days of taking it easy when we feel like it.

July 30, 2011 - Rebecca loves to feel that she's playing with the big girls. She will run after them just as fast as her little legs can carry her. It typically means she'll run after them for a few seconds before they turn the other way and run back. So she has to turn in another direction and keep running. It's adorable and I love watching it.

August 11, 2011 - Rebecca's newest word, "go-go". LOVE it! And this is a very important word for a 1-year-old to say.

August 12, 2011 - Rebecca's two newest words: "two" and "ee" (three). And then I realized, yip, I DO count ALL THE TIME! Meredith, pick up your toy and put it in the toy bucket, You have to the count of ten. "one...two...three..." It's the ONLY thing that works with her right now. So, my 13 1/2 month old is learning how to count. She's already got as many numbers down as she has animal sounds.
Rebecca is playing hide-and-seek with Daddy and the girls. Emily came up to me and asked me while I was holding Rebecca, "where are they." I told her I wasn't going to tell. Then Rebecca started pointing in the room they went. She is growing up WAY too fast. It so cute to see this little 1-year-old attempt to do the things the 5 and 4-year-old are doing.

August 14, 2011 - Today Rebecca began to "sing" with me. I was singing to her for her nap and you can't really tell it was singing, except she was making noises the same time I was and when I got to the end of the chorus and paused so would she.


Sunday, August 7, 2011

My Announcement



Sunday, July 17, 2011

Rebecca and the Birthday Cake

Rebecca with her "1" pancake for her first Birthday. I put it on her tray and as soon as I did...

she ate it. I was just lucky to have caught the first picture.

My "Happy" Happy Birthday girl.




The last two are pictures of her eating her Birthday cake. And, as you can tell by the pictures, she loved it!