All that is Glittery and Pink

Some changes coming our way.

2011-10-19T13:44:00.001-07:00

It's been awhile but I've been so busy lately and so tired that by the end of the night all I want to do is watch a little t.v. and then go to bed. So what's been going on? Well thankfully Greg is home and we made it through that long year.

Now that he's home it's time for some changes. Greg accepted a job as a Geologist for the BLM in Price, UT. I have mixed feelings about this. On one hand I am so excited for Greg to have a normal 9-5 job, not to mention the great benefits and security having a government job. On the other hand it sucks because we have to move to Price. It's still far from my family, farther from Greg's family and it's a super small town. We went down there twice house hunting and I was very disappointed with the selection. Thankfully we did find a house and should be in about the middle of November. For right now me and girls are still here in Pocatello while Greg is living out of a hotel in Price. Just my luck, Greg comes back from Iraq only to leave us a few weeks later. But at least it's not for too long.
So besides getting ready to move I'm just busy taking care of these 3 little girls by myself...like usual. Eva started preschool again and is loving it. Although this will be her last month there and I know she is super sad to move away from her best friend Halle.

I couldn't ask for a better helper! Eva is so sweet and loving towards both her sisters. She tires so hard to keep the younger two happy and willing gives Layla any toy she wants without hesitation. Sometimes I tell Eva she doesn't have to give (whatever it is) to Layla if she still wants it but Eva always says, "it's alright Mom I don't mind." She defiantly got this from Greg. :)

Layla is still being a little 2 year old. She is so sweet and funny one moment and beyond sassy the next. She has started to imagine with little toys and it is so cute. I can't always understand what she is saying but I hear her telling her toys, "you're alright." or "I'll be right back OK?" She also loves to snuggle when she watches movies or is getting tired. She'll come sit by me or Eva and say, "snuggle me." I love it.

Julia just hit the 6 month mark on the 18th. She is a chub just like her sisters were and I think it's so cute. She is a pretty happy baby and is hitting her milestones on track. She babbles a lot, has rolled front to back and back to front and has started sitting up all by herself. She is a joy to have and really completes our family of girls.

I recently had the girls pictures taken and as you can see I have so much fun dolling these little girls up! So that's what's up around here. Hopefully my next post will be pics of our house!

Who needs sand when you have rice?

2011-08-06T20:06:00.001-07:00

I bought Eva and Layla a sand & water table as a gift when Julia was born. I got it all ready for them and even ordered pink and purple sand online. They have used the table a lot this spring and summer but I have had one complaint. I never realized how messy sand is! The girls would have it stuck all over them which would lead to it being brought in the house. They would also carry it in buckets around the yard and before I knew it the sand was gone and I would have to order more. Then I discovered something much better.....Rice! Not only did I decided to put rice in the table but I found a way to dye it different colors using food coloring. The girls had so much fun helping me make all the colored rice.
Eva and Layla mixing up the rice. They are both in my aprons which made me think maybe my next project will be to sew them matching ones. :)

After we mixed all the colors we put them on pans and placed them in the sun to dry.

Then I got the table all set up. Here is the water side with Ariel all ready for a swim.

And here is all the rice complete with sand toys and buried treasure.

Layla was so excited she couldn't wait to start playing.

Eva and Layla played out there for so long their legs were getting tired so Eva when and got a stool for Layla and a beanbag chair for herself. She's such a good big sister.

So the colored rice is a huge hit. I highly recommend it cause It's cleaner, cheaper and a fun little project to do with the girls.

Our 2 weeks with Daddy

2011-07-21T19:29:00.000-07:00

Daddy finally came home for a long awaited visit. I can not tell you how wonderful it was to have him here. I felt complete again and was the happiest I've been in almost a year. We really didn't do too much. Just enjoyed each others company, went out to eat at all of Greg's favorite places, visited family and snuggled a lot. Now as you look through these pic's you need to play this song "All American Girl." Every time I hear it I think of Greg with his 3 little girls.

Here is Greg holding baby Julia for the very first time.

and he pretty much didn't stop holding her the whole time he was home.

Of course he also couldn't help but spend as much time as possible with all his little girls. Yes Julia is snuggled right into his side just sleeping away.

Greg pushing Layla on her big wheel.

He even taught Eva to ride her bike without training wheels. We are so proud of her.

Layla was sad about something and Greg was sympathising with her.

We also blessed Julia while Greg was home. Because of the short time that he was going to be here we decided to do it on a Saturday at our home with just family. It was such a nice relaxing day. Looking back I wish I would have done all my girls blessings this way.

My sweet little Angel in her blessing dress.

And here is Julia giving Greg one of her big smiles.

The 2 weeks flew by and now Greg is on his way back to Iraq. But he is almost done. September is right around the corner and then My hubby will be back for good and our family will be whole again. I love him so much and I'm so thankful that even after all this time apart we are still just as close as ever. He truly is my best friend and the most wonderful Daddy.

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T15:50:00.000-07:00

As of tomorrow it has been 3 weeks since little Julia has made her appearance into the world. So how are things going? Pretty good. :) She is a good baby who so far doesn't fuss or cry unless she is hungry. She wakes often at night but always goes back to sleep after eating. I guess I'm still kinda used to waking up a lot since Layla woke up every 2 hours to eat until she was 13 months! So yeah Julia waking about 4 times a night isn't so bad. Eva and Layla love her to death and are very sweet to her. I am also proud of the fact that I still haven't had a "for no reason melt down cry" which usually happens at least once right after I have a baby. Maybe it's because I'm too busy to cry about anything silly? Well whatever the reason I'm glad I've got everything under control. Like I said JuJu bean is a good baby but having another is still more work. Like getting Eva to preschool by 9 am is a juggling act, so was going to my brother-in-laws wedding over the weekend and going back to church on Sunday. But I'm doing it and I'm really happy.
With it being Mother's Day and me being alone I thought i would be sad but.....I'm not. I feel like even though Greg isn't here I've got my little family of girls with me and that makes me happy. I love being a Mom and I love my life. Motherhood is the greatest job I could ever have and I can only hope I do it well and raise strong, loving, kind, beautiful girls.
In the spirit of Mother's Day here are some of my favorite quotes about Mothers. Happy Mother's Day.

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. ~Tenneva Jordan

Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever. ~Author Unknown

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. ~Rajneesh

All mothers are working mothers. ~Author Unknown

When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child. ~Sophia Loren, Women and Beauty

Mother love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible. ~Marion C. Garretty, quoted in A Little Spoonful of Chicken Soup for the Mother's Soul

A mother is a mother still,
The holiest thing alive.
~Samuel Taylor Coleridge

A mother understands what a child does not say. ~Author Unknown

I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life. ~Abraham Lincoln

Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children, and no theories. ~John Wilmot

You don't really understand human nature unless you know why a child on a merry-go-round will wave at his parents every time around - and why his parents will always wave back. ~William D. Tammeus

Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother. ~Oprah Winfrey

The one thing children wear out faster than shoes is parents. ~John J. Plomp

A man's work is from sun to sun, but a mother's work is never done. ~Author Unknown

Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ~Elizabeth Stone

There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it. ~Chinese Proverb

Julia's Photo Shoot

2011-05-01T09:23:00.000-07:00

I have never done infant pictures and the biggest reason is because c-sections are so hard to recover from. I think pictures are the last thing on my mind during that time. But again with this being my last baby I really wanted to get some taken and I have a good friend who does a great job. So exactly one week after JuJu bean was born I got them done, and I love them! I think the egg is my favorite but I still love them all. Thanks Melonie for doing such a great job!

Anyone for a cup of tea?

Glamor Shots!

I love her little feet!

Pretty in Pink.

I just had to get a picture of Julia with Daddy's dog tags on.

So that's my little sweet heart. I just love her.

Another Little Princess has Arrived!

2011-04-25T14:05:00.000-07:00

Well as most of you already know I had another little girl! Julia Brooke was born April 18th at 11:05am. Weighing 6 lbs 12 oz and 20 1/2 inches long. Everything went pretty well. I got really sick during my c-section which carried on for the rest of that day. Throwing up wasn't the funnest way to spend the first day with my daughter but at least it passed and other than that we are both doing great. She is healthy and so far a very good baby. So here she is, my beautiful little one.

Eva and Layla were so excited to meet her and have been the best big sisters. They love little Julia so much.

She is such a sweet little baby I just can't get enough of her!

My Dad with his 3 granddaughters.

My Mom is here for 10 days while I'm recovering. I am so thankful she is here to help out. I couldn't have done it with out her.

So we never got a boy but Greg and I are happy to have another little girl in our family and I can already tell she fits in perfectly.

I decided to add some Easter pictures on here too. I kinda felt like this Easter would be just a big blur with me trying to recover but it actually turned out to be a nice weekend. My parents and I colored eggs with the girls.

They also got Easter baskets and had an egg hunt. Eva was a good big sister and helped Layla find most of her eggs. They both had a lot of fun.

I had a good friend offer to take my girls to church for me on Sunday. Eva went so she was the only one in an Easter dress that day. But I can't wait until next Easter when all three of my girls can be in matching dresses.

So that's what we've been up to. A good Easter weekend and a brand new baby girl. Life is good :)

She Did It!

2011-04-02T20:25:00.000-07:00

Yes at 26 months little Layla is potty trained! I potty trained Eva before Layla was born and I loved only having one kid in diapers so with there only being a few weeks left before this next one is born I decided to give it a try. I told myself I would give Layla one week and if she wasn't getting it I would back off and go back to diapers for now. So the first few days were good and bad. Layla liked sitting on the potty but just wouldn't go. She just held her pee for hours and hours. This made me really want to keep trying cause I figured if Layla had this good of control then she probably would get it fast if she could get over being scared. So I kept on her everyday and after about 3 days she finally went in the potty. When Layla was done she jumped up and said, "I did it!" It was so cute and I was so proud of her. And that was it, she was potty trained. She had a couple accidents for the next few days but after 6 days she had it down. I'm so proud of her and I'm so glad I will again only have one child in diapers. So here's to you little Layla I knew you could do it :)

Care to take a Guess?

2011-03-22T19:31:00.001-07:00

Well I'm 35 weeks pregnant which means I have 4 weeks left until my scheduled c-section. I remember when my sister Amber was pregnant with her son she did a post about some of the old wives tales regarding how to tell the gender of your unborn baby. Since we don't know whether or not this little one is a boy or girl I thought it would be fun to list my answers to all those so called "test" so you can take an educated guess so to speak as to what this little nugget is. So here are the facts.

1. If you carry your baby high it's a girl, carry low it's a boy. I carry high.

2. If the baby's heartbeat is above 140 it's a girl or below 140 it's a boy. This one is in the 150's.

3. If you crave sweets it's a girl, crave salty it's a boy. I crave more salty.

4. If you have acne it's a girl, clear skin it's a boy. I have kept clear skin.

5. Very little to no morning sickness it's a boy, very sick it's a girl. I had hardly any morning sickness this time around.

6. If you get rosy cheeks often it's a girl, nothing it's a boy. I get rosy cheeks or flushed often.

7. If you dangle your wedding ring by a string over your belly it will move back and forth if you're carrying a boy and in a circular motion if it's a girl. Mine went circular.

8. The chines gender prediction calender says I'm having a boy.

9. Lastly I took one of those gender prediction pee test you can get at the drug store back when i was about 13 weeks along. It said I was having a boy.

So there we have it. All the facts are in. I had 4 test saying it's a girl and 5 test saying it's a boy. Almost even. Hmmmm maybe that doesn't help narrow it down at all. But I only have a few weeks left then the guessing is over. I can't wait!

Maternity Photo Shoot.

2011-02-19T20:04:00.000-08:00

I know that pretty much everyone has already seen these since I posted them on facebook but I still wanted to have them documented on my blog as well. I decided to get Maternity pictures taken this time around because this will be my last pregnancy. I wanted to have some pretty pictures of how I look with child :) because I'll never look this way again. I view that as a good thing but also a little sad. That the pregnancy stage of my life is soon to be over. But I'm exited to meet our new sweet baby and to continue on in life with our completed little family. I have 8 weeks left until this little one will make his or her appearance and I got these pictures done at about 29 weeks pregnant.

Baby girl is 2!

2011-01-26T13:11:00.000-08:00

Little Layla turned 2 on the 20th of January. Where has the time gone? I still think of her as my baby but I guess my baby is growing up and moving onto toddler life. Should I be happy or scared? Probably a little of both. But even though she can throw some of the best tantrums I have ever seen she is also so sweet and loving. I was glad to have a little party to celebrate her special day. I just did a family party so it was easy and low key. We had Chinese food for lunch because Layla's favorite food is rice. I can put any kind of rice on her plate and she will eat it all and ask for more. She loves it.

After cake we opened presents. I think one of her favorite presents was this ball pit from her Uncle Reagan. It was a big hit with all the kids there.

Here is her cute, girly cake.

Layla ready to blow out her candles.

She did it all by herself and then stuck her finger right in the cake.

Eating Yummy cake.

So here she is ready to tackle the terrible 2's. I'm tell you don't let this sweet little face fool you. In the past few months she's really learned how to be a stinker when she wants to be. But most of the time she is such a joy in my life. She says the cutes phrases and does the cutest dances ever. Some of her favorite phrases are
"I try" when she wants a turn
"Are you alright?" If someones say ouch or cries
"Who's that?" Every time I get off the phone
"Hi B." Which is when she is saying hi to my parents dog Bailey
"awww cute" for any animal she sees
"Thirsty" anytime she wants a drink
I love her to death and I can't wait to see all she will learn to do this next year of her life.

Happy Birthday Layla.

Michelle this is for you!

2011-01-07T13:48:00.001-08:00

I found this on Facebook today and thought it was down right hilarious! All you parents will appreciate this and all you who are about to become first time parents like my dear little sister Michelle I strongly suggest you take these lessons into consideration! ha ha
P.S. I think #7 is my favorite. Yeah that sounds about right. :)

Lesson 1
1. Go to the grocery store.

2. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.

3. Go home.

4. Pick up the paper.

5. Read it for the last time.

Lesson 2
Before you finally go ahead and have children, find a couple who already are parents and berate them about their...

1. Methods of discipline.

2. Lack of patience.

3. Appallingly low tolerance levels.

4. Allowing their children to run wild.

5. Suggest ways in which they might improve their child's breastfeeding, sleep habits, toilet training, table manners, and overall behavior.

Enjoy it because it will be the last time in your life you will have all the answers.

Lesson 3
A really good way to discover how the nights might feel...

1. Get home from work and immediately begin walking around the living room from 5PM to 10PM carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 8-12 pounds, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly. (Eat cold food with one hand for dinner)

2. At 10PM, put the bag gently down, set the alarm for midnight, and go to sleep.

3. Get up at 12 and walk around the living room again, with the bag, until 1AM.

4. Set the alarm for 3AM.

5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2AM and make a drink and watch an infomercial.

6. Go to bed at 2:45AM.

7. Get up at 3AM when the alarm goes off.

8. Sing songs quietly in the dark until 4AM.

9. Get up. Make breakfast. Get ready for work and go to work (work hard and be productive)

Repeat steps 1-9 each night. Keep this up for 3-5 years. Look cheerful and together.

Lesson 4
Can you stand the mess children make? T o find out...

1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains.

2. Hide a piece of raw chicken behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.

3. Stick your fingers in the flower bed.

4. Then rub them on the clean walls.

5. Take your favorite book, photo album, etc. Wreck it.

6. Spill milk on your new pillows. Cover the stains with crayons. How does that look?

Lesson 5
Dressing small children is not as easy as it seems.

1. Buy an octopus and a small bag made out of loose mesh.

2. Attempt to put the octopus into the bag so that none of the arms hang out.

Time allowed for this - all morning.

Lesson 6
Forget the BMW and buy a mini-van. And don't think that you can leave it out in the driveway spotless and shining. Family cars don't look like that.

1. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment.

Leave it there.

2. Get a dime. Stick it in the CD player.

3. Take a family size package of chocolate cookies. Mash them into the back seat. Sprinkle cheerios all over the floor, then smash them with your foot.

4. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.

Lesson 7
Go to the local grocery store. Take with you the closest thing you can find to a pre-school child. (A full-grown goat is an excellent choice). If you intend to have more than one child, then definitely take more than one goat. Buy your week's groceries without letting the goats out of your sight. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys. Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children.

Lesson 8
1. Hollow out a melon.

2. Make a small hole in the side.

3. Suspend it from the ceiling and swing it from side to side.

4. Now get a bowl of soggy Cheerios and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon by pretending to be an airplane.

5. Continue until half the Cheerios are gone.

6. Tip half into your lap. The other half, just throw up in the air.

You are now ready to feed a nine- month-old baby.

Lesson 9
Learn the names of every character from Sesame Street , Barney, Disney, the Teletubbies, and Pokemon. Watch nothing else on TV but PBS, the Disney channel or Noggin for at least five years. (I know, you're thinking What's 'Noggin'?) Exactly the point.

Lesson 10
Make a recording of Fran Drescher saying 'mommy' repeatedly. (Important: no more than a four second delay between each 'mommy'; occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet is required). Play this tape in your car everywhere you go for the next four years. You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.

Lesson 11
Start talking to an adult of your choice. Have someone else continually tug on your skirt hem, shirt- sleeve, or elbow while playing the 'mommy' tape made from Lesson 10 above. You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.

This is all very tongue in cheek; anyone who is parent will say 'it's all worth it!' Share it with your friends, both those who do and don't have kids. I guarantee they'll get a chuckle out of it. Remember, a sense of humor is one of the most important things you'll need when you become a parent!

A Blue Christmas?

2010-12-31T13:14:00.000-08:00

With Greg being gone I really was feeling that I would probably have a pretty blue Christmas this year but thankfully it was much better than expected. We went to my parents and first had our traditional Mexican Christmas Eve dinner which included tamales, beans and rice Yum! The next morning I let the girls open all their presents from me and Greg and of course Santa dropped off a present too.

After breakfast we got ready for the rest of the family to come over so we could finish opening gifts and have Christmas dinner.

This was the first Christmas in years that me and my sisters were all together again. It was so fun to spend time with them. And for those of you who don't know my family too well the blond one is my Mom not another sister :)

The kids loved playing together and opening all their presents.

Eva and Nathan with their cork guns Poppy got them.

Eva is obsessed with the new Disney movie Tangled so between her Birthday and Christmas I think she pretty much got every Tangle merchandise that was made. Including the wig.

And after presents were done Layla went back to doing what she does best...coloring.

After dinner we had the kids put on the story of Christmas. Talk about the cutest Marry and Joseph ever!

Layla with Aunt Michelle and Uncle Tom. She was the little Angel in the play.

I spent a few days at my parents and then traveled over to Amber's for a few days. Here is Cameron being a good Daddy and Uncle watching a movie with all the kids.

So another Christmas had come and gone and I won't lie...i did feel a little empty inside Christmas night. Not to mention just kinda emotional and run down but that was probably more due to being 6 months pregnant. I was worried the holidays would be a lot harder on me than they were. Thank goodness for all my wonderful family and friends that I have. So a blue Christmas? Not really...maybe just a little. Next year will be better. Greg will be back and we'll have 3 kids to spoil. I can't wait.

Happy Birthday Eva!

2010-12-19T20:05:00.000-08:00

Well another year has gone by and my little Eva is now 4! I can't believe how big she is getting! This party was so fun because she was finally old enough to have a real kid party with all her friends and of course we wouldn't theme it anything other way than princess. I went a little crazy decorating everything Rapunzel from the new movie Tangled. But I had a lot of fun making the house look nice and girly.

Eva opening up all her presents. Lucky the boys that came didn't seem to mind all the pink :)

Eva and her best friend Halle.

Everyone ready for cake.

Right after we sung Happy Birthday these flowers were delivered to Eva from her sweet Daddy. He sure does love his big girl.

She had a really fun party and I'm so thankful for all our friends and family that were able to help make her day so special. Eva is getting so big but I can still think back to her as a little baby. She was a firecracker even back then...always keeping me on my toes. But what a beautiful, sweet girl she is turning out to be. I love her so much. Happy Birthday my butterfly.

When I see their face.....

2010-12-06T12:43:00.000-08:00

I have heard this song before and I just thought," yeah nice love song, makes me miss my hubby." But the other day I was in the car with the girls and it came on again and I started thinking how this song could also be about them. They are just amazing little girls and when I see their face there really isn't ANYTHING I would change. I love them so much and think they are the most precious little people in my life. They are so sweet and loving to each other and can always make me laugh on even my worst days. So here are a few of their little sayings or conversations that they have had recently that makes me smile. And these are a few of the new outfits I got them complete with leg warmers. And I don't know where Eva comes up with these poses but I think it's pretty funny.

As Layla comes up to do a craft that Eva was doing. Eva: "Layla you're so predictable."

Eva: "Mom will you check on sister tonight to make sure her band aid stays on?" After Layla hit her head on the glider and was going to bed.

Eva: "Here Layla, here's your tooth brush."
Layla: "Thank you"
Eva: "You're welcome."

Layla tries to turn the page in Eva's coloring book while she is coloring.
Eva: "Layla! You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Eva: "Goodnight sister have sweet dreams."
Layla: "Night."

Layla: "I try. I try." Whenever she wants to do something or have a turn.

Layla: "More, More." After finishing her fruit by the foot in the car.
Eva: "You don't have anymore sister, It's all gone."
Layla: Starting to cry
Eva: "Here sister you can have the rest of mine."

Like I said I think I have some pretty sweet little girls.

Knocked Up......Again!

2010-10-31T19:54:00.000-07:00

Yes everyone it's true. I am 15 weeks (4 months) pregnant! And yes this was planed. When I first found out Greg was going to Iraq I thought, "Well there goes our plan of having all our kids 2 years apart. I can't have a baby while he is gone." But as Greg and I talked more about it we thought, "why can't I? Lots of army wives do it and it's fine." So we decided to go ahead and try right before he left and sure enough here I am pregnant again. I have to say that because of our situation I was a little hesitant to start telling people. I mean I am so excited but I was worried what others might say. I just wanted everyone to be happy for me and not give me any negativity. I did have a few people say things like "You're crazy" or "I don't think you realize what you are getting yourself into." Which of course is not the response you are expecting to hear when you tell your great news. But I have decided that I won't let those kind of remarks get me down. Greg and I are thrilled and that's all that matters. And really everyone else has been nice and excited for me. So my c-section is scheduled for April 16th. Hopefully Greg will be able to take leave during that time but we won't know about that for a while still. And to make it a little more fun we decided to not find out the sex of the baby! I'm pretty sure it will just be another girl so I'm not too worried about it, but if it turns out to be a boy I'm going to be doing a lot of shopping once I get out of the hospital. So that's the big news around here, another little Gochnour is on the way :)
And this is my 15 week baby bump. I know it's small but it's there and in no time it will be a lot bigger.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-30T19:37:00.000-07:00

This year for Halloween Me and the girls went to our ward Halloween trunk or treat. Thank goodness for all my good friends to make it a fun night even though Greg couldn't be here. These were my favorite costumes of the night. Shauna's hubby Adam went as Wolverine and Noel's hubby Brandon went as a girl. I was laughing so hard when Brandon walked in wearing a dress. He is a police officer and one of those guys that would never be caught doing something girly, yet there he was in a dress. That made my night.

Here are my sweet little girls. Eva was Snow White and Layla was Cindy Lou from How the Grinch stole Christmas.

Eva with her best friend Halle. The two cutest Snow Whites ever.

This picture cracks me up. I wanted to get one of Eva, Layla, Halle and Ethan but Ethan wanted to be right up front for a close up. He is such a cute little boy.

The girls had lots of fun and got way too much candy. Even Layla enjoyed it and would say "tweet tweet" for trick or treat as she went around to all the cars. So it was a pretty fun night. Now I just have to find someone to eat all this candy so i don't.

Eva the flower girl

2010-10-04T19:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Eva was the flower girl in my friends wedding. It was very flattering that they wanted Eva to do it. Greg and I are actually friends with the Groom and had only met his fiance a couple of times but once they started planning the wedding they said they didn't have many little kids on either sides of their families and they thought Eva was so cute that she would make a beautiful flower girl. Of course I couldn't argue with that...what parent would? So I got her all dolled up and she was a perfect little flower girl.

This is Eva with the Bride and Bridesmaids doing a silly pose.

When she first started walking down the aisle she was looking kinda scared but then everyone started saying things like "awww....look how cute." Which Eva just loved so she put on this huge smile and started strutting her stuff down the aisle dropping the peddles as she went. I was so proud.

Eva with the Bride and Groom. I was bummed cause my camera ran out of batteries so I didn't get many more pictures of all of them together. But she was so good to take all those pictures and I was glad she had fun.

And of course I can't leave out little Layla bean. Her newest pass time is that she loves to color! She will just sit on the floor and color off and on all day. It's really cute and nice that she has something to keep her busy.

She's such a little ham.

Glitter in the air

2010-08-29T12:37:00.000-07:00

I keep hearing this song on the radio and every time it makes me cry. I feel like this is how my life is right now....just on the verge of a whole new experience.

I Love To Decorate

2010-08-26T12:27:00.000-07:00

I love shopping in the vintage stores that are here in Pocatello. I can almost always seem to find what I am looking for and at a great price. Lately I have been searching and searching for end tables for my living room. And finally I found them. I was at this store appropriately called Vain and Vintage when I came across two white end tables. I got them for $25.00 a piece which is such a great price for study hard wood. Once i brought them home I painted them black and presto....they match my living room perfectly. :)

I also bought pillows for my couch and love seat to help tie in the tan and Burgundy accents that are throughout the room.

And this is the shelf I found at a garage sale for 5 dollars. It was brown so I painted it black and got some new frames to display some of our new family pictures.

Now as silly as this may sound to most of you I also decorated and organized my closet. It's huge and I just felt that I would feel so much better if when Greg and I walked into it everything was in order and looked nice, instead of purses everywhere, shoes on the floor etc. Plus I thought it would be nice if it coordinated with all the blacks and tans that are in my bedroom. So first I got a new desk that I use as my vanity. Again it was from a vintage shop. It was $25.00 and all I did was paint it black.

Some more decorating on the window in my closet.

And lastly I got baskets to keep all my purses in, a new hanging shoe rack and wooden hangers for all our clothes. Well I have all my clothes on wooden hangers and I'm still working on Greg's side of the closet but I don't think he is too worried about it.

So there we have it. Did I mention I love to decorate?

I Can Sew!

2010-08-08T12:33:00.000-07:00

We are taking pictures with Greg's family this coming Sunday and I wanted my girls in matching pillowcase dresses. I have seen this style of dress on Etsy but some are pretty pricey and I was worried they wouldn't get shipped in time. So a friend of mine suggested I just make them myself and that is exactly what I did. Mind you I have never sewn before besides one blanket and I have never even used my sewing machine. luckily Greg has grown up with a mother that sewed a lot so he was able to teach me how to use my sewing machine and he helped a little with the measuring on the first dress. I am really pleased with the way they turned out and proud of myself for doing something so crafty :) So these are the dresses.

Pretty cute right?

So should I start taking orders? lol

Summer Time Fun

2010-07-04T15:21:00.001-07:00

My computer broke a few weeks ago and of course that was right when I had lots of fun things going on so now I am playing a little catchup. I hate it when this happens because then I end up just doing short little post and cram everything together just to get it done and documented. Haha I make it sound like this blog is more of a chore than just for fun. So here is what's been going on so far this summer.
Greg took Eva fishing one day. She loved it and even caught 4 fish!

Greg also built them a fire and they had lunch. She had so much fun and it was a good little Daddy Daughter date.

A couple weeks ago I thought it was a perfect day for a little pool party. I invited over some of my good friends and their kids for lunch and pool time.

At first it was just some of the girls. Everyone was eating lunch nicely on the blanket and Greg stopped home on his lunch break to say hi.

Then the boys showed up. Gavin and Carter really knew what a pool party was all about.

Layla and baby Elle.

Everyone had lots of fun and I think with all this warm weather we're about due for another party.

Fun Without the Kids :)

2010-07-04T14:19:00.000-07:00

Although I love spending time with my girls it is always a nice treat to go and do stuff with just my hubby and friends. Last weekend Greg and I went with our good friends Adam and Shauna to a 40's Big Band Bash. It was a fun raiser put on by the Pocatello Rotary Club. There was dinner catered by Texas Road House, dancing, live and silent auctions. I even bid on a few of the items for the silent auction but I kept getting out bid...oh well.
You were supposed to try and dress from the 40's so being the movie fanatic I am I just tried to look like one of the girls from the movie Pearl Harbor. Greg wore his grandpa's army uniform pants and then improvised with his own army shirt.

Shauna and I in front of one of the old cars.

Greg and Adam being the goofy husbands that they are :)

Then they decided they would rather hold their wives then each other.

It was a nice evening, good times with good friends.

My other fun night without the kids was just this past Tuesday night. Me and some of my friends bought tickets to a special Eclipse premier party. Which aloud us to see the movie at 9:00 instead of midnight. So to make it a truly fun evening we first went out to dinner. We all couldn't agree on the same place so a few of us when to Red Lobster and some of the other girls went to a non seafood restaurant.

The party was really cool. You got a gift bag with an Eclipse mug along with popcorn and a drink. They also had t-shirts to buy, Twilight candy, tattoos and a nail painting station. They even had a little trivia game and if you got the answer right you won a Twilight shirt, bag, candy etc. Here are a few of us just playing into the whole Twilight experience. Lisa dressed as Rosalie hence the blond wig which we laughed at cause it looks nothing like Rosalie's hair in the movie :)

That wig was great and it kept us all entertained while we were waiting for the movie to start :)

I know I've said this before but just to make sure everyone understands I'm team Edward by book and team Jacob by movie.

Did I mention Jacob is hot? LOL

We had a blast. Great girls night out.

Summer Time

2010-06-18T20:45:00.000-07:00

From spending our last summer in Oklahoma I was just expecting this summer to be blazing hot. Then I remembered that I'm back in Idaho where it's not uncommon to still be in a sweatshirt with the heat on in the middle of June. :( Yes unfortunately we haven't had too many "summery" days so far. But now, finally we are getting some Sun! My girls are even playing in the pool while I layout. Yes I love summer and I'm so glad it's here! Eva and Layla just love to play in the water and go down the slide.

I bought their little bikinis from Gap kids and I think they are just so stinking cute!

Layla's favorite thing to do is scoop up the water.....

and dump it in the grass. I try to get her to dump it back in the pool but I guess that just isn't as fun.

But then they both just go right back to the slide.

I'm just so glad summer is finally here.

My little Dancer

2010-06-13T13:36:00.000-07:00

Last week I put Eva in a dance workshop that was put on by one of the local high school's dance team. It was only a week long class where they learned a couple dances and did a little performance for the parents. My friend Shauna put her daughter Halle in the class too which was so fun because Eva and Halle are best friends. I have been thinking about putting Eva in dance this fall and I figured this was the perfect way to see if she would really like it. Well she loved it and her dance was so cute. So here are a few pictures of her at practice.

Of course Eva had to wear a tutu everyday.

This is a picture of Eva and Halle in their matching shirts after their recital.

Here is a video clip of her dance.

Family Pictures

2010-06-11T19:54:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we finally got family pictures taken. I have been meaning to do it for a while now and with Greg leaving in a few months I decided we better get it done. I am really happy with the way they turned out and our photographer did an amazing job. He took over 300 pictures so I have had a very hard time narrowing them all down but here are just a few of my favorites.

New Blog

2010-05-21T17:36:00.000-07:00

So I started a new blog and I have been debating on whether or not I wanted to tell anyone. Funny right? Why start a blog if you don't want others to see it? I guess I just thought with Greg being deployed soon I have so many different feelings and emotions from day to day and I should be keeping a journal. Of course I find it so much easier and funnier to do it in the form of a blog. So I started an Army blog. It's going to be my thoughts and feelings on Greg being deployed and how it effect our little family during this next year. So don't feel obligated to read it or comment or follow it. But it is there if anyone wants to take a look from time to time. I have the link already on this blog under friends & family but here is the address aswell. www.dayinthelifeofanarmywife1.blogspot.com

11,002 Things to be miserable about :(

2010-05-08T20:28:00.000-07:00

I have this booked called 11,002 things to be miserable about. And that is exactly what it is. It is just one be long list of everything that is bad in the world. Sounds strange and depressing right? Well it is actually the opposite. This book is hilarious! It is so fun to just flip to any page and read these statements that are so true and yet make you laugh when you think about it. So I will just list some of these sad but funny things to be miserable about.

Being poked by your bra's under wire
Anatomically correct children's toys
Women who put on makeup to go to the gym
Girls who's legs have a five o'clock shadow
Shirts that say "Hottie" in glittery letters
Hitler
Models
The orchestra that played as the Titanic went down
Your inner thighs
Running out of toilet paper
Pants that make you look fat
People who tell you that the pants that make you look fat don't make you look fat
People who go ahead and admit that the pants make you look fat
Being asked: "You and what army?"
Harpoons
Adult braces
Never outgrowing your baby fat
People who knock over the chessboard when they're losing
People who let their dogs lick their ice cream cones
Hairstyles in the 80's
Cute kids who know how much they can get away with
Ugly kids who know they can't get away with much
Older siblings telling you you're adopted (when it's not true)
Older siblings telling you you're adopted (when it IS true)
Knowing tomorrow will be just as terrible as today
Grandpas in speedos

I could go on and on. I just think this book is great and I know that some of these made you laugh too.

Andrea's Favorite things

2010-05-02T14:16:00.000-07:00

Now I know that the most important things in life aren't things as the saying goes. And I feel like I always blog about what matters most to me which is my family but I thought it would be fun to do a different kind of post today. I wanted to share with you some of my other favorite things in life. Small little things that make me smile. So in no particular order here are just a few of my favorite things.

1. The laptop. I love to just sit and look at Facebook, blogs, Cragslist and my email. Especially if it is when the girls are watching yet another cartoon that I have seen a million times!

2. Long necklaces. I have quite a few now and I love to wear them, of course not all at once but I put a couple on so you could get the idea. Like how Eva always tries sneaking in the pictures?

3. Decorating. I love decorating my house. I just got these shelves a few weeks ago and put them above the T.V.

4. Flowers! I love flowers in the girls hair and flower head bands on me. Layla is showing off many of her and Eva's flowers in this picture but they usually only wear one or two.

5. Diet caffeine free Dr. Pepper. I know most of you are thinking "gross" but I love it! It taste just as good as regular Dr. Pepper and I can drink it in the evening without it keeping me up all night.

6. Inspirational quotes. I have a few sayings around my house that I love to read. They help me remember to stay positive.

7. My Chi flat iron. I have gone through a few flat irons through out the years and this one is by far the best! It works so good and my hair is left soft and smooth.

8. My bed. I just love getting into a nice made bed. My comforter is so big and fluffy and it's so nice to get buried under the covers.

So there you have it. Just a few of the things that make me smile on a daily bases.

Photo Shoot

2010-04-27T19:13:00.000-07:00

I know that most of you have already seen these pictures on Facebook but I still wanted to post them on my blog too. I decided to do something really fun and thought what would be cuter than two little girls in tutu's?

Words of Wisdom

2010-04-20T15:35:00.000-07:00

Life is too short to wake up with regrets.

Love the people who treat you right.

Forget about the ones who don't.

Believe everything happens for a reason.

If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.

If it changes your life......

Let it.

Nobody said life would be easy.

They just promised it would be worth it.

Eva's New Bedroom

2010-04-10T12:10:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to redo Eva's bedroom for a while now. So I set out shopping online and in stores to find just want I had envisioned in my mind. And after a month or so I got it all put together. I just love how it turned out. Greg and I decided on Bunk beds because one day the girls will probably share a room and this way we already have Layla's bed too.

I love the bedding. I wanted something just sweet and pretty. Which was very hard to find because right now most girl bedding has Characters on it like Tinkerbell, Hanna Montana etc. Or is more of a punk theme like Pink & Black, our hot pink, green and yellow with big flowers and swirls on it. You get the idea. But finally I found this online. I think it goes perfect with the furniture.

This is her dresser with her bow board on the wall. Eva and Layla wear flowers in their hair everyday so they have lots. This is a great way to keep them all organized.

Here is a close up of the detail on the drawers.

And here are the decorations I have on the walls.

I just love Eva's room although I feel that these pictures don't show just how pretty the furniture really is but oh well. It really is beautiful, prefect for a little princes.

Easter

2010-04-05T18:23:00.000-07:00

So what was the best about Easter this year? Was it that we got to spend time with Amber and her family? And giving Easter baskets to all these cute kids? No.........

Was it helping Eva and Nathan color Easter eggs? No.....................

Was it having Greg and Cameron hide all the Easter eggs in the back yard.
And helping the kids go on an Easter egg hunt? No................

Was it just spending time with my beautiful sister and my own sweet family?

Nope, but close........

So what was the best part about this Easter? It was this little video clip Greg got of Eva and Nathan. I just can't help but smile and laugh every time I see it. Happy Easter everyone.

Happy Birthday to me!

2010-04-05T12:18:00.000-07:00

I just had my 27th Birthday on March 31st! Greg likes to tease me that now I am on the dark side of 30. But to me I still feel like a teenager. Actually just the other day my best friend Natalie and I were talking about how we look the same now as we did in high school.....well at least we think we do :) But besides the fact that I am getting older it was a pretty good day. Greg and the girls got me a cake which Greg insisted on having exactly 27 candles.

I think we almost set off the smoke alarms with all those candles.

Greg also got me a very sweet and thoughtful gift. When I opened the envelope I started to cry. Big surprise right? I don't know how well you can read it but it is a girls day out pass for me. He wanted me to go shopping and out to lunch with my girl friends. He wanted me to take my time, be gone as long and I would like and to not worry about him the girls. It was such a sweet gift and exactly what any stay at home Mom would love.

So thank you my sweet hubby! I really had a nice day. And it was great to go out and buy all the cloths and accessories that help keep me looking like I'm still 18 ;)

Cute Girls

2010-03-28T13:06:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few pictures that I think are cute and wanted to share. Here is Eva eating ribs!

I didn't think she would like them because she can be a picky eater but I guess I was wrong.

Eva has also been trying to give up naps lately. She is 3 so I feel like I have had a good run but when I let her stay up this is what tends to happen.

I don't think there is a better sight then one of a sleeping child.

And I can't forget about little Layla. K so maybe there is something better than the sight of a sleeping child.....if there is it would be a fat baby with no shirt on. Hmmmm it's a close one.

They Grow Up Too Fast

2010-03-15T17:57:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you get discouraged
Because I am so small

And I always leave my fingerprints

on furniture and walls.

But every day I'm growing-

I'll be grown up someday

And all those tiny hand prints

Will surely fade away.

So here's a final hand print

Just so you can recall

Exactly how my fingers looked

When I was very small.

- Author unknown-

My Dirty Little Secret

2010-03-13T12:39:00.000-08:00

I thought I would let you all in on my dirty little secret. Whenever I'm having a bad day or just in need of a little pick me up I take this....

And this....

Put it on a spoon......

And EAT IT!

Yum. :)

Another Hit!

2010-03-08T19:27:00.000-08:00

Well Aunt Rachel you are two for two now. The first book you got Eva (Pinkalicious) was such a good book and we both enjoyed reading it often. Now this cook book is a hit too! I mean what little girl wouldn't love a Princess recipe book? All the meals have fun Disney themed names like "Fairy Godmother Wands" for the french toast sticks etc. I thought I would share with all of you some of the things we have made.
First is Castle Calzones ( as in the Beast's Castle)
It is pizza dough folded over with ham, cheese and veggies cooked into it. It was pretty good and a really good kid and husband friendly meal.

Next and one of me and Eva's favorites is the Get Your Work Done Smoothies. (picture is of Cinderella's Stepmother)

I think Eva mostly liked using the blender.

But the smoothies tasted really good too. It had bananas, strawberries, blackberries, vanilla yogurt and milk. A really good, healthy snack.

Last is the I'm Soooo Sleepy Soup. (with a picture of Sleepy from Snow White)

It is Chicken noodle soup made with elbow macaroni. It has the usual chicken and veggies but it is easy to make and other hit with Greg and the girls.

So thank you Aunt Rachel for such a fun cook book. Eva and I are having lots of fun making all these Disney themed meals. My goal this week is to make the Sandy Scoops (sandy as in a sandy beach like in little Mermaid, cute right?) It's cinnamon tortillas with applesauce as dip. Sounds yummy to me. :)

We Belong Together

2010-02-22T12:21:00.000-08:00

Greg has been gone for 2 weeks in Boise doing......whatever military men do when they have to leave their families. He just got back last night and I was so happy to have him home! As most of you know Greg has had to leave me for long periods of time throughout our 6 years of marriage but this time it hit me the hardest. It had nothing to do with my kids, actually my girls are really good. Eva has her tantrums every now and again but for the most part I feel they are good girls and taking care of them is fairly easy. I feel that I am good at juggling house work, time with my kids, play dates and time for myself. So I guess what made this so hard was the thought I had come into to my head everyday....."This is how it's going to be when Greg is gone for a whole year." Yes he is going to be leaving in September, to Iraq, for one long year. And really it's not the single mom aspect that really bothers me. I feel that I am a very organized person and I will be fine to do it all by myself. I think what I realized will be the hardest is just how much I will miss him. We are a team and he is my best friend. Not to mention the thought that the unthinkable could happen. I won't talk about it. I can't. It's getting to be too real and in my mind he WILL be home after a year. Of course we still have some time together before he leaves. September is a little ways away but this time apart has just made me dwell on it a little more. It will be hard to have him gone for so long. I will miss him, the girls will miss him. He is the man in our lives, our protector and joke teller, our mix fix it, and the love in our lives. Yes it will be difficult to have him gone because....we just belong together.

I think he will miss me too.

How much weight can I carry?

2010-02-14T14:59:00.000-08:00

Just thought I should share with everyone how I have been cleaning my house for the past year. And I don't mean just loading the dishwasher or something simple like that. I mean every Saturday doing the bathrooms, vacuuming, dusting, sweeping, moping and going up and the stairs with laundry. I remember this summer when Layla was around 5 months old I was starting to think, "I don't know how much longer I can do all this with her on my back." Now she is almost 13 months and weighs 24 pounds! Yet I continue to carry her around like this because it keeps her happy and out of my way. Plus it's really cute when I'm cleaning the bathroom sinks and I hear her talking and laughing only to look up and see her waving to herself in the mirror. So how much weight can I carry? I guess we'll just have to wait and see :)

A new little Pretty.

2010-02-07T19:20:00.000-08:00

I have been looking for some sort of entry way table ever since we moved into this house. Last week I finally found one. I went to this new craft/antique store here in Pocatello and I stumbled upon this little beauty.

I thought it had some real potential and for only $25 dollars I just couldn't pass it up. So I brought it home and stained it black to go with the rest of my decor.
This is how it turned out.

I especially loved the hardware that was already on it. Such a nice little vintage touch.

So I'm very proud of the way it turned out. Just another new little pretty thing to add to my house :)

Layla Grace is 1!

2010-02-01T13:11:00.000-08:00

Yes my little angel is now one year old. She was born on January 2oth and has been the sweetest little girl ever since. So who is this little girl? She is the little one in our house who loves to take babies on walks.

She is always reaching for anything she can get her little hands on.

Layla is very tender hearted and gets her feelings hurt very easily. All you have to do is say, "Layla NO." and she will start to cry. Just the other day Greg was teasing Layla and saying, " You naughty little girl, you're going to get a spanking." Eva chimed in and said, "No Daddy you can't. She's tender." Then Greg asked Eva when it would be OK to spank Layla and Eva said after her birthday. Uh oh Layla looks like you better watch out! :)

Even though Layla is tender she is also silly. She loves to play peek-a-boo, give hugs and kisses, pretend to talk on the phone and as we found out on her birthday roll around in tissue paper.

She also likes to blow raspberries and make funny sounds with her mouth which came in handy when it was time to blow out her candle. We had to keep relighting it so she could blow it out over and over again.

Layla is also very independent. She hates to be fed food and insists on doing it herself.

Which always leads to lots of food on the floor.....

And lots of food on her.

So that's our sweet little Layla. She is such a joy to have in our family and I love her so much.
Oh yeah and I almost forgot to mention the best part.....she's chunky.

Hawaii!

2010-01-19T13:00:00.000-08:00

For Christmas this past year Greg's parents wanted to go on a family vacation to Hawaii. I will admit that the thought of having to take two kids on a 7 hour plane ride and then spend a week in a condo that isn't baby proof, plus spend lots of money in the beautiful but expensive Island of Maui had me a little hesitant. But I'm so glad that we went. What a gorgeous place to visit! I was in heaven. I loved the warm weather, sun tanning, shopping and playing in the ocean. Yes it was my kinda vacation. The first day we went to the beach which was right outside our condo.

It was so much fun playing in the waves although Eva and Layla were a little scared. We went to the beach almost every day but we also tried to do some things that we don't get to do very often. One day the boys went fishing and we ate the fish the next night for dinner. Nothing like fresh fish and I had never had barracuda but to my surprise it was delicious!

Here is me and my two sisters in law Bethany and Andrea. We all had a day at a spa with my Mother in law too. It was so relaxing and as the masseuse was rubbing my back she said, "I can tell you carry your kids all day long." I think she could feel all the knots in my back and I thought, "This is why I need a day like this."

Layla hated the feeling of the sand and would cry every time we put her down on the beach.

Eva was proud of all the coral and rocks she could fined in the sand.

One night we went to a Luau so first I had to run out and buy the girls some cute Hawaiian dresses.

At the Luau we all got leis and flowers for our hair.

K I don't know why it is underlining my words right now so try to ignore it. Anyways...At the Luau there was beautiful scenery all around so we tried to take lots of pictures.

Greg and I also just had our 6 year anniversary on December 27th. We didn't do much for it this year with birthdays, Christmas and getting ready for this trip. So I made him take some pictures of just the two of us. He was a pretty good sport about it.

Here I told him he had to kiss me and he had some sort of witty remark that made me laugh.

But I guess he just couldn't resist and he kissed me anyways. I mean come on, it's Hawaii how much more romantic can it get?

Greg got lots of kisses that night. I think Eva has a little crush on her Daddy.

The Luau had really good food and it was fun to see the dancers perform.

The girls started to get pretty tired so I nursed Layla while I ate and she was asleep before the show even started.

Eva went and sat on her Grandpa's lap and fell asleep toward the end of the show.

This is me and Bethany in front of the Banyan tree. Yes that is all one big tree. It looks like many but it is just all the roots shooting out of the ground. It was really cool to see.

My cute girls just playing in the condo.

And we spent as much time as possible working on our tans.

So my sister in law is named Andrea and she is dating a guy named Greg! Funny right? So we thought we would take advantage of the fact that G+A works for both of us.

Bethany and I just playing in the waves. That was before we got completely wiped out by a big one.

Greg and I even got to go out to dinner one night without the kids. Now that's a vacation.

And last but not least the scenery was Gorgeous! Maui is just beautiful.

And this is a view from our balcony. I loved looking out at the ocean and falling asleep to the sound of waves crashing on the beach.

But after a week of paradise I was ready to get back to my normal little life. With the normal routine and familiar surroundings. There is no place like home even if it means leaving beautiful Hawaii and going back to Pocatello Idaho. :)

My little Girl is Three!

2009-12-20T19:41:00.000-08:00

Yes my little girl is now three years old. My how the time does fly. It feel like only yesterday that she looked like this. Just a tiny little baby with that deer caught in the head lights look.

Then she was one and so excited for all that yummy cake.

And at two she became a little princess.

Now at three she still is a princess just with a little more attitude.

Eva had a really nice party. We had Greg's family over and Amber came with Nathan and Ryan. Since there were only boys at the party besides Eva and Layla I decide to keep the theme of the party to something gender neutral. So we just did a Christmas theme.

Eva, Nathan and Deegan all made little Christmas trees out of an ice cream cone, frosting and candy. Which of course they had to nibble on as they worked.

Eva was very excited to blow out her candles and she was able to do it all by herself this year.

And here are the kids goody bags.

I think Layla makes a cute little reindeer.

Eva got lots of nice gifts. One she really like was a trunk of dress up cloths. Once she opened that present she had to put on the Snow White dress immediately and kiss a prince. (or her Uncle Reagan).

But by far the best gift of all was from me and Greg. We got her the Disney Princess Musical Vanity. A perfect fit for a little princess. Now I have to explain that it was the best gift not because of what it is but what it represents.

As soon as Greg put it together I was flooded with all my childhood memories of loving those Disney Movies and wanting to be Ariel, Jasmine or Cinderella. I have to admit that I burst into tears. It's kinda hard to explain but just the thought of my daughters loving these characters too and having those same dreams of growing up and finding their own prince....it just got to me. I love this vanity and I love that Eva is getting to the age where she can pretend that she is a princess. Make believe is a wonderful, pure childhood right of passage and I love the sweet innocence of it all. It is a wonderful thing to watch unfold before my eyes.

So Happy Birthday to Eva my little Princess. Stay sweet, stay innocent and always see the good in life.

Little Layla

2009-11-18T10:06:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how fast time is flying by. Eva will be 3 next month and my little Layla will be 10 months at the end of this week. I feel like I have neglected to put any updates on the blog about Layla and all her little accomplishments so I thought I better do it now. At 6 months old Layla got her bottom two teeth and now at 9 months she has 8 total. Yes she is a little chomper when it comes to nursing Ouch! She started saying Da Da at about 8 months and now says Momma too. She started crawling a 8 months and at 9 months pulls herself to standing and can also stand alone for a few seconds before falling over.

Layla is a tender heart as we have come to call her. She is very sweet and gets her feelings hurt easily. She is also a very laid back baby which is such a nice change for me. Eva has always been such a handful that Layla is a piece of cake. Although Layla is so sweet she makes the funniest faces. We call it her "mean baby" face. She makes them all the time, at us and strangers and it always makes us laugh. Here is an example of the face. Pretty mean right?

I love little Layla so much and she is such a joy to have in our family. Her and Eva get along really well and they both keep me on my toes but I wouldn't have it any other way. I love both my sweet little girls.

Speaking of Eva I can't leave her out. She is just as silly as ever and is so smart. I know all parents say that about their kids but she is. Here is a little video clip of Eva saying her months. She learned them over the summer at about 2 1/2.

Military Ball

2009-11-15T18:01:00.000-08:00

Last Friday Greg and I went to the Military Ball here in Pocatello. We have been to quite a few over the years and I really enjoy going to them. There is dinner and a presentation with a guest speaker, usually a General. Followed by dancing. Here we are all dressed up ready to go.

This is the third time that I have sung the National Anthem for the ROTC and this time my Mom asked Greg to video tape it. For some reason Greg couldn't it in focus but the sound is fine. So Mom this is for you.

New Bedroom Furniture

2009-11-02T18:59:00.000-08:00

Little by little we are getting more furniture to fill our house. Over the weekend we got our Bedroom furniture and it is beautiful! I absolutely love it! So here are a few pictures of it. Although please don't pay much attention to the walls because I don't have anything hung on the walls so our room still looks pretty bare.
This is my dresser.

Look are all the drawers! I have never had so much space.

Here is a close up so you can see the color a little better. It is black with cherry wood distressing.

Here is the bed. I really need a new bed spread now cause this one doesn't go well with the black but I will probably have to wait a little while on that.

And there is Greg's dresser in the corner with the T.V. on top.

So that's the furniture. I will post more pictures once I get the room all decorated and my new bedding.

A little of This and A little of That

2009-11-01T14:34:00.000-08:00

I'm a little behind on my blogging so I'm putting it all in this one post. So here we go.
A few weeks ago we finally took a trip to Utah to visit Amber. The last time Eva and Nathan saw each other was before we moved to Oklahoma so they were very excited to be reunited. And I was excited to see my sis too. It was fun but Eva ended up getting the flu the second night we were there so it wasn't all fun and games. But before she got sick I did get some cute pictures of the kids. Here is Layla and Ryan playing at Aunt Rachel's house.

Eva and Nathan just hanging around.

And here they are all snuggled up together watching a movie.

All four kids in the tub. Amber and I were having a hard time getting them all to look at the camera and then all at once I saw all four faces! So I snapped the picture.

I turned around to see what brilliant idea Amber had to get all the kids attention and this is what I found. Hey whatever works right?

Last week the leaves started to fall in our front yard so I put the girls in there cute little hats and took some pictures.

Then it was Halloween. We actually did a lot of fun activities this year. We went to Boo at the Zoo where Eva and Layla got to dress up and do crafts and go through a haunted tree house. We went to story time at the Library where all the kids got to go trick or treating in the library and hear Halloween stories. Then we went to the trunk or treat at our ward Halloween party. So the girls got to dress up 3 times this year. Eva was Bell from Beauty and the Beast.

And Layla was a little bear.

So it was a good Halloween and I think I've eaten more of Eva's Halloween candy than she has but isn't that my right as the Mom? :)

Our new House

2009-10-22T19:33:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to post some pictures of the house that we are renting in Pocatello. Yes, we are still renting for now while we are waiting to see whether or not Greg will be deployed next year. It's a 3 bedroom 2 bath and is an older home but it's really cute and I loved the fenced in backyard that included a swing set and a garden. So here it is.

This is one of the walls in the living room.

Kitchen

Dinning room

China Hutch

Upstairs bathroom/the girls bathroom

Eva's bedroom

Layla's bedroom

Downstairs bathroom/our bathroom

This is the desk Greg made. We have it down in the family room.

Family room

Family room with some of the new decorations I bought.

So that's most of the house. We are getting a coach and love seat for the living room and bedroom furniture for our room soon and then I will post more.

I have a lot of work to do.

2009-10-08T19:56:00.000-07:00

I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person is humanized or de-humanized. If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming.

~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Our Trip to Michigan

2009-10-02T20:16:00.000-07:00

So this is a little out of order but I completely forgot to post our trip to Michigan. After we left Oklahoma we drove, yes drove, with 2 kids up to my parents home in Michigan for a week visit and then continued to drive across the country back to Idaho. Maybe that's why I forgot all about this trip...all that driving with the kids must have made me block the experience from my mind! OK the drive actually wasn't that bad, the kids and I only had a couple melt downs. Anyways it was a really fun trip mostly because we surprised my parents! They had no idea that we where coming so when we showed up at my Mom's work you can guess what happened. There was confusion, yelling, laughing and crying. It was a great surprise.
One night my Dad made a fire and we roasted marshmallows. Eva was so sad she had to go to bed but with all the traveling she needed a good night sleep.

My Mom and little Layla.

One day we went to the Detroit Zoo which is the best Zoo I have ever been too. We saw lots of animals and Eva just loved it. Eva and Layla both did great so we ended up staying there for most of the day. It was really fun. Eva's favorite animal right now is the Giraffe, she just couldn't wait to see them and I'm glad they were out and about for her.

There is a great butterfly and bird house there too. Eva was so interested in the butterfly that landed on Greg's head.
I loved seeing the lions.
Greg and Eva in the ground hog exhibit. You can climb in the tunnels and pop up right in their habitat.
My favorite is the polar bear and seal exhibit. There is a huge glass aquarium and a glass tunnel so you can see the animals swimming all around you. Eva was a little scared at first but then she really enjoyed it. Although right here we couldn't get her to look at the camera, I think she thought something was going to come and get her.

One of the seals going right over our heads.
It was a really fun day I just wish we had a zoo like that close by. But I guess Pocasmello is just too small of a town for something like that...oh well.
Here is me and my baby sis Michelle. I love her and miss her. But I'm glad we got to spend time together while we were there.

And lastly for your viewing enjoyment here are some pictures of Eva getting all her energy out in the hotel room on our way back to Idaho after a long day in the car.

Eva: Got... To get...

This energy... Out....

NOW!

I feel much better. :)

Our short stay in Burley

2009-09-28T20:02:00.000-07:00

As most of you know Greg has decided to take a job with the National Guard as an Officer Recruiter which has put us back in Pocatello for at least a year. We have moved into a nice home (I will post pictures soon) and I am happy to feel settled once again. But I have to play a little bit of catch up from the last few weeks. When we first got back from Oklahoma we stayed at Greg's parents house for about 2 weeks until we found a place. Eva just loved being there because of all the animals. She would go out with Greg twice a day to feed the cows and horses. She would also get at least one ride on the four wheeler everyday and even road in the tractor a couple of times. My little farm girl.

The horses were so sweet to Eva. Every time we would go over to see them they would come right up to the fence and bow their heads down so Eva could pet them. She also new all three of them by name and always had to tell me who was who.

Right before we moved we took a trip to Twin Falls with Blair, Bethany and Deegan to this place called Hop To It. It is a fun zone with the big bounce houses and all kinds of slides and obstacle courses. Eva had the time of her life. Here she is climbing up the latter all by her little self.

And then down the big slide she goes!

Greg and Blair decided to have a friendly little race through the obstacle course. As you can see here Blair is in the lead and Greg looks like he is about to break his back.

But then Greg pulled ahead and beat Blair down the slide to the finish line! Blair complained that it wasn't a fair race because Greg is in the army and does obstacle courses a lot. We all had a laugh about that excuse.

So then it was mine and Bethany's turn to race. I thought for sure she would kick my butt cause she is more athletic than I am. But to my surprise I was beating her! Watch me dive!

and my slide into victory!

After that I jokingly nicknamed Greg and I the "A" team. What can I say I have a very competitive side.
The rest of the time we had fun with the kids, Layla was really to young to enjoy the slides but she seemed to like sitting in the ball pit.

Greg had a few more battles with Blair. You can see Eva in the background, she was a little concerned about Daddy getting hurt. We had to reassure her that they were just playing around.

And here we all are relaxing in the ball pit. It was a really fun day and good way to end our little stay in Burley.

Goodbye Oklahoma

2009-09-09T20:01:00.000-07:00

When we first got to Oklahoma I kinda just thought, "OK we will only be here for 4 months and we're done. I only need to make one friend with a kid Eva's age and then just keep myself busy until we move back." To my surprise I really enjoyed living in Oklahoma and made a few good friends. Once it was time to go I found myself sad and not wanting our time here to be over. The town we lived in wasn't great but our apartment complex was nice, brand new in fact and base life was wonderful. This is a picture of the cemetery on base. I don't know what it is about army cemeteries but I think they are so beautiful.

I will miss so many things that come with living in an army town. I will miss being called "Ma'am" by all men in uniform. I felt like I was being treated with such respect when I would hear, "Yes Ma'am." "Thank you Ma'am." "Can I help you with that Ma'am?" I will miss driving around on base and hearing and seeing all these men and woman training to serve and protect.

I will miss the Grocery store on base sooo much. It's nothing like Walmart. First of all everything is tax free and second all the workers are so helpful. They bag your grocery's for you, take them out to your car and even load them. Once I was there with both kids and I was just trying to put my food on the conveyor when two employees ran over and asked, "can we help you with that Ma'am?" They finish putting all my food on the conveyor for me. Now if that's not service I don't know what is.
I will miss my pool at my complex. I loved taking the girls swimming on all those hot, hot days.

I will miss the gym and my spinning class. I will miss the spray park too. One of my friends had a little girl Eva's age and a little boy Layla's age so we got along really well and hung out all the time. We went to the spray park together about 2 to 3 times a week. It was so much fun.

Can you believe that even in 108 degree weather Greg still has to walk around in uniform? He got done early this day and stopped by at the spray park to see us.

But as the saying goes, "All good things must come to an end." I was so sad to go and will always have fond memories of our time here. It was a great summer and I loved getting to see Greg every single day. It's funny how even a place that is completely new can become what you would call "home" in such a short amount of time. But now it was time to pack everything up and move back to Idaho. I was not looking forward to all the driving we had coming so I tried to see if I could fit Eva and Layla in a box and just ship them back. :)

They didn't fit. :(
Some might ask how I can put up with all the moving around and long stretches without seeing my husband and I only have one answer......

I really do.

Some People.....

2009-08-19T12:14:00.000-07:00

So on the way home from the spray park today I decided to get Eva some McDonald's for lunch. After waiting in the slowest moving line possible lasting about 15 minutes (there were only 2 cars in front of me) here is the word for word conversation I had with the lady on the speaker. And mind you I'm already irritated from waiting for so long.
Me: "I'll have one chicken nugget happy meal with a chocolate milk."

Lady: "what kind of kids meal?"

Me: "chicken nugget."

Lady: "4 piece?"

Me: "yes."

Lady: "what did you want to drink with that?"

Me: "Chocolate milk." (starting to get a little snotty with my tone)

Lady: "anything else?"

Me: " Yes, a cheeseburger."

Lady: "Was that happy meal for a boy or girl?"

Me: (are you kidding me?) "girl."

Lady: "OK one hamburger?"

Me: "NO a CHEESE burger!"

Lady: "OK is that all?"

Me: "Yes." (finally)

Once I get home I see that I got one happy meal and one double cheese burger that is old and stale. Then I look at the recite to see if I was charged for a double instead of a single burger and I wasn't, but I was charged for a diet coke! Which I didn't order or receive. So I'm thinking first of all I'm not going back to that McDonald's again and second how smart do you have to be to take a fast food order? I'm thinking maybe Eva could get a job there? :)

Rodeo

2009-08-09T05:42:00.000-07:00

Friday night the Rodeo came to Lawton so we decided to go. It was pretty fun although I did feel a little out of place because I think I was the only girl there with out big hair and a big rhinestone belt but oh well. At the beginning of the Rodeo they had one person ride out to represent each state that was there to compete. Of course there was Idaho but so was the great ole state of Michigan! I felt so proud. :)

Eva really enjoyed all the loud music and watching all the animals. Being the little ham that she is she made friends with this old cowboy sitting next to us and she flirted with him the rest of the night.

Eva's new thing now is that every time I take a picture of her she has to take a picture of me. Thanks goodness we have digital cameras now or we would waste a lot of film. This time though she actually got me in the picture.

Both the girls did really well even though we didn't leave until around 10:00. I guess that's just the Idaho country roots in them. They were very happy and content staying up way past bedtime as long as it was at a Rodeo. :)

Giddy up!

My Babies

2009-07-26T17:57:00.000-07:00

I took the girls to get their pictures taken today and all I have to say is that I LOVE having girls!

I love being a mom to these two beautiful, sweet, healthy girls.

I am so blessed.

A visit from Grandma and Poppy!

2009-07-21T11:29:00.000-07:00

My parents decided that while we only live about 18 hours any they would take advantage of the "short" drive and come see us. I was so happy to have them come and visit for a few days and Eva just loved spending time with them. I tired to think of fun things we could do every day so my parents could see the beautiful town of Lawton (I say that sarcastically because Lawton is a scary, old, run down town that looks a lot like Pontiac MI) Anyways....so one day we went on base to the spray park which Eva just loves to do. And my Mom liked it because she could play with Eva without getting her hair wet. LOL

Another day we went to the two museums that are on base. It was cool and it gave us all a chance to take a little glimpse into Greg's world.

This is an old advertisement poster for enlistment. I glared at it as I walked by. Stupid advertisement! It's because of you that my hubby is putting himself in harms way! I guess you could say I have a love/hate relationship with the army.

And here is me and my Mom. Pretty tough right?

On that day we didn't do much else. My Mom and Dad came to my morning spin class with me and it wore them out good. My Dad was tired and sore the rest of the day. So I think after the museums we just stayed in and relaxed.
My parents also brought little Bailey with them. Eva had a great time playing with him and feeding him his treats. We didn't bring our table and chairs with us out here in order to keep the packing to a minimum. So this was the usual seen every time Eva ate a meal. Bailey longing for just one bite and Eva saying, "No, No Bailey."

On Sunday we went to Medicine Park and fed the ducks and walked along the water. It was a nice day with beautiful scenery.

My Dad also brought the little red wagon that he used to pull me and my sisters around in when we were kids. Eva rode in it just about every chance she could.

It was a really nice visit that went by way too fast. I just wish we lived closer so I could see my parents more often. Thanks for being such wonderful parents and grandparents. We love you.

Girls just wanna have fun.

2009-06-27T18:39:00.000-07:00

Turn up your speakers cause this song pretty much says it all. Us girls just wanna have fun.

And get all pretty.

Eva painting Greg's nails.

They both love the Exer saucer.

Bounce house fun.

One day they will look back and say, "Mom did you have to dress us alike?"

and I will say, "Absolutely!"

Water babies!

Don't ask.

And after all that fun we need sleep.
Lots

and lots

Of sleep.

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T11:30:00.000-07:00

There is a very special bond that Daddies and daughters share. I realized that more now that I see Greg with Eva and Layla but it also reminds me of my own relationship with my Father. Greg is just such a softy when it comes to his little girls. He loves to baby them and treat them like the little princesses they are. It's funny to see Greg looking so tough all done up in his military uniform to walk through the door, throw off his hat, drop his bags and pick up Eva and Layla kissing them and telling them how much he missed them while he was gone. They really melt his heart. Just the other night it was bed time and Greg carried Eva (like a princess) to her room. And I thought, "Awww he gave her a princess ride." It almost made me cry because it reminded me of my own Dad.

He is a very sweet man but has a tough side too. He is the kind of man that was good at intimidating a boyfriend or two. He loves to hunt and fix things. He likes sports and is good at just about anything he tries to do. He is a real man's man. But when it came to me and my sisters he new just what little girls liked. He did puppet shows, took us on Daddy Daughter dates, and bought us flowers for special occasions. He would give princess rides (or whatever request Michelle had that night of how she wanted to be carried to bed) without complaint. He never made us do the "man jobs" around the house like taking out trash or mowing the lawn. He treated us like little ladies and therefore wanted us to act like it. I remember him telling us not to burp at the table or fart in front of people because it wasn't lady like. (Although Greg might think I forgot about that rule) I am so thankful that I have a wonderful father that has given me many good memories. Thank you for always treating me like a lady. And even thought I know you would have liked a son you did really well with a house full of girls. :) I love you so much Dad, and I'm so proud of you for all that you have accomplished and for the life that you live today.

And I am so thankful for you Greg, for being such a loving husband and father. I love you so much. Happy Father's day to both of you.

Medicine Park

2009-06-16T07:43:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we went to Medicine Park. It is a beautiful small town that on the weekends comes to life. A lot of people come out see all the little shops, eat at the cafe, walk on the trail along the waters edge, go swimming, feed the ducks and just enjoy the fresh air and beautiful scenery.

There are lots of pretty waterfalls.

And Eva loves to feed the ducks. There are also turtles and fish that Eva had fun looking at.

Me and little Layla. It was really hot that day which makes it hard to keep Layla cool and out of the sun. But she was a good sport and didn't complain.

And Little Eva just stopping to fix her shoe before she takes off on another run down the trail.

It was a really fun day but of course it wouldn't be complete without a quick stop for some fossil hunting.
Greg: "Look I think I found a dinosaur tooth!"
I love my husband. :)

PINKALICIOUS

2009-05-24T17:50:00.000-07:00

Well I can't remember who gave Eva this book for Christmas, I think it was either my Mom or my Aunt Rachel....anyways it has become Eva's favorite bedtime book. Every night I say, "what book do you want me to read you?" Eva always replies, "PINKALICIOUS!" It's a really cute story about a little girl that makes PINK cupcakes with her mom and eats so many of them that she turns PINK. I think that is Eva's dream, she just loves anything PINK. So I figured Eva would like to make some PINK cupcakes too. As you can tell she couldn't resist and started eating the mix when it was still in powder form.

And of course I had to let her lick the beaters, isn't that the best part? And I love Layla in the background falling out of her bouncer.
Layla: "Hello.....somebody help me over here."
Eva: "Not now you little baby. I'm licking a beater."

After that I put Layla to bed so Eva and I could finish our cupcakes. Poor Layla she has to miss out on all the fun right now. Although if I could I would crawl into her crib with her and take a nap. Oh a nap sounds so good right now.

So back to the cupcakes. Eva wasn't really interested in frosting them. I did one and she decided she would rather eat it then help with the rest. But that's okay, I think she would of made a big mess with all that PINK frosting.

Luckily Eva wasn't disappointed that she didn't turn PINK after eating her cupcake. Although I think it would be kinda fun to have Eva be PINK for a day. To have "PINKTAILS" instead of pigtails, to wear a PINK dress and a PINK crown and twirl around in all her PINK glory. Yes life really would be PINKALICIOUS.

Oklahoma City

2009-05-17T15:02:00.000-07:00

Well I'm trying to get adjusted to my new home and I'm finding it a little difficult. We only brought one of our cars out here and I'm realizing that was a BIG mistake. It's such a pain to have to share one car and I end up feeling trapped a lot when Greg is gone. I just keep telling myself, "this is only temporary, soon you will be back to normal life with your friends, family and car" but for now i just have to deal with it. So to do something fun Greg and I decided to go to Oklahoma City for the weekend. It was so much fun and it was just what I needed to get OUT! So Friday we went to the Zoo. It was really hot but fun.

I love all the beautiful cats. Although because of the heat they mostly just laid around.

We also saw lots of fish. This was a fresh water tank which really grossed me out because the fish were so big. It was creepy to think those are the kinda fish that were in the lakes I swam in as a kid.

Crikey! Look at the size of those gators!

This cat was cool. She kept coming right up to the glass so Eva could get a really good look at her.
I think one of Eva's favorite was the hippo. If anyone has seen Madagascar 2. You will know what I'm talking about when I tell you Eva thinks that hippo's say "Moto, Moto" and that the Giraffes say " like you love a good book....or the beach, or a good book". It was pretty funny.

After the Zoo we went back to our hotel and went swimming. It felt so good to cool off and Eva just can't get enough of playing in the water.

The next day we went to the Science Museum which was really cool. We went to the Imax theater first and then into the museum. There was lots of fun things for the kids to do. This is the tree house area, Eva liked it until she went down this huge twirly slide and got smashed by some other kids on the way down.

So then she swung on the swing for a while. I guess she thought she would be safer with just her daddy.

Here is Greg drilling for oil!

And here I am right in my element! The Might Mouth! OK students can you guess the name of the tooth I'm leaning up against?

They also had a toddler area with a water table, face painting, bubbles and other fun stuff. I took advantage of the big rocking chairs.

The only other bad incident we had was when we went into the maze of mirrors. It was confusing for even me and Greg but we thought it would be funny to see Eva try to get through it on her own. It took about 30 seconds before she ran straight into one of the mirrors! It left a welt on her cheek and she cried pretty hard. But after a good snuggle with mommy she was OK. So it was a pretty good trip and I'm glad we got to do something fun as a family.

And I know this summer will fly by and then it will back to more of a normal life. And I really shouldn't complain at least Greg and I are together and that is better than anything else.

20 Things I Love About My Mom

2009-05-09T13:09:00.000-07:00

So I got this Idea from my Aunt Rachel's blog (hope you don't mind) and decided in honor of Mother's day to list 20 things I love about my wonderful mother.

1. She has the kindest heart, and is loving to everyone. (Greg added that she is really nice) :)

2. She is always willing to listen to me talk no matter what time it is.

3. She has a strong testimony of the church and has taught me the importance of having one of my own.

4. She is selfless and has always put the needs of our family first.

5. She has a good sense of humor and can handle her girls poking fun at her from time to time.

6. When I was little she always let me sleep with her and my Dad if I had a bad dream. Even though I was told to "lay still" in the bed.

7. The only swear words I have ever heard her say in my whole 26 years of life were"hell" once, and "damn" once. And she felt bad about both after she had said them.

8. She is a beautiful woman inside and out and has taught me that it's whats on the inside that truly matters.

9. She is a great homemaker.

10. She always took interest in whatever I was doing. She was willing to listen to me practice that same music on the piano over and over again or listen to me sing that solo just one more time before I had to perform.

11. She can make the best apple pie in the world.

12. She runs marathons.....need I say more?

13. She took me to see every new Disney move that came to the theaters when I was young.

14. She would take me and my sisters to the beach even on days when it wasn't very sunny and she new she wasn't going to get much of a tan.

15. She didn't get mad at me when I ran home from school in the 3rd grade.

16. She knows just how to make life feel right again when all else seems lost.

17. She is a wonderful Grandmother and is interested in everything her grandchildren are doing.

18. She is generous and giving.

19. She still wears the "mom jeans" sometimes, but looks cute anyways.

20. She has been the best example to me through out my life and is the mother and wife that I strive to be. I couldn't ask for a better mom. I love you so much. Happy Mother's Day.

He's Back.........

2009-05-07T18:28:00.000-07:00

And we're off to Oklahoma!
Greg got home about 2 weeks ago and I can not tell you how happy I have been. He really completes our little family and I feel we are whole once again. Although it has been so nice to have him back it's been pretty chaotic around here. Greg was home for about a week before we left for Oklahoma. We will be here for about 4 months while Greg finishes up more army training. Since we are only going to be gone for a while it was such a pain to pack. We had to put half our stuff in storage and rest came with us. It was sad to leave our nice townhouse. I knew that our apartment in Oklahoma wouldn't be nearly as nice. So goodbye big spacious master bedroom and bath, goodbye granite counter tops and double door fridge, goodbye garage and fire place. Sniff, Sniff.

We gave ourselves 3 days to get out here so we could break up the 18 hour trip. Surprisingly the girls did really well. Layla was a little angel the whole time and Eva only had a few moments of well.......being Eva. It went much better than I had anticipated but I didn't take any pictures during the long car ride. At the time that was the furthest thing from my mind. But I snapped a picture of Eva one night in one of our hotels. After a long day of driving it was nice to get to spread out and sleep in a big soft bed.

Once we got to our new apartment I had mixed feelings about it. They are pretty nice and not even a year old yet. It's a 3 bedroom, 2 bath. But you have two flights of stars. One set as soon as you enter, which takes you to the main living area, then another set of stars that takes you to the bedrooms and bathrooms. So packing in all our stuff was hard. Luckily Greg's Dad and one of his friend came out with us which was really nice. I don't think we could have unloaded everything without the extra man power. So thank you Dan. This is what the outside looks like. I made Eva stand in front and yes I know she's not wearing any pants, again. I can't keep pants on her now that she is potty trained when we are in the house. But you have to pick your battles right?

After a few days we had everything unpacked and I even decorated a little. It really helps make a new place feel like home when you have nice things to look at. And here is Greg and Layla. Or the "twins" as I call them sometimes. They even have the same hair cut right now :)

So we made it here and are ready to start the summer in Oklahoma. But after a long week of traveling and moving in I think we all felt like doing this.

Now if they just made baby swings big enough for me and Greg we would be all set.

Happy Easter

2009-04-14T20:04:00.001-07:00

For Easter this year Eva, Layla and I went to Burley and spent it with Greg's family. On Saturday I decorated eggs with Eva. She really liked dipping all the eggs but most of her eggs turned out an ugly green/brown color because she insisted on dipping them in all the colors. But at least she had fun right?

Sunday morning Eva and Layla put on there little Easter dresses for church and they looked so cute. I love having girls for stuff like this.

Look at that sweet little face.

After church we let Eva and her cousin Deegan go on a little Easter egg hunt. It was really fun because this is the first year Eva has been old enough to really understand the concept of an egg hunt and she loved running around outside finding all the eggs.

After the hunt I gave her an Easter basket which she loved. I think Easter was about as good as Christmas in her eyes.

What a cute little bunny.

It was a pretty good day, I just wish Greg could of been there too. Although he will be home in about 2 weeks and I can't wait to see him.

I love my sisters.

2009-03-26T20:08:00.000-07:00

With Greg being gone my wonderful sisters have taken time out of their own busy lives to visit me. First Michelle came out from Michigan and spent a long weekend. We really had a good time and even had some good laughs at our old inside jokes we haven't talked about for years. She was a great help with the kids which rejuvenated me to tackle the task that is being a mommy, so thanks Michelle.
Before she went back home we went down to Amber's for a night. It was really fun to have all 3 of us together again. Sadly that doesn't happen often but at least we all got to hang out for one night. And yes my hair is really short. I don't like it, the girl cut it way shorter than I wanted it. But I guess I just have to wait for it to grow back out and that's that about that.

About a week later Amber decided to come and stay with me for a few days.( I guess she just couldn't get enough of me. j/k Am) it was really nice to have more company. We took the kids out a few times to play at different kid friendly places and at night we were able to relax and watch a few chick flicks.
Eva and Nathan play really good for the most part. But with Eva being in her terrible twos she was a little mean to poor Nathan. This was one of the times that they were playing nicely. They really are cute together.

And we can't forget about this little ones. They are both so sweet. Amber and I both just love having these little, chunky babies!

We have affectionately started calling them a few different pet names which you must say in a cute baby voice to get the right affect Like Mr. Mr. and sister, sister or Princess Hamstine and Prince Hamstine the 2nd.

It was so nice to have time with both my wonderful sisters. I love you guys so much. Thank you for all your support right now and for coming out to visit. But I guess now it just goes back to me and my girls. With the reading books, playing games, timeouts, making food, bathing, nursing, tucking in, crying(me & the girls) cuddling, singing, cleaning and tantrums, can I handle it? Bring it on. :)

What we've been up to

2009-03-15T18:38:00.000-07:00

Well Greg has only been gone for 12 days but it seems like forever. Things were going really well at first with just me and the kids. I was very busy but I felt like for the most part I was handling everything just fine. Although the past few days have been challenging to put it nicely. Eva is giving me a crash course in the terrible twos and shows no mercy. I love her to death but man, I had no idea of what she is capable of. It's like as soon as I sit down to nurse is when she decides to grind chips into the carpet, or tries to sit in Layla's bassinet or locks us both out of my bedroom which resulted in me learning how to pick a lock, the list just goes on. The other day was really bad when for no reason she pees all over the love seat. I was shocked to say the least. Eva has been doing great with potty training (goes on her own with out me reminding her) but I guess she just wanted my attention very badly. So anyways it's been crazy around here lately. And although Eva is a little wild right now she is still a wonderful little girl. She tries so hard to do everything on her own. Every morning she comes up to my room half dressed. She has a hard time with shirts so this is what a usually wake up to in the morning. On this day she even tried to do her own hair. I ended up having to help her a little with this one.

Amber got Eva this little "princess skirt" (as Eva calls it) for Christmas and she has just now fallen in love with it. All day long she is constantly switching from skirt to pants. Every time she puts it on she twirls around and says, "momma look princess" and I have to agree. She is a princess, all girls are.

The other day I just had to get out of the house so we went to the pet store which also has a petting zoo. Eva loves going there to see all the animals and really liked this pony. Thank goodness there are places like this to take the kids when you just have to get out.

With all this talk about Eva I can't forget to show you little Layla. She is still such a good little baby and is so sweet. She will be 2 months old on Friday. I can't believe I've had her for 2 months already. Doesn't she look like a little deer caught in head lights?

Layla: um..excuse me Eva can you get me some milk please?
Eva: um...excuse me Layla can you get your little baby hands off me please?

Being a mother of two is in ways easier than I thought it would be and in others just as hard as I had imagined. But I love my little girls to death and I know that even though I may have a bad couple of days that only means that I'm bound to have a couple of good days headed my way right? Please tell me I'm right. :)

Layla's Blessing

2009-03-02T13:16:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday was Layla's blessing. It turned out to be a very nice day with friends and family. I even had some of my family travel up to celebrate the day. Thanks Amber and Aunt Rachel. It really meant a lot to me to have you guys and your families there too. After church we had lunch with lots of good food which is so important to a nursing Mom. I'm sure anyone who has ever nursed knows what I'm talking about. You just get so hungry! So anyways it was nice to eat and visit with everyone. And here are some pictures from Sunday. Eva is such a good big sister and just adores little Layla.

Layla looked so beautiful in her dress. I am to admit that I love having little girls! It is so fun to dress them up. Doesn't she just look so peaceful?

Layla was so good all day. Eva cried through her blessing so it was nice when Layla just slept through the whole thing.

Greg is such a good Daddy and gave little Layla a sweet blessing. He loves his little girls so much.
And we love him too.

Thank You

2009-02-22T12:45:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who commented on my last post. You all had such wonderful, inspirational words that I think I cried when reading almost all of them. It's nice to feel like I have all of your support during this time in my life. And it gave me a boost each day that I read another post agreeing with me that I can do this. So again thank you for all your love and support.

I Can Do This

2009-02-15T11:48:00.000-08:00

So Greg just left yesterday to go to Utah for 2 weeks. He will back for about 4 days and is then off to Georgia for 6 weeks. I have to admit that a few days ago I was mad at him, even though I know it's not his fault. I mean it's not like he can just tell the army. "No" or so say, "My wife just had a baby this really isn't the best time for me to leave." I don't think the army really cares. So like I said I know it's not his fault, this just happened to be the time he had to leave. Still I was feeling sorry for myself the other day and had a little anxiety about having to take care of both kids on my own. I have had some friends tell me they know how I feel because their husbands work long hours, but when they say things like that I just want to slap them in the face! I want to say at least your husband is home every night, can help out in the morning or once he gets home and you get to spend the whole weekend with him. I on the other hand will be going to bed alone and wake up alone for 6 weeks. I will take care of my kids with no husband for 6 weeks. It's not just the lack of help but the missing of my companion. Greg is my best friend and I get very lonely not having him around.

So like I said Greg left yesterday around 4 and i spent my first night with just me and the kids. To my surprise it ran really smoothly and after Eva was in bed at 8:00 and Layla and I were in our beds by 10:00, I had this voice come into my head that said, "you can do this" I had such a feeling of comfort and I was so relaxed. It was wonderful. I know that everyday will not run perfectly, but I really feel like I can handle all of this. I just have to stay positive. And lean on my family and friends. I know I have help if I need it. I just have to swallow my pride and ask for it. Plus Heavenly Father blessed me with a very sweet, easy going baby. I think he new I needed her to be sent to me now so that I can manage both kids. And I am thankful for that. So today I am very positive. I know that I can handle this. I love my kids and my husband and once April rolls around this will all be over. Well until next year when he gets sent away to Afghanistan or somewhere else. But that will be a whole other post, I'm not ready for that, yet.

2 weeks Later

2009-02-05T20:47:00.000-08:00

Well we have had Layla for a little over 2 weeks now and things are going great. So far she is such a good baby.(knock on wood) She never had her days and nights mixed up so from day one she has slept great at night and only wakes to eat. She is very content during the day which makes it really easy for me to handle her and Eva at the same time. My Mom and Dad were able to come out which was so nice. My Mom was such great help I loved having her with me while I recovered. It was also really nice that my Dad was able to come for a short time too. Eva really liked seeing him and was even asking for her Poppy today.

Like I said Layla is a great baby and makes it easy to juggle time with both kids. Plus Eva loves her and doesn't seem to mind having to share Mommy with her new sister.

Greg is also enjoying his new little daughter and loves to snuggle with her while he watches T.V.

Eva really likes to help with Layla and says "cute baby" when she first sees her in the morning.
She also likes to shake her hand and say "nice to meet you" it's really cute. I'm very thankful that Eva is so sweet to Layla. It just makes it that much easier.

I am just really enjoying this sweet little girl. I love her so much.

I just can't get enough of her.

And Then There Were Four

2009-01-23T19:54:00.000-08:00

After 9 long months of consuming over 300 Tums, gaining 25 pounds, going on countless trips to Taco Bell, and 1 very big needle, Layla Grace made her appearance into the world. She was born by C-section on 1-20-09 at 12:32pm. Weighing 6lbs 13oz and 19 1/4 inches. Here is a picture of her right after she was pulled out of my stomach. You can see Greg in the background taking a peek over the curtain.

I have to admit that it was a little nerve racking just laying there on the table waiting to hear that first cry. But once I heard she was out and I saw her for the first time I think I was crying harder than she was.

After a short stay in recovery I was able to go to my room and spend time with my sweet little girl. Don't you just love the little pink hat?

Eva came up later that day and got to meet her new little sister. I was a little worried at how she would react to seeing me with a baby and hooked up to so many things. She really hates to see anyone hurt and freaks out if I have the smallest cut or bruise. But surprisingly she did great. She loved seeing Layla, and didn't seem to mind the IV in my arm at all. Every now and again she would just rub my shoulder and say, "it's OK Momma, It's OK." It was really sweet.

I'm really glad to be home now but I still have a lot of recovering to do. I will post more pictures of Layla soon but I just wanted to get a few on now for everyone to see. So here are my two best girls. My little Angels. Eva and Layla

A little of This and A little of That.

2009-01-07T19:22:00.000-08:00

I don't really have anything new or exciting to post but there are a few different things that are going on in our little family right now. As you can tell I'm about ready to pop. At 37 weeks I think my stomach is about as big as it can get. I'm having this baby in less than 2 weeks now and the count down is on. I'm in constant pain in my ribs and pelvis, I have horrible heart burn and I'm extremely emotional. I think it's time for this baby to come out.

Greg is now working for the office here in Pocatello so he is home so much more now. He still has to travel to Utah once in a while but not like before which is so wonderful. I can not tell you how much I love having him home every night. Plus now that I am extremely pregnant he helps out so much with Eva. We both put her to bed together but Greg gives Eva her bath so I don't have to bend over the tub. And he entertains her so much when he comes home from work. They have so much fun playing together. She has gotten really attached to him. When they watch T.V. together Greg will give her what we call a baby massage. She loves it and sits so still while he rubs her back. It's really cute.

The last little bit of info is that we are potty training Eva. She is not all the way there yet but she is doing well. She still has a hard time holding it for long but she is always willing to go and really likes to wear her big girl underwear. Plus it has been so nice to not change poopy diapers anymore. I think it will still take a while before she is 100% but again I'm really proud of her and I'm loving not having to change diapers. So that's whats been going on here. Stay tuned for my next post which will probably include pictures of little Layla Grace.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-29T12:36:00.000-08:00

This year for Christmas we went to Amber's house and had a small little celebration with just our 2 families. I wish that my Mom, Dad, Michelle and Tom could have been there too, but it was still fun with just us. Since we would be in Utah for Christmas we went to Greg's parents in Burley the weekend before so we could do a small Christmas with them too. Eva loved opening all her presents with Grandma Sheri.

Eva got this cute camera from Uncle Blair and Aunt Bethany. Thanks you guys now maybe she won't be stealing mine all the time and taking random pictures of the floor and extreme close ups of her face:)

Greg's Aunt Suzanne made me this cute diaper wreath. It's kinda hard to tell in the picture but it has lots of baby stuff wrapped up in it. There's socks, lotion, shampoo, wipes etc. It is such a cute idea.

When we got back from Burley we had tones of snow to deal with. Poor Greg just keeps shoveling our drive way and the snow just keeps falling.

Even with all the snow we were able to make it to Amber's safely. Eva and Nathan were so happy to see each other. They love to run all over the house. One of their favorite things to do is slide down the stairs on their tummies. It looks painful to me but they seem to love it.

Christmas morning was nice. We opened all of our presents and the kids didn't waste anytime playing with their new toys. This cute little castle was a gift to Eva from Grandma and Grandpa Mora. Thanks mom and dad.

Amber really had her hands full with a new baby and trying to prepare the Christmas dinner so Greg and I tried to help out where we could. Here is Greg putting the pineapple on the ham.

I made the cheesy potatoes and helped clean up the Kitchen after all the food was done. I know I only have one child right now but taking care of her and being this pregnant, I found myself getting pretty worn out by the end of the day.

I'm glad we got to spend time with family for the holidays. It makes it such a nice, fun time. Christmas is becoming so much fun now that we have beautiful children to celebrate it with. I love my little family so much. And I'm glad that Eva and Nathan got to see each other again. What sweet little cousins.

Thanks Grandma Shelli

2008-12-17T19:25:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to say thank you to my Mom for Eva's Birthday present. Since she couldn't be here for the party she had the snow suit shipped to our house. It arrived right on the 16th (Eva's actual birthday) which was nice cause then Eva had one present to open on her birthday. I really wanted to get Eva a snow suit for the winter and this one is darling. I love the pink and brown. So thank you so much Mom. You're such a good Grandma. Love you.

Happy Birthday Eva!

2008-12-13T19:43:00.000-08:00

Well Eva's birthday is actually on the 16th but I thought it would be best to celebrate it on a Saturday so family and friends could come. We just had a small little get together and let her open presents and have cake. She had a lot of fun and got some really fun toys. I had to start opening her presents but after she saw me do a few she got the hang of it and wanted to open them herself.

The funnest gift Eva got was from her great Aunt Ruthie (sorry Ruthie I know that makes you sound so old and we all know your not) Anyways.....let me explain that for the past month or so Eva's all time favorite thing to eat is soup. She request it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. So when we started asking her what she wanted for her birthday naturally she replied, "soup" everyone thought that was pretty funny so guess what her silly Aunt Ruthie got her? Soup! We all got a good laugh when Eva pulled the cans of soup out of the bag. Thanks Ruthie I'm sure she will be eating it tomorrow.

One fun toy Eva got was from her daddy. It's a tunnel. Eva is constantly asking us to build her forts and tunnels to play in. So now it is nice that we don't have to break out the blankets and chairs for her on a daily bases.

Eva also found out that you can do more than just climb through this tunnel. This is her and Blaise playing peek a boo.

Blaise has been one of Greg's best friends since kindergarten and is a close friend of the family. His wife Devri had to work but Blaise still came to the party and brought Eva a play makeup kit. It's one of Eva's favorite gifts.

Here is Eva putting the pretend lip stick on him. Eva really likes Blaise and didn't want him to leave. So watch out Devri I think Eva has developed a little crush.

After all the presents were opened we sung Happy Birthday and had yummy cake.

Eva tried really hard to blow out the candles on her own but in the end Daddy had to help.

Here is a picture of Eva and her Aunt Annie who left work just so she could be here for the party. Thanks Ann you are such a sweetie.

After cake Eva was very interested in all her new toys. I wanted to get a picture with her but she was so busy she wouldn't stop to look up at the camera. Finally her Uncle Blair yelled out that her cousin Nathan was here and that made Eva look up for a second. Once she realized he wasn't really here she went back to playing.

So it was a nice little party for Eva. Thanks to everyone who came and for all the nice gifts.

I just can't believe that Eva is TWO! I can still remember when she was just a little baby. It's kinda sad how fast they grow but it is also so much fun to see them mature. I took this picture yesterday while Eva was wearing one of Greg's beanies. She really does look more like a little girl than a baby. I just love her so much and I'm so proud of what a cute, sweet, funny little girl she is turning into.

She is getting so big!

2008-12-02T20:35:00.000-08:00

About a month ago I transitioned Eva from her crib to her new room and a twin bed. I was really dreading it but I wanted to have the nursery free for the baby and Eva used to sleeping in a regular bed. I have heard so many horror stories from people about their kids crying for nights, not staying in their beds, coming out of their rooms at all hours of the night etc. So I was really nerves. But to my surprise Eva did GREAT! I had been working on getting the room ready for a few days so Eva was in there with me a lot which I think helped her get used to the room. On day I said it was time for nap and she ran into her new room saying "night, night" so I let her sleep in the twin bed and that was it. She has not wanted to sleep in her crib since. I was completely amazed. She never gets up or out of her room in the middle of the night. And she goes to sleep no problem. I just can't believer how easy that was. So anyways here are some pictures of her new room. I did put a safety rail up just so I know she isn't going to fall out at night.

These pictures are a little fuzzy and I couldn't figure out why, then Greg pointed out to me that there was one of Eva's finger prints right on the lens. It didn't surprise me.

I tried not to spend too much money on her room so I found this dresser at D.I. and painted it myself. Well Greg painted it black and I did the pink parts. I think the pink and black look really cute together.

This is just a picture of Eva from the other day. She was playing in the laundry basket before dinner and decided she didn't want to get out, so we just let her eat in there. I just can't believe how big she is getting. Time is flying by.