Update #3 – October

The month of October has been a busy month for us. We spent the first weekend watching conference. The girls got antsy during the Sunday morning session. I didn't have much patience, I had broken out in hives Saturday and was pretty miserable. We all needed a break so we decided to take a drive to see the fall leaves. We ended up going up High Creek Canyon and had a picnic lunch. We found some pretty leaves, and the girls collected some leaves and snake grass. Kaylee even collected some moss that was growing on the rocks. It was a nice relaxing afternoon, just what we all needed at the time.

My Grandma Winston turned 90 years old on October 13^th. There was a open house and family birthday party for her over UEA weekend, so we headed over to Nampa for a few days. It was fun to visit with her and other family members. Both my grandmas live in Nampa so we were also able to see my Grandma Thurgood. We stayed at my cousins house, she has a little girl Lindsay's age. They had a lot of fun playing together. Kaylee wanted to know if Grandma Winston Great was 90 then she is probably going to die soon. It is surprising to me that she understood that it probably wouldn't be much longer, pretty good for a girl who has no concept of time.

We always seem to go to Chuck E Cheeses when we are there. The kids had a lot of fun, and I even played a game or two (or more). I got a picture of Kaylee with Mr. Chuck E Cheese, but Lindsay wouldn't let me get a picture of her. Kaylee is really a sweet little girl (even though she locks doors and encourages friends to disobey their moms). She wanted to ride this big car, and there was room for more than one person. So she waited until Lindsay and Kaitlyn were done playing a different game, and invited them to ride with her. She really is a crazy driver though, and I'm glad we still have a few years before she drives a real car. We also made a trip to the Krispy Kreme donut place. The kids got to see donuts made from start to finish. Since we were with Grandpa Thurgood (my dad) of course we all had to go eat at Burger King for $2.00

I have to explain my little reference to locking doors and disobeying moms. We just started a play group and it was at our house this week. Jarin and Kaylee were playing and they didn't want to stop playing. My little daughter locked the playroom door with them inside and moms outside. I tried to get them to unlock it, but Kaylee would not. She knew that as soon as it was open Jarin had to go home. Nicky tried to get Jarin to unlock it, and we could hear Kaylee on the other side of the door. Telling him, not to unlock it, so he didn't. Neither one of them would unlock that door. We ended up taking the doorknob off the door to get it open. The look on their faces when we opened that door, I wish we had a picture of that one. Kaylee couldn't believe that we got it open. Needless to say, both Jarin and Kaylee were in trouble. Kaylee ended up grounded from friends. As soon as I said that she started sobbing. Lindsay was home from school early so there was more time to play with friends, and she had to stay inside with mommy. She knows why, she even mentioned it this morning. Now we can hope she remembers the lesson for next time. Later during the day, I was giving her a hug. I asked her how I was so lucky to get a little girl like her. She replied in her "Duh Mom" voice, "Because Heavenly Father made me this way". That kid definitely has some spunk in her, but she wouldn't be my Kaylee if she didn't have it.

Update #2 – Ashlie is growing

Ashlie has started eating solid food (Sept 21^st). She loves food. No one can say we starve her, she is all rolls. Cute little rolls. We have only given her rice cereal so far, but that will change soon. Kaylee on the other hand has given her tastes of other foods. I think her favorite was the Cherry Jolly Rancher stick that she grabbed out of Kaylee's hand. Yes, she got a taste, but I quickly got it from her. I think it kind of surprised Kaylee that Ashlie took it. As much as she likes food, I don't think she knew what to do with two spoons coming at her.

She is also getting a strong belly from constantly doing tummy crunches. Put her in the car seat and she tries to sit up. Put her in the swing and she leans forward to eat the horn on the steering wheel. She rolls over from her tummy to her back and also from her back to her tummy, occasionally. She is usually content to hang out on her tummy or her back for awhile. Once she figures out that she can roll to get things I have a feeling she will be rolling non-stop.

Kaylee is usually really good and dressing herself, except she keeps getting her panties on backwards. The other day she came out of her bedroom crying. She couldn't get her zippy jammies zipped up. Hmmm…. I wonder why? Check out the neckband on the right side.

Update #1 – She is EIGHT!!!

Wow, were did the last six weeks go. Nicky told me that I needed to update my blog. I was in the process twice, but my wonderful, sweet, darling child would come and restart my computer. So needless to say, it all went bye-bye, TWICE! So I am splitting the update into several posts, so hopefully I don't lose it again. Anyway…

Lindsay turned 8 on September 27^th. The week before her birthday, she had a combined birthday party with her friend Emilie. To say the least it was nuts, crazy, and exhausting for the parents; and an absolute blast for the girls. Lindsay thought it was so much fun, she wants to have it combined every time. Now the next time she has a friend party will be when she is turning 12, so we shall see. If you want to read more about it check out Nicky's Blog. (Crawford Happenings) One of the games that we played was eating a donut off the string. Kaylee picked a donut that was just barely too tall. That kid could lick it, but couldn't bite it.

I did learn something about my daughter. I knew she liked Hannah Montana, but I didn't realize how MUCH she liked Hannah Montana. She freaked out when she got a stationary set with Hannah Montana on it. Anything Hannah Montana she squealed about.

Nicky and I took the girls to Mack Park to get pictures taken, and once again it was nuts, crazy, and exhausting. (Do you see a pattern?) But it was also extra special to watch our girls. After taking a bunch of pictures we started talking about how pretty they would look with flowers. And if you want to take pictures with gorgeous flowers where do you head…to the temple. So that's where we went. There was a couple that had just gotten married, and was there taking pictures. It was so funny to watch Linds & Emi, watch them. It seems like it was just yesterday that we got that long awaited phone call. I will never forget what they said. "We have a young lady here, who would love to place her little girl with you." Nineteen days later, Cindy (Lindsay's birthmom) was placing her in my arms. Lindsay was only about 3 minutes old, and Cindy said "Here Lindsay, Here's your mama." We were allowed to stay in the hospital that night with Lindsay. When she was 7 months old, we took her to the temple to be sealed; and then again when she was five we went back to the temple to have Kaylee sealed to us. Now that she is eight I was back at the temple for another special occasion. Granted this time we didn't go inside, but it was still a special time. She is definitely a special spirit. I love listening to her prayers every night. It is so amazing some of the things that she says, and I know she believes in her Heavenly Father by how she communicates with Him. Lindsay got baptized on her birthday, so it was extra, extra special. Many family members, friends, and teachers were there for her.

While we were taking pictures Lindsay and Emi ran up ahead of us. I came around to the back of the temple and found Lindsay standing in the doorway, I just had to take a picture. She is waiting for the day that she can enter the temple once again. I thought it was so cute that Lindsay and Emi were copying the same pose they had seen the newlywed couple do in the front of the temple.

Don't you think they are a couple of cute little girls?

After the baptism we headed once again to Mack Park to have a luncheon and family birthday party. As I mentioned before she loves Hannah Montana, so I made her a Hannah Montana guitar cake out of cupcakes. She loved it.

I think Kaylee loved the frosting, I found her covered in it the next day.

Ashlie 4month doctor appt

Ashlie is now 4 months 12 days old. She weights 13lbs 15oz and is 24" long. Healthy as can be, and growing great.

Two wheelin’ and Four wheelin’

Today Lindsay rode her bike for the first time without training wheels. It only took her a couple of trys. She is pretty wobbly, but she did it. All the way down the sidewalk. Now we just need to keep her practicing, so she will be able to just hop back on next spring.

We also pulled Lindsay's old bike out of the shed for Kaylee today. Kaylee was excited that she is riding a BIG bike. She is a little short, but she can pedal pretty good. I think she will be unstoppable in a week. She has moved from 3 wheels to 4. (training wheels)

Of course Ashlie is still 4 wheelin' it, in a stroller. She is happy about that.

This, that and the other

I chopped my hair. Okay, I paid to have someone chop it. It is now about 6-7" shorter. I really do like it. It doesn't get caught every time I move and Ashlie can't grab it. It is a lot curlier also.

Ashlie rolled over for the first time on Sunday, August 31^st. She rolled from her tummy to her back. Lindsay and Kaylee were so funny; they started cheering and said we needed to make a cake to celebrate. We didn't have eggs. The next day Lindsay decided that they cake still needed to be made, so she took the mix, oil, eggs, and water and mixed it up outside in the driveway. When I asked her why she took it all outside to mix up, she said that everyone (all the neighbor kids) wanted to help make the cake. I would have let them all in my kitchen to help, but Lindsay took it to them instead.

Lindsay's birthday is coming up. Wow, I can't believe that she is almost 8yrs old. We are planning a combined b-day party with Emilie. She is so excited. We took her and Emilie shopping for invitations, favors and such. They were so funny. They walked right in the store; each grabbed a cart, and started shopping. They knew they needed to pick out a piñata, so they were walking around the store pointing out this one and that one. They found one that they both like, a great big flip flop. The girls have discovered that it takes a lot of work to plan a party. They are the ones that filled out the invites, and delivered them. They also stuffed the goody bags. This next week we are working on the final details for games and such. It should be a lot of fun. Kaylee is already getting ideas for her party in February.

She is getting baptized on her birthday, so it is going to be extra special. She came up to me the other day and said "Mom, I don't know if I should be baptized." I'm wondering why? She goes on to say "I don't think I can make the right choice all the time." We had a nice talk about repentance. She is excited to get baptized now. Today at Stake Conference she pointed out the changing room and door to the font to Kaylee.

We recently pulled out the exersaucer and Johnny jumper for Ashlie. Kaylee climbed in the jumper and started jumping around the room. She said she was testing it for Ashlie, obviously she didn't realize it hung in the doorway, but then she also said it could be used for swimming. Then she climbed in the exersaucer, with the jumping thing still on, and got stuck. I'm glad she was looking out for her sis.

Sleeping

Since last Sunday was not a school night because of Labor Day, Lindsay and Kaylee decided that they wanted to have a sleepover on the pullout bed. They did really awesome. We told them that if they didn’t go to sleep quickly, they couldn’t have a sleepover for a long time. They invited Ashlie to join them while they watched a movie. Lindsay loves to take pictures, not that she is suppose to, but she loves to take them. She did ask if she could take some pictures of Ashlie at the sleepover. She took a lot of videos of her, and a few pictures. Ashlie doesn't seem too excited about the sleepover. I'm sure that will change as she gets older.





She even took one of Kaylee. Kaylee is excited for the sleepover.
















The next morning. Boy, don’t they look peaceful.

I found this picture on my camera. It made me laugh. Obviously Lindsay took a picture of herself.














Speaking of sleeping, which is what I should be doing right now. I walked into the bedroom on Friday (Wade was off), and came across daddy and Ashlie napping. It was so cute to see their hands. Ashlie definitely has daddy wrapped around her finger. But again so do Lindsay and Kaylee.

Family Reunion

We had a fun family reunion this past weekend. We went to the Heber Valley Girls Camp. There were three cabins with 16 bunks in each one. The first night after all the adults picked their beds & cabins, the little girls all decided to stay in Grandma and Grandpa's cabin (cabin A). Our cabin was the game cabin (cabin C), since Ashlie and Kaylee were the only kids in it. They slept through everything. The next morning we took a hike to the Heber Valley overlook. It took us about an hour and a half to get up to the overlook, and only a half hour to get back to camp. It was gorgeous up there.

Later that afternoon the kids had the opportunity to do a service project. They helped haul wood for our campsite, to be used next year. It was amazing to see a bunch of kids working, having fun, and doing so without having to get anything from it. I wish I could figure out how to get them to have that kind of attitude at home when asked to do chores. They worked hard and still wanted to do more when the job was done. I think the best thing was seeing my two girls work together, with Lindsay helping Kaylee.

We then had some fun relays. The kids had fun, and convinced the adults to do the relay also. We decided to race the men against the women. The men won, but they cheated. BIGTIME!! Friday night Wade and I did a dutch oven dinner. We had BBQ chicken, dutch oven potatoes, and for dessert, peach cobbler. Dinner turned out great, everyone was giving Wade compliments. We were just relieved that it all turned out and that there was enough food. It isn't like we dutch oven that often. That night we had a big campfire and the official family meeting. All the little girls ended up in a different cabin (cabin B); I think grandma and grandpa slept better that night. Our cabin was still the game cabin. I learned how to play Hand and Foot again. I've played it before, but it has been so long I had forgot. The next morning was cleanup. After cleaning up we played Hand and Foot some more, volleyball and just hanging out.

That afternoon we all got to go to the challenge course. It had a zip line, as well as a bunch of low challenges. One of the low challenges was to have two groups, one at each end of the log. The goal to switch ends without getting off the log. It took a lot of cooperation between people to get to the opposite end of the log.

To get to the zip line you had to climb a log about 25' up and then walk across a log to the other end. The zip line was attached to the end of the log. Lindsay did the zip line. I was actually amazed that she did it. I knew that she would try, she loves to climb rock walls and such. But I figured that she would get to the top and call it quits before she walked across the log to the zip line. At the top she struggled to let go of the first log and walk across the top. It took her about 5 min to start walking, but she did it. I was so proud of her, I knew she was scared to death, but she trusted us,those around her and herself, and she did it. Both her daddy and I had tears in our eyes.

Kaylee even tried the zip line. She climbed up the log, at the top the hand and foot holds were too far apart for her, so they just hoisted her up. Because they hoisted her up she wasn't facing the right way to walk across the log. They just pulled her to the other end, and she flew down the zip line. I wasn't surprised that she did it, she is our little dare devil.

After the challenge course we headed home. We stopped by Dairy Keen for dinner. The girls thought the trains were so cool, they had to get their picture on the big one outside. It was a great reunion and every family had someone there. It has been years since that has occured.

Catching up

Wow, it's been about a month since I posted. We have definitely been busy this past month. I just discovered a neat little feature on MS Word, it can post blogs for you. I think it will make it easier to update it.

We went to the eye doctor. The girls can see great. Daddy is getting glasses, and I get new ones. I am actually really excited, my frame broke when I was in the hospital with Ashlie, they have been super glued together since then. The hardest part about getting new glasses is picking out the new frames. I have tried contacts, but my eyes would just water the entire time I wear them.

The Cache County fair was also in August. Since we didn't go to the Lagoon this year, we made a deal with the girls. If they did extra jobs for me, they could earn money for ride passes at the fair. Mom & Dad would pay for half of the pass, but they would have to earn the rest. Lindsay worked really hard doing extra jobs so that she could earn half the money for a ride pass. Kaylee didn't quite get the idea, but she did help out more. Unfortunately, I didn't get to Lee's in time to get the discount wristbands for $15, so we decided to buy them at the fair. We thought they would be a few bucks more, but when we got there they were $25. I had discount passes to the Lagoon for $28, so we decided to make a trip to the Lagoon instead. Lindsay wasn't the happiest about the change of plans, but she finally accepted it. We walked around the fair for a bit, checking out the animals. This pig was noisy, talking to everyone. I don't think I've ever heard a pig that was so loud. Lindsay kept entering all the drawings. Most of them were limited to those 18 and older, so I would enter my info in under her name. At one of the booths all of us won a t-shirt. The girls wore theirs to bed that night, they thought it was the neatest thing to win something. The next night, Saturday, at about 10pm we got a phone call. I had won a playhouse. I knew my girls were going to love it. We needed to pick it up that night at about 11pm or the next morning early. We decided to go get it that night. It barely fit into the back of the truck.

The next day was Sunday, so we didn't unload the house out of the truck. We allowed the girls to climb up into the truck to check it out though. Monday, it was still in the truck. The plan was to unload it that night. Well, the kids climbed back up into the truck. I was right there with them, so I wasn't too worried. Ashlie needed a diaper change and I was going to switch laundry, so I went into the house for a minute. I had a chance to change Ashlie, and Lindsay came running in saying Kaylee was bleeding all over the place. I handed Ashlie to Lindsay, and went out. Sure enough Kaylee has blood pouring down her face. Our neighbor saw it all happen, she was backing up and fell of the end of the truck. I didn't know where she was bleeding from other than it was in her hair right above her forehead, so I just covered it with my hand and put pressure on it to help it stop bleeding. Knowing it was on her head, I knew that it was normal to have a lot of blood. After it had stopped bleeding so badly, I tried to see what exactly was bleeding. I couldn't see much of anything. It was all under one of her twists. I decided that I should probably take her in and get it checked out. She wasn't letting me look, I thought maybe she would at least let a doctor look at it. Our neighbor kept the other two girls and I took Kaylee into Insta Care. After taking her twist out, and getting it numbed a little bit, the doctor was able to check it out. Then he decided that she would need staples. So they gave her about 4 shots in her head to help numb it up more, they put three staples in. I was okay while they did it, but after it was done and I looked at the staples, I was glad that I was sitting down. Kaylee was a little trooper. She was very clingy while we were at the doctor, but when we got home, she was fine, playing like her normal self. Lindsay was so sweet with her, taking her hand and leading her around. They were showing the other kids her staples. Other kids in the neighborhood went out of their way to make her happy. Like letting her ride their bike, or play with a certain toy.

With me having a new baby, family reunions, and working on the house we haven't gone swimming at the Aquatic Center at all this year. Lindsay won passes at the 24^th of July celebration, so we had to go once at least. Farm Bureau had a summer swim party and BBQ so we decided to go. We had decided this, and told the kids before Kaylee got staples. Kaylee isn't suppose to go swimming with staples in, so we basically told her that she couldn't put her head in the water, or go under the mushroom. This kid is a fish, so this was a huge trial for her. I figured if it wasn't going good, me and her would leave daddy and Lindsay and go to the park instead. She did really well, she kept her head above water and still had fun.

I had a friend bring me a Lagoon pass for only $20.50, so we invited my mom & dad to go with us to the Lagoon. The girls had a lot of fun, and my dad even went on Wicked, twice. Nuts I think, but if given enough time I might have tried it. I finally got Lindsay to go on the White Rollercoaster. The first up and down she was screaming and burying her head; after that she was still screaming, but with her hands in the air. Kaylee got to go on the Bat, first time on and we were right smack in the front, she loved every minute of it. They both loved the new ride the Odysea and the Tilt-A-Whirl is always a favorite, especially when we got it spinning good.

School started last Thursday. Wednesday was Back to School night, and daddy didn't get home until the very end so I ended up with all three girls by myself. It was nuts, it would have been nuts with just Lindsay, but with three it was really crazy. The school has no air conditioner, neither does our house, but it was so hot there. The girls were rather well behaved actually, but there was just too many people. I think Lindsay will like her teacher and her class. She made a friend while waiting in a line, and she was surprised when I told her that they were in the same class. She was talking to him, and found out that they were both adopted, and he was brown like her. She told me "We talked about it, and decided that we would be friends." I love the fact that kid of mine can make a friend anywhere, and in no time at all. I wish her mommy was a little more like her in that way. I am slower to make friends. Not that I don't want to, it is just harder for me. Now we just need to get into the homework routine. One more reunion and I hope life is more normal. Then again who knows what normal is.

Winston reunion & Beads

This last weekend was the Winston Reunion. It was held at West Piney Girls Camp Lodge. When we got there the girls went to play in the meadow, they were shocked that there was a bowling alley. Yep, right there in the meadow was an alley with pins, balls, and even a ball return. In the meadow there was also tetherball, swings, volleyball, baseball, frisbee golf, a stream to play in, and a 4 story tall slide.

Kaylee went on the slide by herself. She loved it. Mommy could only watch her go once by herself, after that I couldn't watch her. ;The first time she went down it was with grandpa, then she went by herself. Later she went down with me and then wanted to go by herself again. On the way up the stairs she wanted daddy to go also, I mentioned that she might have to go with him. So she gets to the top and said "Daddy, am I going to have to take you down the slide?" it was really cute the way she said it. She ended up taking daddy down the slide.

My mom had a few games planned, and they were all a hit. The first game was one that you pass a present around while the music played. When the music stopped you unwrapped a layer off the present. Inside the present were a pair of red long johns, if you were the last one to open it, you had to wear the long johns. Uncle John ended up opening the last layer. They were cute longjohns, mom had made out of a couple of socks. The next game was the Mickey Mouse Olympics. Everyone had fun with that one. Lindsay was one of the cheerleaders, her and Kaitlyn were even doing pyramids. There were two teams and for each event they had to pick someone from their team to participate. The events weren't explained before the people were picked. The events were things like the high jump, who had the longest measurement from waist to floor, and the foot race, who had the biggest foot. Lindsay won an event for her team, I don't remember what the name was, but she got down on her hands and knees and put a beanbag on her foot. She then used her foot to trow the beanbag as far as she could over her head.

The last game was specifically for the kids. They all got a bowl with gum in the bottom, then a pile of whip cream on top. The goal was to get the gum out and blow a bubble. Whoever could blow a bubble first won. As you can tell by the picture, they couldn't use their hands. They both had a great time with that one.

We had a lot of fun while at the family reunion. Ashlie and I basically hung out in the lodge. There were actually quite a few of us that mainly stayed in and around the lodge. The actual lodge was up on the hill, then you could take the slide or the stairs down to the meadow. The lodge would sleep 115 in beds. They had so many rooms you could get lost in there. The first night we were there Wade had taken Ashlie to bed, and Lindsay and Kaylee were watching a movie. After the movie, I started seeing kids come upstairs, but not my kids. After awhile I decided I better go find them. I found them, sacked out on the couch. It was cute. It would be a blast to go back for another family reunion. Maybe when it is our turn to plan Wade's family reunion. Not that it will be our turn for another 5 years.

I have Kaylee's hair fixed in 40+ twists, and each twist is finished off with 5 beads and then a little snap. Kaylee hasn't seemed to be able to leave her snaps alone, and keeps taking them off. When she takes them off she loses the beads. Last night she decided to try something new. She put a bead in her nose. Why she decided that it would be fun to try, who knows, but she did. Anyway, she started crying saying her nose hurt. I had her blow her nose, but she said it still hurt. Finally she said something was stuck. I looked and sure enough I saw a bead. This is a typical pony bead, so it has a big hole in the middle. I finally got her to blow hard enough that the bead went flying across the room. I don't think she will try that one again, at least I hope she doesn't.