Living Life & Loving It

Super Reader Party for Awesome Readers!

2012-02-01T14:32:00.000-08:00

We took the girls down to the Super Reader Party that PBS KIDS puts on. It was so much fun. Abigale had to read certain requirements to be able to go and Preslie & Adalynn tagged along for the ride this year. Anyway-they did science experiments, watched a star show, got free books and treats, did art projects, did reading projects and crafts and got to get pictures with some of the fun friends they see on TV. Totally worth going to, already excited to take them again next year they had so much fun.

Goodbye, Big Brown

2012-01-16T12:52:00.000-08:00

We sold Big Brown today because we bought a new car which we are sooooo excited about. Why then did I find myself crying when the new owner (a cute little old grandma) drove it away today. I thought I must be crazy to be crying not only over a car but this particular car. The more I thought about it I realized exactly why I was sad to see it go. This car was the hugest blessing to our family, only we didn't realize it at the time.

Admittedly we were a little bit embarrassed when Alan got his new job and we bought this old car. We joked about it not being the image we had in mind. Now here we are five years later...This car hasn't broken down, not once in the last five years. We have never been left without a car since we bought this car. Not only that but I think we learned some life lessons from this car. The first one, being humble. This car taught us to be humble as we drove around as it developed more and more little funny quirks over the years for us to laugh about. This car also taught us to be grateful. We got everywhere we needed to be because of this car. This car gave us something to depend on while we went through some pretty tough but special times over the last few years.

When we felt prompted to adopt and we knew the cost was far above what we could afford we were scared and very unsure. Alan's dad gave me a blessing and we were promised that if we did what we felt like Heavenly Father wanted us to do that we would have enough money and that our temporal things, our possessions would outlast their regular functions and life expectancy's. This has been recognized time and time again and we know that big brown was one of those blessings for our family. We know that Big Brown was a blessing from a Heavenly Father that truly loves our family. So now realizing all of this I don't feel quite as crazy for crying about big brown leaving. I'm humbled and very grateful...

C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S M-O-R-N-I-N-G

2012-01-10T13:11:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas together this year! Santa brought Adalynn a ride-on-car which she loved. He brought Preslie a bike and new helmet, and Abigale got a camera and 122 squinkies as she proudly keeps announcing to all that will hear. We spent the morning as a family, then off to church. The rest of the day was spent with both of our extended families. It was a great day!

It was nice having Christmas be on Sunday, it helped our family to really think about the real reason for Christmas. Abigale was asked to give a talk in sacrament meeting that day too about her favorite story of Jesus. She did a wonderful job, we were proud of her. Thanks to all that came to support her during this special time.

Diversity is...

2011-12-28T13:37:00.000-08:00

Abigale drew a picture for the Reflection's contest at school The theme was "Diversity is..." Abigale chose to write about all the different people in the world and how everyone is special in their own way. She then drew a picture of a world with lots of different looking people around it. She did a good job and she got a trophy and a ribbon for participating. They liked her artwork enough that it moved on to the next level and we have an upcoming awards ceremony for that. We are proud of her, way to go little artist!

Here Comes Santa Claus...

2011-12-23T13:01:00.000-08:00

We had an extended family party at my parent's church like we do every year. It was fun-most of the uncles and aunts couldn't come so it was basically a huge reunion with all of my cousins and their families. It was fun catching up with them. Santa always comes to visit at this party. You can tell the the pictures below how he was received by our girls this year.

Two funny side-notes about Preslie. Since this is where she always sees Santa she thinks he lives at this church and goes to church there too, makes sense right? Every time we drive by it she screams, "There's Santa's church, he lives there." She's been doing this all year since last Christmas and it makes me laugh every time. Also-she was so excited when she heard Santa's jingle bells ringing down the hall she started laughing hysterically and couldn't stop. This continued on for several minutes. She has the greatest laugh, so I couldn't stop laughing either.

Preslie's Christmas Program

2011-12-20T14:05:00.000-08:00

Preslie had her preschool Christmas program this week. She was so funny. Whenever other people would try to take pictures she would cover her face so they couldn't see her. Whenever other people would sing she would cover her ears, what a goofball. She did a great job singing the songs and her teacher incorporated some awesome instruments that were super impressive as little 3 and 4 year olds would play them along with the songs. We were happy that both daddy and grandpa could take off some time from work to see our little superstar perform her songs. She made us laugh (as usual) when she came down off the stage right in the middle of the program and asked "loudly" if it was time to go home yet. Gotta love it!

We love you little girl, we think you're awesome!

Preslie and Grandpa

Preslie and her teacher, Mrs. Marcee

During the Pledge of Allegience

Excitedly waiting for the program to start...

Run, Run as fast as you can...

2011-12-14T12:47:00.000-08:00

You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man! Alan brought home this fun kit and the girls had a great time making their own gingerbread men & (women). We handed Adalynn the icing and a spoon and she had a great time thinking she was just like her sisters. What a delight it is to have these three little girls, what joy they bring to our home! We love you, little gingerbread makers.

Love This...

2011-12-13T15:07:00.000-08:00

Abigale's Baptized

2011-12-09T12:34:00.000-08:00

Abigale got baptized this last weekend. It was such a wonderful special day for our family. We were so proud of her choice to get baptized. After the baptism we had banana splits, an idea that blossomed after a special letter from Abigale's grandpa came in the mail. We are so grateful to all the many people that came to support Abigale on this special day. Abigale said she counted 58 in all, that made me smile. We are blessed to be surrounded by such a wonderful support system that is always quick to serve and to show love to our family. Thanks~

Happy Birthday Abigale

2011-12-06T15:59:00.000-08:00

Abigale turned 8 last week! Her choice for her birthday dinner was "Pretzelmaker." Really...out of all the delicious resturants out there... instead we ended up at the food court in the mall to enjoy Pretzelmaker. Her most exciting birthday moment was getting her ears pierced. She was so brave, I'd been warning her that it will probably hurt a lot and when they did it all she said was, "Ouch, that hurt" in a totally calm voice. It was funny and it was then and there that I realized that my little girl is all grown up now. Here's some fun pics from her birthday, notice the beatiful flower earrings she chose, she's pretty proud of them.

A Two Faced Snowman, no really

2011-11-21T20:19:00.000-08:00

Abigale had so much fun when the first snow came this year. While her sisters were napping she went outside and made this snow man entirely by herself, I think that's one of those moments when I realized she is growing up way too fast. If you look closely you'll see that she made two sides to this snowman, when I asked her why she did that she told me that she made one side for our family and one side for the little old ladies that live behind us. I thought that was so cute, thoughtful girl! PS-Impressive snowman too!

The Faces of Adoption

2011-11-14T14:58:00.001-08:00

November is National Adoption Month and something we are excited to celebrate in our home! Adoption holds a very special place in our hearts and it's something we have been eternally blessed by. We will be grateful every single day for the birthmothers and birthfathers that are so brave and strong and have changed our lives forever.
We love you Christina. We love you Flora. We love you Tyler.

We are surrounded by adoption in our family which is all the more exciting and we thought it might be fun to show you just how much...

We adopted Preslie in 2008 and were thrilled!

We adopted Adalynn in 2010 and were thrilled!

My mom was adopted from Germany. She says, "It's Heaven Sent! It's such a blessing for both sides of an adoption."

My Sister-in-law, Jenny is adopted.

She says, "Being a mother has made me so much more grateful for my own birthmother."

My nephew Gabe is adopted.

My sister said, "Adoption is one of the most amazing opportunities I have ever had in my life. What a lucky mom I am!"

My sister placed a baby for adoption 8 years ago who we love and still have contact with.

My sister says, "Every side of adoption comes down to love. When a child is placed or adopted there is an extreme amount of love that is involved and that is given to that child. It takes special people with Christ-like hearts to be involved with all sides of adoption."

3 of my cousins were adopted from Mexico.

My aunt and uncle are adopted.

We are also surrounded by many, many friends who have been blessed by adoption too!

We are so grateful to be surrounded by the sweet blessings of adoption and feel so grateful to Heavenly Father for blessing our family through adoption!

Halloween Party

2011-11-08T15:16:00.000-08:00

Aunt Jessica threw a great Halloween Party this year. We had a great time! This year for Halloween Alan and I were again, hippies. Abigale was a Fairy Queen, Preslie was a "Spooky" Witch, and Adalynn was a pumpkin.

The kids had a great time with the pinata. All I can say is Watch out when Preslie is up. She packs a punch that took everyone by surprise. And as you can tell by her face she was "All Business!"

Each family wrapped up their mummy's like mummy's. It was funny and pretty darn hot inside all that TP.Here's all the grandkids teasing grandpa with all that toilet paper, again and again and again. What a great sport grandpa was!Abigale won 2nd Place for best costume for the night and she was thrilled. Her costume lights up and really was pretty cool! Way to go babes!If you can believe it, these are cupcakes that my mother-in-law made. Aren't they amazing? Even more amazing in person. Almost too cool to eat...almost. You have to try this super yummy soup my sister in law brought to the party. It's a new family favorite-give it a try!

Creamy White Chili
Printable Version with Picture
Printable Version
*Serves 6
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder or 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon oil
2 cans (15 1/2 ounces each) Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
2 cans (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies (if you like less kick, add just one can)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup whipping cream
Fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion and garlic powder (or fresh garlic, if using) in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately. This is especially good served with tortilla chips.

Carving Pumpkins

2011-11-07T17:59:00.001-08:00

We had fun carving pumpkins this year. Adalynn was so funny and wouldn't touch the inside of her pumpkin. She hated everything about it. She would get close to reaching inside then would yell "Ewww" and would jerk her hand away. Preslie and Abigale dug right in and had a great time. Dad patiently waited as they both explained in a very detailed manner how they wanted their pumpkins carved. They were both happy as can be that dad got it right!

PS-Super nice hair-do Adalynn!

Halloween Program

2011-11-04T11:21:00.000-07:00

Preslie's preschool put on the cutest Halloween program for the parents. They did a little play, sang a couple songs, and made these pumpkin puppets for their show. It was pretty cold outside that day so it was short and sweet. Preslie did a great job and I loved her giant smile at the end because she was proud of herself. Way to go, spooky little witch!

New Family Pictures

2011-11-01T12:30:00.000-07:00

We had new pictures taken recently and we thought it would be fun to share.

My Parents

My whole family and their families

My parents and all the grandkids

Our Family

My Handsome Husband

Abigale

Preslie

Adalynn

Books, Books, Books

2011-10-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

We love books! I love books! I used to be an elementary school librarian before Abigale was born. Not the kind with the business suit, tight bun, grumpy face type but hopefully the nice, helpful, fun type. I think it was the best job ever, second to being a mom that is. One day I think I would enjoy doing that job again...
I love to read. I spend hours and hours late at night reading. It's MY time for myself. I love it when the house is quiet and everyone is sleeping and I can just indulge myself in a good book. Sometimes it is so hard to find books that are great as well as clean. There is so much smut in books these days, and I get frustrated. Recently I started 3 different books that I ended up putting down without finishing due to the content. I hate leaving things half-finished so this is hard for me to do. I have made a personal goal to be more careful what I read and what I allow into my home. As a mother raising daughters of God I have that responsibility, it is also important to me to be an example to my children. I have also decided to be more willing to stop reading something that is offensive to me.

I have read so many great books somewhat recently that I wanted to share.

I AM A MOTHER BY JANE CLAYSON

This book was so uplifting and made me feel like I can be a mother that makes a difference for my children. It's one to read over and over again.

REFINER'S FIRE SERIES BY LYNN AUSTIN

This is a 3 book series and I loved them. They are all about the civil war and are fascinating. Lynn Austin is my very favorite author of all time. She must be the smartest woman alive due the vastly different content of each of her books. They are historical fiction and I can say I have never been dissapointed and I have read every book she has written!

UNBROKEN BY LAURA HILLENBRAND

This book was a life-changing read. It's all about World War II and is a true story. The details and things I learned amazed me. It leaves you feeling inspired and amazed at the possibilities of the human spirit. Admittedly, there are some things in this book that were offensive but seeing as this was a real history of a man's life I chose to overlook them and continue reading. I am glad I kept reading this book, it left me in awe of this great man and others like him!

THE UNDAUNTED BY GERALD LUND

I thought this book was awesome! It's a historical fiction novel based on the hole-in-the-rock pioneers. This was somethings I had never learned about before and I loved seeing the faith these pioneers carried with them in horrible circumstances. It strenghtened my own faith reading this book and left me feeling grateful for what I have.

A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN BY BETTY SMITH

This book takes place in the 1940's in Brooklyn. It's a wonderful but sad story of a young girl and her brother as they grow up with an alcoholic father and they always struggle to make ends meet. The thing I loved about this book was the powerful and inspirational theme that shows that people can rise above their circumstances and become better. It is possible to overcome adversity and thrive.

THESE IS MY WORDS BY NANCY TURNER

This book takes place in Arizona, the wild wild west back before it is settled. It's all about the strength and courage of a particular woman that will never cease to amaze you. It also has a wonderful love story. It is the first book in a 3 book series, they were all good but this book was the best.

HE FABLEHAVEN SERIES BY BRANDON MULL

Admittedly I thought these books would be good to entertain younger readers abut was surprised to find out that they were written to entertain anyone. They were extremely well written and very fun to read. What a talented writer for sure. I found myself intruiged and excited to start each new book.

CHRONICLES OF THE KINGS SERIES BY LYNN AUSTIN

These were some of my very favorite books I've ever read. They are historical fiction novels that follow the early books in the bible. I learned sooo much reading these books. I went back and read my scriptures as I would finish each book and I was amazed at how accurate they were. If you were ever confused by the prophet Isiah you should read these books and you will be amazed how much sense his words make when put into context of a story.

SAVING CEE CEE HONEYCUTT BY BETH HOFFMAN

This book was so funny! It kept me laughing the whole way through. It is about the strength of women, especially when they work together. It's a tale of a girl who is handed a lot of hardship and what becomes of her and the many "mothers" she comes to love.

SARAH: WOMEN OF GENESIS BY ORSON SCOTT CARD

This book is the first in a 3 book series and follows the life of Sarah from the book of Genesis in the bible. The core of this book is factual and strays very little from her story in the bible. I learned a ton from this book and I enjoyed the two others in this series just as much.

THE HELP BY KATHRYN STOCKETT

This was a wonderful book full of things to talk about with friends. It was funny while examining some very serious subject matter rooted deep in the south of the African-American maids that were employed by the southerners in that time. The main characters, 3 women that are about to do something extraordinary that will forever change their town. It exemplifies the strength of women helping eachother. There is some language in this book but is delightful otherwise. PS The movie was awesome too!

THE OTHER WES MOORE BY WES MOORE

This book was very interesting to me. It was about two boys from the same town with the exact same name. It's all about choices and where they lead you to. One boy's choices land him in lots of trouble while the other boy's choices lead him to a much better life than circumstance gave him. Thought provoking for sure.

LOVE AND LOGIC MAGIC FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD BY JIM FAY

I loved this book. It was recommended to me by many of my neighbors. He gives some amazing ideas on discipline and parenting. I would recommend it to anyone with kids!

LITTLE BRITCHES BY RALPH MOODY

We read this book at book club and to be honest I was a little apprehensive at first. I thought it would be boring. It's the first book in a series of 6 or 7 I think. I ended up loving it. It's a true story written by the guy that is the main character in the book as a little boy. It's about him and his father learning how to start a ranch and all the hardships they face. I love the parenting in this book. Both parents parent with love while the message intended is still very clear. I look forward to reading the rest of these books. There is a little bit of language in this book.

THE HISTORY OF JOSEPH SMITH BY HIS MOTHER

I loved this book!!! What a wonderful way to get to know Joseph Smith better, from his mother's point of view. I love to read anything I can get my hands on about Joseph Smith, this was one of the best I read, not neccesarily the most exciting read but the most informative for sure. It gave you lots to think about and gave you a deeper appreciation for the man and the prophet, Joseph Smith.

THE HIDING PLACE BY CORRIE TENBOOM

This was a fascinating book to me. Not for the faint-hearted as there is very heavy subject matter in this book. It is a true story all about a Jew during world war II and how she lived in the concentration camps. Her time was miserable there but she was always optimistic and looking for ways to better her life. It is an inspiring book that you won't ever forget.

THE GUERNSY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY BY ANNIE BARROWS

Don't let the name scare you away. I would have never picked up this book on my own. Our bookclub read it and I was so glad we did. This book was not a fast-read and took me a little while to get into but once I did I was hooked. It's a series of letters right after World War II ended that tell of people's personal hardships during the war. The collective group of people that make up this society is interesting and at times humorous. This book celebrates hope and human connections in the shadows of war.

THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE SERIES BY CHRIS STEWART

These books I couldn't put down. My husband read them all and loved them as well. They are a bit of historical fiction meeting the future. They are so interesting and leave you wanting to be prepared to take care of your family when destruction hits close to home. Some people say they were too dark for them but I felt that good always triumphed over evil and Heavenly Father was always there to bless his children amid the temptations of Satan. They were inspiring books that left you sure which side you wanted to be on.

FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS BY JAMES BRADLEY

I came across this book after watching a show about it on TV. It was a true unbelievable story about the men seen in this famous statue. Who they were and how they came to be at that moment at that time. They all knew the importance of keeping that symbol of freedom in the air and ran to meet that moment to be the brave soldiers that held it high amidst war all around them. Prepare to be inspired by these brave, brave men and humbled by their war stories. Be aware-there is heavy subject matter and some very disturbing descriptions of war as well as some language.

FAMILY FIRST BY PHILLIP MCGRAW

What can I say? I like Dr. Phil. I loved this book. It really helps you get your family into perspective and has lots of great parenting advice too. It was a helpful uplifting book I would highly recommend.

THE CHRISTMAS LIST BY RICHARD PAUL EVANS

This book will change the way you think of others forever. It is such an awesome inspiring story, I was amazed how much I loved this book. Basically it's about righting your wrongs and asking for forgiveness in the most difficult circumstances. I loved reading this and found it extremely inspirational.

Favorite Fall Tradition

2011-10-27T12:10:00.000-07:00

I love fall time. I love the smell of leaves and the tiny bits of frost on the rooftops at night. I love hearing the furnace warm our house during the night. I also love the tradition we have of going to the corn maze, enjoying the hayride and choosing our pumpkins from the pumpkin patch. The giant slides are a family favorite as well as the corn box (instead of sandbox). What a fun, fun day we always have with my whole family! Thank you Fall!

The best part is...

2011-10-25T12:34:00.000-07:00

The best part of making rice crispy treats is eating the extra off the spoon when mom is done!

"Yum, um! Yum, um!" (According to Adalynn)

Cookin' Up Some Fun & Dinner Too~

2011-10-20T11:14:00.000-07:00

My girls love helping in the kitchen with any meal. Sometimes it drives you nuts but sometimes it's really fun. We had so much fun making this pizza for dinner the other night. It was one of those moments that left me sitting back in awe at just how lucky I am to be a mom, a mom of three perfectly beautiful daughters that fill my life with joy! I love you girls!

Do you like cupcakes?

2011-10-18T09:44:00.001-07:00

No really, your secret is safe no one can tell just how much you love cupcakes, sweet girl!

Awesome Job, Red Fire!

2011-10-17T09:39:00.000-07:00

Abigale played soccer again this year. Can you believe she got the red jersey's again, out of all the colors possible? They named themselves "Red Fire." They had a great year and Abigale improved her game a lot from the first year she played. By the end of the season, she really enjoyed playing in the front and was much more aggressive with getting the ball. It was fun to watch her score those awesome goals. We're glad she got the chance to play with a couple of her good friends as well. Way to go Abigale girl!

Monster Spray

2011-10-14T10:18:00.000-07:00

"Monsters, Monsters, Go Away!

Monsters don't like Monster Spray!"

I'm sure lots of you have heard of Monster Spray. We love it at our house and it has worked like a charm for Abigale and now Preslie. Alan made these cute labels and we took Preslie to the store to choose her own type of Monster Spray (just regular old room spray). I told her to pick the smell she thought would scare the monsters the most. Then as a family we all yell the above words in our loudest voices each bedtime and spray the spray. We tell her that the monsters hate the smell of the spray she chose and run away. It's worked awesome, we are officially MONSTER FREE at our house now! Phew...

Tongue Tied, Literally

2011-10-12T13:05:00.001-07:00

We found out about six months ago that Preslie was tongue-tied. The pediatrician wasn't worried about it and said we would only address it if it was really affecting her speech. It was just one of those "mom" things but I kept feeling like it was a bigger deal than he was acting like and that it needed to be looked at. Plus there was several sounds and words she was really struggling with and it seemed like it was really frustrating to her that she couldn't do it right. I had no idea if the two were related but I called the pediatrician back and told him that I felt like she needed to be seen. We went to a specialist and sure enough there was no question to him that it definately needed to be fixed. Sometimes moms just know things...

She had a small surgical procedure done on Monday to fix it. We did it in his office and it was very traumatic for her. She cried a lot. And I cried the whole way through too because I felt so bad she was so scared and upset and there was nothing I could do make her feel better. They had to numb it, cut it, and stitch it back up. They made me lay across her and hold down her arms. Alan had to hold her legs and another lady held her head, I wonder why that would be upsetting to a 3 year old???

My sister had the cutest idea because I knew that seeing what was coming would make her all the more upset. She bought her a pair of sleeping glasses and Preslie and I thought it would be fun to decorate them and make them her "Special Surgery Glasses." Preslie loved the idea and had lots of fun decorating them. They helped a lot and she wore them almost the whole time. Considering how rough it was, I think it would have been even worse without those. She's now on the mend but it is still pretty sore when she eats. Thank heavens she's been spoiled with friends and family bringing her all kinds of cold, soft treats! We love you brave, brave girl! And for the record, she is already speaking more clearly and can say all the sounds she couldn't before. There's some things mom's just know...just sayin'.

*No pictures of the actual event. She was already so upset I didn't feel the need to make it worse by taking pictures.

Crazy Cakes

2011-10-11T13:22:00.000-07:00

Alan does this fun thing with the girls. On occasional Saturday's he announces "Crazy Cakes for Breakfast" and the girls go wild. That means pancakes, any color they choose and any shape you can imagine. This time Preslie chose pink. When they choose their pancake they tell Alan what they think it looks like. The girls think it is the most awesome breakfast ever!

12 Years and Counting...

2011-10-10T12:41:00.000-07:00

Alan and I recently celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary! I'm proud of that. I'm proud of us and the way we work on having a strong marriage together. Here's my list of the top 12 phrases that describe our marriage to me. I love you Alan and I'm blessed to be your wife!

1- Committment

2- Lots of Laughter

3- Trust

4- Honesty

5- Communication

6- Hard Work

7- Matching Priorities

8- Teasing

9- Date Nights

10- Effort

11- Happy

12- One of a Kind

Alan and I were recently talking and decided that if marriage is our most treasured blessing then why don't we spend more time & effort strengthening it? As a result of this question, we are reading a book together and it has been awesome. If you haven't read it, you should. I think every married person should enjoy this book with their spouse. It's called, "The five love languages." Happy reading...

C.R.O.U.P

2011-10-07T12:37:00.000-07:00

C-is for the scariest sounding COUGH ever

R-is for REALLY labored Breathing

O-is for ON again OFF again sleeping

U-is for UTTERLY Miserable

P-is for PRETTY dang tired

That about sums up our last few days. Poor Adalynn has been really sick with croup. We are very familiar with croup because Abigale has had it probably over 50 times in her life but this time was different. It was very scary and all night long Alan and I went back and forth about going to the hospital. The three of us were up together all night long. We spent lots of time with her bundled in the backyard in the cold, lots of time in the bathroom with the steam from the shower, did two different breathing treatments, two humidifiers, and lots of snuggling. It was a long & nerve-racking night.

The next morning we took her to the doctor because she was still having really labored breathing and it seemed like she wasn't getting enough air. He gave her a steroid shot, steroid breathing treatment, and three days of oral steroids to help her throat open up. It made all the difference in the world. She is now on her way back to her healthy happy self, hooray!

*Please be sure to note those awesome slippers that are a must have for any occasion, even the croup-at least according to Adalynn.

A Freakishly True Story

2011-10-05T14:48:00.001-07:00

I am 100% arachnaphobic! Just posting this picture is making me itch to high heaven. The other night while I was standing on my porch I felt something on my foot and looked down to see something big and black on my foot. Without thinking I kicked my foot and proceeded to watch a huge black widow spider go running across my porch.

I freaked out!!! I started screaming to Alan who amusingly thought I was being dramatic. After he came out and caught it in a jar he said, "Wow, I didn't know black widows got that big!" Nice-and as he is busy admiring the huge spider I am busy undressing and frantically shaking out my clothes while searching for the bite I am sure will send me to the hospital. Needless to say we will now be spraying our house for spiders, etc. And to my dear family who wonders why I am arachnaphobic...this takes the cake!

A Model on the Move

2011-10-03T13:08:00.000-07:00

Adalynn is so funny! Whenever she sees the camera out she is screaming "Cheese" and making hilarious faces so I will notice her and capture her on the camera. It could go on for hours! PS What about those adorable piggie tails that make her look like she's not a baby anymore, sigh... We love you, not so little girl!

Finding Joy in the Little Things

2011-09-30T13:21:00.000-07:00

There is nothing I love more than finding my children being sweet with eachother, nothing.

Choose to Become...

2011-09-23T12:34:00.000-07:00

My mom took my sisters and I to "Time out for Women" in Logan this past weekend. It was amazing and I enjoyed the weekend getaway. We had such a fun time together, I almost felt like a kid again. The theme for this year was "Choose to become..." They challenged us to choose one thing we felt like we could become better at. I chose to honestly try to become a more patient and kind mother.

I love being a mother and I honestly know how blessed I am to be a mother after yearning after that for so long. I guess I thought that if I could just be a mother life would be perfect for Alan and I and would complete our plans for ourselves. Why is it then that being a mother can bring out the most impatient side of me the world has ever seen at times? It's going to take work...

They also challenged us to think of a time in our crazy hectic mom moments when we could choose to make it more holy and peaceful. I decided to try and do this with church music. I bought a fun cd with jazzed up primary songs and decided our hardest time of day is inbetween school and dinner. It seems like all heck breaks loose everyday during that time. I'm going to play this fun cd I bought and hope it brings a little more peace and joy into our home during that time. I am so grateful for being able to go to "Time out for Women." It is such a wonderful way to fill my spiritual bucket and helps me think of ways to be just a little bit better. I so enjoyed the time with my mom and sisters as well. How lucky I am to have those friendships in my life.

Kudos to my wonderful husband that was quick to support me in going. Way to go on being great during soccer games, and even for doing Abigale's hair for soccer pictures, which of course just happened to be that same day! I love you & can't wait to see how awesome the hair-do is in the pictures!

One Awesome Daddy

2011-09-22T11:52:00.000-07:00

We have one awesome daddy at our house! Our girls think he's a miracle worker, a fun wrestler, a funny story-teller, and a hilarious dancer. I think they also enjoy his drumming patterns at the dinner table which causes everyone to join in. While I was gone the other night they had a dance competition and made cupcakes. Really? How did they find time to do all that? Well they sort of had to skip baths and chores, the daddy admitted later. Oh well, being sweet with our girls meant a whole lot more. Who needs baths anyway, especially after an intense dance competition?

Apparantly one of these children, we won't mention names got very into the costuming of the contest as well and is obviously rockin' that look!

Cancer Free

2011-09-21T12:37:00.000-07:00

My mom had her first body scan after all of her cancer treatments yesterday. Guess what, she is officially cancer free right now! What a blessing and a huge relief to all of us. Although she is still very tired, she's feeling so much better and lookin' great too. We love her hair, it's come in black and curly, who would have thought? The more it grows the more curly it gets. Preslie is thrilled with her new hairstyle and is proud to say, "Grandma has curly hair like me!" We love you mom-we're proud of you!

Abigale's Art

2011-09-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

Abigale made the cutest picture on our driveway last week. It had been a tough day at home and it was just what Alan and I needed as we finished mowing the lawn and saw it. It was such a reminder to us just how much we love our little girls! She wrote, "Welcome to our house. We are a happy family," and drew a picture of each of us. Even when things aren't perfect, we really are a happy family and I'm so grateful for that.

The Zoo

2011-09-19T13:07:00.000-07:00

My parents took our family to the zoo over Labor Day. We had so much fun! The girls loved it. Adalynn loved the monkey's the best. That whole day anything that moved was a monkey and she kept yelling it. It was really cute! Preslie loved the Rhino's the best, she was so excited to see them and couldn't calm down until she had seen them. Abigale really liked the giraffe's which are my favorite too. It was a fun day & our kids are lucky to have great grandparents.

Thanks mom and dad!

Preslie and Preschool

2011-09-16T10:10:00.001-07:00

Preslie started preschool the first week of September. She was so excited to pick out her new backpack and wear her new shoes. You see the neat-o necklace she's wearing, Abigale lent it to her for her first day of school. That's true love, believe me. Preslie's teacher is called Miss Marcie and so far she is loving it, even though "the boys pull me on the shirt," as she tells me often.

Her teacher had a fun welcome message on her driveway and then they followed the arrows into the preschool spot. It was cute and relieved some anxious feelings Preslie had. We love you, little Preslie! You are growing up way too quickly. We're excited for you though because we think this preschool is the perfect fit for your personality. Have fun!

First Day of School

2011-09-15T11:42:00.001-07:00

Wow!! I can't believe Abigale is in second grade already. She is so excited for school this year. She's a little smartie and loves reading. She's always reading way too late at night, and we always tease her about it. Alan always tells her she takes after her mom! Really??? Good luck this year, we think it will be great for you, cute girl!

Playing at LAGOON

2011-09-14T12:43:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun time at Lagoon with our good friends and their kiddo's! We all took the kids during the day and at night the parent's all went back for some grown-up ride time. Abigale loved the swings the best and Preslie loved the bumper cars the best. Adalynn stayed with grandma and grandpa and melted their hearts a little bit more, all according to them of course. Alan and I had a blast with our kids! At night the favorite ride of the night was Wicked. How many times in a row can 6 adults ride that ride? 6 times to be exact! Thanks for the fun day, Steadmans.

The Final Reveal

2011-09-13T14:03:00.000-07:00

Funny story...I bought this hutch for my kitchen for my own birthday about 1 1/2 years ago. I felt like I was getting a steal at $40, even though it was hideous at the time of purchase. My sister was going to help me re-finish it. Obviously life handed our family way more than we had bargained for over the last year and it got forgotten, worked on, forgotten, forgotten some more, etc. So now it is happily in my kitchen totally finished and I love it. It fits great in my space and doesn't look like Christmas anymore.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Little Fishie

2011-09-12T12:33:00.001-07:00

Abigale just finished swimming lessons for this year. She absolutely loves swimming & did very well. She keeps telling me she wants to swim in the Olympics, and I say, "Go for it!"

Proud of you, "Little Fishie!"

Dinosaur Park

2011-09-10T19:07:00.000-07:00

We went with our good friends to the Dinosaur Park this summer. We had so much fun and are always grateful for good friends. Isn't the picture with all the kiddo's cute?

And She's Off

2011-09-09T12:52:00.000-07:00

And she's off and running.......Happy Day, Big Girl!

City Heritage Days

2011-09-08T11:41:00.000-07:00

Can I just say, that was the best parade our kids have ever been to? They got more candy and toys than I have ever seen. Plus, it wasn't crazy crowded and they actually had fun without any adults taking their candy or pushing them out of the way. Interesting concept...

Sleeping Beauty

2011-09-07T11:35:00.001-07:00

Here is the girl that thinks she doesn't need naps anymore...If she doesn't get one this is almost always how we find her later in the day which is bad news for bedtime. It was cute, Abigale was worried about her getting cold and made this blanket out of couch pillows for her. Cute, quiet, peaceful, little Preslie! We love you tired girl!

4TH OF JULY

2011-09-06T12:07:00.000-07:00

Possibly my very favorite holiday...I love the colors, the sounds, the fireworks, and the family time. We had a fun but busy holiday. We spent the morning with Alan's family and did a breakfast, parade, swimming, and lunch. Later we joined my family for a BBQ and fireworks. It was a great day except when a firework misfired and burned Abigale and Preslie. Preslie got burned pretty bad and has a pretty good scar to show for it now. Poor little girl, needless to say they were a bit gunshy with the fireworks after that happened.

Camping at Huntington Lake

2011-09-05T20:50:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun camping with some good friends from our neighborhood this summer. There were 6 families total and we had lots of fun! We played games, made s'mores, played in the water, played two-man baseball, played night games, painted nails, caught crawdads, and funniest of all played duck-duck-goose. All the kids and even the adults played duck-duck-goose together. It was hilarious to watch! It rained quite a bit so in order to let our things dry and take a break from the rain we all headed to the local dinosaur museum. It was a nice break from hunkering down in our tents to escape all the crazy rain. We had a wonderful time and feel blessed to have such great friends that inspire us to be better.

Summer Movie Club

2011-09-02T11:38:00.001-07:00

We have been enjoying the summer movie club all summer. It's great! It's only 50 cents a movie and you see a movie every week most of the summer. The kids have loved this the last two years. It's nice to get out of the heat for a bit too.

My parents took all the grandkids to see Cars 2. Brave, brave grandparents! It was quite the adventure. My two sisters and I went with them to help and it was still quite the adventure. Don't mind that Adalynn threw her treat container and nailed the lady in front of us in the head. Seriously, that wasn't ackward at all! Don't mind that she also grabbed the bag of popcorn and dumped the whole thing in my lap and on the ground. That was an awesome moment. Cars 2...sorry didn't keep the kids attention at all. I wonder how soon my parents will consider that adventure again...It was super sweet of them to invite everyone and buy each kid their own movie treat pack which cost about a million dollars I'm sure, the kids always love spending time with them, thanks mom and dad!

Summer Fun

2011-09-01T11:57:00.000-07:00

This summer I have LOVED watching our three little girls play together in the backyard. It's been so much fun! Adalynn thinks she is every bit as big as her sisters, it's cute watching her try to copy them. There is nothing I love more than watching them play happily together. They have such a special bond and we have no doubt they were meant to be sisters.

We love you, sweet little girls!

Girls Get-Away

2011-08-31T12:52:00.000-07:00

The day after Alan got home from his river rafting trip, I left for a girls weekend with my mother-in-law and sister-in-laws. It was such a fun, relaxing weekend-full of only things we wanted to do and nothing that we had to do. We rode the Alpine Slides and Rollercoaster, went shopping (lots of shopping), went to the movie, played games, went hot-tubbing, and tried lots of new places to eat. It was an awesome weekend full of lots of bonding time, I had a great time. My sister-in-law shared a bedroom and stayed up until about 4:00 a.m. talking. I really enjoyed talking with her.

Les Miserables

2011-08-29T21:09:00.000-07:00

Alan and I went to see Les Miserables, neither of us had seen it before. The music was amazing! There's nothing quite like the kind of singing that gives you goosebumps and leaves you wondering how they can sing like that. We had great seats and so enjoyed the night out together. I'm so glad that after 12 years of marriage I still really enjoy dating my husband. It was a little crazy when I met Alan after driving an hour and realized our tickets were still on the fridge. Crazier still both of my sisters forgot their tickets too. My good friend got into our house and called me back with the numbers on the tickets so that they could re-print them for us. We were lucky they were willing to. I guess my sisters and I are all a little nutso, must run in the family...

Running the River, Crazy Boys

2011-08-29T20:58:00.000-07:00

The day after we got home from our family trip Alan left to go river rafting for four days with my dad, brothers, and brother in law. Don't worry they say as they leave-the water hasn't been this high since 1981. Don't worry-there's no other companies willing to run the river except the one we're going with. Don't worry-we're riding back on a small single engine plane. Needless to say they had one heck of a trip and couldn't stop talking about it for weeks. As Alan is telling me about it when they were home I'm hearing phrases like; "Our engine fell off the boat so we couldn't steer at all, At one point we were going completely backwards during the most rapid water, The rope we were holding onto broke off of the boat, When the rope broke the 3 pontoons that made up the boat started spreading apart,When we looked back we couldn't see our guide on the boat at all, Our guide announced that he thought he had soiled himself because he was so scared, etc." You get the idea, even adult boys are still going to be boys!

Our Trip to Visit Family

2011-08-29T12:22:00.000-07:00

The first weekend of summer we loaded up and headed down to visit our cousins. The girls cousin Carson got baptized and we were happy to be a part of it. It was a short trip but lots' of fun. The cousins had a giant sleepover and enjoyed spending time together. The adults enjoyed catching up. It was a great way to start out our summer! We also had the chance to spend some time with Adalynn's birth family. We met her birthmother's whole family and it was amazing. We met her mom, her sister, and her two brothers. So Adalynn's birthgrandma, aunt, and uncles. We had such a wonderful time. They treated us to a picnic at an amazing park. We so enjoyed getting to know and meet them. What a wonderful group of people that love Adalynn and our whole family. Thank you, thank you for sharing this special occasion with our family.

Go Red Dragons!

2011-06-28T12:56:00.001-07:00

We had so much fun watching Abigale play on the "Red Dragon" soccer team this last year. Here's a cute picture of them together on their last game. Way to go Red Dragons! On their last game Abigale scored her first goal while all of her grandparent's and her cousins from St. George were there to see it. Awesome!

Innocent...I think NOT!

2011-05-10T12:26:00.000-07:00

This is the first time Adalynn ever stood up. It was a couple of weeks ago but it was so funny I had to share. Abigale set a bowl of crackers on the couch and her and I left the room. Well Adalynn apparantly knows what she wants and is willing to learn a completely new skill in order to get it. We came back in the room and there was Adalynn standing up and stuffing Abigale's crackers in her mouth as fast as she could get them in. Unfortunately the proof was everywhere, she was guilty. At least we'll know for the future what motivates her...cheese crackers. Way to go big girl!

Tickling the Ivory's

2011-05-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

Abigale has been so excited to play the piano. We started piano lessons a few weeks ago. Guess who is her teacher??? Yep-me and so far it's going really well. She's taking the things I'm teaching her and running with them so far. It's been a fun way to spend time together, just her and I (and some little helpers on occasion too). I can already tell it will be a good reminder for me to brush up on my music theory too.

I love you Chantel

2011-05-03T11:19:00.001-07:00

I am so lucky to have such wonderful, close relationships with my sisters. How blessed I am for it! Right now my heart is broken for Chantel-her husband decided he didn't want to be married anymore but would rather explore his options and see what's out there. It is crazy, hurtful, and really hard to understand.

Chantel-You are wonderful in so many ways. Ethan will forever regret this decision & as you move forward with the divorce remember you are surrounded by so many people that love you and are here to lift you or your cute kids when you need lifting. I admire you for your quiet inner strength, I admire your ability to forgive, I admire you for the Christlike attitude you choose to carry, I admire the mother you are. I admire you for the friend and woman you are. I admire you for your determination to move forward in a positive way and try every way possible to minimize the effect of this hurtful decision on your children. You are wonderful and inspire me to be a better person. I am truly blessed to know you and best of all to be your sister. I love you & will always be here for you, even if at times it is just to cry with you.

Easter in a Nutshell

2011-04-27T13:59:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter holiday this year. We enjoyed; a BBQ with friends, city egg hunt, family egg hunt, dying Easter eggs, finding Easter eggs, and a few tired tears. Overall it was fun with our little girls watching them be excited about everything. We thought they looked beautiful in their new Easter Dresses, it's so fun having little girls.

Life on the Farm

2011-04-22T11:17:00.001-07:00

I got to go with Abigale's class on their fieldtrip. We went to a local farm to experience some real farm life. One thing I know for sure, Abigale and I aren't farm girls but it was fun to go see it though! It was really fun to go and watch Abigale enjoy her friends. I got a kick out of Abigale and Mallory that wrote detailed notes about how they needed to match clothes and hair-do's for the field trip. I remember being just like that with some of my friends, I just didn't realize it started so young! The least favorite part of the day was the sheep shearing, it looked mean and was a bit upsetting-although they kept assuring us the sheep was fine.

Jumping Giant Snowballs?

2011-04-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

Yet again it snowed, in April! There was snow all over our trampoline and when the girls starting jumping it turned into these giant snowballs. It was really weird but cool too. The girls were soaked after this but everyone at our house ready for warm weather so we can be outside, and this particular day they just couldn't stand it anymore and had to play outside. Have you ever seen this happen on your trampoline???

Our Fun Bowling Outing

2011-04-11T14:00:00.000-07:00

We were sick of being stuck in the house on another gloomy Saturday so we decided to take the girls bowling. We had so much fun & were so glad we went! Here's the (embarrassing for mom)final scores:

Dad: 129

Mom: 85

Abigale: 102

Preslie: 76

Our Super Reader

2011-04-08T10:50:00.000-07:00

Abigale LOVES to read! She hides in her bed with her little flashlight at night and reads the night away. We've been proud of how well she's reading. There's some great beginning chapter books we've come across. We wanted to share some of her favorites! What are some chapter books your kids like reading or that you remember reading as a kid? I used to love The Boxcar Children & The Babysitters Club!

The Rainbow Magic Fairies

The Magic Tree House Books

MY SWEET MAMA

2011-04-05T16:25:00.000-07:00

My mom just spent a week in the hospital getting the cancerous tumor removed from her aorta. The procedure itself went well with the doctor's feeling confident they removed all of the tumor. Yay! The surgery didn't go as smoothly as we hoped though which will mean for a much more difficult recovery. The hospital she was in wasn't close to home and we hated having her so far away. It's good to have her home and she's kept us pretty entertained lately since she's so drugged up right now. We'll have lots of good stories to share with her later. In a few weeks she'll most likely have surgery again to remove cancer they found on her thyroid! Thank you to all the many, many supporters our family has. What a blessing it's been to be served by so many!

We love you mom, we're all worried about you and want you to get better quickly! I'm so glad for my awesome family as we do our best to stay positive and just keep rolling with the punches!

Adalynn's Eye Surgery

2011-03-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

Ever since Adalynn was born her tear duct didn't work right. Most of the time it clears up on it's own but hers never did. We took her in for a small outpatient surgery last week. Although it was small it could have been the biggest surgery ever as far as we were concerned. We were nervous and worried about all the little things they tell you could go wrong. She thankfully sailed through with flying colors though and all is well. Now we wait for it to heal and see if it worked or she could possibly need another one if it didn't. It seems good so far, here's our sweet little baby throughout the day.

Before the surgery, happy as can be even though we woke her up two hours earlier than normal. She just seemed like she was happy to be out with mom and dad all alone and was soaking up all the attention! She kept giving this silly smile and laughing everytime we or anyone else would talk to her, it was funny!

Right after the surgery. She was so confused & upset when she woke up and it broke my heart. We had a really hard time calming her down and since she is not a snuggler it was a bit tougher to help her feel better. She was crying so hard for so long I felt bad for all the other people trying to recover, good thing they weren't with it all the way, poor little girl.

Later that day-You wouldn't even know she had surgery earlier. Her eye didn't seem to bother her as long as we kept up on the motrin and she was happy as can be. She is such a good baby! We love you little girl and we're so glad everything went smoothly.

Colors for Cancer

2011-03-23T11:39:00.000-07:00

Did you know that every cancer has it's own color? I just realized this, and it's awesome. Alan found this cool website that allows you to order all kinds of cool things to support the people you love and the cancer they are dealing with. I wanted to share it because I thought someone else might want to show support for someone they love that's battling cancer.

The website is: http://www.choosehope.com/
My mom finally finished her chemotherapy a couple weeks ago. We were really happy for her, 6 months is a very long time to not feel well at all. We were happy to hear that the original cancer was totally gone, that felt encouraging. Also her hair is already starting to grow back and she has more and more fuzz coming in all the time. Unfortunately we also got some bad news last week. They did a body scan and found that she had two cancerous tumors higher up in her stomach area. They are now delaying her radiation and are doing surgery to try and remove the tumors. We hope all goes well and then hope they will be able to continue on with her radiation. It's been a tough week for my family. It's been hard thinking she was past the worst and now not being sure again. We're going to pray hard and hope for the best. Although she has tough days her deterimination and positive attitude is helping us all get through together. I'm so grateful for a supportive family in times like these. We love you mom, more than we can say and will pray for the best!

Snuggle-bug

2011-03-14T12:43:00.001-07:00

This is my new favorite thing. Snuggles from Adalynn. She has never, ever given snuggles-she's always far too busy for that. But lately she's been giving more and more of these and mom & dad have been loving it! It's funny how a good snuggle can make any day better.

Hello Sir, I mean Mam

2011-03-10T13:12:00.000-08:00

Preslie was so cute. She asked Alan to put this tie on her. She came out decked out in a hat and flip-flops and stayed that way all afternoon so she could be just like "Daddy." It was cute! Alan-In all seriousness and because I love you I'm going to share a bit of useful advice for you... I wouldn't recommend flip-flops with a tie, NOT EVER!

I'm One!

2011-03-09T12:26:00.000-08:00

Adalynn turned one last week. You were so much fun on your birthday! We are so glad to have you in our family and can't believe it's already been a year since we adopted you. What a treasure you are to us! We love your silly personality and funny faces. We love all your many tickle spots and the fleeting snuggles you sometimes give. We love the way you just fit with us! Happy Birthday, we love you little one!

Both of Adalynn's birthparents mailed us presents for her birthday-they are always so thoughtful, we are blessed to know them. Aunt Mech made these super cute giant cupcakes for Adalynn and Shelby, thanks!

Adalynn was hilarious while eating her cake, she basically fingerpainted with the icing far more than she ever tried to eat. She kept throwing her hands up in the air while rubbing it in her hair and yelling, "Ta-da!" It was super cute!

Her Statistics

Weight: 22 lbs 7 oz (72%)

Length: 30" (88%)

Fancy Nancy

2011-03-07T13:39:00.000-08:00

At Abigale's school to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday the kids got to dress up as one of their favorite book characters. She chose to be "Fancy Nancy" all by herself. She thought up this costume and 'dramatically' played the part all day long, probably dropping florescent pink feathers all over the school. A public apology to the school~Who do your kids love out of their favorite books?

Do You Feel the Need for Speed?

2011-03-03T12:25:00.000-08:00

Alan and I went with a bunch of friends to "Speed Street" where you get to race go-carts as fast as you want. Of course there's certain bragging rights that come with certain performances that will never be forgotten and some serious injustices that will never be forgotten either. Here's a picture of the guys, obviously in deep thought about their upcoming race! It was a fun night with good friends, thanks!

Officially On The Move

2011-02-22T20:04:00.000-08:00

Adalynn started crawling a couple of weeks ago and she is getting fast. We were starting to wonder if she was ever going to care to crawl. She got pretty used to being waited on by her excited big sisters and never really needed to move until now. Plus her mellow personality told her it was just too much work. It's so cute watching her concentrate on moving those arms and legs together. Way to go little girl!

These Are the Boots...

2011-02-21T12:47:00.000-08:00

These are the boots that shoveled 9" of snow for 6 hours yesterday. These were the boots that were cold and very wet. These are the boots that helped the man I love do service for others, along with the young men in our ward and their leaders. I love the man that wears these boots!

We Love Boondocks

2011-02-10T09:56:00.000-08:00

In my family we have four February birthdays within about a week of eachother. We decided to go to Boondock's together and celebrate them all. It was a fun night and our girls had a blast. They loved bowling and ski-ball. I think we might be that family that ruins the bowling lanes and ski-ball machines because Preslie cannot understand how to roll the ball and throws it straight up in the air and watches it come crashing down. Alan and I just cringed everytime but talking to her about it changed nothing so we decided to let her have fun and not worry about it. Sorry to everyone that may try to bowl in the lane we used in the future.

It's Birthday Time for You!

2011-02-08T12:16:00.000-08:00

Preslie turned 3 this last week. It's cute when you ask her how old she is she holds up all five fingers and says, "Flee." We love you spunky little girl. You keep us on our toes but definately keep life exciting. You have the funniest personality and love to joke and tease with people and make them smile. We are proud to be your parents and feel like it was a miracle to adopt you into our family! We love you little girl, happy birthday!!! Aunt Chantel made your cute cake, thanks Chan.

Our Bathroom Remodel

2011-02-02T14:59:00.000-08:00

As part of our Christmas Alan and I decided to remodel our bathroom that's driven us nuts since we moved in here. We love how it turned out and appreciate Glade's help with the new awesome tile floor! It was lots of work and forced us to use the downstairs "dungeon" bathroom that we all joke about but it was all worth it! I love working with Alan on something.

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Spots, Spots, Everywhere!

2011-02-01T12:47:00.000-08:00

Poor Abigale had an allergic reaction to the antibiotic she was on and broke out in full-blown hives covering her entire body. She's been pretty miserable. I read up about oatmeal baths which I've heard of but never used before. Did you know it's as easy as putting dry oatmeal of any kind in a blender until it's blended into powder and dumping it into your bath? I put about 2 cups into Abigale's bath and let her soak in it. She didn't complain for hours of the itching after I did it & that was before I gave her the benedryl.

An awesome solution for sure!!!

Saying Hello & Goodbye

2011-01-28T16:43:00.000-08:00

Our sweet Adalynn is 11 months old now. It seems like yesterday we got the call that we'd been chosen to adopt this sweet little girl. What a wonderful year it's been for our family! It's weird when your baby doesn't seem so baby like anymore. For us it makes us start thinking about another possible adoption--is it time or isn't it? Are we willing to revisit the thought of trying to get pregnant again and embrace all that goes with that? Who knows but for now-we're loving these three sweet little girls and feel grateful everyday that we get to be their parents!

With Adalynn growing up lately we're working on saying goodbye to:

BABYFOOD

3 NAPS

FORMULA

AND A BABY THAT STAYS WHERE YOU PUT HER

We're saying hello to:

SIPPY CUPS

FINGER FOODS

WHOLE MILK

TALKING

AND A BABY THAT MOVES EVERYWHERE AND NEVER STAYS WHERE YOU PUT HER

WE LOVE IT ALL AND JUST FEEL GRATEFUL!

WHAT ARE YOU GRATEFUL FOR?

The Excitement of Playgroup

2011-01-21T12:28:00.000-08:00

Here's our cute Preslie and Adalynn enjoying playgroup with their friends. We do playgroup twice a week and rotate houses. It's so good for the kids and for us mommies too. It's funny watching Adalynn and her friend pull everything out of the tub, then I fill it back up again so they can pull everything out again and so on. Preslie and her friends love playing babies and kitchen. Aren't they all so cute wearing their little aprons and cooking dinner? I'm glad all of our girls have such great friends in our neighborhood.

2011-01-18T13:22:00.000-08:00

january...brrrrr!

Spinach Smoothies

2011-01-14T11:14:00.000-08:00

We love spinach smoothies at our house. Sounds sick huh? My friend told me about them and we decided to give them a whirl. Not only do they give you tons of energy and are suprisingly filling they are super healthy too. Even Preslie loves them and that's saying a lot! Thought we'd share the recipe and see if any of you were brave enough to try them. Give them a try I think you'll be surprised to find out you can't even taste the spinach.

Spinach

2 bananas

Peaches

Fat-free plain yogurt

Fill your blender half full of spinach. Fill your blender 1/3 full of water (enough to get the spinach to blend up well). Liquify it and add two bananas, liquify that. Add your peaches or any other fresh fruit you want (peaches are our favorite), liquify. Add your plain yogurt. Enjoy! We've also liked pineapple and strawberries instead or also.

Also another thought; we love filling ziploc bags with spinach and freezing them. It's perfect for smoothies.

It's Movie Night

2011-01-13T09:58:00.001-08:00

The girls wanted a movie night. When Alan and I went to check on them they were all laying together under a blanket enjoying their movie. It was sweet! Funny face-Abigale and nice try at a funny face Preslie! We are the luckiest parents in the world for sure!

Christmas Morning 2010

2011-01-02T15:04:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas this year! It was so much fun enjoying the day with our three sweet little girls and spending time with both of our families. Santa brought lots of camping stuff this year which was greatly needed. The girls had a fun day too, I love watching them open something you know they're going to love. How was your Christmas?

The Nativity & Christmas Eve

2010-12-29T13:16:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas Eve with Alan's family this year. All the grandkids acted out the nativity and were super cute. It was pretty short and sweet but fun to watch. There are 14 grandkids and only 3 of them are boys so there's lots of little girls around there.

Our cute little innkeeper and wiseman. Christmas Jammies!

Seeing the Lights

2010-12-28T15:50:00.000-08:00

Different Phases and Different Ages

2010-12-22T14:13:00.000-08:00

Adalynn's thinking: "Who is this guy and what's he looking at?"

"Is he scary? Is he not? I can't tell. What is his basic problem staring at me like that?"

"Okay definately not okay, I am not okay! Help!"

Preslie said; "Mom Santa isn't mean to me no more. He not scare me no more! Santa's nice!"

Abigale said; "I know that's not the real Santa. It's just someone that dresses up and pretends to be Santa."

Friends and Family Fitness Challenge

2010-12-21T12:03:00.000-08:00

Alan is heading up a fitness challenge to start on January 1st. Check out his website below and leave a comment for information or questions. There's a cash reward for the winners and lots of people involved to keep you heading towards your goal! Good luck-may the best man or "wo"man win...

http://bigalfitnesschallenge.blogspot.com/

A Turban or a Beehive hair-do?

2010-12-20T15:36:00.001-08:00

Who really knows?

But at least they had fun building it together!

BALD IS BEAUTIFUL

2010-12-15T20:46:00.000-08:00

Dear mom,

I was thinking of you tonight. I know when you look in the mirror sometimes you might not feel beautiful right now. I wanted to tell you what I see when I look at you ...

I see a woman of substance. I see a woman of faith. I see a woman of courage. I see a woman that's not letting cancer define her. I see a woman of strength. I see a woman of inner beauty that exceeds the outer beauty. I see a mother that sets a good example for her children of how to press forward. I see a woman that's smiling even though she'd rather cry. I see a woman thats learning again to trust her Heavenly Father. I see a woman who is surrounded by people that love her. I see a woman that's learning the value of service. I see a woman that's beautiful facing a trial with the best attitude possible.

I love you mom and you kow what I decided? Hair is just hair, it has nothing to do with who we are or can become. I want you to know that when I look at you I think you are more beautiful and special than I ever have. You can do this! Love, Danielle

My Favorite Christmas Tradition by far!

2010-12-15T15:18:00.000-08:00

I love "The Forgotten Carols." If you've never been you have to see it. Nothing brings in the true spirit of Christmas like this musical. We've seen it most years for as long as I can remember and it continues to be my favorite tradition at Christmas time. The cd is my very favorite Christmas cd ever!!!

As part of our Christmas my parents took us out to a nice dinner and to see the play this week. It was such a nice fun night out with just adults, something to look forward to each year for sure. Even the guys and our sweet non-member friend love it! Thanks mom and dad for the special gift!

Sesame Street Live

2010-12-12T12:58:00.000-08:00

Our good friends invited our family to join them for Sesame Street Live at the Maverick center. We got to sit in one of the suites, it was great! Our kids all LOVED the show and we went out to lunch afterwards. Preslie loves Elmo and everytime he came on stage she was waving and screaming "Hi, Elmo" at the top of her lungs, it was cute to watch. We are blessed to have so many great friends, thanks Steadmans for the fun day!

All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth

2010-12-10T09:54:00.000-08:00

Happy Nine Months-cute little girl! Her stats:

Weight: 20 lbs. 11 oz. (79%)

Length: 29.25" (94%)

Happy 7th Birthday, Abigale!

2010-12-07T11:06:00.000-08:00

Happy, happy birthday! We love you so much and are proud to be your parents. You bring a lot of joy into our home with your funny comments and light-hearted personality. You are a miracle and a treasure! Thank you for your special birthday poses for this photo-shoot.

Meet our newest Addition...

2010-12-03T20:54:00.000-08:00

Meet our newest addition...Asses! You heard me right, this is Preslie's doll-and her name is Asses. All day long we hear, "Drink your bottle, Asses. Take a nap, Asses. Go to time out, Asses." You get the idea. She has no idea what this word means but it's all I can do to hold in my laughs and keep a straight face when Asses joins our family activities.

All Tangled Up

2010-12-02T14:12:00.000-08:00

We took the girls to see the movie Tangled and it was so cute! A true princess movie that totally entertained the girls. It was fun we went to see it with most of Alan's family. There was a pretty big group of us which made it even more fun for all the cousins. We love going to the movies!

Worth Seeing for Sure!

A Big Girl Now

2010-11-29T12:56:00.000-08:00

Adalynn is cute as a bug and we love her yummy cheeks. She loves sitting up all the time, gotta show off our new skills. She also loves eating crackers. She is hilarious because whenever I give her a cracker, this is how she eats it-with no hands! Seriously she leaves it hanging out of her mouth and just munches on it while her hands are busy playing. It makes us all laugh so hard!

We are thankful for...

2010-11-23T17:17:00.000-08:00

Alan did a great family night! Here's some of the things we're thankful for this year. Games, sisters, playing outside, adoption, birds, house, church, Heavenly Father, Jesus, friends, family, nursery, movies, seasons, food, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and temples.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!!!

2010-11-12T15:10:00.000-08:00

Abigale entered the reflections art contest at school this year. The theme was "Together we can..." She finished it by saying, "Together we can make the world beautiful." She did an awesome 3-D art picture to show her theme, which she did entirely on her own. She ended up winning 4th place in the 3-D section of the contest. Way to go, Abigale-we are proud of you!

The Legacy of Adoption

2010-11-05T13:50:00.000-07:00

In honor of National Adoption Month and our love for adoption, I wanted to share our family's favorite adoption poem. We love you birthparents for what you've given our family,

thank you!

Legacy of an Adopted Child
Once there were two women, who had not met each other.

One you sweetly remember, the other you call mother.

Two different lives, shaped to make yours one.

One became your guiding star; the other became your sun.

The first gave you life and the second taught you to live it.

The first gave you a need for love, and the second was there to give it.

One gave you a nationality; the other gave you a name.

One gave you seeds of talent; the other gave you an aim.

One gave you emotions; the other calmed your fears.

One saw your first sweet smile, the other dried your tears.

One placed you, which was all that she could do.

The other prayed for a child and God led her straight to you.

And now you ask me, through your fears,

the age old question unanswered throughout the years...

Heredity or environment, which are you the product of?

Neither, my darling neither. Just two different kinds of love.

*Author Unknown*

Happy Halloween!!!

2010-10-31T13:17:00.001-07:00

Hansen Halloween Party

2010-10-30T10:47:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun at the Halloween Party this year! We loved the homemade root beer, fun costumes, playing a Halloween version of "Don't Eat Pete," the goodie bags, homemade pizzas, and listening to my dad try and talk like Mario. Thanks Chantel and Ethan.

The Pumpkin Walk

2010-10-27T19:16:00.001-07:00

We were invited by our friends to go to the Pumpkin Walk up in Logan. It was so fun~we had no idea what to expect and were pleasantly surprised! They take pumpkins and use them to create scenes from movies. Each set up was amazing but the best one we all felt was Spongebob! The kids had so much fun and I think even Alan and Chance must have because I caught them smiling a time or two. Thanks for the invite-it was nice to get out!