Messy Madi

So lately I have been taking a lot of pictures of Avery. She is at that stage where everything she does is funny and cute. She is starting to do so many cute facial expressions and is very curious. That is always such a fun stage! Well, I think Madisen has been feeling a little left out. She sees Avery getting all these laughs and tries to act out exactly what Avery did to get the laughs too. Yet, as we all know, a 3 year old coloring all over herself or dumping dinner in her lap just isn't as cute or funny as a baby doing it. Madi asked me today, "Mommy can you take pictures of me, too." AWWW...that just broke my heart! Of course I will take pictures of you sweetie! I take pictures of Madi just not as many lately as I have been of Avery. And it is just recently, that she has even cared about pictures. As with all babies the focus tends to go to them. Madisen has a special place in my heart, I think the first born always do. So for Madi, I wanted to post some of her messes from when she was a baby!

Eating the local news... Where's the Jello?Sorting the whites from the darks... Caught in the act! Baby powder and cotton swabs.Have you seen my chocolate bar??1st birthday cakeOur clown in the making...
We love you Madisen!

Automatic kitchen-floor cleaner…

It's amazing to me how dirty a kitchen floor can get in just a few short hours with kids. Even though I sweep almost every day, the amount of food that gets swept up and thrown away could seriously feed a small village of people for many weeks! I try and sweep the floor every day, but sometimes forget or don't get around to doing it with all the other endless 'things' to do. And that's when I find Avery doing it for me...my own little kitchen-floor cleaner, how nice. Avery will roam the kitchen floor until she finds a "treat." She almost seems annoyed with me when I do sweep, and crawls around the floor to get in my way in protest. Even though finding her under the table with a mouth full of leftovers from lunch or dinner is totally disgusting, it sure makes us laugh seeing the look of acheivement in her eyes, as this time finding an overlooked piece of chocolate cookie, a grand prize indeed!!!

I had just cleaned Avery up after her chocolate cookie discovery, when not even five minutes later, I found her back in the kitchen, this time somehow getting a hold of a marker and giving herself a few body designs...how nice. She sure is proud of herself!

Swinging with you

My sister, Celeste took these pictures of Avery and I swinging together...I thought they turned out pretty cute!

Next Top Model!

She climbs in to my closet almost everyday, trying on my shoes and hats, ususally I just get annoyed and think "why does she have to mess around in my closet everyday..." But when she started modeling my hat and smiling I couldn't resist not smiling back!

She kept posing for me, something she rarely does so I just kept snapping pictures! I thought these pictures were really cute.

And I think she is really cute!

Me, Quirky??

I was tagged by my friend, Yvonne to list 6 Quirky things about me. I honestly had a hard time thinking of things that could be considered quirky... After a few days I still couldn't think of much. By this point, I was thinking I must be a pretty normal person and maybe even cool! haha! But then what is considered normal or cool? So with no luck, I asked my husband if he thought any thing I did was quirky...I shouldn't have opened my big mouth! He laughed and started listing off all these things about me that he thought were so weird, like he had a list right there just waiting for me to ask! Geesh! I was thinking, "Ok, ok, you have already named six things....ok, thanks." Anyway, here are quirky things my husband and I came up with:

1. I pick at things...pimples, scars, scabs, sunburns, hang nails, anything that is pickable I pick! And NO, I don't pick my nose...haha! for that I like using a kleenex. That's just gross, we won't even go there! But everything else is fair game! Sometimes I don't even realize I am doing it, until Ryan tells me. "Honey, quit picking at my pimples!"

2. I talk in my sleep. Ryan gets home late from work and by then I have already been sleeping for an hour or two. I like to know when he gets home so I don't worry...(not that I would really know, since I am sleeping!) So when he tries to wake me up, I say weird things to him. For instance: "Did you give Celeste a bath?" (Celeste being my younger sister who is 15 and lives in Rexburg!) "The cookies are still cooking." "The water is shut off." "Did you get the dishes done?" Or sometimes I just stare at him for a long time he says, before I realize where I am. Which those times I can usually remember the next day starting at him, but don't remember some of things I have said.


3. I am easily startled. If I am frightened by a noise or a touch that I wasn’t expecting I always jump, scream, shake, run or sometimes…well, I probably shouldn't go there... So whenever Ryan comes into a room where I am, or comes home he gently calls out to me while knocking on the door “I’m coming in…” so I won’t jump, or scream. And something that kind of goes along with this is, If I sneeze more than twice in a row usually the third sneeze always gets me, I pee my pants...ok, so I went there! It was inevitable. Yes, I pee my pants, not a lot but enough! I know, I know, I seriously have the weakest bladder on the planet, that's what comes with having kids and a mom that has the same problem. It must run in the family! lol. thanks MOM! ;) But you can't judge me on this, sneezing is totally involuntary and so is the pee! "Free the Pee!"




4. Ryan says a quirky thing that happens, that he wished didn’t, is when we play card games or board games... 9 out of 10 times I win. I don’t know how or why, I just do. The first five years of our marriage he seemed ok with it, and it didn’t seem to bother him. BUT then all of a sudden just this one day while we were playing, he literally blew up at me!! I guess it was just one game to many that he had lost and well… I guess I can’t blame him!




5. He says, I eat food weird and too fast. For example, today we grilled some hotdogs today for lunch. After every bite I would tear a little bit of the bread off of the bun and put it on my plate. It’s not that there is too much bun for the hot dog; I just like more meat then bread when it comes to eating hotdogs. And I eat really fast because I grew up with two brothers, and if you didn't get your helping, it was gone in a flash!


Or when I eat a Reeses Peanut butter cup; I eat only the outside and throw the middle away. It’s way too much peanut butter! I guess that’s why they call it a ‘Peanut Butter Cup’??

6. I have two left feet. No, not really but I am constantly running into walls, doors,tables, desks, tripping on stairs, my own feet and falling into people. It's great fun, let me tell you....I mean, I can hold my own on a tennis court, but you bet I am tripping all the way there! Just yesterday, I smashed my toe into a step stool and as I was yelling in agnoy as I tripped and hit the bathroom door on my way down. At least once a day, I bash my foot, elbow or head into something!



Phew! That was really exhausting! It probably was for you too, having to read all of that quirkiness! So take a break and get ready to post your own quirks! Anyone that reads this is tagged by me!!

My little brother turns 18 big ones!!!

Happy Birthday Randy!!!

My little brother, Randy turned 18 today! Crazy to think that he is an adult now! Where did the time go? I still remember him as a toddler taking off his clothes and running naked in our neighbors sprinklers, or when he would take the whole package of Oreo cookies and hide under his bed and eat all of them!! (I think he still does that...) Since Randy was a toddler he has always thought he was older than he was...like when he rode his bike all the way across the neighborhood to be with the ten year old boys on the street. Then he would just tell us, "I am hanging out with my friends!" haha!

He has always been pretty independent and stubborn like his big sister, but is the sweetest guy around. He is very caring, gentle and outgoing. And a good friend to everyone. He is also an amazing athlete and football player. (We had the chance to go and watch him last week and he scored a touchdown while we were there! Pretty awesome!). He is a hardworker and we know he will be such a great missionary! We are so proud of you, Randy! Hope you had a great Birthday! We love you!!!

Happy Birthday Emma and Cristi!!!

Ryan and I want to give a Birthday shout out to our dear friend Cristi and her little girl, Emma today!! Emma's B-day was actually yesterday, she turned 4!

Happy Birthday Emma! And Happy Birthday Cristi!

Cristi and Alan have been friends of our since college, before we were all married. Ryan and Alan have been best friends since their diaper days...jk, since high school. They are such a cute couple and amazing friends! We would hang out together as much as we could, which was like everyday! We enjoyed , scrapbooking, dying our hair together, playing tennies, playing cards and board games, countless dinners, watching movies, BBQ's, and just laughing about old memories. Those were some great times! They live in California now, so we only get to see each other once a year, if that! We hope you guys both had a great B-day! Wish we were there with you!

Forrest. Forrest Gump.

After dinner tonight I put on an Elmo movie so I could have a few minutes to clean up dinner and do the dishes. I came in the room a few minutes later to check on them and found them sitting next to each other looking a lot like the movie...

Forrest Gump!

I thought it was blog worthy since Forrest Gump is such a great movie!

Great quotes from the movie:

Forrest Gump:

-Hello. My name's Forrest, Forrest Gump. You want a chocolate?

-My momma always said, "Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

-And cause I was a gazillionaire, and I liked doin it so much, I cut that grass for free.

-Mama says they was magic shoes. They could take me anywhere.
Now you wouldn't believe me if I told you, but I could run like the wind blows. From that day on, if I was ever going somewhere, I was running!

-Stupid is as stupid does

-Me and Jenny goes together like peas and carrots.

-Sometimes, I guess there are just not enough rocks.

Lieutenant Daniel Taylor: Have you found Jesus yet, Gump? Forrest Gump: I didn't know I was supposed to be looking for him, sir.

Man on Bench: It was a bullet, wasn't it? Forrest Gump: A bullet? Man on Bench: That jumped up and bit you. Forrest Gump: Oh, yes sir. Bit me right in the buttocks. They said it was a million dollar wound, but the army must keep that money 'cause I still haven't seen a nickel of that million dollars.

Forrest Gump: [running] I had run for 3 years, 2 months, 14 days, and 16 hours. [he stops and turns around] Young Man Running: Quiet, quiet! He's gonna say something! Forrest Gump: [pause] I'm pretty tired... I think I'll go home now.

Jenny Curran: Run, Forrest! Run!

Kisses for Daddy

Don't you think kisses are the best!? Especially when it comes from your kids! Most of the time they are slobbery and wet. Or their little faces are so covered in some left-over food from dinner that it gets all over your mouth. Yet, even the opened mouth ones, that Avery is so kindly demonstrating here are just the best!!!

So cute!

"Kiss me, you fool!" haha

Birthday Wish

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

Today Ryan's Mom turns 50, but don't feel too bad for her, she still looks and acts 29! ;) She is an amazing woman, daughter, sister, mom, mother-in-law and friend! She has so many talents and gifts; a great cook, pro scrapbooker-digital and paper, has her own online business, avid reader, is good at sewing, playing guitar, singing, dancing, loves to travel, and pretty much everything else! She is wity, caring, friendly, outgoing, and the kindest person you'll ever meet. She is so generous, positive about life, loves playing with her grandkids, spoils us rotten, and always listens to our problems and gives us good advice. She is also very spunky as those of you who read this can attest. She is a great mom and grandma and we don't know what we'd do without her. We love you mom!!

Doesn't she look incredible?!!

Pop! Crackle! Snap! Boom!!!

When it came to celebrating the 4th of July this year, my husband and I were probably pretty lame...meaning that we didn't go to a parade, we didn't buy or light even one single firework and worst of all we were probably the only neighbors in a 3 mile radius that didn't even have a flag out in our yard!!! (We really need to buy one!) How terrible is that?? Now for those of you that thought after reading my toothpaste entry that you weren't sure about being my friend, now you really have to consider! So call us cheap and lame, cuz we probably are, but we feel we can celebrate our country's independence with out all our hard earned money spent on fireworks. We celebrated with my family by having a BBQ and by remembering and being thankful for those that fought to give us our freedom and indepedence we have today. Don't get me wrong though, the 3 seconds of colorful lights that illuminate the sky are very beautiful and sometimes even breath taking. And how the loud pops, crackles, snaps, and booms heard and felt from just short distances away can stop us in our tracks and give us goose bumps. Yet, we find that letting others spend their money on fireworks and getting to see it even more pleasurable! Besides, we have enough of our own fireworks going on in our house that we don't need to be spending money to get more. Except, our fireworks sound more like...

Whhaaaaa!

Aaaaaah!

Grrrrr!

Oooow!!!




Happy 4th of July!!!

Horton Hears a Who!

Since yesterday was such a bad day for me and Madi, Ryan and I thought it would be fun to go see a movie with Madi and spend some much needed time with her. Ryan's aunt came over to watch Avery so Madisen had us all to herself. We saw Horton Hears a Who! And what a hoot it was! The movie was so cute and we had such a good time! I definitely want to buy it when it comes out on video. (Cristi I hope you don't mind me posting about this movie too!)

At first Madisen didn't know what to think by the BIG screen and the theatre being completely dark...she had this big eyed look like, where am I? But by the end of the movie, Madisen had a smile on her face that stretch from ear to ear. What she enjoyed most I think was well obviously the candy, but she also loved sitting in the bouncy theatre chairs as they sprang up and down as she moved.

2 Adult tickets-$4.00

Candy purchased-$5.00 (skittles, M&M's, twix bars, chocolate covered raisins and whoppers... we LOVE chocolate can't you tell??)

Large Root Beer-$3.95

*Time spent laughing with Madi at her first movie....Priceless!!!*