Sick Emily

My camera is having battery problems or I would show you the patheticness (not a word) of the Emily. She has had fevers since Monday and says her stomach hurts. I took her into the doctor and they think it could be a urinary tract infection. But it has a chance of being something else too. So she started antibiotics Monday and is still laying down saying it hurts to walk. Most likely she will be taken BACK to the doctors today unless she improves. It is another day of watching and waiting. She is drinking and finally eating some, but still says it hurts to walk. Who knows what is the matter, but I want to find out the problem and get her up and playing again soon.

What it is To Be Emily

Emily is a joy to have in our family and she has very funny and cute things about her too. Like silly sayings she has that I could never remember all of them. But she told me the other day about her binoculars. "Mommy, these are even better than my real EYES!" Or the time she was playing in a giant box that we colored and made into a house and said "Mommy, I like this box even better than our own house." I am so glad she is so easy to please. And that really is the truth.

She is the child that thinks binoculars are the best present she could ask for. Or she gets really excited when I come home with "new" books. She loves going to the library or the toy store. Not to get a toy even, just to look and "push the buttons".

She loves the outdoors. If we lived in a warm climate I don't think I could ever get her to stay inside. She would do her school outside, eat outside. She loves being out and we spend ever second we can out of the house in the summer.

Right now Emily loves Barbies and wants new clothes for them. Sadly though, they don't make them anymore and what they do make are a fortune online. If I can get on the ball I will make them myself. If I can. Emily is very good to her little sister. She wanted a friend for so long and there was very little jealousy when we brought Lindsey home. She was so happy not to be alone anymore. And as Lindsey has grown, they have become closer and they play very well. They have their fighting moments, but most of the time they are two peas in a pod. We love Emily and think she is just wonderful!

A Day in the Life of Lindsey

Lindsey is such a silly little thing and we all love her dearly. But she has some pretty interesting quirks. She loves to repeat things. If only I could really demonstrate just how funny this is as we drive in the car, but she will repeat these things over and over and over and we don't get sick of them because with that little bitty voice of hers it sounds adorable. She says

-I see it now
-ladybug
-yellow, pink
-Do you see it?
-balloon

One of these things is repeated until she feels she got it right. And if you try to steer her away from whatever it is she is practicing she will not have it. She goes right back into it.

She is also showing a potty training interest. I am debating on whether or not I should go with it or I should wait until we move when her world turns upside down and she reverts back. But she can pull off her pants, ASKS to go potty and tries to put Emily's panties on. Hummm... is she trying to tell me something here?

This little girl loves to be a little mommy to her babies. Feeds them, rocks them, puts them to sleep. She loves it and all of her dolls have the same name: baby.

She has a good set of lungs and she uses them! She screams so loud I think my ear drums have had it and so have the neighbors. She is a feisty and stubborn thing and is not like her sister in what works as far as discipline goes. With Emily reverse psychology worked like a charm! Not with Lindsey, she puts it right back in your face. You tell her to come or we are leaving and instead of running after you like Emily did, she stays there and waits until YOU cave. Oooo...

Lindsey is very tender hearted. If you cough she asks if you are okay. She hugs and cuddles and is a daddy's girl, while Emily has turned into a mommy's girl. Lindsey is very snuggly and cares about others and is best friends with Emily. She is so sweet and we adore having her here in our home.

New Year's Resolution

I have always written a New Year's Resolution. This year is no different. There are personal parts of my resolution and ones that are between me and God and then there are those that I always refocus on each year. I feel that a goal isn't a goal and is much less attainable if it is not written down.

1) Regain my health: It seems that my body will probably go through my life with ups and downs and times of feeling good and times of feeling- well, not so good. I think it is just what happens and the only thing I can control is the foods I eat, the sleep I get and the exercise I do. The Lord is in control of my life and health and if I get sick, it will help me be grateful for the times that I am well. I have eaten a lot of bad and "none" foods over the holidays and I am feeling it. It isn't as bad as I have been in the past, but it feels similar to my year of sickness, so I will fight it at the beginning. Health is so important and if you don't feel good, very few things can matter. I won't let myself get to the depressive state I was in a few years ago though. That is a dark place I will not go back to!

3) Serve more: I have been so blessed and have had so many people give and give to me. I never knew how important service was until I understood what it means to really receive it. I am making a stronger commitment to serve those around me, armed with the examples of those who served me as my motivation.

4) Paint a LOT: I really do love to paint, but as a mom I always feel that something else needs to be done first. Or it seems to be too much hassle to get out my things and feel the creative process. But when I neglect it, my mind becomes starved with the desire to create.

5) Go to bed earlier: I say this now as it is midnight, but in my defense I had a long nap today. But I WILL be headed off to bed once this is done. I am a night owl and I stay up later than I should. It has its negative effects and I feel them. My poor children know that mommy is sluggish in the morning too.

6) Read more: I love to read, I also love my computer and art time. I have conflicting interests you see. My nights are spent up in either art, computer, reading or- cleaning, I know, boring. I have goals of books I need to read and reading can often change my thinking. It is one of my most favorite times to have a hot bath on a cold winter's night with a good book.

7) Organize!: This is a constant for me. I organize all the time, but right now it is worse than it has ever been and is driving me crazy. Part of the reason it is as bad as it is right now is because of the small space we need to move from. Which brings me to my next one...

8) Buy a house: Maybe this doesn't seem like a resolution, but it really is. The more I work on this goal the more likely it will be to have it happen.

9) Play with my kids more: We learn and do things together, but sometimes it is hard for me as a mom to get down on the floor and play Barbies with Emily. She loves it though. As does Lindsey when she "cooks" for me as I sit there and play with her. Kids need this time as much as I need to just relax and play sometimes.

10) Go on a family vacation: I do consider this a goal. We haven't been on one as an entire family, ever. Robert and I went to Disneyland for our 1 year anniversary, but we both got sick and had to come home. I went with Emily to San Francisco with Robert's family and he stayed because of school. He is now graduated! WHOOHOO! And I would like all of us to go away somewhere and enjoy just being together as a family. We would like to do Disneyland, but if not that, we will find somewhere fun to be. It is definitely a worthy resolution in my book.

Family Party

My siblings are so fun and crazy. We went to my brother Michael and my sister-in-law Amberly's house to play games and eat good food. Mmmm... apples and caramel and ham. Yummy! The girls played with toys and we played some really fun games. We laughed at some of the silly things we wrote and drew with one of the games we played. It was great fun and here are some of the crazy pictures.

Emily and her cousin Savanna who is a year older than her. You can't tell though, Emily is so tall and mature for her age. And my sister Nicole who will most likely not like this picture very much.

In this one though, Nicole is just asking to have it posted and next to her is my cooky brother Michael who was nice to host the get together.

My cute sister-in-law Amberly.

My very animated older sister Rachel. Can we say we have dramatics in the family? I think that may be the case. It was tons of fun! Thanks everybody.

Jungle Jim's

I took the girls to Jungle Jim's with my sister-in-law Lori and brother-in-law Arch and their kids. It was actually pretty pricey for a place that I don't think is ever cleaned and hasn't been updated in 10 years. But whatever. The kids loved it and had a blast! Lindsey's favorite ride was the swings and she went on them about 5 times, until it became apparent she was missing nap time and was falling asleep on them. Poor thing. Emily had a blast with her cousins and I didn't get many pictures with her because she disappeared with them going on all the rides a million times. I usually knew where she was, but she was on one ride and moved on to the next before I knew what was what. Here are all the pictures from the day.



Emily and Lindsey on the bumper cars. They kept going in circles and couldn't figure out how to go straight. Lindsey did not want to do it again.




The kids on the train. Emily and her cousin Alex and behind them is Lindsey and Sienna (they are only 2 weeks apart and are such good friends!)


Lindsey hanging out in the small house and the maze part with the slides.


Emily and Lindsey on the swings. Sienna wanted to go on every time she watched Lindsey, but when we tried to put her in them she would get angry and cry. Silly girl! They all had a lot of fun and didn't want to leave.

Birthday Haircut

For my birthday I really wanted a change with my hair. I have had it the same for so long I wanted to go different. My sister has a sister-in-law who does an awesome job cutting and styling their hair so they suggested I go see her. Well, she was busy so I was considering finding someone else, but she said she would take me in. When I went to the cute salon she works at, it was only her. She was taking me on her time off or after work hours. SO sweet! She cut it SO cute and then blew it dry and styled it for me. I LOVE it! Then to top it off she didn't charge me for it and said "Happy Birthday" how totally sweet. Here is the birthday hair style and cut.