well well well.....look who's back

Where to start.....

We have taken a little bit of a break from the blogging world. Feels like I have been missing out on what is going on in everyones life because I have not been keeping up with the blogging.

I love summer because it seems like there is always something fun to do. I am so hating that it is over. Went by way too fast. Zina and I spent all of July up in Boise for Zina girl's swim lessons. It was really fun to get to spend so much time with my family but was also a really long time to be away from home. Zina did awesome with her lessons. She is now officially a little fish. We got a new video camera so as soon as I figure out how to put video on here, I will post a video of the little fish in action.

Even more depressing than summer being over is that I spent the last two weeks of it laid up with a bum shoulder. Couldn't even get out and make the most of our last few weeks of summer.....Lame. On the 10th I had to have surgery on my shoulder and so it has been a long couple weeks. I do have to admit though that I have had a great nurse at home. Dan has taken such great care of me. I am so lucky to have him. He has been Martha Stewart, Mr. Mom, Super Dad and Florence Nightingale all in one. It also helps to have really great friends who have taken such great care of me. I am so so grateful for the meals and the ice and the yummy drinks and the thoughtful phone calls.......even the offers to call the Doctor and demand better pain pills (hehe) I also appreciate the time spent just hanging out with me. (You know who you are.....I hope!!) Thanks guys!!

Hopefully we will be better about blogging and rejoining the blogging universe.

Until next time..........

Our House

Well our lives are super crazy right now and we don't have much time to blog. But I did see this cute little quiz on Monique's blog and I was curious to see what my house would have to say about me.......

Your Home Says That You Feel Settled and Calm

You don't come across as very intellectual or serious. You seem like a bit of a goofball. Your hygiene is passable, but you may be hiding some dirty secrets. You are a very domestic person. You enjoy decorating, cooking, and making things homey. You are not a nurturing person by nature, but you can easily take care of someone you truly love. You feel settled in your life. You have enough time to focus on little details. You are a somewhat self sufficient person. You can do fine on your own if you have to. Your friends see you as honest, humble, and responsible.

What Does Your Home Say About You?

It's Official......

Yesterday we officially started working on the Potty Training with Zina. For awhile now we have been getting her used to her big girl potty, but haven't really been "working" with her. So, yesterday we went and got her some big girl panties and have been letting her run around in them all day. We take her to use the big girl potty about every half hour. She absolutely loves her little underoos. As soon as we put them on her she starts dancing around and acting like a freak of nature.....like it is the greatest thing to ever happen to her......second to fruit snacks, naturally. Keep your fingers crossed for us that it catches on and we don't have too many accidents in our pretty little underoos. We'll keep ya updated on our progress.

Great Friends

Ok, so it has definitely been awhile since I have sat down and taken the time to blog. Not that there hasn't been anything blog worthy going on in our lives, but because I have been super busy lately. Anyways, the last couple weeks my friend Katie and I have been having "sit around and watch TV" days. I have come to realize that good friends are sometimes hard to come by. Am I the only one who feels this way? We have had some really great conversations about kids, marriage and life in general. It is always nice to have someone that you can really talk to and who totally understands what you are going through....whether good or bad. So, I just want to say thanks to all my great friends. You know who you are and I hope you know how truly grateful I am for all of you!

A Friend

A friend is like a shade tree

Beside a summer way.

A friend is like the sunshine

That makes a perfect day.

A friend is like a flower

That's worn close to your heart.

A friend is like a treasure

With whom I never want to part.

Polar Express

So my next couple posts are so past due it is pathetic. But better late than never. Back in December, if you can remember back that far, my parents came down for the weekend and we all went to Heber and did the Polar Express on the Heber Creeper. It was so much fun. We didn't really know what to expect, because we had heard it was cold and kind of uncomfortable. So we had blankets, coats, gloves, hats....the works. We were set. But once we got into our car we really didn't need any of it. We did use the blankets, though, so that it seemed more cozy. We think we got the best car because it was so nice and warm and the seats were really nice too. And when we left we were checking out all the other ones and ours was definitely the best. Anyways, the kids were all dressed in their jammies and we had a really great time. Not to mention that Santa and Mrs. Clause made a suprise visit too. We all had such a great time.

A Christmas to Remember.............

I have been reading a few blogs today and it got me thinking. Every year Dan and I pick a family and buy gifts for them. It is always someone we don't know and have never met. We love doing it and we love the experience we get to share as a family. Last year, instead of gifts, my parents wanted us to take the time and money we would spend on their gifts and do it for someone else. They asked us to write a letter to them about our experiences and at our family Christmas party they had everyone put their letters on the Christmas tree and they opened them Christmas morning and read them together. I don't know what my brothers and sisters did or what they wrote about in their letters. I do know that Christmas morning was a very emotional time for my parents as they read every ones stories about what they did for other people and the experiences they shared in their letters to my Mom and Dad. Dan and I have been struggling this year to get into the "giving" spirit. Usually through the month of December we enjoy the season by doing fun things for other families. It has become a tradition that we love love love. But this year we just haven't found the time and in truth....can't seem to find the desire. As I have been reading different blogs today, I realized how selfish we are being through our "scrooginess" this year. Our fun little tradition is not for families who "need" anything....it is just for fun and hopefully brings a little Christmas cheer. December is usually such a fun month in our house as we try to think of the fun new things we can do and take to our families. My readings today helped me find a little of my own buried Christmas cheer. So I just wanted to thank my fellow bloggers for helping me get back into the Christmas spirit. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

~ The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving.

~Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare think.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Ok so this post is way past due.....Dan and I were cleaning up the house a couple of weeks ago and Zina wanted to play in the bedroom with Daddy.........Well Daddy doesn't pay very good attention sometimes.......as I am sure most of you Moms out there can relate to. I noticed it was awfully quiet in the bedroom, so I went in to see what they were doing. Well, Daddy was doing something other than watching the little freak of nature we own.......and I found her in the closet doing this..................................................

Here is her Huh, who Me?...look.........

Zina loves to sit in the closet on the floor with me while I do my make-up. It is beyond me how I ever make it out of the house, because it takes me like an hour just to get my make-up on and for Zina to get hers on. She loves to take the brushes and put make-up on.....can't say I blame her. What little girl doesn't love to put make-up on, right?

Say good-bye to Little Orphan Annie

Yes, it was finally time to get rid of Zina's Little Orphan Annie hair. While we were up in Boise for Thanksgiving, we asked Grandma and Grandpa if they would give Zina her 1st haircut. Grandpa has given all the grandkids haircuts....ok maybe just the boys.....but we figured it was only right that Zina had a turn too. Dan and I went to the movie Saturday night and Grandma and Grandpa's house turned into Zina's personal little barber shop. As you can see from the last picture, Little Orphan Annie got a little impatient and wiggled her way to a nice little choppy chop. But, I think if we just comb it all together no one will notice right?.....right....right guys!?

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa, you're the best!

We love you!

Our First Trip to the Dentist

Today Zina had her first Dentist visit. She did so great! She didn't like it very much when the Dentist was looking at her teeth, but she got over it real fast........especially when she saw the prize drawer. Woohoo!

Just kickin' back in the waiting room, waiting for our turn!

Made a new friend in the waiting room.

Catching up on a little reading about baby animals in the big girl chair!

Icky fluoride!

More icky bubbly fluoride!

Dentist time.......

More Dentist.....

And all that hard work paid off, with the prize drawer! Yipee!

We are so proud of our little big girl for handling the dentist like a pro!

Trick-or -treat smell my feet........

We had a really great Halloween weekend up in Boise. Everyone met up at Steve and Camille's and had dinner and lots of yummy treats. The weather was the best it has been for Halloween in a really long time. Not even really coat weather. It was perfect. Madi, Zina and I were all little 50's gals with matching poodle skirts. You are probably wondering what that BIG black thing is.......and if you're not, you should be. Well the BIG black scary looking monster is Dan. He looked awesome. He was definitely the hit of the party and the hit of all the trick or treating kids....not to mention the adults. He heard lots of screams, got lots of scares and saw lots of tears. Just the reation he was hoping for. Zina was a little trooper. It was her first trick or treating experience and she did awesome. She got lots of good candy too. Poor baby just didn't have enough energy to get to the last couple of houses though, so we plopped her in the stroller with Josie and she zonked. All in all it was a really great night.

Trick or treat, smell my feet, gimme something good to eat!

Happy Halloween!

Moments..........

To be a child is to know the joy of living, to have a child is to know the beauty of life.

I love you Z!

Love,

Mommy

Picture Tag

I was tagged by my sister-in-law Kristen. Here is what I'm suppose to do...Post a picture from my computer. It has to be the 4th picture in the 4th file. Give a little explanation of what the picture is. Then tag 4 people.



One of Zina's many hospital photo shoots. My Mom, Mandy and I were getting ready to take her pictures in the dress that I came home from the hospital in. Yes the dress is a whopping 26 years old and my Mom saved it all these years. Now it belongs to Zina and hopefully some day she will have a little girl who will have a hospital photo shoot too. Yes I know I look smashing in this photo! There is just something about hospital gowns that is so sexy!


I tag......Monique, Dawn, Camille and Becky