Grandma Michael Comes

Grandma Michael came for a week to come and play with us. She was on her way back from helping Tara with her new baby. We managed to go out and do a few things on some nice sunny days. We found a little train station that took us on an hour ride through a pretty area. They had an open train car and we spent most of our time out there. Addison convinced us to stop for UDF ice cream on the way home for lunch:) We took a nice picnic to one of our favorite parks and climbed the big tall town that Addison thinks Rapunzel lives in. Avery kept yelling at everyone that it was her tower! Grandma made bed time full of a lot of laughter and playing around. Thank you for visiting us and we wish we all lived closer!

Apple Picking

I was tired of sitting around not feeling well and we went out on a Saturday afternoon together. There was an apple festival in a nearby town going on. They had bee hive demonstrations, food trucks and apple picking. It was a really hot day so we didn't last a really long time, but it was still nice to get out. We came home and peeled lots and lots of apples. We made an apple crisp and then my dad made my favorite apple sauce like my grandma used to make. I pretty much lived off of it for a week!

Papa to the Rescue

About a month ago Papa came and stayed with us for a week. My mom had some girl friends visiting and he got kicked out:) The girls had a lot of fun and ran wild with him. He took them to the zoo and somehow the girls convinced him to let them get their faces painted. Addison went with a fierce purple cheetah and Avery picked a flamingo. They were on cloud nine and it was very dramatic when it was time to take the paint off. We went to Papa's favorite dinner spot of a Costco pizza combo. Papa was a hero and helped catch big grasshoppers in their bug catchers. Nights ended in laughter and soaking each other with a hose. I was able to get some rest and sit in my bed waiting for the nausea to pass. One evening when I was feeling decent Dave and I were able to sneak away to one more Red's baseball game. Aren't we grateful for grandparents who live close! 

Keepin It Real

This pregnancy has once again reminded me that my body doesn't do pregnancy very well. I just hit 19 weeks and I think (knock on wood) I'm finished throwing up all day long. Poor Addison would pray for me that I would feel better and it would make me cry! I've done a lot of falling asleep and then finding 100 photos of myself sleeping from the girls. I have never been so happy that Addison is able to get food out of the pantry and fill her own water cup for her and Avery. Netflix has been rolling most of the days, but we're surviving. Both my parents have spent time helping in between scooting back to Idaho. Dave hasn't complained once that I haven't cooked, rarely cleaned and look like death when he comes home. He took the girls to the library one day and they found a book that he thought was perfect called..Sometimes You Barf. I've been taking the girls to playgroup again and I'm back to making dinner and cleaning the house. I've started purging closets and organizing rooms. The nesting phase in the second trimester is my favorite. I'm starting to show and people can tell I am pregnant. Besides the being sick part of pregnancy I'm carrying very different this time. This little lady is sitting extremely low and I am a lot smaller this time around. I am relating it to chasing two busy girls around all day long! I am starting to feel her move and kick a lot more and as usual it seems to be later at night. I love being able to feel the baby move. It helps to remind me that this suffering is all but a moment and it worth it. 

Doing Big Girl Things

Before Addison started preschool I took her out for a little mommy-daughter date. We went to the mall and I let her pick out a new school outfit. This was the first time that I've taken Addison to the dressing room to try things on. It was kind of a magical moment for me to watch Addison admire herself in the mirror and turn and look around at herself. Against my wishes Addison picked a My Little Pony dress complete with a tail and wings. She also picked a pair of pants that have Minnie Mouse on the knees. She wants to wear the pants every.single.day!! We topped the evening off with Addison's favorite soft pretzels with an icee. I especially love being a mom to girls when we get to go do special things like this! 

Little Ladies

These two are becoming best of friends...most of the time:) Dressing up together and pulling out every blanket and pillow are their favorites. Addison likes to pretend that the pillows and blankets are dragon forts. Which causes Avery to think that there are monsters hiding around every corner! Addison continues to beg to go to Hobby Lobby to pick a craft every change she gets. She really likes to paint sun catchers. Avery likes to steal the soapy dish wand and cover the entire main floor before I notice. These two girls keep me really busy, but at the end of the day Addison still wants me to lay by her and Avery wants to be rocked to sleep. When I lay Avery down she has started to say, "Goodnight, love you!" Addison always asks when the sun will be up and if she can sneak come cartoons in while I make breakfast. They both like to watch, Sofia the First together which is nice that they can agree. Going out for frozen yogurt is still a family favorite activity. Both girls have mastered shoving large spoonfuls as fast as they can in their mouths! 

Pre-K

Back at the beginning of September Addison started Pre-K at St. James Preschool. She goes Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9-11:30. It has been a really nice transition for her to be away from me. I can tell that she is still really shy in her class, but that is how both Dave and I were when we were young. She has started to come home and talk about different friend's names and is always happy when I pick her up. Her teachers names are Mrs. Hill and Miss Foley. They have a pet guinea pig and in one of the classrooms there is a slide. She has brought home some beautiful pieces of artwork and I'm sure she paints every chance she gets. They have a school rule to wear tennis shoes and it cramps her style with a dress. This has been a little bit of a struggle in the mornings when we're trying to rush out the door. I finally let her pick a new pair of shoes that are bright pink and she calls her "school shoes". The preschool is a methodist church so once a month she has a sermon from Paster Stu. When I ask her what they talk about she tells me things like, "How to be nice to your neighbors and how to be a good friend." I think she would like to go everyday, but I'm adjusting to having to get moving early two days a week:) Addison signed us up to bring snack one day and was on cloud nine when she picked cheese crackers. One day last week when I picked Addison up her teacher told me she announced that there was going to be a halloween party at her house. She had made a whole pile of "invitations" and signed her name on them. I was glad that she hasn't mastered writing her address and phone number yet! I had to inform her teacher that she could tell parents that there is NO party! Addison wanted everyone to come over and go trick or treating together. She is my little party girl! I'm grateful for the opportunity that she has to go to preschool and have teachers that I trust and admire. The fun part of the year with holiday parties is approaching and I'm excited for Addison to be apart of a school this year. 

Fall Is In the Air

Fall is my favorite change of season. I love pulling out warm clothes that I haven't worn in a  year and all the fun activities that come along with that. Dave and I had plans to go on a date and cancelled to spend some family time with the girls. It had been a long week and Dave and I had each been gone multiple nights. We took the girls to a small local farm. We rode a fun pumpkin train ride that was pulled by a huge tractor. The girls thought it was the best thing ever. We saw a pumpkin being catapulted into the air and found a warm campfire to sit around. There were two mazes set up with hay bales that the girls ran around and chased each other. We let the girls pick out a huge family pumpkin to carve later on in the month. We ended the evening with cups of hot coco at home. It was just what our little family needed. I'm reminded that all these little ladies want from me is just my time. When we pulled into the farm I thought it was going to be a bust. There wasn't much to do, but the girls laughed and smiled the whole hour and a half that we were there. Our lives seem to be so busy lately that I can't seem to catch my breath. Between church callings and a busy work schedule the days are passing by quickly. Addison asked me if I would go kick the soccer ball with her one night when Dave was on call. I told her sure and she told me, "I like your attitude!" It made me laugh inside, but also sad that she got so excited that I was going to play with her. I have done a lot of laying around since April between my stomach issues and a rough pregnancy. Both girls haven't seemed to hold anything against me, but I wish I could fast forward time to when I would feel better. Mommy guilt is a heavy weight and mine seems to be very full right now. I'm grateful to have to girls that will scream my name is happy squeals when I wake up from a nap when Dave is home.

The next day after our family outing Dave had to work a 24 hour call shift. It's always a bummer when he works a whole Saturday. I had been invited to a sealing for my visiting teaching companion. I had to get a sitter for the girls since Dave was gone. Afterwards I had to go straight to the church for a visiting teaching conference that I was in charge of. The kind woman who was watching the girls brought them to the church so I wouldn't be any later than I already was. We had a wonderful evening each soups and homemade rolls. I spoke on the impact that visiting teaching  can have and I think it went well. I enjoyed spiritually preparing what I was going to say and felt guided throughout the evening. The girls had been at the church for five hours and then happily played while we cleaned up. I am continually amazed at the tender mercies that are given to me on days that I need a miracle. It was a really long day and I was worried I wasn't going to physically be able to do it. Not only did I feel fine, but the girls didn't have any meltdowns either. They were great for the sitter and they weren't begging me to leave the church. This was one of those days where the mommy guilt is usually really high. I hate that I drag them to all that I have to do and then when it takes up the whole day I feel really bad. The girls loved me at the end of the day and I rocked Avery extra long and then laid by Addison to get extra hugs. To top of the wonderful day I ran into the previous relief society president that I served with in the parking lot at the temple. We both ran to each other and embraced in a hug. I miss Sister Terry a lot. I really enjoyed serving with her and it has been difficult to adjust to a new presidency and personalities. It made my soul happy to see her one more time.  What a busy and full weekend, but incredibly rewarding!

NO WORDS

Avery Mae Michael is raising the level of terrible twos around here! I have been having really bad migraines with this pregnancy and they always happen when Dave is gone. I was given some medication by my doctor and took half a pill on Monday morning. I laid face down on the floor and put a movie on for the girls. Meanwhile Avery got a chair and opened our junk drawer...and found a permanent marker and a pair of scissors. I passed out from the meds and Avery went to TOWN. She colored her entire face and hands including up her nose and inside her ears. She got ahold of my phone and scribbled on the front, decorated about 20 books, the coffee table, walls and some of the hard wood floors. It was all my worst fears coming to a reality! I was just lucky she didn't get the couch or non wipe-able surfaces. After throwing her in the tub and Addison helping me scrub her down with no luck I started to cry. My head was killing me and she just thought this was the best day of her life! Dave called that he was on his way home and I had him pick up some baby oil. Dave used a TON of slippery baby oil and Avery now looks recognizable again. She looks like a wet grease monkey and probably will for a few more days! Aunt Jenny called Avery Mogley the bear which we all thought was really funny.Avery you better give this poor mama a break for the rest of the year! Some day I'll laugh really hard at this...some day:)