Is anybody out there?

It's been entirely too long since I have posted.  I am going to start with now, and every now and then post some from months ago.

Sarah started Preschool...she loves it.  She is so proud to get "green" for her behavior every day. 

Mrs. Pula is such a good teacher for her.  She really brings out the positive in her. 

Sarah can write her name.  She likes to call grandma all by herself.

She loves gymnastics.  And she loves playing "name that tune," (Disney Princess songs only!!) while we are riding in the car.  She'll sing a song from a Disney Princess movie, and I have to guess the movie it comes from.

Sarah is a little daredevil.  She scares me on a regular basis, and yet I'm trying to help her be brave for the tough tricks that gymnastics brings.

She does no-handed cartwheels on our couch.

I put her on the high bar at Sunset Park.  She flips over it and drops down to the ground on her feet.

She does front flips on our bed...

Trying to be as encouraging as my mother-heart will allow.

We went for a weekend getaway to Park City with the Sneed's.  Brad had a race, and Lolly and I went to Swiss Days in Midway.  I got these awesome red/coral boots for Sarah and these darling eyelet dresses for the girls.  Only $10!!  I couldn't make them for that.  On the way back from Park City, we stopped and stayed in Parowan with John's parents.  I insisted on taking the girls out to the open field by their home to take pictures.  I left feeling so frustrated that I was convinced I didn't get anything good.  But I love how they turned out.

Jane is doing great.  She is starting to speak in full sentences.  I love what a little "lover" she is.  She always leans forward and puckers up for kisses and says, "I love you" on a very regular basis.  My favorite is when I lay on the floor or grass she runs over to me yelling, "DU-DDLE!" (Meaning "cuddle").  Then she lays on me with her thumb in her mouth to cuddle.  She loves Sarah so much...and typically if Jane gets something (like fruit snacks) the first thing she says is, "Ya ya??"  Which is "Sarah."  Her way of asking for one for Sarah also.

Jane is very easy going in every sense of the word.  It doesn't really matter what time I give her a nap, as long as I give her one. 

She doesn't cry for much, except chocolate.  She is her mother's daughter.  Ha!

No, I'm not exaggerating.  She literally cries for chocolate every day. 

I keep a 1-chocolate-milk-per-day-rule because she would live off of it if she could.  With her sweet demeanor, she just might get it all day if I didn't have that rule.

That 1-chocolate-milk is gone before 8:00 am.

 

John and I are doing well.  I am coming up on busy season.  (is it ever not busy season? lol)  I just got released from YW.  Sad...I love YW.  But we are moving, and they needed to make some changes anyway.

John is still working graveyard and biking/playing basketball as much as time will allow.  He likes his squad pretty well, but seems like there might be some changes pretty soon.

 

Ok - that's all for now!  More some day...

Ohhhh...to ever catch up

 

Again...I'll let the pictures tell the story.

We went on the train ride in Boulder City in August...

I set the timer on this picture and set it on the seat in front of us.

Not too bad!!

 Jane being Jane...I could tote her around all day and she would just be as sweet as could be.

 Somehow, Sarah draws attention wherever she goes. 

The conductor just loved her and let her wear his hat. 

 Went to Parowan to visit John's parents for General Conference weekend.  Fall is just my absolute favorite.  Too bad we don't get much of the fall colors here...

 A random Sunday church picture the beginning of October 

 Sarah modeling the skirt I made...and sporting our new favorite hairstyle.  She LOVES to play, and consequently her hair never stays the way Mommy fixes it.  So now we do messy buns!  Stays out of her face, and looks cute when it's not "perfect."

 Oh be still my heart!!  My girlies at our ward trunk or treat.  Sarah quickly lost the Minnie Mouse ears...but they loved every second.  I think Sarah's favorite was the cake walk.  Jane just loved being passed around and people watching.

We also visited a Pumpkin Patch by our house in October.  Sarah loved riding the swings and playing on the huge blow up slide.  The kids had to climb up one side (ladder style) the slide down.  It's hard to describe exactly what it was like and how big it was...it was like one of those jumper house things.  And it was VERY big and steep.  There was a boy, probably 6 or 7, that was really struggling getting up.  Sarah just passed right by them, then slid down by herself without a care in the world!  The worker seemed really impressed by that.

We all went to cheer Daddy on during his bike race.

It started as a team 24-hour race, but there wasn't enough support for the 24-hour race to be worth it.  So it ended up being 12 hours of Boulder (solo).

John did 4 laps!

I also managed (how?) to plan a small photog retreat with a few of my friends. 

[HUGE thanks to my mom and dad!!!]

My Great Aunt Mary came up to meet with us and provide some encouragement.

It was so much fun!  We laughed, and ate, and "talked shop" and went antique shopping, and did a stylized shoot with two sisters and their mom...great weekend!

I stressed myself out over unimportant things about that weekend, but I know for next time.

Sarah is doing great with preschool.  I think it has unleashed her creative side a little.

I was wrapping a present and had the tape out...I was distracted when Sarah asked for a piece of tape.  I went to the computer room to work for a bit, and came out to see this...

She taped that rose to her helmet...put on her cape and started running around.  That girl cracks me up!

Funny things Sarah says/does:

Mom!  Jane is sooooo woggley!

A couple of times she has grabbed a sponge or paper towel, gotten on her hands and knees, singing at the top of her lungs, "IT'S A HARD KNOCKED LIFE FOR US!" while scrubbing the floor.

Look at the sky God made for us!

Mom...why did God make volcanoes?  [wait...what?  how do you know about volcanoes?]

After trying to explain volcanoes, and her continual asking, I relented to telling her God made the world that way.  She kept right on asking "why."  I told her only God knows...Sarah told me she wanted to call God and ask him why there are volcanoes - she thinks they are scarey. 

I told her we can't call God.

"Why Mommy?"

me: "Well...sweetie when we want to talk to God, we say our prayers."

[wheels turning]

"Well...how does He talk to us?"

me: "We feel it in our hearts...sometimes it's a small voice in your mind."

"Oh.  OK!!"

She then prays OUT LOUD in the car to Heavenly Father and asks Him WHY there are volcanoes.

Sarah then told me that everything was ok and she felt good in her heart.  Oh my...

Jane's Milestones:

Says Ma-ma, Da-da, Ba-ba, and Nigh-nigh

Smiles so much!

Has two bottom teeth

Wiggles her bum when she crawls

Is a Momma's girl [big time!]

Loves to eat people food!  Refuses to eat baby food!

Pulls herself up to everything

Raises her arms when we say "YAY!"

Doesn't like surprises [like tossing her in the air, etc]

Sucks her thumb

Is an awesome cuddler

Still as floppy as a fish

MORE TO COME!

Jane's birthday pictures/portraits

Thanksgiving

8 months

Jane Elizabeth couldn't be any sweeter.

Had another recent bout with ear infections, then strep throat...

poor thing keeps getting sick.

Came across these pictures the other day...

had to share.

THAT is John's sister Melissa!!

I asked Sarah who she thought it was...

she, of course said, "Jane!!"

It's crazy to me how much they look alike!

And yes, that's John.  Melissa has a son that looks just like John.

Fun to look and compare...



That sweet face...

Look at this little cutie pie...

That sweet face SAVES her on a regular basis!!

Surely this isn't the face of a girl who has gotten thrown out of nursery.

(OK that's a little dramatic...she was just told she had to finish church with mommy and she would be able to come back when she stopped spitting in the faces of the teachers)

Surely this isn't the face of the girl who got in trouble, got sent to her room, sneaked into Mom & Dad's room to get a full cup of water to pour ALL over her bed

And it COULDN'T be the girl who growls loudly when she gets frustrated/upset

(thanks alot Kai Lan - her favorite show)

And certainly it isn't the girl who had a FULL melt down when we went in to pick up Thai food because I made her put her shoes back on (how unreasonable of me).  The food wasn't ready yet.  Imagine arching back, kicking feet, big tears, and me carrying her and Jane (in her car seat) back to the car to wait.  Oh and don't forget to pick up the shoes that she just threw half way across the room.  Ha!

It is the face of the girl who gives me "big squeezy" hugs

And the girl who tells me the song "Familes Can be Together Forever" makes her cry

It is the beautiful face of the girl who comes to cuddle me every morning

and the face that completely lights up when Jane comes in the room

It's also the sweet face of a girl who asks if I'm ok after I cough

and the girl who likes to sing lullabies to her sister.

It is the face of a girl who tells me, "Thank you, My Highness" after I give her something (not sure where that one came from LOL!)

and says, "I don't feel the Holy Ghost in my heart anymore!" occasionally when there is tension

Our Sarah is smart, sweet, and sassy.
And we wouldn't have it any other way.

For Mom & Dad (and Lolly-since I'm pretty sure they are the only ones that still read this. Ha!)

Again...I'll say it with pictures this time.

We got a little person trampoline.  It's perfect for Sarah, our budget, and our backyard.  She loves it!  Probably jumps on it every day.

 I got a new lens...fun stuff!  Opened the pantry to see the colors in the background.  I'm a dork.  Wanted to play with distortion in the focal length...I thought this was the perfect face for it.

 You rarely see this kind of face on Jane.  She is such a delightful baby.

Set up to do 6 mo pics for Jane.  Of course, Sarah had to participate.
She chose her outfit and was dancing very dramatically.  This just makes me laugh.
Love our little drama queen.

 

And here's Jane's 6 month.

I could practically squeeze her all day.

She's kinda floppy, and really cuddly.

Swimming at Sneed's...
I have a feeling we will be doing that a lot this summer.
Especially when they heat it to 88 degrees!

 Jane's first time in the pool - not sure what to think

 Yes.  I am already training Sarah for cheerleading.
Gotta start 'em young!!  LOL!

Sweet Baby Jane at Cousin Meg's birthday party...
and Meg was nice enough to let the cousins dive into her cake.

Sarah started a little ballet class.  She loves it!
She however, thinks she is the boss of everyone.
Not quite sure what to think of that.  She definitely is our "Mighty Mini."
She may be small, but she has a big personality.

I love that you can see John's reflection in this picture.  And it looks like Sarah is looking right at him.  Awwww....


Fun times at Town Square.

 Rockin' it all white trash-like at the cabin...all of us.

Sarah admiring her sister making a mess of herself.

Totally thought she was teething, gave Jane a biter biscuit.

This was a hard weekend.  We came home thinking,
"We are NEVER doing a family trip until the girls are WAYYYYY...older."
Come to find out they both had strep, tonsilitis, and Jane had major ear infections.  Lovely.


So glad I caught this moment.  I tell John how cuddly Jane is...
he tells me, "She saves the cuddles for Mommy.  I don't get them."

 Such a cutie!  Oh, and Jane too.  ;)

At 7 months (tomorrow) I want to record some of her milestones.
She is a cuddler...especially after nursing
She finally started rolling over about 3 weeks ago
Super smiley and mellow
Loves squash, pears, applesauce
She sits up pretty well now, but still needs a pillow to protect from face plants
Jane sleeps like a champ now (knock on wood).  9:00pm-6:00am
Is fitting into a lot of 12 month clothes already
I'm sure she'll pass up Sarah before they get to middle school
Patiently let's Sarah hug her and "love" her to pieces
Sucks her left thumb.  I fought it for so long, then just gave in.  She's such a laid back baby, that I decided to just let her.
At night she sucks her thumb and holds her blanket.  It's so cute!
Loves her toes
Laughs often
She's hard to hold - almost like she has no spine!  She just flops around everywhere.
We think her eyes are going to be brown, but right now they are very grey.
No teeth yet, but is trying