Perfection...

In a recent blog post from a wise friend of mine, she listed off all the things that would be if her world was "perfect." She then went on to talk about how her world obviously isn't perfect, she has a sick child that battles with her illness almost all the time. But, on the other hand, because she has been blessed with so much, she is living the perfect life for her.
I read her post today and it got me thinking about my life. For those who really know me, when I say that I am a perfectionist, it does not come as a surprise. But what is perfection anyway? Who says what is perfect? Who says enough is enough? I know I have my personal beliefs on what defines my spiritual perfection. It is becoming Christ-like in any way that I can in this life before I meet God again. Even more, it means helping and teaching my children to become Christ-like.
As much as I would like to believe that I am-I am not perfect. Yes Rob, you heard me right- I am not perfect. But, I know I want to try everyday to do better than the day before to live the gospel principles that I have grown to know are so true and bring real joy in my life. I have come to know that when I am right with God-I am right with the world.
Now, what is perfection in the day to day things? I guess for every body this is different. I have been blessed with so many things that I'm sure I forget or couldn't count all of them. But, so in the future I don't forget what brings me so much joy at this point of my life, I have listed some of them.

1. Watching Alyssa singing and dancing around the house to music.
2. Watching Bella watch her sister do things with amazement. She looks like she is learning something as she watches things.
3. Seeing my girls' face in the mornings and when Alyssa says, "Good morning mamma," with her raspy morning voice.
4. Hugs and kisses from and to my girls.
5. A big long hug from my husband when it has been a long day and when he tells me things will be okay. I truly believe him.
6. Laying in my bed at night and hearing my little girls snoring in their sleep over the baby monitor.
7. Watching my girls sleeping-nothing as peaceful as my girls sleeping.
8. Snuggling up on the couch with my girls and their daddy watching a Disney movie with them.
9. Hearing my girls laughing and giggles.
10. Watching or hearing Rob playing with his girls and how much they love it.
11. Sitting at church with my family and knowing we are where we should be together.
12. Watching Alyssa run off to nursery at church with such excitement and on the way home from church she tells us what she learned there.
13. Baking with Alyssa in our kitchen.
14. Playing at the park with the girls.
15. Seeing my parents and Rob's parents interacting with and showing their love for my children.
16.Going on a date alone with Rob and spending time with him as just husband and wife.
17. Hearing Alyssa pray at dinner time and bed time.
18. Nuzzling Bella's neck and kissing on her and she smiles really big and puts her head into my chest as though she is hugging me.
19. Bella's little baby talk and squeaking. Then she looks at me like I should know just what she is saying.
20. Pictures of my children and family up all around my house. It really makes our house feel like a home.



Alyssa dancing and singing:

Girls Just want to have Fun...

Proud Book-aneer member!
Looking at the new books she brought home.


Bella with her friend Audrey. Boy, she needs to grow some hair soon.

The girls showing off their toenails and fingernails .

Alyssa with her friend Janie with their makeup all done.
Alyssa and Bella had a couple of their girlfriends over to play the other day. We danced to music, played outside on the swings, and enjoyed a Popsicle.
What girls day would be complete with out some pampering? We painted the girls' toenails and fingernails, did their hair, and put on some princess makeup. We had a lot of fun and they were BEAUTIFUL!
Earlier in the week, the girls and I went to the local library and went to children story time. It was one of the cutest things I have ever seen. They read pirate stories and then sent the kids around the library for a treasure hunt. When they came back to the big room for their treasure, which was a candy sucker, they all made their own pirate hats that said, "I'm a bookaneer" on them. Alyssa and I now have our first library cards here and we checked out her first 4 books out of a library. Alyssa had fun looking at all the books and picking out her own to take home. It was a lot of fun and of course, we love that it was all FREE!

Closing the Curtain...

Alyssa's last ballet class is today, she will be hanging up her ballet shoes until classes resume again in the Fall. She is going to take a break from the dance life, at least paying to dance, and she will be trying something new.
Starting July 1st she is going to swimming lessons. She will be taking them with a girlfriend to make it a little less scary to go into the big pool with a bunch of strangers. She LOVES being in water and she is excited to start classes. It will be fun to watch her try something new and learn something new. Pictures of our little fish in future posts.

Dear Rob,

For all of you reading this blog who are not my husband, please bare with me today because this blog is for him. But, hopefully you can enjoy it too.
Today my best friend, my eternal partner, the father of my beautiful girls, and the keeper of my heart, is turning 28 years old. June 12th is a day that I am personally grateful for because you were brought into this world. You and I have only known each other 7 years, and when I think of my life before you, I realize now how incomplete it really was. I can't imagine my life with you in it.
I know I'm not the easiest person to live with at times. I am stubborn and head strong about almost everything, which can lead to some "disagreements."(quotes added to retain the dignity of our relationship) But to quote a movie that I love, "I'd rather fight with you, than live a lifetime without you."
We have a very passionate relationship-when we are mad we are really mad, but when we love we really love too. This aspect of our relationship has helped us weather some hard times in the past, because I know that no matter what we are both in it for the long haul.
Thank you for being the one man who can love me every day.I know it is a tall order, but some how you are able to do it and it makes me love you even more.
Happy Birthday Babe. Have a great birthday weekend!

Take a Bow...

Alyssa had her ballet recital last weekend. No surprise here that she felt right at home on the big stage under the lights. When we went for her dress rehearsal and she was up there for the first time, she put her hand up to shade the lights so she could look for me. Once she found me in the seats below, she started waving furiously with excitement. She was very proud of herself.
The big night came and she was all dolled up with her costume, make up and hair all curled. (well, it only stayed curled for a couple of hours since her hair is straight as her mommy's) She was ninth on the program and with every dance number that came up on the big stage, she got more and more excited. She was bopping her head around and dancing on my lap to the music and every time a number ended she would ask,"Is it my turn now?"
When she finally got up there, of course these are three and four year olds, so they don't remember all the moves that well, but I could really tell what she was trying to do. They danced to "How much is that doggy in the window." You will see in the pictures that they all have little doggies to hold up at certain parts of the dance. Most of them were more interested in playing with the doggies than dancing, but hey, they were cute no matter what they did up there.
Bella sat in her carrier next to me in the aisle and just watched the stage with amazement. She was happy the whole time we were there, until Alyssa got up there and daddy and I were recording and taking pictures, all the sudden she got really upset. Great timing huh?
Here grandpa and grandma Wallace came and watched and brought the ballerina three pink long stem roses for her. It is a tradition for the dancer to receive flowers after a performance. She thought that was really neat. She wanted to put them in water and keep them on her dresser in her bedroom just for her.
It was a fun night and Robert and I had a proud happy feeling in us watching her up there doing something she loves. I caught a glimpse of future dance recitals, possible sporting events, music performances, etc... and I was overwhelmed with gratitude for my heavenly father lending me one of his children. She is so fun to watch as she learns and grows and enjoys life.

Splash Parks= Heaven

I don't think she saw that one coming...

Oh man that is cold...
Waiting for the water to dump on her...

Bella and I got a little wet too...
As you all know, I am not a big fan of the Oklahoma summer weather. But, I am not going to dwell on that sore spot. I want to focus on some thing much more positive...SPLASH PARKS!
They are all over the Tulsa area, and now I can see why. I hadn't ever taken Alyssa to one before since in her first two years of life I worked during the days. But, this last week, me and my two girls, along with a number of other delightful ladies from my church and their children, met at a local splash park. We sat on our blankets and watched our kiddos run around and scream with delight while the water on the play area sprayed them in the face or the body. We had good visit time as fellow young mothers, got a little bit of sun, and our children had a blast. It is nice for Alyssa's age group especially, because you don't have to worry about them drowning in the water.
The best part of the experience was that it was all FREE!!!
Back in Wyoming, I was taught from a very young age that when you can do something fun like this, and you don't have to pay anything for it...then that is the best kind of fun.
After the splash park, some of the gals and I went over to Mcalister's Deli for some lunch and it was equally delightful, although not free.
By the time my girls and I got home and got cleaned up, we were all ready for a good nap...and that is just what we all did.

I am Grateful for my Ears...

Alyssa learned in nursery this past Sunday all the wonderful things she can hear because her Heavenly Father gave her ears. She came home with these on and a little pocket of beans to shake so she could listen to the noise they made with her new improved ears. It was way too cute to pass up a picture! She loved wearing them so much that she wore them while taking her after church nap.
Alyssa is busy this week with preparations for her big dance recital this Friday night. She had her recital pictures last week and I think they are going to be really cute. Pictures to be posted at later date on that.
Bella is 7 months old today. She has grown up over night it seems. I remember when I could just hold her tiny body on my chest and put her little butt in my hand. Now when I pick her up there is a lot more to her. She's learning so much already. She reaches for me and smiles when she sees me. She giggles and talks baby talk all the time at her big sister. She grabs at everything and can hold onto stuff. No actual crawling yet, but she rolls around the floor where ever she wants to go. She is cutting her third tooth this week, and she hasn't been very happy about that. But I can't complain, because she is just a sweet little girl and has been just a joy to have.

Family outing turned very dangerous!

But first some fun pics of the kiddos for your viewing pleasure!

Alyssa looking at some fish at the Tulsa Aquarium.

Bella can sit up by herself for a couple of seconds before falling over. She is almost there!
The other night was not too awful humid, so the family and I packed up Alyssa's bike and Bella's stroller and went on a 2 mile walk around one of our favorite parks. It was going well. Bella was enjoying her ride in the stroller and was all smiles. Rob and I got some much needed excercise. Alyssa was riding her bike like such a big girl and loved every minute. She nearly rode the whole time by herself. That is until we got to the hill of death! There was a small pond of water on one side of this hill and a big ditch of the other side. The hill was quite steep and curved a bit towards the end. I was pushing Bella in the stroller behind them, and Rob was instructed to hold onto Alyssa's bike and walk her down the hill so she didn't get "out of control."
Alyssa, being the little dare devil that she is, wasn't scared. But, mommy had a not so good feeling about it. (which was why there was instructions given to daddy prior to going down the hill) So off they started down the hill. At first I thought they might be okay, but just was quickly as I thought that, I noticed Alyssa started to pick up A LOT of speed and her handle bars started wiggling back and forth. I said, "Rob--she is starting to go too fast!" I looked at Rob and noticed that he looked a little out of control too and sensed a little fear on his face. They started down the curved part of the hill and Alyssa couldn't control the bike anymore. I started to see Alyssa's head go over the front part of the bike and I screamed out..."ROB!!!"
I don't know how really, but he managed to pick up Alyssa with his left arm and hold onto her so she didn't fall off the bike. Then he held onto the bike with his right arm. While trying to hold onto both Alyssa and the bike and stop from falling himself, the bike came up and cut the back of his leg really badly. After I swallowed my heart back down into my chest and made sure Alyssa was okay, I noticed that Rob's leg was bleeding really badly and a flap of skin was hanging over the cut.
We called the family outing quits after that event. We walked back to the car, packed the kids up, and swung by Wal-mart on the way home so I could get bandages and hydrogen peroxide to clean the wound with. He didn't need stitches or anything, but it was pretty bad. Both Alyssa and Rob were fine and he even managed to save her bike from being ruined. I do have to give points to Rob for that.
But--I hate to say it--- But---Maybe husbands should listen to their wives a little more often? We do know a thing or two you know?

Can you feel the heat?

My two little darling girls...
The enemy has come into town and I'm afraid it won't be leaving until August or so. The 90 degree heat isn't the problem as much, it is the heavy humidity that makes the weather almost unbearable. I have lived in Oklahoma for 7 years, and one might think I'd be used to this climate by now. But, that isn't the case. Every summer once the humidity rolls in, I have to think long and hard about why I live here. ?

Girlfriend Birthday Shoutout!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESSICA AND JENNIFER!
Two great friends both born on the same day- May 26th. What a great day! I'm so glad that you were born!
Jess- You are one of my oldest and dearest friends. We go WAY back! I tried finding a random funny picture from high school days of us to post to embarrass you. But, I wasn't able to find one. I must have left all my high school stuff back at my parent's house. You are one of those rare friends a person has in life that no matter how much time that passes in between the time we last saw each other, we can pick up just where we left off. We can just be ourselves with no bull and we love each other no matter what. YOU ARE AMAZING!
Jen- I met you after moving to Oklahoma, and you were such a great example of righteous young woman. I needed that in my life at that time. We have been through a lot in such a short time, and I have so many great memories that I cherish.
Even though I don't live near either of you now, I want you to know that someone over here in the dead heat of Oklahoma loves you and is wishing you a great birthday!
I am thinking of you and I wish I was there to celebrate them with you!

The Magic of Ordinary Days...

I don't know why, but my mind has been thinking about this movie the past couple of days. I guess I just need to make time to sit down and watch it and get it out of my system.
Has anyone seen the Hallmark movie, "The Magic of Ordinary Days?"It isn't a new release or anything, but you could find it in any local movie rental store I'm sure of it. This movie has been a favorite of mine and my sister Tamara's for a few years now. It is a beautiful story and it has one of my favorite actors in it--Keri Russell.
Don't judge it within the first 10 minutes of the movie because it starts out kind of sad. But, wait for it, all good love/dramas get better. If you want to relax and watch a good, clean movie this weekend, rent this one tonight.

HUSBAND TAGGED...

I was husband tagged by my aunt Laura awhile ago, and she has reminded me that I didn't do it yet, so I best get it done. Here it goes:

How long have we been married? 5 years

How long did we date? 10 months

How old is he? 27 years old, he will be 28 on June 12th

Who said I love you first? He did...and it scared me to death!

Who is taller? He is and I like that because I'm a tall girl.

Who sings better? Hmmm...We can both hold a tune pretty well. Let's just say he is the better "performer." I get too nervous to sing in front of people that much. There was a really embarrassing moment when we were asked to sing together for church, and he will never let me live that one down.

Who is smarter? He is much more book smart than me. His mind works all the time, trying to figure things out that nobody else even thinks about. Don't tell him I said so, but he is really smart! :)

Who's temper is worse? I have a shorter fuse and tend to get ruffled a lot easier than he does. He is a lot more easy going and doesn't let things bother him too much. But, Rob can get really mad if he is pushed long enough.

Who pays the bills? HE DOES...he is the businessman. I am a good girl and I keep a budget pretty good.

Who does the laundry? His answer would be different if you asked him, but I would say I do 80% of the laundry and he does about 20%. He helps though.

Who cooks dinner? I do most of the time. He cooks the meats better. He also can make some mean tacos.

Who drives when we are together? He does. I fall asleep in the car too easily on long trips. Also, I have horrible eye sight, so it can get a little dangerous.

Who is more stubborn? I would say it is a tie on this one. We are probably the most stubborn people on know. Seriously.

Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? He does usually. I am getting better at it, but I can't help that I'm usually right. :)

Whose parents do you see more? His, because they live close to us. I wish we could see my family more too. Rob has always loved being around my family and gotten along with my parents really well.

Who has more friends? In Tulsa, Rob does. This is his stomping ground, so I made friends through him mostly. Good people here, but I still miss some good friends from back in Wyoming.

Who wears the pants in the family? We both try to, that tends to be the problem at times. We see eye to eye on the big things though.

Who eats more sweets? Me...me...me

Who mows the lawn? Rob. I used to help a lot more before kids came. Now I tend to be inside doing things with the babies while he is outside working.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Rob

Who asked who out first? Rob asked me out after Family Home Evening with the Singles Branch we were in for Church. We were talking and this other guy kept interrupting him while talking, so it took awhile before he asked me out.

Who kissed whom first? He kissed me first. We had two first kisses, because our real first kiss was so bad, that we had a re-do first kiss to make up for the bad one. We call the good one our first kiss.

What is my favorite thing about him? Rob has such dedication and devotion to his family and loved ones. He isn't a perfect man, and he has flaws just like everyone does. He makes me crazy some days and we don't always have the "perfect" marriage. That is the truth.
But-At the end of the day, Rob would walk through fire for his family. No matter what we do, he will always be here for us. He has taught me a lot about unconditional love.
Thank you for loving me babe.

Happy Mother's Day!

My beautiful mother...I love you so much!Me with my Mother's Day gift...

This weekend was full of fun things. Friday afternoon I met up with a bunch of my old girl friends and all of our kids for a play date at the park. It was such a nice day outside and the kids had a blast running around wild together. I am so sad that I didn't get any pictures of it, because we don't get all together like that all the time. But, I was running late, and forgot my camera. BOO for me! :(
After the play date, I took the kiddos home for their naps. Robert stayed with them while I met some other friends for a mother's day pedicure. It was delightful! Every mother needs to give some loving attention to her feet and toes. We work so hard on them, I think we all deserve to pamper them once in awhile.
Saturday, we had an open house. I had the place looking so good and we were so excited. I took the girls out all afternoon with me so that Robert could be there to do his business talk with people that came through. But, to our sadness, not one person came to see the house. This selling house business is tough! I think it is time to reconsider our strategy?
Sunday we went to church and there were such great speakers on motherhood. It wasn't really anything I hadn't heard before. I know that being a mother is a divine calling and that it is my most important role in this life. But through the wear and tear of days, sometimes I forget, and it is nice to be reminded. Sunday afternoon, we had Robert's mom and dad over for dinner. We grilled and had our first corn on the cob of the summer. It was mighty tasty I must say. Not as good as the corn on the cob you can get back in Wyoming, but not too bad!
Robert and Alyssa brought me home roses on Saturday night with one of those cute sound cards. Alyssa recorded a cute little message. The card had Disney princess stickers on it, that was Alyssa's special touch. Bella gave me lots of giggles and smiles, and that was her gift to me.
Aside from the open house being a huge flop, it was a great weekend. I am blessed in so many other ways, so I really shouldn't complain... that much. Heeheehee!

Girls Night In...

While Daddy was gone to his weekly basketball night with the guys, the girls and I spent the night in our comfy PJ's, eating ice cream, and watching American Idol. We were not surprised to see Jason Castro leave, quite honestly, it was about time! BORING!!!
Anyway, while playing on the floor with Bella, the following happened. Typical three old for sure!

Mile Stone in an Infant's Life

Daddy giving kisses to Bella...Bella sitting up with Mommy...Alyssa enjoying a Mr. Freezy on the front step on a warm day...



Isabella has been growing up so fast and I have been a terrible mommy and haven't documented her life as well as I did with Alyssa. I did however get this on tape.
This video shows a big first for Isabella. She has been rocking back and forth for a couple months now, but hasn't been able to roll completely over until just the other day. She has been doing it non stop ever since this clip was taken. I have to really watch where I put her now that she is getting stronger.
WARNING: Loud, high pitched woman in the background. May be harmful to your ears. (Sorry!)

Family Updates...

Bella working out in her jumper...

Alyssa standing outside our house begging for people to buy our house!
Alyssa with her friends, Elise and Mason, at the Oklahoma Aquarium.



Bella is now 6 months old and has cut 2 of her bottom teeth. I've been trying to get a clear picture of them, but it never turns out, so you will just have to take my word for it. Last night she slept for 6 hours straight, a new record for her. She normally will sleep about 4 hours and want to get up and eat and then goes right back to bed. I have been introducing new foods to her, and trying to get her to take some formula bottles during the day. She doesn't mind the baby foods, but she is very slow to eat it and it takes her awhile to figure out how to keep it in her mouth. She acts like she doesn't know how to eat. I wish that were my problem. As for the formula bottles, she doesn't want anything to do with them. To be quite honest, I don't blame her, I think formula is disgusting, but I've got to start weening her off the breast milk soon.
With Alyssa, I only breastfed for 3 months because she was colicky and had acid reflux. She did much better on soy formula. She never had a problem with weening of the breast milk, she didn't like it much to begin with. Bella, like everything else so far, is the complete opposite of Alyssa. When she is hungry and I'm not there, she will scream bloody murder until I get there to feed her. Nothing else will do.
So, all you mothers out there, do you have any advice or tricks to ween your baby off the breast milk? I need some help.
Alyssa is of course just as busy as ever and is at a really fun age because everything is so amazing and a big deal. She says the funniest things and is so smart. Robert and I chuckle almostvery day about the things her mind comes up with. She is getting ready for her big dance recital next month. She loves her ballet class with her little friends. She recently went to the Oklahoma Aquarium for her friend's birthday, and she LOVED it! She was like, "Wow look... there's Nemo and Dori!"
We have a couple of family trips planned for the summer and are excited for them. We are going to Myrtle Beach for 4th of July week, and Alyssa asks all the time if we are going today? Wouldn't it be nice to be a kid again and have no concept or worry of time?
Still no offers on our house. We have been discouraged with that. Robert and I joke now that we are living in the "Money Pit." If any of you have seen that old show with Tom Hanks and Shell Long, you know what I mean. We have lived in our house for almost 4 years now, and we have had zero problems. Now all of the sudden when we are trying to sell it, everything seems to be going wrong. We had to replace the kitchen faucet, replace parts of the air conditioning unit, we had an ant problem that needed tending to, we fixed the roof from the major ice storm we had, and now we are paying for lawn services because our yard was so badly damaged from the storms as well. UGH! How can I ask someone to buy my house for X amount of dollars when all I want is it get out of it myself before anything else goes wrong with it? The is the problem with older homes I guess.

The good weather continues...

Bella getting her first meal of Rice Banana Cereal...Not too bad!Daddy feeding you...
Alyssa dressed up like a aloha girl for a "by the sea" party...


Two peas in a pod ...ready for a walk.Dang I'm cute!

I don't know, but considering that I am so busy lately, and I am getting very little sleep at night, thanks to my darling little Bella, I am amazed that I have so much energy! To be honest, I'm a little proud of myself.
I think it is the awesome weather we have been having. I mean, it is awesome! I really have to savor it while it is here too, because once summer hits here in Tulsa, it is like death in the air.
The girls and I have been playing outside, going for walks, bike rides, going to the library for story time, shopping, and parks. I have still been able to keep up with my house work to keep our house looking "show ready" to any possible buyers that might come our way. I have time to keep up with my home billing work too.
Not too bad I would say! I'm not trying to brag on myself, I'm just surprised how much some good weather can effect my mood and my energy level. I just hope ya'll are catching the good weather drug where ever you are, cause it is great! Have a good day.

SPRING IS HERE!!!

Alyssa at the park...

Me and the girls at a park close by our house...

Alyssa playing in our backyard...last year she couldn't reach these by herself, and now she does "tricks" on them...

Alyssa sliding down her slide in our backyard...

Bella riding in the baby pack watching Alyssa play...
The long awaited spring season is finally here and me and the girls couldn't be more happy about it. We spend a least a couple hours outside every day enjoying the nice and warm sun with a nice breeze in the air. For those of you who have lived or visited Oklahoma, the weather won't be like that for long. In about a month, the humidity will kick in and kick my butt! But, for now, here are some recent pictures of us girls enjoying ourselves outside...

Family Fun in Tulsa...

Alyssa's first real bike ride...
Alyssa dancing on the river walk to a live band. She pooped her panties, so she was wearing a blanket around her as a skirt. Can you say white trash? That just might beat out your story Laurel?

My parents with my girls at the park.
Daddy with his girls after church.

Mom and I drinking her famous Margaritas!

If you have been reading my blog, you know that my parents came to Tulsa for a week of family fun. My parents lived here for 3 years while my dad was the mission president, so this is like a second home for them.
While they were here, aside from doing Alyssa's birthday party, we went out to eat at many fun eating establishments, went shopping, and site seeing. We went to the famous Woodward Park and saw the rose gardens and fed the squirrels with peanuts. Alyssa wasn't very good at sneaking up on the squirrels, but she had a lot of fun chasing them around throwing peanuts at them. We took Alyssa bike riding around a close park for her first bike ride off of our driveway. She did really well for her first time too!
My dad and Alyssa had a lot of fun together, well, at least Alyssa did. She was so entertained by her grandpa. Every morning she would wake up and run right into his bedroom and wake him up because she was so excited to see what he would do next. The first morning she woke up after they left to go home to Wyoming, she went into their room and asked, "Why did grandpa have to go home?" I thought it was a pretty good question too.
Of Course it is so much fun having my mom here too. I told her that it was like having a great live in nanny when she is here. It is so nice. We tried out a new choc chip cookie recipe that I got off from my aunt Laurel's blog page. They were delightful! After we put the kids te bed at night, the adults were treated to a movie and my mom's (virgin) margaritas. In case you want a fun drink to try, here you go:

3 cups Margarita mix
1 cup orange juice
ice cubes
Fresh Sliced Limes
Margarita Salt
Margarita Glasses

Blend all ingredients together in blender until it is a slushy texture. Rub fresh lime around the rim of your Margarita glasses, then dip rims in margarita salt. Pour drink in glasses and garnish with a sliced piece of lime. YUM-MO!
I left the pictures of my dad drinking them off from my blog page as promised. :) HEEHEEHEE!