opinion please

So it's nap time and my back is out so i'm sitting on the couch browsing the web. Breastfeeding sites, pages, etc and I came across some pictures and I want your opinion.
The picture was of a father consoling his baby with his breast while (I believe) Mom was taking the picture?? Maybe she was busy and came in the room!?! I found the picture quite disturbing so I won't share it, but it got me to do some research on male lactation. I know that physiologically it 'is' possible, but I know that it isn't something that I find natural in any way. Yes, my girls have both been kangaroo(ing?) with Daddy and have found his breast, but he has immediately changed positions with them and if they were really hungry, passed them to me. So what do you think? Am I the only one that thinks that this is completely unnatural and IMO, wrong? And if you do see it differently, please let me know why.
Thanks :)

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was busy, busy, busy! Thankfully the house was ready for Christmas before Josh got off work. He got off 2 hours early, which was a wonderful blessing because we were trying to figure out how to do all our Christmas Eve fun before bed...and wake up for church bright and early!
Before Daddy got home both girls decided that they wanted their hair in sponge rollers for Christmas. They made for some cute pictures!
The girls loved their new nightgowns and that their dolls got matching gowns!
After reading the Christmas Orange we settled down to listen to Josh read the Christmas story.

I just love this picture of Kira looking at the tree while Daddy reads the Christmas story.

Then it was time for thank you notes and milk and cookies for santa then off to bed where sugar plum fairies danced in each girl's head.






It wasn't too long before I was joining them. Both girls slept wonderfully through the night and I didn't. For the first time the baby was up ALL NIGHT doing flips in my tummy. I guess he (or she) were just too excited for Christmas dinner to sleep. It sure made me feel like a little girl again unable to sleep on Christmas Eve!

Christmas Memories

Christmas this year was great! We woke the girls up with just enough time to get ready for church. You would think that with it being Christmas morning Kira would have been excited and pop out of bed...wrong! Getting up by 8:15 was soo hard! Church was great. They had a beautiful Christ centered program that was such a wonderful way to bring into focus the true meaning of Christmas.
After church it was finally time to see what santa brought.

Rora got a trampoline and within 5 seconds of being on it, had fallen off :) Of course, we missed the falling picture.

Kira got a Our Generation (target version of American Girl) doll and couldn't be happier.

Rora's favorite gift was the chapstick that she got in her stocking.

Kira's was the sewing machine for her doll that Grandma gave her. The awe on her face when she finally opened it (after Santa didn't give it to her, even though it was the only gift she asked for...thanks for coming through with that Grandma!)


I had a couple favorite presents. Kira took the time to get presents for everyone. She gave Rora a mirror that Rora always plays with. It makes me so happy to see that she took the time to give her sister something so thoughtful. Kira also gave Josh and I a sweet present. She traced and cut out both hers and Rora's handprints and then taped them together. How sweet is she!?! I sure love my girls!

After presents we had a great time hanging out, playing with toys and later had friends over for Christmas dinner and of course, birthday cake. (No pictures as I was enjoying myself.)

It was a fantastic Christmas! Merry Christmas Everyone!

3 Days Until Christmas

Only 3 days until Christmas and I am feeling fantastic! My house spotlessly clean, my children are happily eating vegetables and ignoring the leftovers from their gingerbread houses, bread is baking in my oven, all the presents are wrapped, etc, etc, etc! HAHAHA!
It was fun to dream right? Even though life isn't magically perfect, in some ways even though my house still needs quite a bit of TLC, there is store bought bread on my counter *shocked look* and Kira has spent the better part of the day "cleaning" her room, life is wonderful. Drama aside, stress aside and a baby who does not want to cooperate and show us if they are a boy or a girl(GRRR!)....Christ was born, he lived and because of that I am able to sit here and look at my Christmas tree while Kira tells me all about the wonderful star that was sent to let the world know the miracle that just took place.
Maybe one of these days I will have a clean home and my to do list crossed off, but until then I'm just grateful for my Saviour.

TONIGHT HE IS YOURS
Tonight He is yours, Mary.
For this is the hour of His birth.
Count His little toes one by one.
A million mothers have counted newborn baby toes,
A million times before.
Marvel at His baby feet.
Tomorrow He will walk the shores of Galilee,
And there's a long hard hill ahead to climb called Calvary
But tonight He is yours.
See Him curl His tiny fingers around your own.
Out in the darkness of the night.
The deaf, the sick and blind await his touch.
But tonight His little hands are yours, alone.
Tenderly trace the outline of His lips.
Tomorrow flow the words of Life Eternal.
The world awaits the story of the lillies -
But baby lips were made to be caressed.
Touch His birth-wet hair and,
Kiss His soft, warm baby cheek.
Tomorrow the crushing multitudes will
Press and push and reach to
Touch the hem of His garment;
But tonight He is yours.
Hold Him, oh so close, to your heart.
Tomorrow He must be about His Father's business,
And all the world is waiting for salvation.
But tonight He is............................
Listen!
Can you hear the angels singing?
And look! The star's already shining.
Wrap Him in swadling clothes, Mary,
And lay Him in the manger
For shepherd will be knocking at your door.
-Leotha Wade Slagowski-

I read this poem just now and was brought back to Bethlehem and that joyous moment when MY Saviour was born. As a Mother I know how close Heaven is the moment my child is born. There is a reason I cry as I take my baby in my arms for the first time. And the same reason is making me tear up as I think about it now. There must have been so many extra emotions running through Mary's heart when Jesus was born. She knew who he was, why he was on the earth. And I know that she shed tears because her baby was born perfectly and heaven was there. Just like I do. Mary, thank you for bringing MY Saviour into the world. Thank you for sharing with me the story of his birth and making Christmas possible. Merry Christmas!

Being a Mom is tough...

Tonight is one of those nights where being a Mom is hard. I can handle fighting, potty training, tantrums, fits, etc...most of the time. There are times that I can't handle those things. Like 2 days ago. I was so sick of the girls touching the Christmas tree and almost knocking it over by falling into it that I snapped. I told Kira that next time she touched the tree she was going to bed. I know they were touching it last night, but I wasn't in the room and didn't see so I let it go. Tonight Kira walked past and pulled an ornament off, intending im sure, to place it somewhere else. So she went to bed. I hate that I let my frustration issue a huge punishment and I hate that I had to follow through with it. But as I sit here wondering if I did the right thing by putting her to bed, I am still torn. Do I follow through? Or am I lenient? Most of all I just wish that I hadn't let anger guide my parenting the other day. Tomorrow I want to be a better Mom...

Weight

I want to take a few minutes and write down how I feel about my weight. This post is more for me than anything else, so feel free to stop reading now.

I grew up feeling fat. It wasn't that I was large, it was just that I was larger than anyone else in my family. I am curvier than my mother. By 12 I couldn't fit in her wedding dress because my hips were to big...at 12 years old. Naturally, I have struggled a lot with my body image. After I had Kira I started going to Curves. I love it. Unfortunately, when we moved to Alabama, I didn't have the support system I had in Utah and with Josh's work schedule, it didn't work out for me to go to the gym so I stopped going. I gained about 15lbs and wasn't happy with my body. Then I got pregnant with Rora and everything changed. I learned so much about myself during that pregnancy. I learned that my body weight doesn't matter when it comes to me. I learned to be grateful that before I got pregnant with her there was a reason I put on that weight. It was so I had something to lose during her pregnancy. I lost 23lbs while I was pregnant with Rora. I ended my pregnancy 2lbs heavier than when I started it and left the hospital 13lbs lighter. The thing is, by the end of her pregnancy I could care less about my weight. I was just grateful that Rora came out healthy. My selfish desires took a back seat to my baby. I would celebrate keeping down 1200 calories. 1200 calories was a victory. It seems crazy looking back now.
So now, 3 years later, as I hear people tell me that they wish they could lose weight like I am, that I am lucky, it makes me want to smack someone. All I want is for my baby to come out healthy. If I gain 50lbs, 100lbs, it doesn't matter. All that matters is the child growing inside me. I guess i've rambled enough because my thoughts are now empty.

What would I do without you!?!

Today I am not feeling very well. That seems to be more the norm for me lately than feeling great. I wish I could be a super mom everyday. I wish I didn't curl up in a ball so I don't throw up. Unfortunately, thats where I'm at today.



Thats where Kira come in. At five she might just be mastering how to turn on the tv, but she is an amazing Mommy. She helps Rora use the bathroom, gets her snacks, reads stories to her, does whatever I ask, etc. All with a smile. I really don't know why the Lord blessed me so much with Akira. Thank you Lord for her.

Simply Spaghetti :)

For dinner tonight we are having spaghetti. Usually it takes me 10 minutes (if that) to prep the meal and get it cooking. Today it turned into a 20 minute plus adventure!







As you can see, we had a lot of fun making dinner! Kira and Covey helped cut the vegetables. Xander helped mince the garlic. Rora opened cans and dumped them in and Jerica dumped cans in. Everyone stirred some love into our spaghetti.

I love taking something so simple as making dinner and turn it into a fun moment for the kids...oh, and the three extra munchkins are dear friends of ours that come play for a couple hours every Wednesday while their Mamma is at school.

A NEW POST!

Seeing as I have been reminded that I actually have a blog, I guess I better update it. Life is crazy as usual.

We went to Disney World in September. It was a blast!

Day 1 I told Josh and the girls I was pregnant at dinner. They brought Josh a bib and on his plate there was a pacifier and it said Due May 16th :) The girls each got a fun gift from the new baby who was so excited that they got to go on such a fun trip and can't wait to meet them!



We took the trip much slower than we normally do, mostly in part because my morning sickness hit. It was a lot of fun not worrying about getting up at a certain time and just taking it easy. It was a great trip! Rora loved seeing 'Me mouse' (Mickey Mouse) at a distance, but was a bit shy when she got to meet him. As for Kira, her big accomplishment was riding Tower of Terror! (Tower of Terror is the elevator that goes up and down.) I was so scared! As I was waiting for her and Josh to get off I saw 8 kids that were hysterical as they got off. Many of them looked to be at least 6. She came off the ride all smiles and if we had had time she would have ridden it over and over again! My stomach doesn't agree with Tower of Terror so I am doubly impressed at how brave she is! It was a great trip!




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Kira turned 5! She had a great late night with her best friends. They had a dance party, played with magnetic paper dolls and spent over an hour playing hide and go seek in the dark. Very low key and such a fun night of memories for my girl!




Brag time on my girl! I have been very sick with morning sickness and she truly has shown how mature she is. She takes care of Rora with such care and love. It makes my heart swell when I think of how blessed I am to have her in my life. I love her so much and I can't believe she is five!!

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Halloween came and went. The girls had fun! Kira was an underwater princess and Rora was Cinderella. Of course, I don't have pictures because they haven't been put on the computer yet and I am not near our camera. Let me just tell you how adorable they were! Plusandalso we now have plenty of treats for our treasure box and Rora when she goes potty. She is doing fantastic on the toilet and usually only has one accident a day. Not bad since she isn't two yet!

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Josh just had a birthday. He is such a great husband and father! I have spent a lot of time this past month lying in bed or hugging the porcelain throne. Josh has stepped up and done all that he normally does and taken over cleaning the kitchen, making meals, taking care of the girls, etc. He is such a great daddy and I am still not sure how I managed to get him. And knowing that he is mine FOREVER, how can I be anything but grateful? Happy birthday Josh! I love you!!

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With me being so sick, I just have to say thank you to two sweet ladies who have taken my kids for me when I really needed it. Jenny and Felicia, you are both amazing and are great role models for me! Your generosity of time astounds me. You not only kept my secret, but you truly saved my kids from boredom and being stuck with a sick Mom! I am so blessed to have you in my life!

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And lastly, I had my first Dr appt for this baby. It was one day shy of 12 weeks. I found out that I have lost 6lbs (I was so sure I had gained weight with the way my belly looks...) and I was refreshed to the fact that I love my Dr. She is just amazing! She listens, isn't quick to give out medication, yet when you really need it then she gives it. And most importantly she is compassionate. She knew of my recent miscarriage and didn't even try to get the baby's heartbeat on the doppler. She just did a ultrasound. It was so comforting to see my little peanut! The baby was super active. It was so wonderful to see that everything is healthy and normal. It was so special to enjoy the girls reaction to seeing the baby for the first time. Of course, I was a emotional wreck for the entire rest of the day. The relief of seeing that my baby is thriving was an unexpected treat. Can I say again how much I love my Dr?

I am now able to take Zofran every day (since I hit 12 weeks) and I've been doing much better. I have a feeling that I am starting to get over the morning sickness and into the extra energy phase of pregnancy.

That about sums us up where we are. Life is great! I am eagerly awaiting feeling the baby move for the first time, it is my favorite part of pregnancy! Oh, and Tanner (my brother) gets home from his mission to Scotland in 12 days! I am bummed that I won't be able to go out and see him but at least we will be able to talk!

Congratulations for making it through this post! I can't guarantee that I will be better at posting, but I will try. Life is great, enjoy the ride!

Mommy WARS!

So, lately I've gotten comments from people about Kira's reading. I've pushed her. I am using her to show what a great mom I am. It's a bragging right. Etc, etc, etc. So I am going to set the record straight. Yes, I pushed Kira to read. I worked with her everyday this summer because I knew that she could do it. Here's the story.
The past two years Kira did preschool. By the end of the second year, they were learning sight words and doing simple reading. Sounds great, right? Wrong. Kira wasn't getting it. She had built up a wall, every time she was asked to read a word, say cat, she would look at it and say, "I can't." One of the worst things you can ever hear your child say, especially at 4. It wasn't that she wasn't capable of reading, I would say, "Let's sound out cat. What sounds are in cat?" "C-A-T." That's rights. Now what says, "C?" "A?" "T?" "Great job! You just spelled cat!"
Being able to be her teacher helped me to see what I was already starting to notice. She is an auditory learner. There are some things that she just has a harder time with. Being able to recognize that has taught me a lot. It has shown me that conventional school isn't the best place for her, right now. Anyways, monologue over.
Back to her I can't attitude. Being a book lover, I want my children to grow up with all the characters in books. I want her imagination to soar. I want her to keep a flashlight under her bed for the times when it's bedtime and she can't put the book down, then hide under the covers to finish just one more chapter...OK, maybe one more. When she said I can't, I saw a child who would eventually learn to read, but one who would always have that nagging thought in the back of her head that it's to hard, or this is boring, or even worse, that she wasn't smart enough. I knew that we needed to get rid of the I can't. So we worked every day. It was wonderful to see her confidence soar as she tackled harder and harder words. To see that I can't attitude turn into an I can.
So yes, I taught my child to read at 4. But I didn't do it for bragging rights, (yes, I will brag on her, but if it isn't about reading it will be about something else...) I did it because I love her and I want her to reach what I know she is capable of. And I know that she CAN!
Go ahead and think what you will, while you are worried about my child and my parenting, I'll be focused on bike riding, story time, baking together, tickle fights, snuggling, etc, etc, etc. Sorry world, I don't care about the 'mommy wars.' I care about my children. They are my world.

Poor sick baby!

This weekend Rora has been so sick. Yes, im the Mom that takes pictures no matter what, and nothing is sweeter than a sick baby. I hate that she's been sick, but Kira has been so sweet to her. She has been snuggling up with her on the couch reading to her. I love that Kira is serving her sister. It's so wonderful to see the love my girls share. Thankfully, Rora is much better today, no fever and almost no nasal drainage!

Happy Labor Day!

What is the first thing you think about when you think of Labor Day? Of course it is camping. That's exactly what Josh told Kira they could do Sunday night (in the backyard.) Of course, that was before he checked the weather report and learned that it would rain all day Sunday and Monday. (It's raining right now...) Never fear, there is a livingroom fort to the rescue! They intentionally put a gap so they could watch a movie (without the tv overheating...) They snuggled up and watched Mary Poppins before falling asleep.


Of course, this is how my bed looked in the morning. See that tiny space for me on the left...yeah...


I am sure that today will be filled with adventures in the fort! I love that Josh is such an awesome Daddy! I sure love my life! Happy Labor Day everyone!

100 lessons later

In May Kira started this book with much trepidation. Today she finished it! She went from saying, "I can't read." to reading! It's been great to see her confidence soar.




The best part for Kira was passing the book on to Rora...of course, we should probably wait until she is big enough to carry the book around before we start. ;)



I had to include this picture just so you know that she is wearing underwear...she doesn't run around completely naked. :D




We are taking September off from schooling, Kira will only be reading 20 minutes a day until October when we start homeschooling! She is so excited to start 'home kindergarten.'

Mundane or Extraordinary?

Here is the scene in my house...(as of 30 minutes ago.)

Christmas music is playing. I am mopping the kitchen floor, Rora has the broom and is 'helping' me clean. Kira walks in and says, "After you are finished mopping will you please help me tie this cape on and then dance with me?"

That was it. Nothing extraordinary, maybe it was the fumes from the vinegar, but suddenly my life felt so perfect. Rora is learning to be a hard worker while having fun, sure, it meant I had to navigate around her, but the look of joy on her face is something I've never had while sweeping! Kira knows that I need to finish the task at hand, yet she also knows that I will help her and dance with her. She is willing to wait patiently for what she desires.

I feel fulfilled as a Mother. Right in this moment, I know that I am doing exactly what I want to do as a Mom. I am teaching them hard work and patience, yet at the same time we are having fun. I know there will be mothering moments that make me begging for help, or a break, anything, yet right now...in this moment, my life is great. I am happy and content and so are my kids.

Isn't being a Mom the best job in the world!?!

Really...really!?!

A few days ago I spoke with someone (let's call them barbie.) Barbie came up to me and congratulated me on my pregnancy. It sucks having to tell someone that you had a miscarriage. It seems like everytime I say the word I sink a little deeper. Well, Barbie decided to do her best to comfort me. She said, "I'm sorry...well, your kids are so young. Enjoy your time just with them. They need all your attention now."
I had so much more control that I thought I could ever have when I told her that we are mourning our loss and that eventually ill be ok. I wanted to scream at her. To get in her face and ask why my kids being young has any relevance to losing a baby. My baby is still gone. I didn't tell her that Kira was so excited that I was pregnant. That every other minute she was hugging me or kissing my belly. That when I told her the baby went back to heaven she cried, we cried together.
As I was wrestling with all my emotions she had to keep talking. She told me that she was sure it would happen again for me...later.
I finally had to tell her it was good to see her and Rora needs me. What else could I say?
This is 100 times harder to handle than loosing my Mom. Sure, I cried and was sad after I lost my Mom, but I felt like it was her time to go and that she had given me everything. Every hug, every smile, every I love you is imbedded in my soul. She isn't suffering any more and that gives me peace.
But I feel angry at myself and at God. I never got to hold my baby. To even feel them kick in the womb. I feel robbed that I never heard a cry, or saw a smile. I need time to mourn because this loss is so massive. An entire lifetime of love, laughter, smiles and tears vanished overnight. A thousand sibling moments are gone. The fights, the hugs, the late night games, all gone.
I guess what im trying to say is if you see me, please don't try to make this ok. Don't turn it into a positive. My baby died. Just tell me your sorry and give me a hug. Thats all I need.

Tear stains on my pillow...my husband, helpless...the hole still there.

Just Those Few Weeks



For those few weeks--

I had you to myself

And that seems too short a time

to be changed so profoundly.



In those few weeks--

I came to know you

and to love you.

You came to trust me with your life.

Oh, what a life I had planned for you!



Just those few weeks--

When I lost you.

I lost a lifetime of hopes,

plans, dreams, and aspirations...

A slice of my future simply vanished overnight.



Just those few weeks--

It wasn't enough time to convince others

how special and important you were.

How odd, a truly unique person has recently died

and no one is mourning the passing.



Just a mere few weeks--

And no "normal" person would cry all night

over a tiny, unfinshed baby,

or get depressed and withdrawn day after endless day.

No one would, so why am I?



You were just those few weeks my little one

you darted in and out of my life too quickly.

But it seems that's all the time you needed

to make my life so much richer

and give me a small glimpse of eternity.



Poem Copyright 1984 by Susan Erling Martinez

Thank you Carin for sharing this poem with me.
Today has been a little rough. I keep seeing babies and pregnant women everywhere. It feels as if I am expected to be ok and im not...I hope tomorrow is better.

Miscarriage

Such a dreaded, hated and feared word. Honestly, one of my worst nightmares. The only problem is that it isn't a nightmare. I'm living it. I know that it could happen to anyone, and most women go through it, yet it doesn't make me feel like less of a failure. Part of me wonders if I had done something different, instead of the hole in my heart I would be rejoicing.
Tomorrow I will be better. Today, I am just going to mourn my loss.

One year later

It's been one year since my Mom passed away. Thinking back on this last year, it's been tough. The memories are still so fresh. Something as simple as reading one of my favorite story books to the girls brings on the pangs of grief. Watching Kira learn something new, or Rora wanting to call 'papa.' It makes me so sad that she is missing it, missing them. Kira will never read a book to her, Rora will never call her on the phone.
And then I have days like today. I am not 100% sure, but it is possible that I am having a miscarriage. I am extremely sad and yet I am also calm. Josh told me last week that she has been nonstop 'lobbying' my case to the Lord. It made me laugh then and today, it brings me comfort. I know she is here holding me close. Helping me not to feel fearful. I am surprisingly calm. Sad, but calm. I guess thats one of the benefits of having her there. I know that no matter what if I need her she is right here with me.
I know this post is rambling, but so are my thoughts. Mom, I miss you and I love you. I am so grateful for the Gospel and the knowledge that I have that we can be together again. I'm not sure if I would have been able to make it through this past year without that. I love you Mom! You are forever in my heart. Thanks for giving me such a wonderful life!
Til we meet again......

The Treasure Hunt to end all Treasure Hunts!

We took the girls to the park tonight for a treasure hunt! The treasure they are getting makes me cry as I type this! I am so blessed!

Well...Ash just left on a jet plane...

...don't know when she'll be back again. :( (I had to add that... :D )

We have had a wonderful two weeks with Ashleigh here. It has been so fun having her to hang out with.

One of our first activities was free child labor. We went blueberry picking. It was so fun and we had a great time. Not to mention the 2 gallons of blueberries that we brought home! Soo yummy! (and I don't even like blueberries!)

Aurora was a great picker! Kira, liked to pick the blueberries only to put them in her mouth. :) She spent the entire time playing with her friends and shoveling blueberries into her mouth.





We spent a lot of time hanging out. (staying up late...im not sure i'll EVER recover ;) Ashleigh learned about hot rollers. She really is way to beautiful for her own good! And of course, painting Josh's nails. He is such a good sport!



We had a Harry Potter marathon. I couldn't believe it, Ashleigh had never seen all 7 (of 8) Harry Potter movies. How can you go through life without seeing or reading Harry Potter!?! Such a dissapointment!

Josh was able to take a few days off work and we were able to go up to Chattanooga. Our first day we went to the zoo. It was really small, yet it was clean and nice. It turned out to be perfect for us. We were able to get to the hotel early and go swimming for a couple of hours.
Our next day we went to Chickamauga. I just love this battlefield. It is such an important piece of lost history. I was really surprised that it wasn't taught in school, with it being the second largest battle during the civil war, but then I realised that it shows how God touched the hand of the union to keep us a complete nation. Yes, the south won that battle, but the simple mistakes that were made after by the south really showed me how important America is to the Lord. (If you don't know about it either look it up or call me :)
We stumbled upon a Central Park while we were there. If you haven't been to Central Park they have the best fries ever. So yummy! We stopped twice just for the fries!

We went to Lake Winnepesaukah amusement park the on our last day. It was really fun! I loved that Kira was tall enough for most of the rides. She had a blast and gained a lot of courage. Rora was even able to ride many of the rides. Her favorite (and mine) was the slide. Just a simple slide. Sitting in a gunny sack, but oh so fun and fast. We went over and over and over again!

All good things must come to an end, fortunately even though we were back at home
that night, the next day was once again filled with fun. We went to Point Mallard. It was so much fun! Kira was tall enough to ride the tube slides, the only thing was that she had to ride alone. She loved it...until her third ride when she tried to adjust just after getting on the ride and flipped over. She ended up hitting her head and back, barely hanging on until the end of the ride. Naturally I was shocked when she got back on just a few minutes later. Over and over again we went down the slides. Can you tell im proud!?! Thanks Josh for spending time alone with the baby in the kiddie area so Ash, Kira and I could ride the slides over and over and over again.

It was so fun having Ash here. I can't wait until she can come back next summer! ***hint*hint***

Starting tomorrow we will be staying home so Rora can master potty training. Wish us luck!

*****Blogger decided to have issues uploading the rest of my pictures :( If you want to see them look on facebook.*****

Yes, we're still alive!

About a month ago Rora discovered the power cord to my computer. She learned how to put it in the computer. The only problem was that she also enjoyed sucking on it. Yep, you see where this is going. She fried my motherboard :( On the upside, yesterday I got my computer back from gateway :)
Our last month has been spent in pure enjoyment. With summer in full swing we've been swimming, snuggling, enjoying daily spinach smoothies (did you know that in one smoothie kids get an entire day's worth of fruits and vegetables!) spending lots of time with friends and pretending we have time to relax.
Currently Ashleigh, my neice, is spending two weeks with us. It's been so fun having her here! It seems everytime I see her she is more beautiful, mature and just so darn grown up!
I am not even going to try to catch up on what I missed writing about, just know that it was really good. :D
I hope you are enjoying your summer! I sure am!!

Atlanta aquarium

Easter weekend we took a quick overnighter to Atlanta to go to the temple open house. Friday morning we left early to go to the aquarium. I was all hyped up to go. Unfortunately, even though it is the worlds largest, I wasn't very impressed. When we got there the line to buy tickets was crazy. I kept thinking how inefficient it all was. As we went around the attractions Josh and I kept laughing about how Disney World has spoiled us. Their were so many people there and no clear line of movement. We learned quickly that if Kira wanted to touch a fish we had go for it. We couldn't hold back patiently because every time we did someone cut infront of us. It didn't help that Kira kept begging to leave so we could go to the temple. She could care less about anything but being at the temple. It was adorable!
I was very impressed that both girls touched a stingray (well, Rora couldn't reach it, but she sure tried!) and a sea anemone.
All and all it was fun, but not a place we will go back to.
Up next: ATLANTA TEMPLE TRIP! It was epic!
*and since im exhausted and heading to bed, if you want to see pictures, look on facebook. :)*

The storm

So I thought I would backtra6ck on my blog posts. Starting with the most recent. The tornados.
Im sure you all know that we had one of the largest amount of tornados at one time in the history of Alabama. (Most recent comparison was in the 1970's.) The thing you have to understand is that the news over dramatizes every tornado here. Except this one. We had more advanced warnings since Josh watches the weather (and Matt who I babysit for is a weatherman.) Of course, I ingored them both. They say it all the time and the tornado's always miss us. Of course, when you cry wolf to many times everyone laughs it off. Until it really is a wolf, or a tornado(s).
The girls and I went into the closet when it got dark outside. Within a minute we could hear the thundering roar of the tornado that passed our way. We all made it through unscathed, with little damage to the house (garage door bent out of shape and a few shingles need to be replaced where a branch hit the house and slid to the ground.) Our neighbor a few houses down had a tree fall through her bedroom and the girl that lives across from us saw the tornado (that didn't touch down in our area) take her roof off as she was carrying her baby down the stairs to safety. Her whole upstairs needs to be gutted because of the water damage.
We had Kira sleep in our closet the entire time the power was out. At first it was because of all the damage and the storms weren't done. After that when we had no power and neighbors were having burglary attempts on their houses, (4 attempts in our niehborhood that we know of)
All that said, I actually enjoyed having the power out - as long as I ignored my laundry room :) All our neighbors were home and since the weather was fantastic we spent the entire time outside. Kira was in heaven playing with her friends all day. It was such a great sense of community. I almost wish life would be put on hold again for a day or two just for that.
Of course we found a few holes in our emergency plan, but all things considered we were prepared and it was such a relief to know that.
I am so grateful that we live in a time with hot water, washing machines, vacuum, etc. I am also grateful for a Prophet who coucils us to be prepared. Have a great evening everyone! Hopefully Ill have time tomorrow to post about our trip to Atlanta and the sweet excitement Kira felt at the temple.

Home, home on the range!

This is the scene in my house when I got home from the gym today. How fantastic is my girls Daddy!?! Aren't they (and I) so lucky!!!

All the new and unusual goings on in our life

I am trying harder to update more often. The only problem is that our life doesn't really have much going on. We are crazy busy, yet have nothing to show for it.
Here is a simple update on Kira. She is turning into the sweetest little lady. So caring. We just started 'teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons.' She is doing fantastic and loves it! Thanks to my cousin Nikki for letting me know about this great program!
Next week we are heading to Atlanta to the temple open house. She can't wait to be inside the temple. I love how sacred she treats it. It's a joy to behold.
Each night before and after we read the scriptures we MUST sing the books of the Book of Mormon song. She loves it and had the song memorized on our second night of singing it :)
Aurora is turning into a little girl much faster than I care to admit. She is trying to talk more which is so fun. I love to listen to baby voices. Is there anything more precious? She won't let me pick her clothes anymore. She has to wear what she wants to wear (out of two choices Mommy picks) letting her pick her clothes has stopped a few of her tantrums, but boy can she throw a tantrum! She is just so darn stubborn!
The biggest Rora news I have is that she is off the binki! When we got Kira off we had her throw them all in the garbage and we took the sack to the compactor so she could see that they were gone. Rora isn't quite to that level like Kira was (even though Kira was a month younger) so I just stopped giving it to her. She has been completely off for 4 days! Way to go Rora!
Josh and I are still just plugging along. I truly have a fantastic life!

So I know its a bit racy, but I LOVE this photo Josh took! Rora loves to take baths with me. As soon as she gets in she snuggles up. Josh caught it perfectly!

April Fools Day

Yesterday was April Fool's. Unusally I don't do much of the tricking, yet with Kira being at the prime age to 'understand' it all, we did a few fun pranks.
We started off the morning with eggs for breakfast. Kira loves eggs and I HATE to make them, so when I told her she could have an egg, she was so excited! When I gave her her egg(vanilla yogurt with a peach in the middle. Bran on top for pepper) she looked at me with the funniest expression and told me that she didn't want her egg scrambled. I laughed and told her it wasn't scrambled. She said oh, and then looked at it some more. She then told me I was tricking her. I laughed and explained what April Fool's day is. She then thought it was a riot!


I taught preschool at my house yesterday so I was able to trick the kids and then in turn help them trick their parents. I gave them koolaid (with salt) and got the funniest expressions. They then helped me make cookies(salt for sugar) for their parents. They were so excited to tell them April Fool's and throughout the day kept asking me to remind them what to say. I sure hope they were able to pull it off when they got home!

Kira and I then took the rest of the cookies to Daddy's work for him to pass out. The perfect thing is that I send cookies all the time so no one thought anything of it...until they tasted them. ;)

It was a great day and so much fun! Kira and Daddy tried to trick me when I got back from the gym, but seriously....saran wrap on the toilet, in the middle of the day!?! Better luck next year!

I love seeing Kira have a great time and it was such a fun day!

"The Best Day EVER!"

**I had every intention of posting this Saturday the 5th...but life got away from me and I haven't had time 'til now.**
*****I've spent an hour waiting for the dang pictures to post...I guess if you want to see pictures, you'll have to look on facebook. I give up!*****
Yesterday there was a special day done by the Paul Mitchell school called 'princess day.' For $10 they gave little princess' manicures, pedicures, facials and did their makeup. (They also did hair but it wasn't advertised so I did her's before we came...next time :)
Friday night just before bed I told Kira that she would get a surprise the next morning. She went to bed practically bouncing. Of course, Saturday morning she was up at the crack of dawn and giddy with anticipation for her surprise. When I told her what was to come she was excited and a bit nervous.
By the time we pulled into the school she was bubbly again. She started by getting a facial complete with cucumbers. It was so funny to see her try to keep them on her eyes. Her next stop was makeup. They let her pick the colors and she chose a light blue on her eyes and of course, pink for her lips.
She then got her nails done. They had a bunch of bold and frankly, rather ugly colors. I thought for sure she would choose a gaudy hot pink, yet she chose a pretty light pink. She then went to a different station to get her pedicure. They had a whole different array of colors there from black to blue and bold purple. She was asked what color she wanted on her toes and asked for the same pink. After a few moments spent tracking down the light pink Kira had matching toes! Of course I noticed all the girls nails as I was watching Kira. It might just be me, but I prefer matching nails and feminine colors. It's so great to see that she is developing her taste and instead of going with what everyone was doing, her picks were age aproppriate and beautiful. As we were getting into the car she told me that this was, "The best day ever!"
I have to say, I never thought that I would enjoy doing the 'girly' stuff with my daughters, but ya know, it is kind of fun to see life through the eyes of a girly girl. :) Isn't being a Mom the best!?!

Then...to NOW!

I know im not very old yet, yet I find myself reflecting on the past. Through facebook I am able to stay connected and 'know' a bit about the people that were in my life when I was in elementary, middle and high school. I think about the person I was back then and I am apalled at who I was. That one bad choice spiraled into no good choices. Both for myself and the people around me. I have made ammends with *hopefully* all the people that I hurt back then and if I haven't told you, im sorry.
With that said, I look at where I am now. Im 23 years old, I have a wonderful man by my side who cares for me in a way I don't deserve. I have two beautiful children who are so free with their love it amazes me. I have a house, no, a home. I have enough of the material things to satisfy me and so many spirtual blessings that I don't know how I can be so deserving. I have a life. A wonderful, fabulous life!
Through the power of my Savior, Jesus Christ, I have been transformed from the angry, hateful, self satisfying person I used to be to a Christ-centered, happy, healthy Daughter of God. All through the power of the Atonement. Isn't it amazing!?!
Wow. When I sat down to write this blog I was leaning more towards writing about a desire to be closer to those that used to be in my life. At one point there was one person who was the only 'molly Mormon' I really admired and looked up to and now she is getting married and somehow, I don't even know who she is. How sad is that?
Yet even without the people that 'used' to be in my life, I have amazing people in my life now. I have a love for those that I am near. I am trying to see everyone as Christ sees them and even though I don't always reach that, I try and get better day by day. And all this through the love that my Father in Heaven has shown to me. I can hardly wait to see what the next ten years will bring!

The Box

A couple days ago I received a phone call from a Sister in my ward telling me she had a box from a washing machine and asking if I wanted it. After I got over my initial 'how fast word gets around that my favorite toy is a box because it fosters creativity,' of course I jumped at the idea to have another box in my house. Why? Why would I want a huge box taking up space in my house that ill eventually have to shove into my garbage can? If you saw how Kira's eyes lit up when I set the box up in her room and asked her what it was then you wouldn't ask why. I could see her creativity start to flow as she first told me it was a cave, then a tent and now her house. We cut a door, a window and of course we couldn't forget the chimney. There is such magic in the imagination that unfolds from a simple box. It reminds me of childhood and being able to be/do anything you want to. One of my favorite books is Christina Katerina and the Box by Patricia Lee Gauch. It's a great story and tells quite a bit about why I love boxes, the only difference is that in the book the Mom HATES the box and in my childhood, my Mom imbraced it. She was the one who turned a ordinary car wash into a alien invasion. Who made sticks swords and shrubery hiding places from the 'bad guys.' Anyways, ive gotten a bit off track...I do LOVE boxes! Thanks for the box, the girls love it!

**Disclaimer, I have no pictures because my camera broke and we need to wait until bonus to get a new one*** (only 8 days left :)

Precious Moments

With Kira, Lizzy and Anna in bed, its just been Rora and I for the last 30 minutes. I love the time I get to spend one on one with my children. There is something so profound in the simplicity of the moment and living it to the fullest. Even if we are only playing hand games with her babies.
After about 15 minutes of play, Rora brought me the book my Mom wrote about her life. She handed it to me and climbed in my lap. She the pointed to the picture on the cover and said, "Ama, ama." I read the book to her and she pointed out on every page the pictures of her Grandma, she kept going back to her baby picture and giggling. (It's a naked baby picture ;)
Rora didn't know that I was missing my Mom when I woke up, yet she could sense it. I firmly believe that she has a connection with her Grandma. It's more than them sharing the same name (Laurel), it's much deeper than that. As if Rora has that extra connection to help me get through these last 7 months and continue through the rest of my life.
Thanks to the Lord for giving me that extra something I did't think to ask for in my child. She is such a sweet girl!

I will be so glad when Rora is done teething!

As the title of this post suggests, Rora is teething. Horribly! In 3 days last week she had one tooth on the bottom front come in and one molar. On top of that a eruption hematoma has formed. If you don't know what that is, neither did I. It's where the gum gets stretched so thin that the blood vessels pop causing a bruise under the gum. It's horrible. Poor Rora has had this now for over a week. She has a hard time eating anything on that side of her mouth and is in so much pain. I can't wait for her to feel better! Poor, poor baby! Yet even with the pain in her mouth she is still the sweetest most adorable girl around...of course, I can't wait until she is sweeter, more adorable because she is happy! Plus, she will have more teeth and will be able to chew food properly! YAY! Thats about it for now, we are just trying to get through the next (hopefully) week and get her feeling better. Wish her (ok, ME really) luck!

It used to be more than double the size it is now!