ok so...

Ok so I don't want to be one of those Mom's that is endlessly talking about her adventures in potty training. But we have been in potty training mode for what seems like forever! And for the last 2 weeks I have been taking Violet to the bathroom every 15 minutes and doing the whole potty song and dance routine, and she loved it, she loved watching me dance around like an idiot in the bathroom all day everyday....however all my dancing was not producing any...ya know....results and I was getting very frustrated (not to mention tired, that's a lot of potty dances). Well today, we finally got the desired result from all that singing and dancing! Hurray! So I am so proud to announce that Violet stayed dry all day and it wasn't just because she has a bladder of steel!

a little bit of snow and a nice walk

We got a little bit of snow last week. I don't enjoy being out in the snow, but I do think it is really pretty, so I snuck out to get the mail and took my camera along.

Violet was all set to go to sleep when she peeked out the window and discovered the snow, she went and got all her gear to go outside. She did a little better this time and got a real coat and her own shoes. Do you remember how much fun it was when you were a kid and it started snowing late at night or early in the morning. It didn't matter what you were supposed to be doing, everything got put on hold so you could go out and play. Some how snow has lost that magic as we have gotten older but I'm glad it is still so exciting for Violet and Claire. Claire had been in bed for a while so she slept right through the snow.

By Saturday all the snow was gone and we even got a break in the rain for a few hours in the morning so we took the girls out for a little walk. The girls liked riding in the stroller (it's been a while since they have gone for a ride) but after seeing a few doggies running around they wanted to get out and explore the trail. We went to the Western Chehalis trail. It was a nice walk, and great to get outside for a little while. We've hit that point in winter where we are inside most of the time and we are all getting a little bored! If we could afford it this year I would just pack us up and get on a plane to Houston to visit the Woods. Maybe next year...or maybe the next....or....
Here we are right before heading onto the trail. We have made a point of taking more of these little couple pictures because last year we took like 2 in 12 months. We have like 10,000 pictures of the kids and 2 of us.

Violet was sure she saw a fishy in this lake/swamp. I think maybe it was a salamander or something.
ooooh....A fishy. (sidenote: Violet has been doing Speech therapy these last few months and can I just say what an amazing thing that has been for our family! Violet is speaking so much more and her little personality is coming out and she is such a joyful part of our family. I highly recommend it for any kid struggling with their language development, it has been such a blessing for us and she is so happy, she loves her appointments with Allison!)

Claire wants to be just like Violet. Violet has started wearing underpants, so Claire wants to wear underpants (over her diaper of course) Violet wears a hat, Claire wants a hat, Violet jumps on the bed, Claire jumps on the bed. Violet wants to be held by mom, Claire wants to snuggle too (that is the best part of my day, an excuse to just snuggle up on the couch with my babies...I don't want them to ever grow up). Claire loves her sister so much and now that the girls are starting to play more together they have been plotting against me and making huge messes (I am now starting to baby proof more....maybe I will share a few secrets I've learned about that later) and it has become more difficult to get Claire to nap because Violet starts to miss Claire after about one 20 minute cartoon and starts to beg me to go wake her up. Claire still likes to take about a 2 hour nap, so I have to spend nap time distracting Violet so Claire can sleep. It is so sweet. These girlies are so fun.

little girls :)

I am so blessed. I get to spend every day with these two little girls! Even though they are getting to an age where they are little stinkers and always into something they shouldn't be, they are so much fun. I am so lucky to have them. This morning it snowed and Claire ran right outside without stopping to think about a coat....or even shoes. She quickly realized the problem and ran back in. Violet on the other hand, knows that she needs a hat, a coat and 2 shoes in order to play in the snow. So as soon as she realized it was snowing she grabbed 2 shoes, a coat and a hat and waited by the door for us to open it for her. Now I don't want to be one of those nitpicky mothers but I'm not sure a gold ballet slipper and a black high heel shoe really counts as a "shoe" in this situation. Especially when said shoes belong on a grown ups foot and not a 3 year olds. We only stayed outside for a minute though so the shoes worked just fine.
Claire starting to realize that she is cold and has forgotten something.

Claire before she realized she was cold, just excited to see some snow!

On Saturday we got to visit both sets of grandparents while out running errands. Violet wanted to wear a dress, and so did Claire so all 3 of us girls wore dresses for no particular reason. Violet's dress was a special one, her dress is my easter dress when I was about 6 years old. I picked this dress out all by myself and I refused to wear any of the pink fu fuey dresses my mom picked out....pink and pastels for Easter? What was my Mom thinking? and at the tender age of 6 I started the battle over clothes that would last till I moved out. Ok I'm starting to understand the karmic consequences that I may have brought on myself.

Violet with Moosey.

Violet was upset that the kitty ran away and hid in the corner. Don't worry she gets to see the kittens and hold them all the time. Her favorite thing to do is to fish for the kitties with their toy on a pole, it is really cute.

Just me and my little girls.

I have no words

I have no explanation for this...just another day in the life of a 3 year old I guess. I don't know. also she threw my phone in the tub and I'm still in the process of getting a replacement (i tried to save it but it just got too good of a bath) so if you need me call Peter.

Here we go 2011

So it's that time of year again. I'm grateful that I'm not in school and I don't use checks because I would spend the next three months crossing out 2010 and scribbling in 2011. It's also that time of year when we are simultaneously looking backwards and forwards at the same time. We want to remember the good times and erase the bad times and make the next year so totally awesome that we will have no bad times to erase next year.

Peter and I have been thinking about 2010 this past week and we have come to the realization that 2010 has been one of our best years. A lot of things that we have worked towards and waited for have come to pass this year. Peter found a job with the state and we finally feel secure in employment. We moved into our own apartment this year, and we have started making our own traditions and for the first time in our marriage we really truly feel like we are home. We have been blessed with a lot of family that has supported us and helped us along to this point and we feel really lucky to have had life so easy.

My cousin posted a great quote on her blog that I wanted to share. She was talking about wanting to not always be focusing on the greener grass on the other side when she shared this quote "If the grass is always greener on the other side, then it's time to start watering your lawn" . I love that quote! Don't waste life wishing you had the proverbial greener grass, get out there and make your life what you want it to be! Well I gave up making New Years resolutions a long time ago, but this june I ran across a blog by a woman who had set 50 goals for the year. 50 things she had never done but had always wanted to accomplish. There were small things like growing a potted plant or going on a date with her spouse and there were larger more involved projects such as running a marathon and going on vacation to a special place.

Well I made my own list, and while I won't share the whole thing with you now, I may sporadically share a goal accomplishment. My 50 goals range from the typical and ever present resolution to loose a certain amount of weight (why won't this one just go away?) to the fun things I want to do but never seem to make time for (this year I'm making myself an apron!) There are also spiritual things (reading the book of Mormon and going to the temple with Peter 12 times) and there are family goals such as family home evening and taking the girls camping (we accomplished this one over new years, I will add some pictures).

I have until July 24, 2001 to complete my list. I am hopeful that I will be able to get to all these things, there is one that I know I won't be able to get done and that is to get a real tree for Christmas. We didn't do that this year but I vow to get one next year so that goal will just have to settle for an IOU. So since July I have completed a few: I got my Christmas gifts done by the date I wanted, Violet is off the Binks (hallelujah!), We took the girls camping, We bought a table (well we were given a table but, mission accomplished), we shampooed the carpet, and on Saturday I went to an antique store.

I know these are the biggest accomplishments in life but they are making my grass a little greener and I guess that's really what setting goals is all about, Improving ourselves, our lives, the lives of our family and increasing our joy. Happy New Years and I hope you all will enjoy some greener grass this year too!

Ps...I have a few pictures to add too.

Claire after a busy weekend. She didn't want to listen to reason when I told her that was a doll stroller and not made for toddlers. I wish I had video of her trying to get out but by the time I thought of that she was starting to get upset and required my assistance.

On Sunday we went to little Porter's blessing. Claire is baby crazy and was so excited to meet a real live one that looked like her dolls! Porter is adorable and it was so fun to see the Wilson's. We are all protesting the idea of Brandon, Errin and Porter getting on a plane to go home Thursday.
Claire thoroughly enjoyed Aunt Leslie's chocolate and caramel dipped pretzels. Violet made sure everyone had one at all times.

Grandpa Shay with Porter.

Here is red with one of her many donuts on our camping trip to the beach. She is a sweets a holic!

Here I am in the trailer.

Claire E Poo playing in the bunk bed.

V jumping off the top bunk into her dad's arms.

The girls playing on the campground playground with Grandpa.

Peter and I at the Seattle Temple (we have only been 3 times since July 24th so we get to go 9 times in 7 months!)

Look what Peter made me...

So this is one of my favorite pictures of Peter and I. We had been married about a year and this was the first time we had been back to Washington after we moved to Rexburg. We were really enjoying having our feet in the Ocean again.

Peter reproduced the picture in Watercolor for my Christmas present! Isn't it beautiful? We just got it up and framed and I am really enjoying looking at it while I sit at the computer. I love you Peter!

Christmas!

Well Christmas has come and gone. We had so much fun! We are so blessed to have been able to spend Christmas with all of our family. The week before Christmas Katie, Darin and Kya were able to come to town and on Christmas eve we got together and opened presents together. It was a wonderful day. Violet and Claire are really into opening presents this year, Violet especially. Violet made sure everyone had help opening their gifts.

Peter with Kya. She is growing so fast! and she has the cutest little cheeks. It was so fun to be able to see her last week. The next time we get all the cousins together the youngest babies will be more than a year old!

Violet and Claire loved playing with Kya, and Violet was really excited that she got to hold her.

I hope we can get the cousins together often, that is one of my favorite memories as a child is spending time with all my cousins and second cousins. I am missing the Flynn's already and their visit also made me miss the Wood's. I can't wait for August! It is going to be so much fun.

Beautiful Kya sitting with Uncle Peter. Peter is a major sucker for cute little girls. He wanted to keep Kya.

Violet on Christmas eve in her new jammies and showing off her smurfs! Violet loves her little smurfs!

Claire's jammie bottoms fell off. Here she is waiting for Peter to open her hammering tool. She loves this toy and works all day with her little hammer set. Tink tink tink is a sound we hear all the time now.

Kya opening her own "gggssssk" the tradition continues, I wonder what name she will give her's. Katie still calls her raggedy anne gggsssk :)

Kya opening her own pop up toy. This is the best toy, all the kids love it!

Violet was all tuckered out after presents, and it was only Christmas Eve!

We went home and watched the Grinch and took a nap on the sofa. When Grandma and Grandpa got home from the the airport they came over and we had our own version of a "christmas story" dinner and had Panda Express take out for dinner. It was a great way to spend Christmas eve and I think we may make it a tradition.

Santa came to visit us! We all got so many wonderful gifts and the girls had so much fun opening their presents from Santa.

Violet and Claire each got a new baby doll. They are such good little mamma's. Claire carries her baby around and pats her on the back.

Claire bringing me a present to open.

Santa brought Claire a toy Piano! She loves it and both she and Violet have been playing us beautiful music ever since.

Violet in the Christmas Tree Forest at my Parents house.

Claire taking care of her baby.

Violet and Claire helping grandpa open his gifts.

Santa brought Grandpa two little kittens for Christmas. They are so sweet and cute and we just love them (yes even Peter loves them) We brought them into the kitchen so the girls could watch them and play with them for a little while and they had so much fun. The kitties like to hide in this little drawer under the oven and Violet and Claire had so much fun watching them in there.

Come out and play kitties!

Sunday was John's Birthday and we went over and had Famous Dave's BBQ! mmmm...Ribs and Brisket. Happy Birthday John!

The girls ended the evening by sitting down in their matching red chairs and watching the Care Bear movie. It was a fun Christmas weekend and I feel like we partied and played from Friday Morning till Sunday night! I am so glad that Peter has this week off so we can recover from all the fun, I'm beat! This weekend we are going to the beach for New Years eve and then up to bothell to meet baby Porter and be their for his blessing.