2011 Family Pictures

This should make up for all the times that I say I am going to add pictures and then I don't. This was the day before Thanksgiving. My sister-in-law Jami Tolman took these. They were taken in Ogden at Union Station and also at an old building near there. Kodi and Maren fell asleep on our way there so they were not super excited about taking family pictures. But I think we got some super cute ones.

Sad Day

So Andrew and I have had a hard decision to make about Roxie our dog. She has been really mean to our children and to any visitors that come over. She bites and growls and has a really bad attitude. On the other hand she always wants to be around me. She loves to sit on my lap and to follow me around the house or the yard. She loves me but annoys me at the same time. So we decided to take her to the animal shelter to see if some one else could take her off our hands. I was feeling pretty bad about it on our drive there and I just knew that I was going to be heart broken that we were getting rid of her. When I got there and they asked me all about her history and if she has ever bitten anyone I told the truth. She has bitten Kodi a few times and broke the skin once. Since that had happened they could not place her in someone elses home. They had to put her down. I am crying my eyes out typing this. I had to muzzle her and there was an employee there trying to help and Roxie just kept trying to bite him and she was growling and bearing her teeth. It was horrible. Andrew was outside in the truck with our sleeping girls. I just wanted to say nevermind, but I have to protect my babies from getting bit. I am really broken up about the whole thing and I made Andrew promise that we will get another dog when our girls are older. I feel so guilty for the whole thing. She totally loved me and I had her killed.

November 2011

This year sure is speeding along. Maren is almost 6 months old. She is rolling over all the time and she loves to eat her feet. She is still super happy most of the time and she has found her voice. She is always squeeking and making baby sounds. She really loves Kodi and they like to laugh at each other,

So the other day was super traumatic. I thought we were going to lose Kodi. She was playing with this little ring and she kept telling how pretty it was. So I was busy getting ready for work and Andrew was getting the girls ready to go. Kodi had put the ring in her mouth and when Andrew layed her down to change her diaper the ring went back in her throat and she started choking. She was crying and gagging. I don't even remember how I got to her but when I did I tried to get the ring out but it was too deep. I gave her the heimlich and then tried to get the ring. Thankfully it came out, but her throat was injured in the process and she bled all over me. I was the worst experience I have ever gone through. I love my little girls and I never want anything bad to happen to them. I am so grateful that she is doing ok. The only one who is permantly damaged is me. Hopefully the rest of the month goes better.

The middle of October

Well so far today is a good day and for me good days have not been the normal lately. But I am not trying to focus on the bad. I am trying to be positive. Maren is now 5 months old. She is getting so big and yesterday she got to eat rice cereal for the first time and she loved it. She ate every bite that I gave her and she did really well with it. Kodi was the exact opposite. She screamed and hated it. She didn't ever like baby food. But so far Maren is liking it. We have started potty training Kodi. It is going pretty well, she goes when I remind her. I am just easing her into it but when we move I will really start pushing her to be done with diapers. Speaking of moving we are supposed to close on our house on Nov. 1st. The inspector has been through it, the appraiser has gone through it, and now we are just waiting for the sellers to make a few changes. We are living in chaos right now. I know for a fact that I could never be a hoarder. I hate having boxes and things stacked all over. We are living in a mess right now and I am ready for it to be over. Kodi tries to be so helpful but in fact she is not. I have been going though all our stuff and I have been packing boxes and she follows along and unpacks everything for me. The other day I packed all out games but I didn't tape the top of the box since Maren was sleeping and I didn't want the sound of the tape stretching to wake her up. So I left to go and do the dishes. Kodi was pretty quite for a while so when I was done with the dishes I went to look for her. She was right next to the box that had, yes I said had as in past tense, all the games in it. Now they were every where. All the card games were open and dumped out the life game was dumped and all the little pink and blue people were scattered, and she had gotten the playdough out of the cranium box. I didn't even know what to do. But I guess that is how life goes. Messes happen. I really hope that one day Kodi has a little girl just like her.

I have been thinking a lot lately about family. The family dynamic really baffles me. You don't get to pick them out but you are supposed to love them any way. What the crap? Well thats all I can write for now Kodi is calling me......

More Change................................

Life is funny sometimes. Just when you think you are getting things under control and that everything is going the way you want, BAM! Something has to happen to change everthing. For us we found out on Saturday that we have to move. The man we are renting from needs our appartment for his son so we have to be out in a month. Kinda crazy. I was in Utah at my cousins wedding when Andrew found out. He called me and I was super upset. Not only were we apart but I was really emotional from being in the temple earlier that day. When I was in the Temple I kept having the feeling that I needed Andrew with me and I was really unsettled. I just shook off the feeling, but I guess the Lord was preparing me. When Andrew told me that we had to move all I could think was that it was time to buy a house. When I got home and was able to talk to Andrew he told me that he was having the same thought. So we are on the house hunt. We have looked at all the sites online and I got us pre-approved for a loan. So today we are going out to look at some homes. I am super excited but really nervous at the same time. It all seems really fast but I guess since it is working out so easily the Lord must have a plan for us. It is kinda funny, I have dislike our ward since we moved in but over the last few months I have been changing my mind. Only a few days before we were told that we needed to move I was talking to Andrew and I told him that I was really enjoying my calling and all the girls and leaders in the young womens. I know that I will really miss all of them. I hope that we will stay friends.

I really hate packing and moving but this move will be easier then out last move from New Mexico.

Ok funny Kodi stories: A few days ago we had put Kodi to bed...Or so we thought. She came out into the living room and was covered in lotion. I had just bought some lotion and only used it once so it was really full. It was in a pot type bottle so her whole hand could fit into it. She used 3/4 of the bottle on her self and her stuffed bunny. Her hair was plastered to her head, her shirt was covered and there were globs of lotion all over her legs. She told me that she was pretty and when Andrew took her to give her a bath she got really mad at him and told him that it was her lotion and not to wash it off. Silly little rat. The next day her hair was still greasy even though we washed her hair.

This morning I was taking a shower and Kodi was in the bathroom with me since Maren was sleeping and I didn't want Kodi waking her up. So Kodi was playing with some toys and then she started telling me something about being pretty. I looked out of the shower and she had my mascara open and her whole face was black. I was really soapy so I couldn't do anything. But when I finally got the mascara away from her I saw that it was the waterproof kind. She was really mad at me when I had to scrub off her "pretty" makeup.

I think its time to potty train Kodi. She has starting taking her diapers off if I don't change them soon enough for her. And well I don't know about other people but I think its a little gross to come across a wet diaper just laying open on the floor. But I guess she thinks she is helping me out.

Maren is doing good. She is so sweet and happy. I was having trouble getting her to take a nap when we are all at home but Andrew said to just lay her in the crib. I was totally like "I know what I am doing", but then I decided to lay her in there and guess what. She fell right to sleep. I guess Andrew is smarter then I thought :)

Well wish us luck finding a place to live!

Maren 9-27-2011

Today Maren had her 4 month old doctors check up. It was super fun... NOT! We got to the office at 1:40 and we did not leave until 3:20. What the crap???? Don't doctors know that 4 month old babies cannot sit that long. But other than that she is 17 lbs and 26 inches long. In the 97% in weight and 95% in height or visa versa I cannot remember. But all in all she is growing good. We sure love her.

September is running away!!!!

Maren is now 4 months old and she has two teeth. I am not sure how much she weighs but we are going to the doctor next week to find out. She is also in size 6 months. She is just growing up so fast. She is already holding her head up really well and she is trying to roll over. She holds on to her toys and she loves to smile. She is my little buddy and I love that she is always with me. I know that the flower is the same size as her head in the pictures but it is just so cute I love it. Maren has a way different personality that Kodi. She is way less moody and lots more smiley. But I love them both and I am glad that I am their mom.

Work is going really good and I am super glad that I am now going part time. So funny story.. Well maybe a few funny stories. So a few weeks ago at church I went to get Kodi from Nursery and the leader says to me " Kodi's diaper is really full, it fell off of her once but we just put it back on her". I was a little baffled with that but now we just make sure that she has a new diaper on when she goes and that she always has bloomers on. Ok next one....Maren has been scooting on her back when ever I lay her down. I was doing dishes in the kitchen and I heard her crying. I washed the last dish and then went into the living room to see what the deal was. She was stuck under the couch. I had layed her in the middle of the room and she had scooted all the way over to the couch and her head was stuck. I pulled her out and she had the biggest smile like she was so proud of herself for making it so far. Silly little lady. Oh now this is the kicker. Kodi really loves Go-Gurt. I mean she could eat them and Otter Pops at any time of the day. So I was getting ready in the bathroom one morning and Kodi came up to me, holds up a tampon and says "Mom, go-gurt, pweese." I almost died laughing. She is so stinking funny.

Kodi is now sleeping in her toddler bed and Maren is in the crib. We have our room back. Thank goodness. I can't sleep when a baby is in my room. They just grunt and make noise all the time. But Kodi is an early riser, at 5:30-6:00am she is in our room saying "Daddy, daddy, daaaaaddddy! Mom, mom, MoMMMMYYYY!" She sure keeps us on our toes.

I ready my friend Leah's blog today and she really made me think that I am so glad that I am a Mom. I am so blessed with my little girls and with Andrew. He really is the best guy ever and I love him. I am also blessed to have a wonderful family. Some of my friends have been having family drama and I just got to thinking that I have the best family. And I don't just consider my side my family I mean all of Andrews side as well. They all are so wonderful and I know that I can just call any of them and they will help me with whatever I need. Andrew and I were talking about how our life has been since we moved back to Idaho. I would not have changed it. I really miss all my friends in Las Cruces especially Leah and I wish we were able to talk more but I know that we are where the Lord wants us to be. I was talking to Lisa today about our ward and I am finally feeling like we are in the right place. It has taken over a year for me to feel accepted but now I have good friends and people that I really like in the ward.

So all in all I am in a good place for the time being and I am enjoying my little family. Some one said to me "don't let your little girls grow up too fast" and I just thought I really can't control that, all I can do is enjoy the ride. :)