Montana Favorites

More Montana Pictures...

For some reason my computer won't let me download a bunch of pictures at the same time, so you guys will have to bear with me. These are a few of my favorite pics from Montana. I just LOVE the one of T'chad and Taiyah.

Introducing our newest addition...JUBILEE

So, this is our new dog...T'chad got her from someone at work. She is a 3 year old Chesapeake Bay Retreiver named Jubilee...aka Jubee. She is a broken soul and hasn't been treated very well. So, we are trying to give her some TLC. She is getting more and more used to us and the attention and is really the sweetest dog in the world.

Finally...Grass in the backyard!

Well, it was a long process, but so worth the wait. T'chad has been super busy putting up walls and preparing the dirt to put in grass. The girls LOVE having a place to run around and play soccer. Thank you Daddy...we appreciate all your hard work!

Addie's First Day of Pre-K

Please, Please make these girls stop growing up so fast!! I can't believe that they both are in school. The house is VERY quiet during the mornings...i miss the chaos! I guess I don't have to worry too much longer. Baby girl #3 will be here in just a few weeks!!!

Taiyah's First Day of Kindergarten

How cute is this little girl??? Can't believe that she is already in Kindergarten. Where has the time gone??!!!

Family Vacation to Montana

Montana

In June T'chad and I and the girls took a 19 hour drive up to Montana to see Papa and Grandma. We all had such an amazing time and the girls still talk about "the best vacation ever!" But, they still haven't recovered from the drive. Everytime I ask if they want to drive back to visit Addie starts crying and says NOOOOOOO, i want to fly there on an airplane. This picture was taken outside of Glacier Lodge. The girls and I had lunch with papa while daddy went on a bike ride up to the top and back. More pictures to come of our fun vacation. :)

What we've been doing this summer...

Camping

Working on the yard.

Getting kittens

Durango for T'chad's insane bike race.

We've been pretty busy these past few summer months. We started with preschool graduation for Taiyah and left that evening to go camping. The following weekend we took a trip up to Durango for T'chads 50 mile bike race from Durango to Silverton. We stayed a few days and enjoyed the beautiful town, ate yummy food, and the girls did A LOT of swimming. We went on a 19 hour road trip to Montana to visit Papa and Grandma for 12 days (pictures coming shortly) which we had such an amazing time. It was so great to spend time with family and the girls were so sad to go, AND make that horribly long drive back. We have been working in the yard like crazy getting grass in and the walls up, going to the lake a few times and getting 2 new additions to the family...KITTENS!! Yes, I don't know what I was thinking considering this baby is going to be here in only a few short weeks. The girls and I went out on T'chads birthday to get him a present and take it up to the fire station because he was working that day. But instead, the girls found some kittens outside of the Sunflower Market and we ended up with not one, but TWO! The girls are smitten with them. Taiyah's is Lucy and Addie's is Raindrop, Rainbow, Sparkle, Bella, Angel and the list goes on... It depends on the day and her mood. Now school is coming upon us in the next couple weeks and I'm getting my little Taiyah ready for Kindergarden...I think I will cry. Addie is going back to preschool for another year and the baby will be here before we know it. Just getting things painted and ready for her arrival. We are so excited to meet her!

3rd Time Around

This picture isn't of me now, but when I was almost 9 months pregnant with our first. There is NO WAY I will post a picture of me this time around since I swear I look almost this big and only half way along. Needless to say, this 3rd pregnancy has been hard. I don't know if it has to do with being in my 30's now or that I wasn't in as good of shape this time around as I was with the other two? I'm just really "feeling" it this time. It took us a lot longer to get pregnant this time, I'm more tired, more cranky, crazy symptoms...Vertigo is the newest addition to the list. The one good thing is knowing that this will be the last...at least in my mind it is. I also ate pure junk food during my pregnancies with the other two...cookies, cake, frosting of any kind...you name it, I ate it. This time around I can't even touch sugar or it makes me really sick. All I want is vegetables, salads, fruit, and lot's of steak!!! Maybe this time it will be a boy? Call me crazy, but secretly I would be fine with another emotional and drama filled girl! We find out in a couple weeks what flavor I've been cooking...We'll see.....

Our Taiyah Totter

I've noticed that I have quite a lot of pictures of Addisyn and not many of Taiyah. I don't even know where to begin with this little angel. She is definitely a special little spirit and wise beyond her years. She gave us quite a run for our money when she was a baby and was pretty difficult, but once she turned 6 months she turned out to be such a happy little thing always smiling and chattering away. Even now, she is nicknamed "little miss chatterbox." She is the smartest little cookie and amazes me daily with her knowledge and facts about certain things that I wasn't even aware of. She hates it when anyone is mad at her and is the most sensitive little girl. I cannot even begin to picture my life without her. She brings such joy into our lives and is the most nuturing and caring big sister!!! We love you Punky Brewster!!

A Day at the Zoo

It was spring break last week for the kids in school, so we decided to jam pack the week with fun things to do since we don't get a chance in the week usually with the girls schedule with school and playdates and other activities. We went to see Bolt in the dollar movie theatre, went to the aquarium, the zoo, went to see the new movie Monsters vs. Aliens, storytime a few times at Barnes and Noble where the girls LOVE listening to the stories, making art projects, and eating snacks at the bookstore. We made several trips to their favorite place to eat...Red Robin...yuck...but they love it. They were exhausted by the end of the week and now it's monday and they are ready to start back at school today. These pictures are at the zoo. We invited Dakota to come along for some fun and besides the cold wind it was a great day.

TROUBLE MAKERS

Back in October 2008, I threw a baby shower for Jessica at my house. It was a "spa" theme and we had a wonderful night of pampering and relaxing. There was wonderful food, hand massages, some yoga instruction, and a fun aromatherapy game. A few people were able to take home little foot/hand baths and some lotions to soak with. T'chad took the girls for a few hours until they were exhausted and needed to come home and go to bed. I had said goodbye to the last few people and then went to put the girls to bed. But, the girls were nowhere to be found. After searching the house I finally heard some giggling coming from one of the bathrooms and opened the door to find these girls sitting on the counter "pampering" themselves with the stolen footbath. I couldn't help but laugh and quickly grabbed the camera for these shots. They are too funny.

THE NEXT VERA WANG

Addie AKA Ballerina

Addie AKA drama queen....something on the outfit

wasn't working.

Addie AKA Belle

Addie AKA Princess Roe

My mom and I have been joking about Addie becoming the next "Vera Wang" for the past 2 1/2 years now. EVERY SINGLE day this girl has some "get up" on. I know that it's something most little girls go through, but this girl takes it to a whole new level. Mark my words, this girl will be some sort of designer, actress, performer of some sorts...it's in her blood!!

Grateful

I am so very grateful for the relief society and the sweet sisters in our ward. I've always kind of been "that kind of person" who complains about going Visiting Teaching and doing all the things we are expected to do as "sisters" in the ward thinking that I don't have time for any of it. I have truly never depended on it...until this past week. I have such a strong testimony of the relief society and know that our Father in Heaven truly was inspired and "knew" what he was doing when the relief society was "put into action." During these past two weeks that T'chad has been out of town I got really sick. I was barely able to take care of myself, let alone my poor girls. I turned on the computer one day to recieve an email from a sister in my ward that I have only met briefly for literally 5 minutes while we passed eachother in the bathroom during church a few months ago. Within 20 minutes, she had arranged to bring the girls and I dinner, and for dinners to be brought to us the rest of the week. She also invited the girls and I over for lunch and for me to go home and sleep and she would take care of the girls. She already has 4 girls of her own, a newborn AND twins included in the mix. :) I read this email and instantly tears were streaming down my face. This woman doesn't know me from Adam, but she geniunely cared. I have a VERY hard time accepting help from anyone, let alone someone I don't know, but I must have been in pretty bad shape, because I accepted. I was deeply humbled and so grateful for the relief society. From right then and there I decided I would do everything in my power to serve more and be a better example to those I come in contact with. It's so nice to know that even though I couldn't depend on ANY family who live here in New Mexico, I could count on the relief society sisters. Thank you girls!!! I am deeply GRATEFUL!!!

WATERMELON DAYS

This morning when the girls woke up they both asked if they could have both cake AND watermelon at their next birthday parties. Mind you, the birthdays aren't for another 6 and 7 months. Apparently, watermelon was on the brain for this mornings discussion. Hope they can hang in there just a little longer...

Addie and Papa

Since Papa and Grandma made an appearance in New Mexico at Christmas time, they are pretty much celebrities around here to the girls. We haven't stopped talking about them since. So, when we went to San Diego in the beginning of 2009 Addisyn LITERALLY spent the ENTIRE night on one of her favorite persons lap...PAPA!!! She is absolutely smitten over her grandparents, and counting down the days until she is able to see them again.