Happy General Conference!!

I taught this song to my primary kids last week to get ready for
Conference weekend....
I guess Madison picked up more on it than I thought!
Like I always say,
this girl amazes me!!

February

Miss Rae turned 7 months!!
She FINALLY learned to sit!

Although I'm fairly certain she
knew and just was lazy.
Why?
Because for weeks she wouldn't
even let me sit behind her and help
her sit, or place her with the couch
behind her.
NADA.
Until one day,
I finally decided to sit her up and walk away.
And folks, she just sat there for about 5 minutes.
Ya, the first time.
STUBBORN!
That is what girls are all about though right?

Happy Valentines Day!
Madi had a cute little party at a friends house.
They played BINGO and made place mats
and then had some crepes for lunch.
So much fun,
too much that I forgot to take pictures.

We had a big box that Madi
made to keep our valentines in.
We decorated the table and had
a heart pizza and opened valentines!
We all felt the love :)

We actually witnessed 2 days of snow this year!
Nothing like back home (notice the grass poking through)
Haha, it was different, but actually nice
to not have to shovel our driveway once
this winter!!

Many a nights this month were spent like this....

and we fit in Krispy Kreme's too...
they were so good!

I now find myself buried in songbooks
and crazy ideas for teaching primary kids!
I was released from activity days and put in
as the primary chorister.
YIKES!!
It's been scary and my hands totally
shook the first week...
but I've made it through and things are starting to click now.
But if you have any great ideas for me,
I would LOVE and APPRECIATE
any input!!

JANUARY

I'm only a few months late....

not to mention these pictures are backwards
instead of in order.
But everyone always just looks through pictures
so who really cares right?


Right after we arrived home from Utah
for Christmas break,
Trevor's parents were able to come out for a LONG weekend!
We had so much fun playing a plethora of games,
staying up late, and eating till we were sick!

Trevor's dad was able to be here to ordain him a high priest,
he was called to be a counselor in the bishopric!
It was a special time for our family and we were so
very blessed to be able to have Trevor's parents
here to spend that time with us.

Raelee turned 6 months!!
15 lbs and 27 in

I was sad this turned out blurry,
she is such a doll!!
I'm surprised she hasn't gotten sick of Madi
crawling all over her yet.
They still are the best of buddies!!
Raelee LOVES to chit chat,
and every once in awhile she'll let
out her giggles...
but for some reason she only saves those
for special occasions!

new entertainment for Madison...
play-doh, spaghetti and fruit loops :)

Tux the penguin at our zoo!!
We are excited to get penguins this May!!

Our last night in Utah
we spent with our DEAR friends
Rodney, Kacie and Rendon!!
We hadn't seen them in almost a year!
And OHHHH how we miss them so.
Rendon came running up and hugged me right
when I got out of the car.
It was so adorable,
even though I know he didn't remember me!
Just look at his darling little face.
HANDSOME!!
We're hoping one of our girls gets attached :)

Rod and Trev both took the kids out
four wheeling a million times!
We stayed up so late and Kacie
made the best food....
pretty sure I gained a few pounds just that night!

I sure miss having them a few doors down,
ahhh the memories!
Thanks a million guys for letting us crash with you!

On our journey to Kansas we stopped
to see different sites!

Here is her haircut! She looks bald
compared to before!!

Swimming time in Denver!
My girls are little fishies,
they could LIVE in the water!

We stopped at Sternburg's Museum
of natural history.
It was a well needed stop and the girls
were totally entertained!

She was happy....she accidentally bonked her head on the
head cut out!

This t-rex had a timer and would
turn and scream right as you get by him....
Madi's face says it all!

Madi's sweet fort....
this is almost a weekly activity for her!

Thank you January for starting
our year out crazy busy!!

DECEMBER

December came and went too fast
its hard to remember everything we did!

A week before Thanksgiving we had
Raelee in the ER
with a double ear infection.
She healed quick and
then a couple weeks after she got that
nasty flu that went around
where absolutely everything was
coming out BOTH ends.
Rae only had it one day,
then I got it and Madi started right about
the time I finished,
I ended up taking her to the ER
because she couldn't keep any liquids
down and started throwing up some blood.
On our way to the ER that night
Trevor was home while Raelee
was asleep, and he started
throwing up!!
Madi had an IV and was so brave.
All the nurses adored her,
she come home with a beautifully
decorated barf bucket from all
the stickers she received!
And by the next afternoon we were
all feeling MUCH better,
and 6 lbs lighter:)
( we would kick butt in biggest loser now that we know the trick! haha )

I was cooking in the kitchen while Madison was
doodling on some paper,
she got all excited and came over and said,
"Look mommy! I wrote my own name by myself!"
Sure enough,
I didn't have to tell her any of the letters!

It surely didn't feel like Christmas in Kansas...
until you saw all the lights!
The day before we left for Utah,
it was 60 degrees.
We heard it got up to 71 while we were gone!!

Raelee also turned 5 months!
Her stats this month
consist of a whole lotta hair
and she eats through baby food like crazy.

We drove.
16 hours!
Thanks to priceline,
we got a killer deal on a hotel in Denver
and split the drive in two days.
The girls were FABULOUS!
We played a lot of 'I spy'
and 'name that tune'.
If Madi wasn't reading,
it was this...
Of course we couldn't leave without her
'buddy' Clifford

And literally this is what Raelee
did 90% of the time...

Everyone was happy to have a fun
night in Denver!!

We made it safely to the frozen tundra!
We thoroughly enjoyed staying with Nana and Papa!!
We played with cousins, aunties, uncles
and friends!
It seemed like there wasn't a moment
that we sat still.

Raelee snuggled Trevor's cousins
Tiffany and Darcey to death!
She loved them!!

two peas in a pod!

Madi has discovered computer games
and typing in Word.
She was quite sneaky and convinced
her uncles many times to play with her.

Trevor discovered Rae could hold a bottle
all on her own when mommy went out the the
adult girls!

A ride on daddy's shoulder .....

equals this!
haha!!
We discovered Rae has acid reflux on our trip.

Tucker was Raelee's horsey

Nana cuttin' the delicious turkey!

I thought since we weren't with my dad
that we would get away with discovering
'new' things to feed the baby.
I was wrong.
Thank you Papa.

Tradition on my side of the family.
Trevor and I still like to do gingerbread
houses wherever we are!

We were able to skype my Mom and Dad
on Christmas Eve!!
It was really hard not being able to travel a little
farther to see them in Cali,
but hopefully this summer!!
It's been over a year now that we've seen them!

Christmas morning was spent with
cute cousin Treygan!!

The girls had so much fun
and SHARED!

Paper was Raelee's favorite of course!

The lovely Nana & Papa

We miss these two...well three,
David was MIA!!

Darcey took Madi and Rae
to ride on some of her ponies!
They were so THRILLED!!
Madison road one all by herself.

We did make it up north for a few
SHORT
days, to see more family and friends!
I totally forgot to use my camera
everywhere we went cause
I was too busy enjoying myself!

Madi LOVES her uncle Dave,
they have a pretty sweet bond.
One of a kind :)

I never missed my brother's bball games
when he played in high school,
so it was fun to be able to
see him play some Alumni games!
Madi thought it was cool
and Rae was totally entertained and sat
in her car seat the entire game!

It was sooo good to see our family,
Madi was able to play with her cousins!
I enjoyed spending time with my brother and sister
and of course,
we got to see Auntie Karol :)

Then back down to Nana and Papa's for a few more days.
i LOVE his glasses...
so stylin'

Madison is SO good and entertaining herself.
What good sports they are!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2012 - yup,
Madi stayed up till midnight,
Rae was tucked away in the crib :)

Let me guess,
you've probably said it at least once,
or thought
"dang, that girl has hair"
This was right before we took the buzzers to it.

You'll have to wait till the next post to see the after! Ha sorry:)
It looks lots better though!

Loopy as ever, hope everyone had
a GREAT new year!!