thank you...

thank you to the person i parked by at wal mart. thank you for being so enthusiastic about the upcoming halloween holiday. thank you for giving me something new to talk to my girls about. i always love the opportunity to teach them something new. i have to admit though that my favorite subject is not how bloody body limbs can be hanging out of a tail gate of an s.u.v.


lots of questions and a lot of looks later after we got to walk by twice, we were able drive away with just a little more information stored away in those tiny little memories. mixed in with snuggling, laughing, reading and puzzles is now a memory of a bloody arm hanging from a car to celebrate this upcoming halloween.



lovely

fall

the pumpkins are out at the arboretum which is about the only sign that we have that fall has arrived. we've gone twice in the past week. i love it there. the girls love it there.

the first time we saw our lady, Laura Bush. yes the real Laura Bush. she was riding in a golf cart right next to us. i think she heard us talking about her (how could she not she was well within hearing distance). katherine and i got a big smile and wave. so cool! if i would have brought my camera i would have snapped a photo. crazy to think they live so close by.

11:58

that's what time she was born today 4 years ago. so glad she's mine. wouldn't change a thing about her. i can't believe it's already been 4 years today!

b.f.f.

becoming a mother of 2 was no easy task. i couldn't get out of the house on time; i thought i would never get another full nights sleep when peyton was still waking up during the night at 9 months old. never mind about a peaceful shower without one of them trying to open they door and jump in with me; there was to much crying, to many buckles to do up, and frankly 3 heads of hair to keep up with was more then i had the patience for! and where was i supposed to put the food i needed to buy to feed us all with 2 little ones in the cart when ian wasn't around with an extra pair of hands?




as i speak (type) i have two little girls playing a computer game together. it's really nice.

the adjustment may have been difficult for me but it wasn't for them. the best thing about having my second little girl was that they both instantly feel in love with each other.

i would have guessed that they would have gotten sick of each other by now, or that one of them would have decided that the other really wasn't all that cool, but no. the first thing they want in the morning is each other, the last thing they need before a nap or bed is a kiss and and an, "i love you" before they get tucked in. sure they have their moments but it only lasts a second before it's off to another hug, kiss and "i'm sorry, i love you" and then off to play again.

the other day they went to the backyard to pick some, "spinach" afterwards they hung out on the swing and admired their findings. so typical.

moving on

i guess we're moving on. we officially have no babies left in our house, only toddlers.

we have no crib up.

we no longer purchase diapers or have any, "back up" diapers in our house, not even for the night.

we no longer use sippy cups.

we don't need the burp cloths in the hall closet.

the crib bumper and crib skirt are in the attic.

i've been slowly going weeding out the baby toys to put away.

we are not washing either of our girls with baby soap or baby shampoo.

i don't have to put my kids in their car seats anymore, all i have to do is open the door for peyton.

i really like these changes!



peyton turned 2 just over a month ago and it feels like she hasn't only made so many changes so fast but that she also looks so much older.

she and i made a quick trip to utah for a few days to see some friends before we to start buying her airline tickets. i knew before i got there that we needed to do something with her mullet. i was pretty nervous she would just end up looking like a boy but it turned out the exact opposite. I LOVE IT! so does she, no more pig tails every day.

we also knew the time was coming to pierce her ears; she had been asking for about 6 months. on her birthday we took her to get earrings, and she shows them to every adult that comes over to our house.

this is what else she's into right now.
*having her toes and nails painted.
*she refuses to wear anything but dresses.
*all colors are called pink.
*one of her favorite things to do is draw with chalk, either on her chalk board or on the sidewalk.
*she is always singing.
*if we are at the store, in our house, or in the car she wants to dance, preferably with riley.
*if she could suck her thumb and pinch my elbow all day she would.
*she takes 3 hour naps.
*every time ian walks through the door she runs straight to him for a big hug.
*if riley is gone she walks around and repeats "where's riley at?"
*her least favorite thing to eat is chicken.
*she loves to, "call" any and all grandparents on the phone.



with all of the progress she is making no matter what i do i can't seem to get this permanent crusty look off of her face. i wonder where she got it from.

always thinking

riley decided a while ago that she is going to marry her friend jack jack when she grows up. all bedtime stories must end what a couple getting married in the temple and having kids, "just like me and jack jack mom".

riley and i quietly sat by each other while she was eating crackers and out of the blue she said...... "mom when i'm a grown up you and dad will sleep in your bed, peyton will sleep in her bed, but where will jack jack and i sleep? oh i know mom jack jack and i will sleep right next to you guys in your bed."

"so are you going to have your bed right next to ours ri?"

"no mom we can't because my bed doesn't have 2 big pillows like your bed, it only has one, so my kid will sleep in my bed and jack jack and i will just sleep right by you guys"

that's one crowded master bedroom isn't it? why doesn't she want to take the guest room?

she wants to be called sarah but her name is peyton

i'm head over heals for this little girl! so snuggly, always telling us she loves us, always ready to give a kiss to anyone who's around, so quick to say sorry when she knows she's done something wrong.

as much as she is sweet she has the, "spunky" personality to match it!

one thing peyton does 100% of the time is keep me on my toes and completely worn out by the time she goes down for the night.

i wouldn't change a thing about her!