Abby and her eating rituals

I just had to take a picture of Abby eating because I love how she always has her pinky up when she eats or drinks. It's so cute. She eats so properly. She even uses her fork if she has one and is pretty proficient at it!

This is Abby surrounding her food. She squats often and I think its the funniest thing. Have you ever tried to squat with both feet flat on the ground like that? It's tough yet Abby does it all the time.

Random Post

I did my first fruit carving display for an Enrichment activity. Thanks to YouTube for the tutorial:-)

Rain dance...Food Dance?

Madison just started dancing on the chair as I was coming in the kitchen. I just couldn't help but video tape it. I've heard of rain dancing to get rain, but never food dancing to get food:-)

My friend pointed out that Abby wasn't wearing a life jacket...I feel like a bad parent, BUT she hated it!!!! That's and understatement. She was in tears for about 30 minutes before I caved it and took it off of her. I know it's not an excuse...she was a lot happier after.

Canoeing down the Connecticut River

We went canoeing one of the first days my family was here and had a blast. Abby wasn't too happy, so I had to hold her the entire time while Lael and Mom paddled. Madison had a blast and even helped a bit.

VV and Aunt Lilley come to visit...

My mom and sister where here and we were able to go to Boston and Springfield MA without kids:-) It was great to go to the Boston Temple. It's so beautiful. We were able to do a session and then head over to my Great Aunt Phyllis's home where we were met by her four sons, a wife and daughter. They were so funny! We had Chinese food and then had to head out to Springfield to spend time with Uncle Geoff.


This is my Grandma Nichol's sister and her four sons, one of their wives and a daughter. It was so fun to see them and get to know them. What a great family.

We even got to go and visit my Grandpa Nichols grave. It was neat for my mom to be able to put flowers on her father's grave just a few days after Memorial day. My mom told some stories about Grandpa and Uncle Geoff said that Grandpa gave him the advice to "always volunteer when asked to serve." Geoff said if he hadn't done that he wouldn't be where he is now or had such amazing experiences while serving in the navy. He got to be on the permanent flying crew for an admiral and saw many different countries and places and even works in the flying business.


We toured many of mom's old stomping grounds, one of them being the church she attended as a little girl. This is the gym where she remembers playing basketball with the boys and having a mutual activity where they would order something from a menu not knowing what it was. They might get sauce before the spaghetti or a fork and no food. It was a game to figure out what the options on the menu really were so you could actually have your dinner in a semi functional way...I don't know if that made any sense. My mom said she loved to clean up because that is when they got to flirt with the boys:-) I had to put that in there mom:-)


We got to take a stroll around the block in Geoff's Model T Ford. It was so fun! Thanks for having us Geoff! We spent the night at Geoff's and he stayed up watching TV with us and served us ice cream, chips and salsa, and these really good coconut cookies. Mom went to bed early and missed out:-) We paid for it the next day though.

It was so fun to have Aunt Lilley here. Madison fell asleep on the way to the airport to drop my mom and Aunt Lilley off. When she woke up the first thing she said was, "Where is Aunt Lilley?" She was sad that they left. I told her I dropped them off at the airport and that they were going back home to Utah. She said, "Are they walking back to Utah?" Silly Madison:-) I explained to her that they were flying and she seemed ok about that.

"Doe a Deer..."

Madison watched the Sound of Music every day for about three weeks and this is what she gleaned from it:-) She loves musicals!

Abby in heels...

She is amazing with how well she can walk in Madison's heels. She can even put one on at a time. Madison is good in them too. She can run in them...thanks Grandma!

Tutorial on how to crochet

Since I have started crocheting and knitting, Madison thinks she can do it too and will sit with me and wind her string around her needle while telling me what to do. I got it on video!

Madison's 1K and Brian's 5K

Madison was overwhelmed by all the people at the starting line and had Brian carry her for about 100 yards, but then she ran until the end. She cried at the end because of all the attention and those cheering for her. But she wants to do it again next year. She is shy when it comes to a lot of attention. She was a trooper.

Brian on the other hand came in fourth overall and 2nd in his age division. Have you ever had a moment when you wished you could turn back the time a few minutes? Like when I arrive at a garage sale and see someone walking away with what I wanted, or when I am late picking up a child or just forget to do it (did that this week), or when you are trying to be smart and walk partway up the race to cheer Brian on at the last stretch and completely miss him...we did that today and didn't even see him running or cross the finish line. I felt so bad I cried. It was bitter sweet. He came in fourth and we weren't there to cheer him on. He forgave me but was disappointed. I had geared up Madison to cheer and the entire time she kept asking for daddy and where he was. How I wished I could have turned back the time!!!!!! The volunteers kept telling us he would pass by that way...Sorry Brian! I am so proud of you. He finished it in 20.50!


Madison being silly! She got this ribbon when she finished the race.

Madison's Three Year Pictures!

Madison was all about getting her picture taken today and even told me where she wanted to pose. It was so much fun...Abby on the other hand was too interested in her surroundings and refused to look at me. I got one good one!

She totally posed on this one. I have dreamed of having a child that would like her picture taken and now I do and I'm not sure how I feel about it:-)



She chose to take this one by our tree in the front yard. I love this girl. She has brought so much joy into our lives. Her latest sayings are: She saw a stuffed bear in one of her books and it was drawn with a big belly...she said, "his bum is on backwards." I'll have to take a picture of it for you. It was funny.

Madison got a pair of slippers from a friend and had to wear them all the time. She asked me where my slippers were and I told her I didn't have any. To that she replied, "When I get bigger I will buy you some slippers. Until I am a mom."

I was fasting on Sunday and told her that I couldn't eat breakfast with her because I was fasting to which she said, "Mom I want you to eat. Let's say a prayer so you can stop fasting. It worked last time." We have a prayer to close our fast and then we eat dinner so she thought I could eat after I said my prayer:-)

Singing Happy Birthday

I forgot the candles, but when I asked Madison if she wanted me to go home and get them or if she just wanted to eat her cake, she chose the latter:-) She was so excited about her party! Everyone brought a used book that they then swapped so that everyone went home with something new! It worked out great! Madison has so many good friends around here. We are truly blessed.

Madison's big day!

She is finally "free in May"!

Happy Birthday Madison

Here is the pinata that Madison helped to make. It's just a paper bag decorated. Go Madison. All the kids got to hit it twice or more...we then just ripped it open. There were a few tears before that. They had fun!






The hits were so good that the string came off...all three men in the room came to the rescue with, yup you guessed it...duck tape! It was so funny! Men can fix anything with duck tape...so I hear:-) We did hold on our rear view mirror with it when it fell off!





Where is Abby? She wanted some cake and ice cream too!

So, some explanation on the cake. I was trying to make a tunnel and didn't buy the gray frosting and tried to make gray on my own. Doesn't frosting always turn gray when you add all four colors when you don't want it to turn gray? I remember that happening as a kid...so, I thought I could get gray...as you can see I couldn't and ended up trying to add blue...it worked for kids right? Frosting is frosting:-)

"It happens. It's ok."

Madison has been using this phrase often for things like:

*Spilling a glass of milk onto the carpet
*Creating a puddle of water on the floor, counter, clothes, chair, etc.
*Leaving my sunglasses in the store on a shelf with pretzels
*dropping things
*dripping blueberry shake on her clothes by playing with her straw after I ask her to keep it in her cup
*Pushing Abby really high in her swing and then stopping it in mid swing causing Abby a small case of whiplash
*dropping a whole roll of toilet paper in the toilet and then fishing it out
*Peeing on the bed while wearing underwear

You get the picture...any time she has an accident this is what she says and somethimes it's followed by "it's okay, huh momma?" put in a matter of fact tone instead of a question as to reassure me so I don't get mad:-)

Domestic Engineer...a.k.a. mom!

I just did a shoot for a Tuck Business conference that lasted 8 hours. I loved taking pictures and learning, but I couldn't stop thinking about my girls. I missed them so much and felt like I should be with them. I was looking forward to this break away from them especially since Abby is getting her one-year molars. Just a side note...I don't know if any of you remember what Madison was like when she was getting these teeth. Melissa would...It was two weeks of total and utter disaster. I remember Madison screaming for a whole hour in her crib, throwing herself on the ground at the drop of a hat, and being a hellion...I almost went to the library to get books on discipline. I thought I was failing as a parent and my child was out of control!!!! Well, I had two years to forget and a day to remember as Abby has become the same way! I am just waiting for the day they break through...Madison went back to her happy self once that happened. It was night and day. Anyway, back to my story. I guess I just realized that I felt sorry for all these mothers there who were great career women who were missing out on their children. I prayed that I would never be forced to work in the work force and leave my children for someone else to raise. It helped me realize I love where I am at now and that I love what I am doing as a domestic engineer with photography on the side. I couldn't wait to see Abby and Madison and when I did I had this overwhelming feeling of completeness. I have been wishing lately to have more time to myself to knit, crochet, work out, and do photography, but after today I realized that I missed my children more and find true joy in them that is lasting and will go on for the eternities. Newspapers, big companies, and CEO's won't know me and I won't be recognized by raises, bonuses, lavish vacations, or rewards in the worldly sense of these things. But, I will in my 3 year olds eyes someday and even now. I wouldn't trade it for all the photography equipment I could dream of or time to knit without someone needing a glass of milk. I will ever be grateful to Heavenly Father for giving me these moments to re-evaluate what truly is important and will yield the most joy! Don't get me wrong. I did love being treated as a professional and recognized as a professional photographer, but...well...you get the picture:-)

I have decided to just post instead of waiting until I have time to photoshop my pictures. So here are some random ones:-)

Madison being silly!

I love abby's legs from the back. She looks like she has tons of fat hanging off her knee...I just love it!



Madison said, "take a picture of me." So I did. She makes me a laugh.

Does this shoe fit?

Abby is always trying to put on any shoe she sees and I just love to watch her. She has such a funny way of doing it. She tries so hard! She also has a fetish with coats. If she sees one she brings it to me and makes me put it on her. She loves sweaters, jackets, anything that she can put on. She even cries when I take them off (even if it's 90 degrees...like a few days ago).

Abby Feeds herself!

Abby began feeding herself a few weeks ago and loves it. She is so funny to watch. She uses her spoon most of the time instead of her hands. She isn't bad at it either. Madison still eats with her hands most of the time. Go ABBY!

HOT DAY!

It was such a hot day today. It was in the high 80's! I am pretty sure we broke records for April! Madison is as happy playing in a sprinkler as she would be at a water park. I better enjoy the simple joys while they are young, for soon it will not be this cheep to entertain her for hours:-)