Spring Break

Woo hoo!! We are so excited... Nik finished his second quarter of dental school on Wednesday and now we have a BREAK!! It doubles as our Spring Break, but we are still very excited about it! The kids don't quite understand what it means, but every day when they wake up and daddy is still here... very fun! They get so excited! We don't have too many plans, just hanging out! We got Ian a twin bed (he was falling out of his toddler bed almost every night) and we had to get a new computer (thank goodness for tax refunds, it just stinks having to spend them!) our old one had a nasty virus that kept coming back and it would access the internet and pull up nasty things, it wouldn't let us do anything, it kept trying to purchase spyware.... just a pain in the you know what... so instead of paying more money to have it fixed, we used that money towards a new one! Windows 7 is awesome by the way!

I got a new calling... I'm now the secretary in the primary presidency. It was pretty cool how it all took place, but I don't feel grown up enough to have this calling =) I guess I do have two kids and I'm closer to my 10 year high school reunion than not... but I still don't feel grown up yet! It is a pretty fun calling being in the Primary, but not in charge of any of the kids! =)

IAN GOES TO NURSERY NOW!!! =) Finally he goes to nursery. He still cries a little bit, but he is so brave. We got new leaders and he really likes one named Brooke. As soon as sacrament meeting is over (we have that first) he starts to cry a little and says we need to find Brooke. So we find her and he goes with her to the nursery, we don't even have to drop him off! He stays the whole time and has so much fun! He has been singing all the songs at home and he talks about it all the time! It is so cute! And it is so nice to not have to juggle both the kids!

Miranda is getting so big... she pulls herself up to everything and walks around furniture. She likes to play. It is so fun to say "I'm going to get you" and she will take off crawling in the other direction with a big smile on her face! She is so cute!

They are finally getting better (although Miranda is getting 4 teeth on the top right now) and we can start getting back on a good sleeping schedule!

We are excited to have you home this week hunny!! Love you!

Croup

Well both my kids have croup. It has not been very fun. I feel so bad for them, especially when there is only so much I can do. Isn't that the worst? Feeling like there is nothing you can do to help your kids get better? I hate it! They can only have so many steamy baths.

Funny Ian

I just wanted to tell about the conversation I overheard the other day...

Nik: So Ian what do you want to be when you grow up?
Ian: Bigger than you.
Nik: Do you want to be a Doctor?
Ian: No, you are going to be a doctor.
Nik: So then what do you want to be when you get big?
Ian: I want to play blocks, and play with my toys.
Nik: But what do you want to be?
Ian: I'm just Ian.

It was pretty funny to listen from the other room! He has been saying really funny things lately, here is a little taste:
-We were playing at a friends house and one friend pinched him. Then later he came running in the house and said "he was totally gonna pinch me again."
-Today I was vacuuming and Ian ran over and said "It's too loud, my baby is asleep, you'll have to do that later." (his blankie rolled up is his baby)
-I was holding Ian and I told him he was my favorite and he said "No, I'm daddo's favorite."
-We were playing at the park and he saw a pine cone. He said "Mmm, a pine cone." Then picked it up and took a bite. (Ice Age) I had to explain that only animals eat pine cones. =)
-That was totally awesome mommy.
-I was doing the laundry and he said "Don't do that, it's dangerous."

-

Valentines Party

There are lots of posts, so make sure you see them all!
I'm all caught up!

One of Ian's cute little friends Hailey invited him to a valentines party. It was really fun! There were 7 little kids and they all had a good time! Thanks Brooke!

They made heart shaped envelopes to put their valentines in.

Then the moms helped the kids pass out the valentines. Most of them didn't really get the concept, but it was still fun!

Then we had yummy treats! It was a really fun party! Cute idea too!

Random!

These are the cookies I made for the Superbowl... it think they turned out pretty cute! =) I didn't really care who won, but this little horseshoe was easier to do with frosting than the saints logo! =)

Pretty Girl!

The other night we went down and got in the hot tub! Ian turned the jets on and this is what happened! It was pretty fun to play in all the bubbles! Ian loved it! It was really fun to go swimming... we haven't done that for a long time! (Well a few months at least!)

Miranda's girlie instincts are coming out already! She loves to help me do the dishes or vacuum, she loves to do my hair, she loves to pick out multiple outfits and throw them on the floor, she loves to have emotional breakdowns... what can I say... She is all GIRL!! =)

Hiking with Friends

So a few weeks ago we went over to the White Tank Mountains and went hiking (or should I say walking). We chose a very easy one that was right around a mile. The kids had a blast and it was fun to be in the "mountains" too! This is our friend Luke and his mom Julie!

Here are the dads pushing the strollers! The mom's were taking pictures!

I wanted to show you some Arizona landscape! =) Very different from Utah, but pretty in it's own way!

Fun random times!

These guys always take baths together now (Ian has to get in if Miranda is in) It is the only way we do it! And they have a really good time! They of course fight over the toys and Ian likes to pour water on her head, but it is still fun! I love seeing my kids play and have fun together!

Miranda is very good at feeding herself! She loves eating things by herself! She is also VERY good at finding things on the floor that I swear aren't there, but she finds them anyways! Some days she fills up on cheerios and crackers because she won't eat the baby food (probably because she can't do it by herself). As you can see she has two teeth on the bottom, and is now getting her top teeth. (fun times)

Nik doing dental stuff! Ian loved watching him! It was fun to get to see some of the things he has been doing at school!

Miranda is now pulling herself up to EVERYTHING!! At night she will wake up and stand up and cry because she doesn't know how to lay back down. It is pretty funny! This stage is fun... she is mobile, can pull herself up, can walk around things... She is going to be walking here in a few months and it makes me feel like I've missed her whole life. It seems like it took Ian forever before he walked and her life has gone by so much faster it seems!

Ian helping Nik study! He is a really good helper!

Ian loves playing with his Daddo! Here they are playing basketball! =)

Ian loves to swing! He likes to go really high (sometimes higher than I am comfortable with) and will yell at me "higher, higher" until he is satisfied! Sometimes he goes so high he has that lag time in the air when he isn't even toughing the seat. He loves it!

I hate to say it, but Miranda is my little monster! =) She is very opinionated, very moody, very sweet, very cute, very mischievous, very vocal, and very emotional! =) I love her so much! She is definitely giving me a run for my money lately! It is amazing how one minute she can melt my heart, and the next I want to sell her! ;)

The other day Ian put this headband on and said "I'm a girl."

These are Ian's most prized possessions!! These are his squishy animals. He loves them so much and freaks out if he can't find them! It is rather hard to keep track of all these little guys and Miranda likes to find them and put them in her mouth (scary) so I sometimes hide them and tell him they are lost... just to get a break for a couple days! =)

Utah trip

And what would a trip to Utah be without our friends...

The older kids

The new babies (minus one who is born and there is one on the way too!)

All the kids together! It is a housefull now when we get together!
But OH SO FUN!!!!!

My girls (minus Kaylee who had just had a baby)! Love you guys!
We always have so much fun together! No matter how much time has passed we can get together and start right where we left off! That is one of the many things I love about these girls! We are friends no matter what!

And we love that our kids play together so well!

We did a lot of visiting and hanging out while in Utah! It was really nice to get to see everyone!

Visiting Great Grandma Spendlove

Hangin with the guys!

Being goofy with my cousin Melissa

Reading scriptures with Grandpa

We went to Utah for this guys farewell! We are so proud of Elder Welch and know he will be a good missionary!

Playing peek-a-boo with Grandma and Grandpa

Miranda loved this dog names Sophie. It was so funny to watch them play together!

Sleeping with Grandpa

Hanging out at Grandma's office!

At the airport!

Thanks mom for flying us out! We had a really great time!

Should I panic or stay calm?

Well today I had a scary moment... I walked outside my apartment to run something to the cute girl that lives downstairs and before I even got to the bottom of the stairs Ian had ran over and closed the door behind me (which he does all the time) and then I hear the CLICK. My stomach sank when I remembered he had learned how to lock the door. I tried to stay calm, I finished my errand quickly and headed back up the stairs. Sure enough it was locked. I knocked on the door... Ian can you come unlock the door? The second he realized that I was outside and he was in he started freaking out. I just kept talking to him through the door (luckily he could hear me really good!) and I tried to tell him how to unlock the door. He kept saying "I did it" through his tears, but he hadn't turned the lock far enough for me to be able to open the door. I ran back downstairs to see if they would call the office for me (they have a key) and I could hear Ian screaming. I ran back up and he was just so scared. I tried helping him unlock it again, but it was no use. Finally I told him to climb on the couch and try from up there... after a few more tries he finally got it. WHEW!!! My first instinct was to panic, but I remembered the office has a key, the girl downstairs was calling them, everything was really OK! Ian on the other hand was definately in panic mode! When he got the door open I gave him the biggest hug and he was crying. It was so sad! I don't think he will ever lock me out again! I guess that is a good lesson to learn!

Favorites...

So I wanted to make a note of some of my favorite things at this age with my kids... These are in no particular order!
1- The way Miranda smiles at me when I get her up from sleeping and lately she pats me on the back just to tell me she is glad to see me.
2- Ian is always so sweet to tell me I look pretty (even if I'm in my bath robe with my hair in a towel).
3- Miranda loves playing with Ian. The other night Nik and I weren't paying attention and all of a sudden both kids were playing in our room in the small space on the other side of our bed. They were both laughing hysterically and having so much fun without us!
4- How excited the kids get when Nik gets home from school! (And also how sad they get when he is not there... Ian especially!)
5- Lately Ian likes to tell me to be sad, and this particular time I agreed and I pretended to be sad. Then he said why are you sad mommy? I said because I miss daddo. Ian said Oh it's OK he will be home in a minute. And he gave me a hug. It was so cute! =)
6- A couple days ago I got mad at Ian after he woke Miranda up early (AGAIN) and he felt really bad. We were sitting on the couch and he kept telling me he loved me and he kept trying to be funny. It was hard to stay mad!
7- Miranda loves to feel things... especially fuzzy things. Once I was scrapbooking with a bunch of ladies and she was playing on the floor and all of a sudden she was under the table trying to cuddle with a lady's slippers... it was really funny! She also loves books where she can feel different things.
8- Ian for the most part is so obedient. I don't know if he will ever stop taking toys away from Miranda, but other than that he really listens good!
9- Ian and Miranda love to wrestle. Ian is usually the one sitting on top of Miranda, but she just laughs and thinks it is so funny.
10- The kids love to take baths together. They splash each other (and me), they play with toys, they both have to have a washcloth, they both just love it!
Being a mom is the best thing ever! There are hard times, lots of tired days, lots of tears from the kids and some from me, but I wouldn't trade it for anything! I am so blessed to have these two beautiful kids and hope and pray that I can be a better mom every day!