Family Pictures Cont...

Family Pictures Cont...

Kate & Launa -- 2011

Launa Virtue -- 4 Years

Kate Estelle -- 2 Years

Jen's camera is a little more high quality so I can only fit one picture per spot on here, so we'll just do this in a few blog entries...

The Name Game

I am officially in nesting mode. I am rearranging, reorganizing, repainting and stressed that I still haven't decided on a name and don't feel close to deciding on a name. Here's a list of a few we (when I say we, I mean that I have exhausted Mark on the subject and he no longer cares -- so it's mainly just me) like and are considering? What do you think? I realize that not everyone is going to like every name and ultimately, my belly is the one rapidly growing so I will have to decide, but it's fun to hear ideas!! Generally, I lean toward names that are not on the top 40 list but still aren't too crazy.

1. Marley (it's a combo of Mark & Ashley, and I actually think it's kind-of cute with Mollotte)
2. Vienna (I love how sophisticated it sounds, maybe just a little stuffy, but I do love the nickname Vivi.)
3. Hollie (I've liked every Holly I've ever known -- suitable for a Winter baby)
4. Amelia (Millie for short)
5. Lydia (I've always loved this, but for some reason, I like my kids to have different initials)
6. Lyla (Loved it since I saw Autumn Rush. Mark sings "Hey There Delilah" every time I mention it -- also, it's another "L" name
7. Nora (Could be Eleanor for a longer name)
8. Meg
9. Olive
10.Paige

There are plenty of others but since we both come from rather large families, most are taken. Alright, I'm anxiously awaiting more suggestions...

Family Pictures 2011

Have I mentioned how fantastic it is to have a relative be a photographer?? Thank you, Jen!!! The girls individual pictures to come...

Eight Years and Counting...

The past 8 years of marraige have been times of major changes -- having two (almost three) little girls, moving 8 times, graduating college, switching jobs, moving, and basically just living through some of life's greatest joys and greatest frustrations.

For our anniversary, Mark took me to Las Vegas to see Garth Brooks. It was FANTASTIC!! It brought back memories of when we were college students and had so much time to just be with one another. He is and always has been the romantic in our relationship.

A few things I love aobut Mark...

He is just FUN!!! He has a great, contagious laugh and really is just so funny. If you could only hear the types of things he says to me when no one is around, you would know where Launa comes from! :)

Mark is absolutely loyal and would do anything for the people he loves (just don't get on his bad list). He sincerely cares about people and takes an interest in them.

He is extremely protective of me and has always made me feel safe. If he feels like anyone has ever mistreated me or hurt my feelings in any way -- WATCH OUT!! I do not like confrontation, so while his methods are a little more up front than I would choose, I am grateful he is willing to fight the small battles in life that just have to be fought. He can't stand for me to be unhappy. If I'm mad, he will never leave the situation alone until he feels that it has been resolved-- a gift and a curse. :)

Mark is an AM person (also a gift and a curse). His internal alarm clock goes off at about 5:30 AM every morning. On the up side, he works and works and works and is pretty good at just getting things done. On the down side, I like no chit-chatting or loud noises in the morning. Occasionally, this causes some conflict.

He adores our little girls and they absolutely adore him. For some reason, Mom just never is as fun as Dad. He is willing to play "chase" around the house, and give pony rides, and is just really sweet with them. When I get them all dressed and their hair all fixed, they go find him and twirl around so that he can tell them how beautiful they look. He secretly likes that they are animals.

He is a "Man's man" with all that comes with it.

After being married to Mark for eight years, I have learned so much about him and myself. I said I didn't want to be bored, and our lives are never boring!!! Here's to many, many more years driving each other nuts and laughing about it! :)

When Your Child Thinks They are the Parent...

I was taking a bath a couple days ago when Launa tested the water and informed me "Mom, that water is too hot!! Your doctor told you that you could not take hot baths!!" I am no longer taking her to Dr. appointments with me. She listens to EVERYTHING they say and then hounds me about it. Last time, she laughed her little head off and made fun of me for peeing in a cup.

Last week, we were at a busy intersection and I said under my breath "Shoot! I should have gone"! Launa from the back seat within seconds said "You said a swear word mom (only she actually let me know which swear word it was -- I will edit it for the blog)! I said, I did not, I said shoot! She said, "Nope, you said it. I heard it and I'm telling Dad."

I have started making her work and do chores around the house. One day, she felt overworked. She told me, "I have cleaned the bathrooms, scrubbed the floors, dusted, put toys away, and all you've done is watch tv and lay around!" For the record, I was supervising the cleaning, doing the major cleaning and folding laundry but she doesn't see it that way. Pray for God to bless me with more patience...

Kate is Two!!

Katie Bug turned two years old on September 2nd! What a fast two years!! It seems like it went so much faster with my second than it did with my first. We just did her well-child check (which never happens, every time I go in she has something wrong with her and needs medicine, blood tests, yada, yada, yada...). She was 36" tall and 29 pounds. I have to do a blood test today to find out why she likes the taste of dirt. Today she got mud on her pants, wiped it with her hands, and then was licking it off her fingers like it was frosting!! Gross!! She just finished a huge growth spurt. Jen will be doing her two year pictures in the near future so I am looking forward to poisting those.

At two, Kate can say pretty much anything she wants. She tells Launa, "Nauna, you crazy!" and tells me exactly which shows she wants (currently it's Care Bears -- over and over and over again), which outfits she wants, what she wants to eat, etc. Her favorite saying is "No! I don't wike it!" She cannot make herself sit still unless she is exhausted or sick. I am constantly telling her while we eat, sit down! She regularly falls off the chairs and stools because she can't sit still and can weasel out of a high chair or a shopping cart in nothing flat. Yesterday, Mark and I were unloading some stuff out of his truck and I could hear her crying in the kitchen. When I went in, she was standing on the countertop and had unloaded the cupboard and spices and thrown all the knives on the floor. There was actually one sticking up, with the blade in the hardwoods!! Ahhhh!! I need childproof locks for the UPPER cabinets too!!

She loves to read books, but is impatient about turning the pages. She is also very sweet and loving. She gives me kisses and lovies and wants to call her Daddy on the phone and talk to him about 25 times a day. When I ask her "where's daddy" she tells me, "I don't know. Working, " or "changing wata".

Her favorite song is the "Daddy Song" from nursery or "Sweet Caroline". Her favorite food is probably cinnamon rolls or anything with frosting. She is a morning person and it amazes me how she can go to bed so late, cry half hte night, and wake me up all perky, mauling me and telling me "Hi, Mommy!"

She really is my little pride and joy -- so busy and quirky, but so fun and sweet! Happy Birthday, Kate!

And the Drama Continues...

For about the next 20 years. We are having our third little GIRL!!! The irony of it all-- me with three daughters. Mark is still coming to terms with it. I'm not sure he's ready for any teasing yet. And, we have absolutely no girl names that we agree on, so I am taking suggestions!

Farewell...

My Grandparents are headed to Utah today for a "trial" run at a retirement center down there. The cost was less and there were a few family weddings in the next vicinity, so they thought it would feel a little like a vacation for them. I went to say goodbye to my Grandma, but she was visiting her friends, so I missed her but did at least get to leave her a note, and Launa had colored she and Grandpa a picture. As I was leaving, I found myself teary-eyed. Just three short years ago when I moved back to Washington, I would go to visit my Grandma and she would seriously outwork me. She could still haul Launa around, and was washing windows, working in the yard, and canning like a mad woman.

I have so many good memories wrapped up in that house. Easter egg hunts, Christmases, Rook tournaments (I was more of a spectator), homemade ice cream and brownies, graham crackers and frosting, raspberries, the tire swing in the back, fresh roses, and just a sense of my Grandmother's warmth and kindness. I wanted to see my cousin, Kimberly, because my memories of my Grandparents house are so entertwined with her. I knew she would have the same memories and probably also be teary-eyed at the thought that Grandma's house would never be quite the same. We are the same age, so we chummed around at Grandma's all the time - so Kimberly, if you read this, I miss you.

Change is supposed to be a good thing, and usually, I am good with change in my own life. However, where things from my childhood have been constant, change is hard. I hope my Grandparents are happy in this new adventure. Launa is going to be Grandma's pen pal and is really excited. But, I think it's going to be a long time until I drive by their house and don't feel a little wistful...

Another Visit to Urgent Care

Saturday, we were at Bob's getting some snacks and I had my hands full and Kate was throwing a tantrum on the floor, so I went to grab her and pull her to her feet and she flailed the other way and I heard a pop! I knew instantly something was wrong with her arm, but I thought it was her wrist because she was hanging it limp. I placed yet another call to my sister, who said I'd better hurry and take her to Urgent Care in Moses so I wouldn't have to take her to the ER. Sure enough, she had dislocated her elbow. The doctor popped it back in place and we were out of there in like 20-30 minutes. I was so relieved. I was anticipating x-rays, a long wait, a cast, etc. Thank goodness!!! How many visits has Kate had over things like this already, and she's not even 2 years old!! It took about 20 minutes and she was fighting with Launa back to her old self in no time.

Potty Training

So, Kate has decided she wants to be potty trained. I have no interest in potty training her whatsoever, she has just been taking off her diaper, demanding to be put on the toilet, and trying to put on pannies. Launa has now taken it upon herself to potty train Kate. I have independent children (which today seems to be wonderful). Today I finally caved and went to Walmart and bought an official potty chair. We got it out of the box, Launa did a demonstration for Kate to show her how it was done and I went in the office to work (after I did the clean-up work of course). I came back out 15 minutes later, and Kate had pooped and peed in the potty and put on pannies herself, and didn't even tell me. She acted like it was no big deal. My baby is officially growing up. I have a sneaky suspicion that this might be a little beginner's luck, but still, WOW!! Who knew you were better off to have a 4 year potty train the little ones?!!

Motherhood

Today, I had a conversation with my 87 year old grandmother. My grandfather is 92 and is getting hard for her to care for. My Dad suggested that maybe they do a retirement center where she could get some help and a break. She was so worried about expense. It basically came down to the fact that, she wanted to be able to leave her children something -- essentially to be able to continue to take care of them after she was gone. I thought it was crazy how one day you're selfish and the next a baby comes into your life and you live your entire life thinking about how in the long run you are going to take care of another human being, in every aspect -- and evidently, it never goes away. It's such an extraordinary kind of love. While mothers get frustrated and don't necessary always "like" children, their love is at times unconditional to a fault. Did God inherently make women this way or is it the sacrifices that make them love so much?

I think about my little Launa. Mark has at times referred to her as a little pit viper. She was a hard baby (and a hard toddler, and a hard little girl:), but... I have such a deep love for her. When she was born, I wondered what I had gotten myself into, but felt I loved her so much and she needed me so much, I almost couldn't part with her. She literally slept in my arm pit for the first 7 months of her life. Throughout the days, in between me growling and scolding, I still have moments of deep love, in which I can look at her and even though I know she's not perfect, she seems... perfect. It's like looking through rose colored glasses for a small moment of time and experiencing joy. After the 30 seconds, she probably does something to make me crazy and then I come back to reality, so I am always grateful for those moments :)

My highlights in the morning are getting Kate out of bed. She screams "Mommy!!" and hugs me like the night was so long she missed me terribly and for five minutes (after that craziness ensues) she lets me kiss her little cheeks and play with her hair as much as I want while we snuggle. Every time she learns a new word or I see her jibber jabbering as she reads her own book, I feel overcome with love and gratitude that she gets to be mine. I love seeing her walk on her tippy toes with her little curls bouncing in the back, and I LOVE her pouty face.

I am now expecting baby #3 (ETA January 29th). I admit, in the beginning I was not overcome with joy at the idea of added insanity but as time goes on, I wonder what I will love about this new baby,what will he/she be like, what will they what they will add to our family dynamic, and I know I will be amazed at how my heart expands to have such love for another individual.

To explain to someone who doesn't want kids why you want kids is hard. The hours are un-ending, your sanity is tested, your body goes downhill, you have less time for the things you personally like and it certainly is not boundless joy and smiles while you make cupcakes all day, but... motherhood is motherhood. I can't find words to explain what it's like in small moments when you see your children through rose colored glasses and you know that all the craziness is worth it. You are content to live your life forever worrying about the well-being of another person because you just love them that much.

Now in three days when I am ranting and raving about all the messes and screaming going on around my house, you can feel free to direct me back to this blog post. :)

Who Am I?

With all this house building and decorating, I barely recognize myself. Don't get me wrong, my personality is the same, it's my interests that have taken a drastic turn. In my past life (premarriage, prechildren) I would not have classified myself as "domestic" (alright, I think I had a boy sew most of my home ec projects). Cooking, sewing, cleaning, learning how to french braid hair, etc... none of those were really my strong points. I spent most of my childhood running around outside or hiding under the tunnel with a book so I could avoid all of the above. Now I find myself sewing curtains (with minimal swearing -- this is a HUGE development, Mark used to hide when I got out the sewing machine), repainting tables and dressers (because evidently I have some serious ADD), rearranging furniture, moving pictures on the wall around, checking out the garden section for plants, being livid at people making messes -- it's like overnight I turned into my mother! Just kidding. She's a saint and would never swear while sewing...

The Three K's

These are all the babies that were born within one year of each other in the Jenks Family. Kutter (middle) is the oldest, then Krew, then Kate. Katie Bug loves both of her cousins and I love to see them all together creating fun memories.


My baby girls and I -- Some proof that I was actually around when were celebrating the holidays. For some reason, the Mom rarely ends up in the pictures.

Easter Pictures

I received the Easter pictures my niece sent me -- yay!! They are posted.


We had a fun Mother's Day as my brother and sister-in-law had their first baby girl (this is their fifth child) and we got to go meet sweet Elizabeth Bell Jenks. Being in Samaritan made me sick to my stomach as it rekindled my own memories of labor, but the baby was sweet, tiny, and so beautiful.

Launa's latest funny comment: She wanted to call my sister-in-law at college to talk to her. Kylee didn't answer so Launa left a message. A day later, Launa said "Kylee said on her message that she would call me right back. Kylee lied!" I never thought of it like that before. Things work differently in a child's mind.

Kate has picked up the habit of eating dirt. I've never seen anything like it. She literally hides from me so that she can suck on rocks and spit them out. I've considered asking her pediatrician if I should be giving her worm pills. Yuck!! She is so loveable but so rough. She is always filthy and I have a sneaky suspicion she will probably be my little tom boy.

Questions About the Easter Bunny

After about 100 questions about the Easter Bunny and me not knowing the answers, I almost just spilled the beans but had enough self control to endure the questioning. Then, when it was all almost over, my niece spilled the beans instead.

Does the Easter Bunny come through the door? Does he have long, fuzzy ears? Where does he live? How does he know where I live? The Easter Bunny shops at Walmart? Why does the Easter Bunny hide Kate's basket so hard, doesn't he know that she's just a baby? How does the Easter Bunny get behind the chair? How come the Easter Bunny only gets me and Kate stuff, not Mommy and Daddy? Etc, etc, etc.

Launa was creeped out by the idea of anyone sneaking around our house and going through our stuff and was also demanding to know how he got in if I locked the door? She slept in our bed (which is not that unusual),but woke up excited to hunt down her stuff. It took her like five seconds to find her basket. She was somewhat excited but couldn't stop ask questions long enough to enjoy anything until I left the room. Kate just wanted to steal everything in Launa's basket.

My brother and his family were in town, and Launa couldn't get enough of her cousin "Laurlyn". She wanted to spend every waking minute with them. We did an Easter egg hunt, played outside, attended a ball game, and had fun, family dinners. Kate got after it in the Easter egg hunt and loved it. I think it was the first time I felt like my kids actually enjoyed the event. Launa would like to do it all the time!

We spent Easter Sunday going to church and then at Mark's house. It was a nice relaxing day (for me anyway, he pretty much spent the entire weekend working). The kids played with their cousins and we all have eaten WAY too much candy, or is there such a thing?

My niece, Hunter, is my photographer so when she emails me the pictures I'll put them up. :)

A Day In the Life

Let me give you a little insight into let's say the typical day at my house, we'll use today for example...

Launa left early to go the primary temple trip with her Grandma & Grandpa and it was the cutest thing ever watching her holding her Grandpa's hand on the way out to the car, so excited. I got a little teary-eyed. She seems so grown up.

I thought having two kids would be harder than just one, but believe it or not, when Launa leaves, Kate kicks into overdrive!! It's like she doesn't have enough stimulation. Here's the day breakdown:

8:30 AM -- I schedule to do the girl's pictures with my sister-in-law Jen later that day.

9:00 AM -- I call to cancel the picture taking. Kate fell off the bed (she was evidently climbing on) and cut up her chin. She is following me around climbing all over me, jumping off everything, wanting me to catch her. In the meantime, I am trying to do laundry, sweep, etc. She follows me around trying to eat anything worth eating in the pile.

11:00 AM -- Kate sees "Sheetos" in the top of the pantry. Truthfully, I am window shopping online so I give them to her. About 15 minutes later, I find them crushed all over upstairs. There is a trail from the stairs through the entire room. Also, there are a few hand prints on the couch. Good thing it's just a slipcover. You'd think I'd learn my lesson and quit giving them chips. I just get too tempted by the idea of 20 minutes of peace.


2:00 PM -- The neighbor kid,Braden, who is Kate's age, comes over. He's an angel. The kid will sit on my lap and snuggle and watch TV, it's amazing. I can't imagine my children being like that. Launa also arrives home at this time. Launa evidently climbs up the steps to get the chips out of the pantry and gives Braden some. She is attempting to be helfpul.

2:30 PM -- Chips all over the halls. I try to read Kate a book. She gets frustrated the pages aren't turning fast enough and accidentally clocks me in the eye ball with the corner of the book. Momentary rage and then I realize she's 18 months and it's just an accident.

5:30 PM -- Launa was in my bed watching her "own" shows. I walk in just as Kate has climbed on my bed, stolen Launa's bag of chips she had snuck in and dumped them all over the bed. We vaccuum and sweep yet again while I ban chips from the house.

6:00 PM -- I start dinner and run into the laundry room to change up the laundry. I come back and Kate has climbed the refrigerator to reach the eggs and crushed them all over the wood floors and is playing in them.

PRESENT TIME -- I am trying to update the blog. I have moved three times with the laptop because Kate has been climbing over my shoulders to try to close the laptop, press the buttons, and pretty much step or kick anything she can. I finally moved too high so she is now sliding Launa's barstool around so that Launa can't sit down and laughing about it while Launa screams and cries.


Did I mention that Mark is itching for another baby? This is the busy season for his work so he isn't hear much and just hears bits and pieces. I lost my mind a long time ago, maybe he is following in my footsteps.

Kate's First Almost Stiches

Last week, Kate tried to climb up my Mom's ladder in the playroom and did a header off and evidently hit a drawer and put her teeth through her lip. Needless to say, it's a good thing my Mom was there because the rest of us were not "calm" per say. There was A LOT of blood. I thought her teeth were knocked out all over in her mouth, but it was just all the skin that she had bit out of her lip. We placed a phone call to my sister, Jodi, who is an ER nurse (she gets a lot of these types of phone calls from me) and she pretty much told us that we would be hard pressed to get a doctor to do stitches in the mouth of a baby that young. So, I gave her some medicine and took her home and slept by her all night because I was so nervous she might have a concussion. She was unfazed. Had a sippy cup the night it happened and I caught her with Doritos the next morning. Yeah, I know -- Ouch. But, the next morning her mouth looked like complete hamburger and she resembled BuBu from Forest Gump. I hauled her in and they said they wouldn't want to do anything about it but giver her antibiotics. It's been a week and a half and it is coming down but is still nasty. Mark's Mom cried the first time she saw it. So... I have spent the last week trying to protect her from any further injury which is like a full-time job. The child is an animal. On Wednesday, she tried climbing the same ladder. Maybe she's not a fast learner. :)

The picture is a few days post fall, and yes, this is what she normally looks like. She is a Cheeto and Dorito hound and refuses to leave anything in her hair. Lovely, isn't it?

I hope this isn't the first of many blogs chronicling Kate's reckless injuries over time, but she is wild so who knows?

Curiosity

My latest conversation with Launa is as follows:

Launa: Mom, Did you know that babies come out of your private spot? And then they ruin it.

(Getting my composure together)
Me: Really? Who told you that?

Launa: Alexa (my 4-year old niece). So, you said they come out your belly button. Why do you have a belly button if babies don't come out of there?

Me: Um... yeah, Alexa's right. They come out your private spot.

Launa: That's kind-of yucky don't you think? How do you get it out?

Me: Well, you go see the Doctor and you have to push really hard.

Launa: Don't they get stuck in your pants?

Me: Uh, you have to take your pants off.

Launa: And your pannies?!!!

Me: Yeah.

Launa: Oh man, I'm never having a baby.

My sister said maybe this curiosity will pay off and she will be a doctor some day? Last week we had a conversation about why boys can pee outside and girls can't (she tried and ended up with pee all over). She wanted to know what the boy private spots are called? She didn't like the technical term and said she would just use her own made up name. Fine by me. Her questions are forcing me to be more mature than I think I'm ready to be.

She's not just curious about anatomy, she is curious about EVERYTHING!! She basically follows me around and asks me why I do everything the way I do. She asked me how many days all the other people who have died have to wait before they be resurrected. She asks how far up in the sky heaven is and if Jesus sleeps?

More Launa Comments...

Just today, Launa said so many things that made me laugh. The neighbor kids, Hunter and Kyla came to play and when I asked her if she had fun she told me "No. They were ganging up on me! And they were being greedy." She has a funny vocabulary.

I saw the orange cat run by while I was in the office and Launa came in behind me to let me know that she was "just going to let the cat peruse the house for a minute and then I'll take it out".

Mark passed a little gas and she informed him that he needed to excuse me and that he was a real "Farter". Amen to that. :)

Two days ago Mark told Kate to sit down. She gave him a stink face and called him a "meany". It was classic. She is starting to jibber jabber all the time. A small list of words she says: Mommy, Daddy, Launa, chips, baba, eyes, bye-bye, owie, hi, hot, Kyla, Ky, Ty, Grandma, Grandpa, Kitty, Puppy, Pretty, mine, and of course, meany.

Launa & Kate's Pictures

These are the most recent pictures of Launa and Kate. They were from this last summer. Thank you, Jen!! Her patience and talent amazes me. Some people naturally can smile, but when I try to get Launa to smile, it always seems a little forced. We're working on it. :)

For an update, I have madly been painting and repainting furniture and hanging pictures and sewing pillows, but, I think I'm almost done. It will be just in time to start the outdoor projects.

Katie Bug is cute (and wild) as ever. I have found her on top of my kitchen countertops, trying to climb on the back of the chairs, etc. While most kids are afraid of the vaccuum, Kate tries to ride on it while I'm vaccuuming. It's maddening but so funny. She is also learning how to talk up a storm. She asks me every morning (after demanding her baba), "where's Nauna?" "Where's Da". She always wants to know where everyone is. When Launa isn't around, she is bored and asks me over and over again where she is at. Kate also LOVES her grandparents and aunts and uncles. When we go to restaurants, she likes to "work the crowd". At Denny's she walked up and down the rows waving to everyone and saying "Bye". At the doctors office she even blew the nurse a kiss. She is so busy but brings me so much joy.

Launa is sweet (and sour, depending on the minute) and likes to help with her baby sister. She says the funniest things that amaze me. We were looking for wild cats that had got in my Mom's house (also an interesting story) and while I was opening up closets and cabinets she said to me, "um... mom, they're cats. They can't open doors". She also loves to do crafts, crafts, and more crafts. She has stolen every paint brush I own, and is always making me little "notes". She told her sunday school teacher that I am always bossing her and she doesn't like it.

Mark is gearing up for the spring and can hardly wait. He sneaks out every Saturday and I can typically find him on some tractor or doing something with dirt. He can't help himself. He is also avoiding the long list of "honey-dos" that are awaiting him at home. I've decided it may be worth it to hoard up money here and there and find a good handy man.

Babies

Nope, I'm not pregnant. I just had the funniest conversation with Launa. She was asking me questions about marriage. I was explaining to her that boys and girls marry so that they can have babies, she can't marry a relative, usually you marry someone around your age, etc. She finally says to me, "I don't want to get married". I asked why and she told me "because then I will have to have a baby. Then I will have to nurse and get big boobs, and the baby will always want to be fed, and then it will be harrassing me all the time!" Evidently, she finds her baby sister kind-of annoying (and no, I am no longer nursing). She has been telling me that "Kate gets all the attention around here!" Her ability to reason and think about those things baffles me. I hope that means that eventually she will be a very level-headed teenager. :)

We're In!!

It's official. I have internet, a washer and dryer that work, TV, and toilets that consistently flush! I have officially moved in! I feel like I can be a productive human being now and am loving it!

We had Launa's little birthday party last Friday in our new house. It really was fun. We did a pinata like she wanted (it was a little cold for outside, so Mark just stood on a chair and held it. A little redneck and risk, but he was willing. :)
decorated cupcakes and she played her little heart out. It was the first time our house really felt like home for me.

Now I'm just looking for my cord from my camera to the computer and then I will upload some fun pictures...