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...

Things That Make Me Happy...

Last Christmas, my sister-in-law got me a subscription to "Real Simple" magazine and can I just say that I have thoroughly enjoyed it. Every month, Mark brings in the mail and says "surprise" and then I veg out for awhile and read my magazine. I love to read, but when I sit down to read a book, I just can't stop and then it's after 5, Mark walks in the door, and I hardly even realize that the house is a disaster and Kate is running around with a wet diaper because I am so engrossed in my book... you get the picture. So, magazines are my compromise. There are short stories that inspire me, pictures, small tips, etc. This month the theme was happiness. Studies about what make people happy and how people make it last. I'm pretty simple-minded so happiness is not a complex subject for me. I can think of a lot of things that make me happy. A small list, so that when I read back through my blog, I am grateful for the small things that make me happy...

#1 -- Kate's giggle. She has a raspy little giggle and every time I hear it, it makes me smile and I want to hear more. Both my girls have good little giggles that they've inherited from their Father.

#2 -- Launa gives "squeezy hugs". Another good quality passed down from Mark. I would not say I am a "touchy" or "cuddly" person, but my girls (especially Launa) are. She will lay be me and play with my hair and give "squeezy" hugs and it warms my heart.

#3 -- Laughing. I know it sounds simple, but it makes me happy. Mark is really good about making me laugh. Even when we're fighting, he still makes me laugh. Last week while we were lost in Seattle, he told me I was a terrible wingman (I was trying to navigate) and if I were Goose that he would have ejected me a long time ago. I replied that I would have ejected myself if possible, and then I laughed.

#4 -- Reminiscing. This is a huge reason why I love having so many syblings. We all have life experiences that we can relate to, and that makes being together seem like so much fun.

#5 -- Completing a project. I am constantly making lists because I love to cross them off. I liked school because of the sense of accomplishment at completing assignments. Lately, I've been able to complete a lot of projects. I like being able to say, "hey, look what I learned to do (with a lot of help, but still)!"

#6 -- Seeing my girls play together. When I'm trying to talk on the phone in the car, they both like to start yelling at the same time. It's annoying, I know. But they both love it and they yell and then laugh, and then yell some more. When they play and laugh together, it makes me happy.

#7 -- A clean house. In my next life, I would like to be one of those Type A personalities that cannot go to sleep knowing that there are toys left out of place. For now, I probably stepped on the toy and didn't even notice, but, when I come home and the house feels clean, I love it. It makes me happy.

#8 -- Going to church. I'm not going to lie, I don't wake up happy to get there by 8:30 AM, I'm not really happy when I'm scrambling around with my kids trying to shove cheerios in their mouth so they'll be quiet, or even particularly happy when I'm muddling through a lesson that's a little over my head sometimes, BUT when it's all done and I feel like I did something that God wanted me to do, learned a little something, and just made it, I feel happy.

#9 -- Singing and dancing. To say this is not one of my talents would probably be an understatement. But when no one is looking and my kids and I are hanging out and singing and dancing, it's fun. And when I see them try to mimick what I look like dancing, I think uh-oh, this is bad, but they like it, and it sure makes me happy.

#10 -- Feeling loved and appreciated. Who doesn't like that feeling right? It doesn't matter if it comes from Mark, my kids, my parents, a friend, a sybling, when you feel like someone gets you and loves you, it makes being happy a lot easier.

On that note, I hope you can all recognize the small things that make you happy. Ironically, in the article, money had very little to do with the things that when you think outloud, make you happy. In my case, obviously, it was true. Joy is in small moments! I especially hope during Christmas that you have many small moments of your own joy!

Ready to Move!

Our house is officially getting closer to being done! The (supposed) move in date is December 23rd. It has been quite a rigorous few months and I'm not sure I ever want to do it again. My Dad assures me that it will be like having a baby and once I'm in, I'll be talking about how much I love it and picking out plans and changes for round #2. I'm not convinced. We have done (with obviously some serious help from my patient and kind brother, Brandon) our own excavation, septic (thank you Dad, Brandon, Matt, etc), parts of our 900 sf wrap around porch, hardwood floors, a few extra lighting fixtures (thanks to my brother-in-law Anthony), painting (thank you Walker!), concrete (thank you Richie!) work.... and the list goes on. The good news is that Mark and I are still married. :) We had to rebuild parts of the porch, the septic requires FIVE 70 foot drainfields that have to be level within an inch from start to finish, the heat pump got fired up with the owners' manual in it and broke, our cabinents got back ordered, the line to the well has broke, the roofing was at one time the wrong color, and currently we have a 200 amp electrical box and the load is at 200.7 so now that we are almost done we have to have that upgraded to a 400 amp box. Oh, and Launa is angry because recently her favorite color has changed to orange and her room is pink. Ahhhhhh!!! It has been a learning experience, and almost every member of our family has helped us with something. I don't know where we would be without all the help we received (well, I do, probably at each others throats!:). The good news is that I love it. It's simple, but welcoming and cute -- exactly what I would want in a house. Did I mention that we sold the other half of our lot to my best friend Jande, that I grew up with and lived with in college for two years. Our kids are the same age, and I'm pretty sure that she knows and can tolerate all my quirks so the neighbors are going to be fantastic! Oh, and her husband, Chad, is the local game warden, which will only feed into Mark's hunting obsession I'm sure. Mark is also excited. The house is on Mark's family farm and Launa is excited to live so close to "Papa Rich" (Mark's Dad) because he spoils her and takes her to Bob's Korner and let's her eat as much ice cream as she wants (in her words). What are Grandpa's for, right?

We are so excited for this new little chapter in our lives. I will miss living so close to my parents and being in my old Basin City ward, where I have been once again inspired by so many people who played a role raising me as a kid. On the up side, in Othello, they all blame our kids "feistiness" on Mark-- in Basin City, they tend to lean a little more in my direction. :)

Thank you, thank you to everyone who has helped us so much!! I feel like I'll be owing favors to people for the next ten years of my life, but I am so grateful!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all.

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One of My New Favorites

Kate shares my passion for these Strawberry Limemade Chillers at Sonic. If you haven't tried them yet, you should. This kept her entertained for 45 minutes. Launa had a slumber party with her cousins and was literally talking and then asleep five minutes later.