Halloween Preparations Begin

We LOVE carving pumpkins in our family! Ok really, I love it the most and Ryan humors me and Hailey just thinks they look cool but doesn't want to actually touch the pumpkin guts. It took a lot just to get her to barely touch our big pile of guts to pick seeds out.

This year we decided we needed three pumpkins. The one that we got from Windmill Farms for Hailey and then Ryan and I each picked one out at the grocery store. Ryan did most of the "gutting" of the pumpkins and then I did the carving. I got a little possesive actually. He might have enjoyed carving a pumpkin himself, but I sent him off with the kids so that I could get to work!

Then we realized that Katelyn didn't have a pumpkin, so we decided she should BE a pumpkin. Ryan's idea, not mine! But it is kind of cute :-)

After three hours, (yes, I spent three hours and wish that I could have spent more to get them just the way I wanted them!) this was our finished product. The perfectionist in me isn't really satisfied, but at some point you have to just call it a night and get some sleep!

Attention Friends & Fam!

I've created a new link to the left called "More Photos" where I've posted more photos of our family for your viewing pleasure!

I will be adding more photos all the time, so keep coming back!

Our BUSY Last 3 Months

(I apologize ahead of time for the length of this post, but I have to play catch up of journaling the time since Katelyn was born!)

Our lives have been crazy, but so much fun the last few months! Katelyn has been a very busy, well traveled baby. When she was only 1.5 weeks we drove up to Prescott from Surprise for Ryan's job interview with Lockheed Martin.

A week later, at 2.5 weeks, she took a trip to Salt Lake to meet her great-grandparents and great-great grandma with me, while Hailey and her Grandma Barbara went on to Idaho. Although it sounds like too much to take a 12 hour roadtrip right after having a baby, it so relaxing! Katelyn slept the whole way and Hailey watched DVDs. Of course I was exhausted from getting about 2hrs of sleep the night before. But once we got there, all was well. I love being at my grandparents home and being with all of my extended family. (This picture would have been a 5 generation shot if my dad had been there with us.) During this time Ryan also got the call that he got the job with Lockheed and the moving preparations began.

The weekend of Katelyn's 1 month birthday we moved back to our home in Chino Valley, which was such a blessing, but so much work! Especially when you're not supposed to lift anything! Thank you to everyone who helped ease that burden!

The following weekend we drove back down to Phx, then on to San Juan Capistrano, CA to go to one of my best friend's wedding where Hailey got to be the cutest flower girl ever! Not the best behaved mind you, but definitely the hit of the party! You have to understand that Hilary (the beautiful bride) is also one of Hailey's best friends. So Hailey, knowing that we were there for Hilary, felt like the whole day was about the two of them. So when the time came for Hailey to walk down the REALLY long isle, Hilary pointed to where Hailey had to walk to with the ring bearer and she told her that she would be following right behind her. So Hailey did great walking down the isle, but when she got close to the "end" she started running (on a downhill sidewalk mind you, we all thought she was going to trip and land on her face) and when she reached the point she was supposed to get to, she yelled- "I WON!" Then turned around to tell Hilary, who of course hadn't started down the isle yet. So my adorable little daughter started running back up the isle shouting Hilary's name. I was mortified and frozen not knowing what to do! Luckily Hilary's aunt was standing halfway up the isle and football grabbed her, and the ceremony went on. But Hailey wanted to talk the whole time, and finally Ryan took her to go play. Luckily, Katelyn was great and slept the whole time.

Although I was SO embarassed that my daughter had "ruined" Hilary's moment of walking down the isle- everyone else loved it- including Kevin and Hilary and all of their family- who just thought Hailey was the cutest thing ever. Without a care in the world, Hailey continued to think the day and night were all about her and Hil and they danced the night away. I knew Hilary was a great person, but for a bride on her wedding day to be that loving and patient with a 2 year old and give her all the attention that she wanted, really showed how awesome she really is.

The following day we all rolled out of bed at around 9:45 and walked across the street from our hotel to the beach. This was Hailey's (and obviously Katelyn's) 1st trip to the beach and it was a blast. Hailey has been asking to go back ever since, but really just to play in the sand- the water scared her, unless daddy was holding her up so that the water couldn't get her.

A few weeks later we had Katelyn's blessing and had all of Ryan's family and my dad and brother over for lunch first. I was definitely pleased to realize that my little house was able to accomodate everyone. Then we all went to the church, where our huge family nearly doubled the Sacrament Meeting attendance (our ward is very small!). Then after all the pictures were taken, we went to Ryan's parents house to hang out with everyone before they had to drive back to the valley.

The week after that, Ryan took Hailey to Prescott's Octoberwest Air Show. She has a natural love of airplanes, just like her daddy. And although she got to sit in several airplanes, everyday we drive past the airport and she sees several planes in the traffic pattern, she reminds me that she didn't get to FLY in an airplane!


Last weekend we took the girls and Ryan's parents to Windmill Farms for their Pumpkin Festival, similar to what Young's Farm used to do. Katelyn was her usual sleepy and hungry self, but Hailey was all over the place having a great time. Not only did she pick out a pumpkin, but she also went to the petting zoo, rode a pony, jumped in a bounce house and rode a little "train ride". The only downfall to the day was the Chino Valley wind and sun, and guess who didn't remember hats or sunscreen? Bad mommy!

In the last two weeks Katelyn has really started smiling, especially when she sees her momma (I love it!) She really is a happy baby.

That brings us pretty well up to date on the major going-ons in our lives. Ryan and I are both working full time, but have a great balance of dropping off and picking up the girls from my great babysitters. I do a lot of day trips all over Northern AZ and down to Phx for my job, and Ryan has been great at cooking dinners and taking care of the girls when I have to be home late. And as always, it's a blessing to have Ryan's parents nearby again to save the day when we need help!

It's been a great few months with our family of 4 and we're excited for the future- especially for the upcoming holidays- our favorite time of year!

No Longer A "Blog Stalker"

The time has come for me to actually participate in blogging, rather than just reading about everyone else's lives during the midnight hours. Wow! that really does sound stalkerish doesn't it?! Really it is just something I do to pass the time when I'm up with Katelyn, really!

When I asked Ryan to help me come up with a web address for my blog, his response was "What?! You're making a blog?! You are so trendy!"

The real reason I decided to join the blogging world (other than wanting to be like everyone else) is that this past week I decided to be a good daughter and send pictures of the girls to my parents. This took me a fair amount of time because I've apparently become inept at technical things. But they enjoyed the pictures and I felt good about sending them. Then the next day my mom calls and asks me to send the pictures to her work email so that she could show off her grandbabies to her coworkers. Then later that day my sister calls all upset that I sent the parents pictures, but not her. So then I had to send them to her. Then I thought about all of my extended family that I am horrible in keeping in touch with, but that I'm sure would LOVE to see the girls.

And so I made up my mind- and here's my family website!