Some Thoughts

I have had many thoughts running through my head lately.  Most of them scattered and random, which makes them very difficult to put into words.  Here are a few of them.

• I am so glad I can stay home with my kids.  I worked a few days last week and it was absolute torture. I only worked 2 days and for a total of 3 hours, but I hated it.  I am dreading working for 3 weeks around Thanksgiving time.  I want the extra money, but money is not everything!
• I am LOVING going to the gym every morning.  I get up at 6 AM.  (I have NEVER been a morning person and so it may come as a shock that I get up this early.)  I work out for about an hour and then come home and get ready for the day.  My kids sleep in until about 9, which is why I can write this post right now, and so I have a little time to myself each morning.  I love it. (I should mention that I would never do this by myself.  I have a neighbor who goes to the gym with me.)  I love this time to think and get myself ready for the day.  
• I have thought a lot about positive energy.  I have really tried to be positive and look for the good in others.  I find myself a lot happier when I do.  I want to be a good friend and someone people enjoy being around.  
• I have also thought a lot about past friendships and acquaintances.  I often wonder how people are doing.  Facebook has been good to connect with people, but sometimes I just want to call people.  I have tried to follow through on promptings to contact people, but I could do better.  I think I might try and write someone an email or call someone every day.  Let them know I am thinking about them.  I like that idea.  I am going to start right now....

Sweet Potato Babies

Our kids love sweet potatoes!  This is when both Grand and Celeste are about 5 months old and eating sweet potatoes.  

Celeste has had to cut back on the sweet potatoes because it makes her constipated, but she still loves them!  Celeste loves beans, peas, apples, pears, and prunes.  She loves baby oatmeal cereal too!  She is getting to be a good little eater.  She prefers baby food over bottles most of the time.  

Pumpkin Patch

We have loved the warm fall weather.  Sixty degree weather is perfect for fall activities.  Last year we did the pumpkin patch and tried to do a corn maze, but as Grant reminded us that was a bad idea.  He didn't want to do a corn maze in case he had to go to the bathroom again.

We went to Linder Farms this year and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.  We wanted to stay a little longer, but we were hungry and didn't want to eat fried farm food.  

Grant loved the pedal tractors.  He was a little too short to pedal himself and so I got to pedal the both of us around.  It was a good workout.  We also climbed the hay pyramid, but Grant didn't want to go down the huge slide so we had to climb back down the giant pyramid.  

Grant thought the hay bail maze was so fun!  He ran through it a number of times.  He was so proud of himself for figuring it out so quickly.  Grant also really enjoyed the petting farm and want to take home a bunny.  

His favorite part was the corn box and he could have stayed there all night.  He played in it for a while and then we rode out to the pumpkin patch.  We picked out a pumpkin for Celeste and Grant picked out a very nice pumpkin.  Grant couldn't believe how many pumpkins there were.  When we got back from the patch Grant wanted to play in the corn box again.  He really wanted to Celeste to get in the box with him.  Celeste obviously had no idea what to do in a box of corn.  

It was so much fun!  We are excited for Halloween!

Art Wall October 2013

The Art Wall gets filled up fast with Grant in school.  In fact it is already almost full again and ready for another picture.  I have saved a few special pictures.

Starting with the top row: 1.  Grant's computer he colored at the computer lab.  (He was mad that they made him color in the computer lab.  He asked me why he had to color when he wanted to be on the computer.)  2.  A self portrait.  3. His very first homework.  He had to write his name and he did a pretty good job.  4.  Another name homework sheet, but this one is special because Ms. Clegg was very impressed with how well he did.   5.  A picture Granny colored but Grant liked it and wanted to save it.  6.  A picture of Celeste holding a toy unicorn.  7.  A picture Evelyn colored  8. A picture of Star Wars 9.  Grant's self portrait  (He is wearing a blue shirt with a yellow Nike swish) 10.  A picture for Mom 11.  A picture for Dad

The Girls

Auna's girls love Celeste!  Elleigh is 4 and Eva is 2.  They ask all the time to come and play with Celeste.  Eva especially will do just about anything to get to hold Celeste.  Grant loves to play with Elleigh.  It is funny though because sometimes they fight like siblings.  We love our neighbors!  We are so lucky to live close to some awesome families.  

Sleeping Beauty

One night I was feeding Celeste cereal.  I looked away to get another spoon of cereal and when I looked back she was asleep!  Eating from a spoon is a lot of work for Celeste.  It takes a really long time for her to eat.  I think it just wears her out.

I was notorious for falling asleep in the high chair.  I have a number of cute pictures of me asleep in the high chair.  Grant never fell asleep while he was eating.

I love Cereal!

We have had such a difficult time getting Celeste to gain weight I wasn't expecting to start cereal at 4 and a half months.  Dr. Bradford recommended we try cereal before we met with Pat on the 21st of September.  We tried it twice and the first night Celeste didn't care for it, but by the second time she was loving it.

At our therapy appointment Pat highly encouraged us to do cereal.  I have to follow certain techniques to feed Celeste in order to improve her feeding skills.  I have to push down on Celeste's tongue blade until her lips come down around the spoon.  This encourages Celeste to use her tongue to move the food to the back of her mouth and swallow.  I find this helps reduce the amount of cereal she spits out.  If I don't wait for her to put her lips down all the cereal will come shooting back out.

I also have to occasionally put food on the side of her cheeks to encourage tongue lateralization.  Celeste can't move her tongue side to side and will have a very difficult time eating if we don't get her to move her tongue side to side.  

Putting food on her cheeks will also encourage better cheek movement.  Her cheeks are still really tight and I have to rub the outside and inside of her cheeks on a daily basis.  

She is still not great at drinking out of her bottle.  She is still really sloppy and has to burp at least once during a bottle.  She doesn't have the suck-swallow-breath sequence down.  I am not sure we will ever get that down.  

I am so grateful for my knowledge I received in college.  I am so grateful I know what a good eater looks like and more importantly what a bad eater looks like.  I don't mean "good eater" meaning someone who likes to eat everything.  I am defining a good eater as someone who knows how to eat.  I wish I could have helped Celeste by myself and not needed to go to therapy, but I have learned so much from Pat. 

Celeste is getting better at eating and loving being up at the table with us. 

An Evening Stroll

The Sunday afternoon Kyle was in Arizona the kids and I needed to get out of the house.  We went on a walk around the neighborhood.  We threw rocks in the canal and tried to feed the ducks.  However, the ducks in our neighborhood don't like to be fed.  They refused to eat our bread.  Grant was really distraught about it.  He didn't understand why the ducks wouldn't eat such yummy bread.  Grant decided that if the ducks wouldn't eat the bread he would.  

Grant also had so much fun pushing Celeste around in the stroller.  Celeste just loves her brother.  I love that I captured their sweet interaction.  I love how Grant can make her smile.  He is such a great big brother.  I don't know what I would do without Grant.  Not only does he help me with Celeste, but he helps me do things around the house such as the dishes and laundry. 

I should note that Grant took the picture of Celeste and me.  I really like it and since I am rarely in pictures I thought it I would post it.

First Nail Painting

A few weeks ago Kyle went to see Lee in Arizona.  He was only gone for the weekend, but I about went crazy!  It was hard to be a single parent.  I know I am a stay at home mom, but when Kyle never came home it was much more challenging.  I quickly found out I rely on Kyle a lot in the evenings.  Thank goodness for my amazing neighbor Auna!  She was my life saver.

One night we had dinner together because her husband took her older kids to a football game.  We ended up having a girl party (poor Grant was the only boy).  We watched Robin Hood and painted nails.  It was the first time Celeste's first time having her toe nails painted.  It was so fun!  I didn't dare paint her fingernails because she always has her hands in her mouth.

Rockin' Out

Kyle and I used to play Guitar Hero all the time.  Then we had Grant.  Now we never play.  One night we were going through some boxes and found the guitars.  Grant wanted to know what they were for and so one night we showed him. He thought the guitars were so fun. 

Kyle and I were disappointed at how much our Guitar skills atrophied.  We used to play all the songs on a pretty difficult skill level and make few errors. We stunk so bad that we had to put the songs on easy.  Oh, well.  I guess we have replaced our Guitar playing skills with more important things.  

It was a fun night of jamming out!

I totally didn't notice our folding chairs in the background until I uploaded these pictures.  We have this awesome entertainment room, but we don't have any furniture.  We don't want to go into debt to get couches and so we sit on folding chairs and lawn chairs.  It doesn't bother us all that much, but when people come over they crack up that we have this nice t.v. with no furniture. 

5 Months

Celeste is 5 months and 10 days today, but these picture were taking on the 1st of October.  I am just a little slow getting them posted.

Celeste still doesn't care much for tummy time and sometimes gets stuck.  She can roll over from tummy to back.  She can roll from back to either side, but can't get all the way over.  Celeste can scoot around a little bit when she is on her tummy.  I bet she will be an army crawler.  Celeste really wants to sit and tries to sit by herself, but she just doesn't have the strength yet.

She LOVES sweet potatoes.  Last night she refused her bottle and ate a whole container and half of another one.   She won't eat pears unless they are mixed up with cereal.  We haven't tried any other foods yet.

Celeste loves to talk and makes all kinds of cute sounds.  She just recently figured out how to blow raspberries.  She loves to laugh and play simple anticipation games.  

Celeste is growing like a weed now!  I love her double chin.  It is nice to not have to worry about her weight any more.  She has grown out of some 3-6 clothes, but most still fit.  

Orphan Train

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15818107-orphan-train" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Orphan Train" border="0" src="https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1362409483m/15818107.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15818107-orphan-train">Orphan Train</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/157146.Christina_Baker_Kline">Christina Baker Kline</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/733565902">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I really would have given this book 4.5 stars if possible.  It was an amazing read!  The story was an emotional roller coaster.  I was mad at how awful Dorothy's foster parents were.  I was so sad at so many points.  Then I was so excited when wonderful things happen.  I think my favorite part was when Vivian and her friends go to the Wizard of Oz and the Grand Hotel.  I was laughing out loud at that point.  <br><br>I really liked the bounce between the 1930's and 2011.  The author did a great job bringing the stories together in the end.  <br><br>It makes me sick to think orphans have to go through anything close to this experience.  I am sure they do though.  I am not that naive.  <br><br>No sex scenes.  Some sexual innuendo.  Some swearing.<br><br>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/2251204-kelly">View all my reviews</a>

The Yellow Dress

When my mom was a baby she had a beautiful yellow dress.  When I was an infant my mom had my pictures taken in the same yellow dress.  My mom saved the yellow dress and so we had to take pictures of Celeste in the same yellow dress.  

I think it is really fun to look at the resemblance between the three girls.

Beyond Suspicion

<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/299480.Beyond_Suspicion" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Beyond Suspicion (Jack Swyteck, #2)" border="0" src="http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348363854m/299480.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/299480.Beyond_Suspicion">Beyond Suspicion</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/27572.James_Grippando">James Grippando</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/723004365">3 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
James Grippando is a new favorite author of mine.  I love a good mystery and this book was good, just not a favorite.<br /><br />It started out really good, but the middle got a little dry.  It would have moments of white knuckle intensity followed by a whole lot of slow moving lawyer mumbo jumbo.  <br /><br />The ending was great, but took a long time getting there.  The problem was I would look at my kindle and it would say 91% but the book still wasn't wrapping up.  I found myself watching the percentage increase and wondering when the climax of the book was coming.  I also felt like the ending happened too fast.  I wanted a little more closure from the side characters like Theo, Cindy, and Evelyn.  If book 3 picks up where this one left off than I may come back and give it 4 stars.  Otherwise, I am giving this book a solid 3.<br /><br />There was a murder/suicide scene where the woman is naked, but no other sex scenes.  The "f word" here and there, but not excessive.
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/2251204-kelly">View all my reviews</a>

A New Leaf or...

maybe an old leaf, but a different perspective.

We have had a lot of talks and devotionals in our ward and stake about missionary service.  Our stake president extended a full time missionary call to every member of our stake.  Our ward has really caught on to the missionary bug.  I have too!

I have always been so scared to open my mouth.  (I know I am always talking, but I never talk about the church.)  I am so grateful for the new found understanding of missionary work.

I am finding a new purpose in meeting new friends, especially neighbors who attend other churches.  I have always loved meeting new people, but now I want to share the Gospel with them too.

I love the Gospel so much.  The Gospel brings me so much joy and peace.  I have found the desire to share it with others like I would share an exciting new recipe or a super sale or a great movie.  I can't stop thinking about the Gospel and I want to talk about it all the time.

I have started reading the Book of Mormon every morning with Grant and Celeste.  We only read about 5-10 verses because that is all they can handle.  It will take us a VERY LONG time to finish the Book of Mormon.  We are not having a race, but small spiritual moments.  I have loved reading it with them and when we miss a day I can feel a difference.  Reading such small amounts forces me to summarize the things we read last time and help explain what we just read.  I have been amazed at how much information and how many principles can be covered in just a few short verses.  My testimony of the Book of Mormon has been strengthened through our daily study.

I am so excited for General Conference this weekend.  I can't wait to hear the voice of our wonderful Prophet and his apostles.  I was able to go to the General Relief Society meeting and found it so up lifting.  It was just what I needed.  I was bummed I couldn't go to the dinner before hand, but I was definitely fed spiritually.

If you are reading this and are currently not active or a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints I want you to know that the Lord loves you.  He wants you to be happy.  You can find happiness in the love of our Savior Jesus Christ.  I feel of His love every day!

Picking Up Apples

Before I get to the picking up apple story I want to everyone to see these beautiful earrings Evelyn inherited from my Grandma.  They are clip on earrings and Evelyn thought she had died and gone to heaven when we put these on her.  Also note her missing tooth.  She was very excited about losing her first tooth.

Now, picking up apples off the ground can be a very tedious chore.  Anyone who has an apple tree in their yard knows this.  It seems like the apples reproduce once they hit the ground.  My parents' have three large trees in their backyard and therefore have hundreds of apples to pick up. 

Evelyn has been interested in earning money.  (Grant has too for that matter.)  My mom decided to offer Evelyn a little money for picking up the apples in the backyard.  I don't get to spend much time with my niece so I offered to supervise, which really meant I picked up my fair share of apples too, and I kept Evy motivated to continue picking up the apples.

Erin spent the hour or so playing with Celeste.

I got very creative with ways to keep Evy motivated to pick up apples.  We had contests to see which hand could through an apple the farthest.  It was hit and miss with her, she throws like a girl.  We had contests to see if the "baby" apples or the "mommy" apples could go farther.  We counted how many apples Evy could throw in a minute.  We then counted how long it took her to throw a big pile of apples.  How did the apples get in a pile? I raked them.  By the way it was hard work raking apples.  We sang songs and found gross apples and nice apples.   My favorite part though was when we were almost done and Evy had to lean against the tree because she was so tired!