Should I Be Worried?

Bo's latest blog entry is called "Guy Love". Those of you who know us well know what I'm dealing with here. Check it out at http://boot2thhead.blogspot.com/

Happy Birthday to Me!

It's my birthday! Unfortunately, Wednesdays are Bo's day where he works and goes straight to school and doesn't get home until really late. I usually don't even see him on Wednesdays, so I knew it would just be me and the girls like usual today. We are also a few days away from Bo's paycheck so I didn't have lots of money to do anything.


But I still wanted to enjoy my birthday, so I packed up the girls and we went to the mall. We had fun looking around and trying on shoes that I will be buying for my birthday after I get money. :)


Santa was there at the mall and it wasn't busy at all so he let Melia come and sit on his lap and they even let me take pictures with my own camera--so we got unexpected Santa pictures for free. :)


Later, after the girls' naps, we went to the store and I had just enough money to buy myself a German chocolate birthday cake. Melia made sure to tell everyone in the check out line that it was my birthday and she even carried the cake for me (at one point, upside down on top of her head). We came home and Melia sang to me and blew out my candles with me. Grandma gave me an awesome present by doing a sink full of dirty dishes for me. It may not seem like a big deal to some, but after a long day and finally getting the girls to bed, the last thing I feel like doing is cleaning up a messy kitchen and doing a sink full of dirty dishes. Thanks Grandma! Also, a few days ago my friend and visiting teacher, Terry, came over and we were talking about how I love almond butter and how expensive it is. She told me that you can get it at Winco and I was thrilled at the possibility to get it for cheap. Anyway, today I found a bag on my doorstep filled with 3 large containers of almond butter. I thought that was such a thoughtful gift. :) These things combined with calls from friends and family made for a good birthday despite the circumstances. Oh yeah--I topped off the night with a little "So You Think You Can Dance" which always makes me smile.

P.S. The next morning, I woke up to find a present from Bo sitting on the table. The present was nice, but my favorite part was the letter he wrote to me. I won't go into detail, but let's just say it made me cry...in a good way. :) On Friday night, we went out to dinner at the Olive Garden to celebrate!

Thanks to God

I'm thankful for at least a million and one things in my life, but these three are the tops! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

The Real Story of Jesus' Birth

Last night, Melia was playing with a little nativity set at our friend's house. Today she gave me her version of what happened. "The donkey sniffed baby Jesus and the fairy (angel) was on the roof and Mary was feeding baby Jesus some nummies."

Sugar, Sugar

My name is Laura and I'm a sugar addict. Yes, it's true. Sugar has become my drug of choice and it's starting to really bum me out. Not only is it totally bad for me health wise, it's keeping me from fitting into my pre-pregnancy clothes, which is not only depressing but it's getting cold up here and I can't fit into my pants. :(
So here's the thing--I eat pretty healthy all day long for all my meals and snacks. I don't have any sugar during the day. But night hits and I'm exhausted and I fall in front of the TV and the cookie dough starts calling my name. Actually, it calls my name throughout the day and I look forward to the night time when I can sit down with some sweet stuff and just take a break. That's the thing--it's like my treat, my reward, my break. And I don't know how to not do it. I mean, I've broken the cycle in the past, but I always fall back into it. I want it and I don't want it. You know what I mean? It's good in the moment, but then I regret it afterward. The whole weight thing is just getting to me lately. It's not like I think I'm huge or anything--I just want to get back to fitting in my clothes and be at my normal weight. Somewhere during pregnancy, an extra 15 pounds snuck onto my body and it's been 7 months now and none of it has gone away. I keep psyching myself up to do something about it, but I find my efforts are always thwarted by something. My latest thing is the P90X workout system. Yes, I saw it on an infomercial and yes, I always end up wanting to try almost everything I see on infomercials. I admit it. Only this time I didn't have to buy it because Bo's co-worker lent it to us. It's 12 different workout DVDs that are pretty extreme. I was all set to be buff in 90 days, but so far every week that I've started getting up early and doing it, something has happened and I've only done it like a handful of times. Anyway, bottom line is I need to break this sugar habit. Not really sure how to do it though. I'm sure some of you can relate to what I'm talking about. Others may think I'm complaining about nothing. Whatever your take is on it is fine. It's just been my struggle lately and I decided to blog about it because life isn't all just fun events to report on.

7 Months Already?!

Time is a weird thing. It seemed to go by so slowly sometimes during the first 6 months and now Naiya is already 7 months old and I can't believe it! Melia decided to play dress up with her on her 7 month birthday (even though I didn't realize it was her 7 month birthday until the day after. Luckily, Melia wanted to take a picture of Naiya dressed up in her tutu or else we would have no visual record of that day. :) ) Anyway, Naiya is growing fast--we already had to bust out the 12 month old clothes for her. She's having fun discovering her voice and is still my cute little smiley baby. Pooping is going better, which leads me into the fiasco that happened today. Luckily, it happened to Bo and not me. :)
Today, Bo was watching the girls while I went to a doctor's appointment. I actually got lost on the way there and called Bo so he could help me find it on mapquest. While he was helping me, I could hear Naiya crying in the background and Melia wanting stuff, so I told him to just call me back after he put Naiya down for her nap. Well, he took quite a while to call back. This is why, according to Bo: He started to put Naiya down for her nap when he remembered he hadn't changed her diaper. As he went to do so, he smelled something not so pleasant. He investigated further to find out that Naiya had had one of those explosive poops that went all the way up the back of her onesie. As she was screaming and he was trying to hold her legs up in the air so that the poop didn't get all over the bed, he dropped the poopy diaper on the floor and started throwing the wipes into it as he used them. Well, pretty soon Melia comes over to see what's going on and accidentally steps in the poopy diaper. Bo realizes this when she says, "Daddy, I got poopy on my toe!" Meanwhile, Bo is still trying to hold the crying, half covered in poop, baby's legs up to save the bed. He tells Melia to go wash off her foot in the shower and to try not to put her foot down on the carpet. She becomes distressed and adds to the chorus of crying. She makes it to the shower but can't turn it on, which causes more distress. Finally, Bo gets Naiya cleaned off and then comes over to help Melia as Naiya continues to cry. Bo turns on the shower for Melia who not only sticks her foot in to wash it, but her entire leg--pants and everything. Anyway, by the time I got home, Melia and Naiya were both clean and taking naps, so it all turned out in the end. I did find a little present left on my side of the bed--the poop covered onesie. So sweet of Bo to leave me that little momento so that, although I wasn't there to experience it firsthand, I could still feel (or smell) like I was. But I do totally appreciate Bo for his help with the girls and I have total empathy for him, having dealt with many similar situations in my stint at motherhood. It's all worth it though! Happy 7 months Naiya! We love you!

We Survived!

Ahh, the wonderful germy world of preschool. Melia came home with a cold about a week ago which I then came down with, promptly followed by Naiya and finishing up with Bo. Let's just say this week has been filled with more mucus coming from every direction than I ever care to see again. I haven't been sick since last Christmas, so I've never faced the challenge of taking care of two sick kids while being sick myself before. Not so much fun, to say the least. The good news is we are all feeling much better--well, Bo is still having a hard time, but 3 out of 4 ain't bad.

Beauty and Teen Wolf?

So this Halloween, Melia decided she wanted to be Belle and that Daddy should be the Beast. It was a cute idea, but it was only a few days until Halloween and I wasn't sure we could pull it off. But listening to Melia talk about it to everyone and hearing how excited she was motivated me to try to come up with a Beast costume. And vuala!....Here it is. Bo was totally a good sport to do this. He was not feeling very festive, but he did it--2 days in a row--itchy beard, make-up, fake teeth and everything! Proof that Melia really does have daddy's heart. I had fun being a farmer with my cute little chicken. :)

6 Months Old!

I can't believe we are a half a year into this already! Naiya is such a cute little chunky monkey. Her crazy hair brings us many laughs, especially when Bo makes her kick her legs and sings "We represent the lollipop kids". She absolutely adores Melia and watches her with a smile wherever she goes. Melia can also make her laugh harder than any of us can. I'm glad they have a good relationship so far. Naiya has been having some constipation trouble, so that's made feedings not so fun lately. But we've been looking into some things that will hopefully help. She is sitting up on her own now, but can basically be pushed over by a fly, so she's currently working on her core strength. This week, we bought Melia new sparkly princess shoes that she's in love with--so much so that they snuck their way into Naiya's 6 month birthday pictures. :)

What a Little Sweetie

Melia (while handing her first tithing envelope to the Bishop): "Here's my money for Jesus. Can you hold it for him?"

Arrgh...I'm One of Those Moms

Monday was Melia's first day of her Tiny Tots preschool class. She was so excited to finally be able to go to school! She has been talking about it for like a month now. When we got there, she was a little unsure at first, but then started playing with the toys and I said good bye to her. On my way home, I started having all of these feelings--This was the first time I was leaving my child with complete strangers in a new environment where she is facing the world all on her own. I know she is totally capable but there's something about a mother's instinct where you just want to protect your child and keep them safe from harm. I don't know exactly everything that I was feeling, but I did it--I cried. I am one of those moms that cries when they drop their kids off at school on the first day. As a kindergarten teacher, I saw it happen many times and never in a million years did I think I would be doing it, but I did. I admit it. At least I didn't do it until I had already dropped her off and had gone back home. Anyway, when I went to pick her up after her class was over, she ran up to me and gave me a big hug and started to tell me all about what they did in class. Her teacher said she was a delight and that she danced for them and just really enjoyed herself. They said she asked where I was one time and they told her that they had one more activity to do before I would come to pick her up. She said, "Ok." and went back to what she was doing. I don't know what I was worried about. :) She told me all about everything all the way home and about how much fun she had and how she loved school. Today was her second day and it went great. I didn't cry this time. :)

My First Battle Wound

So after 5 years of dog training, I actually got bitten--courtesy of Snowy, the fearful aggressive Australian Shepherd. I have been nipped at before, but never had a dog break the skin. Luckily, it wasn't that bad and I was able to remain calm, correct her, and then continue to take her for a walk. The important thing is not to freak out and become fearful because then you're in no position to help rehabilitate the dog so she can obtain a more balanced state of mind. Although I did not love getting bitten, I love the work that I do and every experience teaches me something new. What did I learn from this? 1. Don't wear shorts while working with big, fearful aggressive dogs. And 2. Charge the client more if their dog bites me. :)

Oh, Bo.

Bo is one of those guys that has no problem getting in touch with his feminine side. His latest little discovery is that if he wears my nursing cover up, it's easier to get Naiya to go to sleep at church. So he's been wearing it lately without a care as to the pink floral pattern or the fact that only nursing moms usually wear these things. I actually think that this may just be his practical/efficient side overpowering all other cares. Whatever. He's a cute daddy!

Melia's 2nd Testimony

"I love Jesus. Jesus loves all the little children. He loves everybody here. Jesus loves Karsen. Jesus loves Holly. I love my family. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

5 Months Old!

Today is Naiya's 5 month birthday and I'm writing this blog on the actual day! Check me out! Anyway, it hasn't been that long since my last blog about her so she's pretty much still the same cute little chubby smiley that she was in my last entry. One important thing I forgot to mention last time though was her snorting. I'm not sure why, but she snorts all the time--when she cries, when she laughs. It's pretty funny. And now that we have found it funny, Melia has decided to start snorting when she laughs too. Ahh, my little family of piglets. Naiya has also become obsessed with my water bottle. Bo gave her some water from it the other day and now every time she sees it, her eyes get big and she starts flailing about. Her diet still consists of just breast milk so I guess water is a real treat for her. :) She really does bring joy to our lives every day and I'm so grateful to have her!

Madness at Winco

Ahh, Winco. Huge discount grocery store. Lots of people. Me with a 4 month old and a 3 year old and a shopping cart. Let the fun begin! I should have taken it as a sign of how this shopping trip would be when we entered the store and Melia says: "I have to go potty." Ok, good--at least we can get that over with first instead of having to walk way back to the front of the store in the middle of our shopping trip to go to the bathroom. We get over to the bathroom and Melia says: "I don't need to go potty." Me: "Are you sure?" Melia: "Yes." Ok, I didn't really want to unload she and Naiya from the shopping cart anyway just so she could sit on the potty and not go. At least she was telling me ahead of time. On to our shopping. Big list in hand, kids in cart. Let's go. I have only been to Winco a few times, so it was taking us quite a while to find everything we needed. Plus, we had to navigate our way through the sea of Winco shoppers. Now people who shop at Winco are serious. They don't go there to just buy a few items. They shop for a month's supply at least. It's common to see people with 2 shopping carts packed until they're overflowing. So as I'm looking for the stuff we need, Naiya has this constant kind of moan going on--not actually crying, but the warning " I may burst into a full blown cry at any minute" type of sound. So I am trying to hurry as fast as I can with the amount of people I have to wait for and dodge. Meanwhile, our cart is filling up quickly and Melia has less and less room to stand in back there. She wants to get out. I don't want her to get out with this many people and carts around. She wears me down. I find an isle that is somewhat empty and foolishly allow her to get out of the cart. I spend the rest of the shopping trip trying to keep her out of the way of people, keep her from pushing the cart into people, etc. At one point, a rather large black lady passes by us and Melia says, pointing to the lady: “That’s a big booty!” Me: “Shhh!!!” Melia: “Mommy, that’s a big booty!” Me: “Don’t say that anymore. It might make her feel bad.” Luckily, the lady was out of ear shot. (I hope.) Kids. What are you gonna do? Anyway, by this time we have pretty much everything we need and we head to the check out stand. I glance down at my watch to be shocked that it is already 1:30pm which is the time that Naiya usually goes down for her nap. I look up to see each check stand has a big line with people who have packed shopping carts. Great. Just hang on Naiya. You’re doing good. We pick a line. Melia entertains herself by picking up every candy bar, breath mint, and pack of gum she sees and telling me she’s going to buy them tomorrow. Meanwhile, I’m trying to unload all of our stuff onto the conveyer belt and the lady behind us starts talking to Naiya, putting her face really close up to her. At first Naiya is amused, but then for some reason her amusement turns into terror and she starts to scream at the top of her lungs. Great. Just please calm down without me having to pick you up and carry you while I try to unload groceries, keep Melia safe and out of trouble and pay for our stuff. Luckily, she is pacified by me just talking to her. Thank goodness, she’s such a mellow baby. Ok, groceries unloaded, Melia back in the cart, pay for groceries, start loading them in bags. Well, Naiya’s had it. Full blown crying the whole time I’m trying to bag our groceries. Sorry kid, can’t help you right now. Melia tries her hand at calming Naiya by talking to her with her forehead pressed against Naiya’s forehead and “patting” (more like smacking) her belly. Somehow it wasn’t having the calming effect Melia was hoping for. My mission: Just get the groceries bagged and loaded back in the cart so we can hurry up and get home so we can all take naps. Ok, we’re on our way out of this madhouse of a store. We’re good. Everything is good. Did I mention I am not coming back here again? Just as we’re about to step out into the parking lot, Melia: “I have to go potty.” Me: “Are you serious?” Melia: “Yes, I have to go potty.” Ok, turn the shopping cart around and navigate our way to the bathroom. No problem. It’s not like we’re in a hurry or anything. I unload the girls and leave our shopping cart full of stuff outside the bathroom cause you’re not allowed to take it in. I say a little prayer that no one will take our stuff. I try to hurry Melia along as she dawdles along noticing every little thing in the bathroom. She is very concerned about whether the toilet flushes by itself or not. It does. Naiya is actually gaining weight the longer I hold her. We finish and return to our shopping cart. Hey! Everything is still here. Yay! Load Naiya back in cart. Get Melia to stop playing with the ball from the big bin of balls and get back in the cart. Ok, let’s try this one more time. This time, we actually make it to the car. Load the groceries in the trunk. Get Melia strapped in car seat. Get Naiya strapped in car seat. Return cart. Get on the road. Listen to Naiya cry and Melia whine about being tired. Oh, did I mention that Winco is down in Chico which means we still have a good 20 minute drive through nothing but fields and trees to get home? I glance down at the dashboard—I’m going 106 miles per hour?! What?! Oh, Melia pushed the button to convert it to kilometers again. We’re ok. Get home and grab Naiya to put her down for her nap. Come back out and get Melia and the groceries. Arms full of groceries. Melia goes in ahead of me. No, don’t close the door! Yup, she closed it. “Open the door, Melia.” “Open the door!” No response. I manage to get a finger free to slide it open and accidentally hit her head with the handle. Crying fit ensues. Ok, mom is done. 15 minutes later, I have Melia down for her nap, groceries that need to be refrigerated away and I collapse on my bed. Just another Monday in the life of a mom. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Well, maybe if I had a good enough offer. Just kidding. Maybe.

She Woke Up Like This

Anyone remember Flock of Seagulls? Turns out Naiya is a big fan.

Where's Melia?!

So a couple of weeks ago, Bo was working late and I was putting the kids to bed by myself. While I nursed Naiya, Melia got her jammies on, brushed her teeth and then told me she was going to go to bed by herself. I told her it was ok and that I would come in to her room to say good night after I finished feeding Naiya. Well, a while later, I hear my neighbor's voice calling to me from our door. I went out there to find Melia at the door with her. She said, "Do you know where Melia was?" With a confused look on my face, I said, "Umm...was she outside?". She said, "Well, she decided to come to our house for a little visit." What?!! Ok, this is at 8:00 at night and to get to our neighbor's house you have to go all the way up a long driveway and onto the street and down another long driveway. Needless to say, this isn't a great activity for a 3 year old to be doing on her own. I'm just glad this happened while we're living in Paradise instead of in Santa Ana. Anyway, I talked to her about not going outside by herself and I resolved to not let her out of my sight at bedtime anymore.

Ok, so about a week later, I'm making breakfast in the morning and she goes upstairs to "get her shoes". When breakfast is ready, I go upstairs to get her and she is nowhere to be found again. I start to panic a little and I start calling for her outside. I hear this little voice from down the street calling back to me. What?!!! I go to get her and she is talking about something down the street. Who knows how far she went!! This time Sleeping Beauty, her Belle dress, and shoes--basically everything she values--was taken away from her for going outside by herself again. We're definitely going to have to get some good locks for the doors that she can't get out of.

Today I was in the kitchen and she went in our bedroom. A little while later, I went in there and couldn't find her. I started calling to her all through the house and she was nowhere to be found again. Panic. I went outside and started yelling for her. No answer. I came back downstairs and kept calling for her. All of a sudden, I see her peeking at me out of Naiya's room. She had been hiding in there to surprise me. We play like that sometimes, but usually I know where she's hiding immediately because she always talks to me from her hiding place. She just had to pick now when I'm paranoid to actually learn how to hide the right way. Parenthood may drive me crazy before I get out of it!

Melia's First Testimony

A few weeks ago, it was testimony meeting at church. Once a month, they allow members of the congregation to get up in the front and give their testimonies about Jesus Christ and how he has affected their lives. Whoever wants to can, and so Melia said she wanted to. I followed her up there thinking I would probably just whisper in her ear what to say, like "I love Jesus." or "I'm grateful for my family." etc. But we got up there to the microphone and Melia just totally took over all on her own. She talked about Jesus and the boat and the big waves (She got that from a video that we have that shows Jesus fishing with his apostles). Then she talked about how Jesus likes to buy her pretty dresses. :) It was adorable and I felt so blessed to be her mom and be able to watch her learn and grow in this life. It also made me feel good to see how comfortable she is with herself to be able to get up in front of all those people and speak with no fear. Every week since then, she asks me when it's going to be her turn again. Well, her long wait will be over this coming Sunday. But lately she's been talking about how Sleeping Beauty and the prince dance with Heavenly Father because at the end of the movie it shows them dancing up into the clouds. So Bo and I are going to do a little lesson with her for our Family Home Evening about what to talk about in a testimony so we don't have any Sleeping Beauty stories in church. :)

4 Months and Counting

Naiya is over 4 months old now and our video camera has been broken this whole time so we don't have any video of her yet. I feel bad because we have video of Melia every month on her monthly birthday. So I decided I'm going to at least write about Naiya every month on her monthly birthday until we get our video camera fixed. By the way, her monthly birthday is on the 16th. Yes, I'm a little late, but at least I'm doing it!




So here she is--my little smiley. That's my nickname for her because she smiles so much. She's such a sweet, easy going baby. She just learned to laugh and finds Melia totally hilarious. She just started getting pretty good at grabbing things and everything is starting to go in the mouth. I wonder why babies do that anyway. She has lots of curly hair, which totally looks like Jerry curls when it's wet. She is a total chunkster now and just has rolls on top of rolls. Adorable. Speaking of rolls--she can roll over now from her tummy to her back, but gets stuck there and starts to cry. Kind of like a turtle, except for the crying part. She is sleeping through the night now, which is heaven for Bo and I. Overall, we are just exceptionally happy to have her as part of our family. :)

3 Balloons

Well, Melia finally got her 3 balloons. If you don't know what I'm talking about, refer back to the post "Oh, My Little Persistent One". She did not forget that she wanted 3 balloons and kept collecting the change every time we went to the store. After a few weeks, we took her change to one of the machines that counts it and gives you cash and then walked over to the dollar tree. Melia picked out 3 Happy Birthday balloons and paid for them with her own money. She was beaming! It was so fun to watch her. :) On the way home, she said (about the lady that helped us with the change machine) "She was beautiful and kind." Awww. I love being her mommy.

Yes, We Actually Made It Home...Barely

Well, I have to say that I've been known to cut it close as far as getting to things on time goes, but this time I honestly thought I had plenty of time...wrong. Bo's sister, Azure, drove us to LAX and we got there an hour and a half before our flight. Plenty of time to check in and get to the gate...that is, if you don't accidentally stand in the security line when you're supposed to be in the check in line and if you don't accidentally stand in the on-line check in line instead of the normal check in line. That being said, we found ourselves in the middle of a huge check in line with only a half hour left until our flight was going to leave. The next half hour turned into a very stressful mad rush, but God put everything in place to help us through. First, He provided a kind manager who was willing to pull us out of the line and take us up to the front and check us in. Then, as we rushed over to stand in the long security line, a worker came and told us that there was a new security check point opening downstairs with no line. Blessing #2. So we rushed downstairs and that was when Azure had to leave me. There I was, left with a 3 year old and an infant, plus a stroller, a diaper bag and a carry on suitcase that has to be opened every time we go through security because it has a lap top inside. So after we get everything through and our shoes back on and Melia back in the stroller, God provides the next nice man to help us up the escalator with all of our stuff. He asks to see my ticket so he can tell me where my gate is and when he sees it, he lets out a moan. Well, that can't be good. At this point, I have about 10 minutes until our flight is supposed to leave and he tells me that my gate is all the way on the other side of the airport--a good 7 or 8 minute walk from where we are. Crap. So there I went, speed walking, pushing Melia in the stroller, carrying Naiya in the front pack, pulling my diaper bag on top of my suitcase behind me, begging God to help us make it there in time, and having the warning words of my mother ringing in my ears that I should have gotten to the airport earlier. A few minutes into this speed walk, I hear my name being called over the loud speaker saying I need to report to the gate immediately because it is closing in 5 minutes. Double crap. At this point, I take off RUNNING...Naiya still strapped to me, bouncing up and down. Double the prayers now. Making my way through the seemingly endless halls, charging up 2 escalators (blessing #3 is that we didn't fall down and end up in a big heap of stroller and suitcases), only running over one man's foot and giving him a flat tire, to at last see our gate number in the distance. We made it there--totally out of breath, sweating and disshevled--but we made it! Blessing #4! Once we got there, God blessed us with a really nice flight attendant who helped me with my bags and stroller and reassured me that I could relax and that they would take care of everything. He even asked the guy who was sitting in our row if he would mind moving so we could have the row all to ourselves. Blessings #5 & 6. Melia then decided to have a really loud meltdown, which made Naiya start crying too. Great. Oh, did I mention that we got almost zero sleep the night before because all 3 of us had to sleep in the same room which Melia is not used to at all so she kept getting up and doing stuff and trying to leave the room and almost waking up Naiya, etc. etc.? Yeah, so we were all very tired. Anyway, the meltdown didn't last very long and the rest of the plane ride went pretty peacefully. We got to San Francisco for what was supposed to be a half hour layover. That turned into an hour and a half layover. Let's just say that trying to keep tired kids happy and occupied isn't my favorite thing to do when I'm really tired too. But again, God blessed us with a nice mother and son to talk to and for Melia to play with. Also, another blessing was the lady in the bookstore telling us about a place in the other bookstore that had a section for kids with books and toys. Thank you! :) So our flight was finally ready to go and we got into Chico fine. More nice people who helped with bags, etc. Bo picked us up and Melia was so excited to see her daddy! I was happy to see him too. :) Then, we realize our suitcase and 2 car seats that we had checked in are not there. We spend about an hour there trying to see about them. Blessing #--I've lost count--was that I am able to breastfeed Naiya so I was able to feed her while Bo was trying to find our bags. The next blessing was that although they weren't able to find our bags, they lent us 2 car seats so that we could get the girls home. Later that night, they dropped off our suitcase and car seats to our house. What a day!

Trip to So Cal--Day 12 The Grandkids

This was our attempt to get a group shot of all 5 grandkids. Eden, Alex, Wyatt, Naiya and Melia. They were great posers. :)

Trip to So Cal--Day 11 The Thompson's

We spent Saturday hanging out at the Thompson's. Everybody was in town so it was a lot of fun! Everybody, that is, except for Bo. :( Sorry bebes.


Shane and Ericka got a new member of the family--Pete, the pug. If all goes well with him, they might move on to a baby. :)




Melia and Eden in the neighbor's tree house. Pretty cool!

Trip to So Cal--Day 10 Swimming with Trina & Piper

Guess what we did on Friday? You got it--swimming! For about 3 and a half hours this time! We got together with our good friends, Piper and Trina, and all of the kids. It was so much fun to catch up with them! All three of us have had babies in the past year since we've been gone. I can't believe how big theirs are! I don't know why, but I was expecting to see little babies like mine. I guess time didn't stop when we left after all! One thing I noticed all through this vacation seeing all of these wonderful people that we love--there's something about good friends, when you see them after being away for so long, you just pick up right where you left off and it's so comfortable, almost like you never left. :)

Trip to So Cal--Single Parenthood

I have to say that being a single parent for these two weeks has given me a new appreciation for Bo and all of the help he gives me. Getting Melia ready for bed and trying to feed Naiya at the same time was interesting, but worked out for the most part. Reading them bed time stories together was my favorite part.

Trip to So Cal--Day 9 Water, Water and more Water!

This time it was swimming first, then sprinklers second. Vicky and Lenore came over most evenings so the girls could play and we could chat. It was so hot during the days that it was nice to be outside in the evenings with a cool breeze blowing.


This is the aftermath of all the water antics.


It's all fun and games til someone looses some knee skin.

Trip to So Cal--Day 8 Swim, Swim, Swim & the Lemon Project

Our favorite pass time on this trip was swimming. Melia swam almost everywhere we went! Here, we're visiting my good friends from High School, Darlene & Jose. Melia had a lot of fun with their 2 boys, Nick and Andy.



Here's Nick taking Melia out for a spin in his nifty jeep. It was so cute. It looked like they were on a date. It was funny because afterwards, we went out to lunch and, instead of holding my hand while we walked through the parking lot, Melia ran over to Nick and held his hand. When we went in the restaurant, she stood by him and rubbed his back. Not so fast Melia! We've got a good 10 to 15 years before I want to deal with boys!

In the evening, Vicky and Lenore came over to--surprise, surprise--swim! After swimming, the girls decided to take on the lemon project. Lenore and Melia started to pick lemons off the tree and bring them over to us. After a while, there were 2 huge piles.


They took each one over to the pool to wash them off. Then they put them in bags so Vicky could take them home. Good little workers! Good reason to have kids. :)

Trip to So Cal--Day 9 Visiting GG

On Thursday, we went to visit GG (also known as my Grandma Emily). It's always fun to see her and catch up with her. :) This is my Aunt Becky and Uncle Randy's new dog, Sierra. She has got to be the most calm submissive dog I've ever met!


She kept Melia entertained for almost the whole visit!