Healing, Walking, and the Potty Train!

I thought I'd post some pictures for concerned Aunties and Uncles who are far away and can't see Grace very often...here is a picture of her on the Sunday following her dog bite (that's just 4 days after). She looks almost completely healed and back to normal now, though. It's beenamazing to see.. I can't believe how quickly she has recovered and gotten back to her troublesome (and lovely) self.

Janie is walking like a champ these days! She's completely mobile on her feet now and is getting into everything you can imagine :) I bought her a new forward-facing carseat today and will post some pics of her in it as soon as she takes her first ride. New digs! Woo hoo! (Or does the word "digs" only refer to clothing and shoes? Hmmm...I'm not sure.)

Well, thanks to some name dropping on my part (Zoe, Taytem, Rylee, Leah...) Gracie is oficially riding the POTTY TRAIN! She's been in panties/pull-ups for about 4 days now. It's definitely turning out to be a gradual process, but I think we're making GOOD progress, and that's what counts to me. Her favorite undies are Elmo ones, and her treats for going #2 are these little doggy toys (picture Polly Pocked meets the pound). All in all, things are going so much better than I anticipated, which I'm grateful for.

Joe started a new blog about things he hates! Check it out at http://thingsjoehates.blogspot.com/

And in turn, I've decided to TRY to post about something that I really like (or perhaps love) each time I blog. Here goes for today...

Things Heather Loves...

1. Seeing the local corn stands come up each summer. I wish I had a picture. Anyway, these forest green stands are so country-ish that I just can't get over it! They make me glad that we live in Lehi where (almost) everybody knows your name. And when we eat corn later at home, we're always glad we came (or went, I suppose).

Some Days Are Diamonds...

Gracie is doing awesome and her stitches are almost all dissolved, believe it or not! I don't have the stuff right now to post any pictures of her, post dog-attack, but I thought I'd post some of these slightly older ones from right before Torrey...



We have really been staying close to home and trying to keep both girls happy the last few days. Gracie can't go out in the sun for any period of time to try to prevent scarring, so we've gone to see Wall E, to the aquarium to see the fish, to the library to check out books and movies, and Grandma even let her do some watercolor painting downstairs in her office today. It stinks not being able to go outside! As soon as she's all healed up and I can slather her with sunscreen, we'll be good to go though.

"Do I love you because you're beautiful, Or are you beautiful because I love you?"
~Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, Cinderella

In Stitches

Okay, so we've had a seriously stressful couple of days. Let's summarize our situation by saying that 1) we drove a total of 7 hours yesterday 2) Gracie was bitten by a dog and has 12 stitches in her face 3) our vacation has been officially cancelled, and 4) all is well and we're on the mend (Thank Heaven).

I'm sure I'll write some more when I've got the mustard to do so but right now is not that time. Gracie's healing well and was attended by a plastic surgeon, so she should be scar free in a year's time. (Thank Heaven)

(Thank Heaven, Thank Heaven, Thank Heaven)

Do you live with a CrackBerry addict like I do? Yes? Then read on, my friend, read on...

This is an article from MSN.com today:


Living With a BlackBerry Addict

How the wife of a BlackBerry addict tried to stop her husband from chasing the dragon.By The Nest Editors

My husband is addicted to his BlackBerry. He uses it while he drives, while he watches TV, and, worst of all, while I'm talking. And believe me, he's no multitasker. The other morning I woke up thinking there was a mouse nibbling on something, but it was just my husband sending emails from bed. Funny, yes. Could I let it continue? No.

Not wanting to harm my husband's career (after all, that's what this thing is for), he and I came up with three ways to limit his CrackBerry addiction. Then we put each one to the test.

Plan 1: No Crack in the Bedroom. This was suggested by many TheNest.com users as the perfect solution (one even named her husband's BlackBerry "Rochelle," since it has unfortunately become his "other woman"). I felt this was too easy. My husband can fall asleep before I even turn off the light, so he was able to check his late-night emails, put BB in the living room, and fall asleep without thinking twice about his phone not being by his side. Did I wake up to tapping and clicking? Nope, the radio alarm was music to my ears. But this method did stall our getting ready-for-work routine because he now had to read his early-morning messages in the living room before getting in the shower.

The Verdict: This helped, but not enough. I was still cuddling with my husband and BB on the couch at night.

Plan 2: Out of Sight, Out of MindSuggested by my husband, he decided that he would put BB on the bookshelf by the entryway (of our 450-square-foot apartment) so that he wouldn't be distracted by the red flashing light that indicates an incoming message. He seemed able to let go pretty easily. Then I noticed something strange: He was really antsy and always pacing. He was checking the closets for things, going to the kitchen, looking at our bookcase. Ahh-ha! Every stroll around the apartment gave him a chance to check BB.

The Verdict:This was a great start, and it's a solution I could live with. I think it would've worked better in a bigger apartment.

Plan 3: Designated HoursI don't like the idea of being a drill sergeant for my husband. I'm not a neat freak. I don't consider myself incredibly needy. But I do like some one-on-one time. Even if we're watching TV together, it's nice to share something that's funny...and not have to repeat it to a distracted husband who was typing an email (or worse, trying to beat his record at BrickBreaker, the silly game that comes standard on BlackBerries).

I got this idea from a user of TheNest.com who said she had designated non-BlackBerry hours for her husband, where his system is actually turned off. But since we don't have a house phone, this is the only way to contact him, so that wasn't possible for us. We decided that 8 to 10:30 p.m. would be our non-BB time, except for important phone calls (meaning parents, friends, or work). And if I'm on the phone, it's a-okay for him to type away. At home, BB could be checked about every three hours (nothing too rigid formatted, but in that general time frame).

The Verdict: This was a little harder. Not having his phone with him at all times, he went through a bit of withdrawal, and BB would occasionally end up forgotten on the coffee table out of habit (and left there out of my laziness). As time passed, it was great. he would check his phone only before dinner and then again before bed. But every once in a while, I'd see him sneaking in a game of BrickBreaker, especially on shopping trips with me — but maybe that's a reason to keep this thing around!

Final Verdict: The best idea was designated hours, but the real benefit of this experiment was talking openly about my husband's CrackBerry addiction. I used to just roll my eyes or make a joke attempting to let him know how much it irritated me. But after we talked about fixing the problem, he suddenly realized it was a problem. I might not have completely gotten rid of the third member of our marriage, but at least I don't have to eat or sleep with it anymore.

A Stroll About the Grounds

Joe took this one of a beautiful hollyhock...so artistic!

Grace and Taylor playing at the Dino museum in the "Create-a-Canyon" exhibit. Way cool!

In the sand pit where they "excavate" dino bones...such a clever idea for the kiddos.

Looking "over the hedge" (he he)

Taylor...such a cutie!

Can you spot the elusive chocolate-appareled Gracie in this picture?

The boys and their charges...Joe and Grace, Brandon and Dillon, Daren and Taylor

We had a fun Saturday at the Thanksgiving Point gardens and dinosaur museum. Joe's work gave their employees free passes, so we decided to take advantage of their generosity! We went with some of his friends from work, Brandon, and Stephanie and her family. It was pretty dang hot for a while, but other than that it was very beautiful and good exercise for us chunky monkeys :)

It's pretty rediculuous to believe, but we've lived in Lehi for about 5 years and have never been to the dinosaur museum. I highly recommend it if you've got little ankle-biters like we do! There are all sorts of things for the kids to do "hands-on" and Gracie just loved it! I think we'll get a pass next year when Janie will be old enough to enjoy it too.

Hodge-Podge

Here's my little pixie sporting a sprout! She pulls these out so fast, that this should be considered a super-fast action shot!

Isn't she hilariously cute? Taking a bath yesterday she was all silly grins!

Giving love to the person who think the very most of her in the entire world...Grandma!!

As you may have guessed from the title of this post...this one's a hodge podge :) Lately we've been registering for preschool and dance classes, making plans for Torrey (yipee!), and reading (well, mostly just me doing the reading :)). Gracie's going to be starting preschool the day after we get home from Torrey (hallelujiah chorus here) and dance class a week later! I'm excited for her (and for me and Jane...lol) and I know she will be so much happier once she's more occupied during the week.

We're looking forward to Torrey with much anticipation! I'm planning taco salad for our Thursday night dinner responsibilities and just can't wait to see Dennis and Tawny and all the rest of the fam! Torrey is fun and pretty relaxing and that's exactly what we need right now so we're getting excited. We do need a child-carrier hiking backpack though...if any of you reading this have one of those, can we borrow it? Pretty please??? :)

Breaking Dawn was a pretty good read! I'm excited that Tawny is starting to read the Twilight series!!! :):) I'm reading Sense and Sensibility now, which I haven't read before, and it's good so far! I'm also reading some Tennyson and that has been a blast from the past...in a good way. I read a lot of Tennyson in high school. I just drink it up.

So...I LOVED everyone's responses to my "favorite TV show as a kid" question! They were GREAT! My question for today is...If you could have dinner with one person (alive or dead) who would it be? I know it's totally a standard question, but I'm interested! :)

Peace Out! And, um...word up to your Mom!

Are you ready for your close up?

We got a new camera! Here are some of the very first shots we took with it yesterday.

Deep question of the day...what's your favorite TV show from when you were a kid?

You Are My Sunshine

This is a cute pic of Jane from the other day. She is the sunshine in my life and has been since the day she was born. She loves to give hugs and kisses, drinks lots of sippies of milk, and is the cutest, most beautiful child ever created. She looks just like her Daddy...and even has the Alexander forehead! (~Mystical Voice Here~ "I forsee bangs in your future, darling child...") Just thought I'd do a post exclusively for her today. She's my treasure.

Picnic in the Park

We had a picnic with all of Joe's family (minus his dad, who's at home in Saudi) at Bridal Veil Falls and it was a really good time. The Tanners were in town and Gracie just loves to play with the girls, so it was extra special. They all got really dirty playing in the dirt and then getting wet in the falls, but it was fun and there was yummy food...what more could you ask for?

Isn't this a sweet picture? Gracie adores her daddy.

All the cousins on a big rock beneath the falls.

I like this one because I look like the total goober that I truly am :)

Here's the kiddos having lunch.

Gracie having fun...check of Taytem in the background...LOL

Janie ate a bunch of marshmallows and got all sticky, then crawled around and collected grass and dirt on her sticky mits. It was hilarious.

I think Grace should start handing out hams like David Letterman...what do you think?

Quote of the Day from The Office:

Ryan: Did this happen on company property?
Michael Scott: It was on company property, with company property. So, double jeopardy, we're fine.
Ryan: I don't think-- I don't think you understand how jeopardy works.
Michael Scott: Oh, I'm sorry. What is, 'we're fine'?

An Oldie But A Goodie

It is freaking hot today, no? Some days this summer it has just been SO hot that I can't sit outside and watch the girls play in the sandbox so we hide in the house basically all day. We have NO shade, being in a new development with no mature trees...and it's miserable! Luckily, we did take a long (4 miles - I'm proud, can ya tell?) walk on the parkway early this morning, so we got a little dose of Vitamin D in. So, as I was wondering what I could post today I came across some pics of Gracie building a snowman (she actually called it her snowchicken) last winter. (And one of Joey and Jane at Christmas). Let these cool ya down a bit!!



I love her "club-mittens" in this pic. The snow just makes them big clubs :)

He always wanted to be Rambo, okay?

Jack frost nipped at her nose (and cheeks)

The Definition of Cute

Add one three year old darling child to three baby ducklings and what do you get? The definition of cute! These little fuzzies followed us on our walk the other day. They must have lost their mama. Rob found them two worms apiece for them for dinner and they were happy campers! Our neighbors down the street found them wandering around a little later and took them in to feed and care for them. We haven't gone down to visit them yet, but I'm sure it's on the agenda for today or tomorrow. Gracie keeps asking about them.

Gracie got a new art easel and has been painting outside during Janie's afternoon nap. She especially likes to mix the colors and make new ones. She's wearing her darling apron that Grandma Sue made for her. (And yes, I did do her hair in that picture. Thanks for asking! I'm trying to figure out how to french braid her hair, after watching Aunt Rikki do it once. I'll tell ya, it's not as easy as it looks, but each day it's slightly better than the day before :))

My dad has been in the hospital for the last week and is finally coming home today! Hooray Dad! It's been a long week for him...not eating anything except broth and jello...yikes. That sounds like some kind of popular diet, I know, but he didn't CHOOSE it! Poor guy. We're glad you're on the mend Dad-i-o! We all love you!

A Walk To Remember

The girls, Reagan and I have been walking the Jordan River parkway (the paved trail that runs behind our house along the river) in the mornings. It's good exercise for me and the dog and the girls seem to like it okay. Gracie loves to spot butterflies, dragonflies and birds, but other than that she's sort of indifferent. Janie cries about half the time because the sun is in her eyes but sheesh, she wont keep a hat on!! Yikes! Anyway, despite my party poopers, we've been walking and meeting some strange ducks out there. (No pun intended.) Monday we were walking along and were catching up to a man and his dog. When we were about 20 feet away he turned and said, "Could you please just go the other way for a few minutes so my dog doesn't hurt your dog?" All sassy like. It was SO rude. I think I just said, "Um. Sure. Whatever." And we turned around and went home! Crazy, huh?

On yesterday's walk we spotted a big rat swimming by the bridge to the golf course and we watched him for a few minutes. Gracie LOVED him! We also saw about 10 catfish all eating stuff at the surface of the river. Their little circle mouths opening and closing made Gracie laugh.

I noticed last night that Reagan was limping a little and not moving his back legs much, so I think we'll skip today's walk. Poor guy. He's not used to much physical exertion. He does have to exert a lot of mental energy each day, trying not to lash out and eat Grace and Jane as they pull on him all day long. :)

I'm reading The Other Boelyn Girl right now and liking it quite a bit. It's about King Henry VIII and his many, um, lovers. He's such a big baby. A spoiled little boy. The writing is really smooth and I just keep reading along, ignoring the fact that everyone in the book is immoral. LOL.

What's everyone else reading these days?

Grace had a birthday...shout hooray!

Gracie's birthday was a pretty small affair this year. We celebrated it on a Sunday after having everyone over for FHE. I made her a jello poke cake (and discovered that she doesn't like Cool Whip, if you can believe that!) and she absolutely LOVED blowing out the candles. She just keeps asking if it's anybody's birthday. Like every single day. For example, right now she's stuck on Aunt Meg. She asked me about 8 times yesterday, "When is Aunt Meg's birthday so she can blow out the candles?" So cute. Meg's birthday is in December, poor Gracie :) So, here are some pics from her b-day party...and some of her playing in her new splash pool.

Yesterday was one of those days where I just kept thinking, "Kids make life hilarious." Really and truly, I think that we bear children so we can gain a sense of humor. Can I get an amen? While I was getting ready in the morning, Gracie was playing with her plastic fish in the tub, but she was being abnormally quiet. So I turned and asked her what she was doing. She said, and I quote, "I'm sleeping with the fishes." LOL.

Then, we went to the library for story time. The theme for the summer is "Bugs" (which, by the way, is perfect because Gracie is obsessed with bugs these days.) So basically, all the stories, activities, etc. are about bugs. Well, yesterday they had the kids EAT bugs. I'm not even kidding. Gracie ate a bunch of fried meal worms with taco seasoning. L.O.L. I tried to catch a picture with my phone, but she was shoveling them in so fast, you could never see the deceased worm in the pic. Dang! Kodak moment TOTALLY MISSED :) Isn't that funny?

So later on, still at the library here, we were walking along the rows looking for an audiobook for Joe. We were on the outside row, so there were tables beside us and one guy with a laptop sitting there minding his biz. Well, Gracie has been kind of sick, so what happened next wasn't completely out of the blue...but are we really EVER prepared for what kids put us through? She just squated down and had explosive diarrhea in her diaper. Right there. Next to the guy. With the laptop. Seriously. It was SO loud and SO gross, I just picked her up and we walked away. I couldn't even look at the guy to see his expression. In hindsight, this was a big mistake because I'm sure it was...shall we say...priceless? "Taking your daughter to the library...$0. Interrupting a man's quite solitude with said daughter's explosive diarrhea...Priceless."

Honestly...if you're not laughing at my embarassing moment by now...I don't think we can be friends anymore. Sorry :)


Here's the poke cake and fun, fun, fun candles for blowing out!

I loved her happy face in the pic. It just screams, "I'm getting presents!"

Yep, she's a tech nerd, just like her Uncle Scot. They are watching Bugs Bunny.

Playin' on her new splash mat.

She has about 6 hand-me-down swimsuits from Andrea's girls and we are using every single one! :)

The only man a girl can trust is her Daddy...right? He wont kiss and tell :)

Awesome Weekend

Joey and I celebrated our 7th anniversary last weekend! April and Brad were awesome (fabulous, endearing, kind-hearted, merciful) enough to take the girls for us overnight and Joe and I hit the town, baby! It was AMAZING to get away from it all and spend some time together. We were both so relaxed and pleasant...hmmmm...so THATs how it used to be...I'd forgotten ;) We stayed at the Little America, which was really beautiful. They had two humongous flower arrangements in the lobby that were simply stunning. It smelled like stargazer lillies (my very favorite flower - they remind me of Davey) each time we walked in through the doors. We drove up to Park City on Saturday and rode the chairlift up the mountain and the alpine slide down. We shopped at the outlets, ate dinner at Ruth's Chris (culinary perfection, as usual), and played in the pool and jacuzzi before bed. We felt so unburdened...LOL! Sunday morning we went over to the Grand America for their brunch buffet (culinary heaven this time), and saw some movies before we came home. All in all, FANTASTIC weekend! April and Brad were just so adamant about how fun it was watching the girlies that we've already booked our room for next weekend...HA! ;)

Gracie started gymnastics last week and it was SO cute to watch. It is just her and a set of twin girls in her class, so that is awesome, They have special equipment for the young ones and they go around the room and do sort of an "obstacle course" of things. I think Gracie's favorite is the balance beam where she gets to shuffle herself across while holding her arms out. She's been practicing that move following a line on our big carpet in the living room :)

Janie has been loving getting outside everyday now that winter is gone and it's a scorching billion degrees outside :) She loves to sit in the sandbox and throw out all the toys. She's figured out how to stand up and try to fall out of her high chair (much to my hair's dismay - it's turning prematurely gray!), and she has also found that if she just pulls open the kitchen cupboard doors, there are lound, shiny silver toys to play with hiding in there! I just know she's upset that Gracie held out on her for so long with that secret :)

Joey's started his own blog. Check it out...http://joebags.blogspot.com/

I've been digging into good books left and right these days! I just finished The Wednesday Wars, The Book Thief, and The Host in the last week or so. Wierdly enough...they were all really exceptional reads! I recommend each one of them. Don't you think that's so rare to read multiple books in a row that are just great? I feel pretty lucky! Have you read anything great lately????? I'd love some new recommendations! Come on people, show me love!!

The Spout Makes A Comeback

Okay, so there really needs to be a picture with this post, but I'm on Joey's computer so I don't have one. So shoot me! I'm really sorry that I don't post more often, but seriously, I do it as often as I can. I've got two tots, okay?!

Janie sported her first "spout" hairdo today. She looked so much older, it was scary! She's pulling herself up on everything in site. Today she even pulled herself up on the tub and watched Gracie take her bath :) Cute, huh? She says, "Thank you" now, which is darling. It's more of a "thangoo" in her sweet, high voice.

Gracie starts gymnastics Thursday and I'm really excited to see how she likes it. She's been rolling all over the house doing summersaults lately, so I think she'll be stoked to have an instructor to actually show her how to do tricks, etc. I'll be sure to take some pics to post.

Back To Normal...

It seems like "normal" for our family is when there is just a bit of chaos. Why is that, I wonder?

Mom started her first round of chemotherapy yesterday and was a trooper, of course. She hasn't felt sick yet, just kind of headachey and has a yucky taste in her mouth, she says. I think she's so brave and strong and I also don't think she realizes just how many people are in awe of her positive fighting attitude and her submission to the will of our Father in heaven. Mom, you're awesome lady!

My brother Rob had surgery yesterday for a ruptured disk in his back and I just wish they were here in Utah so we could do something more to help them out . They were on vacation in California when it ruptured, so he's at Long Beach Memorial. (Hey, that's where yours truly entered this world!!)

But enough of the downers...how 'bout some good news? Joe is applying for a different job within his company that he thinks might suit him better. I think it's a systems manager type position, but I'm not completely sure. I don't speak "recruiting software." I'm so proud of him and how his career is advancing. He's more than I deserve in so many ways.

Gracie's doing a bit better with her potty training. Last night she told us herself that she had to go potty and went up and did her biz (with her daddy's help). We were SOOO proud of her! That was a first. Normally I just let her run around nakey after her bath and that's when she uses the potty, but last night she actually told us she had to go. I've got to tell you, I'm so nervous about this whole potty training thing. I don't know the first thing about it and I really don't want to mess it up by pressuring her. I think I'm kind of sitting back and trusting nature to take it's course here...we'll see how that goes!!! Yikes.

Is anybody out there obsessed with Twilight like me and Mom and April and Meg are??? LOL. I read parts of the books everyday when I do my hair and makeup. Seriously. Obsessed. :) Just ask Joe :):)

Well, this post is long and boring, so I'll just end the misery here. Have a great day!

Happy Happy Birthday Janie Dear...

I know it's been almost a month since Jane's birthday, but I've finally uploaded the pictures for your viewing pleasure! She's such a little pixie pie that I still can't believe she's a year old! Her birthday party was really low key and relaxed, which was so nice. Thanks to all who came to celebrate with us!


Daddy helped her open all her fun presents!

She LOVED the cake :) She got way messier than Gracie did, I think!

She's double fistin' it here :)

Auntie and Gracie-lou!
"The men" hangin' out by the food :)

Oh yeah...

I got a question from the "Jolleys" (I assume it's April, but I'm not sure actually) in the comments about where the music on my blog has escaped to. Well, I wasn't sure that anyone liked it, so I took it off. Give me a shout out if you want the music back...:)

Rockin' Out

Hey ya'll! A big THANKS to April and Andrea who were the ONLY peeps to give me suggestions (awesome ones, I might add) for my iPod. I'm still accepting suggestions, by the way, so feel free to leave some in the comments :) I'm rockin' out these days every time I have a spare minute...hanging out at the hospital today with Mom (she had her gallbladder out), doing some laundry tonight, getting ready for bed, right now while I'm blogging, etc. I only have earphones right now, so I'm just cruisin' around the house with them in feeling like an antisocial teenager :) I'm going to have to take Andrea's advice and get a few docking stations so I can be rockin' 24/7! My new favorite band is Coldplay - if you don't know 'em yet, I highly recommend you become familiar.

Mom's surgery went well today. I was so glad I could be there with her. Sri was awesome enough to watch my kiddos while I was at the hospital. I couldn't have done it without her. Mom's home now and doing pretty darn good! She's a trooper. Everyone who lives here in Lehi knows exactly what I mean and that's it's totally true. Love you mom.

Here are some recent pics...Gracie feeding the geese at Liberty park...Janie smiling her sweet, sweet smile...and a side ponytail pic (finally!). I hope you enjoy!!

Preschool Program

Gracie attended a spring term of preschool at our neighbor's house. She learned a letter of the alphabet each time she went and she just loved it :) Honestly, I don't know how the woman puts up with EXTRA children being in her home, but hey...to each her own. She is such a sweet lady and loves the kids so much. Here are a few pics from her preschool program. They sang Safety Kids songs (is that a blast from the past, or what??!!) and did dancing also. Mostly, Gracie stood at the front center of the stage and just grinned at everybody in the audience. I don't know where she gets her "center of attention, please" attitude...I blame April ;)

Thanks for all of the sweet birthday wishes yesterday! I had a really nice day! Joe took half the day off of work and we went to Mazza for lunch (delish middle eastern cuisine), tried to go to a Bees game (which didn't work out so well, but it's the thought that counts!), and I got to take a N-A-P while Joey watched the girls ("hallelujah chorous" here). In the evening, mom watched the girls while we got dinner at Cafe Rio and went to pick out my present from Joe...a new iPod! Woo hoo! It's my first ever iPod, so I'm all excited :) I'm an iTunes pro now ;)

So, my question for YOU is...what's the last couple of songs you downloaded to your iPod? I need some good suggestions.

Quote of the Day:

I think the worst time to have a heart attack is during a game of charades...or a game of fake heart attack. -- Demetri Martin