Sick and Tired

Of being Sick. and Tired. 

I know it is just "that time of year"

But I'm done. 

Can it be another time of year, so my poor girls don't have to keep getting SICK!!!

Little Abby (having the less experienced immune system) has been getting the brunt of it. 

Last Thursday must have been the peak (or at least I tell myself that to keep sane). 

 Poor Abby. She got the worst of it. Couldn't keep anything down all Thursday. 

 Here is a funny little Sarah Speech Story though, that made me laugh... after the fact... you'll understand in a sec. 

Sarah found her Book of Mormon and took it over by Abby on the couch.

Here is the following dialogue that took place, all Sarah.

Lets read a story about Jesus in the Scriptures.

Okay, I'm going to show it to Abby. 

Look Abby these are the scriptures. 

We can learn about Jesus. 

Jesus doesn't want you to be sick. 

Jesus is sad when you are sick. 

Here. Lets find the pictures of Jesus. 

...

Uh oh, MOM! Abby is throwing up again. 

I was sitting by my computer so as soon as this conversation began, I knew it was going to be good. So I quickly started typing as she talked... little did I know it would end with me rushing over to grab the puke bucket (sorry, tmi?)

I read it to Ryan later, he thought it was hilarious. I think it was too.

While we've been stuck inside being invalids. Sarah discovered Gumby. 

Whoa. 

It has been a long time (we've also watched Rainbow Bright and a couple of other oldies, but she fell in love with Gumby and its cheesy 80s music)

This song keeps getting stuck in my head. 

Don't hate me if it gets stuck in your head too!

"Take me away... oh Gumby!"

Wow. Classic.

Here is Sarah singing along with it. 

Don't you love her microphone?

So we're pretty much staying inside the next couple of days. 

Lets see what crazy stuff we come up with this next week during our cabin fever as we let the girls overcome the nasty coughs they picked up. 

PS - I just have to say I have an awesome Husband. He has been studying from home lately. And during Abby's naps he has been letting me go and get out of the house (sometimes with out Sarah even). 

It is so nice to get some me time (and even better when I find AMAZING clearance deals). 

Thank you Sweetie. I love you. 

Organizing Posts

Hello Family & Friends and...stalkers?

I'm changing the dates on some of the posts I just did so that they are in chronological order. 

So many of the recent posts will be moved into the December Blog Archive (you can find it off to the left). Check there to get caught up on our world... meh, or not. 

Photo Blog

I know there are a gazillion of these out there. But I'm taking up WAY too much space on my family blog for pictures, and I want to practice more and experiment with new things. So I'm considering starting a photo blog. 

Thoughts?

There are a several people in my ward who are having babies... and so I'm hoping I can convince them all to let me take pictures of their little ones. 

Like this little guy. 

 With his adorable big sister.

(I haven't edited either of these yet)

What I really need help with is a name. 

Any suggestions?

Alex and Peas

When we were living with my parents the summer before we moved here Sarah watched Madagascar a lot. I think the second one had just come out on DVD so she watch both of them. All the time. 

I was tired and pregnant with Abby, so I didn't care and let her watch them all she wanted.

Well we don't own them on DVD. So when we were visiting at Christmas time I loaded both of them on my iPod for Sarah to watch on the flight home. 

Well, now that is the special treat. To watch Madagascar on the iPod. 

It is kind of cute. "Mommy, I love you... can I watch the iPod"

Me: "Um... love you too" *Sarah snatches iPod*

No really it is a fun little treat for her when she's been good.

Well we were waiting for friends to show up the other afternoon and she pulled over a chair, hopped up on to it and did the whole opening act with Alex the Lion performing. 

"Alex... the LION!"

It was so funny. 

Then there was a knock on the door. Time to play.

Sarah and Josh are good little buddies. 

Sarah wanted to share her special little treat with Josh, so I let them play with my iPod for a little bit.

 I thought it was so cute how they cuddled up with one another. 

Two Peas in a Pod.

Meanwhile Abby and Kambree played with toys. 

 Isn't she beautiful. I'd love to do close ups on just her eyes. They are so pretty, with beautiful lashes. 

I should restate. They played by each other. Both of them are still are in the side-by-side play stage. But it was cute to see them toddling around together sharing toys (they were pretty cute about that). 

It was a fun day. We need to have friends over more often.

Did you read that Pittsburgh moms? 

Send your kids on over. 

We love having friends, and you'd probably enjoy an couple of hours kid-free.

Wouldn't you? I know I would. 

The Yellow One is the Sun

It is very gloomy in Pittsburgh. I think it is one of the BIGGEST things I miss about Utah. In Utah, it will snow and that same day the sun will be bright in the sky blinding you. 

Here. It is gray, cloudy and down right depressing. 

So when that mysterious circle appeared blazing away the clouds we had to take advantage of it. 

We wanted to go to the zoo, but by the time we all got in the car we wouldn't have made it in time (it closes at three in the winter). So we decided to head on down to the Strip District. 

It was cold. Bitter cold. But we didn't care. The sun was out and we needed to soak up some UV rays. 

There was a little donut shop that made fresh, unique cake donuts.

Like maple with bacon crumbles... oddly, I wanted to try it, maybe next time.

 So we stopped to watch them make a few, and of course had to sample some. 

What a handsome fella I married.

I caught the sun wrong in this picture, but I love it anyway. 

I also love Abby's face in both of these. 

All of the Steelers Vendors were out and crazy (I'm glad this was before the playoff game, now I hear it is ten times worse). 

Ryan got a Steelers beanie so, you know, he could fit in on campus and everything. 

There were people crowded into every little shop. 

Except for a bizarre little shop that had knock off stuff and random Chinese decor. That was eerily quiet so we didn't stay in there long. 

We didn't last long outside, but it was nice to get out of the house, enjoy some sun and each other for a few short hours in the day.  

Warm Fuzzies

The other day we had a FHE on warm fuzzies. We watched the part of THIS talk where President Monson talked about Warm Fuzzies (if you have four minutes click on the link and watch it, even if you have seen it before, so worth it). 

After we watched it we explained the things that Pres. Monson said and then talked about how we could do service in our family and get our own warm fuzzies. 

I didn't have a cute jar, or even little fuzzy pom poms to put in it. 

Just this little bottle of flowers. 

 Flowers make us happy, so we decided they could be our warm fuzzies. 

Sarah was so good to think of ways to get her own warm fuzzies

Here are some of the ways she got warm fuzzies:

Helped Abby when she was hungry by feeding her a bag of chocolate chips for breakfast. 

Picking up her toys. 

Learning to neatly put away the books on the bookshelf. 

Helping to shovel snow. 

Carrying groceries into the house. 

Setting the table (without whining!)

Played with Abby, and shared her toys.

Singing church songs in our home.

Each time she did one of these small acts of service...

She got to place a warm fuzzy into our bottle.

It was a great way for us to think about doing small acts of service for each other. We have the bottle sitting on our mantel as a constant reminder to serve each other.

Randomness with Pics

Well, don't look for any witty transitional lines in this post (do you ever find those on my blog?)

Just some randomness... with corresponding pictures.

First!

Ryan and I found a new game that we love to play. 

Scrabble Flash.

Have you played it yet? It is great.  

Anyway... onto the girls. 

Abby is getting quite the little personality.

And exploring her little facial expressions. 

I was trying to get a picture of this cute scowl/furrowed brow she does, and got these instead. 

I love her little expression here, I don't even know what it is. Just Cute.

Avoiding the camera.

I LOVED this! Here is Abby cruising in style.  

Abby playing in her room.

This last picture is of Sarah. 

She had been playing at a friends house earlier and came home these on her forehead.

Made me laugh. 

Hope you enjoyed the randomness.

Loading My Blog

So, I don't know if it is just my internet.  

But is it taking anyone FOREVER to load up my blog?

I may start only showing one days worth of posts... is that lame to do? 

I don't know, I need feedback. 

Hopefully it is just my internet. 

Back in the Saddle Again.

I know, I know. Where have I been? Well, the few people who actually read this probably know because I visited them. But *gasp* I've been home for over a week and I still haven't blogged about my Utah trip. Well... I've been busy. Maybe to keep myself from missing so many of you, I don't know. Anyway, got to get this blog updated and going again so that the Grandma's don't shrivel up from Sarah and Abby withdrawals. 

So bare with me as I begin posting a recap of the holidays with probably too much emotion and sappy sentiments. ;)

Loved seeing so many of you, and miss the sunshine of your sweet faces, 

especially after returning to the snowy gloominess here at home. 

Snow Angels and Sledding

In the Driveway.

Huh?

Yup!

In. the. Driveway!

We are lucky enough to have a driveway (which is a rarity in Pittsburgh). 

We are even MORE lucky that it has a steep slope to it. 

And to top it off, it slopes away from the road into our backyard 

(it is really weird, only in Pittsburgh would you go behind your house to get into your garage, confused, come visit us and you can see what I mean. hehe)

Anyway. Sarah got all bundled in her awesome snowsuit to come out and help me shovel snow. 

I had shoveled a little path up the driveway and then was working on the sidewalks when Sarah came running over to me asking me to come and see her snow angels she had made on the driveway.

 All the way up the driveway. 

 It was a warmer day, so the snow had a nice slushiness underneath it.

Perfect for sledding. 

So Sarah and I decided to take advantage of it. 

(These pictures don't really show off how steep our driveway is, it is a pretty steep little slope)

Sarah LOVED it!

And truth be told, Sarah only went down the hill once by herself... and a couple times I went with out her. 

We had lots of fun.

After we went down the hill a dozen times or so it was time to get back to work. 

Sarah was such a big helper and even helped me shovel. 

 It was a fun little snow day.

 I was sad too when it was time to go inside 

(but Abby doesn't nap forever...*sigh*)

Haircuts

We're so lucky to have G'ma Lisa.

She is wonderful and gave us all wonderful haircuts before we left. 

Sarah felt so grown up. This I think was her first haircut where she really knew what was going on.

 She just got her ends evened out. 

Abby wasn't too happy about getting her hair washed, but she definitely didn't mind the story and sucker while G'ma cut her hair. 

Abby got a cute little a-line with some bangs.

Thanks G'ma Lisa for taking the time in your busy work day to give all of us girls a new do!

We. Love. You!

Owl Beanies

On our last Newey playdate we decided to snap some pictures of the owl beanies I made the cousins this year for Christmas (as my talent for the Newey Christmas Eve Talent Show)

 The kids really loved them. I was so relieved. I was worried that I would got through all of that hard work and then have the kids think they were lame, like 

"Oh great... a crocheted hat from Aunt Liz... great!"

But I forgot the little sweeties I was dealing with.

 They made me feel so special by wanting to wear them all the time (you may have noticed them in the last couple of posts I made)

Here's Abby and Sarah playing a little duet on the piano.

I didn't get a picture of all of the hats together (and the colors are a little off in these pictures), but here are Ella's and Jeff's

June and Wimmy's

I barely finished Sarah, Abby Carter and Hallie's the night before we flew out.

It was so much fun learning a new skill and making something fun for Sarah & Abby and their cousins.

Although... next year, I think I'm just going to buy something and not spend every spare moment of my Christmas vacation crocheting. hehe

Rein Bells

January 2nd

Sarah really enjoyed watching the Polar Express this holiday season. 

She got really excited about the sleigh bells on the reindeer of Santa's sleigh.

Sarah called them rein bells. 

Sarah and her cousins love to play pretend together. 

So what better thing to do than to pretend to be reindeers with your cousins. 

They loved taking turns being Santa and flying the reindeer around G'ma's house.

Sugar Cookies

The Sunday before we left G'ma was getting dinner ready and realized she had some Sugar Cookie dough sitting in the fridge that had to be made.

So she put Sarah to work rolling out the dough and cutting out the cookies.

Sarah felt so special being G'ma's little helper.

Thanks for letting Sarah being your little helper. She loved it!
Sarah felt so special being G'ma's little helper.