Gymnastics

It was the last class of the Winter Session of Gymnastics, and on this day family and friends get to come into the gym and try everything out. It is a fun day. Abby loves getting to play with Sarah. 

Here is Sarah showing off some of the things she has learned. 

Abby trying to copy Sarah. 

 She LOVES flipping over the bar. 

I love this picture of Sarah's teacher, Ms. Beth. It give you a taste of her fun loving personality. All of the kids love Ms. Beth. She is WONDERFUL!

At the end the kiddos get a little award and a stamp on their hand.

 Abby felt pretty special. 

Sarah asked to bring along her sweet little friend Emery.

Thanks for coming Emery! Sarah loved having you there.

It was a fun day (even if I was feeling a little gross from my cold that day). 

My Birthday Boy

Ry, 

I feel like such a terrible wife. You had a birthday last Saturday and it wasn't anything special (may have been due to our trip and then returning home to lose you to the realm of board studies) but I wanted to let you know that I'm glad you are born. Here's why. 

You piano and guitar jam sessions - love how they fill our home with music. 

I love watching the girls dance right along side you too!

How hard and diligent you are in your studies. I never knew someone could study that long, you amaze me. 

The spiritual example you are too me, I think its amazing that you set aside time from your 10-12 hour study days to read your scriptures for 30 minutes a day. 

The way you step in and help out at just the right moments. I think you have done the dishes more than I have these past couple months, thank you. 

For snuggling and watching cheesy tv shows with me (we are really liking the Series Merlin on Netflix). 

I'm glad that you are not a pick husband... that you put up with the wrinkly laundry, the interesting meals, the messy clutter and most appreciated, the cranky wife. 

I don't know how I deserve such a patient man, and I thank you for it. I'm pretty sure to didn't think you were marrying such a controlling basket case... but thanks for marrying me. 

I hope you know how much I love you. Maybe once these crazy boards are over we can really celebrate your special day. 

XOXO

Lizzie Love

PS - Guess what?

DC Trip

Ryan finished his last class of his Second year of medical school last Friday, so we decided to pack up the girls and head to DC for a celebration (both for Ryan finishing the course work of medical school, and to celebrate his birthday on the 26th of February).

It was short and sweet and absolutely wonderful. 

We've decided that going down and back in one day is too much for the girls (it is a 4 hour drive one way) and so we try and make a trip out of it and book a night in a hotel. 

We arrived at our hotel at about dinner time. 

The girls were so excited when we got into our rooms (probably because they were just happy to be out of the car). 

Here they are breaking in the bed!

 Sarah was crazy monkey. I have about four or five pictures of Abby standing in this same spot and Sarah is in a completely different spot in each shot. 

(and um, looking at these pictures I realized that my scarf lying on the bed kinda looks like lingerie... we are not kinky parents so its not, its just a scarf)

We forced the girls to eat some dinner before they could go swimming. 

 (I swear, it took Sarah like an hour... she was so excited to go swimming she couldn't function). 

I didn't dare take the camera down to the pool house, but we love this little hotel. It is a 20 minute drive from the temple but for the price it is great. It has an indoor pool, free hot continental breakfast (which we missed out on this time because there were a gazillion high school kids there... must have been a band trip because we saw lots of instruments), plus the room feels spacious and luxurious.  

AND, Sarah loves her "secret bed" (aka a sofa-bed)

We were so lucky this trip. I mentioned it to a friend in the ward that we were going and they spontaneously decided to join us. So that morning (the morning of Ryan's birthday) we were able to go to the temple TOGETHER!!! Happy Birthday Ryan!

It was so nice to not have to take turns. Our friends took our kids swimming with theirs and when we were done we swapped and watched their kids for them. It was heavenly. 

(Thanks Scott & Margie)

 Haha... goof ball (I was setting up the tripod)

Sarah must have enjoyed it because everyday this week she has asked if we can take another trip. 

She says, "Mommy, can you just keep driving and driving and take us on another trip?"

Oh, if only she knew how tempting that sounds to me... I'd keep driving and driving to Utah of course.

It was a wonderful trip. Wish it was longer. Next time.

Waiting for Spring

Today Preschool was at my house. 

Call me crazy, but I love having a heard of children running around my house. No matter how much stressed it makes me, I love it (Ryan thinks I'm crazy, you can too). 

Anyway, back to preschool. We went for a little nature walk to try and discover the signs of spring.

The kids were so excited to see tulips and daffodils leaves poking through the ground and little buds on bushes. There weren't many, but there were some. Some signs of spring coming.  

We are so ready for spring. Which is why I was thrilled about this little gift Sarah got at her party.

A butterfly garden kit. 

I got on and ordered our little butterfly larvae that night and they arrived just yesterday.

At first I thought they were all dead. They just sat there... but slowly they all started to crawl around.

They are so tiny and cute.

I can't wait. I'm so excited. I get to check on them everyday, um and show Sarah too.

I can remember growing butterflies at school, but it seemed like one day they were caterpillars and the next they were butterflies getting released. I seemed to miss everything. Them getting all plum and fat little caterpillars. Wrapping themselves into little cocoons. And then emerging one day into beautiful butterflies. I can't wait. It is going to be such a perfect way to welcome spring back. 

Watch out, Ramblings below.

I'm blaming this post on Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi. Have you had it? I'm normally strictly a Diet Dr. P kinda gal, but its been a nice change... anyway, this post needs to have some blame placed somewhere, so I'm putting in on my beverage... 

totally logical, right?

(that or maybe I've been watching too much Grey's Anatomy *admitted sheepishly* and her frank narration throughout the show has got me "on one" and I'm rambling here on the blog)

Anyway. Some thoughts. 

I have been feeling inadequate lately, more so than usual. 

Even admitting to drinking a caffeinated beverage *gasp* has got me second guessing myself about posting it. "what will the others think?"

I'm tired of these feelings of inadequacy. Lately I feel as though they have been keeping me from being...me. I miss "me." I want all of my new Pittsburgh friends to get to know "me."

I have been thinking about the old me from high school. How in the world was I so care free? I remember that one of my goals in high school was to smile at everyone (and try and get them to smile in return), no matter how silly I felt doing it. In choir we had talent days, where we were forced required to preform a piece once a term as part of our grade. I can remember how I would just sit and smile at the performer, waiting for them to make eye contact with me... sounds a little creepy typing that out, but every time I made eye contact with the person preforming, they'd smile back and I felt like it helped them to not be so nervous (of course, that could all totally be in my head). 

I was care free and FUN! 

I was so much fun! I feel like I'm living in El Lame-o land right now. 

A part of me tries to convince myself that I'm a different person, that I'm a mom and I can't be that care-free, fun person that I once was. 

Why can't I?

I'm sure my girls would love it!

Would it be balanced? Could I still discipline my kids if I was the "old me"?

I don't know. I guess that is the mental debate I've been having. 

Here is what I do know. 

I need to be happier. 

I know Ryan and my girls would both enjoy that more.

The old me was happy, all the time. I want the current and future me to be happy all the time too. 

So, here is how I'm going to do it. 

I'm going to be a little more carefree in my life. 

Doesn't make sense? Let me elaborate.

I compare myself. As hard as I try not to I do. So, I'm resolved to stop caring about whether or not my house is as clean and organized as another's. Not saying I'm going to give up and let my house go to trash. But if I have kids over, and the house is a wreck, who cares. I LIVE in my house. One day my kids are going to move out and I will actually MISS having the mess around. So why not enjoy it a little!

Also, I'm not going to care about my image. I still need to work on things (like my constant battle with weight loss) but in High School I was never skinny. Never. But I didn't care. I figured everyone needs to be loved and I shouldn't let my poor self image get in the way of that. And you know what? I made the most friends during that time in my life. If you're happy and loving you make friends... go figure.

So to recap... here are some of my resolutions:

Don't worry about keeping up appearances.

Don't let your self image get in the way.

Just BE HAPPY!

Hmm... sounds like a song... Don't worry, be happy. 

It also sounds like a recipe for disaster, but I promise, I haven't let those caffeinated beverages throw me too far off the edge. 

Big TROUBLE!!!

Back in January I splurged and bought a toy storage bin set from ikea.

I love it... so much. It looks adorable in the girls room.

Anyway, Sarah brought me up in her room to show me this. 

Courtesy of Abby. 

WHAT!!!!

I can't be too upset. It was just crayon, and did rub off semi-easily. 

But still was frustrating.

Abby has entered into the color on any and everything stage.

With Sarah, I didn't have this problem. She was the only one to get in trouble, and I was really good about keeping things up and out of the way, and so she never had the chance to get into things.

(er, um, except for when I was 9 months pregnant and Sarah took a permanent marker to my parents basement walls and doors... um, still sorry about the Mom & Dad)

Anyway... 

Now that Abby has entered into this stage. I'm a little more distracted, and I have a little help with not getting the crayons and things put away *cough*Sarah*cough*. 

Oh well, its just stuff. Its not the end of the world if she colors on things. 

Just need to renew my efforts to keep everything out range, 

and begin teaching her what she can and can't color on.

Hooray for parenthood! 

Sarah's 4th Party Pics

Okay, I'll minimize the dialog... er... I'll try at least. 

Here we go. 

Sarah in her dog house, yes, you've seen it before... but look how cute she is with her make up fresh and with her little dog ears. Awe... moving on. 

I managed to remember how to tie balloon animals and each kid got a "puppy" to teach tricks to.  

 After they trained their puppies, we taught the kiddos how to be puppies. 

They each came up and did a couple of dog tricks and earned a doggie treat (aka a scooby snack)

Here is a picture during the musical doghouse game. It was crazy, would have worked much better with a smaller group. 

The kids LOVED pretending to be puppies. Here is Sarah with one of her best friends, Emery. 

They were being puppies and panting. 

Here is the puppy version of pin the tail on the donkey... but what do you call it?

Throw the dog a bone? Um, er, I'm not so sure. 

All ready to open her presents (and boy was she spoiled!!!)

Playing heavy, heavy hang over. 

 I really love these pictures that give a snippet into the craziness of this party.

The pupcakes and bones. 

The bones are cookie cut out of pop-tarts... so easy and looked so cute.  

Here are all of the kiddos eating their pupcakes.

Did you see all of those kids?

Want a head count?

Yes, TWELVE kids, plus Sarah, so we had THIRTEEN lil puppies we were hearding around. 

Crazy, craziness!

I'm the crazy, that is for sure. 

It was a fun party. While we were waiting for the parents to come we set up a little obstacle course for the kiddos to run through. They loved it. Perfect way to end the party.

Next year... um, we'll see if we do a party this big.

Good thing its a year away, I need to recoup. 

Well, I tried... what can I say, I'm a wordy person.