A good idea

My neighbor was telling me something that she heard of someone else doing and I wanted to do it to. Every time I read to Book of Mormon I get a new one and mark it all up with my thoughts and feelings as I read it, and then someday I will give it to one of my children or Grandchildren.

I finished the Book of Mormon this month so I went and got a new one for a couple bucks and started reading and marking it up. I can tell already that this is going to be good. When I know someone will be coming behind me and reading it I am more likely to comment on the things that mean the most to me. I wonder how each books markings will change over the years?

I think it is a neat way to share my beliefs for those who will come after me.

Just because we have not been feeling good...

...doesn't mean we haven't been looking good.

I have no idea what prompted Russ to paint his toenails but he did and I think that inspired William wanting to paint his nails or at least think that he could.

Gracie is also wanting to be just like mom. The other day she brought me my mascara looking like this. I was actually impressed because she got it in the right area. Unlike the lipstick on her ear.

Today we celebrate her

Today (years ago) my sister was born

Chubby and beautiful

With amazing eyes from the very beginningShe has been a huge part of my life
Always my best friend

Not like any other sisters I know

Other sisters grow up to be friends

We have always been friends

I owe a lot of who I am to her

We are opposites in looks and personality (sometimes)

But I think that is why we get along so wellWe have had many good times together, too many for me to rememberBut not for her because she is the one with the memory. She loves my kids and my husbandAnd I can't imagine life without her. Happy birthday sister!

It's going

I like order and schedules. I am not crazy about them and I am never quite successful with them, but I am always trying and close to following them. The last couple of weeks have been very order-less and spontaneous.

I never went to the grocery store because I had something going on almost every day last week. I did stop by the store to pick some stuff up for a girls night out. I was also starting to feel sick to I went to sit in my sisters jacuzzi. My bath just can not get hot enough right now. The kids and I have been living off of toast and Ramen (I never eat it unless I am sick). I have even had Russ pick up dinner on his way home twice in the past two weeks (which I rarely ever do). The night before last (tues) Russ and I watched 17 again. Towards the end I was feeling hot and the ac was making a funny noise. After investigating I found that yep, the ac was out. We turned all the fans way up and got ready for bed. Gracie woke up and came into her room, her room was hot and she "slept" in our bed for awhile but I was having a hard time because I was getting warm so I got up to get Gracie and I a drink and found that it was cooler in the living room because the office (next to the living room) has a built in ac and it was turned on. So I woke Russ up and made a make shift bed on living room floor and there we all slept. It was like a camp out. After the ac guy came the next morning the kids and I took off to see a doctor for their nasty pink eyes. We didn't have breakfast before we left because I wanted to get out of there before it got to hot and we didn't really have anything anyway because I had not been to the store in forever. William really DID NOT want to go to the dr. so I told hi if he was good he would get a donut for breakfast. Little did I know it would be nearly lunch time by the time we left the dr. We were all hungry so while picking up our new eye drops I got the kids donuts.
Notice his red eyes and orange nails. The other hand is blue and his toes are green. If you ask him he will tell you it is paint not nail polish and it is for boys:)

It's hard to see because of the flash, but his eyes are really red. After the doctor we went to my moms and I ate a lot of food. Apparently toast and Ramen does not hold up for me. The kids napped, well Gracie did FOREVER. I had to wake her up. William swam for a little while and Gracie cried for a long time and then we headed home. The ac was working and Russ was home, but Russ and I were so tired all we could think of was bed. So we worked our hardest to get them to bed. Now it is a new day and all I can think about is nap time. I hope we are back on schedule soon.

Exhausted

That's what we are around here, exhausted. The last few weeks have been kinda crazy and I am sure a lot of people are wondering what is going on. Right now me and the kids are sick. The kids have pink eye and I have a sore throat. So we are at home laying around watching movies and I am looking at a lot of pictures online trying to find ideas on how to decorate my house. Or my would be house. We never got the paperwork back to sign on the counteroffer on that house we wanted but that turned out good because it gave us more time to think and even though the house was perfect for us, the neighborhood was not. It is in a less nice area and we want to stay there for a long time so we decided it was not for us. On Saturday we saw some houses and one of them we really like. It is in a subdivision (which I don't like) but it is a corner lot so the yard is huge (I do like) and there is no HOA (also like). The area and location is great and is just a few miles from Russ' work. It is about 1,000 sq. feet smaller than the last one, but I have always said I did not want a big house because it would take all my time to clean it and when you have more space you tend to collect more junk. We are going to try and put an offer in on it today and probably won't hear back for awhile, So I will let you know when I know.
Here is Gracie on one of the exhausting days we had when she didn't get a nap. I walked in the living room and found Gracie like this.And Russ can't pass up an opportunity to hold one of his children while they are sleeping. Precious.

Russ has also had a lot on his mind beside buying a house. He started his job and it was very stressful for him and one week into it (and after the craziest day ever, which I will have to post about later) got a call from the office he always wanted a job at, but they didn't have room for another therapist. Well, they called to tell him that the therapist there decided to move out of state and they offered him a job. Now this seems like a no brainer since it is his dream job, but he felt extremely guilty quiting the job he had only worked at for a week. They had been really good to him and he didn't want to leave them high and dry, but in the end it came down to this: this is Russ' career and he has to do what feels best for him. So he put in his notice and in October will start his job and Moore Physical Therapy and we are very excited about that. I would also like to say that Russ was so stressed about making this decision that he nearly forgot our anniversary.

Jumping cousins

These cousins have been having tons of fun in Grandma and Grandpa's pool this summer. The other day they were jumping in together and I had to grab my camera.

These girls mid air poses made me laugh.

Not just nice to look at

Gracie started painting her nails with her carrots and ranch the other day.
William thought it was funny so he joined her.

My kids make me laugh so much.

Oh and I forgot to mention in my post about Gracie that the day after her birthday I said something like, "come here baby", and she said, "I not beebee, I Geecee." Pardon me. She said it to me a couple of times that day. Apparently I call her baby a lot.

#6

6 years ago this is what Russ and I were doing:

Eating pizza and drinking milk at my soon to be in laws house,

and talking

about how we were going to do this the next day

I am so tired tonight I can't wait to fall asleep and tomorrow will be a very busy and stressful day like the days before it and the days to follow. But if I am going to be stressed I am glad it is with you. I have never questioned or doubted my decision to share forever with you. "You electrify my life", I can't keep my hands off you and I love you, Russ.

"in a wide sea of eyes..."

Sweet thrift store shopping

Last Saturday I stopped by Goodwill on my way to my sisters (I was going to crash a writing group and I got very excited about their great writing project, but not enough to start one of my own:) Anyway, it was a good thing I decided to stop by because I found a couch I love. And if we actually get this house we are trying to buy we will need more than the one couch we have.

It met the requirements that I had:

gold-ish yellowish color

old

good condition

comfy

except I really wanted something tufted, but I never see those second hand so I gave up on that one.

And as I was walking through the store I spotted these

And these

and could not leave without them, Mimi calls them my Penelope shoes.

All in all it was a fabulous shopping day and the total price tag?

$25.00
I don't think I will be able to shop at a real store again.

Smile and show your teeth

For awhile Gracie was smiling with her top lip curled up over her teeth. It cracked me up. It is just the funniest little face. I have not seen her do it for awhile. I hope she has not stopped doing it for good.

No about her two year old self. I took her to the doctor the other day and I don't have the exact numbers, but she is in the 3-5% for weight - 15% for height - and I think 50% for head circumference. So she is a little top heavy, but she is growing well. She is just tiny. The doctor said that she might reach 5 ft. Can you imagine me having a short daughter. I guess it is possible, but I think she will get taller.
She can climb out of her pack n' play bed and last night after both the kids were in bed and I looked up to see her standing in the living room waving at me with a big grin on her face. But she is not tall enough to open the doors yet so we can keep her in.

favorite song: in the car - Super Massive Black Holes (so cute to hear her say it.)

for me to sing - A whole new world or Part of that World
favorite food: hot dog or pesto ravioli (she calls it ragaolie) or yogurt

favorite color: purple

favorite past time: painting nails, watching a movie, antagonizing William

My favorite phrases: Ooooh sooooo prrreeety and I love you so much.

I can't believe how grown up she is, and fun she is!

Circus, Circus

I said I was going to post about this yesterday but I did not know how crazy yesterday was going to be. Well here it is Russ and Gracie's party that Russ barely showed up in time for. Such is life for the working man. He didn't even get to dress up like a clown and juggle:( I should have done it on a Saturday. Oh well.

It was HOT so we had the slip n' slide

Gracie just wanted to eat her new favorite food, hot dogs!Then I asked Gracie if she wanted to slip n' slide and she just pulled on her face and said, "I;m hot."

Connie tried to slide her down the slip n' slide but she turned over and got sprayed in the face

and did not like it.

But the other kids did not slow down.

The water table was a hit too.

Then we pulled everyone in out of the heat so Gracie could open her presents. She got so many!
Here she is excited about her Aerial beach ball.And a new purple shirt (her preferred color)

She wanted to put it on right then and tried too.

Here she is thanking Vaeh for the shirt.Gracie "yes another book". Me - "did you know we LOVE Sandra Boynton?" Thanks Michelle!And thanks to Gma C she is set in the dress up department for quite some time.Here is William sending buzz through he maze of Lollipops. The cut outs were my favorite part. I brought four pieces of cardboard to my niece and asked if she wanted to help me make some. She took over the project sketching them in a few minutes each and painting them.

And the cake! Growing up in my family you always got a train cake when you turned two and both William and Gracie have. Hers was a circus train.

When people started singing she wanted Russ by her.Russ cake top was not staying up too good:( but other than that it turned out good.and he blew out all the candles!yum.

Some more fun cut outs. Thanks to all who came. It did not turn out as planned but we got to be with people we love and eat cake and I guess that is all that matters. Oh - and Gracie had a blast!

If anyone wants to have a circus or carnival party and you want to borrow or buy my stuff, let me know. It should be used again.