The Polar Express

Last week Mimi & Papa treated us all to The Polar Express in Lubbock. It was also Uncle Wes' birthday, so we had a lot to celebrate. The train pulled up as we got there and the girls were very excited (they are really into trains right now). We bundled everyone up and got ready for the ride. Our first seats were in the top car, but we were very "cozy".

They gave people the option of going to sit in the lower car, and we took it! Anna and Gracie never really sat down the entire ride. Lily, on the other hand, was glued to Walt's lap until the last 10 minutes of the ride. This is completely opposite of her personality- I guess she was a little overwhelmed.

We listened to music, ate cookies, drank hot chocolate and visited with the train conductor until we got to the "North Pole". Then some elves and Santa boarded the train! At first the girls weren't sure what to think about Santa. This was Lily and Gracie's first personal encounter

with him-

They each got a silver jingle bell from Santa. They both asked him for a baby doll for Christmas. Cousin Anna asked for a toothbrush!! (Her daddy was coaching her to say tv!) We had a great night- thank you Mimi & Papa!!!

Anna & Gracie

Thanksgiving 2009

We spent last week in Lubbock with G-pa and Gigi, Lauren, Lance and great grandparents. The girls had so much fun playing with Aunt LaLa! My grandparents from Louisiana made the LONG drive to Lubbock to see the girls- such a special time!

When we returned to Canyon, we found our 1st snow of the season!!! The girls loved it and even learned how to make a snowball!

Look for more pics from our week here.

Sesame Street Live

This afternoon the girls, Alecia and I went to see Sesame Street Live- very and good and held their attention well. Here are a few pics- more on Flickr!

Thanksgiving Feast

The girls had a Thanksgiving feast at school- more pics on Flickr!

Gracie

Lily

'New' Dresser

We (I) wanted to get the changing table out of the girls' room and put a dresser in, to hold clothes and keep them from climbing. I started looking for a dresser that could also double as a changing table- because my children refuse to use the potty! (Side note: I am convinced they understand the 'potty' concept, but just don't want to do it!) I didn't want to spend a lot on the dresser, but still wanted something that would last. We had a dresser in our guest room that wasn't being used to its fullest potential. We've had it since we got married, but I really didn't like it that much & put it in the guest room. Walt has a cousin, Jennifer, that had posted some pictures on Facebook of some furniture that she had painted. It was one-of-a-kind and really good. I thought I would measure to see if the dresser would fit in the girls' room. After measuring, I realized it wasn't that much bigger than the changing table. I talked to Jennifer about painting the dresser the next time she was in the area (she lives in Austin). She said she would be up soon and would love to paint the dresser. That's the long, drawn-out explanation of how we got this beautiful, original piece for the girls' room.

BEFORE

AFTER

SIDE VIEW

DRAWER/ BOTTOM

SIDE

TOP

She is so talented! If you like what she did and have something you want painted, I can get you in touch with her. She has done other hand-painted projects- not just furniture. Let me know what you think!

Outbreak!

Last night's bedtime routine started as usual. We brushed our teeth, read a few books, and gave goodnight kisses. The girls went down without any objections. As I was in the kitchen working on a craft project (picture at the end of the post) and Walt was on the computer, I thought I heard some noise coming from the girls' side of the house. I walked over to the hall and listened for the noise. I heard something like a muffled knocking of sorts. As I peeked into their room I noticed the room was dark (we had left the closet light on and the door cracked as we usually do). I heard the noise again and it was coming from the closet. The girls' beds were empty, and when I opened the closet door... they were both sitting there on the floor with most of their toys around them, just playing! I had to leave the room to get Walt and also take a minute to get my "serious" look on- it was too cute! We placed the 2 "escapees" back in their beds and "strictly" told them to stay in their beds- which they did. I knew this was coming, but I was hoping not to have to convert their beds to toddler beds until Christmas. I guess we'll see how the next few nights go. I am just glad they didn't hurt themselves!

Now for the craft project. I have seen some really cute bow-holders in stores and online. I always thought that I could make one for much cheaper and using colors I wanted. I gathered supplies at Hobby Lobby this week and decided to put one together. I really like how it turned out and hope it will hold all their bows and clips. Here's a picture of the finished product:

The "escapees"

New Pictures

We have had a few busy weeks. The girls started MDO on Tues, Wed and Thurs- 1/2 days. I have really been able to get alot done while they are at "school" without feeling like I am ignoring them. They really enjoy their teachers and are learning so much. I have posted a few pics on Flickr of all the activity these past weeks- enjoy!

Colorado-Day 5

It's hard to believe that we have been in Denver for 5 days. We have kept pretty busy, seen a lot of the city and eaten A LOT! When planning the trip, I kept today open so that we could rest and catch anything we hadn't seen or done earlier in the week. We both slept in- almost to 9! Walt headed out for a bike ride while I stayed at the hotel watching some tv and reading a little bit. We headed to lunch at the Wazee Supper Club. We decided on the combo appetizer and a pizza- they claimed to be the best pizza in the civilized world. Everything was very good!

Walt wanted to look for a new work hat, so we walked down the street to a local western store. As we were leaving the store, I heard a man talking and his voice made me turn around because it sounded familiar. He looked familiar and I told Walt to hurry and look at him before we left the store. We got outside and I asked Walt if the guy looked familiar to him- I tend to see people that I think are famous, but usually are not. Just yesterday I thought maybe I passed Carmelo Anthony at the mall- Walt said he didn't think that he traveled without a posse. Back to today- the guy we saw at the western store was Larry Miller- an actor who has been in several movies and tv shows. He was the dad in 10 Things I Hate About You. Who knew we would see a famous actor in Denver,CO.

We spent the rest of the afternoon chillin' back at the hotel. We called up Lauren and headed down to Littleton for dinner. We had some good Italian food at Romano's and then went to see Denver Seminary. We hung out at Lauren's condo for awhile and watched some more tv. This trip has been fun and a good chance for Walt & I to get away from the craziness of everyday life. I have missed the girls terribly and Walt says that I am stalking his mom while she keeps them. It sounds like they have also had a great week, and I'm sure that I will have to do some serious work to entertain them when we get home. Next week they start MDO, so I think they will have fun.

Colorado-Day 4

Started the day at Adagio Baking Company with yummy breakfast sandwich on challa roll. Headed to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science to check out the Expedition Health exhibit. We got there a few minutes early so we spent some time looking at the Space exhibit and the Wildlife exhibit. This is an impressive museum with great displays. They use the skeleton and hair of the animals then make the body out of plaster (taxidermy). The backdrops and the surrounding environments to the animals were very impressive also.

On to the main exhibit. We entered the exhibit and were given a plastic card (think credit card) that we would use at the various stations to keep track of our specific information. Basically you go through different stations that tell you about the different systems in the human body. There was a "Biology Lab" that you could go into and do different experiments- we didn't try it, but the kids looked like they were having fun. They had a 13 minute interactive video that tells you how your body would respond to a 14,000 foot hike up a mountain here in Denver. This was cool- they had devices at all the seats to record oxygen level and heart rate. They even had real snow blowing around at one point. Another station took your picture then showed you what you would look like at 70 years- the line was too long and it was taking forever. At the end of the exhibit you enter your card into a computer and then you get a print out of all your information that was taken. There is also a website we could go to and get even more information about ourselves.

We ended our time at the museum with the dinosaur exhibit- you can't go to a museum without looking at the dinosaurs. At the end of this exhibit there was an area were you can watch employees working on the fossils- pretty neat.

We then headed down to Cherry Creek Shopping Center ( think North Park Mall in Dallas) for some lunch and shopping. We had some great lunch at Kona Grill- I had the white pizza (alfredo sauce, spinach, mushrooms, bacon crumbs) and Walt had sushi. We spent the afternoon shopping- mainly separately. I stayed at the mall while Walt ventured off across the street to some other stores. I found cute outfits for the girls at Janie and Jack, some gifts for the girls and a birthday gift for cousin Anna. We also picked up a little pre-graduate school gift for Aunt LaLa.

For dinner we went to a local sushi bar, Sushi Sasa. I have never been to a sushi bar.. come to think of it, I haven't had sushi before. I knew Walt liked sushi so I had researched places to try on the trip. The atmosphere was very calm and a little intimidating for someone who has never done this before. The tables to either side of us had people who obviously knew what they were doing. We got everything ordered and ended up with some shrimp, Japanese-style chicken nuggets and California rolls. Did I mention that they only had chopsticks to eat with- never used them, successfully, before. Everything was good- if I had to rank from most to least favorite 1. California rolls 2. chicken 3. shrimp. We are now watching the Cowboys at the hotel. Another good day in the mountains.

Colorado-Day 3

Walt started off the day with a 10.5 mi bike ride along a river down from our hotel. Once I got up and ready, we went down to the 16th St Mall to get some breakfast. We ate at The Corner Bakery before setting out to walk around the "mall". This is basically about 16 blocks that are blocked off to traffic and lined with various stores and restaurants. We did visit Niketown and I found some things at the Brighton store. My sister came up from Littleton, and we all had lunch a The Cheesecake Factory- yummy! After lunch we caught the bus down to the other end of the "mall" so that we could make sure Lauren's car hadn't been towed. You have to pay to park everywhere and she wasn't sure if she had done this correctly. Her car was still there so we headed to the hotel for some rest. After resting most of the afternoon, Walt and I headed out to dinner at the Denver Chophouse & Brewery. I had a great salad with turkey, Gonzalo cheese, baked pumpkin seeds, sun dried blueberries, avocado, garbanzo beans and an herb vinaigrette! It was a huge salad and so tasty. Walt had the Filet Mignon and we split a crab cake for an appetizer. We decided to walk-off dinner and stopped by a bookstore, Tattered Cover Book Store. I picked up a copy of The Time Traveler's Wife- I wanted to read it before seeing the movie. Today was definitely a "food day", but we did a good amount of walking... so maybe we'll call it even. Tomorrow we are going to the Museum of Nature and Science to see the Expedition Health exhibit.

Colorado-Day 2

We headed to The Market for breakfast his morning, in Lairmer Square. Walt actually made it there before I did- only about 1 hour! I had a yummy piece of quiche and some fresh fruit. We spent the later part of the morning at the Aquarium. It was a good exhibit and we got to see some really neat underwater creatures. I took pics but I don't have my cord with me so I can download. I touched a stingray- Walt chose to skip this activity. They are slimy little things. We then headed to lunch at My Brother's Bar- recommended to us by one of the doormen at the hotel. He said they had the best burgers in Denver, so it was a no-brainer decision for Walt. The burgers were yummy and the onion rings were good too. We then walked over to REI. This was probably the one place Walt would like to spend all the vacation at. It was a huge store (3 stories) filled with any and all outdoor equipment you could ever want (or need). We decided to walk back to the hotel and stopped at a few more shops along the way. We ate some yummy Mexican food at The Rio Grande. We talked about going to a movie, but we were pretty tired and decided to go to sleep.

Colorado-Day 1

We packed up today and headed for Denver for a late anniversary trip. We stopped off in Littleton to unload my sister, Lauren. She will be starting graduate school next week at Denver Seminary. Despite a hail storm in Pueblo the trip was pretty uneventful. We found our hotel, Hotel Teatro, and headed out to find some dinner. We found square a few blocks from the hotel that had several choices to choose from. We decided on Rioja and had good food. I'm still not sure exactly what all was in my entree, but it was good. They give after-dinner candy-covered mint leaves.... real, organic leaves. Interesting. We got some hot drink from the bakery down the road, and headed back to the hotel. Time for some shut-eye. Planning on going to the aquarium and REI tomorrow followed by mexican food at The Rio Grande.

Potty Training- Day 3

I'm struggling with how to write about all that happened today. It started out pretty much the same as the past two days. Again, the girls held their pee for 2 hours before all hell broke loose. I have no other way to describe it. Both girls were crying while sitting on their potties and I was almost in tears sitting there trying to keep them happy. They just aren't getting it. I came to the executive decision (Walt says that I am CEO of our household) to re-evaluate the girls' readiness for potty training. During nap time I realized that I had ben pushing this on them. The literature I had read talked about kids needing to be ready, developmentally, for training. As I read through the author's explanation of 'readiness' I thought that girls were 50-75% 'ready'. I guess I told myself that would be enough. Even after this short amount of time, I can see that I wanted them to be more ready than they actually are. They did just turn 2 in June.

I am really using this post to work through my own issues with starting something and not being able to finish it (at this time). If you are still reading this post, forgive me for the 'venting'. I will continue to talk about using the potty and even offer it to the girls- just not as pushy as the past few days. I know they will get it in time. Thanks for all the encouraging words from everyone on fb.

We had a great afternoon in Amarillo playing and hanging out just the four of us. It was a good day. The best part was when I was in the bathroom getting reading to leave and Gracie came up to me, hugged my leg and just smiled. I really am a lucky girl!

Potty Training- Day 2

Today started out much like yesterday. The girls ate breakfast and then started playing. I think to day they actually got to play more because I wasn't taking them to the potty every 5 min. The morning went well, but the girls weren't peeing... anywhere. I gave them more juice in hopes to assist the process. After 2 hours I decided that I would put on their Elmo potty video and just have them sit on the potty in front of the tv. Gracie got up and at some point and was standing across the room when she began peeing in her panties- I 'excitedly' told her to go to the bathroom. Apparently this scared her instead of encouraging her and for the next 45-60 minutes were spent with her is hysterics. She didn't want to sit on the potty, but I could tell that she still needed to go. Finally my sister stepped up and took her to put on a diaper. We figured the whole day was a wash for her. Lily on the other hand finally went on the 'big' potty vs the 'little' potty. I found throughout the rest of the day that this was her preference.

The afternoon went pretty well. Lily had only 3 accidents (compared to the double digits yesterday)! Gracie stayed in a pull-up the rest of the day. She would tell you when she needed to go, and would actually sit on the 'big' potty- but nothing. From what I could tell, she would get the sensation that she needed to go and that would be when she wanted to get off the potty and back in the pull-up. I have no idea what to do- I feel like it's not right to force her on the potty when she is crying. I guess I will start saving now for the counseling bill because of this traumatic potty training! :) Lily also gets fidgety with the sensations, but is willing to sit and will eventually go if she sits long enough.

Needless to say I am exhausted after only 2 days! I don't know if we will make it through this. Lauren went to Lubbock today, so my wing man is gone. Walt has to go to work at least part of the time over the weekend, so I am predicting a rough few days. I'll keep you posted. I am leaving you with a picture of my cute girls that reminds me why all this hard work is worth it!

Potty Training- Day 1

Toady marked the first day of the journey called, "Potty Training". I have been reading a few books and anxiously awaiting a break in our schedule that would allow us the chance to give it a try. After reading the books, I decided that a focused and intense plan would be the best plan of attack. I bought everything we would need, outlined the steps with Walt, and set the date on the calendar to start. Last night we did a "run-through" with the girls and their dolls. They did GREAT- followed everything on cue and even 'role-played' more than I was expecting. I was pumped and ready for this morning to come.

I got the girls up and put on 'big-girl' panties while Walt made some breakfast. We got the girls eating and drinking and then waited for something to happen. I won't bore you with everything that happened throughout the day. My sister happened to come into town last night so she was gracious enough to help me- I couldn't have made it without her. Walt would have found me balled up in the corner crying when he got home from work if I had been by myself. Let's just say that it didn't go exactly how I envisioned it. I kept telling myself to have low expectations because they are barely 2 and there are 2 of them! I have done 4 loads of wash today with a total of 24 pairs of panties washed!

Gracie was catching on much better by the end of the day with only about 3 accidents between nap time and baths. Lily had a more difficult afternoon and I was starting to think that she was afraid of the potty. She would sit for an extended time and then about 30 seconds after getting up, she would go wherever she was. She can be hard-headed, so my other theory is that she knows exactly what she is doing and is having accidents on purpose. I'm hoping that isn't the case!

We'll see how it goes tomorrow- I will be by myself for most of the day!

2 YEAR OLD CHECKUP

I was finally able to get the girls into our new pediatrician today for their checkup- yes I know they turned two back in June! We have been having insurance issues that kept us from seeing him earlier. The doctor was recommended by out pediatrician in Lubbock. I thought he was very nice and spent a good amount of time talking with us about the girls. They are on track with height and weight- upper 90th percentiles. Lily's head circumference continues to be off the charts- I guess we have a genius on our hands! Both girls weigh 33 lbs- Lily is 36" tall and Gracie is 35.75" tall. They had to get 2 shots today, but did very well and even got popsicles from the nurse! The doctor told Lily, before he left the room, she could get a prize out of the treasure chest- she smiled real big and clapped her hands in excitement. We don't have to go back until they are 3 and no shots until they are 4- yippee!! Tomorrow we are planning to go check out the Amarillo Zoo- I'll post pictures.

4th of July 2009

We spent the 4th at home in Canyon. We went to the Lions Club Pancake Breakfast that morning and then to the parade. It got started late, so we only stayed for about 1/2 of it- it was hot. As we were leaving we discovered that we had been standing in front of a building that was blocking the breeze- oh well. Walt's family- parents, aunts, uncle and cousins came over for a cook-out. We spent the afternoon eating and playing Skip-bo. We finished the evening watching fireworks from the lot behind our house- we just had to add the music- thanks Alecia and Lauren.

More photos on Flickr.

What do you get????

Q: What do you get when a gallon of paint falls out of an SUV?

A: refer to picture

On Wednesday my sister and I started painting the dining room a deep shade of red. We primed the walls and put 2 coats of red on the walls before running out of paint. On Thursday we went into Amarillo to get some more paint and look at curtains for the dining and living rooms. We went to Lowe's and I told the paint guy what I needed. He asked 2x about the finish of the paint- satin. We finished up our errands and headed home. The girls were cranky and didn't appreciate being dragged all over town. We put them down for a nap and then I started getting the paint supplies ready to finish the room. I went to open the can and looked at the label... semi-gloss. I had to drive back to Amarillo to exchange the paint. I was a little perturbed and just wanted to be done with the painting. I decided that I was too frustrated to paint and we would wait until today to finish. I got home, opened the back door and... that's when all hell broke lose. The paint can fell out ad busted open. Thankfully it didn't get in the car. I got my sister (who was having issues with the girls not wanting to take a nap) and she started "scooping" it back into the can. We got about 3/4 of the gallon back in the can. We decided to use the water hose to clean the rest off the garage floor- bad idea. We didn't think- it might not be a good idea to spray the paint down the sidewalk to the street. The street was now magenta right in front of the driveway and starting to run down towards the neighbors. About this time a neighbor was out and decided to come over and introduce himself- not great timing. We chatted about our families and he told me just to just keep rinsing the run-off to dilute the paint. We stayed out there at least an hour with the hose, a plastic pitcher and a broom- I felt like I was in an old "Lucy" episode. We looked pretty silly. A few neighborhood kids came by on their bikes and gave us very strange looks. One kid even asked what it was that we were cleaning up. To say the least it was a long day and very frustrating. We finished up the room this morning and I will post pictures soon.

Trip to H-town

Last week the girls, my sister, my mom & I all flew down to Houston to see my Nonnie. This was kinda a last minute trip for the girls and I- we got our tickets the week before- thanks to Walt's dad! This would be the first time for the girls to be on an airplane and my first since the honeymoon- 8 years ago. I was a little nervous to say the least. The flight went great and we made it to Houston safely. We spent the week at my Nonnie's house hanging out and swimming. The girls loved the pool the first day, but lost interest the following days- oh well- Lauren and I enjoyed it! We were able to hang out with my cousins and got to see some family friends who were also in town that week. The girls were tired by the end of the week and you could tell they had been in one house most of the week- we didn't even go shopping!

Back at the beginning of the year Nonnie was diagnosed with lung cancer. She has been on chemotherapy, but decided to skip the last treatment because it was making her feel pretty bad- she's 84 years old. She had a PET scan last week & the doctor called my uncle with the results at the end of last week. All three tumors present had decreased in intensity! Praise the Lord! The doctor wants to start another round of chemo in about 6 weeks. Nonnie had an appointment yesterday to discuss the treatment. Please keep her in your prayers. I will put some pictures up once I get them off my camera and on the computer.

Happy Birthday!!!!

Today the girls turned 2- how did that happen. I know everyone says it, but... where does the time go? I can remember clearly the day they were born like it was yesterday. We had a great day with family and ELMO. Every time you would ask about the party the girls would say 'ELMO'. I think they will be associating birthday with Elmo for awhile. We had a fun party and the girls got so many fun gifts. I think I could pull out a new gift each day and have enough for a full month! They are blessed little girls. Here are a

few pics from the party- more on Flickr.