not ready to potty train, but ready for panties!

too bad we didn't get the video of when she walking with all 3 pairs of these panties on.

Thank you uncle Steven

I might not love that purple sweater, but Anna sure does!  Thanks uncle Steven, we love and miss you.

videos of julia

she's a piece of work.  a very cute piece of work.  In the first videos she is crying because we couldn't find her princess nightgown.  so rich put her in the reindeer ones.  she tried to get them off at first, but then just walked around the house moping and crying.  she eventually got over it.

we found it the next night after searching the house over.  it was behind the rocker in her room.  who knows why it was there.

this is my dad teasing Julia with a cookie.

Gmas valentine party

Offer accepted.

We might have a new house by the end of February!  Now we are deciding if we want to get our basement tested for radon when we get an inspection.  Apparently 30% of cottonwood heights homes have radon and one man has lymphoma because of it........ah the decision making begins and the house is already trying to eat our money.

They love babies

We babysat spencer today so rachel could grocery shop.  Anna took it as an opportunity for show and tel.....look at my shoe!  I had keep a close tab on julia,she really loves the babies!

Free zoo day

I dont love the zoo but its a good way to get the kids to exercise.  Julia loved roosters the best.  Anna likes the peacocks.  I feels bad for those beautiful intelligent animals trapped and pacing in such small cages.  So i like the roosters and pea ocks too bc they just roam around the zoo.

Where is julias pretty?

She couldnt find her favorite nighty so matirally she searched hogh and low and in every drawer.  Anaa helped for a bit then ran to us and said " mom julia is doing something naughty!"   Thanks anna.  Have to admit shes pretty cute in that drawer.

Aviary

We went to the aviary today.  Julia can say peacock!  Anna was telling julia to go pet the peacock.  Neither of them did.  They both really enjoyed it and i enjoyed watching them beebop around in the sunshine and fresh air.

julia singing

she's starting to talk more!  It's so fun to have another little talker!  I foresee fun conversations between Julia and anna in the future. 

all aboard! the tiger train to AFRICA

I said "Anna, get your shoes, we are going to grandma Elaine's"

a few minutes later I went to see where she was.

And this is what I found:

Before I took this pic there were animals all on the boxes and chairs.  A tiger was in the lead.  I said "are they going to the moon"

anna said:  "this is a train and no, they aren't going to the moon, they are going to AFRICA - to take the tiger back to his home"

I don't think tigers live in Africa, but close enough (;

In flight meal:  an apple Julia robbed out of the kitchen, im not sure where she got it from, but she's eaten it all, seeds and everything.

So this was at 2:00.

It's 3:00

they've got the door to annas room shut - I guess they are still in Africa.  I'm not interrupting that to go to grandma elaines.

Happy birthday Joyce!

Anna loves to celebrate birthdays!  She helped make this carrot cake.  Julia was adorable singing happy bday.  I'll have to post that too.  I had to post all these pics because the facial expressions are awesome.  Look at how much Anna adores her grandma.

Weekend pics

Disney store dressups
Dino playland at gateway
Planet museum
Aunt amy made Valentine's skirts

Out of the smog and into the mountains

One bad thing about Utah is the winter air...luckily the mountains are ever so near!  Gma Heiner came hiking today.

Pretty tiger

I bet my aunt Annettes Tigers never had this happen at their house she has three boys

Tiger rides

Anna came up with this game of tying a jump rope around the tiger and pulling people for rides

Julia couldnt quite pull anna

homeowners again?

we've been house shopping.  Rich found one in our price range that I talked myself into liking.  But I don't know about this home ownership jazz.  It's sure been nice renting.  Since living here Ron has had to REPLACE 1)the boiler 2)garbage disposal 3)kitchen faucet  4) glass door on the oven.  PLUS there is all the upkeep and the fact that we don't currently pay for ANY utilities.  That's nice!

BUT I guess the only problem with renting is that we dont' EVER have a chance of getting our money back that we pay to Ron.  A couple hundred bucks down the tube here or there doesn't compare with the 1200 we spend every month on rent.........

BUT it is nice to think that if Richard's job is lame then we can move anywhere

AND

BUT it sure is nice to live up here by the canyon

BUT it would sure be nice to live in a place that has sidewalks, and an elementary and library and grocery store all within 1/4 mile

AND it would be nice to live in a house and have a front door so we can have people over

AND it will be nice to have chickens........yes the house comes with 6 free chickens - and their coop!

BUT I will miss our yard here - not the pear tree though - those were nasty pears

THE house has an apple tree!  And a plum tree! - but no established garden

AND that means we can create some new raised beds!

But the dining room is small and potentially hazardous (it has stairs right behind it)

It has no master bathroom.

BUT at least it has 2 bathrooms!  No more making anna wait to go potty when mommy/daddy is going potty!

hmmm better sleep on it a few more nights.  It's way past our usual 8:00 bedtime.

VLOG

 

gavin's private sleepover

My nephew Gavin requested of him mom that he have a private sleepover at my house.  He got straight A's so I said YES!  I love my nieces and nephews like my own kids!  Gavin is especially fun because he doesn't require a lot of attention and he is very imaginative.  He also loves to read like anna, so we have plenty of his favorite toys: BOOKS!

 they didn't want to go to the cub scout fun o ree - but they had fun!

 lots of fun!

 they even exercised!

Anyways, we started out by going to an Ocean Adventures activity at the library.  He thoroughly enjoyed that.  Then we checked out books from the library - it was difficult to get him and Anna OUT of the library!

After that we went home and made pizza.  I let gavin have a  half hour of PLANTS VS ZOMBIE time - which I think is the real reason he wanted to have a sleepover at my house.  We went to bed around 9:00.  Julia loves him.  She couldn't stop climbing on him and teasing him while he was reading.

 this pic below is one gavin took, Julia was chasing him around.

Next morning we had COCO krispies for breakfast.  That was super exciting for my kids - we never buy cold cereal.  Then we made a fort and play play played with anna's toys until we went to a cub scout FUN O REE.  Gavin didn't want to go, I had to drag him out the door - but once we were there he had a great time.  So did the girls.

 our fort!  our house has a pretty good setup for forts.  I get more excited about it than the kids do though.

 this pic above is Julia chasing gavin.  he's hiding from her under this blanket.  She thought it was so fun!  pic below is gavin having a great time with anna's toys.  the baby is eating jake and the neverland pirate.

We planned on going to the aquarium after that, but it doesn't open until FEBRUARY!  So we played with our fort and anna's toys some more.  I made some cookies for him trying to be nice - but he doesn't like butterscotch chips!  what?  So then we decided to take him home.  It was a fun weekend.

Hiking in january

It has been incredibly warm today!  So we went for a hike!  Julia cried alot because she was scared, but it was wonderful to be outside.  Neffs canyon.

Julia rides tigers

She put down a rag for a saddle put a princess crown on the tiger and then rode It

Early morning visitors

another dancing post

busy day

today we:

 tucked babies into their new toy!!!  thank you auntie amy!  Julia loves her new baby purse accessory.

 had a puppet show.  rainbow dash vs cookie monster.

made bread
made dinner for a friend
MY SISTER CAME and we had a puppet show (:  I love when my sister visits.
vacuumed the car (its been months)
went grocery shopping for a friend
went to the library
got Rachel out of the house
took anna to dance
had PBJ for dinner - when rich is out of town I usually don't cook
spent the evening house shopping

tomorrow

I work
kids go to my visiting teacher, Sara
we look at a house nearby
hopefully we go out for a hike, the weather has been fantastic!