Motherhood 201

Last Pics from Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (Amber P.) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:00:00 PST

These were from my camera that I took before we headed to our friends. If you look closely you can see the sparkles on Elli's eyelids.

Clean House

noreply@blogger.com (Amber P.) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:41:26 PST

I didn't need Nicey Nash and her crew to get my house in shape. But I need need two days and a little (okay a lot of) help from my babysitter. Here are the results.

This is our house in Tennessee, from the inside. These images have never been captured before and I'd like to state for the record that they were ALL taken this morning. The only rooms you don't see are our bedroom, the office and the laundry room/downstairs bathroom. All of which still look like they've been hit by a tornado :)

Ah, but relish the clean. Isn't it beautiful?
This is the first room you wee when you enter our house. The toys are to the right and the seating area is to the left of the door.
At the top of the stairs, you enter the kitchen. Not as big as I originally remembered, but we enjoy the cozy feeling of working together in the kitchen.
The dining room is next to the kitchen. We are still working on the matching chairs we bought. The green ones only need to be primed, but the others needed to be stripped and sanded. Sheesh, that's been a lot of work!
This is the family room. We finally got the ottomans to match the couch. They also match the stairs in the corner and the window treatments Brent found.
This is the upstairs bathroom. I just mopped the floor! Go me :)
This is Elli's side of the girls' room.
This is Sammi's side of their room. You'll notice her pink cat from Uncle Kim. She still loves it. The fleece blanket folded up at the end of the bed is from my friend Anela and has flags on it. I love that blanket.
While running around taking pictures, Sammi ran around behind me smearing more and more blue yogurt on her face. What a character :)

Elli finally deciding to look AT me and smile. Thanks, darling!

Halloween 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Amber P.) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 05:08:48 PST

Here are some pics from Halloween. Elli's costume was really warm so she only wore it when we were outside. It also happened to rain like crazy last night so we didn't take many pictures of the actually trick-or-treating. Sammi was confused when Brent brought her back to our friends' house. She said, "We can't be done yet. My bucket's not full of candy!" What a cutie :)

The First Frost

noreply@blogger.com (Amber P.) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:11:29 PDT

We woke up just before 7 this morning. It was still dark and Sammi said, "Is it still sleeping time?" Although I wanted to say yes and take us all back to bed, I explained that in the winter the sun comes up later. As it started to get brighter I noticed frost on the grass.

We bundled ourselves up and headed out for some fun. We had fun crunching on the grass and seeing how much ice had formed in different puddles of water. Then we decided to check Daddy's car and make sure he didn't have frost on his windows. Thank goodness for the carport, so we were safe :)

Wordless Wednesday: Door Knob Surprise

noreply@blogger.com (Amber P.) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:01:00 PDT

Check out the wild creation we found over at Because Babies Grow Up. Find other Wordless Wednesday posts at WordlessWednesday.com and 5 Minutes For Mom. Come back tomorrow for Tell Me Thursday.

Random Cute Pics-Again

noreply@blogger.com (Amber P.) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 05:25:00 PDT

One day Sammi had a late afternoon nap and was just not interested in bedtime. I braved it and decided to introduce her to life after she goes to bed: laundry! Oh, and I think we watched So You Think You Can Dance. I had her sort the clothes into two piles: Sammi's and Elli's. Then I had her sort her clothes into pants, shirts, dresses, sockes and underwear and pajamas while I started to fold Elli's clothes. After a bit I looked over and instead of just sorting her clothes, she was folding them. She made this beautiful collection of folded clothes on the little staircase we got from Brent's parents. I was so impressed.
This was during a long drive to Morristown to get our Tennessee driver's licenses. Brent was trying to study while we drove so we introduced the girls to the headphones. Elli was fascinated and not at all concerned she couldn't hear the movie!

Trip to the Knoxville Zoo

noreply@blogger.com (Amber P.) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:25:48 PDT

We love the Knoxville Zoo. Sammi loves it so much, in fact, that we haven't really seen anything else in Knoxville! So when Grandma Devine was visiting we just HAD to take her. Here are our adventures from this visit.
The Wee Play Zoo is like a mini Discovery Gateway Children's Museum centered on animal themes. Above Sammi is wearing a dress up hat for a seal or otter. Below she is dressed as a Vet and playing in the animal hospital room.
We also got to see the baby chimpanzee, George. He appears to be curious just like Sammi's favorite cartoon character.
I was so excited the lion was posed just perfectly for this regal shot. Lions are my favorite (next to cougars, of course!) and this was the best view of him we'd seen yet.
Sammi and Elli are turning into such sweet sisters and friends. They hold hands and take turns leading each other around. Sometimes they take my hand and we become a train. Such fun times.
Here's a rare shot: all three of us! Thanks, Mom. What's not so rare: we're all wearing the same color. That seems to happen frequently. Unfortunately, we forgot to get one of Grandma with the girls.

Cup of Dirt

noreply@blogger.com (Amber P.) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:45:48 PDT

I thought it would be fun to make "Cup of Dirt" for dessert one night. I made the chocolate pudding and poured it into bowls, added gummy worms and topped with crushed Oreo cookies. I put them in the fridge to get cold.

I wasn't sure how I was going to introduce the idea to Sammi, but the perfect moment presented itself. She was starting to fall asleep on the couch at about 5:30 which only spells disaster. In trying to wake her up, I told her we were having a special dessert after dinner. Intrigued she perked up and asked what we were having. I told her a cup of dirt.

She looked quite concerned and told me we don't eat dirt. I told her it was okay and I'd found a few worms to make it that much better. She spent from then until we presented the dessert saying over and over, "But we don't eat dirt, Mommy!" I started telling her she'd just have to see it before she decided. I thought once she saw it she would know it was a gummy worm and Oreos.

But I was wrong. She wouldn't even touch it! Brent went and got another Oreo, showed it to Sammi and then crushed it in his hand so she could see that the crumbs were the same as the ones in her dessert dish. She just took the remaining cookie from Brent's hand and ate it! She wouldn't try it until she saw us take bites.

She was still worried about the worm and didn't ever eat it. Once she got a taste of it, she started to warm up to the idea. She was even able to joke about eating dirt. But she isn't a big fan of pudding so she didn't finish her dessert. Oh well. The build up was PERFECT! I couldn't have asked for it to be better. I didn't think she'd buy it so it was a lot of fun to play it up and drag it out through dinner.

Elli had fun playing with the Oreo crumbs,
but wasn't a fan of the pudding, either.
As you can see, she loved her rice at dinner.

Little Nephite Girls

noreply@blogger.com (Amber P.) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 08:46:05 PDT

Elli's Birthday Presents

noreply@blogger.com (Amber P.) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 19:04:15 PDT

This is the final post about Elli's birthday. I promise! (please look at the previous two for great pics) We had a super fun day. After dinner the girls got baths and then into their pajamas.
Then we had Elli open her presents and cards. It was well past their bedtime which explains why they look so out of it in some of the shots. Thank you for all the presents. It was fun opening them with her.
Also, please check out the giveaway on Because Babies Grow Up. It's a CD from an awesome rock band for kids called Milkshake. I'd also love it if you'd help spread the word about the giveaway! You're the best family and friends a girl could hope for!

Elli's Birthday Party

noreply@blogger.com (Amber P.) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:47:21 PDT

We had friends come over in the afternoon to share cake and ice cream. It was a fun party, even though I forgot about the ice cream.

In all about 20 friends came over (parents and kids) and had fun tearing the play room apart. The popcorn was a great snack; I think even a bigger hit than the cake.

Elli scrambled around eating every unattended bowl of popcorn she could find. She absolutely loves the stuff. She was quite excited about the cake, too. It was double layer and I marbled Devil's Food and White together. Yum. I made cupcakes with the extra, but haven't had a chance to make frosting for them yet.

Elli got a stuffed tiger from a friend. It felt perfect since Sammi got her tiger pillow on her first birthday.
Another milestone down. Elli's had quite a busy year what with living in Orem, traveling to Colorado then driving across the country to now live in Tennessee.

Elli's Birthday Breakfast

noreply@blogger.com (Amber P.) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:54:09 PDT

Happy Birthday, Elli! It's been a fun day. To start, we really kicked off turning 1 by introducing Elli to the joy of cold cereal. She had Honey Nut Cheerios (because they're my favorite) in a bowl with whole milk. I was so impressed with how well she ate it with a spoon. Though she did often hold the spoon in one hand and use the other hand to pick up the cheerios and put them in her mouth. She did an excellent job of eating almost the whole bowl.

Sammi also enjoyed her cereal, but insisted on Frosted MiniWheats.

Some Things Don't Change

noreply@blogger.com (Amber P.) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:37:16 PDT

I was looking through the blog recently for a specific picture, which I am now posting because it's hilarious. I laugh every time I see it. Sammi was about 16 months old.

But as I was browsing, I came across two posts that really struck me because, well, they are still true, to some extent, for me now. Year(s) later and on the other side of the country and I still feel the same way! Amazing. Here they are:

When Sammi turned 15 months old I posted that Sammi "has entered a new phase where her solution to everything is to cry. This is quite a bit more trying on my patience" I am here to testify that she has not yet left this stage and I think turning three has only intensified the crying. And it is still the MOST trying aspect of parenting for me. I often scream inside, "I can't handle the crying!" Actually sometimes I say that out loud. It's not very mature and I'm working on it. Still. 22 months later.

When I officially announced I was pregnant with Elli I mentioned that Brent had vetoed my suggestion of Daffodil as a girl's name. Elli may forever be grateful for that, but I still really like the name. I can't understand why, exactly. But it strikes me as so cute and I love the nickname Dilly. Brent did promise if we ever have a pet of some kind I may name the pet Daffodil and we will call her Dilly. I'm just not sure I'm satisfied with that, though!

We've Settled In!

noreply@blogger.com (Amber P.) — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 05:22:43 PDT

So, that was a WAY LONG break! It took forever to get the internet up and running. I was going to have great pictures of our drive across the country, but the camera died a few days before we left and I didn't want to pick out a new one without Brent's input. But, we finally got a new one once we got here, so I have a few things to share from our new home (away from home).

Sammi was a little princess on her birthday. She wore the tiara and balloon everywhere. I was pleasantly surprised when she decided to share it with Elli. What cute sisters. They have really started to playing together and even getting into trouble together.

We met a lot of med school LDS families at a 4th of July BBQ. It was fun to be surrounded by instant friends. The kids played in a little pool and then lit sparklers. IT was fun to visit and eat yummy food.

We went to the Knoxville Zoo. We bought a membership because we only have to go twice and we'll have saved money! It also gets us into the Hogle Zoo back in Utah and the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma. We learned a lot about the local turtles and the not-so-local rhinos. The zoo keepers were very friendly and informative.

We have one more week until Brent starts orientation and then classes. While I'm nervous about him starting and how little we're going to see him for the first several months, I think the anticipation is starting to eat us up. It's hard to be in such limbo, especially for Brent who is usually getting up and going to work everyday. But he's working hard around the house to make us feel at home. We have a garden and he is currently working on a snadbox for the girls. We also finally found chairs for our dining table and we bought paint today for them. I really hope we get that project doen before school starts!

Updates and Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Amber P.) — Sat, 23 May 2009 08:28:34 PDT

So this is our last weekend before Brent goes to COT (officer training). I'm looking forward to spending the whole weekend together. We even get to go to the temple this afternoon! I'm rather nervous about his month-long absence and being a "single-parent." Fortunately we're here still in Utah where I have lots of family and friends to help me out, entertain me and generally make the time pass more quickly.

We went to CO last week to visit family and friends and to see Jonson graduate from college. We didn't know until we got there, but his graduation didn't start until 7:30 PM! So, we hung out with him in the afternoon, but we didn't go to the actual ceremony. Sorry! But we are very proud of him for reaching that goal and wish him the best at graduate school if he decides to stay in the country long enough to attend all his classes! Silly silly us, we forgot the camera. Very unfortunate since we had some really fun times.

While we were in CO we heard from a gal in TN that made a final decision about selling her house. She's not going to, which means that she wants to rent it to US! Yeah. It's big with a front room AND a play room. The backyard is HUGE and we're going to put a fence up so the girls can play and play and play outside while I do dishes and laundry and clean. (Or maybe I'll just sew and read and blog!) For those familiar with the area (all one of you, Jenny, who read the blog!) it's in Cumberland Gap but I think it's pretty close to the church.

You all know how much I LOVE sleeping baby pictures and I think this one takes the cake:

Here are some of our nature day at the International Peace Gardens in SLC.

And this is Sammi having lunch with the "boys" who worked on the water pipes on our street. We got home one day when they were having lunch. Sammi ran inside for a cheese stick and then ran out and sat right down with them. She was in heaven!

Easter, Earth Day and Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Amber P.) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 12:41:43 PDT

Spring Dresses for Easter Earth Day Craft

FUN!

More Ice Cream!

noreply@blogger.com (Amber P.) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 08:06:07 PDT

Well, after trying, twice, we missed Ben and Jerry's Free Scoop Day. Such a bummer. But, all is not lost because next Wednesday is Baskin Robbins 31 cent scoop night! Here are the details:

Baskin Robbins 31 Cent Scoop Night
Wedensday April 29 5-10 pm
All 2.5 oz scoops just 31 cents!

As if an inexpensive way to feed the ice cream wasn't enough, Baskin Robbins is also partnering with the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) and there will be Firefighters scooping ice cream and teaching kids about fire safety! Basking Robbins is donating $100,000 to support the National Junior Firefighter Program.

I've been meaning to take Sammi and Elli on a tour of the fire house and haven't gotten around to it. This will be the perfect intro to firefighters before the tour! Can't wait to see you there! The BR in Orem is on State Street and 200 North. Hope to see you there!

More Sleeping Shots

noreply@blogger.com (Amber P.) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 23:00:01 PDT

I love those sweet little hands.
Brent caught us napping one Saturday (or was it Sunday?) afternoon.

Random Cute Pics

noreply@blogger.com (Amber P.) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 23:01:00 PDT

Sammi on her first horse ride. Not her favorite adventure!
The table at our Relief Society Birthday Party enrichment activity. The theme: The Errand of Angels.
Sammi's April Fools' Day outfit and hairdo. I braided a pipe cleaner into her hair to get it to stand up. She did the backwards shirt all by herself.
Sammi let me French braid her hair.
The only way I could get Sammi to let me clip her nails was to promise to paint them afterward. She then painted mine. It was a very fun activity, as always!

Make Way for the Commissioned Officer!

noreply@blogger.com (Amber P.) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 08:11:32 PDT

Brent was sworn into the Air Force last Saturday as a 2nd Lieutenant. He received their health professionals scholarship for medical school. They will cover all school expenses and give us a living stipend. In return Brent will work for them after graduation and we will get to travel the world! It's win-win in my book.
We're very proud of you, Brent for all your hard work getting into medical school and getting this scholarship. You will be an amazing physician and contribute so much to the field of osteopathic medicine.
Four guys received the scholarship and were sworn in that day. All four of the are attending DO schools (doctor of osteopathic medicine). Brent will be at Commissioned Officer Training with two of the guys that were there that day. They all seem nice, it was a relief to Brent to know there would be guys he relates to at COT!

Yummy Dinners

noreply@blogger.com (Amber P.) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 23:52:25 PDT

Here are some yummy dinners we've eaten recently:
Navajo Tacos on fry bread is one of our favorites. It's a great way to finish up leftover chili.
This beautiful assortment of colors turned into stir fry that was oh so yummy. I love all the veggies!
Okay, so this one wasn't dinner! But isn't it pretty? It's pumpkin bread with chocolate chips cooked in my new bundt pan. It's so fun to eat!

When I do a bunch of posts at once, the first ones get neglected. So I am spacing them out with one new post a day for the next several day. Be sure to come see tomorrow's post where Brent becomes an officer.

Elli

noreply@blogger.com (Amber P.) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:06:01 PDT

Ohh, that face!

Sisters

She would NOT let go of the gummy worms!

Long Lost Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Amber P.) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 15:03:28 PDT

Here are some cute pictures from our snow days!

Sledding with Daddy

The Neighbors' Slide

Mommy's Favorite: Snow Angels

I Won!

noreply@blogger.com (Amber P.) — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:01:15 PST

Thanks to I Never Grew Up, I have won my first giveaway! It wasn't the Lovey Duds baby wrap, but it WAS a $50 gift card to Natural Pod. Yipee! I'm having a hard time deciding what to get. Everything is so fun and classic. Any suggestions?

I Never Grew Up's Birthday Giveaway Party

noreply@blogger.com (Amber P.) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 20:56:25 PST

I Never Grew Up is celebrating one year of blogging by offering over $1200 in giveaways. Check out Vanessa's favorite companies who are all contributing to the birthday party.

I hope I win #7, a baby wrap from Lovey Duds. Such cute fabrics and a great design.