Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

We were able to go spend time in Blackfoot with the Bell family for the whole weekend and have a wonderful time with many of Chris siblings and their families. It was very nice to spend some quality time with siblings that we usually don't see, and now might not see so much of since we are moving even farther away. All day the boys were out cutting up the backyard tree to prep it for a treehouse while I spent time with the girls and the kids. I got a good long time cuddling with the newest grandchild who is only 3 weeks old! It was so nice to meet him and get to lull him to sleep. We cleaned up and cooked our Christmas Eve lunch and all got to sit down together to celebrate even though we barely fit.

Claire

Our little girl enjoyed visiting our family for Christmas and opening her presents and leaving them all over the living room. She got to play with her cousins even though she was cranky when we were opening presents because she only got PJs for Christmas Eve and there were fun toys that weren't hers. Since she has a hard time sharing, she wasn't very happy until the next morning. There was some prompting to open the presents since she found her candy first and wanted to eat chocolate for breakfast. Once she found her new toys she wanted to play with each one before opening another.

Shay

This was Shaymay's first Christmas! It was really nice to see how she reacts to everything and liked wrapping paper a lot. She had a great time visiting family and trying to steal Claire's toys as always, but she got some of her own that she doesn't seem to notice. It is cute that she wants to play with Claire and since Claire is going to play with every toy in the house any toy one gets is basically both. My favorite gift was their matching cloths, both PJs from us and shirts and pants from Hailey that I have matching pants with too.

Chris

My husband is always so helpful with all of his dad's projects and while we were there they spent a lot of quality time together. The way they show love for each other is quality time so it was great that we were able to go for several days and have that opportunity. We show his mom love by serving her and helping her around the house every time we are there and had that opportunity as well. Now that one holiday is over, we look forward to our anniversary! In between, we are working on applications to scholarships for PA school and hoping we can get through school with as little debt as possible. I feel lucky that my husband is so proactive with his desire for his PA career and his future.

Christmas gratefulness

I am pretty excited about our new shower head and digital BMI scale we got for our bathroom, its nice to have new nice things. I love that Claire got Legos because they are making her so happy and her new bike she rides a lot as well. Shay seems to like anything Claire likes but I'm glad she got some cute matching outfits, mentioned earlier, and a fun book for her. Chris got me a massage table and oil and I got him fancy Purple pillows because we've had a hard time finding him a good pillow this year. The most thing I loved is that we got to spend time with friends, family, and had our own traditions we participated in.

Winter Wreath

Since we've been married I've been working on my decorating which mostly is things I inherited from my mom when she down graded and then things I've made. I started looking for designs that were easy DIY wreaths for each season of the year so that I could have a pretty door. I don't know which I did first but I didn't want them all the same so summer and spring were easy pickings since they were first and I knew they would be fun. Spring is sparkly tulle tied to a foam wreath and summer is patriotic cotton tied onto the metal wreath. Then my fall wreath is burlap and a orange ribbon woven in an out of a metal wreath, but I didn't get a winter wreath until this year! I kept seeing Christmas but not winter wreaths and finally found the idea I wanted so here it is made with mess around a metal wreath!

The Great News is here!

Claire

She is now in the official trying to repeat sentences for me and it has been a long time coming! I can't believe how long its taken to get her to try and make full sentences with me. It is pretty cute even when she is sucking on her fingers and being shy because the camera is out. We are glad our sickness is out of the house and we are able to get out of the house to play at the gym and in the snow. Every time we step outside, Claire is going into the snow in the yard, even though it is almost gone sometimes.

Shay

She hasn't been much interested in our Christmas tree since we put it up and decorated it during her nap times. She finally noticed it this week and tried to pull it down to her because I put some presents under while she was awake. She can't do that much damage though since it is up so high and she gets distracted by the stuffed reindeer on the ground. Having a happy girl is so nice now that we are no longer sick in our house and she gets to follow us around and complain that we aren't holding her. When we get on the ground she gets so happy and rushes as fast as possible into our laps because we are finally reachable.

Chris

We finally got the wonderful email that we have been waiting for from California! Chris was accepted into the UC Davis School of Medicine in California for their PA Program and even got a scholarship for his first semester there. The next day we also found out that he is on the waiting list at the University of Washington in Tacoma, but we've talked it over and he likes the environment and benefits that Davis offers so we will be moving in May. We are very excited and thought we would be relieved but now the real work begins...he is looking into more scholarships and ways to pay for school while I stress about the many things that need to get done to move.

Pictures

Next year I will do so much better at getting family pictures when it is still somewhat warm in November! The last two years being so cold as we take pictures and I just feel so bad for my sweet little girls I'm not doing this again while they are this young. It was only a half hour and every time we weren't posing we were wrapping them up in the blanket but they still got pretty cold. We will also wear warmer cloths and make sure it is a day that isn't so windy! At least we got a few good pictures which is all I needed to make our Christmas cards.

Getting it Done

Claire

She loved the time we had visiting the grandparents in Blackfoot because she gets to play with the dogs and all the new toys she doesn't get to see often. She learned how to tell the dogs to sit even though they don't listen because I would tell them so they would stop attacking her. She started getting sick on the ride up and was coughing so we were stuck in the house all day not getting to visit other people. We still were able to have some fun time and she likes to eat when she is sitting at the table with everyone so some of the meals were great for her. She is working hard on her words...when I ask her...but will make sure to repeat the full sentences to ask for things. I'm hoping she starts to talk all on her own one day because all she is doing now is resisting and getting what she wants by doing what she has done before.

Shay

She got her first experience with stairs and is able to climb up them but not consistently and doesn't understand how to not fall back down. We were always there to help her though and she loved trying the stairs, especially when she wasn't in cloths and just had the diaper. She tried the trampoline there too and seemed to enjoy when Claire would bounce but only liked sitting on my lap. She got the same bad cough that Claire has which is apparently called croup and is worse while they sleep but cold air helps and we've been using the humidifier as well to help their breathing. Shay got one of her top teeth come through and now she is deadly when she is trying to eat.

Chris

As of now we just wait! Chris went to his interview in Washington on Saturday by taking time off of his drill duties and flying early morning and then flying back that night. Now that it is all done we have to wait until they call within this next week and the other school that he has interviewed for to send their results too. More of a waiting game and it is so close to torture that all I can do is keep busy with the girls to not go crazy! We want to know so we can start planning and looking forward to the time when we get to be in a new situation getting closer to our dream.

Crafting

I had the idea to do some busy books because Claire is getting less interested in the toys we bring to church and when I'm there on the days that Chris can't make it to church she runs away from me. Last time she went and sat with another family because she was heading towards the stage and a nursery leader grabbed her up. I was busy holding a sleeping Shay so it was hard for me to chase her down, so I thank the mothers who know when a child needs to be entertained. Anyway! I researched ideas and ended up creating a mostly original word document. I spent a good couple days off and on making these different pages and right before printing them came up with some more and took a few hours perfecting them. I printed them out, cut out all the tiny pieces, laminated them, cut the tiny pieces out again, bought file folders and went to get those laminated at a UPS, cut them out, and finally put mini velcro dots on all the pieces. You can see each of the six pages including: Letters and Colors, Cars, Shapes and Numbers, Table and Clock, Farm Animals, and the Nativity.

Thanksgiving and Travel

Montana

Just like last year we went up to Montana for Thanksgiving so we were traveling when there is hopefully less weather. We got a storm when we were up there so on the way back there was a lot of snow on the roads  but we made it safe by being careful. It was funny to travel North and start seeing more and more snow as we went. 2 days of traveling up and back to spend 2 days there was worth it because Chris was able to come since someone wanted to switch a shift and I was very happy. Holidays during the winter is a terrible idea but we are still lucky to be able to travel so far so easily.

Claire

She always has so much fun when we visit the Cox Grandparents because of their small dog that she can chase around. We are so lucky she is entertained by watching tv shows while we drive and she loved watching Bolt over an over again. We saw over this break how hard it is so feed this girl! She didn't like the snacks we packed for the road or the food we stopped for at Burger King or a lot of the food we tried to make for her during the trip. We are probably going to start giving her vitamins to help her get all the nutrients she needs because she only likes chocolate and sweet stuff. She has a way of saying no to everything we offer her and will only try it if it was her idea to ask for it or she is stealing it from someone.

Shay

We have a 9 month cutie on our hands now! The way she is cruising and getting around is almost unreal and I forgot how it was to have someone always picking up all the hair from the ground. I've been vacuuming with our new vacuum but she still seems to find more wherever she goes, she is just so talented....she has started eating so many different things during our trip to Montana and all the yummy food we were making. It felt like she ate more at Burger King than Claire did and was the queen for the 4 seconds she allowed the crown to be on her head. She met a dog for the first time this trip and at first was scared because we got in really late and he went straight for her face. The rest of the time was great and she enjoyed when Claire chased him around and even reached out for him a couple times.

More Thanksgiving

On our way back down from Montana we stopped by for another Thanksgiving dinner with the Bell Grandparents at the firehouse. Claire loved running around the hall and finding all the different rooms filled with interesting things like mannequins for CPR training, a pool table, and other random things including people to be new friends. It was nice to have a little time to see them and get a meal but we headed out shortly and got home before the next storm hit our area.

Christmas

We got a lot of snow here on Black Friday which means I stayed in and decorated! I got all the Christmas stuff out and only had Claire break on thing that I was able to fix with super glue. As soon as I got the tree up she started decorating with her dog and woobie, then when we really decorated as a family she loved helping. She would grab an ornament from me and run it to daddy to put on the tree and hurry back for more giggling the whole time. I don't have a lot of things to decorate but I have my main TV area and my book shelf with some nice decorations I've had for a while. The nativities I have don't fit everywhere but hopefully when I have a real house I can bring out all my decorations.

What Cuties!

My Cuties

I just have to say that I have the cutest little girls and I can't get over how cute they have been this week which is also why last night was the worst night we've had in a while. Claire is getting a friction burn from her diaper and is very sensitive and cranky, while Shay has nothing wrong but decided she needed to wake up a lot in the night screaming bloody murder. It just takes a cute week to allow us to deal with terrible night sleeps I guess and they knew it since that was exactly what this week was. I now have a crawling baby that follows me around when I go from room to room, and a toddler that drags me all over the house. I officially can't go to the bathroom without my girls coming to watch me, I feel like a mom threshold has been crossed.

Claire

Some of this week as been great, but then the last few days have been awful because of the little boo-boos she has got around her waist. I want to take care of her and fix all her pain and it was so hard to have her cry in pain when it was new and fresh. Luckily once we bandaged it she felt a lot better and was able to play like normal, running around and making messes like the tornado she is. We still try to get outside even though this week has been getting colder and the leaves in our back yard are the girls favorite to play in and get in their cloths so they end up in my house. At least they are having fun and we get to enjoy the outdoors. I also had her fall asleep on me while we were cuddling on the couch! It was so sweet and I loved remembering how she used to sleep on me all the time.

Shay

My sweet little cruiser is so mobile (except when in a dress) that we have to be careful what we leave on the floor! She picks up so much of my hair and when she locks eyes one something new she hasn't seen will be line to that object, especially food. She loves trying the food we eat and in the past week has tried enchilada sauce, mac and cheese, ramen noodles, and popsicles. Her sharp two bottom teeth are lethal though so anyone willing to put their fingers close better be careful! She can pull herself to standing now and does so often to let me know she doesn't like when I sit up on the couch while she is on the floor. I can see her starting to lift up a foot while standing and think she is already starting to try to walk, or at least going to be walking with support soon. She still likes playing hide and seek with Claire and me and LOVES peekaboo or playing with wipes on the floor, ya know, normal baby games.

Chris

Work consumed three nights in a row and made us both excited for the Thanksgiving vacation we get this coming week. We will be going up to visit my parents and Chris is being a good husband and hasn't complained about having to drive for a long time or go to the cold of Montana. He is such a fun daddy and often lets the girls crawl all over him while he lays on the floor and often gets up in the night to help them when they cry. We have a good trade off with the girls because I'm a morning person and wake up with them unless I don't sleep well which means he gets the night shift. I think it is just easier for him to fall back asleep after waking up, but we make a great parenting team. Unfortunately, we still haven't heard about acceptance into PA school so we are still praying and hoping that soon they will send them out and we can start our plans.

Feeling More Normal

Lara

I'm doing my active recovery as often as I can, and trying to get be as active as possible before it snows and my walks will have to be super bundled up. We already put the girls in coats and hats and bring blankets, but I don't have to wear too many layers yet since I'm doing the pushing and walking. Chris comes as often as he is home, and it is so nice to go out and enjoy the outdoors together with our crazy toddler who likes to walk on her own and takes FOREVER. She explores everything and when we try to rush her she gets even more slow...and then gets mad if we try to put her back in the stroller.

Claire

I say this so often, but it becomes more apparent every day how adorable Claire is with her personality and attitude. She is so fun to watch learn and have opinions about everything even if those opinions start tantrums with yelling and melt downs with it. Her favorite food yesterday was popcorn and had it for breakfast and then asked for more after dinner, so when I told her she had to finish the previous one she ended up dumping it out in her hiding place thinking I wasn't going to know. Of course I noticed the bowl didn't have the little pieces that usually are at the bottom so I knew what she did and we went to where she dumped them out and I had her pick up what she could. I never thought I'd have such a fun time being a parent, and yes it is hard some days, but most the time I find myself enjoying it because she can be so funny sometimes when she is copying her little sister.

Shay

We now have two very mobile girls and it is so surprising to hear where Shay has gotten after leaving her in one room. She will follow her sister through the halls to their room and they played hide and seek a few times this week where Claire would go around the corner and Shay would peek around to see her again. She also loves looking in the full door mirrors that are on the closets of this apartment and plays with herself, giving a high-five and bumping her head against the mirror. Shay has been sleeping so well and having very regular naps mostly except for those rare occasions we are at church or Claire is sleeping in the room and she ends up falling asleep on daddy.

Chris

Still waiting to hear back from the school in California about our acceptance but getting ready for his other interview in Washington. I'm glad he doesn't hold a grudge that I ruined the first interview time with my hospital visit and they were able to invite him to another. Chris has been having some tennis elbow issues and we are starting a new work out program together that is very low weight for my recovering and to hopefully help his elbows. It is so nice to work out together again and have a more normal routine that includes the gym.

Crafting

I am really proud of a cute nativity I made for Chris's brother Steven who is serving a mission in Sierra Leone, Africa. I'm hoping he can use it for teaching about the birth of Christ during the Christmas season to people he is teaching and enjoys it himself. I put felt on cardboard for the background that is folded like a book to put the printed and laminated nativity characters on. There are little poems about each character on the back to read or scriptures from the story in Matthew and Luke that can be looked up to help tell the story. Once it was done, I told the story with Claire and she loved putting the characters on the board as I read about each one so I know kids will like it.

Recovering at Home

Recovering

My recovery from what I call my experience dying is going alright now that I'm home and able to active recovery. I went on a walk to the park which used to be so easy but now I had to go so slow and was breathing like I had been running a mile. I feel discouraged but my doctor assures me things will continue to get better, so I'm dutifully taking my antibiotics which are almost done. My mom was in town until Wednesday helping with the girls and house-ly duties that I don't have the energy for yet. She took me to my doctors appointment on Tuesday where the tubes that were getting the infection were finally taken out! It's nice to have Chris at home who has been helping with his medic knowledge dealing with them, but I'm glad they are gone cause they sucked. Now I get to sleep on my side and even though I'm not sleeping well, I feel so free without them.

Claire

This sweet little girl can be such a nice sister sometimes and loves to help feed Shay...and eat her food. She also can be really mean and sit on her so Shay can't play with her toys! I guess this is how sisters are and will be for their whole lives its funny to see it start so young and innocent. Claire knows when mommy uses a stern voice because she will usually drop what she stole or shouldn't have and run into her room. She has some hiding places that she goes to when she wants to get away with something like eating Shay's food but I know them all if I really need to find her, they are just fun to play with her with. She has some fun games these days including hide and seek, the floor is lava, and nap time, which includes putting her toys to sleep and pretending to be asleep and snoring.

Shay

Our little cruiser! She is so mobile and doesn't get mad about not being able to get things out of reach anymore because she just sets her sights on what she wants and goes. The only problem she has is when she has pants on and is on tile because it is too slippery for her to crawl right so she gets frustrated. It is pretty funny to watch her try to play with her sister and absolutely is annoyed when we go and play in another room without her. She wants to try anything she sees us eat and is fully open to eating the food Claire doesn't finish and leaves in reach, and even chews on her seat when we are trying to feed her. When we went for my first recovery walk to the park, she was able to try her first swing and seemed pleasantly surprised by how the world was moving for her.

Chris

What a great husband and daddy Chris has been through this whole awful appendicitis. He got up with the girls at night when things were weird for them not having mommy around and would wake up often and comforted them. I fell like I've spoiled him too much because he didn't know how to tell the girls cloths apart when he did the laundry and I found some of Claire's in Shay's stuff and vice versa. I'm so used to running the house the way I want it and not letting him help because I like it a certain way that when I was out of commission he had to deal with my organization. Another thing he got to do was shopping for our family! We learned early on that he doesn't handle shopping very well because his main goal is to get out as fast as possible and mine was to not forget anything we might need. I'm just glad he was able to cover for me while I was gone and now I can help out again.

Halloween and Home

Halloween

Our girls got to dress up, but we didn't get to do our full family outfit since I went back into the Hospital for another tube to get another pocket of infection out of me. Luckily, we think that was the last one because I'm starting to feel a lot better and I'm home now as of Friday. Chris and I had planned to be Belle and the Beast with our girls dressed up as Mrs. Potts and Chip because they get cute tutus. It was fun to see their outfits together even if we couldn't go anywhere and be a family outfit together. We didn't have anyone come to our door for trick or treating either and didn't go get any candy ourselves so no treats filling up our house!

Claire

She got a new toy that was from when I was a child! We call the rocking horse chocolate because he is dark brown and adorable and was made by my uncle when we were all growing up. The older nieces have had it for a while in Tennessee but they all decided they were too old and wanted Claire and Shay to get a turn playing with it. When I came home she likes playing with me and listened to my heart with her little stethoscope toy that she got a while ago. It was pretty adorable and she is so cute when she is showing how smart she is with the words she knows and communicating.

Shay

Our little 8 month old has a new tooth! She has a small one poking out from the bottom and has now crawled 5 steps at once as of this morning. She's done 2 and 3 before but she was determined to get to mom's IV that hangs down she crawled all the way to it. She can swing and roll around to get places but mostly just moves backwards and can sit herself up as she is wiggling around. Her naps happen pretty regularly now and its so nice to have a schedule and routine that we can predict with our girls especially with me not feeling so well. Unfortunately, she is fully weaned from breastfeeding because of all the antibiotics and other things going on with me, it was easier for her to have formula from now on and even though it is sad, its only a month sooner than Claire did.