Gobble, Gobble

Over the last few days I have been given this gift to submerge myself in a little of my past, a little of my passion. When I was in college I was a Resident Assistant for 3 years, and a small part of my requirements as a RA was to make "door decs" for my residents. They were these little decorations that you would make,put the persons name on them and hang it on their door. The intention was to bring a "welcoming" feeling between you and your residents. However, these turned into so much more for me. They brought a sense of community, a sense of bonding...My fellow RA's and I would sit for hours every month and make these door decs, they became a sense of expression, art, true meaningful thought to what it meant to the person receiving these. At the end of the year I could walk down the hall and see all my hours of work displayed on the doors, and when my residents would stop by and say thanks or comment on the new one for the month, that is how the community was formed, the bonding, the lasting relationships that I gained.

So that brings me to how I was recently given this gift all over again. When Tim moved over to M&I Bank he became the financial advisor to 4 branches and gained about 37 people that he works with. When Halloween came, the night before he said he wanted to put something together for his co-workers. That is when it came to me... I would do door decs in a way, okay so I made them and put them on the outside of a paper bag, but there were homemade cookies inside ( pumpkin spice with cream cheese frosting...yum) I wasn't able to set aside the time like I used to, but I got a little bit done here and there, and I was very excited about how they turned out and I am ready to start on one for Christmas.

(sorry about the pic quality, my camera broke, so while it is being repaired I have to use my backup)

I did make two extras to put on Griffin and McKenna's door and start them on this path of creativity and excitement of what is to come. When I was making these turkey's they were usually after the kids went to bed and Tim would be doing his thing, so I put on the headphones to rock out, but mainly started to think about the way things are in my life, and while some days I can't seem to find the air to breathe or I feel like I am drowning, there are so many things that I am thankful for. So for this week it only seems fitting that I list a few things that I am thankful for...

1.) I am thankful for my hubby and all he does so I can stay home to raise our children (most days...)
2.) I am thankful that I have two beautiful, intelligent babes
3.) I am thankful for exact-o knifes, there were a lot of pieces to cut out for the turkeys
4.) I am thankful that Griffin is potty training and McKenna is dabbling in the world of solid foods so accidents and messes happen, which means more dirty clothes (okay, so I am thankful for the accomplishments not the extra load of laundry)
5.) I am thankful for the food network, that is where I got the cookie recipe...

I will leave with those as my starters and add more as the week goes on...gobble, gobble...

In a child's mind

As you know we are in the midst of potty training, and doing pretty successful so far with it.

So yesterday, after 40 long days, we finally got a little rain and actual fall type day. I had the kids out in the backyard for a couple hours prior to the rain, and then the rain started and Griffin came up to me with the best analogy.

Griffin: "Mama, you don't go potty in your underwear, like the rain."
Me: "Yeah, you don't go potty in your underwear."
Griffin: "The rain didn't go in the potty, did it?"
Me: "No, you are right."
Griffin: "The rain went potty on the grass and sidewalk, but that's okay."
Me: "Yeah, that's okay, do you have to go potty now??" (as he was doing the "pee-pee" dance)
Griffin: "Yeah!"

Off we went inside..

Oh, to see the world again through the eyes of a 2 year old...

The next color...

Well as you can see his nose is now a shade of green with a hint of purple, but it is looking better.

As for my little girl, it has been a struggle of wills today as she is so desperately trying to crawl. She is just so anxious to play with her brother. She is getting up in more of a "push-up" position and then falls forward, it is only a matter of time...

Tim is coming home tonight and his plane has been delayed, so every little noise we hear outside you see Griffins little body run to the window and press his face against the window. Then he yells, "Daddy, Daddy, where are you??" It is just so amazing to me how much has changed in the last 5 days, Tim has yet to see Griffins new battle wounds or to see the progress that McKenna is making on her mission to move. Everyone is excited to see him and share of all our adventures of the last week, and Griffin has many things to tell his Daddy. He says he is going to tell him about his nose, the doctor took a picture of it, the M&M's, helicopters, elephants (at rainforest cafe), M&M's (yes, again), Maggie (my aunt's dog), and M&M's (as you can tell he is very excited about this part), and the slide at the park, and airplanes, and M&M's. So I hope that Tim doesn't want to talk to much when he gets home because Griffin has alot to say.

Viva Las Vegas

Wow, I don't even know where to begin on this one. Tim was out of town yet again for work so I decided that what better way to spend that time than to go up to Vegas and visit some much loved and missed family. My Aunt Diane (who I think of more like a sister than an aunt), and my cousin Deidre and Danielle live up in Vegas, so my Mom and I packed up the car on off we went. We got up there and the first night we were there we were all sitting in the living room and catching up and Griffin was running around the room being the main event. He was making McKenna laugh this great belly laugh and then BOOM. Down he went face first on the tile. I was holding McKenna, so I ran over and handed her off and scooped up Griffin within seconds. I walked about 3 feet to get into the light and I said to myself, why him? Why, Why Why? His nose immediately bruised and started to swell. I thought without a doubt that it was broken, so my aunt and I loaded him up in the car and began our journey to the ER, his nose started to bleed, but thank goodness not that bad.

I called Tim on the way, knowing that making that phone call was frustrating for all 3 of us because Griffin and I wanted him there and Tim was still in Phoenix and not with us, not knowing exactly what was going on. But into the ER Diane and I went with my poor babe. However, this little man with a swelling and throbbing nose and long bruise beginning to appear on his forehead, dictated to the nurse how to take all his vitals as we did the first steps in checking in. A two year old should not know these things. But the good news is with some cool X-rays that Griffin was impressed with, some Motrin, ice and two Popsicles the doc said no broken nose.

He had an orange Popsicle, can you tell?

The next morning it looked better, but since then the bruise has been getting bigger and changing colors, so Griffin is having fun looking at the new color in the morning. But wow, we spent the next day on the strip, going to the M&M store (mmm...) and Griffin experienced the Rainforest Cafe for the first time and the double takes at his nose and then at me have been fun.

The good news is that Griffin decided half way through lunch at the Rainforest cafe, with the bathrooms up a long flight of stairs, that he was ready to make a real go at potty training so we are making successful steps in that world.

We also got to see the lions at the MGM and the wedding chapel that my parents got married at almost 28 years ago.

McKenna had a good time too, she is so close to crawling she can't stand it. I am sure that is only days away.

We had great fun, had a long drive home, but what an experience.

Happy Halloween

We hope that your Halloween was

Messy

Out of this world

Surprising

All together Happy!

oh happy day

My sister got married last weekend and what a day. Many times events like these don't go without tension, anxiety, some sort of panic; which took place is small doses throughout the week. However, never have I attended an event where it was just a pure, joyous event. They were married in a small church in downtown Glendale and then we were able to walk across the street to the Spicery for the reception. One of the best moments was when Griffin was in his tux, walking down the aisle, until he saw me about started to run about 4 pews away.

Jessica and I worked at the same place until I quit to stay home, but I got to spend a great deal of time with one of my favorite former co-workers, and catching up on old office happenings is always a good time!

The thing that I love about my sister is that she is who she is, take her or leave her. The theme of the wedding was "The Corpse Bride", which some would say is unconventional, however, this is who she is, it is what she loves, and so does Tyler, her husband. So there were skeleton soaps as party favors, a corpse bride cake, skeleton lights and so on, and it was perfect.

Yeah for the official addition to our family.

A break in the hustle of life...

As we have been so busy with just life in general we have been blessed to take a few steps back here and there and really enjoy it.

We got to experience feeding time at the zoo...

We were able to head up north and breathe in a little October air and immerse ourselves in some very missed fall foliage...

And feeling grateful that my Dad took off yesterday to watch my babes so I could go with my mom and sisters to experience some much needed girly time in preparation for my sisters big day, which is tonight...