Sledding

Last week it snowed enough to cover the grass so we went and bought the girls their very first sled. They absolutely loved it! We will eventually take them down a hill, but for now daddy just pulls them around the backyard.

Shelby hasn't ever really played in the snow before since she wasn't very old last year. She LOVES it.

Kadence wanted to do snow angels. We haven't ever shown her how so she must have seen it on tv. She did pretty good for her first time.

For some reason Kadence didn't want to sled unless mommy went with her so daddy got a chance to pull all three of his girls.

Shelby ended up trying to get into the sled all by herself, slipping and falling. When she fell she smacked her face on the ground and ended up with a bloody nose and lip. We may not have a little boy, but we have Shelby!

Our New Fish

We have had a big fish tank just sitting in our storage room for a few months and we decided to finally get some fish for it. Our girls were so excited! They loved looking at all of the fish in Petco.

Here is a picture of daddy getting the tank ready for our new fish.

The girls had to wait until the next morning to see the fish in their new tank because we had to wait until they got used to the temperature of the water. They were so excited to wake up to such a great surprise. Kadence picked out the Ariel decoration and Shelby keeps calling her "Rella-rella" (Cinderella) She thinks all princesses have the same name. We started with 10 fish and are now down to 3. Kadence doesn't get upset when they die which is a little surprising. We will be adding a few more fish soon!

Raking Leaves With Daddy

Ok, so we all know that kids don't clean the leaves, but make a big mess playing in the leaves. My kids absolutely love playing in the leaves every year. Here are a few of the pictures I took.

Disney on Ice

When we saw that Disney on Ice was coming and that it was Princesses, we were so excited to go. A family member purchased the tickets for us for Christmas so that we would be able to take the girls. We took frontrunner down so that we didn't have to pay for gas or parking. Since we are students we were able to ride down for free. It was Shelby, Kadence and my first time riding on frontrunner. Kadence was SO excited to ride on a train and a bus all in one day.

My brother and his wife were going as well and met us on the train in Clearfield. As soon as they announced the Clearfield stop, I realized we had forgotten out Disney on Ice tickets! I hurried and called my brother to see if I could take his car and drive it to the Ogden station to get my car. So once we got to Clearfield the adventure began! I ran to his car, sped to our car, then sped to the gas station because the gas light was on, sped to our house to grab the tickets and then hurried to the freeway. It had started snowing at this point and it was really foggy. I hate driving in the snow, but knew I needed to hurry. While I was busy rushing, David was busy trying to entertain the girls on the train/bus and then he had to wait in the will call section of Energy Solutions Arena. The bad news was that there were no bathrooms, no food court, and nothing to do. He tried his best to keep the girls happy, but they were getting tired by that point. I arrived a half hour late which is pretty good. So we were able to see most of the two hour show.

When we got there we had missed a few princesses, but Snow White was just about to come on. Kadence LOVES Snow White and was SO excited!

She was in complete awe. She sat like this for quite a while just staring at Snow White, the dwarfs and the witch. She was in heaven!

When Snow White and Beauty and the Beast were over they brought out all of the princesses and their princes. She was so excited to see them all I can only imagine what she would be like in Disney Land.

Shelby was interested for the first half hour, and then was getting restless. Daddy went out to buy our snow cone cups since I always got one when I went as a kid. I think this was Shelbys favorite part. The girls new Aunt Tiffany bought them crowns and coloring books. Shelby wanted to look down at the snow cone, but keep the crown on her head....it was quite the task.

They kept Cinderella for the end and gave her almost an hour. Kadence was so excited since Cinderella is her favorite. Cinderella is also Shelbys favorite, but by this point Shelby wanted to run around in the hall instead of watch the show.

The girls had a blast despite the adventure of it all and were so tired they fell asleep in the car on the way home.

I love that Kadence is sleeping with her crown on.

Changing Kadence's Shirt

Ok, so changing a shirt is not a big deal to most but I am so happy I pulled it off. Kadence has a shirt underneath her risser cast to help protect her skin. Unfortunately it gets really stinky and messy after a few months. We usually just try to hand wash parts of it and then blow them dry but the Dr who did her last cast told us that we could actually change the shirt if we were up for the challenge. Of course I was up for the challenge! If it means that my daughter doesn't stink then why not? He gave me an extra "stretchy shirt" and told me I could try.

Here's how tiny the shirt is.

To take the shirt off I had to lay her down, stand her up, twist her, shove her, and she was such a trooper! This is the shirt halfway off.

Here is a video of Kadence checking out her bare belly in the mirror. It cracks me up because she kept banging on her belly.....the things we take for granted....like being able to see our bare stomach. (The video is sideways because I don't know how to turn it.)

After looking in the mirror it was back to business getting her shirt back on. I had to flip her this way and that way, but luckily she was VERY cooperative. It kills me she is such a good kid.

TA-DA!! We did it!!

3rd Cast

Yesterday Kadence went in to get her 3rd cast. She was having a hard time deciding which color she was going to do. I think I heard every color combination. I didn't care what color she picked as long as it wasn't pink. After two casts with the florescent pink, I am done for a while. We had to be in Salt Lake by 7 am which is not my idea of a good morning. I feel so blessed that we live so close to one of the only hospitals that does the castings. Some people drive for hours or have to fly. We are so lucky to have the best right around the corner.

Kadence and I tried to pass the time by taking pictures. David was so tuckered out that he fell asleep. (Kadence took the picture below, with a little help.) We were told to be there by 7, but she didn't end up going back into surgery until 11:30. It is a little hard to coup up such an energetic little girl. I think I heard "Mommy, I'm hungry." about ten times. I had to keep telling her that we had to wait for the Dr before we could eat. It bought me a little time before she would ask again.

I of course packed a bag full of items to entertain. This trip she decided she wanted to color. Every casting she gets attached to something and won't let it go....this time it was daddys pen and her notebook.

They come and give her a dose of medicine to help her relax. It makes her so loopy. She just started rambling and had David and I laughing so hard. Even the nurses were laughing this time. She kept insisting that she sit up which made me very nervous. She fell back once before we decided daddy should help her sit up.

Kadence was such a brave little girl. She just waved goodbye this time and went off with the nurses. Not a single tear! After she left the Dr doing the cast talked with David and I. He said that the MRI she had done a year ago concerned him a little. He thinks it would be a good idea to do another MRI in the future to check a few things. In the last MRI it showed that she had some fluid in front of some of her vertebrae which isn't good. He also said that it looked like she had a split cord. If she does have a split cord it would complicate things quite a bit. He said that after looking at her he doesn't know if she really does because she looks fairly normal. He wants to follow up with an MRI so we know what we are up against. Hopefully it's nothing.




The casting went well and when the nurses brought her back to us they told us what a chatter box she was. She had made them so visibly happy. It is incredible to me that she can bring smiles to just about anybody. The cast was put on too high and was digging in under her chin. We had the Dr look at it and he was able to cut off a little bit. Since then she has been a lot more happy. In the picture above I hadn't finished putting on the 'petals'. (The white things that go around the edges of the cast to make it a little more comfortable...and happen to look like petals of a flower.) I still haven't put the all petals on yet, but will post a picture when I do. The Dr that helped her yesterday wasn't her usual Dr, Dr. Roach. His name was Mike and Kadence was very comfortable with him which was nice. I liked how helpful he was. He gave us some neoprene to put around the bottom of the cast to help keep it waterproof. I had no idea what neoprene was, but it is the stuff they make wetsuits out of. He also gave me an extra shirt and told me how to change it. It will be a BIG project, but she gets so stinky that it will be necessary to change the shirt.



The nurse gave us the ok to feed Kadence something small. I picked out an apple, two kinds of crackers and a roll figuring she might take a bite of something. She started shoveling it into her mouth. I was afraid she was going to choke on it. The nurse laughed and hoped her stomach would be able to handle it.

After Kadence's x-ray and talking with Dr. Mike, we determined that Kadence would go 3 months in her cast instead of 6 weeks. He wants to try and use her growth to help correct the curve which means he needs her in it long enough to grow. He also doesn't like bringing kids into the operating room so often. He likes to bring them in 4 times a year at the most. It is going to be interesting since we won't be able to bath her for 3 months, but it also has it's advantages. If we cast every 3 months that would mean that there would only be 2 more castings during the school year...meaning David would only need to take 2 more days off. We have been stressing about applying for catastrophic leave and this would mean that we wouldn't need to. (As long as there aren't any complications and nobody gets hospitalized.) We are very excited that he has 6 days of leave left for the year and only 2 more castings. It has taken a huge stress off us.

Her curve before the cast was 61 degrees and he was able to get the curve down to 45 degrees in cast. (The curve will not stay that good out of cast, but it is a huge difference.) The lowest her curve has been was in her 2nd cast and she had a 37 degree curve in cast. Hopefully we will be able to keep her down around the 40's. That is about where we are aiming.

Kadence Singing

This is Kadence's new favorite song. Let me rephrase that, her new favorite church song. She was singing it all morning so I pulled out the camera. She is watching Monsters Inc at the same time, which explains her enthusiasm. She is still trying to figure out the words to the end of the song so at a certain point she just starts rambling/mumbling. I thought it was pretty good for a 3 year old.

The next video was her starting to sing and Shelby scaring her. Shelby was screaming like the monsters in the movie. Kadence didn't think it was very funny.....but I sure did.

David got a slackline for his birthday and just barely got it in the mail a few days ago. It has been killing him because he had school and couldn't really play on it. Yesterday he got in about an hour and was able to go down to one tree and back to the starting tree. Today I had the camera out and he didn't do as well. It is kind of like a tightrope and is so much harder than it looks.

Uncle Jeff was able to get a few steps which is really good!

Kadence was terrified but finally tried it.

Shelby LOVES it! She actually was getting pretty good at the end and could walk without tons of help. Hopefully she will be a pro in a year or two. :)

I was trying to get proof that David could make it from one end to the other and back again. I think since I was filming him he psyched himself out and couldn't do it. In this video he cheats and lunges toward the tree, but yesterday he did a lot better. Hopefully I will get video soon of him doing it soon.

Uncle Jeffy bought a gummy foot with candy bones. It was so disturbing. I wasn't a huge fan, but Kadence sure did like it!

In this picture Kadence is eating a toe.....Gross!

Potty Time

So every time Kadence goes potty, Shelby runs in saying potty potty! She takes a seat on Kadence's stool and just watches her. I can understand why that might not be comfortable for Kadence, but it is just too funny. I grabbed my camera and captured all the emotion in one picture. Shelby- delighted beyond words, Kadence- I think the foot on her sister says it all. At least when Kadence is done Shelby yells, "Yay, Kay Kay!" I guess Kadence is a hard name for the little ones. She is working on it though.

Funny Little Fact

I forgot to mention something we have learned over the past week. We have had a few trips to the Dr's office with both girls and learned that Shelby finally passed Kadence in weight. I thought it was going to happen sooner to be honest. Shelby is 28.8 pounds and Kadence is 25.5 (Without brace). I can't believe Shelby is 19 months younger and bigger than her big sister. Too funny!

Kadence

Today Kadence went to Shriners to get an x-ray and set a 'game plan' for the next few months. It wasn't until after the x-ray that we were told her Dr was stuck in Iraq. (possibly Iran because we heard both) The guy we were talking to was kind of funny. When I said that didn't sound like much fun he said,'Ya it isn't like being stuck in Denver or Iowa....Iraq is a little different.' So we were a little upset that David took the day off of work and we weren't even able to talk to the Dr about the next few months. Then we looked on the bright side and realized we did get her x-ray so we could do the rest over the phone and most people who come to the SLC Shriners come from Montana or the East Coast. We didn't have a long drive or a plane ride to be frustrated over so we feel pretty lucky. The doctor is supposed to be getting back the beginning of next week and will be calling me. The Dr who did look at the x-ray and talk to us said he is pretty sure it is time for another cast. Her curve is back up to 66 degrees which isn't great news. Also most kids are only out of cast for about 6 months and Kadence is at 5 months. Naturally the child grows and they need to get them in a new brace, but since Kadence's curve progressed they will do a few castings first to try and correct the curve a little. So when the Dr gets back he will most likely call to schedule Kadence next casting. Probably right in between Halloween and Thanksgiving.

After the appointment, we took Kadence to the zoo. She LOVES going to the zoo and it is a good bribe too. We took her on the train for the very first time and she was so funny. Her little smile was so cute as she told us all about the train and the different animals she saw. Then we went to see the baby elephant and baby giraffe. Two of her favorite animals and how often do you get to see baby animals at the zoo?


On a side note, Shelby is feeling much better and is doing her breathing treatments without too much fighting.

Shelby

So Sunday Shelby started to get the cold symptoms and since she was exposed to swine flu on Friday (For the second time) we decided we might want to watch her closely. I called the wee care and asked if there was a benefit to taking her in and without saying no, the MA said no. She said that to test that early, we would get a negative whether she had it or not and some pediatricians aren't giving tamiflu anyways. So we decided to just treat her at home.

Monday she started with a pretty high fever and was having some trouble breathing. We took her in and the swine flu test came back negative. The doctor was a little surprised and decided to do a strep test. It too came back negative. While he was hesitant, he started telling us it must just be a virus and we would have to let it run its course. Right when he finished he said he wanted to get a chest x-ray. While he was giving us the 'usual virus speal' he was watching how quickly Shelby was breathing. We went and got an x-ray by the coolest guy EVER! He was Russian but sounded a lot like Borat and even said 'Very Nice' I couldn't stop laughing. The x-ray showed that Shelby had pneumonia. He started her on an antibiotic and wanted her back for a follow up the next day.

Yesterday we brought her to her follow up and the doctor (A different one than the instacare who is partnered with the girls primary pediatrician) told us that by looking at the lung shape in Shelby's x-ray she could tell right away that she has asthma. She did another swine flu test because she was sure Shelby had it too. Again, negative. She told us that she is almost positive that she has it although the tests keep saying she didn't. She had us give Shelby a breathing treatment before we left to see if it could help her breathing any. That was an experience to say the least. Shelby turned into one of those demonic children you see on 20/20. We haven't ever seen a kid act that way at all. It was absolutely crazy. Yelling, hitting, kicking, headbutting.....anything to get away. The dr came back in and said ' I gather she wasn't too fond of that.' Which was pretty funny.

Today Shelby woke up without a fever and actually ate a few bites of her lunch. She is a little cranky and stuffy, but worlds different from the past few days. Hopefully she only goes up from here.

Crayons

To make coloring a little more interesting for the kids, I found a way to mix the colors and make them into shapes. The main reason people do it is to use up all of the broken old crayons instead of throwing them away.

Start by unwrapping crayons and breaking them into pieces. Place about 2-3 broken crayons into a muffin tin. I used the disposable kind because it seemed like it would be easier to get them out.

Bake for 10 minutes at 200 degrees. You can burn wax so be careful. Take them out of the oven and allow to completely cool. They only take about 10-15 minutes to cool and you will notice the edges will start to pull away from the muffin tin. Gently pop them out and enjoy!

These are a few of the 'rainbow' crayons I made.

After taking the first batch out of the oven I noticed they were a little thin. I used 3 crayons instead of two and it made them substantially thicker and more durable for little hands. Let your kids help pick the color combos. They will enjoy seeing what color comes from it. I used a toothpick to stir the hot wax when I took it out of the oven to give it a little more character.

Scarecrow Tostadas

For family night last Monday we put up all of our Halloween decorations as our activity. To get in the mood I made scarecrow tostadas for dinner. I got the idea out of a Pillsbury Halloween magazine and although it didn't turn out as cute as the picture in the magazine, the girls like it.

You put down the tostada and top it with ground beef and refried beans. You put a tortilla chip at the top for a hat. You put two dollops of sour cream topped with sliced olives for the eyes, a baby carrot stick cut in half for the nose and a slice of tomato for the mouth. Between the hat and the eyes place shredded lettuce and shredded cheese to act as the 'stuffing.' Kadence thought it was so great she didn't want to eat the face, but eventually I coaxed her into it.

Pumpkins!

This year I decided not to let the girls help us carve pumpkins, but paint them instead. It gets so cold out by the time David gets home and they aren't able to help as much as they want to. Painting gave them the opportunity to do it 'all by themselves' which I think was their favorite part.

Shelby loved to 'splat' her paint on....which happens to be why it is all over her face.

Kadence took the more delicate road. She was very serious about her painting.


We bought some pre-cut cookies so the girls could help put them on the pan without the mess. They loved it!

I handed Kadence a cookie to put on the cookie sheet and turned around to get Shelby a cookie. Right as soon as I turned around, Kadence took a bite of the cookie dough. David, Jeff and I were laughing SO hard. Then she thought she was in trouble and spit the piece she ate out onto the pan. What a character. We all had a fun time and the girls were so proud of their pumpkins.

Kids

I write about a lot of things, but usually not the little things my kids do.

Yesterday Kadence was being such a good mommy to her baby. She is such a sweet little thing. She has even mastered holding the baby with one arm while patting the babies butt with the same hand and playing with another toy in the other arm. She told me how beautiful her baby was and told me she wanted to smell her hair. (I guess she does notice when I smell her~ I like the way little ones smell.) She was singing to her and just being so sweet.

Today while I was trying to calm the girls down for nap we went through our usual routine. The girls get to watch a 'show' on TV while laying on a travel size pillow with their blankies. I went in the other room to clean up after lunch and both girls were being SO loud....happy, but loud. I came to see what all the ruckus was about and found Shelby sitting on Kadence. When I asked her what she was doing, she just laughed and laughed which made Kadence laugh. It is so strange that both girls came from the same parents. Kadence is so mild mannered and sweet and Shelby is a rowdy trouble maker. Either way, I love them both so much and love the way they can make me laugh when I have a bad day.

Ok, maybe this will work

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Swine flu

So Friday my family was exposed to the swine flu at a family birthday party. I wasn't too concerned since none of us were in close contact with the people who came down with it. Unfortunately, yesterday Kadence woke up with a stuffy nose. I figured it was because of the rain and checked her temperature. She was her usual 97.2. I watched it close all day because Kadence is more susceptible since she has asthma. She threw up during nap which we figured was because she coughed too hard. (Not unusual for her) In the evening I noticed she had a rash on both legs and both arms. This isn't a primary indicator of swine flu, but it did alert me to take her temperature. Of course she did have a low fever. We called the Dr and got her right in. The doctor was pretty convinced that she did indeed catch swine flu so he ordered the rapid test. It came back negative. He told David that this didn't mean she didn't have it because it might not show up if you test too soon. I kept telling myself that it is just a cold and not swine flu. This morning she can't even walk 3 steps without crying because her body hurts so bad. She has been on the couch all morning which is SO unlike her. I read on the CDC's website and it says that the rapid test is very sensitive and only about 10-70% accurate and does NOT rule out having the virus. Bummer! I kept trying to convince myself that she just had a bad cold not swine flu but unfortunately I think she does. The doctor told David when to seek more medical treatment. (Fever that doesn't go away within 4 or 5 days, labored breathing, etc.) So I guess we will just treat her at home and hope nobody else gets it. Wish us luck!

Tough memories

I had to write a personal narrative essay for my English class. The essay needed to be something that has changed us as a person. I have had many things that have changed me and defined who I was throughout my life, but nothing more than the birth of Kadence. I thought it would be so simple to write 4 pages about her struggle in the beginning. I mean to cram a month into 4 pages seemed like it would be so easy. I was very wrong. It was so hard to express my feelings and I never knew how much I have actually hidden from everyone....including myself. As I wrote, it was almost therapeutic. I have always felt I needed to be strong, but never realized how much I was truly going through inside. I am so appreciative of all my family who helped David and myself through one of the toughest times of our lives. Most importantly I am grateful for everyone who helped Kadence. She had so much love and support from family and I know that is what helped her stay strong. I am also thankful for Kadence who taught me that no matter the odds placed against you, the choice is up to you. You can always be determined to prove the Dr's wrong. I am so grateful for my family and the love and support that is there. Thanks!

Yay

So at the end of yesterdays blog I was hoping for a happier Kadence and I got her! She slept really well last night and only got up a few times. She still isn't quite up to par, but she is improving and becoming more herself. Right now she is at the stage where she feels better enough to know she doesn't feel well. Although it is hard because she cries a lot, she is doing tons better. Her meltdowns don't last near as long, she is drinking and eating better than yesterday, and she is off the couch more often to play. I am so excited that she is finally feeling a little better. I know it will be better in the long run to have had this done, but we picked a bad time to do it. Why didn't we do it in the summer when we didn't have school and work? I guess we just like to make our lives a little more complicated. :)

On the mend

Kadence had her tonsils out on Friday and it went pretty well. Before any surgery or procedure where you will get anesthesia, you of course have to fast. Normally Kadence does really well, but this time was the exception. She woke up at 12:30 and cried and cried.....and cried. She slept off and on, but mommy didn't get more than an hour of sleep.

We arrived at the hospital, and I haven't ever seen anybody have such a hard time figuring out her name. From check-in to nurse to nurse, it seemed like her name changed. Of course we got Joy as her first name but I am used to that. We also got E as her first name. I don't understand why they didn't know that that was her middle initial and was getting frustrated. The anesthesiologist came to talk to us and he made me feel very very comfortable. I hate that you can choose your Dr, but not your anesthesiologist. I think both are equally important and I love that this one made Kadence, David and I feel comfortable. They took her back and Kadence didn't even cry! She did tell the nurse all about how if she was brave she would get a present though, so I think the bribe worked very well.

David and I ran to eat while she was in surgery because we were starving. I hate leaving her because I always feel like something will go wrong once I leave. I made David shovel it in so we could rush back to the waiting room. The surgery only took about 20 minutes and the Dr said it couldn't have gone any better. He said her tonsils were huge and her throat is tiny. He also said that her adenoids had so much tissue attached to them that he thinks she couldn't breath very well because of it.

Kadence got back to the room and watched her new movie (her bribe) and ate a popsicle. She didn't eat very much and was restless. She told me she needed to go potty and I was very surprised to see that she wasn't wet. After the anesthesia, I was sure she would have an accident so I put a pull up on her just in case. I think that is the true test and feel I can now say she is officially potty trained. After the two hours of observation had passed, we asked her if she was ready to home. She said, "No, I'll stay." The nurses thought that was so funny. We told her that when we got home, grandpa and grandma would come visit she rushed out the door without us.

Kadence did really well the first night except for a few minor breakdowns and slept well most of the night. Since then, it has been a little more rough. I had to sleep with her in the recliner the second night and we have been fighting with her to get her to eat or drink anything. I usually can trick her into anything, but nothing is working this time. She is still urinating, so she must be drinking enough. I just worry she will get dehydrated.

Today her mood is a little better although she still isn't eating or drinking much. She has played a little more and told me she wants to go on a walk and also wants to blow bubbles with daddy when he gets home. She also woke up without a fever which she has had since the surgery. I hope this means she is on the mend, because it is breaking my heart to see her so sick. (Not to mention I am falling way behind in school.) Nap didn't go well today, and she ended up needing to rock with me in the recliner instead. I will keep everyone updated and hopefully next blog will have a much happier Kadence in it.

Surgery

Although Kadence has a cold, the Dr said it is alright to go ahead with the surgery. So on Friday she will be getting her tonsils and adenoids removed. I am unusually nervous with this for some reason. She has been put under anesthesia so many times and it has gone well, so it doesn't make much sense. This is less risky than her being casted which should comfort me, but for some reason I can't shake the thought of something going wrong. It is kind of nice in a way because I tell her I love her more, rock her more often and make hugs last longer. When you have a fear dealing with your child I think it makes you realize how much your children mean to you. I love both my girls so much and can't imagine life without them. We have already stocked up on soup, jello, juice, and applesauce. We will be going tomorrow to let Kadence pick out the popsicles of her choice. We also will be finding out the time of the surgery tomorrow. I am hoping it is close to morning so she doesn't have to fast as long, but she does pretty well for a 3 year old. David has taken the day off to be with us at the hospital and David's parents are watching Shelby. I am glad it is on a Friday so that David can help over the weekend. I am excited to have this over with and have Kadence feeling better, sleeping better and breathing better. Wish us luck, I will post on Friday while she is recovering.

The things kids say

I figured I would let everyone into the mind of Kadence. She says some pretty funny things and I have no idea where she comes up with it. Here are a few examples:

(Driving home from Sams Club)
Kadence: I'm going to chase them!
Mommy: Who are you going to chase?
Kadence: The boys mommy!


(After David gave her a new pencil)
Kadence: Mom daddy made me so happy
Mommy: I'm glad you like your pencil.
Kadence: It made my heart feel good!

(While going potty)
Mommy: Kadence don't watch it
Kadence: Will it get in my eye!?
Mommy: No just all over the seat.
She was really worried though.

(While playing 'baby' at Grandmas)
Jeff: I'm a big baby and have a messy diaper, Grandma better change me!
Grandma: I think Kadence should change you.
Kadence: No! Shelby can do it.

(While dancing in the living room)
Kadence: I'm going to be a ballerina and everyone will watch me on stage!!
Luckily we already have her ballerina costume for Halloween.

Finally

I have finally figured out what I am going to be going to school for. OK, to be honest it is what I have always wanted to do. I am going to be majoring in Psychology with a minor in Social Work. I am a little scared because I know this means I am going to have to see some heartbreaking things, but it will hopefully be very rewarding too. I have always run away from the idea because I know the people I come in contact with and the stories they have to tell or the experiences they are going through might just break my heart. At the same time I know how important it is to have a compassionate person helping you through your trials. I am hoping I will be just that person. My goal is to either work in a school as a school counselor or to be a social worker in a hospital. I feel anxious yet at peace with the decision and hope it is the right one.

College

So now that I am officially a college student I find myself being a little more than overwhelmed. How do I balance school work and being a mommy? Then I have to be a wife somewhere in there too. I feel so bad telling the girls to go play and let mommy do her homework. They have been listening really well today, but I almost feel like I am neglecting them. I think they are going to start noticing the difference real soon since David will only see them about 2 hours total over the next 3 days. I am wondering if this is really a good thing or if I should have waited until the girls were older I mean I don't even know what I want a degree in yet. Oh well, I guess I will just have to stick it out and pray that I eventually fall into a groove.

Dozen Roses

Yesterday was David and my 4 year anniversary. I wasn't really expecting anything since we are celebrating tomorrow and I woke up to a dozen roses on the counter. I haven't ever been given a dozen roses and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I hate that you spend so much money to have a ton of flowers die at the same time. I have always told David to never get me more than 3 at a time. He figured since I wasn't feeling well he would count it as 'get well' flowers and 'happy anniversary' flowers. It was really sweet. The funny thing is that Kadence came in the kitchen and insisted that daddy bought them for her not me. By the end of the night she finally admitted they were mine. We ended the day with some take out Chili's with our girls, Jeff and Curtis. It was a nice way to end the day. I am so grateful to have such an amazing husband who is also such a good daddy. Although it did take him FOREVER to propose! I am glad that we were able to get to know each other for so long because we have had some trying times and if we didn't have such a strong relationship I know we wouldn't make it. I love you forever David!

Dinosaur Park

Last Saturday we went to the Dinosaur Park. We weren't sure if the girls...ok so we weren't sure if Kadence would get scared, but she actually really liked it. They loved looking through all the trees to spot the different dinosaurs. Even Shelby had fun pointing them out.

Daddy made sure to fit in the educational part of the dinosaur park. The girls were in absolute awe of it all.

We finished the evening off with Pizzeria Pizza and ice cream.

Splash Pad

On Friday we took the girls to a splash pad in South Ogden. It is completely free and I recommend it to anyone with small kids. It is a nice way to let them play in the water without the stress of constantly making sure they don't drown. My girls loved that they could be more independent than in a pool. Parents are welcome to play in the water as well.

Uncle Jeffy came along too!

Shelby might have enjoyed herself.....I'm not quite sure.

Kadence had a blast. They had little guns that she kept getting daddy and Jeff with. She thought she was SO funny.

We changed and ate some cotton candy before going to the park.


My little monkeys climbing the rock wall.

Shelby loves to pretend to do pull ups on daddy's pull up bar at home. The other day I asked David if she could 'dangle'. We found out that she can. We learned at the park she can also hang on rings. Don't worry Jeff is right there in case she lets go.

After the Splash Pad and the park we went to Subway. My intention was to take it home and eat it, but when David and Jeff got back to the car with our sandwiches we found out the battery had died. Luckily Grandma and Grandpa Joy came to our rescue.

The girls got tired of watching and thought they could just ride home with grandma.....Looks safe enough to me!