The thing that really sucks.....

...Is when you have a fight/disagreement/argument with your spouse. Things are said that you don't really mean, and who knows why whatever happened made you mad in the first place. Many times it's not really what happened that upset you but there is an underlying issue that has resurfaced in a different form...pin pointing it is the hard part.  Every now and then this happens to us, hopefully it happens to all couples so i feel like we are normal because I really feel like we have a great marriage and love each other and are completely willing to make sacrifices for each other and especially for our family.  Most the time it's the selfishness that interrupts the harmony, or it could also be hormones :)  but what i hate about this is how hard it is to ENJOY OUR CHILDREN TOGETHER.  We distance ourselves and there is a little wall between us for a short while until we cool off, regroup, apologize, and admit our faults.  When this happens, the kids could be doing the CUTEST thing and i want to go get Abe so he can come see but my pride gets in the way.  I realize how completely crucial it is to raise children in a loving, peaceful, happy home so that they have the best chance possible to grow up as normal, stable, happy, loving people.  A good friend said to me once "...probably the best gift two people can give their kids is to love each other."  This was before either of us had children but i have never forgotten it and as i live each day and go through the battles and the triumphs and the joys and the heartaches, it hits me how absolutely true that statements is.  My children will best thrive in a loving environment where they see a mom and a dad laughing and hugging and talking and equaling taking part in their children's progressions through life.  A healthy, strong marriage makes someone the best person they can be for themselves, their spouse, and especially their children.  So inevitably the arguments and the disagreements will happen but the most important thing is to figure out what is really frustrating you, communicating about it, and humbling yourself to apologize and look at your own actions.  Forgiveness is something that comes very easy for me thankfully.  I can't think of anything in my life more important and worth the effort than my husband and children.  I love them so much.

I kiss her a million times a day even covered in oatmeal

 So cute when they play together

 Waiting for frontrunner

 Getting squeaky clean

 Most the time he doesn't smile for the camera so i'm glad i got one

 Handsome, adorable, and kind

I'm a lucky girl.

Ode to my family

Well, it's officially been 4 months....time to get in another post.  Since Halloween, we've had thanksgiving, Lyza's first birthday, Christmas, Valentines....lots of snow, many memories made.  That is why i need to post about these things more because i just don't remember and it's so nice to look back and see what we've done.  Abe is funny, he'll log onto the blog and say " I just want to see what we've been up to lately."

Mostly i want to write about my kids, because they are great.  Truly great.  Lyza turned 1 on December 22nd.  This girl has such a sparkling personality.  She can definitely get a little feisty at times, but she is learning how to not let Van push her around.   She's always been our chunky babe, but to our surprise at her 1 year check up she had lost 6 oz and went from 19lbs 9 oz to 19 lbs 3 oz. She began crawling at 10 months and she had thinned out a lot.

It amazes me how fast they learn. Lyza is saying mommy and daddy and puppy and uh-oh and wow and bye and hi....and i love to hear her little voice constantly babbling.  She literally calls every animal 'puppy'.  Abe took them to the aquarium and said she called every fish in that place "puppy".  She is so close to walking.  She has taken 9-10 steps on her own and is getting more confident with it everyday.  She recently learned how to give kisses and loves to share them.  She is definitely Van's biggest fan.  I am just enamored with her and adore her cuddly little sweetness.  She's always been our Lyza Bean, but lately we've been calling her loulou or Lyza lou.  I pray everyday for her health and safety and that i can do the best for her as her mom.

Our crazy little Van is quite the class clown i am told by people from nursery.  One leader recenty told me she called him Van, and he corrected her saying "i'm Vannie"....I thought, he never does that at home when i call  him Van, but we do call him Vannie a lot and started asking him what his name is and he would touch his chest and say "Vannie".  He is coming up on 2 1/5 years in april and weighs around 23 lbs. He is still a runt as we call him, but is finally starting to out grow some of his pants.  I love when he pumps his fists and says 'awesome'....but we have to be careful because he is repeating EVERYTHING we say.  He is aware of so much going on around him.  It is so sweet when he will say prayers.  With all the snow we have gotten lately he has started to love going outside and stomping around in the snow.  He and Abe went outside a few weeks ago and Abe began to build a snowman.  Van was done after about 20 min but Abe had to finish that snowman and it was his best work to date.  I love your big hugs, Van. and when you call me Molly, but especially when you call me, mom.  You make me so happy.

Abe is a great Dad.  Maybe the greatest.  He is definitely more anal than me when it comes to parenting.  I really never worry when he has the kids.  I'm sure he worries a lot more about us- he worries a lot more than me about everything pretty much.  When i'm working people always ask who has my kids and i just tell them i work on my husbands days off and he's got them all day....9 am to 9 pm.  They are pretty impressed he can handle it, and even more impressed he takes them to places like Tracy Aviary, and the Aquarium, and the Hill Airforce museum (which btw is great because it's free and practically no one is there. so if your kids like airplanes it should be on the list).  He goes crazy staying at home all day.  I even come home to clean laundry  and clean dishes occasionally.  Abe is someone who takes a little time getting to know, but once you know him, you can't help but like him.  He is constantly making me laugh.  I love when he and i and the kids are just hanging out having a dance party at home- the kids love to get their groove on.

Halloween!!!

 I love this picture of Van trick-or-treating at my dad's office.  

Van had no problem allowing me to apply guyliner and a mustache and goatee.  Thanks Captain Jack Sparrow for the make-up tips. and Lyza loved being a cute little pumkin.

Our pumpkins at night!  I carved these 3 myself, because for some reason i just felt like we needed to have them for halloween.

And Lyza crawls :)  I have to admit it is pretty cute to see her make her way across the floor in pursuit of whatever she has her sights set on.  She is the best smiler ever.

Why did Halloween seem so long this year?  Why am i complaining...it's the first i've  really had to make an effort in a while.  It was fun getting the kids dressed to go out.  We made trick or treat visits to both  my parents places of business, and to Abe's parents house on Halloween and we definitely brought home way too much candy. Until next year!

Fountain Green

 If you haven't ever been to Fountain Green, Utah you are missing out.  It is about 20 minutes east of Nephi and home of lots of open land and also Maple Canyon.  In September we went down there with Abe's brother's family in search of a deer.  They had a tag to hunt a deer on some private property which turned out to be a field the size of a football field.  But if any deer set it's hooves on that land it was, it was as good as dead.  We arrived to our destination with a little time on our hands until dusk, which was the most likely time the deer would come, so my sister-in-law and I headed into town to find a park or playground of some kind to entertain our kids while our husbands waited out the daylight. Playing in the dirt along side the road near the field was losing it's luster.

 We probably found the best park in the western united states.  It was on it's own block, and was surrounded by grass, and had pavillions and picnic tables right next door.  There was everything at this park to keep wee little ones, and big kids having a great time.  And it wasn't even crowded.

The kids had a great time playing with their cousins and exploring Fountain Green.  We even headed up into Maple Canyon and let the kids climb up the rocks.  If we hadn't stopped Van i'm not sure how far he would have climbed.  He still doesn't quite sense danger.  

This was a nice way to spend half a day.  Unfortunately no deer crossed into the field the boys were staking out.  Lucky deer.