Harley's 2nd Birthday

My big girl Harley Jeanne turned 2 on Friday March 5, 2010. She was so excited and would tell everyone about her "Dora Birday". I don't know who was more excited, me or her! It was really fun. I'm not sure how much she really understood about what was going on, but she loves playing with kids so I knew she would have some fun! We did a Pin the Flower on Dora game, and had a Dora Pinata, had cupcakes and juice and opened presents. She was thrilled! I am so lucky to have such a beautiful, enerjetic, special little girl! She makes me laugh every day and I am so grateful to have her in my life. Happy Birthday Harley Jeanne!

Darren's Nascar Trip

Darren had the opportunity to go to Nascar in Vegas with my dad, Chris, Olivia, Daniel and Jim. He had such a great time! I'm so glad he was able to go, he has been wanting to go for a long time! He kept telling me we were going to go (truthfully, I wasn't super excited about it but would've gone for him!) so when Daniel said we were going to get dad a ticket for Christmas I knew Darren just had to go too! Dad was thrilled and Darren was too. I'm so glad they all had such a good time!

Pics Finally and an Update

So here's a few pics from as of late. I can't believe how big the kids are getting! Paxton is now 8 months old and Harley will be 2 years old on March 5th! She is so excited for her "Dora" birthday party (I'm pretty excited myself!) I got her a Dora pinata (not that she knows what a pinata is yet) but I'm pretty sure she and the neighbor kids are gonna have some fun :) I'll post pics from that after her birthday!



So just an update on the fam :) Paxton is now crawling all over the place and getting into EVERYTHING!! He is pulling himself up on all the furniture, getting high centered on the kitchen chairs, hitting his big noggin on the ground and anything that gets in its way! But he is definitely a smiley (when he wants to be), loud, squeally big-little boy! He loves following Harley around and making his way back to her room where all the "fun" toys are. Harley is talking up a storm and making me laugh every day with the things I finally come to understand that she is and has been saying! It is so fun to see her get big (and frustrating too- sometimes too independant! Don't know where she gets that from!!! jk). She loves to sing along with Dora and run wild outside with the "tids" (kids). She asks to "eat" all day every day (wonder where she gets that one from!) and has recently started with the facination of undressing herself- diaper and all. Funny sometimes, yes... at 1:30 in the morning with a poopy diaper everywhere, not so funny! We have had to start putting her pajamas on backwards to hopefully keep that one from happening again! Guess it might be time to start potty training! The other thing she has decided to do is open the doors and get into EVERYTHING. So we ordered door knob covers thinking we had the problem solved. She is way too smart for my own good! Leave it to her to be able to open the doors despite the knob covers! We got two different kinds of covers and one of them seems to hold her off better than the other, but she has successfully opened those a few times as well. My busy little bee!!!
Darren is just plugging away with school not being able to wait for it to be done!! He is doing so great and I am so lucky to have such a hard worker for a husband. As for me, I'm just busy keeping up with my two hoodlums and can hardly wait for it to get warmer and stay warmer so we can play outside more!

Update

So it's been a while since I've posted and I can't believe how fast the last 6 months have gone by! Pax is already 6 months old... almost 7 months! He is rolling around like crazy and is such a smiley boy now which has made it so much fun! His little personality is really starting to show and he is so stinkin cute! Harley still doesn't have much interest in him, but hopefully by the time he's mobile (which could be very soon) she'll find she has a new friend to play with... we shall see :) Harley is getting so big too. She is talking up a storm, and I can decode most of it, but she is such a little smarty pants. I love watching her learn new things every day, she never ceases to amaze me! I know all kids go through this learning process, I just never realized how much fun it is to see your kids learn new things and watch her get excited when she realizes she's done something new too! I truly have gained a greater appreciation for being a parent and know I have been so blessed to have such beautiful children.
Darren is doing great too, and I think he is seeing a light at the end of the tunnel... well the first school tunnel at least. He will be done with his endeavor here at Dixie State by the end of the summer. Still months away, but I know it will be here before we know it. He will be done with his Associates Degree and the plan for now is to continue his education for a Bachelors Degree at UVU in Diesel Mechanics. I am so proud of him and all of his hard work. Thanks honey for sticking through it even through the rough spots :)
As for me, I think I am starting to get used to having two kids... I think :) It's been a bumpy road, but I am so grateful for my family and friends that have been my great supporters and know how lucky I am to have their love and insight to help me along the way. It has helped me to be a better person and parent. My love and grattitude goes out to all my loved ones. Pictures soon to follow.

Awesome Weekend

So this weekend has been a great weekend! Friday my wonderful neighbor Jana watched my kids so I could clean my house! I know this doesn't sound very exciting, but I didn't get to go through my nesting stage while I was pregnant so I guess its hitting me now! I've been going crazy! My house has been driving me nuts so I told Darren that when his school money came in, we were getting our carpets cleaned for sure! So the carpets were to be cleaned Friday night, and I really wanted the house super clean beforehand. Its truly amazing what you can get accomplished when you're not chasing your kids around! So my house was super clean and then Darren treated me to a day at the spa! I got my hair cut, a massage, and a pedicure! Totally needed and completely fantastic! I feel like a new woman ;) I have such a wonderful husband! We woke up today and I really wasn't feeling like going to church, I told Darren I wanted to sleep all day! But we went and I am so glad we did. We were late as usual, but President Eyring was sitting on the stand next to our Bishop. He spoke after our scheduled speakers, which were wonderful as well. He spoke about how we need to lose ourselves in service. That if we are constantly serving those around us, the things we are going through won't feel so bad, and we will be blessed emmensly. It was definitely something I needed to hear. I feel like I've been so wrapped up in my own crazy life that I sometimes feel overwhelmed and get down on myself. I'm pretty sure if I worked more to help those in need around me, I'd feel better about myself... I know I would. Selfishly I feel he was there just for me, to tell me to be a better person, and I'm glad I got up and went to church to hear him. Off my soapbox now, I had a great weekend. I am so very lucky!

So Lucky!

I feel like I'm the luckiest mom in the world :) I have two of the cutest kids ever! Harley is getting so big and shows me how big she is getting every day! It cracks me up the things she picks up on and does and the words she says. Grandma Marge insisted that she needed a doll stroller and after watching her fight with the neigbor girl Olivia over hers, Darren went and got her one and she is hilarious! She puts her doll or bear in it, grabs her purse and keys and walks to the door and says 'buh bye' and waves. I ask her where she is going and she waves again and says 'buh-bye'. She thinks she needs to ride in the front seat of the car now when we go anywhere and is definitely strongwilled about everything! I know, I know, wonder where she gets it huh! And Paxton is so very cute! He is getting to be quite the chunky monkey! He loves to eat and thinks if he's awake that's what he should be doing. He has become pretty fussy, but hopefully it's just a stage :) I love watching Harley run to put his binkey in his mouth when he's fussing or when he's in his swing she almost lays on him and gives him kisses- it's very sweet! Can't complain- they are my pride and joy!

Fabulous Family Time!

So my fabulous sister Ricci knew I needed some family time longer than a quick weekend and helped me and the kids get up north for the 24th of July. We were able to stay and bless Paxton on August 1st and see Taelor get blessed on the 2nd. It was a much needed get away! We were able to hang out with all my siblings and their kids and do some fun activities! I was so very happy to be able to go to Sally's annual 24th of July bbq- I was so sad when Darren and I talked about it and decided we wouldn't be able to make it up there for it since we were planning Paxton's baby blessing on the 1st, so that was such a treat! It has been so blasted hot in St. George that I have felt so bad for Harley who gets so bored of our house, but I'm too big of a wuss to take her and the baby outside in the heat! So I really wanted to make this trip a good one for Harley and I think we succeeded! She loved playing with the kids and in the ice pool that the drinks were in at the 24th bbq. I was thrilled to be outside and not feel like it was too hot for my kids! We spent the weekend hanging out with everyone and holding eachother's babies! I finally got to meet my new nieces Taelor Jeanne Stewart and Madison Whyte and see my neice Peyton Maxine Hale that I haven't seen since she was born in March! I loved it! So many babies and so many more to come!
Our first outing was to the Treehouse in Ogden with Steph and the kids. This place was amazing! So much fun for the kids and I'm pretty sure Harley was in heaven with everything she could play with! She loved the tea party room and the baby dolls the best but was so busy going from room to room! It was so fun to watch her be able to be busy and do whatever she wanted!
We then went to Chucky Cheese with Shelby and the kids and they had a blast! Harley was dillusionally tired but was so enthralled with all the fun things that she was able to play with! And the pizza wasn't half bad either :)
We also were able to go to the Hogle Zoo! I have been telling Darren for months that I wanted to take Harley to the Zoo and we were finally able to go! Grandma Sandy was wonderful and watched Paxton so I could spend some one on one time with Harley and it was awesome! I loved watching her eyes get big when she would see the animals! She loved the monkeys and the Penguins the best I think! I knew she was going to love it and I don't think I have been to the Hogle Zoo since I was little! We were so lucky to be able to go with Amy, Taelor, Steph, Noah and Cameron. So much fun!
Darren came up with his brother on the 31st and blessed Paxton Dar Nicol on the 1st of August. It was such a wonderful blessing. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful husband! Thank you honey for being so strong and a wonderful husband and father! I want to thank everyone for coming and supporting us and helping us out! We are so blessed to have such amazing family and friends and I don't know what I would do without them! I'm just glad we don't live further away than we already do I think I'd go a bit crazy! And then we had Taelors blessing on the 2nd and it was wonderful too! So great to be able to do it together! Thanks Amy and Phil for sharing the wonderful weekend with us!
Sorry about the long post! Just so much to share!