Skype + Family + Friends = Awesome

I receive a web cam for my birthday (over 6 months ago) but just used our computer to fully skype the other day.  

It was so fun.  Ashby just loved it.  I kind of want everyone to use it.  It's just excited to be able to see who you're talking to.

Although, I can imagine a few times when seeing who you a talking to might be rather...inconvient.  haha (thinking of a time when skyping with my mother-in-law, "oh Cheryl, I didn't know you were there...." )

I guess that is probably a technology that will one day be available in every phone.  Just like one day (soon) everyone really will have their own lap top (or mac book or Ipad or netbook). 

Weird.

But I like Skype.  We were able to skype with some of our favorite people.  They are family and our friends.  We used to do everything together.  Then.  They moved.  But we all have survived.  We miss them.  And may be planning a trip to California later this year just because they will be there.  Until then we will probably learn to like Skype a lot.  

But probably NOT as much as this:

Pinching My Pennies

So this past November...or maybe October.  I went to a Newspaper sponsered Couponing class.  I know several people that "coupon" and decided to try it.  So we have been receiving the Sunday paper since then.  Yeah.  So it does work.  I save money.  I find deals.  I feel good about my small way of being a "couponer" (sorry to any of you who find "couponers" annoying)  But I recently have been introduced to several more website that TELL you what the deals are and where to find the coupons.
GREAT!
But...I still havn't figured out how to make the time to read through all the crazy, and I mean CRAZY, cheap deals these websites have.
One of them is PinchingYourPennies.com
Do any of you Coupon?  How do you make the time?  I'm sure once I figure out a routine it will be no prob...but in the mean time I feel like each week I'm literally missing out on great deals.

7 Years

March 21, 2003. San Diego Temple.  Life Changing.  In love forever.  Thank you Ryan.  7 Wonderful Years. 2 Beautiful Girls later.  I Love You Always.

Blogger Issues Part 2

So earlier this month I wrote about some issues I was having with blogger.  Well I think we are mostly over those.  Thank you to those who left suggestions.
I am now bothered by the fact that on the currant format there is not a(n obvious) way to post video.
If you know how to do this, please leave a comment so I can post some of our cute videos soon.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

It has been a very fun day and both of the girls got to wear their cute green clothes.  Yippee!  I never had cute green things to wear growing up (which really does matter in public school K-12).  So I guess (even though they aren't in any school) I want to give them that.  Silly huh.  I know.
Anyway, I still don't have anything green so I wore a green flower in my hair and a green ribbon as a braclet.  Maybe next year. haha.
So I fell through on my clothing, but came through on the food with a little help from everyone.

Breakfast of Kix, Oatmeal, baby Rice Cereal

and dinner of Green Chicken pea and rice casserole, green jello, and kiwi salad

with "blueberry" muffins as dessert

I got the idea from our cousins.  Thanks Em. 

 

It's my turn

Shortly after this happened:

These happened:                                                                                 

It's fun to watch her grow.  This helps me to see it literally through her eyes.

Happy 6 Months to London

the girls had a little play time before bed.  The sure are sweet together!  We are loving having 2!

New is good

Other than a pair of running shoes and $5 flip flops last summer.  These were my everyday shoes.  Don't get me wrong, I know there are many people in worse shape.  But they were both pretty old and rather uncomfortable and I hadn't had new shoes since before I was pregant with London.

So I was thrilled when Ryan and Ashby came home with a surprise for me:

Haha...I guess I like pumas and shoes that are black and pink.

Either way, I love 'em.

Thanks My Handsome and my sweet Ashby.  I love you.

Another Crisis Avoided

Earlier today, Ashby asked me about the fire down in that small, wooded valley.
well, with all the natural disaters occuring, a fire is possible.

What happened was:
Ashby -"Mommy sing the song about the fire in the dell"
Me -"You mean the farmer in the dell?"
Ashby -"umm yeah"

So I sang it.  You know
"The Farmer in the dell, the farmer in the dell, Hi-ho the darry-O, the farmer in the Dell"
It goes on until the "mouse takes cheese" and then the "cheese stands alone."

We are eating breakfast during this conversation.  Now I try to talk with Ashby and London while we eat our meals.  Mostly just because I'm pretty sure that having the ability to converse easily with others helps them later in life.  Like helps them get into college.  Or at least helps them not feel left out at the lunch table years from now when they are in school.

But after I sang the song I was really hungry (and I sang all the verses - which I know is my fault) but the result was:      Me- really hungry and My cereal- getting soggy
I'm not the biggest fan of soggy KIX.  So I was just eating.  Not really being very aware for a few minutes.  Which is why the next part surprised me at first.

Ashby-  "Why did the cheese get left alone?"
Me-  "??" 
Ashby- "Why did the mouse leave the cheese?    Oh I know.  Maybe the mouse just left it in the kitchen or the front room and went somewhere.  Or maybe it's bedroom."
Me- "oh, Oh yeah.  I guess." 

As I'm pretty sure that song never made much sense to me, I didn't pursue to topic. I mean was the cheese left alone due to some illness that effected everyone else?  Sad.  But I guess there already is a fare amount of morbidity to children nursery rhymes(Humpty Dumpty), songs (ring-around-the rosie) and bedtime stories (hansel and gretel)
 But I came out of my temporairy state of absence and the morning went on rather smoothly  normally from there.

the Weather Continued

Last week I wrote about the weather.  That night it began snowing and didn't stop until sometime after noon the next day!  And then it didn't melt right away as had the last of the storms.  But it did yesterday!  It started with a little bit of rain and then the sun came out and it really seemed like it was pouring with all of the snow melting so quickly.
Today it was beautiful!! 

What did we do with it?  Picnic of course!
Daddy even was home and able to join us.

Girls Scouts are known for

Girls Scouts are known for ....

their cookies.

Ashby said, "I like this doughnut cookie a lot Mommy"

You mean the Samoa?

"Yes, the doughnut one, see!"

Yep, I see.

the Weather

So if we can stop getting so much of this

And start getting more days of this

 Then I'm sure these will come to help welcome

SPRING :)

Oh sweet Spring, come soon.  We long to play outside in your beauty and warmth

C. Bishop Photography

I've loved taking pictures for a long time now.  I've even had some really good opportunities to shot engagement and newborn photos before.  But I never really showed my work except to those for whom they were taken.  Sometime shortly after London was born I realized that an easy way to do so would be here through a blog.  So I've finally done it.  Click here if you'd like to see what I've done or would like me to capture some special moments for your family sometime. 

Blogger Issues

In the past I could upload the pictures I wanted to use in any order then move them around in the text before posting to the exact location I wanted. Now I can't. They stay put. What's up with that???

Does anyone out there in blogger-ville know?

Playdates

So before having kids the terms playdates had little meaning to me. Now 3 years 9 months and 2 kids later. WOW. Did you know that a playdate can: Bring smiles and tears. Provide freedom. Show creativity. Build social skills. Make messes. Provide an opportunity to Share and Fight. Laugh. Run. Rest. Clean a room.

I love them. Ashby Loves them. London one day will too.


Today Ashby got to play with the 1 boy out of like 8 three year olds in our ward/neighborhood. It went well. Thanks Z. for letting him come.

A Carrot to hold

Did I mention that London has two teeth. They came to be about 3 weeks ago. It was quite sudden. I didn't notice any extra moodiness. Just one day she had a little bump on the front of her bottom gum. 2 day's later - Teeth!

So now I let her use her little chompers (under strict supervision). She like carrots and cucumbers.

Well really she likes to eat her rice cereal okay. Not so sure about our homemade carrot babyfood. And really thinks that there is nothing better than nursing.

Weekend in Vegas

So this is the second time that I've had the chance to travel with my good friend Tracy. 2 years ago we traveled together to the same destination.

Where: Las Vegas. Lolly's house.

What: Car Trip.

When: Winter/early Spring

Who: Tracy, Cheryl, Asbhy and London*

Why: Fun. Sun. Friends.

*London was of course not able to travel with us 2 years ago.

I think we have mini tradition here. Drive out for the weekend. Don't get enough sleep. Eat yummy food (thanks Lolly for the meals and Tracy for the dessert). Laugh. A Lot. Talk. Shop. "Lollification". Photo shoot. Visit the Strip. Chase kids. Cute kids. Soothe kids. Church. Home.

Yeah, I think that was both trips in a nut shell. But both trips were fun. I love being able to keep in touch with old friends. Thanks Tracy for helping me with that.

Maybe I'll get a little better at it. I don't think it would hurt to catch up more often than once every 2 years. haha.

Tracy, thanks for the idea. Lolly, your kids are soo cute. Brian, thanks for watching the kids.

Here are a few pics. I'll try to post more soon. Tracy took most of 'um. Great camera, always on hand, and she knows how to use it!

Daddy's Day Off

Lately Ryan has been busy. Very busy. Working with his Construction company during the day. Then working a full time job in the evenings at a local grocery store. We are preparing for him to go back to school this fall, so he is just work, work, working so we can save up some cash.

Anyway, with this schedule we don't always have very much family time. Tuesday and Sunday are his grocery store days off so often we have Family night on Tuesday night. Sometimes we don't. Well this monday we planned his day off.

DDP - Daddy Day off Plan

Play at home with the girls in the morning while Cheryl works out.

Pack a lunch for a picnic because Ashby is a picnic lover.

Take the picnic lunch up into the mountains for a hike.

Use our awesome baby backpack on hike.

Dinner at home.

All together.

Yum.

Fun.

Well all went according to plan except for the hike part. This was disappointing because that was kind of the highlight of the day. Due to the amount of snow still left on the couple trails we planned we couldn't exactly picnic in the mountains unless we wanted to make snow angles while doing it. Nope.

So we went to plan B on this part.

What's plan B you ask.

the Park.

It was great. We all had fun.