Photo Shoot

 So Have I been a lame blogger or What!!!  Haha.  Anyway, I am due tomorrow (but have another week of waiting probably) and wanted to get these pictures we took last week of the girls posted before our little boy makes his appearance.

 Our beautiful and fiesty, London Mae

 Our ever learning cutie pie, Miss Ashby.

These two sisters love each other soo much.  And can't wait for brother to come.

3 Girls I love

Just because.

I need to post again.

Maybe if I get to use the computer, that doesn't hate me, more often.

Maybe.

I love all of these girlies.

Can't complain about a wonderful family.

Disneyland

We all had an amazing time!  I hope to be able to share more later.

Thanks Nana, Papa, And all the cousins!  Ciao, Ti Amo!

it never gets old

Dress up.
It never gets old.  Too bad my little girl is getting older.

Happy 4th Birthday Ashby

We love you soo much.
We have had a blast celebrating with you.
Love, your Mommy

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.

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

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.

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.

Bubbles or....

Tonight at bathtime Ashby asked me to put London in with her (which I do regularly). Now as I had bathed London last night, I told her that she could bathe by herself tonight. (Partly because I thought she'd enjoy it and partly because that gave me a little bit of less busy time)


When she acted like that wasn't what she wanted, I told her she could have a bubble bath or London in the bath with her.


I thought she'd chose the Bubbles. I was wrong.
I am very happy to be wrong.


I love that she Loves her sister soo much!

Just because I love pictures...



This is London at about 1 month old. I love both my girls

The Missing Gloves

It's winter time. It's winter time in Utah. And the high this week has been...oh I don't like 8 degrees. Yeah. I know.
Anyway, when we go outside Ashby and I both try to keep gloves on our hands. The other day as we were getting ready to go Ashby came and told me she couldn't find her gloves. When I questioned her further this was her reply:

(in a very matter of fact three year old way) "Mommy, I checked the office, the bathroom ANND my bedroom and the gloves are no where to be found."

Update: The gloves were later located by the expert mother eye, in said bedroom.

For Amy

My little sister (1st of 2 little sisters), Miss Lu as I call her, is currently serving on a mission. She has been serving for a year now. We took her to the MTC last December 17th. Wow. I havn't been so good at sending pictures lately. Yes I know you are soo surprised. But last week I told her I would post some on my blog so she could check it out the next time she is online (tomorrow).

So this post is mostly to get me back into blogging. It isn't that I don't enjoy or want to blog. I do, I love sharing pictures and stories from our everyday lives. I just don't always make the time for it.

So without further ado, Pictures!

Here we have Ashby a week ago as compared to:


A year ago. (yes she is wearing her training panties on the outside. haha She LOVES dress up!)


Here's some London Love:


There are some pics of our two cute girls!

Favorite Things and a little wisdom

London just loves this baby gym. It is definitely her new favorite thing to do. Thanks G Family for letting us use it. The best part is when she starts rollin' around because she is trying to hit the little hanging animals with her feet.

Ashby's favorite thing to do is to play dress up. More specifically dress up to get married and dance. But this video had the dancing and dress up. So I figure it counts. When Ashby is getting "married" she likes to put on a dress (any dress - a dress up dress or a normal dress) and a blanket for a veil and then I get to sing the "wedding song". You know "here comes the bride...". Then she dances with her "prince". Often times the prince is a girl. but maybe that's because she thinks that boys don't shower.

Oh that reminds me of her little wisdom. I hope she remembers this as a 12-20 year old. That boys are "icky, icky sticky"

For more Ashby "getting Married" click here. (thanks Nana)

Having a Sister

A year ago, our dear cousins had their second child. Another baby girl. Their first being the same age as Ashby and the two girls being buddies, they wanted to be like each other. Cousin L was a "big sister" and this made Ashby want to be a "big sister" too. SO last christmas, Ashby told us she wanted a baby. Well her wish came true and she has loved being a big sister even before London was born. She would tell us about how much fun it would be to share each other's beds and play babies together.
Well she has gotten her wish..sorta




















Ashby LOVES London and I have no doubt that London loves her back. She wants to share her fun things with London and thinks London should share too. haha. She knows the changing table is for babies, but wanted to be silly anyway!


PS- T. I'll try to post more soon, but I HAVE to go to sleep now.

Ashby's first Fish

Ryan's Dad is a superb fisherman. He loves all kinds of fishing, but fly-fishing is his favorite. This past spring when the weather got ripe for some good fly fishing (think really nasty, windy and rainy) he would practice casting little in the backyard.

Ashby loved to watch. So one day he made her her own "Rod" out of a flexible limb from a bush.
Since then she has wanted to learn how to fish from Grandpa Ken.

Well on the 10th of October he finally took her. I think she thinks it worth the wait because she came back SOOO excited to have "caught" her first fish!

She even loved eating it that night for dinner. Yum.

Thanks Grandpa Ken, maybe you'll have a new fishing buddy!

London is worth the wait!

London didn't come on her "due date" but I think we all agree that we would gladly wait longer if we had to for our sweet little one. Hope you enjoy some of the video Nana took at the hospital.


We have been soo blessed with 2 beautiful and healthy little girls. First Ashby and now London. Ashby is a fantastic big sister already. Here is the early proof of that. She definitely loves her baby sister. We know that London will be trying to do everything like her big sister before long. But for now, she is doing just what she should: eating and sleeping. Ryan and I so happy.

YouTube Kitty

Ashby and Nana have watched this Kitty Video at least a half a dozen times in the past 2 days (probably more) and it is pretty funny! Below is the video of Ashby watching the video. In it you'll get the jist of the youtube video, but if you are a kitty lover please go to the link above! If you're an Ashby lover, please see the video below! As always, Ashby has a blast with her sweet Nana.

Problem Solved

Before you go on a trip you have to pack your bags right.

Ashby understand this.

Before we visit family we pack our bags.

Before Nana could come here, she had to pack her bags.

Before Ryan and I go to the hospital, we had to pack our bags.

So our bags have all been packed and we're waiting.

Ashby and I even sing a song to our London Mae asking her if she is "gonna come out today" almost every day.

But I'm pretty sure that Ashby has solved the problem.

Today after we sang our little song I asked:

Me: Do you think she'll come today?

Ashby: No, probably not

Me: Why not, Nana is here, I've cleaned, organized and I'm all packed. What are we waiting for?

Ashby: London just needs to get her bag ready.

So if anyone knows how to do that, let me know. Cuz we are ready to welcome her at any time now!

Playing at a Friends

It happens all the time. Children get bored at home. Bored with THEIR toys. You understand if you are a mother.

At this point you are happy when another mom calls you to say her son/daughter would like you kid to come over to play.

Up to this point in Ashby's life most of such occasions have been known as "play dates" where I would go as well and have a nice time (even if it wasn't exactly what I had been planning to do with my time). Recently though, she has been able to be picked up or dropped off to go play without me. A nice improvement. She is big enough to go away for an hour or two but still need me to help her get to where she is going.

Then Wednesday, she was invited over to our good friends house down the street. The child is 8, but she and Ashby have been having a blast playing together before Ashby could crawl. I'm due to have our second at any point now, so when the mom said her daughter would ride down on her bike to get Ashby I thought, GREAT! She is big enough Ashby can go with her safely.

Then, when our friend arrived and Ashby started to ride off on her bike without me, ALL Big and Grown up, I smiled. Wow, isn't that great. Then as I watched the two of them ride down the side walk together it hit me. WHAM. My baby isn't a baby anymore! I cried. I couldn't help it. The tears literally leaked out! Ryan came out and together we watched her ride all the way to the friends house.

My neighborhood friends have told me that when London is born Ashby will age and grow in an instant. Gee. I already can't believe kindergarden is in JUST 2 years. Can't she stay little for a little bit longer!?

I asked Ashby that. She said, "No Mom. I'm getting bigger see!?"

She's right. I sure love her

I'm Really Glad her "Drain" works

Ashby is potty trained. This isn't news, it has been several months now that we have been diaper free.
Most of the time when she needs to use the restroom we are alerted to the fact by her calling out (at all hours of the day and night) the she needs "help" The only help she needs is to be given toilet paper (an appropriate amount) so she can take care of business.
Well as usual, this afternoon she calls out for help.
I go into the bathroom to give her toilet paper, reminder to wash her hands and flush the toilet as is routine.
This time I kind of forgot about the routine.

Ashby: My drain works.
Me: What? Your drain works?
Ashby: Yeah, I'm glad my drain works. It held my potty in.
Me: So your "drain" holds your potty for you?
Ashby: Yes. So I don't have accidents
Me: Hmmm. I have a bladder that holds my potty. Do you have a bladder?
Ashby: No, just a drain.

I had to leave pretty quickly after that. I didn't want to laugh openly.
But I am really, really glad that her "drain" works.