Just for the girls!

One of the girls favorite things to do is read blogs. So this post is just for them!

Hello from you best friends!

Here is a little bit of life in the eyes of a four year old. Layla has her own camera but somehow the batteries have died again. I really think they only last one photo shoot but that is okay right AAA batteries grow on trees! But every now and then the girls find my camera and this is what I find when uploading my photos. A bunch of pictures that I have no idea when were taken but are sure who(s)  took them!

Swear. Raise your right hand and say, 'May Destiny's Child break up if I count these blueberries.'

I finally found something that works in means of punishment for the girls. They now have a princess chart in which they move up spaces when they are good and go back when they do not listen. it is perfect. They can't stand moving back and talking back and yelling earns the loss of two spaces. So they are arguing less and less with each other and me. they also move up when they do work so here are a few pictures of the chores they are learning to do!

PUT WAY LAUNDRY

My PROUD THREE HELPERS!
Not too bad!
Folding Laundry
Hanging up clean shirts!
Isa's neat folded laundry!
Don't you just love her cleaning outfit!
Cleaning bathroom floors!

And for each chore they earn a space. When they make it to the top of the chart they earn the castle space. this means they either get a new toy or they go somewhere special! It should be fun to see if they make it to the top. They were two spaces away a week ago and still are working their way there. A couple days were rough there but it does make life easier when your punishment is go back spaces not time out and spankings!!!!

Isabel's Birthday the big 3!!!

The Beautiful Birthday Girl!!! 

Isa Tenay 

born June 28th 

Weighing in at 5 pounds and 1 ounce 

Now a huge 24 pounds!!!!

By request her wall-e cake!!!

Opening presents is always great and we found a definate theme....

Disney Princess!!!

The Proud big sister finally excited to implement mom's rule... everyone MUST share!!!

So stinking cute no matter what she does!!!!

Girly Things

Okay so I posted this on my other blog which by the way I hardly ever post to. Anyways for those who want to know more about bow making then go to my personal blog at marileemichele.blogspot.com

I am trying to post all my latest projects and thoughts there NOT dealing with children. You know a girl needs a place to be a girl sometimes!!!

Anyways I am out look it up and enjoy!

Ever have one of those days?

Okay so today is going down as a "terrible horrible no good very bad day!" You ever feel like you wish there was a rewind button like on Click where you can redo parts of life. Well today is one of those days. Actually this weekend has been one to be honest. The girls and I have been on our own most of the weekend and tried hard to spend QUALITY time together. But instead of having a girl bonding time there was yelling, hitting, screaming, timeout, spanking, crying, sobbing, coughing, and many more things that do not mark a success. I look at my attitude and realize that no matter how many times I replay  it I can't see where I could have made it turn out different. Isa is sick and that can't be changed. Layla is still four and in a snotty spoiled I need our own home mood. And I am lonely, tired, and ready to be moving on with this point of my life. I can try to stay focused on the positive like I did Thursday. I can try new tactics like Friday. I can try to take breaks to refocus like Friday night. I can try to get them out of the house like Saturday. I could try giving more medicine like Sunday but in the end it all turns out the same.... The girls in their rooms me on guard outside on the computer venting while the dog is locked in her house and the home is a disaster. (not to mention the lunch timer beeping reminding me that I sent them to bed with no food!) 

Life as a mom is a trip to an amusement park. Sometimes it is like the teacups at Disney land that make you just want to puke. Then it is wonderfully painful like the water slide at oceans of fun that always leaves you with the most horribly painful wedgie. Or at times it is everything you imagined like going to Disney land and seeing Cinderella's castle for the first time. And lastly it is one of those new rides where your legs dangle and sometime in the middle of the ride you are sure you are going to splat on the side of that rock or end up with your legs cut off. 

I love being a mom but at times I think I might just not make it out of the park and home safe to the quiet of my sanctuary.  Today is one of those days. At least now that I am finishing this post I began this afternoon I can see that all is well and I lasted through another day. Brian is home and I have a companion to help me through this crazy storm of life. I always appreciate him more when one of us is away. And now with life as i know it up in the air I appreciate his constant care and help to stay sane. He is the number one husband in the world and I am glad to have him home. Now wish me luck tomorrow and hopefully it will be one of those Cinderella castle days!

MC O Donalds

Incase you can't tell the girls are enjoying their treat. But now they are screaming and fighting so pictures are all you get on this one i gotta go!!!!

Farmstead

Last week we went to a farmstead just down the street with the girls. Brian and I enjoyed a laid back day with our little munchins and loved just spending time as a family way from home on a beautiful cool day!

I LOVE THESE LITTLE MONKEYS!

Blog Slacker!

Okay I know I am totally behind on blogging. I am busy and not busy at all and somehow haven't been keeping up. Life here is well... interesting. I am going to enjoy living here once we have our own place. Right now I am getting used to a ward that isn't very inviting to us. They are all nice but in no need of additional friends. I figure I won't feel bad because we probably won't stay in the ward when we find a place to live. And if we do hopefully by then someone will like us. 

The area is nice and I think once we have two cars we will love going out to explore. But for now we are home bodies and enjoy being together. The girls are getting used to how different it is here and don't seem to mind the drive it takes to get anywhere. Everything is bigger and takes more time then they are used to. If you need to run errands in Rexburg you don't leave a 2 mile radius unless you need to go to IF. Here there are too many things to choose from and I just hate that it isn't safe. When you do out shopping you have to hold on to your kids the WHOLE TIME and then not leave a purse for a second and after 10 minutes of struggling i am ready to go home. However without kids Brian and I have about 500 restaurants to choose from in a 20 minute area. 

Moving here has taught me a lot about myself. I am stronger than I thought I would be. It is going to be hard living here because I know I live differently then others even my family. I know that when I have my own home it will be hard for my family to get used to my rules for our home. But i hope that they understand where I am coming from and leave me to my crazy ways!!!!

I am also realizing that friends are just a phone call away. It only takes a few words from my buds to know that they care. The simple notes left here or on facebook remind me of the wonderful connections we made in rexburg. Those friends will be forever and will hold a special place in my heart. I really miss my group of friends in Idaho. But am looking forward to a well needed vacation in the fall. I can't wait to just have a girls weekend and spend time catching up!!!

I will post pictures in a minute so these posts aren't totally boring!  

Just for Brian.... we miss you!!!

FATHER'S DAY!!!!

Fathers day this year was nice quiet and all about family... IT WAS GREAT!!! The girls started the day off right by singing lovely in church though I think only I heard them because I had to help hold them up so they didn't get lost in the sea of giant children!

Then we came home, had fajitas (a nice change from the humdrum of this diet thing!) and then just hung out! Here are some great photos from our wonderful day!

I learned to plant flowers and actually keep them alive!!!!

anyone who saw us last summer knows I attempted for the first time to plant pots for my porch. They didn't work out as I hoped. first they thrived then they died... it was sad. This year I am proud to say I figured it out. Here are my lovely pots enjoying the weather and growing a mile each day! It is only the beginning on June and they are getting huge already! Yeah for me I might just get this whole planting thing down yet!

The Plane

Okay so my dad's best friend Bill is the smartest guy in the world. Seriously there is nothing this guy doesn't know. Over two years he build a plane from scratch and it is amazing. A couple weeks ago my dad had all the young men in the ward go to the airport where Bill keeps the plane and go up on flights with some of the pilots there. Unfortunately Bill couldn't fly that day but the girls enjoyed sitting in the plane and checking it all out. Isn't it beautiful!

I don't eat bagels. Bagels are like glue in your intestines and ensure that everything that enters your body will remain there until you die

So this new diet thing I am doing with my family might just kill me. Unlike my quote carbs about the only thing my body likes! I love to eat healthy veggies and fruit but without a gall bladder it is so stinking difficult. Anyone who has had the same surgery can attest to the fact that you will forever enjoy the movement of having a baby in your belly when you eat something hard to digest! And with a diet full of fruit veggies and lean protein I might just die! But after a week and 6 1/2 pounds lighter I will stick to it and deal with the discomfort! I know that after a week or two more I will hit that point where I weight doesn't want to leave but for now I guess feeling just that tad bit lighter is nice! Wish me luck! Here is a picture of my ever night dinner followed by the salad posted before. I can't wait until the rest of our garden is growing and I can make everything I need from my harvest!!!

"I'm planting bulbs... Come spring I'll have color coming out my yin yang!"

my baby tomatoes just getting started! i am so excited about having my own fresh veggies!!!

These are our jalapanoes from the garden all ready to be put into my yummy salad!!!

This is my cute little herb pot! I have parsley, rosemary, and cilantro!

Combine all my favorite ingredients and you get this... my lovely southwest salad!!!! Pretty soon everything in it will be fresh from our garden!!!