HAPPY HALLOWEEN

(I carved this, can you believe it! Well, Steve
did help a tiny bit with the eyes.)

Zina, the wild woman

Steve was watching Zina while I was reading some homework. Apparently I was really into the book because it took a moment for me to realize what he did. We untied her, just as soon as we took a couple pictures.

I am wondering who reads my blog. Leave me a comment and let me know.

Touching Story

Geese in Island Park May 2007.

I have been following a story I saw on the Today Show for a while now, and today I read something about it that just touched me so deeply. I had to share with you my thoughts. In August, a couple were in a plane crash and were badly burned. The wife wrote a blog, the NieNie Dialogues, talking about the positive parts of motherhood and being a wife. Her sister writes a blog, c jane enjoy it, that now gives updates on her sister and husband. I encourage whoever reads my blog to check these two blogs out. See how positive they are and how wonderful it feels to read of uplifting things even through EXTREMELY tough times. Read the article c jane links to. Get the kleenex and be prepared to bawl. It is amazing to me. I want to be as positive as these two women are. I want to find the best in life and enjoy every minute of it. I want to find outfits to wear to impress my husband, even if we are just staying home. I want to find the words to write love letters to my husband, and the courage to post them for the world to see. I want to be able to give hope and laughter to those who stumble upon my blog. I want to cherish every moment with my babies. I hope you leave feeling this way, too.

Sick at our house

Old picture of Zach sick. April 2007.

So, it is an old picture of my Zachary, but no other picture looked right for my post today. We are sick. Zach started it, not eating much for a couple days and then tummy sick all night last night. It seems Zina is following, but definetely milder. And I am feeling pretty yuck as well. It better go away soon! We need to have fun and play, especially outside before the snow comes!

The Piano

Ignore the mess on the top of the piano. It seems if we have a piece of furniture that is not sat upon regularly it becomes a resting place for anything and everything. Hopefully we will figure out how to stop that problem!

I was so excited to get this piano because I like to play once in a while, not that I am good at it or anything. Well, I get to play maybe five minutes a month by myself, but my boy sure loves it! Doesn't he look so proud of himself!

Zina "Cooking"

I think the pictures speak for themselves. She loved it. I can tell you she will be in the kitchen with me, sneaking bites, as soon as she can. She tries all the time as it is. She is SO curious. I love that about her, even though it drives me crazy at times. I don't think I had to redirect Zach half as much as I do Zina. She is VERY stubborn. She loves her Daddy, and whenever he is leaving, and sometimes when she wants to be left alone, she says, "Yah Yah" and waves. It is so cute, and it is only for her Daddy. She says mommy, but Daddy is an all time favorite. She will follow him anywhere, and often needs to be redirected at those times. She would go anywhere with her Daddy. Everything she does she does with gusto, from crying to smiling, sleeping to smiling. She loves food, of any kind. She really likes apples. She can hold her own with almost every meal I make. We have to give her the same as her brother or she will yell until she gets it or her brother has no more. I know it will be a short time till she is walking and chasing her brother. She already crawls after him everywhere. I love her so very much. She is such a blessing to me. I am so glad I am her Mommy.

My Zachary

Zachary swinging.

Zach smiling and sliding. He asked me, "Can I

smile Mommy?"

Sorry to cut off his head, but I love the look on

his face.

Zach wanted in the washer. So his Daddy put

him there. He was so happy!

I realize I post WAY more pictures of Zina, and I take more too. Part of the reason is that Zach runs from the camera or turns away before the picture takes. I need a better, faster camera! I took tons of pictures of him when he was a baby. So many that were him sleeping. Steve says I have a fascination with sleeping babies, and maybe I do.

I love my Zachary. I have always wanted to be a mom, and he made me a mommy. I never knew I could love someone so much so quickly! He is my perfect boy. He is such a nearly three year old, and most days I love it. He drives me crazy one minute and then loves on me the next. His favorite book is Llama Llama Mad at Mama. He begs me to read it over and over again. It is the first book he insists I read over and over again. He loves to say his prayers, and family prayers, and blessing the food. And sometimes he even says prayers before nap so he can sleep good. When he is bored or tired, he tells me, "But Mommy, I'm hungry!" He is learning to potty in the potty, and uses that for more time awake, too. He has to potty when he wakes up and before nap and if any one else is on the potty! He hardly goes in it yet, but he sure gives it his best effort.

I just thought I should post about my little guy. I know sometimes he feels left out, and I should be better about documenting him, too.

P.S. Zina now has 4 teeth: two on top, two on bottom. Her crib is recalled and she is sleeping in the living room in the pack and play. Wish I had the money to buy a new one instead of wait for the replacement part!

Fun at the Park

Zina playing in the tunnel for the first time. She
was so excited to try it out! That picture captures
her so well!

Zach caught in the moment, just before he put

his feet down. He loved it. And I was taking pictures

while swinging! Not too bad, huh!

We had so much fun! Zina is getting where we can let her play, and she loves to swing. I will post some pictures of her swinging another day. It takes a long time to upload pictures, and sometimes they just won't load. Zach loves to swing, and slide, and just be outside in general. We have a swingset in our backyard hear, but a park is nice on such a beautiful day! I guess it will be one of the last days we can get away with a park outing before winter comes. Then it will be too cold and snowy for MONTHS! We better enjoy it while it lasts!

Pumpkins!!!

Here is what we did on Saturday. A carmel apple and two pumpkins later, they were so happy.Zach and his REAL smile, at least for the cameras! This is what happens when you ask a nearly three year old to smile.

Zina liked holding a pumpkin. Zach wanted it, too. So, we had to make up for it.

Here are my babies with their pumpkins. Zach did get the one he is holding, and since Zina wouldn't care which one we got, we let Zach pick another one. He chose a green one. Guess he likes green.

Christmas and family

Okay, strange subject for October, but somehow I do not have ANY pictures from past Halloweens. So, I was looking at pictures and found this one from last Christmas. Zachary is in the middle, and he is next to (in front of, maybe?) his aunt, Tina(Steve's sister). Also in the picture, and identifiable is Greg, Steve's brother. It just made me think of the relationship my children have with Tina.

Tina is here going to school like we are, and we have become quite close. She lived with Steve and I for two weeks just two weeks after our wedding. It was nice to have someone around then because Steve was working REALLY long hours, and I was not working and we did not have children yet (obviously). She did require chocolate, and ate my chocolate chips. Then, the next year when I was pregnant with Zachary, Tina lived with us for about a month, give or take a bit. I was ready this time with many varieties of chocolate. She left for a mission just a couple months after that, before Zach was born. Whenever she would call from her mission, Zach would yell and try to talk to her. We wrote letters (not often enough) and sent a few pictures. When she returned, Zach was about 18 months old, and we were expecting Zina. She again asked to stay with us for a while. She stayed about 3 months, and was such a blessing to us. I had some bleeding in the middle of the night, and she was there to stay with Zach while we made a late night run to the emergency room. She visited with me and played with Zach. Now, she is just living across town, and comes over sometimes. Zina will go to Tina, even when Zina is in a mood for only Momma. We are going to miss her when she is done with school and moves away!

Serious

I tried to post this picture a while ago, but it refused. This is Zach eating oatmeal. He likes it, really, but it was early.

Sleeping Boy

I am not very creative, obvious by the titile of my post. But I was quite creative in taking this picture. I was driving. Steve had given Zach his hat so he would be good for the drive, so Zach was wearing his Daddy's hat and his hat is there on the seat. I was between Rigby and Idaho Falls when I noticed he was OUT just like this and knew he would not stay asleep once we stopped. So I pulled out the camera and turned it and pushed the button. Not bad for not looking.

I have a collection of photos of him asleep. Too bad that he will not sleep tonight. He is over tired and upset. His Daddy is comforting him. For all the pictures I have taken of him sleeping, you would think that is all he does. But sometimes it is hard to get him to sleep.

And, just a little note on this little cutie! Zina got tooth number three today! Now she has two on the bottom and one on top!

And on the picture, this is Zina with my Grandma. Grandma wanted a picture with Zina, so we could have the oldest and youngest in the picture. Zina is holding a disposable camera and had just hit Grandma in the head with it. Luckily, Grandma could smile about it as much as Zina did. It makes a great picture.

Zachary and His Thoughts

Friends of ours recently brought their little girl home and posted on their blog about it. They included beautiful pictures of their little one at home with Mom and Dad. I showed it to Zach asking him who was in the picture, like I always do. He knows them well enough to know who it is. He knew our friend right away but said that the baby was himself. I asked him again, and he again said it was him.

Then it hit me. There was a similarity to a picture I have of this friend holding Zach. Here it is to the left. Scott holding Zachary. In both pictures he is holding the baby similarly and wearing a similar (or the same) shirt. We look at the pictures on our computer often. Makes sense why he would think it was him. Besides the baby wearing PINK!

Video of Zina (Long)

Zach Running May 2007

Zach and His Daddy Singing

Zina Crawling

Some older pictures

This is an older picture of Zina. It was taken a few months ago. She had just discovered that the bottles have water in them. This is her TRYING to get a drink out of an empty bottle. For a while she thought ice water was better than anything in the world. And she still chooses water over juice.


This is Zach asleep in the car. Yes, he is unbuckled. I thought Steve had buckled him in, and Steve thought he had asked me to buckle him. We made it far enough down the road for Zach to fall asleep(he was really tired). I looked back and he was undone. We stopped IMMEDIATELY to buckle him in, but we took a picture first. I am amazed he didn't get out and try to drive the car.

I will add some more recent pictures soon. I still need to get them on the computer!