Punkin' Patch

We had so much fun today at Mike's Farm. We decided to go get our own pumpkins for the very first time. Our "punkin' gettin'" has been spotty over the years so we decided to do it right this year. We took a one hour drive out to the country, which felt to Brodie like we were half way to Mississippi! I was really afraid we were going to drive up to some old man's house and cut us a punkin'. No Way! This Mike fella did it up RIGHT! There was all kinds of great stuff to do and look at. There was also a LOT of people there. Whew!

Today the farm just so happen to be hosting my Dad's favorite event of all time I do believe - An Antique Tractor Show! So Dad, this post is for you! You can oogle over the pic's on the dropshots page. They did have the most boring race I had ever seen in my life, though. A barrel-pushin' race with a tractor. The guys had to push a barrel down the field without going out of bounds and the one who had the best time won. It was not that exciting so as soon as the rain stopped we hopped on the hay ride which took us back to the pumpkin patch.

This was the very first hay ride for the girls and Taylor LOVED it. Ashlyn didn't really care. Daddy and I loved watching the girls expressions. It was priceless. We went from this big open yard where everyone one was gathered down the shady path overgrown with lots of good smelling trees and vines. At one point there were trees all around us and our path got very dark. Taylor described it as "Spoooooky! He He He!"

We pulled up to the muddy field and everyone jumped out and began to scour the field for the very best pumpkin. Ashlyn just wanted to find a good patch of dirt and play in that. She succeeded! Taylor and Brodie barreled off into the muddy field tripping over vines and pumpkins all the way. Dad found a good big one and I spotted the one I wanted from the sidelines (watching Ashlyn draw in the dirt with her little finger). All of a sudden Taylor got a huge smile on her face and said, "There it is!" She had found it. Her perfect pumpkin. It was just a little bit bigger than her hand and she was so proud. Daddy showed her how to carry it so she wouldn't drop it and then she came running towards me as fast as the vines would let her. It was so sweet.

We got back to the farm and piddled around a little while longer. We stopped into what was set up to be an old homestead from 100+ years ago. Brodie told the girls, "Here girls, lets go look at where your Momma grew up!" I even had to laugh at that. As I snapped picture after picture of things that seemed absolutely ridiculous to my husband (who is from California) he said to me smiling, "You are loving this aren't you!" "Well, shoot yeah!" I said!

A little while later daddy announced that it was time to go. Taylor and I almost cried real tears! Ashlyn and dad were tired and hungry so they had been ready for a while. We packed up our pumpkin's, all our gear, and loaded up to go back home. What a great day!!!

I can't wait until we go get our Christmas Tree!!!

http://www.mikesfarm.com

First Day of Preschool & Update

Taylor's first day of preschool was a great success...considering. Considering what? Well, the night before. She woke up at 3 a.m. wanting to watch TV and drink some chocolate milk! I tried for an hour and a half to get that girl back to sleep and finally around 4:30 she passed out. Ugh...

During devotion time at school she just laid down on the rug and didn't participate because she was SO TIRED! But, she loved her school and her teacher. She is going to a Christian school and one of her friends from our church is going to school with her. I am so happy about this! School is also giving me more time with Ashlyn. I feel so terrible because when Taylor was Ashlyn's age she could do different puzzles and other "academic" type things. I just haven't had the time to spend with Ash. But now we are going to start working on a few things. Also, if Ashlyn takes a nap I HAVE MOMMY TIME! Which is why I am doing this right now. YAY!!!

Taylor is growing into such a big girl. She is such a good girl too. She plays well with Ashlyn and loves her little sister very much. Bath times are the exception. Tay loves to take up the entire tub leaving little room for sissy. But, that is a small thing.

Ashlyn had her 18 month checkup a few weeks ago. She was 25 pounds!!! Lemme tell ya, she's a solid 25 pounds too. She is yapping up a storm now and is saying quite a few words. She said her first sentence to her daddy the other day. "This is my cup!" LOL!!! She's pretty territorial but she has to be I guess.

Taylor's 3 year checkup went great. She passed all her eyesight and hearing test with flying colors and got NO shots. But, next year will be horrible. She gets her kindergarten vaccines. Dr.'s say it's the worst. Ugh! He told me to make sure Brodie comes with me. Wonderful...

Well, we are all doing great! Summer is coming to an end and I can't believe I'm saying this because I love the heat...but good riddance! All it has done is rain, rain, rain! Maybe we'll get some snow this year!

18 months & potty training

So for a few weeks now I've been letting Ashlyn run around without a diaper because she is showing interest in the potty. Two days after her 18 month birthday she used her lil potty for the first time.

When I got her out of her crib she had a poopy diaper. I left a diaper off of her because she kept saying "pee pee". She drags her potty to the middle of the floor and sits on it so I start singing the ABC song to keep her on it. She jumps up and down a few times and then gets up and runs. She turns around and points to her chair, "uh oh. Pee pee". I looked in there and she pooped! WHAT! She did it! Yay, Ashlyn!!!

17 months in 4 days

Ashlyn is alllllmost a year and a half. So hard to believe. She is starting to change so much. Just this week she has started really babbling, trying out different combinations of consonants and vowels. It's so funny. She is also getting her upper molars. Her teeth have made her so miserable her entire life so to know that we are on the down hill side of cutting teeth is so reassuring.

She is really fighting her sleep now. She doesn't think it's fair that sister gets to stay up and she has to go to sleep. So, it's like wrangling an alligator every night at bedtime. But she'll eventually get so upset that she just gives up. Poor thing.

Also, she is the most clingy baby I have ever heard of. Which makes it hard on me during the course of the day with managing Taylor and my own chores. She rides my hip most all of the day. It's either that or put her down and let her scream. Then I have two screaming babies. So, my back is now pretty much ruined. (Oh Lord, thank you for blessing me with my children...but couldn't you have provided a live in Nanny too?)  :)

Taylor is also hitting her 3's head on with a punching glove! She whines ALL THE TIME! Brodie and I take turns exclaiming our warnings of running away and not coming back until she's 30! She wants chocolate milk. 

NO! Not in THAT sippy cup. (Uh, what was I thinking!) 

She wants HOT milk. 

"No, I wanna do it." So I pick her up and she punches in the time on the microwave. After the beep I get out her milk. 

The screams begin again, "NO I WANTED TO GET IT OUT!" 

"Taylor, you'll spill it."

"No I won't."

"Okay, Fine. But be careful."

"Ugh! Taylor! You spilled it!" "Get the rag."

She takes her hot chocolate milk and runs off while I am on the floor wiping up milk.

Repeat this about 500 times a day and that is what our lives are like right now. However, the thing to remember is that it is hard for her too! 

But everyone once in a while she will say the most sweetest thing and it just melts our hearts, then we look at each other and wonder where our kid went! LOL! 

Taylor is so tall and beautiful. Ashlyn is getting so pretty as well despite the fact that she looks JUST LIKE HER DADDY! (just kidding honey!) 

Oh, and Taylor officially tried to kill Ashlyn last week. She had a cloth belt wrapped around her neck twice and was pulling up on it when Dad walked in. Ash was a strange shade of blue and purple. Dad set sister free and even now she has little purple bruises under her neck. Poor baby!

Pray for us...we need it! 

p.s. Just noticed her bottom canines coming in too! Ugh...

Taylor's 3rd Birthday

I know every parent says this every year their child has a birthday, but I can't believe she is 3 already. We invited her friends, rented the most obnoxious bounce house this neighborhood has ever seen, and pimped everything out in Dora The Explorer. IT WAS A SUCCESS!

She had so much fun (and food) that she threw up in the bounce house! YES! In the words of one of our friends, it's not a party till someone pukes in the bounce house! She must have bounced in that thing for 3 or 4 solid hours. Ashlyn didn't know what to think of it but she had a blast too! Sandi and Charlie are huge fans of house parties as there is not one Dorito crumb left in the back yard.

Taylor got so many wonderful gifts and we are very thankful for those who gave them. I have no idea how we are going to top this next year!!! Any ideas???

So, I guess it's been a while!

I haven't written in so long that I almost forgot my password! Really, so sorry about that.

What has prevented me from updating the pictures and blog is sickness. The girls have been trading viruses since Easter. All four of Ashlyn's molars have also decided to come in at once. She is such a momma's girl and will not tolerate me putting her down, much less being on the computer and not letting her play on it too. To let you know how badly I feel about not posting more often, it is 10:20pm right now and I'm exhausted but I wanted to get this done.

TAYLOR RENEE

Ah, my Taylor. Her birthday is next weekend (June 2nd). She'll be 3 years old. Tay is a good girl but is so strong willed. I will ask her to pick up her toys and she'll look at me and say one of two things: 1.) But I don't WANT TO! -or- 2.) That's not my job, that's your job! "WHAT???" I asked her laughingly. I have to fix this NOW! So, I gently grasped her tiny, innocent little hand and led her around the house. 

• Do you see those dishes? That's my job. 
• Do you see supper on the stove? That's my job.
• Do you see the trash in the trash can? That's Daddy's job. 
• Do you see that vacuum? That's my job. 
• Do you see those toys? That's YOUR job. 

She looked at me as if she had just discovered her place of importance in the family. "My job?" she asked. "Yes Taylor. We all have a job. We are a team. Momma, Daddy, you and Ashlyn. We are all a team and we have to help one another."

I wish I could say that intrigue lasted but that was not to be the case. We are now only left with, "But I don't want to!" So, needless to say, getting Taylor to do anything she doesn't want to do is a struggle. I usually bargain with Dora (her favorite cartoon this month) or anything sweet; popsicles, ice cream, cookies, etc. That usually begrudgingly gets the work done.

She has officially completed her first year of pre-school. It has been so good for her. She is so smart and needs to be challenged. She gets bored so easily and school is a constructive way for her learn, make new friends, and burn some energy. Because she was only 2 (pre-school normally starts at 3) her teachers cut her some slack, realizing that she wasn't able to hold her attention as long as the other kids, and they would let her play a little more than the others. But this next year much more will be expected. Yes, of a 3 year old. She wants to be an astronaut (or should I say a rocketship). She is fascinated with rocketships, planes, helicopters, etc., and since we live in the the flight path of the Marine Air Station she is in heaven.

She and Ashlyn are really starting to develop a relationship now. Taylor is a good big sister but we are really have to work on being a kind, loving, sharing sister. I told her if she wants to have a good sister, she has to be a good sister. The sweetest thing in the world is when we are riding in the car and I hear them laughing at one another, I look back to see them holding hands. Uh, my heart!

ASHLYN KRISTIN

Ashlyn's walking is the funniest thing I have ever seen. She is so wobbly. She trips on the carpet! Poor thing, I feel so bad for her because she falls all the time. Sometimes she'll just give up and lay there on her back for a minute. It is hilarious. But what is really terrible is what I mentioned before. All four of her molars are coming in right now. She is so miserable. All I can do is give her ibuprofen and pray for her. Taylor barely had any teething problems at all but Ash has been teething since she was 2 months old and it really hurts her. 

She is finally starting to say a few words. Her first word was Dada at 14 months. After that was Uh-Oh. She says that all the time! Then came Thank You, bye bye, bad bad, (still no Momma), sister, Sandi (yes, she said the dog's name before mine) DaDa Bad Bad, and just this week it came. Momma. She says Mi Mi and MaMaMaMaMa, but never Momma. She has said it twice this week and she is a few days shy of 16 months. I had to wait 16 MONTHS for her to say momma! But let me tell you, what a precious sound it is. Both girls have such sweet voices. 

Her attitude is also funny, but will not be for long. That girl has a temper! Whew, she's a screamer. You take her toy and she will get so mad and scream to the top of her lungs! Like I said, funny...now. But what is the funniest thing is when she steals something from Taylor. She'll wait until Tay isn't looking and run over and swipe the toy. As soon has she hears Taylor scream out in protest, Ashlyn will kick it in overdrive and ruuuuuunnnn just as fast as her little wobbly feet can carry her, right into the safety of her momma's arms. LOL! I try so hard not to laugh and then try to be as fair as I can to both girls. Remember, when I take this toy away from Ash she is going to scream too! I guess I need to start investing in a hearing aid now. I hear they're expensive! 

TOMAS RAPHEL KABALO

Tomas is our new African baby. Yes, we have adopted a little 5 year old boy from Tanzania. Well, before you freak out, we have not really adopted him. We send his village money every month through a program call World Missions. Tomas has 8 brothers and 2 sisters. I am going to write him my first letter this weekend and I am really looking forward to watching the seeds of God's love grow a half a world away. God has blessed us so abundantly and it is time we start giving back and this is just one of the many exciting ways that we have begun to pay it forward. 

p.s. If anyone is wondering, we still have 2 more summers left before we are scheduled to transfer. We have no clue where that will be.

Cute Things Taylor Said

Since I have like 2 seconds to write something, I thought I'd share a few cute things Taylor has said.

The Moon - We were getting out of the truck one night and I said, "Oh Taylor, look! THE MOON!" She was in awe. So in her complete 2 year old innocence she starts jumping up grabbing for the moon. She finally realizes it is too far away and she says to me so pitifully, "Mommy, I can't reach it." Oh, my heart!

The Scary Panda - So, who knew Panda's could be scary. I mean come on, it's a panda! Well, Taylor thinks there is a scary panda in her room. So now I have to "lay wit' me a 'lil bit" until she goes to sleep.

Potty Training -  When she sits on the potty and can't go she says, "There's no more tee-tee left."

Ashlyn - NO! NO! ASHLYN. YOU IN BAD TROUBLE!

5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

This has been a very busy few weeks. First was Ashlyn's bday, then Ryans bday, Valentine's day, and finally our 5 year anniversary. Well, God had a plan for our family while life has been happening. Ryan and I have chosen to COMPLETELY give our lives to Christ and we were baptized today, on our 5th anniversary weekend. We also became members of our church. We have a new happiness in our life and a deeper love for one another than ever before.

Sorry It's Been So Long

Hi Everyone, 

I am sorry it's been so long since an update. I have not been feeling well lately and when I do have enough energy to do something I try to pick up the house. 

Taylor is loving school and potty training is slow but steady. Ashlyn has 8 teeth. She has four on top and four on bottom. She is transitioning out of her baby stage an into more of a toddler stage. This transition has not been easy for her. She fights her sleep and cries a lot but she's just frustrated. We do what we can but growing pains are a must for us all. 

Ashlyn will be a year old on Jan. 30th. It has gone SO FAST.  She isn't walking yet but tries very hard. She says DaDa, BaBa, and PaPa very well. Still no MaMa yet. 

I am loading a few new pics on dropshots. Enjoy.