Caged

Yep, like a wild animal! This one turned into a crib jumper. We spent a few nights going to bed at 10:30-11:00. Then we spent one night in the pack n play, until she figured out a way to get out of it too. Which left me with no other option... besides the tent! I just wasn't ready for the toddler bed, she would NEVER sleep if we went that route. She thinks it's really fun, and treats her bed like a trampoline now. Except when she's angry and I zip her in, then... not so fun.





2nd product I never thought I'd buy my child... first was 'the leash' puppy backpack. They're tricky, these little toddlers.

I have someone I'd like you to meet~

Toilet, this is Addi. Addi, this is the toilet.




DISGUSTING. After I captured this on film, she was told this was never to happen again... sick huh?


Anyways, these two first met at my Mom's and she seemed all excited so I came right home and we bought a stool and an Elmo seat, and NOTHING.
She's sat on that seat no less than 100 times, and not one drop has ever passed into the 'potty.' Oh well, wishful thinking. Guess we're still gonna be friends with diapers for a while.

Addi, on the other hand....

during our two week stay in Utah became accustomed to:
*cousins- three of them.... Ella, Cie Cie and Kort
*Grandma, Grandpa, Auntie Kim, Uncle Mustache (or Tony, but all she remembers is his terrifying mustache), and Mimi
*translation LOTS of attention!
*dogs- her favorite thing! Izzy, Lucy Oakley & Zip
*large houses, with lots of rooms and toys
*even larger yards.... with sprinklers, trampolines, and horses
*& not being on a schedule








My, how terribly disappointing to come home to our place, with only Mama & Dada.Sorry baby girl!

Looks like fun on HGTV huh?

Staging a house. Decluttering and depersonalizing each room. Cleaning, taking some things away, putting some things in, repurposing stuff you have, hitting yard sales and Big Lots for good finds.



Making children keep their closets look like this....



HGTV makes it look like a party...it's not, it's really not. BUT, I am so happy I could help my sister do it!




I spent two weeks in Utah to visit my fam and help my sister put this beauty on the market. It's an extremely nice house, and her husband is a contractor so they've put a ton into it. 6 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms & it's on an acre of horse property, and I think you should all consider buying it!

Happiest Place on Earth?

Do you think Disneyland is still the 'happiest place on Earth' when it's 105 degrees and you stay all day?!
Well, on this lady's birthday it was a pretty happy place, weather and all. Addi had a cold so we brought her home to nap and left her with Lyndon and my Mom and I went back and we didn't exit the park until they asked us to!



Happy Birthday MOM!

In Awe

I find this woman....


her story...
Stephanie Aurora Clark Nielson returns from a almost fatal plane crash. Happy to be blogging again from Utah and recovering too. Four happy children and one sweet husband make her life as good as it gets.


and her blog....

NieNie Dialogues

to be EXTREMELY INSPIRATIONAL~
If you don't check in on it every once in a while, ya should! Thank you Nie.

Loads of fun

Addi and I have been home bound for over a week now-Addi with croup and me with a cold and sinus infection. Is there anything more fun than a sick and cranky one and a half year old?? We've spent time at the Dr., and time in bed, and plenty of time doing 'inside' stuff- we're going stir crazy! Our collective stash of meds===>
Oh, and when A's cough was really bad we had to go in the bathroom and turn on the shower and have her sit in the steam, so I'd do puzzles in there with her on the floor... now she thinks that is the best play place ever and she hauls all her puzzles in there. YUK.
Far worse than that though...Addi has officially hit the TERRIBLE TWO'S. This is no joke... it's TERRIBLE. As a first time Mom, I kind of thought this is something that was exaggerated. Oh my, it's like a switch, and she swings into full blown meltdown mode about ten times a day now. Her shenanigans include: throwing herself down on the ground, crying- with actual tears, kicking, screaming at the top of her lungs, throwing anything she can get her hands on, biting, hitting (she will bite or hit me if I'm within reach, but funny enough she'll bite or hit HERSELF too), and my favorite- she will go in her room and shut the door and tell me to go out when I try to come in. Jeez, just when I thought it might be time to cook up another little one.

But seriously how can you be upset with this face? Is it a coincidence God makes them so darn cute and loveable?


Another thing she's into? Doing EVERYTHING I do. She's my new little shadow/ helper. Here we are making banana bread (no worries, she licked AFTER we got the batter into the pans). I sure love this girl, I am just gearing up for a wild ride with her!