Pit Roasting Sarah

Nate loves to pick up the girls as though they are about to be cooked like a rotisserie...they love it!

Flashbacks with Katelyn

Dollhouse Living Room

Yay! The dollhouse is done...or at least as much as I am going to do. Can't say I don't totally envy this kitchen set but...enough is enough.

Cute stuff at www.manorhouseminis.com
Here is a look at the living room (of course I could always go for a working grandfather clock).

Complete with framed photo's of the girls, chandelier, and roasting fire in the fireplace. We put up a Christmas tree this weekend and so the dollhouse needed one as well. It's been great fun but well now it's time to play with it.

Missing Big Moments

Nate's been watching the girls on Thursday nights while I have art class. It's been great to have those 3 hours to work and relax. Right now I am working on Sarah's portrait as well as a piece for a friend. I have started my first official oil painting and it's really exciting. Unfortunately while at this class I missed Katelyn's first big potty moment. Nate said Katelyn told him to go in her room and she shut the door. He heard her bearing down and thought,"if she can ask for privacy she can probably handle the potty." So he set her up just in time for her first success at the potty. Way to go Katelyn and way to go SuperDad. So the potty training has officially begun as of December 4th. We shall see when it's officially mastered...

Family Photos at Gamble Gardens

We made an exchange with the Adamson's that we would take their family photos, if they wouldn't mind taking ours. We have some really fun ones and made some new friends in the park. Ummm...if you didn't know yet, I totally love this place!



Gotcha!!!

Thanksgivng

We started the day in the park watching Nate play in a Turkey Bowl (umm...Flag Football designated on Thanksgiving). While at the park Katelyn bonded with Brother Kenney from our ward. Apparantly I didn't understand the extent of camaderie until we were leaving and she started to cry for her "Grandpa".

The tears were not through mind you. Nate and I had an intimate gathering for our meal and as such I didn't really watch Katelyn as she played with the pepper shaker. I put it on the cabinet after I heard her coughing but missed that she managed to get it down again. 5 minutes to meal time she rubbed some pepper flakes in her eyes... It was just awful to hear her cry. Nate was great. He swooped in and washed her face. When that didn't seem to do the trick he put her in the shower. We added a little saline drops into the mix and the magic soothing power of candy to lull her out of her hysteria. I gather the pepper in Pepperspray is what causes all the pain. Katelyn was a trooper. She pulled through and we had a feast ready to greet her.

The menu: Rosemary Turkey with Cranberry Sauce, Mashed Potatoes, Chicken Gravy, Rosemary Bread, Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar, Green Bean Casserole, Jello, Pumpkin Pie, and Apple Pie. Mmmm...my mouth is watering!

Where's the Toothbrush?

Katelyn loves to walk around looking for things and calling out as she does so, "Where's the Toot brush?" or whatever the missing item is. Nate's family loves to remind him of the day he was in a rush and dropped his toothbrush in the sink and spit into the drawer...

Seems Katelyn takes after her father...

Fall Playgroup

A fun filled morning at the park with friends and a tub of delish gingersnap cookies. Really, I could have done without the extra calories but they were so good. Thanks Heath.

Oakland Temple

Nate and I took the girls to see the temple grounds a few weeks ago in preparation for my talk in sacrament meeting. It's really just beautiful there. Nate was wonderful and patient adding an extra hour to his watch because I missed the intended session by 3 minutes....oops.


I am happy to report that Nate and I had an uneventful arrival on the temple grounds other than a few extra security personnel. Recently at the end of our Sacrament Meeting, the bishop closed with an announcement that a demonstration was going to be held in our area. He reminded us that in the face of confrontation we are to remain calm and exchanges of words rarely brings about the ending we would like. Happily that too was all that came about.

Sarah's Shadow

Sarah is so funny to watch...she just loves to play on the rungs of the chairs. 9/10 times she generally gets hurt either by slipping or pulling the chair on top of herself but failure doesn't seem to be in her vocabulary.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try, again...
And have your sister under there to prove it!

Morning Runs

I am not a natural runner, but I have tried to be one. I have a handful of 5K's, one Sprint Triathlon, and one Half-Marathon on my list of accomplishments, yet I still feel like a running impersonater. Maybe if I were more consistent I would learn to love it. It's a work in progress.
Nate and I recently started running together again in the foothills; he pushes both girls in the stroller and I try to keep going. Daylight Savings clipped that last precious 30 minutes of sunlight after work and forced us to wake up early in the morning for our exercise. At least it's some sort of payback to the girls for their midnight debuts that we get to wake them up before they want to...
Anyway I can't promise we make it out every morning or that I don't come up with a million excuses why it's not a necessary task, but in the end I am always glad that I went and enjoy the time spent with my family.

Delightful Surprises...

Every once in awhile I find lovely treasures to clean up after a bath...
At least it's super clean now!

Nate's Dog

Nate's sister Heather got Nate the Best Christmas Gift (the one he always wanted as a little boy) last year...a mechanical dog that barks and does back flips. Katelyn has been a little wary if not down right petrified of the thing so it has only been a hit with the adults. While playing with 11- month old Charlie today, she warmed up to Doggie. Yes 4 hours of yipping dog noises but it sure made my day easy! Sarah was rather excited herself! How easily us females are influenced by boys...

Notice they all have their very own toy...Charlie's barks and does flips, Sarah's rings and opens, Katelyn's winds up and shimmies!

Sarah's other best friend...

Thanks Grandma Starley for the darling Thanksgiving Clothes!

Sister Tea Party

My mom sent the girl's a really fun tea set this last week. We've had sister tea parties and friend picnics and it's been great for kid-sized dishes when my sink has been over-loaded...
Thanks Mom!

Princess Bed

Recently Katelyn has been in the habit of running over to Sarah's crib and climbing up to peek over the bar and say "Good Mornin' Sarah." It's not a pretty site when she doesn't get to be first, but that's another story. Katelyn is in the habit of placing her "Baby Sarah" doll from the dollhouse family into the crib when Sarah goes down for a nap. Thankfully, for some reason, this particular day of note I layed Sarah down on my bed. Katelyn dutifully climbed up and layed her doll down. Just then the mattress crashed down about 4 feet. Katelyn was still standing on the shell of the crib, stunned. The weird thing is the bed came down on the opposite side from where she was standing so I am not sure if she just wiggled the bearings lose but the entire metal holdings separated from the wood...
Nate and I decided it was time for Katelyn to move out of the crib and we found a fun little toddler bed "Princess Bed" and Katelyn has loved it. One of the sweetest features is being able to kneel by the bedside with her to say nightly prayers.

Sarah waking up the sleeping Princess...
360 view of the girl's room...

"Butterflies & Birds"
Paper Mobiles Katelyn and I made in our Prep-Preschool Curriculum.

Breaking in the Princess Bed
(side note...my mom says she came to check on me one night and she found me asleep on the floor and my bed was filled with stuffed animals. When she asked what I was doing I told her that I couldn't make any of my dollies feel left out so I put them all in my bed. Then there wasn't enough room for me to sleep on the bed so I curled up on the floor. It looks like Katelyn takes after her mom on this one...)

More sleeping but this time in Mom's Princess Bed...

The bib says it all! (Katelyn wanted to relive the highchair for a meal...)