made a couple changes

I made a couple changes to my blog. What do you think?

My NEW philosophy

"The cleaning and scrubbing will wait till tomorrow,

for children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow.

So quiet down, cobwebs. Dust go to sleep.

I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep."

Cleaning out the pantry

Last Friday, January 25th:

Thanks Mary-Gail for helping me clean out the pantry.

Who needs all those Ramen Noodles anyways?

Gotta love my 40 lb bag of dog food for the girls.

Yes, they do have sensitive skin.

A little blurry. Love those soy crisps. Yummy!

Gordon B. Hinckley reunites with his wife

The Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints passed away last night. He was 98 years old, but he was lively and young and quick. I remember when Tony & I were still in Charleston, SC, President Hinckley visited for our Regional Conference. We saw him via satellite since he spoke in Columbia, SC, (the capital). President Hinckley wore a blue Palmetto Tie and spoke of the Palmetto Tree and the Crescent Moon pattern on the tie, and then said this:

"I don't buy green bananas anymore.

When you're my age, you don't buy green bananas."

I sure loved listening to him speak. He was amazing! He said of mothers:

"Do the best you can. And remember, the greatest asset you have in this world, is your children..."

President Hinckley outlived his eternal companion, Marjorie Peay Hinckley, by 4 long years. I believe he's embracing her right now. Eternal love, eternal companion, eternal families, eternal life.

Here is the newsroom report

http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/

3 months to go

my two, beautiful, amazing daughters are sick :( and have been sick for a week now. they are both congested with runny, green, boogery noses, and non-relenting coughs; my mary-gail has the worst of it and seems to always be more sick than rebecca. her little throat is so sore from coughing. she gets in these coughing fits and then throws-up. sometimes we make it to the sink in time - but mostly we don't. mary-gail's eyes tell me she's scared (and tired) of coughing; she knows that she'll throw-up if she doesn't stop, and i feel absolutely awful because there's nothing i can give her to help with the cough.

the air quality is "red" (the worst possible) and it's been red for a few days now. we rarely get outside . i think i have seasonal depression. winter used to be my favorite season, but not anymore. it's awful being cooped up inside; the girls don't like it and neither do i. i just keep telling myself that spring is only 3 months away... only 3 months

Happiness is...

Happiness is Mary-Gail laughing

This video was yesterday morning after breakfast. Mary-Gail was laughing at me as I made clicking/grunting sounds. Can you see her two bottom teeth and top right fang? Her top left fang just broke through

The littlest helpers

My two littlest helpers

Mary-Gail on the move

Rebecca won't eat food, but this plastic-covered metal sure tastes good

Umm, Ummm. My favorite!

Mary-Gail emptying the cupboards;

Rebecca on the move

Bribes, treats, rewards. Call it what you want

My Dadda came over Saturday evening, 1/12, to watch Rebecca & Mary-Gail, so Tony and I could attend the adult session of Stake Conference. I warned Dadda that he would have to feed the girls (which they still aren't eating BTW), so Pappy thought a little bribe would help...

Pappy rinsing the washcloth for faces

Pappy cleaning off Mary-Gail's face

(sweet potatoes and Spaghetti O's all over)

Mary-Gail and her delicious sucker

If Rebecca's food was a moisturizer...

(and shampoo and conditioner and...)

Rebecca not even fazed by the bribe; she still didn't eat

Surprise!

Pappy surprised us last night! I was carrying the girls to their room to start our bedtime routine, and who should come through the front door...Pappy! Rebecca nearly flew out of my arms with glee; and Mary-Gail's voice jumped into that high-frequency, only-dogs-can-hear-range.

A little out-of-focus (I was holding Baby Becs as I snapped these), but they are too precious to not post.

Mary-Gail wearing Pappy's favorite "spider" hat

Surprise! Dadda and I were trying to be ridiculously upbeat as we fed the girls

(tried to feed them)

THE "KUTEST" KIDLET EVER!

Mary-Gail checking out the spider

Can you see the spider now?

Baby Becca's bathtime blues

Usually bathtime is so much fun for the girls (but lots of work for me) and they usually play for around 15 minutes in the tub.

Sunday morning's bathtime fun

Today was a different story...
Here's the culprit:

Here's the damage:

Poor Baby Becca is going to have ONE big, beautiful, BLUE eye

(is she trying to change her eye color to Mary-Gail's?)

She saved me

She saved me.


This isn't the first time she's saved me. This will definitely not be the last either. She has so much patience and love and understanding and energy; and she's happy and smiles and laughs and makes funny faces and claps and does everything that I should be doing. She works ridiculously long hours caring for her hospice patients and "managing" their families, and still has energy and strength for my girls. She's the most kind, most thoughtful person that I've ever met. And she loves doing little things to make people happy. Like today: she comes over with a large sack in her hand, surprises Rebecca & Mary-Gail with their very own super-soft, little baby!

*************************************************************************************
I was "done" today at about 1pm. I'd been wrestling with the girls, trying EVERYTHING to get them to eat, and still nothing. This has been going on since they got their Synergis shot on Friday, 1/4/08. Normally, Rebecca & Mary-Gail are irritable for a day afterwards; they don't eat food, and aren't interested in their milk. Their pee is really potent smelling, and their poop is breast-milk, curdy, runny, has-to-be-changed 4+ times a day (sorry to be graphic, but I'm laying it all out). But today is day No. 4, and their pee & poop is the same, and the 'no eating and limited drinking' has me worried, stress-out, feeling rejected, and depressed. Mom came over bearing smiles, loves, hugs, kisses, presents (bonus!) and was the saving grace that I needed. I didn't have anything else to give the girls. But my Mom did. She helped me feed them--oops! She helped me try to feed them, and then held Rebecca when she furiously refused her afternoon nap. (Moments after these pictures, Mom had "the rhythm," and Rebecca was singing herself to sleep).

********************************************************************
My Mom is the best of the best of the best of the best. She can do it all. She has survived 7 pregnancies, survived 27 years of raising 6 kids, going back to college at 35, living through some tough life changes that would normally break someone down, and she survived! Mom survived and she is thriving. She helped me survive one more day. I love you Mom. I really do love you.

Mary-Gail walking

This was Monday night, 1/7/08

ArlaMae trying to stay out of her way;

Mary-Gail pushed the bar stool from the end of the counter to the dishwasher!

(She looks like a happy, old grandma in this picture - very proud of herself)

I hope this video loads. Just a few steps of Mary-Gail walking.

5 years

January 7, 2003, Tony and I were sealed together for time and ALL ETERNITY in the Provo, Utah, Temple. We packed up our truck, and with Pixie in-tow, we made the 2200 mile cross-country journey from Charleston, SC, to Provo, UT.

Happy 5 year anniversary of our Eternal Marriage, Lovey!

Lovey and his "first girls."

Isle of Palm Beach, Charleston, SC, 2004

Lovey and Me at sunset,

IOP, Charleston, SC, 2004

Waiting for Shots...

Part 1 of our 2 hour wait:
This doctor's visit totally interrupted our nap time! From 11am - 12pm we waited outside the doctor's office for our Synergis shot. Tony & I wrestled with the girls for a while, and then we set them free. Rebecca crawled to the windows and immediately started patting and kissing her reflection - no big surprise since she does this at home all the time. Did I mention we have a mirror in every room just for her...? Mary-Gail crawled towards Rebecca & Tony, and I was able to get some really cute shots (not the kind that use needles though).

Close-up of Rebecca's cute, spread-out fingers

Lovey & Baby Bec's looking at the Wasatch Mountains,

BYU, and Provo High School

And along came a spider we call "Mary-Gail"

Hello little spider!

This is the smile that I LOVE!!!

Part 2 of our 2 hour wait:
12pm - 1pm. Guess what woke the girls up? The mean M.A. (not really) who gave a shot in EACH of our sweet, little girl's thighs. What a rude awakening! Hopefully, Rebecca & Mary-Gail will forget because we "get" to do this again next month, and the next month, and the next month...

Wii video - the best one of all

This is the best video of all! We're talking "turkey" good...



Grandma's high score was 184. She bowled against Kristie and scored 183, and then against Mom and scored 184. It was a great Mother-Daughter competition. Jason informed us that if you score "pro" so many times, that you are awarded a "sparkly ball" - Grandma's sparkly ball is on order!

Wii would like to play - videos Part 2

More videos of our New Year's Eve party at Jo's and our Wii bowling competition.




Norman bowls a strike and Tony bowls a spare

This video is of Paul bowling a spare

This next video is the best one of all, so I saved it for last....actually, we'll put this video on a separate post...

Wii would like to play - videos

Here are the videos of Grandma bowling strike after strike after strike. At first, Jason had to pursuade her to play, but then Grandma was totally into it. After watching Grandma play (and seeing how excited she got each framed she played) made everyone want to play against her!

Here is Grandma playing with Kristie. Grandma bowls a Strike (she didn't leave any frames open) and Kristie bowls a Spare

This video is of Dadda bowling a Spare. He has a very satisfied look on his face afterwards.

New Year's Eve Eve

JoJo bought a Nintendo Wii after playing Preston & Abbie's Wii (Pam's brother got them a Wii for Christmas!). We played the Wii for New Year's Eve fun as we brought in 2008. We're all at JoJo's house in her basement for the action

Grandma bowling a strike

Grandma taking a break - the cheering section

Jason giving Kristie tips on follow-through and wrist action for bowling

Norman on his first bowl...

Norman on his second bowl and got a Spare

Videos with Uncle Jason & Uncle Norman

New Year's Eve Day - 12.31.07 - continued from earlier...

Uncle Norman with Mary-Gail. Mary-Gail usually puts her thumb in her mouth when Norman holds her, but this time she claps her hands. Uncle Jason has Rebecca who waves her cute hand to me.

Rebecca with Uncle Jason as Tony comes upstairs. Rebecca gets sooo excited when she sees her Daddy. She pleases us all with her cute voice and repetitions of "Dadda."

New Year's Eve Day

So, Jason & Norman stopped by my house to visit on New Year's Eve. Here are my cherished photos of them playing with my girls:

Uncle Jason reading (and singing) I'm a little teapot" with Rebecca

Uncle Norman with two very cute admirers

Mary-Gail working on standing alone; grabbing Uncle Norman's hoodie strings

Rebecca with Uncle Jason; ArlaMae "The Faithful" beside him

Uncle Norman and Rebecca