Adalyn's First Primary Talk

Adalyn gave her very first talk in primary this last Sunday. She practiced all weekend and did such a great job! We are so proud of her but it's hard to believe that we are at this point...giving talks in primary makes it seem like she is so much older! We definitely aren't ready for this!

Happy Love Day!

We had an awesome Valentine's Day! It started off with the girls waking up to some Valentine's treats. Then we had preschool at our house and the girls decorated sugar cookies. We then took some of the cookies to a widower and a friend who just had a baby (the theme for preschool is Sharing/Service). The girls had so much fun with it. After that, Adalyn and Quincy got to take Valentine's suckers to their friends.

When Devin got home we had a candle-lit dinner for 4. I think this will become a tradition for us!















Hope your Valentine's was as 'sweet' as ours! XOXOXO

Q at 2!

Since Quincy just had her 2nd birthday I want to document what she she is like at 2 years old. She is quite the little spit fire and has more sass than I thought was possible in such a small child. She also...

• Loves to make people laugh. If she makes you laugh once she will keep performing, so that she can make you laugh again.
• She loves to talk and will constantly point to things and say "Name?" so that she can learn new words.

• She is not afraid to stand up for herself or Adalyn, but she is most protective of me. If Devin even tries to hug me she will run up to us, point her finger, and say "No Daddy...No, No! My Mama!"
  
• She loves to sing and dance. I love turning on any kind of music because I know she will either start shaking it or start singing along.
• She loves her big sister and has to do EVERYTHING that Adalyn is doing, including going on the potty. She isn't officially potty trained yet but she has been dabbling in it since 18 months. She also isn't afraid to try new things.

• For whatever reason, she loves to lick people. Weird. Yes. Random. Absolutely. But when you're not the one she is licking it's kinda funny. Sometimes she will even act like she is going to give you a kiss and then just lick you instead.
• Her current stats are Height: 3 ft (95%) Weight: 26.7 lbs (50%) and Head: Off the charts
• She has a special blanket that she absolutely loves. We are lucky in the fact that she only wants it when she sleeps, but sometimes when she is sick she will grab her blanket and just lay with it.
• Quincy is our little cuddle bug. She loves to cuddle and I can always count on her to give the best hugs ever.
• She is attracted to certain people and she will gladly go to those people that she deems worthy. We have yet to figure out what it is that about people that attracts her to them.





























• She is now sleeping in a 'big girl' bed and has really liked it.
• She loves to pray... even when it's someone else's turn. She will just repeat right after them.
• Some of her favorite things right now include Dora, Beauty and the Beast, chicken nuggets, dolls, yogurt, cars, reading books, playing with friends, cheese, chasing her sister, and just being silly.

We could not imagine our lives without our lil' Q. She brings so much joy and laughter and sweetness into our home and we love her so very much!

Happy Birthday Lil Miss Q!

On Friday, our little Quincy turned 2! We can't believe how fast she is growing up! We had such a fun weekend celebrating her birthday!

On Friday morning she woke up to this...

Then we met up with some friends at Kangaroo Zoo. This was a really fun activity, but after about an hour and a half we were ALL completely worn out!

And later that night she opened her presents...

Then on Saturday we had a family party for her. We started by having the cousins play at Jungle Jims...

Then the rest of the family joined us for a Dora Fiesta complete with a pin the bracelet on Dora game, tacos and 7 layer dips for dinner, and a Dora cake and cake pops to top it off.

It was great weekend and we couldn't have asked for a better way to celebrate our sweet little girl's birthday than with all the people that she loves! We couldn't be more grateful for Quincy and we have loved watching her grow into the sweet, spunky, and amusing bundle of joy that she is. Can't help but love her!

Enjoy Every Moment... It goes by so fast!

Have any of you ever heard that phrase before? I am sure that most of you, like myself, have heard it in every situation you find yourself in with small children. And while I know it is sound advice, on some days it isn't as easy to swallow as others. Like when the older lady approaches me and my 2 screaming daughters at the store and says "Looks like someone's having a bad day?" And I'm thinking, "Yeah...me!" And then she continues to say, "Well enjoy every moment, because before you know it they will be gone!" Hearing that has always made me feel guilty. For one, I have 2 kids that are misbehaving so I already feel that I have failed as a mother, and then on top of it, I am not enjoying every moment. Well, Devin sent me this article today and I felt like her ideas on this philosophy were refreshingly honest. It inspired me to share (as well as post it for my own remembrance).

I for one fully agree with her thoughts. Some may feel that it is a negative view... I however feel that we are not meant to enjoy EVERY moment. But rather find the joyous moments in the work. I would never change for a moment the role that I have chosen to take as a mother, but I will admit that it is a very challenging role and I question myself at every turn. On this matter, I will now make it a point to find my "Kairos" moments rather than worrying that I am not enjoying EVERY moment.

My "Kairos" moments for the day:

After dropping Adalyn off at preschool, I came home to Quincy who ran to me and gave me a big hug. (She gives the world's best hug!) I could have stayed there, breathing her in, all day!

(Quincy playing in the snow at Temple Square)

When I apologized to Adalyn for speaking to her more abruptly than I should have (alright, let's face it, when I yelled at her) her reply was "I already forgave you mom... when I was in my room." She is such a sweet girl with so much love in heart.

(Adalyn after her first day at dance class, which she loved)

Happy New Year!!

We had a fun little New Year's Eve party at our home. Of course it started at 7:30 and ended somewhere close to 8... but even though we didn't quite make it to midnight we still had a good time.

We had a great 2011 with lots of great memories to take with us into the next year! We look forward to all that 2012 will bring! Happy New Year everyone!!

Our Christmas Celebrations

We had a wonderful and fun-filled Christmas. It all started with Christmas Eve which was spent at my parents annual party. We had a lot of fun and the girls loved all of the games that we played (though I won't deny that there were several tears and screams as well... how do you tell a 3 year old that she doesn't get a candy if she doesn't roll the right number?)

Christmas Eve Pajamas:

The next morning we got up and told the girls that we were going to church to celebrate Jesus' Birthday, and then when we came home we could open the presents that Santa brought. They were extremely restless but I was grateful for the opportunity to remember (and teach) what Christmas is really all about.

After the presents were all opened we read a letter that Santa had left in which he told the girls how much he loved watching them when they were nice to each other. He also said that because they were such good girls he left an EXTRA special present for them downstairs. This is what we found...

It was a great morning!

Later that evening we had dinner with the Paynes, and as usual it was such a great time!

And it wouldn't be the holidays in our home without a trip to the ER or the Instacare. The day after Christmas, Quincy was standing on her new rocking chair, fell off, and hit her head on the corner of the dollhouse. It was a small laceration but quite deep, so after it continued to bleed for awhile, we thought it best to take her in. She walked away with a staple and a cool headband!

We felt extremely blessed this holiday season. We enjoyed the company of so many family and friends, and shared special and unforgettable moments within our own little family. I am so grateful for this time of year, to give and receive love like that of our Savior's. I am more than grateful to know the truth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and to have a time to celebrate His birth, His life, and His sacrifice that He made for each of us. I hope you all felt His love throughout this season, and continue to feel it throughout the next year!