Magic Words

Tonight Avery was all ready for bed, but was trying to bide her time playing with toys in the living room. Paul was not in any hurry to put her down because he was engrossed in the basketball game on TV. At a break, Paul said “Ok Avery, it is time for bed!” Her response…. “No, Daddy…I want to watch the Lakers.” Those were magic words for a Laker fan daddy to hear coming out of his little daughter’s mouth… so, she got to stay up and “watch the game” and cuddle with Daddy. I think she already knows how to work him… at the tender age of two! She has daddy wrapped around her finger!


I just want to know one thing... what is up with those short shorts they were wearing last night?!

Back in the Saddle

Well, it has been 2 months since my last post! Time flies when you are having fun (or when you just have WAY too much going on!). We are all alive and I am still sane (amazingly enough). I think I am ready to return to the blogging world and get "back in the saddle" so to speak. So, for a quick update:


We were displaced for the entire month of November while the kitchen was torn out here at the house. The girls and I went to my mom's house to help her recover from a back injury and escape from construction chaos. Paul came up for the Veteran's Day Weekend and we went to Tahoe for a long weekend.... burrrrrrr!!! It was a little chilly, but we had a fun time! We saw Paul again when he came up for Thanksgiving. It was nice to have some time away from the construction, but it was hard to have our little family separated for such a long stretch of time. Avery really missed her daddy. Paul was a little bummed that he wasn't there to see Finley start crawling, but he gets to see enough of her crawling now that we are home because she goes EVERYWHERE and she is into EVERYTHING! How do you really baby proof a home in the middle of a remodel?! It is my newest challenge!

We returned the first weekend of December because we had doctor visits, dentist appointments, Christmas parties to attend, shopping to do, and more construction to endure. But, while we were gone (and since we have gotten home) progress has been made! Our new front door is in, the kitchen cabinets are in and painted, the floors are in, the baseboards are up, furniture is placed in functional locations- the house is ALMOST liveable again! It is really starting to take shape and I absolutely LOVE it! Now all that is left to do is to get the kitchen appliances in, which should happen some time next week- I am soooooooooooooooooo ready to cook and eat real food that doesn't come with fries and soda, or a plastic toy. I am also ready to just BE at home. So, when this is all done I think I am going to go into hermit mode for awhile. If you want to see us- you know where we will be!

We were able to stay here for Christmas- we were even able to get a real live tree on Christmas Eve! A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE! All in all, we had a wonderful Christmas in spite of the fact that we still don't have a functioning kitchen and things are still disordered and chaotic at the house. The fact that we were all together and the joy on Avery's face Christmas morning made it well worth the stress!








Now, we look forward to 2008 with hope of order and routine as well as some fun... playdates with new friends and neighbors, birthday parties, making dinner for friends, hosting out of town guests- all the things that we have missed out on this past year!

Halloween Festivities!

A quick trip to the barn for pictures
(surprise, surprise) ....

Trunk or Treat on Tuesday at church- Avery finally warmed up to the whole Halloween idea; although, she reminded us that she REALLY doesn't like scary costumes (she has always had issues with characters at Disneyland, mascots, Chuck E. Cheese, and the like)... she thinks everyone should be fairies and princesses of one variety or another! It was a good practice run!

The real deal Halloween night at the Rober's house. Avery had a lot of fun trick or treating- she tried so hard to keep up with the bigger kids. She really got into it and did great!

Finley was just content to look cute and be carried around, holding onto her wand wherever she went!! It was a fun night/week!

I Love to See the Temple!

I Love to See the Temple

Janice Kapp Perry

(This includes a third verse she wrote for a choral arrangement while a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir)
I love to see the temple, I'm going there someday To feel the Holy Spirit; to listen and to pray. For the temple is the house of God, a place of love and beauty. I'll prepare myself when I am young -This is my sacred duty.

I love to see the temple; I'll go inside some day;I'll covenant with my Father; I'll promise to obey.For the temple is a holy place where we are sealed together.As a child of God I've learned the truth:"A family is forever".

I love to see the temple shine brightly through the night -A beacon to all people of purity and light.For the temple is a sacred place where worthy Saints assemble to receive the holy ordinances Performed in God's own temple.

We went to L.A. this past weekend for the San Luis Obispo Stake Temple Day and 50th Commemoration Session. It was a crazy day, but it was wonderful at the same time. Avery was so excited to see the temple for the first time in person. She kept looking up at the Angel Moroni on top of the temple and pointing it out to us. She really wanted to go in with everyone else. She and Finley walked the grounds with us (Avery insisted on pushing the stroller) and with Grandma Lee and Pa for several hours as we all took turns. They were both troopers!

Dancing, Dancing, ALWAYS Dancing

Avery is my little dancing fool! She LOVES to dance- anytime, anywhere, with or without music (I am pretty sure she hears music in her head constantly). She loves Angelina Ballerina and asks to watch the DVD over and over again, she poses her Barbies in dancing positions, she wants to wear her dance clothes and ballet (or sometimes tap) shoes whenever she can get away with it...the child is OBSESSED! Her newest thing is to get up on her tippy toes and then lift one leg straight up over her head in perfect form, with pointed toes an all (I think this must be something she got off the Angelina Ballerina DVD). I really need to get video of her doing this, because it really is pretty amazing and no one believes me until they see it for themselves.

Finley loves to watch Avery at dance class! I think she will follow after her sister in this pursuit- she is already starting to bounce and move whenever she hears music!