Lily turned two and Christmas too!

I was going to try to make two separate posts about these two events, but Lily ran off with 6 of my laptop keyboard keys....it took me days to figure out that they were in the TRASH (I had already put that trash outside too)! Silly girl....I still haven't found the "n" key. :( Over five years of owning this computer and it gets messed with by my two year-old toddler. Which brings me to the reason for this post: Lily is 2! More like a 2 year-old body with a 15 year-old attitude. She is something else...but let's get to her big day:

It so happened that Lily's birthday (the 19th) was the day before Daniel's big final! We planned on celebrating her birthday on Friday after Daniel was done with school and free for two weeks! We were so excited to have Daddy all to ourselves. :) I still wanted to have a good special day on her birthday, so she woke up saying, "happy birthday," whenever someone would call and I fixed her cinnamon roll pancakes. Awesome, by the way, and easy to make. She then opened presents and we just had a great day hanging out.

 We had her favorite food, spaghetti, and she helped me make her chocolate cake with chocolate icing. She really loves licking the bowl (my uncle used to give me a coffee mug with cake batter in it and we would drink it together....those were the days). She got some awesome presents from Mimi and Grandpa Craig. I think she really enjoyed her day.

Then, Daniel's big final came the next day and he passed with an excellent grade! Our treat for Daniel and Lily was to eat at Chick-fil-A (ok, that one was for me), and a trip to see the zoo lights with some friends. It was really cool. It almost didn't happen though cause every parking lot we went to filled up only as soon as we got in. Finally, Daniel got fed up with it and created his own parking spot with our incredibly awesome Fit...oh yeah, it wouldn't have worked if we didn't have good ole' Eclectic. It was a fun and Lily really enjoyed meeting the Panda Claus.

Before we knew it, Christmas came around. We went to a dinner on Christmas eve at a friend's house. It was wonderful. My favorite part was gathering around the tree and reading Luke 2 and singing Christmas hymns. It was magical.

Christmas day came and Lily really got into it. She was so excited to open all the presents...ALL of them...still working on learning about possession. She was a sweet sister though and opened Lena's presents for her and even gave Lena some of her own to hold. We were blessed to get a Blendtec from our awesome sister and bro; this will help with our New Year diet. ;) We went to a wonderful dinner at another friend's house. It was so great. There were a lot of people, but boy did we love their family that came from New York. They are Latina and they sure can make the party lively. They were so fun to be around. The kids also put on a little skit while we read Luke 2. Lily was the lamb...she did not play her part well cause she kept trying to steal baby Jesus...Good memories. We had a very Merry Christmas.

I was really concerned about trying to implement Christ in Christmas this year and for Lily not to get too wrapped up (or us for that matter) in the materialism that Christmas brings with it. I believe what really helped me to focus on Christ this Christmas was the singing and reading of the nativity with friends, it brought so much warmth to my heart. Lily was even singing along. I want to do that with family and friends every year. I have also decided to make a fun, interactive nativity for Lily and Lena next year...I've got to learn how to crochet though...

Getting with the Christmas spirit

I told Daniel we had to go get a tree the day after Thanksgiving. I wanted that to be a new family Christmas tradition. Our first year married, my wonderful boss got us a tree and decorations. That was beyond kindness since we didn't really have the money to get all that stuff. The next year Lillian was born and we would be moving shortly after so Daniel went out with buddy to cut the top off a tree in the woods of Southeast Idaho. We didn't have a tree last year since we were in Alabama and my Granny had a gorgeous one. This year would be the first that Lily could help us pick out a tree. We didn't quite make it the day after Thanksgiving but we did get a chance to go to a local orchard and cut our very own tree. It was even at a military discount. We got some ornaments but decided not to put them up cause the ones that I got from my family were enough, I think. We only have a few but that's enough, since we got a long needle white pine; I don't want to kill it even faster. Lena likes to look at the lights and Lily really likes to pluck out the needles.

In other news, Daniel finishes up his first semester of Med school this week! We are so proud of him. He still has to pass his finals this week, but we believe he can do it. If he could sum up his first semester of med school in one sentence it would be, "Wait, when did we learn that?" From my perspective, I think he has done really well. A lot of the "older" students and some of the doctors have said that the first year is the hardest and you really have to find the balance of school and life....meaning school takes up most of your time. Fortunately, Daniel goes to an amazing medical school. USUHS is wonderful for a family: there is no competition between the students (everyone is on a team, literally "fire team"), there is a student spouses club that is excellent at keeping you in the loop, and the students are not on a letter grade system--meaning they can  fail a test (which is still not good) but it doesn't affect their overall grade. The doctors that teach Daniel are also the doctors that see their families. Lillian and Lena's ped. is one of his professors. Pretty cool.

Lily took one of my shirts and wanted to wear it for her outfit of the day.

Learning a new trick and watching her sister.

Daniel wanted me to include this: Last night we were having FHE and we decided to talk about Patience....yep, with a two-year-old! Daniel and I grabbed Lily's stuffed elf and santa and role-played the mommy and the child. The child wanted to watch a movie but she couldn't until she brushed her teeth and changed her clothes. After we finished with the role-play (we felt like we got the idea of patience into her head at that point), Lily started up the stairs. "Lily, what are you doing?" "Brush teeth, change clothes, then watch novie!" hahaahah, it was epic!

Thanksgiving smiles

I have always enjoyed the memories of my childhood where we would gather 'round to divulge ourselves in Grandma/Granny's home cookin. Honestly, they are both great cooks and I have tried hard to keep the spirit of their cooking going strong in our family.
This year has been a great year for me to test out my hostess skills. Now that I have a bigger place with a bigger kitchen, I thought it would be great to invite some friends over to try a southern thanksgiving. I told everyone that Daniel and I would provide the ham and turkey and side dishes if they would bring rolls and desserts: two things I am terrible at making. Well, I went to work on this huge task and got things going in advanced (I only have one oven so I had to plan wisely). It was hard, but fun. I prepped the sweet potato casserole early and put it in the fridge, as well as the chicken and dressing ( a day's work prepping that one), I then made a list of all the things that needed to go into the oven on thanksgiving and make it all so that everything would be warmed by the time the guests arrived. Whew, I like lists, but this one was a doozy. Thank heavens for a warmer on the stove and in the oven.
The day arrived and I was on my feet from 7:30-3:30! Daniel was excellent and smoked his very first turkey! It turned out great: Moist and flavorful! We had to get the house ready for guests and got most everything set up the day before. We didn't think our table would be too small for 8 adults but with two turkeys (a guest brought one)  and a ham the table was packed. Good thing we set up a kiddo table. Those kids were funny and only sat down for dessert...they barely touched their dinner, Geesh!
I have to say, it was a  great experience, but now I realize just how much work goes into creating such a fantastic experience (Thanks Grandma and Granny for all those years of slaving in the kitchen). Selfishly, I had a great time because I saw everyone else enjoying themselves. Everything turned out well, except the mashed potatoes..."How can you ruin mashed potatoes?" (Granny and Grandma both asked this when I told them--haha).
Next year, I'm taking a break! (good pics to be posted soon. I wasn't able to take any pics while people were here.)

I think she was 6 weeks in this photo...

Surprise roses after Dad and Lily went shopping.

Lily wanted to pour the parm cheese on her spaghetti.

Gotta love those eyes!

Reunited with my dear mission companion. She brought her son and mc.donald's fries to get Lily to like her. :)

Prepping the food while Lily played with rice and beans...oh was that a mess to clean!

The sweet reunion. We had so much fun.

So did these two

We had fun taking a bazillion pics with the phone.

The prepped chicken and dressing! Boom Baby!

Lena sat there all nice and quite the whole time...not.

Lily watched movies the entire time I cooked..sounds about right. :)

Lily and Lena are continuing to grow and develop their cute personalities. Lily is in a movie phase...probably my fault, I love my movies. "Watch novie?" Lena is smiling so much latley and is really such a happy baby when she isn't having tummy problems. This gal has been going 7 days without pooping. I can tell it's been uncomfortable (why wouldn't?). Thankfully, the days between poops are getting shorter...it was 4 this past week. She is such a cuddle bug and loves to be held. She can't stand being alone unless she's absolutely content or tired. I am amazed at how much love I have for these two. Motherhood is difficult and I need to get out and exercise, but man do I love those two girls and want them to be happy and brought up in light and truth! I've got a great job, even if I find myself watching Monsters Inc every day.

Veterans Day the Air Force way

So, here we are in lovely Washington D.C. We have limitless amounts of patriotic activities around the area, so deciding something to do is rather easy. Plus, being in the military, you get all the perks of Veterans Day like all the promotions at restaurants and food chains. Not to mention free facials. :)

Lily enjoyed ringing the freedom bell while we waited in line.

This little beauty is 5 weeks old!

Daniel really wanted to go to Arlington National Cemetery. He decided instead of working more on his cadaver, he wanted to get all dressed up in his blues and go to our nation's shrine. Away we went...we left two hours before it was suppose to start (it only takes 30 mins to get there), waited in line to get on a shuttle bus for an hour (met some cool people though--thankfully, Lena was asleep in the ring sling the entire time), and boarded a bus. Sadly, as we were about to leave, the President's motorcade was approaching so they had to close the road so the buses could no longer take people to the memorial service. I mean, we were seconds from leaving...we were that close! There were so many angry people. It was an interesting experience. We were, of course, disappointed that we couldn't go, but it wasn't the end of the world. I'm sure many people had very special reasons why they were upset, but the way some people acted toward the messengers was unnecessary. This was a day of remembrance and honor, and it should remain that way even if unintended events arise. It showed me that I need to remember what matters most and not let the unexpected get me down. Our day was filled with crazyness...it always is, but we had a good day. We got free food and Daniel got a facial. We got dressed nice, drove to D.C., ate dinner with friends...it was a lovely memorial day.

Small and Simple things

Since the last post was mostly about my mom's visit and it was also loaded with awesome pictures, I thought I would post again. This time, I wanted to include some of the things that are happening around here that are small and simple, yet are significant to the growth of our family.

Lily: She is almost two years old. Man, how the time flies by. She really is a little adult and she walks around wearing the pants in this family a lot. She must get that from me. ;) Lily has a very strong will and firey attitude, but boy is she polite and compassionate. She may not show the compassion around her mom and dad all the time, but she is always concerned about Lena and she will try to give her things or go check on her. Her line for when Lena cries, "Oh no, Lena! I'll go." She has this thing now where some one will cough and she will say, "Mommy OK?" She will say, "bless you," and she will randomly say, "Love you, Mommy/Daddy." Oh, I love her kindness. She also likes to say, "Silly, Lena." I'm not sure if she says that because we've always called her, "Silly, Lily," or what, but it's cute. Lily is a quick learner and she will repeat the words you teach her like they are a question. It's hard to write it down, but if I say, "that's called a fire truck." She'll repeat the word and with added inflection at the end of the word. She has an extensive vocabulary. She knows lots of crazy words and then some....like gas (bodily function), but I don't know where she discovered that. She likes to laugh when she points out that someone has gas. "Oh, Daddy gas!" :) Lily is also becoming more and more social and independent. Just for Halloween, she was begging my mom and me to get the people to come to the door to get more candy. "People, please come! Please come." I think the other motive was to get a piece for herself (that was our rule). She loves to be around other kids and she loves attention. She also loves dance and music. That girl can move. Now, I know she got that from her dad, cause this mamma ain't got no dance skill. ;) I feel like when I'm around her, I'm around my best friend. I love it when she sits up on the top of the couch and plays with my hair. I love how she buries her face into me when she gives hugs. I love how she wants to hold hands while we're in the car (of course, not when I'm driving), and I love how much she loves animals! She can distinguish a killer whale from a humpback whale. That's my girl. :)

Lena: Having a second child has been a unique experience for me. I would say that I instantly connected with Lena as soon as she was growing inside of me. But, to be honest, I didn't have time to bond. We were graduating, traveling to Alaska, then moving to Maryland, and then trying to survive without my husband for 5 weeks as I attempt to settle in to a new home with my anxious toddler. It was not a smooth pregnancy as far as that goes. But, I was relatively healthy and so was Lena. That was what really made me the happiest; I knew she was ok. I wasn't able to read or sing to her; I read and sang to Lily and Lena just had to listen. I feel a similar way now. I feel like I have to break my time up so I can be with Lily and I can also be with Lena. I want to give her those moments with just me. Fortunately, she is a nursing pro and we get our cuddles in with nursing. She has also been sleeping in the bed (mostly on mine or Daniel's chest) since she was born. Sadly, we are beginning to transition her to her bassinet. You can tell I'm torn on this because I love to snuggle with her. It's also nice to sleep in my own bed with my husband, so I know that it is ok to begin the transition. We didn't do this with Lily till she was 4 months, but things are different now. Daniel has to wake up at 5:00am and Lily wakes up at 6:30...oh, family. But, I'm glad we still get to spend that time together. Lena loves to be held and she will get pretty cranky if she is not being held when she's awake. She does fine sometimes on her back or in her swing/bouncer, but if she wants it, she wants it now! Lily would do the same thing. Lena is going through the same bout of colic that Lily went through. Fortunately, when we finally get her to stop crying she will sleep for a good 4-5 hours at night (that's if she with us or in her swing). She doesn't like to sleep on her back, but we are trying to remedy that slowly. Her personality hasn't really come out yet in full force, but I do know that she wants to be around people and the action. If she is alone in a room and she's awake, she will cry until someone comes back...even if it's just Lily, and then she'll stop. She also is very touchy. She will reach out with her hands and touch everything that she can with her limited amount of control. Just like Lily, she has awesome neck/head control. Partly because of the position I nurse her in and because Daniel likes to give her time to exercise those muscles. Oh, the doctor he is.

These things may be small but they really do matter and our individual personalities and qualities are really going to strengthen our family in the future.
Oh, I would include more about what's happening with Daniel and med school and what's going on with me, but I'm getting tired. Needless to say, Daniel is passing all his tests, enjoying dressing up in uniform, taking the metro, and not having enough time in the day to study. He's a great father and husband. Me, I'm good. I need to get back on the exercise and me time wagon.

Mi Mi's Visit!

My mom has dubbed herself, "Mi Mi," instead of "Grandma," for the kiddos. She did this back in Alabama when we visited for Lily's birthday and Christmas last year. It's a great name, but now Lily is mistakenly calling me "Mi Mi," because it sounds an awful lot like "Mommy." It's rather funny, though.

This really has been a great visit. Mom has been here for 3 weeks and I have to say I have been able to survive the first few weeks of newborn-hood because of her help. She has taken Lena late at night and has dealt with Lily early in the morning for breakfast. She has played her heart out with Lily during the day and has given Lily oodles of stickers. There are stickers everywhere! On the floor, on the wall, on pictures, in hair, clothes, food, you name it! But, it's great, and I am so thankful for her stay with us.

Lena has been getting lots of Mi Mi time too. Mom has insisted that Daniel and I enjoy this time while we can and go out, just the two of us. We have indeed! I surprised Daniel to a jazz club, we have gone to the temple, and have just been out talking and spending time together. Mom has not only gotten to cuddle a lot with Lena, but Lily even had a sleep-over with her the other night! Lily was in heaven that she got to sleep with Mi Mi downstairs!

There have been so many things that have happened throughout these last 3 weeks that they'll be better explained through pictures. Suffice it to say, Daniel, Lily, Lena and I have been blessed with wonderful help from friends and family!

Just so you know, there are 33 pictures.... :)

Mi Mi's arrival. The cold rain didn't stop these two from getting out.

Enjoying the lazy time. Lily was just plain bored.

fist pump! She does this a lot. :)

Ha, ha, I think this captures them so well.

She is such a sweet, loving little  girl. Bless her strong personality, but she gives the best cuddles.

Lena is becoming just as good of a cuddler...it's hard to put her down sometimes. Sometimes, all she wants is to be picked up.

This was taken right when Daniel walked in the door after being gone for 6 days at FTX!

National Zoo fun day! Lily was torn between elephants and Panda. I think here she is pointing toward the Panda.

This was our second family outing!

Lily made a new friend.

These teenagers were laughing and cutting up a lot at the gorilla exhibit and Lily wanted to be a part of the fun so much. She didn't want to leave, but this place reeked of pee.

Father/daughter nap time!

Baking Halloween cupcakes with MiMi

Look at that pro!

I surprised Daniel to a date at a Jazz club. It was fun to see him in his element.

We took Lily to the Air and Space Museum as a little date for her.

She really loved the planes. But, surprisingly, all she really wanted to see was the helicopters...random.

That's one dedicated father if you ask me. ;)

Mom and I attempted to do a little photo shoot with Lena.

Didn't turn out as well as we'd hoped.

another cupcake day!

coloring pumpkins with MiMi. Lily has had her coloring privileges revoked because she colors EVERYWHERE!

Daniel says she can't have crayons till she's fifteen. Lily doesn't seem phased. I think it's because she has some stashed in a secret spot, that sly little lady!

She wanted to touch the bear but then realized she was actually scared of it.

Halloween eve bath fun with glow sticks.

A couple of her little buddies at the Student Spouses Club Halloween party for the kids.

These two are so cute around each other.

She was Snow White for Halloween.

Lena wanted to be a penguin.

Lily and MiMi at a fall festival. Mom took Lily with some friends since I had just given birth to Lena a few days before.

Lily really enjoyed Mom's makeup.

right before church.

Our attempt at a photo shoot with Lily!