The Davis Family

Family visit and a week without kids *Gasp

2011-07-14T19:01:00.004-04:00

The week after the SLC marathon, my parents and 2 youngest siblings came to NE to visit for Easter. We had such a blast with them here. Unfortunately when they got here, they're car was acting up so the next day we had to take it to a dealer's. Apparently a mouse had made a nest in the wires and chewed some of them up. Some of you non-country folk may be disgusted with that, but when you live in the country it's really not surprising. Anyway, that took up the majority of the day but we hung out and it's always fun to just gab and chit chat. I think that night we went to the mall and let the kids play around. Then came home, ordered some yummy pizza (not Dominoes, Pizza Hut, or Little Cesaer's)The next day we went fishing. It was really cold and it took us a while to get going. But ended up being a really fun day. Before we even started I told Ben I didn't want him being disappointed if we didn't catch anything. Again, being from the country you don't fish at stocked lakes. It just doesn't happen. Well, by the end of our fishing experience, we had caught 8 fish! I caught 2 (one with my hands, I know, just call me mountain girl). Ben caught the most at 4, my dad caught 1 and Kennan (my baby bro) caught 1. The next day was Easter and we enjoyed a nice relaxing Sunday. Went to church and had a big Sunday dinner. Monday my parents packed up with my kids and left. It was weird having a quiet house. But it was nice. I was very much anticipating our cruise and the break from kids. Yes, we had 2 weeks without kids. I got to recharge my mommy battery and get some much needed rest. Ben and I went on several dates and just got to spend some time alone together. It was a nice break and I would definitely do it again. The kids had fun too and ran amuck at Nana and Papa's. They're always saying how they want to go to Nana and Papa's house or they want to see Kennan and McKenzie.

Friends and a Half Marathon

2011-07-14T18:31:00.010-04:00

I know...you're all shocked that I finally posted right? Or not. You probably didn't even notice. I hate playing catch up so I'll post pictures and write very little. It's just easier for all of us that way. Or I might end up writing a lot. I don't know. We'll see how far I get. Ben has the kids with him (he bravely took all the kids with him to pick up our Harry Potter 7: Part II movie tickets), so I'm hoping to get a little bloggage done.

At the beginning of April we headed down to Missouri to see our good friends the Pilk's (ok, not their name, but that's the nickname we've given them....they probably hate it). We hung out withfor a couple days. We went to an amusement park called Silver Dollar City and spent the whole day there. We had such a blast and Lilli and Emma were inseparable. It was cute to watch them. We miss the Pilk's and hope to see them again soon. Megan and I are already planning annual girls' trips for us and the girls.

The next week, Ben had signed up for the SLC half marathon. It was a quick weekend trip. We stopped at my folks for a day of rest, then headed up to SLC. He ran the race and then we drove home. Ben did really well. Beat his previous time by about 10 minutes. I'm very proud of him!

Nebraska

2011-03-28T11:07:00.003-04:00

It's been a while since I last posted. A lot has happened and it seems that a lot is yet to happen. We moved from GA to NE in January. It was so hard saying goodbye and leaving our first house. The night before the movers came, we had a big dinner and invited a few friends over. I have pictures but I don't have the energy to download them. Anyway, so now we're here. We like it. At first I hated it and wondered why we did it. When we first got here, we're talking, just drove in to town, Aidan had another seizure. He was crying and fussing and I noticed his cheeks were red. I tried giving him water but he wouldn't take it. I remember thinking I should probably take his sweater off but I didn't for whatever reason. But I know the Lord was looking out for us, because he had his seizure right as we were driving by the hospital. So we took him in and they were able to see him right then. I was a wreck. It doesn't matter how many times your child has a seizure, you're NEVER prepared for it and the reaction is the same. Panic, dread, sorrow. Just writing this I'm tearing up because I remember so vividly what he looked like and how I felt. There's nothing the dr can really do for him except watch and make sure his temperature goes down and that he doesn't have another one. But I KNOW the Lord was watching over us. Anyway, and then I got really sick. I hadn't been that sick in a long time, and we were staying at someone else's house, which is hard too. Thankfully, Ben didn't have to work and could watch the kids. Because we just wanted to get into a house, we ended up settling on military housing. We have 4 bedrooms, but about 400 sq ft less than what we were used to. It's taken some adjustment, but we're settling in well. There's no free pre-school here so we went to go get her evaluated for one. Apparently she's too advanced to qualify, which I'm grateful for but it's just, again, taken some adjusting. She's all registered for kindergarten for next year and I'm excited about that. It look like we'll be staying here at Offut for a while, which I'm grateful for. No moves anytime soon. The boys are adjusting pretty well too. There are 3-4 playgrounds right behind out house so we get to choose which one's to go to. Atleast for the one week of good weather we had. It's turned cold again and we haven't gotten out. All three kids are also sick. I think Aidan has an ear infection. We'll see today at the dr. It's been hard, but we're a family and we made it through and are STILL making it through. I'm grateful for a wonderful husband is very patient with me. Like I said, i've had a really hard time being here but it'll be ok.

April is a busy month for us. Ben leaves this week to visit family. Then next week we're meeting out good friends the Pilkington's for a few days. We're really excited about that. And then we'll have a little break and then the next week we leave for SLC. Ben's running the half marathon there. The week after that, my folks and siblings are coming here to visit us and then they're taking the kids back with them and Ben and I leave for our cruise the next week. Fast forward another week and Ben leaves for some more training. I'm way excited for all the craziness! I've had a really hard time adjusting so it'll be a nice change. Anyway, I'm hoping to be a little bit more blogger friendly and keep posts updated. hahahaha We'll see how that goes.

2010-2011

2011-01-10T21:55:00.002-05:00

I've got so much catching up to do, I'm feeling very overwhelmed. So this is going to be a quick rundown. Ben got home at the beginning of November. It was amazing! He surprised me, which was awesome! It's been an adjustment having him home, but I'm SO GLAD he's home. Thanksgiving we celebrated with some good friends. We had a great time. We had a mini celebration for Ben's birthday. He turned the big 3-0. And he's still hot! We decided for Christmas we would DRIVE out West to his folks' house. We left December 15th, expecting a short drive to Nashville. A 6 hour drive turned into a 12 hour drive due to an accident on I-75. We sat still, not moving, for 7 hours. It was late at night, and kids weren't sleeping. We got into a motel that morning at 5 am, slept for 5 hours and then hit the road again. Over all, the traveling was great. We stopped at my folks' for a day and then headed up to Washington to celebrate with Ben's folks. It was so fun! All the kids were there and it was just great spending time up there. Then we drove to my folks' house and spent time there, brought in the new year. And then started the trek back to Georgia. We had family for a couple of stops, so that was great. I finally met Ben's Grandma Eastman and his "Aunt" Julie. They're great. They live in Omaha, which is where we'll be moving here in a couple of weeks. I'm so so excited, but I'm really really sad. We have so many great friends here in Georgia who've become like family. I will miss the South, but ready to be closer to family, especially with Ben deploying again. I'm looking forward to a great 2011. We're going on our first cruise together in May. We're moving closer to family. It's going to be an exciting year! I'll TRY to post pictures here.......ok....that's a lie....I'm not going to. I've got more important stuff to do.....like getting ready to move. But once we're settled, I'll post pictures......maybe....if I remember..........we'll see.

Family Pics of 2010

2010-12-07T13:09:00.002-05:00

My friend April is a fantastic photographer. We went downtown in Augusta and she took our family pictures. I thought they turned out great (even though the kids were not cooperating and stressing me out). Thanks April! We love them!

Click here to see some of them.

My Super Cute Kids

2010-11-08T23:16:00.005-05:00

When I was in Cokeville, I had my super awesome, totally amazing sister BRE take some pictures of the kids. And even though she is taking FOREVER to edit the pictures, I still love her and forgive her, and will not mention it again, because I know that she is busy and that she will get them to me someday.

But I just wanted to share how cute the pictures turned out, of course it isn't hard when these kids are so freakin' cute! Here are just a few. You can see more on her facebook fan page. (and feel free to become a fan while you're there!)

Aren't they the cutest? I sure think so....

Disclaimer: this post was NOT written by my super awesome, totally amazing younger sister BRE. BUT...if it was, I'm sure she would want you to know that she loves me and ben, and these super cute kiddos lots and lots and lots, and she thinks that we should come visit her really soon! And she is really glad that Ben is home safe and sound, and glad that I haven't given my children away when they get crazy. (not that she really thinks I would....but still!) And I would not get mad at her for posting on my blog. The end!

Have a great day everyone!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-01T21:19:00.004-04:00

We went to our ward trunk or treat Saturday night. There were so many people there and my kids got tons of candy. Then I took the kids trick or treating and got even more candy. Plus, Lilli got tons of candy from her party at school. Tonight I ate 7 pieces of candy. I'm all candied out (for the day). The kids were cute though. Lilli was a fairy, Alex was Yoda, and Aidan was Superman. We weren't going for a theme, obviously. Mom was going for easy. What can I say! When you're by yourself, you do what's easiest. I guess you could say I dressed up as a half marathon runner??

Half Marathon

2010-10-31T22:17:00.006-04:00

I wanted to post about this because it's so fresh on my mind. Saturady I ran my first half marathon. My friend Katie and I drove up to Greenville, SC Friday. I'm so glad she came. We had so much fun and I wouldn't have enjoyed myself as much. The kids stayed at friends' houses. Anyway, we got to Greenville at around 7pm and hurried and went to go pick up my packet then we went to Olive Garden. Nothing like stuffing your face with delicious breadsticks, salad, and pasta. We got lost getting back to the motel, but finally made it. I wasn't really nervous. I wasn't racing anybody and my goal was to finish the race. I started at the front of the pack, which now I know, is something you don't do when your a beginner. I got passed so quickly it was a bit discouraging. But then, there were a ton of people who were still behind me, so it wasn't too bad. Anyway, it was pretty chilly that morning and as we were waiting for the race to start, some dude was dancing in a costume to some crazy music. It was weird and pointless. We just wanted the race to start.

It was the longest race of my life. And I really did enjoy it except that my leg was hurting me so bad. I was doing really good up until about mile 5 and that's when my leg started hurting. I had to keep walking and it was so disappointing. But I did it. I don't know that I'll run another one anytime soon, but I probably will run another one. I was in so much pain Saturday and Sunday but I'm not as sore today. I've really enjoyed my running experience, minus the pain and I want to continue doing it. I feel good and I've accomplished my goal! Thanks to all those who helped along the way.

When i got home to pick up my kids, my friend had made t-shirts for the my kids that said Team Mommy and then Team Shari shirts for her and a couple of other friends. It was so nice and so fun to see, since none of them could come up there with me. I had a great time and I'm glad that my friend Katie could come with me. It wouldn't have been as much fun going by myself.

Our lives (in a nutshell)

2010-10-22T20:45:00.002-04:00

I'm feeling a bit negative today, so this will be short and to the point. Of course, whenever I start a post (with no pictures) I always say I'm going to keep it short, but it rarely is. But I'll try.

Still don't know when Ben's coming home (thus the reason for my grumpy mood). Sometime here in the next couple of week, so that's good. My half marathon is a week from tomorrow. I'm nervous but just ready to get it over with. It's been fun pushing my body beyond what I thought I could ever do. 4-5 miles is nothing now!

Ben's hangin' in there like me. Just taking things one day at a time, but he's definitely ready to be home as well. 10 months is a long time to be away from your family.

Lilli loves preschool and all her friends and teachers. She's so excited to go everyday. She's getting anxious for daddy to come home and says that they're going to go to a movie in the temple movie theatre (she thinks the movie theatre looks like a temple) and get popcorn. She's learning so much and loves to write letters and spell words and draws awesome pictures. She's a great big sister and loves her brothers. She's taking ballet right now and loves it.

Alex and Aidan are getting so active. They get into everything and constantly pester each other. But also play really well together. My favorite thing is to hear them try to make each other laugh. It's the best! They're growing like weeds. Ben's not even going to know what to do with them. Alex loves to wrestle and whenever I lay on the ground he always has to jump on me. Aidan still sucks his thumb. I'm not too worried about it now. They love to say their prayers and I love helping them. It's too cute.

Well, that's it in a nutshell. I'll post some recent pictures and posts of what we've been up to.

Feeling Sorry for Myself

2010-09-05T21:13:00.003-04:00

These past couple of days have been hard. Like "I totally lost it at my kids and cried and screamed at them" hard. After church today I got to thinking about life and how really truly blessed I am. It's so easy for me to feel sorry for myself and my situation. My husband's deployed, I have 2 very active twin boys who get into everything, I have a daughter who is 4 going on 16, I'm selling the house and have to keep it clean. So many things are rough, but so many things are awesome. I have a daughter who can write her name, and even though she decided to write her name on her white door and blamed it on Aidan, I love that she knows how to do it. I'm so proud of her! I have 2 rambunctious, crazy little dudes, and even though they managed to poor the dog's water and food all over the kitchen floor, dump Gatorade all over the carpet, break a big glass bowl within 10 minutes of each other, I'm so glad they are healthy, running around yelling for "mom". I'm grateful for a supportive husband, who, even though he's far away, knows just how to make me feel better and let's me vent my frustration without passing judgement. He loves me unconditionally and is excited when I'm excited, sad when I'm sad, and happy when I'm happy. I'm grateful to be married to him and can't wait for him to be home. We don't have too much longer apart and I'm so looking forward to our reunion. I have a healthy body. I'm running a half marathon! I ran 7 miles yesterday and it was freakin' awesome! I never thought I would WANT to run that much. I have a beautiful house, and even though it's such a pain to always TRY to keep it clean, I'm grateful that we have a place to live. I have awesome friends. They're always helping me out, willingly taking my kids, babysitting them and just helping where they can. I have an awesome family, both Ben and mine. I love them all. And most importantly, I am a member of the true Gospel. I love my church and am so grateful to a Heavenly Father for all that I have. So instead of feeling sorry for myself, I wanted to post the many things I have to be grateful for. I'm truly blessed.

Playing catch up........

2010-08-12T20:42:00.010-04:00

Lilli's first day of school

Only 6 of the 23 people in my class showed up for our 10 year high school reunion with their families. It was fun but I wish that more people would have come.

Lilli burnt her marshmallow, can you tell she's disgusted.

All of us in our 4th of July outfits.

I really can't remember where I left off (before the whole Lilli cut her hair........AGAIN), so I'm just going to post some pictures and write about what we've been up to lately. This more for Ben (and journal purposes) than anyone/anything, so bear with me.

We're back in Georgia now. We had a blast back West with family. After visiting Ben's family, we got back and had about 1 month left with my family. We definitely made the most of it. We went and had dinner up in the mountains, went camping for a night, and went to Bear Lake. I had my 10 year high school class reunion. Myself and my friend, Katie, planned it. We just did a dinner. Nothing huge and I'm glad because only 6 people showed up out of 23. It was a lot of fun catching up with all of them. Some I haven't seen since graduation. It was great! We also were there for the Pioneer Celebration. My little town has a parade, a program where Elder Perry and some other general authority speaks at, and then activities all day, like a rodeo, flag football, soft ball. I took Lilli to the rodeo. She didn't get in to it so we left after a while. Anyway, we had a great time.

And then we came back to Georgia. My mom came with, and I'm so glad she did. We spent the week and a half she was here getting the house ready to sell. Now I'm just trying to keep it that way! We're adjusting all right though. Getting back in to a routine. Lilli had her first day of Pre-K on Monday. It was a bitter-sweet thing. She's loving it and that makes me happy. She looked so cute and little. I love her. She's still a crack up and is always mothering her little brothers. But they sure do love her. She really misses her daddy and is lashing out at me. I'm really trying to be patient and understanding but it's really hard.

The boys are getting so big and growing big personalities. Alex has quite the temper but is very loving too. Aidan is funny. When I ask him a question and he want it, he says, "ah" for yeah. It's so cute. love them! Both of them!

I've started my half marathon training on Tuesday. I've gone to the gym everyday and it's been fun to get back into it again. Ben's doing good as well. We get to do skype about once a day and video once a week, sometimes more sometimes less. He's been having a hard time missing us, but it's making the most of his situation. He's also training for a half marathon and is also busy with work. It seems that's all he does. He's constantly changing shifts. We've only got 2.5 half more months left. I feel like I can do this. We can do this.

That's our life in a nutshell, from the last 4 months. I feel like I'm caught up. so I'm good for another 4 months. hahaha Just kidding. We're all safe and doing well. Missing family, but we're hanging in there.

Haircut..........again

2010-07-16T23:20:00.004-04:00

The other morning I woke up to find that Lilli had cut her hair..........................again!! When I had come up the stairs I called for Lilli and she come in from the living room all sneaky so I knew something was wrong. That and the fact that she said, "You can't see." But when I glanced into the living room I didn't see anything so I just thought it was weird she would say that. Then....I looked at her hair! I wanted to cry and yet I found it quite funny. She had cut her little pony tail off and cut her hair in a mullet.......again. I sent her down to her room, after getting after her, and then my mom and I laughed so hard! What else could we do! Anyway, we went and got her haircut and the lady really did a good job. Once I figured out how to do it, it can be pretty cute. But it can be pretty ugly too, and that when I don't do it. She's still a cute girl, but I do not like it short. Ben was pretty sad, but it's just hair right? What would you do if you're little girl cut her hair.........twice???

Seattle Aquarium and the Duck Ride

2010-07-16T23:00:00.003-04:00

Aunt Paula and Lilli

Aidan with Grandpa

Us in front of the aquarium. The boys were more fascinated with the fountain.

Day 2 of our Seattle trip we went to the aquarium. The boys really liked it. It was a bit more interactive for them. I didn't get any pictures inside. It was really small but just right for the kids. After the aquarium, we went to the farmer's market they have there. We got the best homemade mac & cheese and saw the fish being thrown. It was so fun! I wish we could have spent more time there. Then we went to the community center (I can't remember what it's called) where they have carnival rides and a big After that, we went on a "duck" ride. You get an interactive tour of Seattle and all it's famous sites in an old WWII military vehicle that goes both on land and in the water. It was so much fun! Alex loved it and Lilli had fun dancing with the music that was played. If you're ever in Seattle, definitely go on the duck ride. It's so worth it. We were all a bit grouchy before, but perked up after. It was so fun!

The rest of our stay with Ben's family was so much fun. My brain is not functioning right now, so I'm not going to write everything we did but we had so much fun! Oh we also got to see our friends the Brimhall's. They were in Georgia for a bit and are now in Washington. We haven't seen them in over a year, but it was a bummer because the kids had been sleeping and were really cranky when I woke them up to see them. I felt really bad! But it was good seeing them anyway.

We had dinners at my sisters-in-law houses, went shopping, got spoiled, and just had a great time! We're definitely looking forward to our stay over Christmas. I think I've convinced them all to run a 5K race as a family. I think it'll be a lot of fun! Anyway, we were sad to say goodbye but are looking forward to December when we'll ALL be there! Thanks for a fun stay Mama and Papa D (and all the fam)! We love and miss you all!

Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, WA

2010-07-06T08:59:00.007-04:00

Tired boys! You can see Alex is tired, but he just would not close his eyes. Too much to see!

Lilli was so fascinated with this peacock. Actually, we ALL were fascinated by it. It was beautiful.

Alex and Aunt Mona

Obviously you can see, the boys DID NOT want to be held.

Aidan with Aunt Mona

Alex with Grandpa

While we were in Seattle, we went to the zoo there. The boys shoes kept falling off so it was hard to just let them run around, but they still had fun.....I think. They were also pretty tired, and it was quite a struggle to get them to sleep. Aidan slept, but I don't think Alex did the whole day. If there's something going on, he just can't miss it. Sometimes it's annoying. The whole family was there except for one of Ben's sisters and her husband, and his brother and his family. I wish we all could have been together. Anyway, Lilli had a blast and it was so much fun just spending the day together as a family.

Visit with the Davis'

2010-07-03T00:31:00.005-04:00

Aidan, Jaden, and Alex enjoying their ice cream.

Gina, Paula (my sisters-in law) and me with the kids.

Me, Gina, Vicki (my MIL), and of course Aidan, my nephew Jaden, and Alex.

My SIL Brittney made this adorable Barbie cake for Lilli's b-day.

The last two weeks have been so much fun! The kids and I were able to go up to my in-laws and visit. We drove up with Gram and Gramp in their huge motor home. It was nice to have the room, but the kids wanted to walk around and the road was bumpy. But, like I said, it was nice to have the room. Anyway, the next day my MIL took Lilli to a little place called Monkey Doo's where they did her hair like a princess, put make-up on her, and painted her fingernails. She looked adorable! And had a blast. Sunday, Father's Day was also Lilli's birthday so we had a celebration for her. My SIL Brittney made her a Barbie cake and Lilli loved it. When she first saw it she was so excited. She definitely got spoiled! The next week, we went to an open gym where the kids got to play with toys and jump around. We went with my SIL Gina and her son Jaden. He's about 4 months older than the boys and a total tank! He's so cute and has such a fun personality. The kids all got along really well......for the most part. There were a few fights, but what can you expect from a 4 year old, 18 month olds, and a 22 month old. Anyway, we got a surprise visit from my other SIL Paula. Well, it was supposed to be a surprise but it was spoiled. It was so fun to see her. We went swimming in a wade pool at one of the parks there in town. Grammy (my MIL) bought the kids ice cream and the boys had a hay day with them (as you can see in the pictures). We also went to Seattle and spent time at the zoo, the aquarium, and went on what's called a duck ride. I'll post pics and more about it. We had such a great time there and wish we lived closer to family. It's so hard saying goodbye to everybody, but we're grateful for the time we get to spend together. I love Ben's family and all the support and love they give to us. They're so wonderful and we all enjoyed our stay with them.

Lilli's 4th Bday celebration (Cokeville)

2010-06-18T00:25:00.005-04:00

My sis, Kenzie, Lilli and my bro, Brady

Lilli in her birthday princess crown

Grandma Norene, and Aidan

Alex and my bro, Kennan

We decided to celebrate Lilli's birthday here at my parents' house Wednesday because we're going to be gone on her actual birthday. We'll be visiting Ben's family in Washington and will definitely be celebrating up there too. We just had family and she opened a few presents and then we had cake and ice cream. Lilli is so not a picky little girl. She's happy with whatever she gets and is happy with whatever kind of cake she gets. It's really nice! She's very easy to please. I still can't believe she'll be 4! She's such a sweet girl and is very friendly. She's so not shy. I know I say that a lot but she isn't. I had one lady come up and say, "She's a very lively girl in Primary!" Uhhhhhhhh.......what does that even mean?!?!?! Anyway, we sure do love her and glad she's part of our family. She's a great big sister and very helpful!

Sprinklers and Lilli's great idea

2010-06-18T00:05:00.007-04:00

Lilli had this great idea of riding on a skate board while using ski poles to push her along......good idea huh?! I thought it was pretty creative. Of course, once she got on the skate board, she was a bit scared. She never did do it.

We FINALLY had a warm day and I let the kids run through the sprinklers. Of course, right as we turned them on, it got cloudy and kind of cold. The kids were all purple and had goosebumps. I thought for sure Aidan would get hypothermia! That night we had a pretty crazy thunder/lightning storm and today it was just above freezing. Crazy!!! We're hoping summer comes......and soon!!!

Utah Valley 5K

2010-06-17T23:58:00.004-04:00

I ran my first "real" 5k. It was the Utah Valley 5K in Provo. Nobody ran it with me and I was a little nervous. I had a really bad headache the night before and then woke up the day of the race with a sour stomach. But I got over it. It was just nerves, I think. I did meet some very friendly ladies and that helped calm my nerves. When the race started, I just ran and ran and ran. The adrenaline was just a pumping and it felt good. I'm still not sure what my time was, but I'm hoping it's better than my training times. It was fun and I can't wait to do it again.

I'm running a half marathon at the end of October in Greenville, SC. I'm so excited! Nervous but excited!

Wrestling Leopards and 4-wheeling

2010-06-17T23:45:00.006-04:00

My mom and Lilli on the lawn mower. Lilli was driving.

My bro, Brady and Aidan

My boys are really starting to wrestle. It's funny! Alex is the bigger of the two but Aidan is the meaner one. Is meaner even a word?? Probably not. Anyway, it's just fun to watch them wrestle because a lot of times they both are laughing to hard and can hardly get away from each other. The boys are also starting to wrestle with Lilli. Sometimes she loves it and they don't or they love it and she doesn't.

Aidan's been wanting to dress in a leopard costume my mom got a while ago. He'll sit and growl at everyone and loves to scare people.

The kids love love love to be outside. They particularly love to ride on the 4-wheelers. Sometimes when I'm the only one outside with them, I'll take all three kids on with me. Of course I drive slow, but they love it. Alex will yell, "Whoa!" and my little Aidan and Lilli just sit there, just happy to be there. Lilli and I will go out behind our house, up to the mountains. It's so beautiful and serene up there. That's our favorite thing to do together (when it's warm).

Still in Wyoming

2010-05-16T17:00:00.005-04:00

Lilli sharing her drink of water with Alex.

They went outside without any coats or shoes. They just wanted to be outside!

Lilli, the bat and Alex the lion.

My sweet little Aidan.

The boys helping Papa fix the lawn mower.

Alex helping me fold the clothes?

Looking at one of the many bunny rabbits running around my parents' house

We're still here in Wyoming and we're having a blast! I miss my home, but I'm not complaining. I love being around family and letting the kids have their Nana and Papa and aunts and uncles giving them all sorts of loves. And it's nice to have help. The weather is pretty warm today, but hasn't really been warm (as you'll be able to tell in the pics). We've had to bundle the kids up if they want to go outside, which they do all the time. They love to play out in the sand pile and ride the 4-wheelers. Any chance they can get, they want to be outside. Aidan is a madman when it comes to walking. He runs most of the time. Alex is getting braver. He's finally starting to walk. We're all so excited for him! It's kind of funny, whenever he walks, we're all cheering for him. He loves the attention! Lilli has been a really good, helpful, big sister. She shares really well with her brothers. The other day I took a picture of her sharing her water with Alex, they were drinking out of a straw. It was really cute and made my heart melt. They're all getting so big. I can't believe my babies aren't babies anymore. They're big kids now!

Ben is doing good where he's at. He left a couple of weeks ago and now we're starting the countdown! Yea! The time seems to be going so slow, but it helps being here with family. But he's doing good. The time difference is hard but we get to chat on Skype about twice a day. I'm sure that'll stop once he actually starts working. I really miss him. It's made me appreciate the man he is and all that he really did for our family. I feel like I really took him for granted. He's doing great though! Misses us like crazy, just like we miss him!

I've joined the running bandwagon. I've signed up for a half marathon Oct 30th. It's marked in red and circled! I'm scared and nervous but excited to get back in shape. At times I feel really discouraged (like right now) when I read other people's times and success, because I feel so inadequate. I feel like I'll never be in shape. But I have to remember that I'm only in my second week of really training and I'm only just starting to get into shape. When I think like that, I feel better. And at least I'm doing something. I'm getting off my butt and doing it instead just wanting to. Plus, Ben gives me lots of encouragement and is very supportive. That helps a lot!

But we're alive and well. Just thought I'd post some pictures (and write a novel).

The splits

2010-04-22T23:08:00.002-04:00

Split chin that is! Today Lilli took her first major tumble. She was climbing up a big bar stool and it tipped over. We actually thought she had broken her leg and didn't even notice her chin until we looked at her face. She stood right up and was more terrified of the fall than anything actually hurting. But it was scary for my grandma, mom, and me! She didn't need stitches but we called a neighbor looking for butterfly band aids and that seemed to work. The local librarian (who also happens to be an EMT) made a house call and helped us out. Lilli cried for about 45 minutes after. She was pretty traumatized, but is otherwise ok. She just has a battle scar now!! I'll take pictures tomorrow. Things have been kind of crazy around here.

Random pics

2010-04-01T12:31:00.004-04:00

These are just some random photos of the kids (and Ben). St Patrick's Day I bought the kids matching shirts. Then there was the 6 inches of snow we got in Georgia. Apparently it hadn't snowed like that in 37 years. All the businesses shut down and the town was dead. But it had all melted the next day. It was fun. Lilli absolutely loved it and we made a small snowman and threw snowballs. I love the winters in Georgia. We went to the park a few days. Lilli and I had a couple of "sleepovers." We'd rent a new movie for her, I'd set up her little tent in my room and then we'd stay up and watch the movie. She loved it.

Chistmas 2009

2010-04-01T12:22:00.005-04:00

I'll just go ahead and post pics of Christmas. We did our annual Christmas Eve pizza making dinner, went to look at Christmas lights and opened new pajamas. Christmas Day we slept in. Or so Ben and I thought. Lilli had gotten up loooong before us and decided to open some of her presents. We weren't too pleased, but what can ya do! It's Christmas! Then we had crepes and played with our presents. Later we had dinner with our good friends and had a blast! This coming Christmas we're hoping to spend it with family (Ben's family) and we're very excited!

Family is the best

2010-04-01T12:01:00.006-04:00

My bro, Brady, holding Alex and my sister Breanne

My mom and Aidan

I still have quite a few things I need to post that have been long overdue, but I'm just going to post that we're here in Wyoming and we're loving it! The kids are constantly entertained by Nana and Papa and all their aunts and uncles. And I get a little bit of a break. Ah! It's so wonderful. We went bowling for my brother Kennan's 13th birthday. It was Lilli's first time bowling and she had such a great time. She did about as good as the rest of us. I told my parents to buy the game Quelf and boy are we glad they did! We've had so much fun playing! Lots of laughs during that game! My parents remodeled their home and it's so big now. The kids have tons of room to run around and play. We have the whole downstairs to ourselves and it's really nice.

We just found out that Lilli is #1 on the waiting list for the Pre-K program at one of the local elementary schools there in Georgia, so I've heard that our chances of getting in are very good. Here's praying! She'll be attending next fall and will be riding the bus. Is my baby girl really old enough to go to school!?!?!? She's still just a chatter-box and is still quite social. She talk to anybody anywhere, and people love her here in Cokeville. Last week was our first Sunday in the ward here and she told everyone she remembers what Heaven was like and the answer to every questions is Heavenly Father. She's a hoot!

Alex is a bruiser! He LOVES to wrestle. It doesn't matter who it's with, if you're on the floor he's charging after you ready to attack. It's hilarious! He's still a big boy. He's not quite walking yet by himself, but he walks holding on to one finger. I know he can do it, he just chooses not to.

Aidan is a full fledged walker! That's all he does and he's getting to be quite a pro. We're still dealing with weight, iron, and hemoglobin issues. We saw a hemotologist (blood specialist) before we left and his iron was really low, as was his hemoglobin. She wants us to see her when we get back. I'm pretty sure he's gaining weight ok. Everyone says he's getting chubbier in the face. That's a good sign. He's a little more reserved than his brother and doesn't like to get in the middle of all the wrestling, but he LOVES to watch.

Ben is STILL in Mississippi. He's not flying or doing anything, and hasn't for about 3 weeks. We're hoping he starts up again this Friday so he can just go and come back. While my mom was here, Ben and I were able to meet halfway between Augusta and Miss for a night. It was so fun and I was so sad to leave him one last time. Goodbyes are the worst! We're so proud of him and all that's he's doing for his country and for us!

We're hoping to see Ben's family while we're out here. We love being around family! Though I miss my friends in Georgia. They were so wonderful and helpful. They really made those 3 months go by fast, but I'm loving being here and going to enjoy every last minute of it. I'll TRY to be more diligent in posting, but don't count on it.

Hard Times

2010-02-13T21:25:00.004-05:00

I know there are no picture on this post. I'm sorry! Really I am (Mom, Breanne, Brittney, family).

I feel like my world is going 100 mph and there's no way for me to stop it. The kids keep me quite busy and by the time they're down for the night, I'm exhausted and just want to veg. But we're doing good. Surviving. I feel like I'm on auto pilot most of the time.

Ben was able to come home and visit last week. I can't believe it was only last week. It feels like it was forever ago. The days go by fast, but the weeks are loooooooooong. Anyway, it was so great having him home, even for a little bit. We didn't tell Lilli he was coming. Ben wanted it to be a surprise. He texted me when he got here and I had Lilli answer the door. She was so excited! The whole time he was here she kept saying, "Daddy, you're the best surprise ever!" Even after he left she kept saying he was the best surprise ever. She's a hoot. She sure does love her dad! She's been having a really hard time with him being gone. She's been acting up and I'm not sure how to handle her. I have zero patience and it's not helping at all. At the end of the day I think back on what happened and how I acted towards her and I'm not proud of myself at all. I love her and I want her to know that! It's just been hard.

Anyway, we bought tickets to visit my family. We leave at the end of March and I'm so excited. But I think my parents and family are more excited! I'm hoping we can visit Ben's family as well. The kids are going to love love love being around family! And so am I! Though I have to say, I've received so much love and support from friends here in Georgia! I get teary eyed just thinking about all the wonderful people around me who have offered to take the kids and give me a break, or have invited us over for dinner, or are willing to watch the kids for hours while I have appointments, or just getting together and letting kids play. I know that I would be okay if I stayed here. So I guess I just want to tell everyone here in Georgia, THANK YOU!!! I've had a hard time this last week and knowing people care means more than words can express!

I guess with that, I better eat some chocolate and watch the Olympics! I have a long day tomorrow. Sundays are the hardest, BUT I know I'll get through it!

First of the year updates

2010-01-14T10:38:00.004-05:00

I know it's been a while. Things have been very very crazy! To say the least!

Here's what's going on in our neck of the woods:

We found out about 2 weeks ago that we will be moving next January to.....(drumroll)........Omaha, Nebraska!!! We're actually really excited about it as we will be closer to family, halfway across the country instead of on the other side of the country. Ben's got grandparents, aunts and uncles living in Omaha as well, so we're are looking forward to getting to know them and hanging out. Very exciting! On the other hand, that means we'll be leaving all of our wonderful friends (family away from family) here in Georgia. Bittersweet!

Christmas was good. We were all better (just for that week) and it was fun to see Lilli's reaction to her toys. I'll post more about it later, along with pictures. Hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Years!

Ben: is now in Omaha with some training. He's been meeting up with all of his relatives there and is loving it! He's there for another week and a half and then heads to Mississippi. He's there until April, then he leaves leaves. We're hoping to be able to see him a few times while he's in Mississippi. He'll now be flying and gets to wear the flight suits and flyer jackets you seen on tv. He's pretty excited about that. But with him being a flyer, that means he leaves for months at a time. As much as that will stink, we both feel this is what is best for our family. The process has happened so quickly that its hard not to believe that. The Lord has let us know this many times. We miss Ben and are so proud of him!

Shari: I'm hanging in there. The kids have been really really good (knock on wood) and I have many friends who are more than willing to lend a helping hand. No matter what. Ben's only been gone half a week (I'm laughing at how ridiculous I sound), but its hard. I think it's harder knowing that he's going to be gone for a while. But thankfully we get to go back to my parents for about 4 months. I'm excited about the instant help I'll have and missing the ridiculously hot and humid summer here in Georgia. I'm hoping that once we get in to a routine I can start sewing. I've found that I really like it and like seeing the results of my work. It's awesome! I'm also hoping to start a work-out routine. I want to run a couple 5K's and eventually do a half-marathon, full marathon, and then a triathlon. But I'm starting out at a 5K for now. Anybody have any ideas as to how to STAY motivated??!?!? Warning TMI----I'm officially done nursing and am so excited about the freedom I have. It takes 10 minutes to put the boys down instead 45 min. It's fabulous! I feel like I finally have my body back! Thus the reason I want to start working out again!

Lilli: is busy busy busy and very very social! It's hard taking her anywhere because she has to stop and talk to EVERYBODY! No joke! We went to the Dr office and the gentleman at the desk had a bandaid on his nose and Lilli starts asking him about his owchie. Oh my goodness! Everyone loves her though. She's so friendly. For this exact reason I need her in school (next year, Pre-K). I know she'll love it! She misses her daddy a lot. When we dropped him off at the airport she burst in to tears! It was so sad, but she seems to be adjusting okay. She loves her brothers, but sometimes gets frustrated with them when they steal her stuff. Sometimes she and Aidan will have screaming matches. It's actually quite hilarious!

Alex: He's a monster! He constantly steals Aidan's toys but screams when Aidan tries to take them back. He'll literally attack Aidan. He's got this laugh that is so funny. He sounds like Count Dracula from Sesame Street (or whatever that puppets name is). At his 1 year check-up he weighed 18lbs 8 oz. Not sure how long he was. He's now drinking cow's milk and would rather drink than eat. We're working on that. But he's funny and is just as social and smiley as Lilli was.

Aidan: He's my little sicky. At his 1 year check up he was severely under weight. He weighed just over 16lbs. He is one inch longer than Alex though. Anyway, because he hadn't gained any weight (he'd actually lost weight), the dr had us do some blood tests to see if there was something else wrong. We found out that he is anemic and had a really high white blood cell count. We had to go in later and get some more blood work done AND get a urine sample (using a catheter). This all happened the week before Ben was supposed to leave. Anyway, we haven't found out the results of the most recent blood tests. But Aidan has another appointment with the dr in a week and a half. I'm hoping we'll find out then. He's been on iron drops AND antibiotic. He eats A LOT! Yesterday he ate 1.5 pkg of the instant oatmeal, a whole pb & honey sandwich, chili, plus drinking milk and eating snacks in between. I'm praying he's gaining weight and that his iron is going back up. We go get more blood tests next week. Aidan is a little bruiser too! It seems he's always falling, getting bumps, scrapes and bruises. Poor kid! He's such a mama's boy and I'm okay with that. He's my youngest and it's just hard seeing him with all these health problems. I'm hoping he'll grow out of it though!

So that's it. That's what's been going on in the Davis household.

They're ONE

2009-12-23T08:39:00.003-05:00

Last Monday my little babies turned 1! What a bitter-sweet event! My friend made some onesies with a 1 on them so I put the boys in those. They looked oh so yummy!! We had a small celebration with a few presents and cupcakes. They're growing so big and fast. Neither one has any real interest in trying to walk yet, but I'm okay with that. I'm not sure what their measurements are, their dr appointment isn't until Jan 4th so when I find out I'll post it. We love our boys and we're so glad they're in our family! They bring a lot of joy!

*I realize Aidan's hair is out of control, but Ben is going to cut it before he leaves.

Thanksgiving and Ben's 29th birthday

2009-12-13T09:43:00.007-05:00

Ain't he just the handsomest!!

So this Thanksgiving was a little different than normal. All of us were sick so we stayed home and had our own mini Thanksgiving. We cooked up a Turkey breast and all the regular Thanksgiving sides. It was good and fun to be together as a family. *As we were eating dinner we made Lilli try the green bean casserole. She didn't like it and puked it all up. That was the end of our Thanksgiving meal!

November 29th was Ben's 29th birthday. We had sloppy joes (cause that's what he wanted) and red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting (cause that's what he wanted). I got him some new shoes and the USA soccer "Don't Tread on me" shirt. Once again, it was a small celebration because we were all sick, but it was still fun. We love you, Ben! We're so proud of you and all that you do for our family! You're a wonderful husband and father and we're going to miss you very much!

*Update

Aidan seems to be doing a little better. Ben said he felt warm today so once again we kept him home from church. I think he's fine, but just in case. We're probably being paranoid. The rest of the family is doing really well though. Yea!

911 and another ER visit(s)

2009-12-09T15:47:00.003-05:00

These last couple of days have been quite the emotional roller coaster for our family. As you've read in previous posts, we've been sick for quite a while. All of us. Well, this last Sunday night it hit hard. Both boys had had fevers off and on for about 2-3 days so when I laid them down that night, I gave both some Tylenol. Well, around 10:00pm, both Ben and I heard a weird noise. I can't even explain it or even mimic what the sound was. I got a feeling of dread and I knew something was wrong. I made Ben come and check on the boys with me because I was so scared. I went in to check on the boys and saw that Alex was fine in his crib and then checked on Aidan. When I looked in, I noticed he was convulsing, like he was throwing up. But nothing was coming out and I noticed that his eyes were open and rolled back. I freaked out, picked him up and he was dead weight, non-responsive. I freaked out and yelled to Ben that something was wrong. I pretty much threw Aidan at Ben and flew down the stairs to call 911. I ran back upstairs and Ben ran to get our neighbor to give Aidan a blessing. I was freaking out. The 911 dispatch kept telling me to calm down, it was hard I was shaking so badly. Aaron and Ben finally came back and they gave him a blessing while the dispatch was telling me how to help. The firefighters, EMT's and police officers all came and told us that he had had a febrile seizure. Aidan's body temp went up too fast and that was his bodies way of reacting to the fever. We took him to the ER and they monitored him for a while and then released us. His fever had gone down. They told us that the chances of him having another seizure in the next 6 months will go up by about 50%. Anyway, they told us to keep giving him medicine every 4 hours. So we did. He was find all day Monday and took his temp before he went to bed. It was at 101 so I gave him some med and laid him down. After the previous incident, my biggest fear was of him having another seizure so I went up to check on him again and he felt really warm. Again. So I brought him down to sleep with us. Probably not the best idea because my body heat raised his body temp. His temp got up to 105. We gave him some more meds and his temp went down to 103. I laid him down in the pack-n-play and checked his temp at around 7am. It was at 104, so we took him back to the ER. They got us right in and basically the diagnosis was, he just has a virus and there's nothing they can do for him but keep his fever down. Awesome! I've been an emotional wreck and am quite paranoid. But I've got a new appreciation for my family! I love them and I KNOW that the Spirit warned us that night to go check on the boys. I know it with all my heart! There was no way I could have ignored the feeling I had and the promptings. Aidan will be okay. No permanent damage happened but it was a very scary experience and I hope it NEVER happens again! I'm grateful for the prayers and help given by our friends and family. I'm grateful for a husband and friend who live their lives worthily to hold the priesthood and be able to use it whenever/wherever!

In other news, Ben will be leaving sooner than we thought and will be gone for about 9 months. We won't be able to see him at all during that time, unless we can visit him in Mississippi. So I plan on staying with my parents for about 4 months. We just found all this out last week!

Like I said before, I have a new appreciation for my little family. I love them so much! And we are trying to take advantage of all the time we have left to spend together! All these happenings really put things into perspective!

ER Visit

2009-11-25T09:45:00.003-05:00

Last Wednesday, my poor little Aidan fell off the chair. Actually, I had him sitting in his Bumbo seat (it has a tray for feeding) up on our higher-than-average dining room chairs. I left the room for not even a second and he fell off the chair.......still in his Bumbo and hit his face on the tray. WORST MOTHER OF THE YEAR AWARD RIGHT HERE!!! I come in to the dining room to see him laying on his stomach, in the Bumbo, with blood EVERYWHERE! Not to mention, he was screaming at the top of his lungs! I panicked! I picked him up, ripped him out of the Bumbo, rushed him in to the bathroom to stop the bleeding, and cuddled him. The cut didn't look that deep and I was debating on if I should even take him to the dr/ER. I called my neighbor and she rushed over and told me I should take him in just in case. Then I called Ben at work to see what he thought I should do. He told me the same thing. Because I didn't know how deep the cut was, I thought I would just take him in to the clinic that way I wouldn't have to wait forever (like I thought I would in the ER). There wasn't an opening until 11:30am (the accident happened a little before 9am). When the dr was finally able to see us, she cleaned out the wound and found that the cut went ALL THE WAY THROUGH! She sent us down to the oral surgeon but they couldn't really do anything until later when they could sedate Aidan to do the stitching. So the oral surgeon took me up to the ER to start the process. Once we were there, we waited 5 minutes then the ER dr told me he could have the stitches done in 5 minutes. 5 minutes as opposed to 3 hours, I told him to just do it. We wrapped Aidan tight in a sheet so he couldn't move and they stitched him up. He screamed the whole time, but now, after wasting so much time, I wish I had just gone in to the ER first. Apparently, with an open wound, they get you in pretty quickly so there's no chance of any infections. The first dr I saw was pretty upset that they didn't get us in to see her quicker. So now I know that when there's an open like that, I'll take my kids to the ER! And I'm sure, with two boys, this won't be the first time!

Aidan will have a battle wound (which I feel horrible about). It's healing great and they took the stitches out yesterday. Now, we're all fighting the cold/ear infections/runny noses/fevers. Wish us luck!

Giveaways

2009-11-17T22:58:00.002-05:00

There's a giveaway over at Shey B's blog. Check it out. The sponsor is The Vintage Pearl and they've got some beautiful pieces. You could be a winner!

There's another giveaway at V and Co. The sponsor is Shey B and she's giving away one of her cute camera straps.

11 months old

2009-11-14T08:29:00.004-05:00

Today my boys are 11 months old! I can't believe how quickly time has flown. They are doing so many things and are constantly changing every day. Yesterday I put them down for their nap and they just kept talking and laughing. I went in to their room and they were both standing up in their cribs facing each other chattin' away. They are pulling themselves up on stuff and are constantly finding things to get in to, favorite being the dog's water (Yuck!). They both love love love Lilli. She makes them laugh (and cry) all the time. They fight over toys. They always want what the other one has. They're both now eating regular food. Yea! No more spending money on pureed stuff. They both can say mama, but only say it when they really want me. They're still nursing, but that's about to change here in a month! WOO HOO!

Alex loves to drink out of a cup, a regular cup. He thinks he's pretty cool. He's constantly talking gibberish and has decided to throw tantrums. He still gets up in the middle of the night, just once though. He weighs a little over 18 lbs and is 27.5 inches long. He is now biting and sometimes will bite his brother if Aidan's bugging him. He has 6 teeth (4 top, 2 bottom), and he's getting more! He has to be the one to put food in his mouth. If I try to do it he just spits it out or plays with it in his mouth. He's all smiles!!! He smiles at everyone and is very social. He's exactly how Lilli was.

Aidan is my more sensitive guy. When he was sick he just wanted to be held and cuddled. Alex was constantly on the go. It didn't matter that he was sick. Aidan doesn't like to get his hands dirty. Too much anyway. He likes us to feed him, as opposed to him feeding himself. He's a fireball when he wants to be and is more of the whiner. He weighs a little over 15.5 lbs and is 27.75 inches long. He has 4 teeth but is getting 2 more up top. His smile and laugh crack me up.

I love both my boys and love how they have such different personalities and looks. They're the cutest boys and our family wouldn't be the same without them. They really bring a lot of joy to our family!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T21:57:00.004-05:00

The kids, this was taken AFTER trick-or-treating. They were hungry and grumpy!

The lazy bum stroller riders (Cami was a skeleton, the boys, Jonas was the Mad Hatter)!

Matthew (as Fred), Lilli, Emma (as Alice), and Abby (as the Queen of Hearts). My friend Megan made Emma and Abby's costumes. Yea! She's super talented!

Lilli and her friend Matthew dressed as Fred

Alex

Aidan

Lilli and her friend Emma dressed as Alice

This Halloween Lilli wanted to be Daphne Blake from Scooby-Doo. She's been on a Scooby-Doo kick and that's what she wanted to be. We got back from a long vacation Friday and I had all day Saturday to make her costume. It really wasn't that hard, but took a while to make. She looked pretty cute! The boys were ninjas. They looked cute too! The costumes were $5 that I got last year. Once again we went with our good friend the Gernat's and Pilkington's. It was great and Lilli got quite a lot of candy. Today we made the mistake of letting her eat a bunch and she had a major sugar high and then a major sugar crash and burn. She was so grumpy and went to bed at 7pm. Not doing that again!

Oh and Aidan is now sick with a fever! So we'll be dealing with that! What a great couple days so far. I need a vacation!!!!!! Oh wait............

Disney World*

2009-11-01T19:43:00.003-05:00

This last week we went down to Florida and spent some time at Disney World. We had so much fun! We were able to get a 2 bedroom condo thru our timeshare and thought, we have all this room let's invite our good friends the Winn's.........so we did! And we're so glad we did! They are awesome! We had a blast! And guess what! We're STILL friends, after spending all that time together!! hahahaha No, for real, it was a lot of fun! I'll just highlight our faves.

Day 1, Friday Oct 23: We drove down to Orlando. It's a long drive but we made it to the resort just in time for dinner. So we ordered pizza and let the kids go swimming. The resort was awesome! Very kid friendly with pirate-themed pools and many activities (which we didn't do because hello, we went to Disney World).

Day 2, Sat Oct 24: Went to Animal Kingdom. Very cool. It was like a big zoo, but cooler. We went on this safari ride that was an up-close type ride. We got to see the animals "in their own habitat." Then we went to the musical "Finding Nemo." It was really cute. At first, we were a little wigged out with how it was performed, but it grew on me. We went on all kinds of rides and went to a place where the kids could dig for dinosaur bones. Cari was awesome and watched all the kids while me and the guys (Ben and Jess) went on the Everest ride. It was awesome!! One of my favorite roller coasters!

Day 3, Sun Oct 25: Chilled. Went to church (Cari's awesome like that and found us a church to go to). Later we went to the Orlando temple and walked around the grounds. Beautiful! *I forgot to write one of Lilli's silly moments. There was a back door to the temple and Lilli ran up to it, started banging on the door yelling, "Jesus! Let me in!!" It was too cute!

Day 4, Mon Oct 26: Went to the water park Typhoon Lagoon. Awesome Awesome Awesome! There was a huge pool that had big waves. There were tons of little pools for the boys to play in and a little mini tube ride for Lilli (which she loved). We went on the lazy river and shared a big bucket of ice cream (literally) with the Winn's. It was disgustingly yummy! Ben and I switched off with Jess and Cari watching kids while we rode on some fun tube rides. At the end of the day, Cari (in all her awesomness) watched the kids once again, while me and the boys rode on the water slides. It was a long day, and both Ben and I were fried, but it was fun!

Day 5, Tue Oct 27: My Birthday! And to celebrate, got up at 6am to hit our 7:15am reservations at Chef Mickey's for a character dining experience! Honestly, it was worth it to see Lilli's reaction to all the characters. She didn't even eat she was too excited. I would recommend doing it once, but that's it. This was our Magic Kingdom day and probably our favorite. I loved that we ALL 5 got to ride on most of the rides. Both Ben and I had the attitude that we were there for Lilli so we didn't get to ride any of the big rides. I'm okay with that. It was fun to watch her reaction to everything. Her favorite part was seeing all the characters. She got really shy around them (which is rare) but she would love on them for a while. It was a really looooong day, but so much fun!!! Later, the Winn's were awesome and sent Ben and I out to dinner for my bday. I was so exhausted so we didn't do all that we had planned, but it was fun to just go out, just the two of us. Thanks Winn's!

Day 6, Wed Oct 28: Went to Sea World. Ben and I had both been there before. Twice. So maybe that's why we both felt it was a wasted day, but it was. Lilli wasn't really interested in anything there. We went to a couple of shows and then left. It was a little disappointing.

Day 7, Thur Oct 29: Went to Hollywood Studios. This day was a little more relaxing. Lilli at this point was so exhausted (And had a fever) so we didn't do a whole lot. We went to Playhouse Disney Live and The Little Mermaid show (which was pretty cool), and then went and ate at Pizza Planet (from Toy Story). We let Lilli play some arcade games then she and Ben went to the Muppet 3D show. We watched the parade and then Lilli wanted to go back "home." She went swimming later and then it off to bed.

Day 8, Fri Oct 30: Drove home. We were going to stay but Lilli was sick and we were all so exhausted. It was a great drive home. We almost ran out of gas and almost got in a car wreck, but they were "almosts" so it was good.

We had tons of fun and I'm so glad we did this before Ben leaves. I hope Lilli will remember this for a long time. We're grateful for good friends that we could spend so much time together and still like each other in the end. Thanks Winn's for a great, fun time!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Kids

2009-10-19T21:44:00.004-04:00

So my little man Alex has been sick sick sick! It all started last Sunday when we were in church. He was so cranky and started feeling really warm. I took the boys home while Ben stayed. Alex had a temp of 102.4 and it only got higher. Poor little guy! His eyes were red and he just slept for the next 4 days. It was awful! And all he wanted to do was sleep and nurse! Yes I'm still nursing! And I was FINALLY feeling like I had a good routine going and then it got all out of whack! So now we're starting all over. He's lost about .5 a pound in the last week because he doesn't want to eat, though today was a good day. He actually ate some rice cereal and fruit. And I'm back down to nursing 4-5 times a day. Nights are still a bummer though. He (Alex) is getting up 2-3 times a night. YES STILL!!! It's quite frustrating but I know it's because he's not getting enough to eat during the day. Hopefully tonight is better! We'll see. He's feeling better though and he's back to his happy self. He really is such a happy kid! They all are! I really am blessed!

Both my boys have started actually crawling, instead of rolling or army crawling. It's been fun watching them do new things! I love it! The just turned 10 months old and are constantly learning new things. They starting to pull themselves on stuff. It's been a little frustrating because I'll lay them down for naps and they'll pull themselves up and can't get back down so they'll cry until I come and help them down. Alex says "dada" whenever he sees Ben. It's just too cute. And Aidan has started saying "mama." It makes my heart melt! They are just too darn cute!

Lilli is getting big too. Our primary program was yesterday and Lilli wanted to go up and sing with the kids so bad! She was mad when I told her she couldn't go up there. Then I told her she could go next year and I just stopped. She'll be in Sunbeams starting January!! Crazy!! She'll be going to Preschool next year. She's so excited! And so am I!! She's just so social and so smart. She needs to go. I need her to go. She loves to watch Scooby-Doo on Netflix and now wants to be Daphne Blake for Halloween. I'm going to make her a purple dress and make her look like Daphne. We'll see how it goes. I'll be sure to take pictures. Like I said she's just too smart! We were at Sam's Club and this lady ran past us in the parking lot and Lilli turns to me and says, "Whoa! She's a good runner!" That same day, Aidan had taken something from her and she looks at him and says, "Hey! What's the big idea!" She's hilarious!

Ben has a new hobby of running 5K's and 10K's. It's fun having him come home excited and so proud. He really enjoys it and I'm so proud of him.

I'll post some pics hopefully tomorrow. We leave Friday for Disney World/Sea World and we'll be gone for a week. I'm so excited. I think I'm most excited to see Lilli's reaction to everything. Like I said, we'll be there for a week and will have plenty to post about. Until then (after I post pictures tomorrow for my sister Bre)..........

Caught up

2009-10-05T13:49:00.003-04:00

I think I'm all caught up now. We've been pretty busy and I just haven't had time to blog. A little bit about what we're doing: Aidan is crawling. Alex is still doing the army crawl. I'm down to nursing them 4 times a day (instead of 8). It's awesome! Aidan only eats table food, no baby food. Alex eats table food if he feeds it to himself, otherwise he eats baby food (fruits) and cereal. I can't believe they're almost 10 months! To me they're still my babies. I can't wait though. It's hard but I know it'll get easier. They had their 9 month appointment last week and Aidan weighed 15 lbs 11 oz and Alex weighed 17 lbs 2 oz. And Aidan is almost 3 inches longer than Alex. They're getting big!

Lilli is still her crazy, socialite self. The other day I told her to chill and she said, "Don't tell me to chill, Mom. I'm not a raindrop!" And we were going into the Y and the guy at the desk was in a motorized wheelchair. When she saw it she yelled to him, "Cool chair!" She really is a character and keeps us on our toes!

I'm keeping busy chasing kids, cleaning house, and doing some sewing. I really enjoy sewing and may have found a new hobby. I love making new things and watching people enjoy them. It's fun!

Ben is doing great at his job. He's working with the fitness program here and is doing well. We're changing career fields and he will be flying. Which means more deploying but more places for us to move to. The choices are endless (kind of). We're hoping to go to England. Ben deploys soon and its going to stink. I'm not sure what I'll do. It doesn't look like we'll be moving anytime soon (knock on wood) so I'll probably stay at my parents' house for a few months. We'll see. We're excited for the changes that will come our way.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I think I already blogged about this so I'm sorry for the repeat. We have a few more trips to blog about so until then......

Air Force Half Marathon

2009-10-05T13:25:00.006-04:00

Our family before the race. Yes! It really was THAT cold!

Ben and Lills before the race

Greg (Ben's running partner) and Ben before the race

The half marathoners from Ben's squadron before the race

Coming to the finish line

Here's Ben with his medal and Lilli

In the middle of September we made the looooooooooooooooong drive up to Dayton, OH for Ben to run in the Air Force Marathon. It was a quite a trip, but so fun. We left on a Thursday and drove to Knoxville, TN. It was gorgeous!! We drove through the Smoky Mountains. They are definitely different from the Rockies. There are tons of trees and hardly any Evergreens. It was so beautiful! I would love to go up there again. Friday we got up and drove the rest of the way to Dayton. We got there and immediately had to go get Ben's packet. There were so many people and vendors. It was crazy! We met up with some friends at the Olive Garden for a carb fest and then went to our motel. I didn't sleep well that night. I think I was nervous for Ben and knew we had to get up early (5:30 am early). But we made it. They started the 10K, then the full marathon, and we met up with Ben before the half marathon. It was so cold! I had us all bundled up with sweaters and hats. I think I've turned in to a woos since being here in Georgia. Anyway, they had F-16's fly-by. Many those things are loud. I'm sitting there covering my ears not even thinking about my kids. It was loud, but really cool. They started the race and Ben was off. We then had 1.5 hours to just sit and wait. We waited around the finish line cheering everyone on. I got chills and a little emotional seeing how motivated people are. I saw a blind man being led by a friend. I saw people in wheelchairs being pushed by helpers. It was amazing! Then we saw Ben and his buds coming and we cheered them on. What an accomplishment! I'm so proud of Ben! It was awesome! He finished in 2:10:00 (2hours and about 10 minutes).

We left right after the race, Ben showered, then we drove back to Knoxville. We were going to stop in Gatlinburg but by then we all just wanted to get home. The next day we drove only 3 hours to Greenville to visit the Meagher's. It was so fun to see them and they spoiled us with steak and corn for dinner and cookies and ice cream for dessert. It was so good to see them. The next we headed back for home. It was so good to be home after driving for 5 days straight. But it was well worth it!

Charleston, SC

2009-10-04T15:58:00.006-04:00

Supposed to be a haunted path (this was on our tour)

We had to cross this huge bridge and anyone who knows me well knows I HATE bridges over water! I was white knuckling it the whole way!

This goat was letting Lilli pet him......and then he tried head butting her (this was while we were waiting for our carriage tour)

The boys in the motel, Alex kept trying to put the blanket over Aidan's head

Lilli sprayed Aidan and I with water just as Ben took this picture

Over Labor Day weekend we decided to take a last minute trip to Charleston. It's only 3 hours away and so worth it! I loved Savannah but there's just something about Charleston. It's beautiful and CLEAN. Savannah felt dirty. Anyway, we stayed about 1 mile from downtown. I'm so glad we did. When we first got there, it was later and we ate at a seafood restaurant. It took us about a half hour to find a parking spot but once we did, we were not moving. After we ate we went to the city park by the bay. There was a fountain that was pretty cool and we decided to just let Lilli get wet and play. She had a lot of fun! Then we went to the docks and watched for dolphins. We saw a few but they were just skimming out of the water. It was a little disappointing because Lilli couldn't see them. She still had fun though. She's such a social jibber jabberer (probably not a word but you get the point). Most of the time it drives me crazy, but I'm not going to stop her. So she was talking to all the people around us. It was getting pretty late at this point so we headed back to our motel and Ben took Lilli swimming in the pool while I put the boys to bed.

The next day we got up and headed out later than I'd have liked. Anyway, we ate at a little whole in the wall place that was on Rachel Ray's $40 a day. It was yummy!!!! I got smoked salmon eggs benedict and Ben got sweet potato pancakes with pecan butter and maple syrup. I liked Ben's more than mine. It was called Joseph's and its right downtown. Prices are very reasonable and the food was so delicious! I highly recommend it if you're ever in Charleston. After breakfast I really wanted to take a carriage tour. I was left a little disappointed, because I wanted to see EVERYTHING. I guess Charleston has laws allowing only so many carriages out at one time and gives them different routes. It was was fun to do once. I wouldn't do it again. Though they do give haunted tours and I'd really like to do that once before we leave. After our tour we went to Market Street and saw all kinds of vendors. Then it was off to the beach. We only went because we told Lilli we would. Be this time it was almost 5pm and both Ben and I were so tired, along with the kids. They all fell asleep on our 30 minute drive there. We were at the beach for MAYBE 30 minutes then we were out of there. There were so many people and I didn't even get in.

We had such a good time and I'm hoping just Ben and I can go when he gets back from deployment. I think I would enjoy it a little more. Okay........A LOT MORE! But it was a fun family vacation and we'll have those memories!

Family Pictures

2009-10-01T15:36:00.003-04:00

I decided to take advantage of the fact that my sister takes pictures so while we were in Wyoming I had her take ours. She does a really great job. Obviously! The quality of the pics aren't that great on here, but hopefully she can get more edited and we can get some copies (hint hint Bre!). Anyway, I love them! There weren't a whole lot of pictures where all three kids were looking at the camera. We had a heck of a time getting Lilli to look, let alone the boys. They were all cranky and tired and hungry by the end. But it was fun! Thanks Bre!

Haircut

2009-09-30T14:54:00.005-04:00

As soon as we got back from Wyoming, Ben had to leave for Washington state for some more training for his deployment. We got back Wednesday, he left Sunday. While he was gone Lilli and I were butting heads the whole time. It was very difficult. I cried a lot during that time. Anyway, one of those crazy nights/days, Lilli decides she doesn't want to go to bed. I kept sending her up to her room over and over again. Finally at about 10pm she stayed up there. Or so I thought. I woke up at around 2am because I could hear noises coming from the living room. I go in there and Lilli is sitting on the couch with what I thought was yogurt all over the couch. I was fuming! I sent her up to her room with a spanking and that was the end of it. Or so I thought. I went back down thinking I had a big huge yogurt mess all over my couch. I go to clean it and realize that its not yogurt.......it's pieces of paper with hair ALL OVER IT! It was dark too okay! So now I'm trying so hard not to scream. I run upstairs and ask Lilli where the scissors were. I'm thinking she had them hidden up in her room ready to do more damage. They were downstairs. Then I felt her hair and saw that she gave herself a nice mullet! Not pretty! I panicked and the next morning called a friend to have her fix it. She HAD to cut it as short as mine just to even it all out. There are still spots where the hair is really short. Needless to say, all scissors are up and put away!

Cokeville

2009-09-23T12:21:00.006-04:00

My bro Brady with all the kids

All of us at my Grandma Norene's house (my dad's mom)

Grandma Norene with the boys

Ben and Alex at the Brazilian Restaurant

At the zoo, waiting for the bird show to start (my bro Kennan is yawning in the background)

Aidan

Alex with my mom

Ben's dad teaching Ben's mom how to work the 4-wheelers

My dad pushing the babies around

The Davis men (and boys)

Lilli and I with my sister McKenzie

Everyone loved throwing rocks into the creek

I'm just going to continue on with our exciting vacation out West. We had such a blast spending time with family. We went up Pine Creek (said crick). It's a canyon that is just georgous. Ben's mom and dad made the 14 hour trip from Washington to come see us over one of the weekends. It was so fun to see them. They came up on a Thursday. We had a cookout up Pine Creek and went 4-wheeling Friday. Then Saturday we drove to SLC and went to Hogle Zoo. I forget what a dinky little zoo it is, but it was still fun. We were all starving and had planned on going to Ro Dizio (a Brazilian restaurant with all you can eat meat and buffet). It was DELICIOUS! After that, Ben's parents stayed in SLC and we headed back to Wyoming. It was so fun to spend time with them and we're so glad they made the long trip to see us!

The flights home were okay. I don't know if we just have bad travel karma or what. Lilli puked ALL OVER Ben and herself on the flight from SLC to Denver, so he was stinky and she was stinky all day. Other than that we really didn't have any hiccups. We were just glad to be home. Like I wrote before, it was a lot of fun seeing family and being on vacation. Nice and relaxing, just the way we like it!

Man's dress shirt turned adorable dress

2009-08-31T11:31:00.003-04:00

Here is a tutorial for an adorable dress made from a man's shirt. I fell in love and can't wait to try to make it. So cute!

By the way, I'll post pics of our trip to Wyoming later and let you all know what's going on with our family. We have some new and exciting changes coming up.

Picture time

2009-08-24T09:16:00.003-04:00

My sister, Breanne, took our family pictures while we were there in Wyoming. She does such a good job. She posted a picture of Alex on her blog. Go here to check it out. It's kind of funny, but he's so stinkin' cute!

It's about time

2009-08-11T00:05:00.009-04:00

My bro Kennan, Kandyce, my other bro Brady, and Ben

My whole family (minus Greg, Bre's hubby)

I thought this pic was so stinkin' cute! Kennan and Lilli have such a mutual admiration for each other. They are always playing! It really is so sweet!

So we're here in Wyoming visiting my family. It was a nightmare getting here, but we're here and having a nice, relaxing, fun time.

Our nightmare: We left our house about a half hour later than we had planned. No biggie, EXCEPT that when we were determining what time we should leave, we had failed to take in to consideration that we had to park our van and take a shuttle to the airport. So, we arrived at the airport with 30 minutes left to get our crap checked in, get through security, hop on the tram and find our terminal, then struggle through all the people to get to our gate. The lady at the desk wouldn't let us check-in, because their policy is that if your within 45 minutes of your flight time, they won't check you in. The lady was really nice and not trying to be a butt. After all, it was our fault for being late. So we were now to wait on standby. Yes, standby!!! With three kids! And try to keep our sanity in tact! Anyway, there was one last flight leaving Atlanta that night at 7:30pm. It was booked and we couldn't get on. So we went to USO (something for military people) and they gave us a motel room for $40. We were there for 5 hours; enough time for me to FINALLY feed the babies (they wouldn't eat at the airport, too much going on) and get some sleep. We got up the next morning at 3am to get on the 6:30 flight. Made that flight. When we arrived in Denver, we missed the 9am flight out, but were able to get on the 12:30pm flight, luckily! We were very surprised we were able to get on. My dad came and picked us up and we drove the 2.5 hr drive home. Fun! Not! But we're here and we're so glad we made it alive and with our sanity somewhat in tact. End of nightmare!

My sister Kandyce got married on Friday the 7th. She had the reception the night before, which I was grateful for (and I'm sure she was too). So Friday all we had to do was go to the Logan temple and then go to a luncheon. It was nice to FINALLY get to meet Clay and see what he's all about. He's a pretty funny kid and they are so happy! Now we've just spent a lot of time at my parents. It's been very relaxing. We've gone out on the 4wheelers out behind the house, visited my Grandma Norene, went up Pine Creek (said "crick") and, like I said, relaxed. yesterday we went over to Gram's house and cleaned it up. Some electricians from Utah needed a place to stay.

Well, we're all having a blast. We still have one more week here and we're looking forward to having some continued fun! I'll post more pics later. For now, these are pics from the wedding.

Lilli's 3rd Birthday, Re-enlistment, 4th of July, Auntie Paula visits

2009-07-10T21:30:00.005-04:00

Lilli, Matthew, and Josiah (Josiah's dad, Greg, pushing all three of them)

Ben's sister, Paula, came out to visit us over the 4th of July weekend

I know I know I know! I have got to stop waiting so long to post. There's so much to post about along with some pics.

I'll start with Lilli's birthday. I can't believe she's 3! My baby is no longer a baby! It seems that as soon as she turned three she just got more and more sassy. I thought she was sassy before...............she's even more so now! It gets under my skin sometimes, but other times I laugh (inside) at some of the things she says. She sounds so much like Ben and I it's scary! Anyway, we had a little swimming party here and invited a few family friends. Then we had Bratz and hot dogs, fruit, and chips. We did cake and had presents. I have pictures from the party but they're on the other camera and I haven't take the time to download them yet. Ben's parents got Lilli a swing set that's just right for our small backyard. Lilli loves it! She's goes outside all the time to play on it (when it isn't too hot). Thanks Grammy and Grandpa! I asked Lilli what she wanted her cake to be and all she wanted was "a pink cake with pink frosting and pink sprinkles." So that's what she got. I was so relieved. I asked her if she wanted a Dora cake, or a princess cake but she said no and insisted on an all pink cake. It was a lot of fun and we were so exhausted. I think later that day we went to our good friends' the Gernat's and went swimming in their pool. I guess we just needed more fun for the day!

On June 29th, Ben re-enlisted for another 5 years in the Air Force. We're very excited and are looking forward to a fun filled journey. We feel blessed to be in Air Force. They've taken really good care of us so far, and it's nice knowing we have a job for the next 6 years (we still have one year left in THIS enlistment). We're not sure what's in store for the next 6 years, but we're very excited and have so many opportunities coming our way!

Over the 4th of July weekend, Ben's sister Paula came out to visit us. It was so fun having her here. She and Lilli became fast friends and every time Lilli talked to Paula, she had to say her name. Every time! "Hey Paula!" "Yes Paula" "No Paula." It was funny! It was fun having "table talk" and staying up late with her. She came in late Thursday night, around midnight. Then we got up Friday and chilled for a bit and then went shopping for some clothes for our trip in August. We're getting family pics taken by my sister. Saturday was the big celebration. We went to the Gernats' again and had a blast! Get it....blast! 4th of July! Fireworks! ANYWAY, there was a ton of food and we went swimming again. There was volleyball and catching up to do as well! Then later that night we watched (from a distance) the fireworks from Patriots Park. Lilli wasn't really interested. She and Matthew just ran around with glow sticks. The boys were asleep so they didn't get to enjoy the beautiful fireworks. It was so fun and we had such a great Fourth! I love this holiday and all it represents. It really puts things into perspective being in the military and knowing what sacrifices were and are continuing to be made (not that those of you who AREN'T in the military don't appreciate the sacrifices, I know you do).

Well, I think I'm all caught up now.

The boys are getting so big! They just had their 6 month appnts on the 1st. Alex weighed 15 pounds and was 25 inches. Aidan weighed 13 pounds and was 25.5 inches. So Alex is still the hefty one or is juicy, as one of Ben's co-workers likes to say. They're now eating table food and baby food. Aidan isn't really a fan of baby food but he will eat regular table food. Alex will pretty much eat anything you put in his mouth. Aidan likes to spit the baby food out. Though I have to say, he's getting better at eating it now. It just took him a little longer. Alex has 2 teeth coming in now and more are coming. Aidan still doesn't have teeth but I know they're coming too. Both of them were so grumpy today and had fevers and swollen gums. Sad! Alex is rolling everywhere. I think he'll be crawling here soon. It's kind of frustrating because at nights he rolls on his stomach and then won't roll back to his back, so he just sits and cries and cries and cries. I've been trying to roll up blankets to stop him from rolling over but that makes him even more frustrated. I don't know. It's frustrating! And little Aidan is just scooting everywhere. They both are moving around and are little chatter boxes. I love it!

Ben is still running! He's running 6 miles tomorrow! Crazy! But he's losing so much weight! Not that he didn't look hot before, but now he looks super oober hot! I'm glad he's enjoying it though. We found out today that he will NOT be deploying anytime before January. That's a relief I have to say! It will give us some more time to spend together and going on vacations and stuff.

My brother Brady just got back from his mission in Latvia TODAY!! My sister Kandyce called me when they first saw him. I cried like a baby! It's times like these where I wish we lived closer to family! He sounds great though! I can't wait to see him in August. We'll be heading out to SLC for my sister's wedding. We're very excited about it!

That's all the happenings here in Georgia! We have a lot of things coming up: Kandyce and Clay's wedding, Disney World, Half Marathon. Okay, maybe not a lot but just really BIG events. Looking forward to it all!

New Van, New Job, New Ambition, Growing Up Warning: Picture Overload

2009-06-16T14:43:00.010-04:00

Ben finishing his 5K

The kids squeezed in the back of the car

I can't believe it's been 3 weeks since I last did a post! We've had a lot going on! We bought us a van. I posted a picture for my mom to see. We were pretty stoked (to say the least)! We've been having to squeeze 3 car seats in the back of our car, not to mention driving without AC. Its so nice now, to have plenty of room and drive in this hot weather in a cool van. Every day we thank Heavenly Father for "2 cars that run, specifically a nice big cool van." Seriously! Now I actually ENJOY going out! It really was a blessing we were able to buy one so soon! The Lord was definitely looking out for us!

Ben is now working another job. He's working in what they call the Orderly Room and is the Physical Fitness Dude/Guy (not sure the "correct" term). Basically he makes sure that ALL airman coming in and out of the squadron are up-to-date on the Physical Fitness tests and he also runs PT sessions. There are other duties that go along with it, but that's basically what he does. It's nice to have him on a consistent day job and regular days off. He can take leave whenever he wants and if needs be, can leave work to help with dr's visits and other stuff a lot easier. He's also training for the Air Force Half Marathon in September. He's been doing a lot of running and is really enjoying it. Last Saturday he ran a 5K and did pretty good. He sprained his ankle at the 2K marker, but kept on going. He's running another 5K this Saturday and another one next Saturday. I'm very proud of him. We're still in the process of volunteering for OSF stuff (the airborne job). It's happening a lot quicker than we thought. He's already gotten the results from his flight physical (he passed so he's okay to fly). He's going in for the Physio Chamber next Tuesday (they do different pressures to see if your body can handle the different altitudes and what not). He also has a survival class in July. As soon as that's done and we have all results in, it's just a waiting game. Then we'll find out when he deploys. We thought it would be sometime at the first of next year, but its looking like it could be a lot sooner. I don't think I'll ever be prepared, whether its sooner or later.

Lilli is turning 3 this Saturday! I can't believe it! She's getting so big and says some of the darndest things. She's hilarious! We've been swimming in the pool a lot this summer, at least once a day. She's starting to put her face in the water. She thinks she's a little fish. She's also becoming quite the expert on her bike. She loves it! She just learned to ride in the beginning of May and now can pedal so fast. She's a great big sister to the boys. She loves to help out and gives a lot of kisses. I think I'm going to put her in to a preschool program this coming school year. She's so smart and social and I really think she would love it. I know I'll love it!

Alex and Aidan are getting so big! They're scooting every where and are such happy babies. Alex just recently rolled from his back onto his stomach. They just turned 6 months old! Aidan is my really smily guy. Anytime I go in to get him out of the crib, he ALWAYS gives me the biggest smile and spazzes out. It doesn't take much to make him laugh! Alex is more serious, but even he is all smiles. It takes a bit more to make him laugh but when you do, you can't help but laugh. Yesterday I was giving Aidan raspberries on his neck and Alex was laughing so hard and totally anticipating when I would do it. And it wasn't even to him!! it was so funny! Everyone keeps asking us if we're going to have more kids. Not right now. Give us time to just enjoy the ones we've got! They are such a joy and you can't help but love on them (except right now Alex is screaming because he doesn't want to lay down for a nap, Stinker!). They're both teething which is hard. Today they've both been really cranky and whiny. I wish their teeth would just come in already! They really are so fun! Its been hard, but so rewarding!

As for me, I'm just trying to get through life one day at a time. Some days are harder than others, but I've got so much to be grateful for. I feel more confident about going places with three kids. We actually go out quite often. Or have the last week or two. People ask me how I go out. I put one baby in the bjiorn, the other one in the car seat hooked to the cart, and Lilli in the cart. Or, if I only need to pick up a thing or two, I put the babies in the double stroller and Lilli holds on. I read lots and lots of books to know how to do things with twins. I'm still struggling with nursing. It's so hard! I want to quit, but I'm starting the boys on solids so I won't be nursing as much here soon. I think my body has finally had it. It takes a lot out of it. I've been really light headed lately and I'm not sure if it has something do with nursing. I've never experienced this before. Anyway, things are going pretty good though. We're still just truckin' along and loving life!

College Buddies

2009-05-25T08:49:00.004-04:00

Emily, Rachel, and me (normally I wouldn't post such a close-up but its the only one I had of all three of us)

Alice and Lilli on some of the rides at the Latin Fest

Me with Aidan

Alice and Lilli at the strawberry fields

Alex (my friend Emily took this pic)

At the end of April (WOW! I'm totally behind), two of my bestest college friends came out to visit me. I love how, even though we have our separate lives, we can still pick up right where we left off, as if no time has passed. Well, except for the fact that two of us are married, two of us have children, and we're not in college anymore. All except for that. Anyway, it was so good to see Emily and Rachel. Rachel's daughter, Alice, and Lilli became fast friends. After a while they both started to get some major attitude with us (their parents), but they had a blast playing together and were so sad to leave each other. We really didn't do much while they were here, just got caught up on our lives. One day we went and picked strawberries. We took the little girls' to the Latin Fest on post (where they rode a lot of cheesy rides but loved it). One night, we were able to go out for a girls' night, without kids. It was so fun. We gorged ourselves with yummy food at Rhinehart's, then went to the movie "17 Again." We got home late, but it was so worth it. After they left, I had to catch up on some much needed sleep, but again, so worth it. I think we're going to make this an every other year thing, or every year thing. I love them and had so much seeing them again.

Find Joy in the Journey

2009-04-27T11:32:00.005-04:00

So yesterday we had an awesome lesson on President Monson's talk, "Finding Joy in the Journey." Dresden did an amazing job and all of the comments given were directed to me. The Lord definitely knew I needed to hear that lesson.

Lately I feel like I've been on auto-pilot. I do the chores, spend some time with each kid, cook dinner, feed the family, change stinky bums, give husband a kiss when he gets home, etc. Doing the things I'm supposed to, but not feeling anything. I guess just feeling empty. There have been a few days where I haven't wanted to get out of bed. I'm exhausted. Fighting with a 2 (almost 3) year-old is no fun. I swear its battle of the wills with Lilli! Just the other day I fought with her for OVER AN HOUR to get her to take a nap. Did she end up taking the nap??? NOPE! Then I told her to stay in her room (hey, I need a break SOME TIME). Did she stay in her room??? NOPE! All this was after multiple spankings (Yes I spank my child, so sue m), and constantly going up to her room to tell her to get back in bed. I definitely got my exercise in that day!

Trying to take care of 2 babies on top of the crazy 2 year-old is exhausting. The constant worry of how much milk I'm going to have today, or are they even going to take naps today, or will it take 2 hours to get them to bed tonight, or how many times are they going to get up tonight. Someone asked me yesterday what I do when both babies are screaming and I told her that I have to set them down and leave the room. Somedays I have the patience to spend 2 hours comforting them and some days I just can't take it. Rarely do they sleep at the same time during the day. I've got 3 small bags (shopping bags) full of stinky diapers. I have to do laundry ATLEAST once a day to keep up. I've been pooped on, peed on, puked on, boogied on. You name any bodily fluid and I can almost guarantee you its been on me.

Saturday was my first attempt at taking all 3 kids out, by myself. It would have been fine, but Lilli was whining and crying THE WHOLE TIME!! How did I do it?? I put Alex in the baby bjiorn, Aidan was in his car seat, and I put Lilli in the cart (or buggy to you southerners). Yes I got constant stares, and I overheard one couple say, "Wow! She's got her hands full!" Thanks people!!! Needless to say, we just went to Target and then I was done. I packed the kids back in the car (our car has NO AC) and headed back home (in 94 degree weather). Will I do that again? Not anytime soon, and definitely NOT during nap time (or when Lilli's SUPPOSED to take a nap). Boy do we need a van!

I feel like I'm always cleaning the house. I spend a day cleaning and it takes a second for it to be dirty again. I feel like a single parent all day, every day. Ben works nights so he's gone all night and then he sleeps during the day. Sometimes he has extra duties at work, so he doesn't come home until noon, and then he has to sleep. Many of my friends' husbands have crazier shifts and I don't envy them at all, but it's still hard. We've been doing this for 4 months and I hate it.

There! Now that I got that off my chest, back to the whole point of this blog (besides venting). Even though things are hard right now, I have to think that they could always be worse. Not only do I need to find joy in my family, be grateful my husband has a stable job and that we have the means to take care of ourselves, but I need to say, "Find joy in the journey." The house can wait, but my family won't. They need me. I want to create fun memories that they'll have for forever. I need to remember the things that bring me joy, and know that no matter what, the Lord is aware of me and my trials. He loves me. He knows I'm trying my best. As long as I'm doing my part, He'll do the rest. How grateful I am to be a member of the Church and to have wonderful, inspiring talks, and lessons (like yesterdays) that give me the motivation to keep on keepin' on!

The things that bring me joy!

Roly Poly

2009-04-20T16:38:00.003-04:00

Not to brag, but I think she's so beautiful!

Aidan

Alex

It's official! Today both my boys rolled over from their backs to their bellies, both ways! What a proud moment!

Some Alone Time

2009-04-13T22:57:00.003-04:00

This what happens when you leave a 2 year old in the back yard with some potting soil. She was NOT supposed to play with that dirt, but did anyway. This was the result!

Tummy Time

2009-04-13T22:45:00.005-04:00

The boys are getting so big. We took them to the doctor's and Alex's stats were: 22 inches, 12lbs 5 oz. Aidan's stats were: 24 inches, 10lbs 11 oz. These are pictures of them doing tummy time. Aidan can lift up no problem, but Alex has some difficulty because of his big head! The whole time he was on his belly he would not lift his head. He would just lay there. It was funny!

Easter

2009-04-13T22:20:00.008-04:00

Our beautiful family!

Aidan and me

Alex with his Daddy

I noticed that in all the pictures I took, Lilli has the same spacy look on her face.

Easter was good. Ben and Lilli colored eggs and had so much fun. I think I was doing dishes or something. It was fun to hear Lilli and Ben's conversations. I know Lilli loved spending that time with her daddy. Then some good friends of ours had a big Easter egg hunt Saturday. They're moving here soon and wanted to have one big shin dig before they left. It was great fun! Lilli had a blast. They lined up all the kids and then let them loose. There were so many eggs it was amazing! Lilli would pick up one egg and then skip over 4 or 5 eggs to get the next egg. Then we had homemade strawberry ice cream, cupcakes and chocolate chip cookies. Everything was so yummy! It was a lot of fun just being together with good friends. It was crazy because the night before a tornado had gone through their neighborhood. They had a few big trees blown down and fences broken. They live about 5 minutes from our house. That's how close it hit. Anyway, you never would have known that there was a storm because the day was beautiful, full of warm sunshine.

Sunday we had dinner with some good friends' and, once again, had a blast. We had yummy ham, funeral potatoes, rolls, jell-0, fruit, pretzel dessert, cake and more. The kids played and the adults just talked and laughed. I feel truly blessed to have such wonderful friends surrounding us. We're very lucky!

I love Easter and all that it represents. I know that Jesus Christ died and suffered for our sins. I know that He lives and loves us. I hope you all had a wonderful Easter!

Long over due.....

2009-03-29T13:00:00.005-04:00

So it's been over 2 months since Ben's parents came to visit and I'm JUST now blogging about it. I know. I'm a total slacker. Anyway, his parents, Grammy and Grandpa (as Lilli calls them) came to visit us for a few days in January. It was great because we were able to bless the boys and have Ben's Dad and Mike stand in the circle. We felt so blessed to have them here and hope that they'll be able to come again soon. Lilli is always talking about her Grammy giving her this or seeing her Grandpa. She was definitely spoiled! Thanks Grammy and Grandpa for coming out. We love you and miss you very much!

Oh Lilli!

2009-03-27T22:39:00.003-04:00

Yes she's wearing a dress over her pajama pants, with sock AND flip flops on! Very creative!

Lilli has gotten quite the imagination. She loves to pretend like she's getting chased by dinosaurs or a witch is coming to get her. The other Sunday, she and I hid under a blanket because the witch was going to take Lilli and put her in a cage. I even tried making my voice sound like a witches but she totally knew it was me. She looked at me and said, "Don't Mom." It was hilarious! She loves to play dress up, as is evident by the picture of her and her little friend, Emma. Lilli loves to get herself dressed (see above picture(s)). Sometimes I just let her do it, and other times I pick out her clothes. She's getting so independent. She loves to help in the kitchen. Tonight she helped make pizza. She loves her baby brothers and is always making sure they're happy. When they're crying, she tells ME to get their binkies. She calls them sweetheart all the time and is constantly giving them kisses and making them smile. She loves to hear them talking. She's such a joy!

Happy Birthday baby bro!

2009-03-27T22:07:00.003-04:00

This was taken last year when Lilli and I flew back to Wyoming.

Lilli loves "her Kennan."

Today is my little brother, Kennan's birthday. He was born 12 years ago and is the baby of our family! I can't believe he's 12! Kennan was named after a BYU men's volleyball player who did volleyball camps with my dad. He (the vball player) was an awesome, really nice, good guy. A good name, because Kennan is an awesome, really nice, good kid. Ever since Kennan was a baby, he has been a cuddler. I remember coming home from college and he would want to snuggle with me. He would always put his hands up my sleeves. He always had to snuggle with my mom before bed. He was just an affectionate kid. And still is. He's excited to receive the Aaronic Priesthood and can't wait to be like his big brother and serve a mission. His nickname was hairy monkey. He loves to play NBA games on the computer. He plays football, basketball, and wrestles. He hates clowns and loves to be outside. He loved playing Power Rangers or Ninjas on the tramp with Brady and Trevor (my brother and cousin). Kennan is definitely the baby of the family and we all just love him so much. I hope that my boys are like both my brothers. They always do what is right and are just great boys. I love my brothers so much! Love you Kennan! Hope you had a very Happy Birthday!

Life with twins

2009-03-06T16:48:00.003-05:00

Yesterday someone asked me if I liked having twins and my immediate reactions was yes. After thinking about that questions for a while, my answer would still be yes. I'm not going to pretend that it's been all fun and roses or that I've been super mom. Honestly, it's been so hard. The hardest thing I've had to experience. Recovery with this pregnancy has been hard emotionally; coming off of double the hormones sucks. There have been days where I haven't wanted to do anything or see anyone. I've barely been able to bring myself to get out of bed most days. I really feel like having twins is one of my trials in life. I NEVER wished to have twins. EVER. But the Lord had a different plan. And while its been doubly hard, its also been doubly rewarding. I was able to carry these two babies with no complications and they came into this world with very little complications. I have wonderful friends who help out when they can. When both babies are screaming, I have a wonderful husband who helps me in every way he can. He gives me encouragement and supports me. He practically shoves me out of the house to go hang out with "the girls." Even though nursing twins is a whole other experience, it really give me a chance to bond with the boys. I just love watching them. When Alex is screaming because he doesn't want to nurse, Aidan is looking at me cooing and smiling. When Aidan is screaming because he wants to be held, Alex is laying down laughing and cooing. They melt my heart. I love my twins and just have to remember that with the hard times also come the good. It really makes me appreciate the good things in life a lot more.

Now..........I have to go comfort a screaming, hungry baby!

Promotion

2009-03-03T22:09:00.002-05:00

Ben is now a Staff Sergeant. His promotion ceremony was Friday. He had the boys, Aidan and Alex, "tack" on his stripes. Sergeant Owshani bragged about Ben for a little bit and then I took both boys up on stage. I'm very proud of Ben and all that he's accomplishing. He wants to serve his country and is really striving to be the best airman he can be. I couldn't be prouder!!

Valentine's Day

2009-03-03T21:48:00.005-05:00

I know I'm super late on it, but our Valentine's Day was pretty all right. We didn't do anything during the day (Ben had to sleep from working the night before), except I went shopping for our yummy dinner that night. Ben did get Lilli and I flowers. Me - Roses and Lilli - what else, lilies. It was very thoughtful of him and Lilli was in heaven. Anyway, we put Lilli to bed and then Ben and I had our dinner. We kind of went all out. We had king crab legs, shrimp dip, filet mignons, baked potatoes (Ben had a sweet potato), salad, Logan's sweet rolls, and Cream Soda. It was so delicious!

Happy baby and a picnic

2009-03-03T12:23:00.005-05:00

I keep telling my mom that Aidan is now smiling and cooing. It's so cute. I feel blessed because for the most part, both babies are happy. Last night, Alex was just a laughing and cooing in the bassinett while Aidan was screaming bloody murder. They take turns. Saturday night, both babies slept from about 7:30pm to 4am. Yeah, I felt incredibly rested. But that was the last night. I think they're going through a growth spurt because they are eating every 3 hours at nights and every 1.5 to 2 hours during the day. Do I feel like a milk cow!? Yes, I do! But I know that it's worth it for them. They're growing growing growing.

It's been pretty cold and rainy here, so Sunday Ben made some yummy pulled pork and we thought it would be fun to have a picnic inside, on our bed. We put a blanket down and had our little picnic. We had sandwiches, Capri Suns, carrots, apples and chips. Then, for dessert, we had ice cream. It was a lot of fun and Lilli loved it! We might just do it again sometime.

Lilli has been getting up in the middle of the night and coming down, turning and the tv and making herself quite comfy on the couch. Several nights now, when we've gotten up with babies, she's been asleep on the couch with the tv on. It's very frustrating because she's so cranky during the day. Any ideas for how to get her to stop coming down. We don't feel comfortable locking her in her room (in case of a fire). I don't know. I've also been trying to do different things with Lilli's hair. This picture I did her hair in piggy tails with messy buns. She doesn't really like getting her hair done and whines and complains, but its getting so long and needs to be done. She's a cute one.

Two pant sizes too big

2009-02-24T21:18:00.003-05:00

Yes, that's right! We went shopping for pants yesterday and as I'm trying on the size that I wore before I got pregnant, they were so big I could pull them off without undoing them. Then I tried on one size down and they made me look like I had a saggy bum. Then I tried on the next size down and was pleasantly surprised to see that they fit perfectly. Oh happy day! I was so excited to see some actual results. I've been wearing my maternity pants and they were just getting too big. Thanks to a friend so kindly telling me my pants were falling down, I decided it was time to get some pants that fit. Yea for nursing twins!!! It's a great way to lose weight without even doing anything!

All right All right

2009-02-19T22:00:00.006-05:00

I tried something different with her hair, but you can't really see it. It was cute! She's such a cheeser!

My Alex. He's such a chunk! He's my smiley guy!

My little Aidan. He will give me a smile every once in a while, but is still more serious.

I know it's been a while. Again. I just feel like I have no time to just sit down and blog. But this is for mine and Ben's families. Our family is doing good. We're FINALLY adjusting to real life and it's actually been and okay transition. Lilli is doing awesome with going potty in the potty. I'm doing good with taking care of 3 kids by myself during the day (and at night). Ben is continuing to do awesome at work, so I guess all in all, we're doing awesome. I have to say that Lilli has been a good girl and let's me feed the babies without getting into too many things. She listens better and I know that's due to an actual punishment when she does something wrong instead of just threatening. We've definitely had to learn things as time passes, what works and what doesn't.

Ben is leaving during the summer. We're not sure where, or when, but he's leaving. It's either for a month, or 2 months. We find out next month. He's also getting promoted to Staff Sergeant come the first of March. We're pretty excited about that. We're also changing career fields, if we can. Kind of, but not really. He'll still be doing what he does now, only in an airplane. And he'll be gone a lot more. I'm okay with it BECAUSE if we're staying in the Air Force, he'll have to be deployed at some point, and quite often anyway. It's still going to be hard, but we've prayed about it and we both feel this is what we need to do. It will take us to Offut AFB in Omaha, NE, most likely. Ben has some family there so that will be nice and we both feel like that's where we need to be. Then, hopefully, going air borne will allow us to go overseas. We're hoping to change to "air" here within the year.

Lilli is so funny. She amazes me all the time. She's so smart. Last week, she got into something she wasn't supposed so I yelled at her. She looks at me with big ole tears in her eyes and says, "Sometimes you make me sad. " What do I say to that? It was hilarious. AND THEN, she was whining about something and I looked at her to get her to stop and she says, "Mom, just let me cry!" Oh my goodness! I had to turn around so she wouldn't see me, it was so funny! I love that girl!

Alex weighed in at a little over 9.5 lbs at his appointment last week. What a chunk! I put a onesie on him that 0-3 months and could barely get it over his big noggin. Then when I finally got it on, it was skin tight. It was so cute! He's a cuddler. He nuzzles his little nose in my neck. I love it! He smiles all the time. And he works his magic. He'll be crying in his swing, so I'll go to pick him up. As soon as I pick him up, he gives a little smirk like he knows he just worked me. I'm a sucker for his chunkiness!

Aidan weighed in at a little over 8.5 lbs at the doctors. He's not as big as Alex, but still just as cute. He's just started smiling now and I love it. He's still more serious, but Ben was like that when he was a baby. He has this whining thing down. It's so funny, sometimes. He still feels so little to me and I love it! He makes a lot of noises when he sleeps. He's always groaning or something. Both babies are so fascinated with Ben. They'll stare at him for hours. They're probably sick of looking at me. Every 2 hours, at least.

I'm doing good. Yesterday and the day before that were a little rough, but I'm doing good over all. I have a good husband who gives me breaks and helps me out when he can. We've all been sick. First Lilli, then Ben, then the boys, and then me. I was so sick 2 days ago with a migraine, chills, and little fever. It really sucked, plus I had the babies and Lilli to take care of. Ben had to sleep at some point. I was definitely in survival mode that day. Because of that, my milk supply has been really low. It sucks because I'm drinking so much, I swear I constantly have a water jug in my face. Hopefully it will come back soon. I was proud of myself yesterday. I cleaned the house (it was a disaster after 4 weeks of being sick) finally, PLUS I gave 3 kids baths all by myself. I really felt a sense of accomplishment. I know it's probably silly, but not to me. I really felt good, especially coming from being deathly ill the day before. Okay, not deathly, but pretty sick. I'm hanging in there. I love my little family. They bring such joy into my life. and they love me no matter what!

Langley AFB

2009-02-03T09:30:00.006-05:00

The boys in their make-shift crib.

About 4 weeks ago, Ben had won "Airman of the year" for his squadron (out of over 300 airman). We were pretty proud of him! His squadron had a luncheon and an awards ceremony where he got a cool trophy. Well, about 2 weeks ago, Ben was informed by the commander that he not only won for his squadron, but he won for his group and was now up for "Airman of the Year" for the wing. The Wing was paying for Ben's way up to Langley AFB (in Virginia) to attend the banquet. So... last Wednesday, Ben and I and the babies made the looong trip up there. Our good friends, the Winns, were nice enough to watch Lilli for the 3 1/2 days we were gone. I know... they are totally awesome!!! Anyway, we got there late Wednesday night (about 9pm). They put us up in the Marriott. Thursday, Ben was able to take a tour of Langley and meet with the wing commander there. He said it was pretty cool. I just vegged in the motel room. Then, we got all dressed up, took the babies to a friends house, and went to the medal ceremony. All the nominees got a really cool medal. Then they had a "social hour." I hate social hour. Most of you know I'm pretty shy at first and, when you don't know anybody it's a little awkward. But we got through it and were able to take pictures. We had a nice dinner then some entertainment. It was kind of crazy to see these colonels and such letting their hair down and jammin' out, just being crazy. The guest speaker was a 2 star general. His talk was pretty cool. He's done a lot and told a lot of stories about what Ben does and how it effects those soldiers actually over there. Ben really is saving our soldiers' lives (not just Ben, OBVIOUSLY). Then they had the awards. Ben didn't win, but his commander and all his superiors that went, were all really proud of him. It really was a big deal and I'm very proud of Ben and all that he has accomplished. I know that he works hard to take care of his family and he's doing a dang good job of it! Great job honey!

P.S. He looks so stinkin' hot in his uniform! Honestly, I don't think there's anything sexier!

I want my mommy!

2009-02-03T09:01:00.003-05:00

As most of you know, my mom was able to come here to Georgia and stay with us for 3 weeks. When I first had the boys, we got in to a routine and I thought, "Okay. I CAN do this." And then my mom came. It was so nice to have someone here 24 hours a day to take care of the boys, help clean, play with Lilli (or keep her entertained), letting Ben and I go on a much needed date night (TWICE), taking one screaming baby while I have the other, or sometimes taking both crying babies while I slept, helping with the cooking, getting up with Lilli at 4 in the a.m. and snuggling with her, etc. I could go on and on about all the ways she helped and the things she did. 3 weeks is a long time to get used to the totally awesome help. And now that its gone, or rather, now that she's gone, it's been really hard adjusting to "real life." It definitely makes me wish we lived closer to family. My mom hasn't even been gone a week and I feel like I can't do this. Now before you go feeling sorry for me, I do have a wonderful husband who helps any way he can. AND I have wonderful friends who are more than willing to help. Ben has the next week off so that SHOULD give me enough time to adjust. Even though I'm sad, devastated, distraught, scared, etc that my mom left, I'm so glad she CAME. And even though I'm not a first-time mom there were still things my mom still taught me while she was here. What a great mom I have! Oh and I should give a shout-out to my dad and Kennan and McKenzie (my youngest siblings) for letting her come. I know it was hard not having her there and we really appreciate it!

Baby pictures

2009-01-29T10:44:00.003-05:00

Our friends came over and took the boys' pictures. They have a few posted on their photography blog. Click here to take a peek. They turned out so cute!!!! What beautiful children we have!

Nana's Pictures

2009-01-18T21:08:00.007-05:00

Aidan

Alex

My mom got here on the 6th of January. When she got in, Ben went and picked her up. I was getting really anxious, well, on there way back to Augusta Ben got distracted chattin' it up with my mom and forgot to get back on to the freeway going the other way. Needless to say, they made it ALMOST to Alabama before they were able to turn around. So a trip that was supposed to take 2 hours, took almost 5 hours. But they made it. After giving me a quick hug, my mom just had to see "those babies." I'm so glad she's here. It's amazing how much relief a mom can bring. Sometimes you just need your mommy (even as adults)! My mom was here for 2 days and then Ben's parents flew in to town. We all had such a blast hanging out! It was their first visit out here to Georgia and very much needed. Lilli and the boys were so spoiled (so was Ben and I). I love having family around! We had the boys blessed while family was out. Ben gave each of the boys beautiful blessings and they looked so adorable in the little outfits Grammy (Ben's mom) got them. It was also our first Sunday back, so of course we had lots of love from the members of the ward. Some good friends of the Davis', Mike and Kristina Meagher, were able to come down from South Carolina and be here to support us. We loved having everyone here to visit! My mom is still here and we're loving having her here, though my dad is really missing her. Ben and I were able to go out on a date last night, which was nice. You forget how much you miss just spending time together with 3 kids to take care of. We were very grateful for my mom in giving us that time.

The boys are getting so big. At their last doctor's visit, Aidan weighed in at 6 lb 6 oz and Alex was 6 lb 5 oz. So their right close together and have both gained a pound a piece. We call them our little chubs! They both have big cheeks and are getting some flub on their legs. It's too cute! I must be doing something good as far as the nursing. It's funny, people ask how I do it, well, ya just do! Sometimes you're only on survival mode, but you do it. I feel really blessed to have a wonderful husband to help and my rockin' mom for sacrificing three weeks to come out here and help us. Lilli has been struggling a little bit. She got really spoiled with Grammy and Grandpa here, and is still getting spoiled with my mom here. But she keeps having potty accidents and throws major fits, but we knew this would happen. Overall, she loves on her brothers and is always saying how their her friends or their HER baby "brudders." It's really cute! We're all doing great! I'm recovering really great! I still have a little pain, but doing good. With my mom here, I'm able to get a little more rest. I've posted a few pictures that my mom has taken of the kids. I'll post more pictures of when Grammy and Grandpa were here and make sure we get some of my mom with the kids too.

2 weeks old!

2008-12-28T22:05:00.005-05:00

Alex

Aidan

Lilli with her new kitchen set, Christmas pajamas, and her Tinkerbell outfit

The boys are doing great! I can't believe they're already 2 weeks old! They are growing so big. We took them in for their 48 hour check-up and Alex was more jaundice than Aidan. We ended up having to bring Alex in 2 more times to get checked again. Poor little guy! But we're glad that he's doing great now. They both are eating really well, and are helping me lose this weight. I'm happy to say that after a week I was already at my pre-pregnancy weight and have lost about 7 more pounds in another week. Plus I still have more "stuff" to lose. Nursing twins is challenging, but I feel like it's so worth it. For obvious reasons! The boys are great little eaters, though at first it was a little challenging. They both had bottles their first days in this world and had a hard time latching on. We have our good days and bad, but when all is said and done, these little guys have brought such joy to our family! We're so glad their healthy. They both are getting some chubby cheeks. I love it! I can't help but smother them with loves and kisses. Lilli has been really good with them. She is such a good big sister (when she wants to be) and is always quick to give one of them their binky or give them kisses. She's had a hard time adjusting and when she wants Mommy or Daddy's attention, she wants it now. That's been hard for us too. We love her and know that this is a big adjustment for all of us. We feel so blessed to have such beautiful, healthy, happy children and know the Lord is with us!

I'll give details of our Christmas later. I'm pooped and need to get SOME shut eye before it's time to feed again. Thank you to all of you for your love and concern.

Introducing...

2008-12-16T23:12:00.010-05:00

After much anticipation, we are very pleased to announce the arrival of the Davis Twins!! Alexander Keith and Aidan Scott came into the world at 7:26pm and 7:27pm respectively. Both babies and Momma are doing quite well and are expected to come home tomorrow. I'm not sure we will ever be able to adequately express our gratitude for the many, many thoughts, prayers, gifts, meals we have received all throughout Shari's pregnancy - Thank you all so very much!

And now for some pictures...

Isn't she a pretty pregger?! This is Shari just a day before the boys were delivered (compare with the last picture-only about a week or two before). It got to be pretty difficult telling the difference between the smile you see here and the several winces and grimaces I got in the days and weeks leading up to delivery...

Although I was looking forward to observing every part of the delivery (via Cesarean), both the anesthesiologist and Shari (having already lost her lunch once) insisted that I stay on her side of the curtain for moral support. I did, however, get to peek around the curtain to see the boys come out!

First came Alex at 7:26 p.m. He weighed 5 pounds, 11 ounces, and measured 19 inches in length. The bigger of the two, Alex has, so far, been the more easy-going and spends most of his time sleeping. I've been told that with twins, one is more calm, the other a little more lively...

Next, came Aidan at 7:27 p.m. He was 5 pounds, 7 ounces and 17 1/2 inches long. Aidan decided to give the interns something to worry about with his elevated respiratory rate and drop in blood pressure. After a day of observation, he was released to us from the NICU late yesterday afternoon. Aidan is a little fireball. It's only fitting that his name is Irish for "a fiery young man". He was the more active in Momma's belly and, as you can see, is definitely been more of a character so far...

Shari with Alex

Shari with Aidan

Proudest pop in town!

Stay tuned for more updates and pics. Please be patient with us though, as the majority of our time will spent keeping up with the kids!

Hospital Visit

2008-12-09T20:34:00.003-05:00

This is going to be quick because this is three blogs in a row where I haven't posted any pictures and I don't feel like posting a long post (which I'm sure you're all very happy about).

Anyway, Sunday night I started having consistent contractions, as in about 4-5 minutes apart. I called the hospital to see if I should go in and they said yes, just so they can monitor me. Well, on the way they started getting closer and closer together. I get there and they thought maybe I was dehydrated so they gave me an IV. Well, my contractions were getting more consistent and stronger. Not quite the reaction they were hoping for. So they ended up giving me a shot to stop the contractions. 1 hour later, I was having them again. They decided to keep me there until the morning. I was still having consistent contractions, but I wasn't dialating or anything. The conclusion: they ended up giving me 3 doses of the shot to stop the contractions and sent me home. By the end, I was exhausted both emotionally and physically. I thought we'd have babies by now, but nope. They told me to take it easy and drink lots of fluids. Needless to say, I was tired and sore. I just want my babies to be healthy and safe. I'm frustrated, but I'm sure the doctors know what they're doing. The babies are the priority and I need to remember that. I'm still feeling contractions but nothing regular. We'll see what happens when i turn 36 weeks on Friday.

10 Positive Things about this Pregnancy

2008-12-06T20:27:00.003-05:00

After reading my last blog, I'm feeling pretty guilty about being so negative. So I've decided to write 10 positive things about this pregnancy.

1. My husband still thinks I'm hot even when I weigh 50 pounds heavier and look like a bloated cow.

2. I really do have a healthy, amazing, strong body. I mean, I'm doing things at 35 weeks that most women with twins at that point CAN'T do.

3. I have so many wonderful, supportive people, both far away and close by, who love me and offer their love and support without question (see previous posts comments for just an idea).

4. I'm able to eat whatever the heck I want and NOT feel guilty about it.

5. I have TWO babies for the price of one.

6. They're both healthy and strong.

7. I have a loving Heavenly Father who is ALWAYS aware of me and my needs, and ALWAYS gives me comfort when I need Him.

8. I have a wonderful husband who will do anything and everything to make sure I'm happy and healthy and comfortable. I love him so much!!!

9. I have a beautiful, healthy, ACTIVE little girl who keeps me active and healthy, and who will give me loves just for the heck of it.

10. Knowing that I get two beautiful babies in the end makes everything worth it!

Venting

2008-12-06T09:58:00.004-05:00

I know I've been complaining in my last few blogs and I'm really sorry. I hate reading blogs that are negative, but I've been feeling a little down the last couple of days. I just feel like this pregnancy is never going to end. Yesterday I got really really sick. It progressively got worse throughout the day. My body ached, I had a fever, and the chills. So I felt cold, but I was burning up. Anyway, I took a hot bath (which probably wasn't the best idea) and stayed in until I felt dizzy and nauseous. Then laid down and fell asleep at about 5:30pm. I woke up at 7pm still burning up, so I shed some layers and drank a whole lot of cold water. Eventually my body cooled down, but I could not get back to sleep until about 9pm. I was just so uncomfortable. I finally had to prop myself up and use my body pillow to support my belly. I had to change sides every half hour or my hips would start to ache. But I eventually did get some sleep. I slept without any blankets, that's how hot I was. And I didn't even get cold. My poor husband. He's so wonderful! He's always asking me what I need and always willing to do whatever. This pregnancy hasn't been easy for him either and he's been so patient. I don't know what I'd do without him!

Sorry for complaining. Right now, I just feel like there's no light at the end of the tunnel and that I'm constantly battling some sort of pain or something always needs to be done. This wasn't written to get sympathy, I just needed to vent. I know there IS a light at the end of the tunnel and I'm sure it's going to come soon rather than later and then I'll have something else to vent about. So I'm over venting and feeling sorry for myself. Thanks for having the patience to read this. Sometimes venting does a person good, but now it's time to push on.

11 pounds of baby!!!!

2008-12-02T10:22:00.002-05:00

Yes, you read that right! I had an ultrasound last night (thanks again Pilks for watching Lilli). The boys are really healthy and as you have read, they both weigh about 5.5 pounds A PIECE! So the reason I LOOK so big, is because I AM so big! But I'm so glad they're healthy and big. I'd rather have them on the big/average side than on the smaller side. I'll be scheduling a C-section around the 39th week mark, but I honestly don't know that I will be able to last that long. I'm having a hard enough time now. The other day I just cried because I was so uncomfortable and miserable. I hurt everywhere and could barely walk. I'm also feeling more nauseous. This too shall pass. I just want my babies to be safe and healthy!

We've got our Christmas decorations up. I love it! Now it really feels more like the season. Plus I wanted to get everything up before I got too big and before the babies came. We haven't gotten any of our Christmas shopping done though. We should probably do that here soon. Christmas will be small this year, for obvious reasons but that will be okay. It'll be easier to teach Lilli about the reason we celebrate Christmas. She might not fully understand, but we can try. I hope we all remember why we celebrate the season and not lose sight of that. We need to remember Christ's birth and all He did during his life here on earth. He is our Savior and He loves us. He's given us hope, especially in the world today. I find great peace in that.

Anyway, hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and have a great December/Christmas!

My bigness, and the baby quilts

2008-11-29T22:05:00.003-05:00

I had Ben take a quick picture of me just now so that ya'll can see how big I am. If I look really big, that's because I am. If I don't look that big, well, then the photo doesn't do me any justice. I've also taken a picture of one of the two quilts my awesomely talented friend made for the boys. The other quilt looks just like this one only with a brown back to it. I love them, and she also made matching crib skirts as well. Very cute!

A little behind.......

2008-11-29T21:20:00.002-05:00

All right. No pictures. Sorry. But I'll TRY to keep this short. I guess I'll write updates how my friend did them (good idea Megan).

Lilli: She is still going strong with the whole potty thing. Only a few accidents. She's starting to lose interest, but as long as we keep reminding her to go potty in the big girl potty she does really good. I haven't tried the night time potty training. Going out is good. I put a pull-up on and underwear over and sometimes she does good and sometimes she pees in her pull-up. Any ideas on how to train for the overnighters? Other than that, she's getting more and more sassy and bossy. She's ready to be a big sister and will do wonderfully. We love her so much and she brings such joy to our lives.

Ben: He's getting older. Today is his 28th birthday. We went out to dinner at Chop House and had some yummy prime rib. I had more than he did. Then we stopped and got him FIFA 09 for our Wii. Now he and our neighbor are playing it up. He's doing really good at work as well. He's looking into changing shops and hopefully that will happen here soon. He's in much need of a change. We're definitely re-enlisting next June and feel like it's the right thing for us. He's also looking at doing an internship/TDY overseas during that time as well. He's been quite successful at work and is such a great support at home. He's wonderful and is always so helpful.

Me: I'm surviving. I'm ready to have these babies. I have weekly appointments at the NST clinic. AND I have one last ultrasound this coming Monday. I really try not to complain but I'm so uncomfortable. I just start crying sometimes from the pain. They're so rambunctious and are constantly moving it seems. I know people feel sorry for me. I'm growing bigger everyday and need help with everything. But I'm anxious for these babies to be here. I finally feel ready for them to come. Everything is all set up and we went on our tour of the hospital so we're good. I'm 34 weeks now and would be okay with having these babies in the next week or two. We'll see how much longer.

Thanksgiving was fun. It's so nice to spend the holidays with good friends. We miss our families and wish we could spend it with them, but good friends are a good second family. Those of you who live close to family, appreciate them. Spend the Holidays with them! You don't realize what you have and how lucky you are! We're looking forward to Christmas and just having these babies here. I'll try to take one last picture of my bigness. You really have NO IDEA how big I really am!

Potty Training Day 4

2008-11-15T19:12:00.003-05:00

Totally awesome!!! My little booger went on the toilet ALL day, BY HERSELF! She's a pro! Watch, now that I say that, tomorrow will be a downer day. Oh well. I still need to keep with it, because I know I'm not going to want to do it after the babies are born. I'm so proud of Lilli and this hurdle we're crossing. It's going to be quite an adjustment once the babies are here, but she'll do great! I'm such a proud mama!!!!

ALS Graduation, Halloween, and other updates

2008-11-13T08:21:00.006-05:00

Let's see. Where do I start. Ben graduated from ALS October 30th. I drove up to Columbia and attended the ceremony. It was cool to meet a lot of the people from his class and some of his supervisors. He was a top graduate (1 of 4 out of 50 people), so I was very proud of him for that. He wasn't expecting it at all. It was a fun surprise. Also, another surprise..........he sang the National Anthem for the ceremony, a capella. That was another fun surprise for me and he did so awesome! He really has a beautiful voice, I wish he would sing more. Anyway, thanks to our good friends the Pilk's for keeping Lilli overnight that night. I heard the girls had WAY too much fun!

Then we had Halloween. Lilli was a cute little kitty cat. She had so much fun trick or treating. She's so not shy and would run up to the people with that candy and in her sweet little voice say trick or treat. They all thought it was so cute. They would let her get the candy and she wouldn't take just one handful, she had to take a couple more. Yeah, we had to put a stop to that. We went with our good friends the Gernat's. They have a little boy about the same age as Lilli. They had so much fun. We only went to a few houses, but ended up with a lot of candy. Neither Ben or I are much candy eaters, so we'll probably have the candy for a while. We've been using it as a treat for potty training.

On to THAT subject. The day before yesterday I decided it was time to start potty training. It has to be done, and Lilli did awesome. No accidents the whole day except at the end. Yesterday I wasn't feeling great so I didn't do it, but today I am. I know. It's all about consistency. I'm having a hard time with keeping her in her underwear even when we go out. I get nervous. Does anyone have any good ideas? I need to just do it and just make sure I have extra clothes for her to wear. But, so far so good.

I'm feeling okay. The babies are just getting bigger and therefore there's not a whole lot of room for them to move. I'm starting to go in every week now to the Non-Stress Testing Clinic, or NST. I don't know what that entails. We'll see come Monday at 9:30am. My doctor said that they'll hook me up to "the machine." Whatever that means. The last couple of days I've been feeling a lot of contractions, and to be honest, it's my fault. Lack of water and lack of rest is not a good combination. I was really scared Tuesday night because I had 3 contractions within 20 minutes of each other. So I've been really trying to suck down the liquids (and food) and just take it easy. I'm excited for them to be here, just not right now. Maybe in a few more weeks. Speaking of a few more weeks, I'll have one last ultrasound just to make sure the boys are still doing okay.

Oh! Another big development (atleast for us), we've picked names!!!!!!!! Yea!!!!! We're very excited. Now it's just a matter of picking middle names, which we've kind of picked but I'm still hesitant on one of them. I'm not going to say what they are because we could change our minds tomorrow (or Ben could), but they're very cute and I'm very happy. Ben was actually the one who "picked" them, but they were names that I had suggested to him (and he wasn't sure about). We're, okay I'm very excited about that!

Well, I think that's about all that's going on in our lives. We're all healthy and happy!

Another Ultrasound

2008-11-04T12:29:00.003-05:00

I know I have a lot of catching up to do. I still have pictures from Ben's graduation and also Halloween. I'll post them later, because I know you're all just dying to read my blog and then you will have something to look forward to.

Anyway, yesterday we had another follow-up ultrasound. The babies are still growing good. They're both almost 4 pounds a piece (well, 3lb 11 oz and 3 lb 7 oz). That's almost 8 pounds of baby right there. And boy am I feeling it!!! One of the babies (Twin A) has made his way right down into my pelvic area (he's dropped a lot since my last ultrasound) and the other (Twin B) was kind of head down as well. Twin B's head was in the side of the other, so Baby B was basically in a ball sideways. I told Ben I was going to try to manipulate BB so he was head down as well. That would be a perfect scenario. I would no longer have to choose if I wanted a C-section or naturally (w/ an epidural OF COURSE). I would definitely go natural. We'll see. I have another dr. appointment next Monday and she'll be able to see how BB is positioned. I'll be having regular weekly appointments from here on out, which is comforting. I'm pretty big (bigger than my picture, if you can imagine). Ben says I'm as big as I was with Lilli days before I had her. So.........I'm huge!!! We're getting anxious and excited for their arrival. I feel like they're constantly battling for good positioning in my belly. It's crazy! My whole body moves when they're duking it out! Anyway, babies are healthy!!!

Making cookies

2008-11-04T12:22:00.002-05:00

So I decided to try this yummy sugar cookie recipe that my friend always makes. They're seriously the best sugar cookies IN THE WORLD! But sadly, my attempt at making them was not so great. The dough was really particular and it was just hard to roll out and cut. So while the dough was in the fridge, I gave Lilli a little bit of dough and let her at it. She had so much fun. She wanted to do the whole rolling out the dough and using the cookie cutter. As you can see, I didn't really give her a whole lot of dough to work with. I think we may have a future chef on our hands. By the way, my cookies turned out okay, but nowhere near the yummy deliciousness of my friends!

Pictures

2008-11-04T12:19:00.002-05:00

These are pictures of Lilli in her cat costume before we left for the Ward's Trunk or Treat and also the flowers Ben sent me for my birthday. They were beautiful!

A Day For Me

2008-10-28T08:00:00.003-04:00

So yesterday I was able to have a day just for me (it was my b-day). A friend offered to watch Lilli for me while I went out and did whatever I wanted. With Ben's graduation coming up and it being a formal event, I really wanted to get my hair cut and get my nails done. I don't like to get the fake nails on, but decided that this once won't hurt. I love my hair cut. It's so cute! I was also able to run some errands and just do something for me. Such a thoughtful gift, so thanks Stephanie!!! It was a pretty good birthday, even if Ben was gone. But he did send me my favorite flowers, lilies (I loved lilies BEFORE I even had Lilli). And we did go out to Olive Garden for lunch on Saturday, and he told our waiter it was my birthday. Of course they sang, but I told him (our waiter) I didn't want any big hooplah. He was good about that. So thanks to those of you who made my birthday special! Thanks for the cards, emails, phone calls, treats, and other gifts! It's nice to know I'm loved!

Trunk or Treat

2008-10-26T20:05:00.002-04:00

Ben was able to come home this weekend and Lilli and I were so glad to see him! We miss him very much, but this is his last week at ALS (4 days left). He graduates on Thursday so I'll be going up to Columbia and attending that. Anyway, it's starting to get cooler now and Lilli is needing some sweaters and long sleeve shirts so Saturday we went to Old Navy. Lilli was needing a costume as well because that night was our ward's Trunk or Treat and she couldn't very well go and be the ONLY kid not in a cool costume. We debated on what she should be. A princess? Hermoine (from Harry Potter)? A hippie? We were shooting for a costume where we wouldn't have to spend a lot of money, using stuff we already had. Anyway, when we got to Old Navy I looked over and saw that they had some costumes. Not really knowing what they had, I saw that the price was $5 for these $23 costumes. Were they for real??? $5 for a costume? Ben brought Lilli over and we asked her if she wanted any of the costumes. Of course she picked the kitty cat costume (she's been constantly pretending to be a cat for the last week, so why WOULDN'T she pick the cat costume). It was really cute, and for $5, it was even cuter! They also had some cute little ninja costumes, so I bought the boys one for each for next year. Come on! FOR $5!!!!!!! I was so proud of myself! Can you tell?!?!

Anyway, we got to the trunk or treat a little late, but Lilli had a blast. She played on the cake walk and won (everyone won something), got to go fishing (she won a bracelet), ate hotdogs w/ chips and juice, AND of course went trunk or treating and got lots of candy! We have such a great ward and always have so much fun at these sort of activities. We also met a few new families in the ward (our ward is a very transient ward, people are always moving in and out). I didn't run around a whole lot with Lilli. I've been feeling a lot of contractions (not A LOT, but enough to make me need to relax some; today I felt a couple contractions within about 10 minutes of each other, SCARY). I'm a dork and don't drink enough. Anyway, so Ben was wonderful and chased Lilli around the parking lot, teaching her how to say Trick or Treat. He said she FINALLY picked up on it at the last car. It was a fun weekend and we're always glad when Daddy comes home! I'll post some pics of Lilli in her costume tomorrow. I need to go eat and DRINK SOME WATER!!!!!

Edventure Children's Museum

2008-10-22T12:38:00.003-04:00

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Last weekend we were able to make the 2 hour drive and see Ben in Columbia. It was so fun to see him. When we first got there, his class was having a "dog show." One of the guys in Ben's class is a police officer and has a dog that he works with (canine unit). So we went to that (Ben will post pictures and more about that). It was really cool. Then they had a BBQ and we ate hot dogs, burgers, juice, and chips. It was fun to meet a lot of the people he goes to class with. They were all really nice and friendly. Then we checked in to our hotel room and went down to the pool. They told me the pool was heated, but when we got in, or rather when Ben got in, it was freezing (I just dipped my toe in). I had specifically requested this motel for its heated indoor pool. Oh well! Lilli wasn't really that interested in getting into the water anyway. We played in the hot tub instead (it wasn't hot at all or I wouldn't have gotten in). The next day, Ben had a service project his flight had to do so he left in the morning for a bit then came back to get us. Then we were on our way to the Edventure Children's Museum. We first ate at Wild Wing's (it was the only good restaurant nearby) then headed to the Museum. The museum is super cool. I recommend every family doing it at least once. Lilli absolutely loved it! She had so much fun! There are so many things to see and do. After about an hour, both Ben and I were so tired but Lilli was still going. I think we left after almost 2 hours there. It was a good experience for all of us and it was fun just spending time as a family!

I leave the room for 2 seconds..................

2008-10-19T20:01:00.006-04:00

Look at her just chillin', like nothing is out of the ordinary, chowin' down on a Tootsie Roll!

and look at the mess she made! That is my whole package of gum strewn all over the couch. I had just gotten that gum the other day. I had only eaten 1/2 a piece out of that whole thing. Lilli had it everywhere and most of the pieces had half a bite taken from them. I was able to salvage 4 whole pieces. The rest I just threw away. And not only that, but I had forgotten that I had some candy leftover in my purse from the Oliver Hardy Festival Parade. Yes! That is Tootsie Roll slobber all over her face. So what do you do when you want to scream at your child! You take pictures and post a blog about it 3 days later!

Mama's Big Belly

2008-10-15T12:18:00.003-04:00

Everyone keeps asking me to blog pictures of myself and my big belly. I'm telling you, I am huge! Especially for only being 27 weeks (28 weeks tomorrow). I know I'm pregnant with twins AND it's my second pregnancy, but still. It doesn't make me feel any better. The pregnancy is going rather well, considering. It is hard for me to sleep at nights and I'm tired all the time, but I'm trying to keep a positive outlook. I only have a short amount of time left and as everyone keeps telling me, the twins are easier to take care of INSIDE rather than OUTSIDE. So even though I'm quite uncomfortable, have really bad acid reflux/heart burn, still feel the nausea, chasing around a VERY active 2 year old, am a single mom at the moment, and am tired all the time, I FEEL GREAT!!!!!!! I have wonderful friends and family who give me love and support and offer their services willingly. Thank you so much to all of you! It really does make me feel like I can get through this and makes me feel really GREAT!

Pumpkins

2008-10-15T11:49:00.002-04:00

I can't tell who Lilli looks like more in this picture, me or Ben.

Monday, we decided to carve pumpkins. We went to Wal-Mart, and thinking we would be creative, decided to get 4 smaller pumpkins so we can carve the word "BOO!" using each pumpkin for a letter and the exclamation point. As we started to carve, or TRY to carve, we noticed that our knives weren't cutting through the pumpkins very easily, or rather, not at all. Ben gave up and went to Food Lion to get a bigger pumpkin while I was somewhat successful in carving out 3 of the 4 smaller pumpkins. Lilli was so not interested in carving pumpkins. We tried to get her to clean the guts out but she was grossed out. By the end of the carving process, Ben and I were both so tired of carving. My pumpkins are cleaned out (3 of the 4 of them) but I have yet to actually carve something in them. And Ben's big pumpkin, well, the pictures speak for themselves! Can you tell he was tired? Plus he was leaving and had about 30 minutes to carve a face out anyway.

Free Handbag

2008-10-14T16:47:00.002-04:00

Handbag Planet is having a deal where you can win a free handbag every hour on October 15th. Just head to www.handbagplanet.com and enter to win!

Kleenex

2008-10-13T20:27:00.003-04:00

I've been sick the last 2 weeks with a nasty cold. I still have a little congestion, but not as bad as it was. Because of it, I've had a really runny nose and I had to sleep sitting up a little. Well, my nose would still run so I'd stuff a piece of kleenex up my nose to stop it (I know, gross). It helped me sleep and was actually pleasant (I couldn't breathe anyway). Lilli would catch me a couple of times with some up my nose and would try to pull it out. At one point, I came into the living room and these pictures show what I saw. I had to laugh!

Oliver Hardy Festival

2008-10-13T20:15:00.005-04:00

The first weekend of October, Harlem, GA celebrates the birth (or something) of Oliver Hardy. Those of you who don't know who he is, he was an old slapstick comedian/actor. He was in "The Laurel and Hardy Show", I think that's what it was called. Anyway, they close off the Main Street in little Harlem and people set up vendors to sell their crafts and food. So we walked up the street until the parade started. It was kind of a dinky parade, as you can tell from the pictures. Lilli had lots of fun getting candy, but whenever the vehicles drove by, she would cling onto Ben and I. After the parade, we walked back down the street and went home. That was about as exciting as it got. Though on our way, we heard one of the vendors selling food tell someone that they didn't have to have a license to serve food. Yeah, we didn't get ANY food! We did stop by the Laurel and Hardy Museum, where they had flown up look-a-like actors from Universal Studios. There were too many people in there and it really wasn't all that interesting. They had a puppet show that was geared toward the Christian population. They'd sing songs about prophets. It was interesting, but Lilli enjoyed it. I guess it wasn't too bad of a celebration. We definitely felt like we were in the South.

Sweet kisses

2008-10-03T12:40:00.002-04:00

So right after I finished posting the last post (About Lilli being a monster), I went into my room to see what Lilli was up to and found her just laying on my bed watching a movie. I go over to her and ask her what she's doing and all of a sudden she jumps up and gives me a big hug and gives me about 20 kisses on my cheek. I just melted. It's those moments that make up for the "monster" moments and make motherhood all worth it (even when you're sick)!!!!!!

Nap time

2008-10-03T12:24:00.005-04:00

The other day, Lilli was SUPPOSED to be taking a nap. Instead, this is how I found her. Apparently, she had decided she would play dress up. Notice the darker spot on her swimming suit...............it's pee. She had taken off her diaper, put on panties, and then peed all over. She was soaking wet. Needless to say, instead of taking a nap, she got a bath instead.

I've been really sick with a cold lately and was in much need of a nap that specific day. It seems that on the days that I need a nap the most, Lilli decides she doesn't need one. So along with being sick and miserable, I get to clean up dirty clothes and a dirty daughter. Then I have to go upstairs in her room to make sure she didn't pee on the floor or on anything. It was a great day!

But that's not all. Today, while I was going over some choir stuff with our ward's choir director, I hear Lilli yelling, "My eyes, my eyes!" So I run into the other room and she's on the floor with a bottle of Windex. I guess she had sprayed Windex in her face! Not to mention the fact that I'm still sick, can't breathe, can't smell, and can barely keep my eyes open and have THAT mess to clean up! Now I understand the whole "terrible two's" phrase! I'm so glad my husband is coming home today!!!!!!

First E.R. visit

2008-09-25T20:02:00.005-04:00

Just some random photos of her. What a goof!

These two photos were taken today. She still had on the bracelet they gave her at the ER. She didn't want to take it off today, but when they put it on her last night, she freaked out!

Yes, that's right. Last night was our first E.R. visit. It wasn't too bad of an experience to be honest. They had us there a total of 2 hours. Yesterday, after Lilli's nap, she woke up really fussy so I went to go pick her up and she was burning up. I have never felt her this hot before. So I took her temperature (rectally) and the thermometer read 103.8. I don't think I left it in long enough either, so it very well could have been higher than that. I freaked out! Ben had just left for the week to go up to Shaw AFB for ALS. Yes, JUST left (well, he was about 2 hours away)! I didn't know what to do, so I call up my good friend Megan and asked her at what temperature we're supposed to take our kids in to get seen ASAP. She said 104 and again, I freaked out. She told me to get Lilli in a warm/cool bath to bring her temperature down and give her some Tylenol. I did that and it seemed to work. Her temp went down to about 101, but before I put her down for bed it started to go back up. I made sure she was drinking plenty of fluids (juice), but she wasn't drinking it. She kept waking up, I'd go up there, check her temperature, lay her down, sing her some songs, and go back to bed. At about 12:45am, she come down to my room really fussy, so I pick her up and she's burning up again. I tried not to freak out this time. But I knew I needed to get her to the hospital. I checked her temperature (underarm this time) and it read 103.7. I KNOW that her core temperature was hotter than this, so I called Ben and asked him what he thought I should do. He said to take her in. I was so scared. So we went in. They told me she probably just had a virus, and then they stocked me up with some Motrin and Tylenol and we went home. I'm glad we went though. I felt better. Though, by the end of our visit, Lilli was feeling better and jumping on the hospital bed. Today she was feeling better, but still felt warm. I gave her some more medicine and TONS of juice and Gatorade. She was probably loving it! Hopefully she continues to get better.

This experience really made me appreciate Ben and the fact that he has the priesthood. I know I probably should have called our neighbors to come give her a blessing, but it was so late and I didn't want to "inconvenience" them. I know they would have been more than willing. Anyway, I'm so glad to have a husband that holds the priesthood and strives everyday to live worthy so he can use it whenever he's needed. I sure needed it yesterday!

Another Doctors Appt

2008-09-22T19:09:00.003-04:00

I had another doctor's appointment today. The twins are both healthy and squirmy. Both had strong heartbeats. My dr. told me that I'm past the "hump," at 24 weeks where, if I were to go into labor now, the babies will survive. That was a relief, though I'm hoping to keep these babies inside for as long as I can. I'm not too anxious to have them come yet. I'm uncomfortable, that's for sure, but I want my babies to be healthy and strong when they're born. They both are laying sideways, but that could change. I have another ultrasound appointment on the 1st of October, so they'll be able to tell me more. They still have time to switch positions before they get too big. If they don't change, it looks like I'll be having a C-section. I've also gained 20 pounds, which I'm happy about. I know, I never thought I'd be happy about gaining that much weight, but I am. It's for good reason. Also, apparently, the military now has a contract with Trinity Hospital to deliver babies instead of at MCG (Medical College of Georgia). I don't know how thrilled I am about that just because MCG has the best children's hospital in this area. I felt a lot more comfortable knowing I would be delivering there, but hopefully I won't need the NICU.

Anyway, we're all healthy!

If I could go back...

2008-09-17T22:41:00.006-04:00

So I just got done watching my little sister, McKenzie, and my dad play/coach volleyball live. I watched it via the internet. Cokeville High School is now doing live web broadcasts of all athletics. I have to admit that I felt a little like Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite, wishing I could go back and play volleyball. Awww the memories! I had such a good time playing sports in high school and it was fun being coached by my dad. Anyway, Cokeville (my alumni) varsity played Bear Lake and won in 3 games. Freshman and JV both won as well. Good job Kenzie and Dad! It was really fun to watch and did bring back a lot of fun memories. Thanks Dad for getting that all set up for those of us away from Cokeville! It was a joy to watch!

If you'd like to watch the next live broadcast, the boys have a football game Friday at 3:30pm MT. Just go to cokeville.com, click on broadcast, and click on the webcast button. You will need media player. Let me know if I'm wrong, Dad!

Harry Potter and the Seedling Imagination

2008-09-16T20:59:00.006-04:00

Lately, Lilli has been really into the Harry Potter movies. It's fine with me, after having watched all of our Disney movies, particularly Peter Pan, about 10 times each. Anyway, one day Lilli was playing with her play thermometer and started flicking it in the air and yelling, "expecto patronum". Of course, she had to yell it because that's what Harry Potter does. I was in such shock, I just started laughing. So now, anything with a long end, is her wand and she runs around saying the spells. Also, the other day after Stake Conference (which was awesome), on our way home she started saying there was a monster. So I told her to tell the monster to go away. She wasn't scared or anything, it was just what she "saw." Then she wanted me to tell the monster to go away, so of course, I did. She was so happy for me, she started yelling, "Yay! Good job, Mama!" She's has quite the imagination and we love it! Sorry no pictures. I need to get my camera out more. Next time.

Also, about a week or so ago, Lilli was being such a stinker, so I asked her, "Lilli, can I spank your bum?" Of course, I had said it jokingly, but was also quite frustrated. Next thing I know, she lays down on the floor, with her butt in the air and says, "Here you go." Seriously?!?! Once again, my frustration melted away and I had to laugh. That's our little girl for ya!

I Am an American Airman...

2008-09-11T15:59:00.006-04:00

The following is what is known as "The Airman's Creed". I am affected every time I hear it as it very adequately reflects the caliber of men and women I work with each day as part of the world's greatest Air Force!

THE AIRMAN'S CREED

I am an AMERICAN AIRMAN.

I am a Warrior.

I have answered my Nation's call.

I am an AMERICAN AIRMAN.

My mission is to Fly, Fight, and Win.

I am faithful to a Proud Heritage,

A Tradition of Honor,

And a Legacy of Valor.

I am an AMERICAN AIRMAN.

Guardian of Freedom and Justice,

My Nations Sword and Shield,

Its Sentry and Avenger.

I defend my Country with my Life.

I am an AMERICAN AIRMAN.

Wingman, Leader, Warrior.

I will never leave an Airman behind,

I will never falter,

And I will not fail.

7 Years Ago Today...

2008-09-11T14:41:00.002-04:00

I was serving a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. My companion and I were standing at a bus stop waiting to go to a lunch appointment when a couple of gentleman sitting outside a tire shop had called to us from across the street. "Olha o que é que tá acontecendo no país de vocês!" (Look at what's going on in your guys' country!) We turned to the television on the wall just inside the lobby of the tire shop to see the first smoldering tower of the World Trade Center. At first I felt as if my time had been wasted. I had been called over to see the previews to a new feature motion picture. I soon noticed the "Ao Vivo" (Live) broadcast tag in the bottom corner of the screen and began to put things together. Suddenly an object blazed across the picture as the second aircraft crashed into the towers. It was at that point I realized that my nation, the home I had not seen in nearly two years, was under attack.

Our bus arrived a few long minutes after that and we made our way to our lunch appointment. I remember the shock, the despair, the anxiety, and the outrage I felt as we obtained more of the details through the rest of our conversations on the street that day. Who could have done such a thing?! Was my family safe? With all the planes grounded and heightened security would I ever get to return home again?

It was interesting to see the polarizing effect the attacks had on the Brazilian people. I know as missionaries it's not recommended that we engage in political discussions with the people, but it was nearly impossible to avoid in light of what had happened. There were folks who were genuinely concerned and outraged alongside us as well as those who adopted a more resentful and vindictive sentiment towards America as the world's "bully". Suffice to say it was a long and difficult final few months for me in Brazil.

Fast forwarding 2 1/2 years...

After a couple of financially frustrating years at BYU-Idaho I found myself doing a lot of researching and reflecting about my future. I began to gravitate toward the idea of working somewhere in the field of international relations. Despite having so many in my family serve our nation-my grandfather, Benjamin Sr. retired from the Air Force after 30 years of service in 1985; my uncle, Keith was a graduate of the Naval Academy at Annapolis; my aunt, Linda graduated from The Ohio State University as an ROTC cadet and served to retirement in the United States Navy; my uncle, Michael serving a short stint in the Air Force, and my own father serving briefly in the United States Army-I never gave much thought to the military as an option for me. Following several months of fact-finding and consulting with my family about the rigors and risks of military life I was convinced that joining the Air Force would be the best step for me and my future family.

During my time in the military I have taken great pride in being an active participant in securing the freedoms that we enjoy as Americans. I have been privileged to serve along side others who have selflessly given of their time and talents, who have sacrificed many of the luxuries and comforts that the rest of America so often takes for granted, and who have laid down their lives in defense of our rights, our freedoms, and our safety.

Let us all take a moment to remember those people and those families effected by the events of this tragic day just seven years ago. Let us remember how quickly the comforts and securities we enjoy can be ripped away from us and how sacred the service rendered by the men and women of our armed forces and show our support for them by more than just bumper stickers.

God Bless America!

Frockly T-Shirt Giveaway

2008-09-10T15:33:00.001-04:00

So, my buddy, Aaron just told me about this site that his brother and some of his buddies just started up as part of a T-shirt business venture. Not much of a selection just yet, but there's a drawing for a free T-shirt on there for getting the word out, and, let's be honest, who doesn't want a free T-shirt?! So, check it out and maybe you, can enter the drawing and give Aaron's brother a leg up on his new business. Cheers!

Frockly T-Shirt Giveaway

Lilli and Emma

2008-09-08T12:11:00.003-04:00

This is Lilli's little friend Emma. They were playing dress up the other day and I had to get a picture. They looked so cute. Except, Lilli would not look up at me until this last picture. They have a love/hate relationship, atleast that's what Emma's mom and I think. They're always playing together so maybe that's it. Some days they play well together and others not so much, but they do have fun together.

The Davis Family

Family visit and a week without kids *Gasp

Friends and a Half Marathon

Nebraska

2010-2011

Family Pics of 2010

My Super Cute Kids

Halloween 2010

Half Marathon

Our lives (in a nutshell)

Feeling Sorry for Myself

Playing catch up........

Haircut..........again

Seattle Aquarium and the Duck Ride

Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, WA

Visit with the Davis'

Lilli's 4th Bday celebration (Cokeville)

Sprinklers and Lilli's great idea

Utah Valley 5K

Wrestling Leopards and 4-wheeling

Still in Wyoming

The splits

Random pics

Chistmas 2009

Family is the best

Hard Times

First of the year updates

They're ONE

Thanksgiving and Ben's 29th birthday

911 and another ER visit(s)

ER Visit

Giveaways

11 months old

Halloween 2009

Disney World*

Kids

Caught up

Air Force Half Marathon

Charleston, SC

Family Pictures

Haircut

Cokeville

Man's dress shirt turned adorable dress

Picture time

It's about time

Lilli's 3rd Birthday, Re-enlistment, 4th of July, Auntie Paula visits

New Van, New Job, New Ambition, Growing Up *Warning: Picture Overload*

College Buddies

Find Joy in the Journey

Roly Poly

Some Alone Time

Tummy Time

Easter

Long over due.....

Oh Lilli!

Happy Birthday baby bro!

Life with twins

Promotion

Valentine's Day

Happy baby and a picnic

Two pant sizes too big

All right All right

Langley AFB

I want my mommy!

Baby pictures

Nana's Pictures

2 weeks old!

Introducing...

Hospital Visit

10 Positive Things about this Pregnancy

Venting

11 pounds of baby!!!!

My bigness, and the baby quilts

A little behind.......

Potty Training Day 4

ALS Graduation, Halloween, and other updates

Another Ultrasound

Making cookies

Pictures

A Day For Me

New Van, New Job, New Ambition, Growing Up Warning: Picture Overload