Christmas Day!

We had such a good Christmas this year. We have been blessed to be together and have Earl off school for a while. The girls got new pajamas on Christmas eve and they loved them. They were really cute in them too.

Before we took them down to see their presents, we went into their room and we read the Christmas story to them. It was fun to talk about why we celebrate Christmas and to help them remember Jesus.

The girls had a lot of fun with all of their presents. Thanks to Grandmas and Grandpas and aunts and uncles who sent them such wonderful presents. Nadya was so excited to open up all of the presents. Samantha wanted to just play and I had to open up all of the boxes once she unwrapped the present. They got a kitchen from Santa this year and they really enjoyed playing with it. It was such a nice relaxing day. We were able to let the girls just play with all of their presents and not rush off anywhere. Samantha stayed in her pj's the whole day and Nadya liked some of her new clothes so much that she ripped off her pj's to put them on.

It was a very good day and we enjoyed it a ton. We did miss seeing our family this year but we were lucky to talk to them on the computer. We have such good families and we are very blessed to have them.

Christmas Eve!

Since we didn't get to go home this year for Christmas, we were invited over to our friends house to spend Christmas Eve with friends. It was so much fun. It was definitely a great alternative to not being with family. We had a good dinner with smoked turkey and pork on sandwiches, salads, potatoes and desserts. Then we played some games. At the end of the evening, we had the kids act out the nativity. They were so cute and it was good to hear the story and remember why we celebrate this season.

Nadya was the only shepherd and she had to bring a camera to take a picture of the baby Jesus. She was really cute in the nativity.

Thanks Jill for inviting us. We really did have a great time.

Merry Christmas!

Make a Smilebox greeting

Children's Christmas Social

Before school let out for the break, the SAA had a Children's social for Christmas. It was a lot of fun. The girls got to write a letter to Santa and tell him what they wanted. Nadya wrote hers all by herself and she asked for a My Little Pony. Samantha pretty much just colored on hers but she had a good time. They then put the letters in a bag and an elf who came to visit them took all of the letters to Santa. The elf was so cute and the children loved him. It was a lot of fun just getting out and Nadya and Samantha had a really good time.

Winter Ball

Every year Earl's school has it's version of prom. We were pretty excited to go because it only cost $5 for dinner and babysitting. It was a nice night out without the girls. The dinner was pretty good and we even danced a little. This is Earl and I before we left.
Amy and Paul
Me and Amy.

Earl's sad moment.

Last Saturday, we went to a friend's house to watch the BYU vs. Utah game. Unfortunately for us, we were the only Utah fans there. It was fun to watch the game even though we were the odd men out. It was a sad game to have it be so close and then Utah lose at the end, but we were glad to be able to watch it. The kids were highly entertained by each other so we could watch the game without too much distraction. We have some really great friends here.
Amy and Paul Miller are next to Earl. Then Des and Danny Sandgren, and Angel and Greg Price.

Getting ready for Christmas!

Nadya standing in front of our finished tree. Sam wouldn't stand in the picture.

The tree skirt that I made this year. I'm actually really happy with the finished product.
Nadya putting one of the ornaments on the tree.
Sam helping her daddy decorate the tree.

We have been so excited for the Christmas season. We have been trying to really let the girls know about why we celebrate this season. I want them to know that it is about Jesus and his life and not just about getting presents. We have had fun talking about it and setting up the decorations. The girls had a lot of fun setting up the tree with their daddy during his week off of school.

Happy Thanksgiving '09

This Thanksgiving was the first one that we spent away from family. It ended up being a lot of fun. Earl got to go and enjoy playing football at the annual turkey bowl. He came back really sore. We then got to go to the church and enjoy a thanksgiving feast with friends from our ward and school. The kids had a lot of fun running around together and eating the yummy food. We had fun chatting with our friends and enjoying the kids being entertained. Thanks so much to everyone who invited us and made such good food.

Pictures are of the mostly the kids but some of our friends. Julie and Steve Jensen, the Warner's, the Smith's , and the McClure's. It is nice to have good friends when you can't be with family.

We were lucky enough to at least talk to our families that day, though.

Hiding

It was time for the girls to get ready for bed and this is where I found them. They like to hide under their bed while giggling at the same time. I love that they like to do things together.

I took Samantha's clothes off because she was pulling them off as soon as we got home this evening. Then by the time it was time to get ready for bed, her diaper was falling off and she started pulling it off. I thought it was pretty cute. She definitely likes to be a naked girl.

One Term Down

Earl decided that shaving wasn't as important as studying and sleep. He definitely can grow a beard in a short time frame. This is a week of no shaving. I'd rather have him do well on his tests than worry about his facial hair.

Earl finished his first term of school today. He had finals all week and he studied really hard for them. It was nice to have him be home by 10 today and the girls loved having him home. He did really well his first term and I am so proud of him. He has enjoyed school so far and hope that he can continue to do so.

Congratulations Earl. We love and support you.

Nadya's First School Picture

I can't believe how old she is getting. I am really happy with how cute her picture looks. She is such a cute girl.

Halloween '09

Halloween this year was so much fun. Kirksville really goes all out for this holiday. It was hard to choose what we actually wanted to do this year. I didn't want to overwhelm the girls but they really enjoyed going this year.
Nadya wanted to be Cinderella and we had Samantha as a tiger. They both were really cute. Nadya knew exactly how she wanted to look. We had a crown for her but her comment was "Cinderella doesn't wear a crown, she wears a headband." So we pulled her hair back and she wore a headband on top. They both looked really cute. Sam really got into it. She followed Nadya and was really good at saying thank you to everyone who gave her candy. We even got her to say something like trick or treat a few times. She loved holding out her bag and getting the goods. Nadya had a lot of fun seeing her friends and getting candy. She is so much fun to watch.
We went to two trunk or treats and then we went to the town square and some businesses handed out candy to the kids of the town. It was a lot of fun. I can't believe how much candy the girls got. There is no way that they will ever be able to eat all of it. I'm going to have to figure out how to get rid of it without me and Earl eating it all.

Weather in Kirksville

So weather here is pretty crazy. We went from this gorgeous sunset in our backyard, to a lake. The rain fell so hard and fast that we had massive flash flooding with streets being closed down to this in our backyard. I had to take a picture so that Earl could see it. It was crazy how much water there was. It was scary to drive in it and I was nervous about flooding in our house. All was fine but I have never seen anything like this in Utah.
I do like the sunsets though. Our backyard is perfect for watching them. We really love it here.

Grandma and Grandpa Go Home.

This is one last picture of the girls and I with my parents. It was so much fun to have them come visit. It was really hard to see them go this morning. Nadya kept asking if they could move here so that we could see them more. Thanks mom and dad for visiting us. It was a lot of fun.

While my mom was here, she helped me start sewing. This was my first project. It's a plastic grocery bag holder. It will come in handy for all of the bags after shopping. I think it turned out pretty well for my first project. I really would like to start sewing more seriously. It's fun and makes me feel like I have accomplished something. Thanks mom for you help.

Fall

Sorry about all of the collage pictures. I have so many of them that it's easier to put them on like this.
Anyway, this is why I love it here. It is so gorgeous where we are and the colors are beautiful this time of year. We live 10 minutes away from a lake and it is beautiful. We took my parents up there for family night to let them see the scenery. They fell in love with it here. The girls loved throwing rocks in the lake. Sam didn't pay attention to where the water was so her pants were soaked at the bottom. It was fun to go there.

Pumpkin Patch

Me and my mom got to go to the pumpkin patch with Nadya and her preschool this last Monday. It had been postponed twice because of weather, but I'm glad it was because my mom got to come with us. She was awesome with Sam and I loved having her with me. It was such a cute little place to go. They had tons of activities for the kids and it was a beautiful day. Nadya really enjoyed jumping off of the hay and I think she enjoyed being pulled by the tractor. Sam enjoyed the little car that my mom pushed her in. She wouldn't get out of it until it was pretty close to time to leave. I'm glad I was able to go with Nadya's school. They do a lot of fun things for the kids.

Nauvoo

After Carthage, we drove to Nauvoo. It was such a pretty drive. We drove up the side of the Mississippi and wow is all I can say. The river is huge and beautiful. It was such a pretty drive. When we got to Nauvoo, I was surprised to see how big Nauvoo was. I thought that all of the church history site would be close together but it was spread out quite a ways. It was neat to see all of the houses and stores. I loved that they showed you how things were done during that time period. Nadya had fun watching the rope making demonstration and both of the girls loved getting a cookie.
I loved seeing the temple there. It is beautiful and the view of the Mississippi is amazing. I can't wait to be able to go and do a session in the temple. It was a fun little trip with the family and I'm glad my parents were with us.

Carthage Jail

While my parents were visiting with us, we took them up to see Carthage Jail and Nauvoo. It was a fun little trip and the girls were great. It was neat to see Carthage and have the tour of the jail. I'm amazed at where the prophet spent his last few days. I'm grateful to Joseph Smith for the life he lived and the gospel he helped restore. It was nice to be there with my parents and have this experience with them. I loved the pictures we were able to get there and I can't wait to be able to go back.

They Made It!

This last week, my mom and dad came out to visit us in Kirksville. All of us were so excited to have them come and see our new home. Aside from the fact that it has been 19 months since we have seen them in person. It was so fun to have them come. The girls new exactly who they were when they knocked on the door and jumped right into their arms. Thanks to the computer and skype, Samantha new grandma and grandpa and warmed to them quickly. It was so much fun.

Then 2nd night that they were here, we went to the Still-a-bration and Earl's school. It is basically his schools homecoming without a football game to go to. We had dinner there, they had games for the girls, and a dance floor in the middle of the gym. The girls loved dancing, especially Samantha. It was fun to see the girls with grandma and grandpa. Nadya had more fun with the coloring book and crayons that they gave her than the dancing though. We also got to go outside and roast marshmellows and make smores. It was a fun night with the family.

Cheetos

So I was outside with the girls talking to our neighbor yesterday when Nadya comes up to me holding a bug that looked like a ladybug. However, this bug was orange with black spots. Nadya then proceeds to tell me, "Mom, ladybugs make cheetos." So I said, "oh really, how is that?" She then says "well, it's the same color as a cheeto and it has liquid in it when I squish."

Oh how I love the thought process of a four year old. It's so much fun to get their ideas of things. Nadya is so smart and loves to figure everything out for herself.

Just an Update

So it's been a few weeks, and I have had these pictures to put up. Everything is pretty boring with us right now. Earl is busy with school and I try and keep busy with the girls. Nadya loves preschool riding the bus. She loves making new friends and is always wanting to do something.

Samantha is starting to talk like crazy. Her vocabulary is shooting up. She loves saying Nadya and when you ask her what her name is she replies Nadya. She loves to be around Nadya and can't wait for her to get home from school. They really do have a lot of fun together.

Earl and I are playing basketball together on an intramurals team. I can't believe how out of shape I am. It is fun to have some time with him. We are also team teaching primary together. I've got to get all the time with him that I can. He is doing well in school and for the most part enjoying being back.

That's about it for us. We really do like it here and there is a lot keeping us all busy.

Sam wanting to crawl through the tunnel with me.

Sam dancing during Nadya's dance class. She loves doing it with all the other kids.

Nadya playing before dance class.

Sam playing on Pumba.

The girls together. It was a cheap thrill but they loved it.

Sam's 18 Months!

I can't believe that Sam is 18 months now. We finally were able to get her into the doctor and everything is great. She did awesome with her iron check and shot. Only cried for a second. I really like her new doctor and am so grateful to have Amberlee give me her name. Thanks Amberlee. Sam's stats are this:
weight: 23 lbs 9 oz, 30th percentile
height: 34 inches, 95th percentile
and her head is 85th percentile
She is tall and skinny as usual.

Sam posing naked.

A cute picture close-up.

I wanted to get one of her on the table. She is such a cute little girl.

Samantha is such a fun girl. She loves playing with her sister. She tries to do everything that Nadya does. She is trying to jump now, she loves to spin. She is growing up way to fast but I guess that's the way it always is.

Nadya's First day of preschool.

So today, Nadya left for school on the bus. It was a bittersweet moment for me. She was so excited to be going. It was so easy to wake her up this morning. She got to eat breakfast with Earl and then waited anxiously for the bus to arrive. I thought that maybe she would be nervous but nope she just walked to the bus so self-assured and happy to be going. She was cute getting buckled into her seat. I know that she is going to love being able to learn and meet lots of new friends. How did she grow up so fast?

Nadya eating breakfast with her Daddy.

Nadya in her new outfit for school

Nadya getting on the bus with her new driver and her assistant.

Buckling up. I'm so happy that she is restrained. I can't imagine what it would be like otherwise.
It was definitely quiet this morning with just Samantha and me. I am going to have to remember how to give the girls one on one time again. They both deserve it and now it is possible. I love you Nadya.