Green Thumbs and Big Bellies

Mikes big project this year has been this garden. Thanks to our landlord across the street. His section goes on behind that wall of beans about the size of half a basketball court. Porter said his Mom fed their family through the great depression with this garden. The dirt has a lot of history. We planted squash, zucchini, cucumbers, carrots, strawberries, tomatoes, and lots of herbs.

My big project has been growing this belly. Here I am at 38 weeks. Any day now???

The talented Angela Muir threw me a baby shower. She has the cutest ideas and makes the yummiest food. 3 kinds of homemade ice cream, fresh peach cupcakes with cream cheese icing and lime macaroons. It was so fun! I feel lame for not getting a picture of the group. oops

It worked! I was finally able to load pictures on the blog. They where done one at a time and very slowly but I was determined. Why can I upload to facebook without a problem but not the blog? I lack the computer smarts to fix it so anyway that is my excuse for not blogging. Here is what's up with us:
Madison: Madison started full day (8:30-3:30) kindergarten!!! This is where I should say how sad and awful it is. Truth is we are both enjoying it very much. She also started a tap/ballet class once a week. I love watching her because some of the girls look pretty bored then you look at Madison and she is smiling and animated the whole time. She practices every day and likes teaching me tap steps. Oh and she lost her first tooth!


Lily: Lily is my baby in an almost 3 year old body. Yesterday at the grocery store someone asked her name and she replied, "Baby." She is also in love with cupcakes and for a while would ask for one everyday even though they are never in the house as in, "what do you want for lunch?" "Cupcake!"
Mike is enjoying being a resident and not a lowly dental student anymore. He is much less stressed and golfs every chance he can talk me into it.
Me: I recently took a trip to Nauvoo, IL with the girls and my parents who came to visit for a couple weeks. It was more beautiful then I had imagined and there is a lot to do and see in Nauvoo. I also bought some fabric in Nauvoo so I can start some sewing projects. Actually I just discovered my sewing machine bobbin threader thing is completely broken off! So as soon as that gets fixed I will start some sewing projects. I already cut out a quilt for Lilys bed I am going to applique cupcakes on it:)

Graduation!

It really happened! Mike graduated Dental school on May 30 the day before our 7 year anniversary. Now two months later it is really all kind of a blur.

Mike received the prestigious award of "Best Dad"

Two night before graduation we went to the Senior award dinner at a beautiful hotel. It was fun to get dressed up, it felt like prom but with a way better guy and a much nicer view.

The night after dental school prom we went with our parents and Mikes class on a night cruise of the Ft. Lauderdale waterways.

Of course we also said goodbye to some of our best friends. I am so grateful for the families that made life good while we were so far from home. Katie chose the hymn "Each Life That Touches Ours for Good" on our last relief society meeting and I think that hymn pretty much sums up the friends we said goodbye to. Of course I had to include a picture of the three girls who spent almost every night together at 18 months while the dads where studying. We use to say, "Can you believe they will be 5 years old when we are done?"

So after the parties, graduation and goodbyes we packed up this fine UHAUL and drove 23 hours to Kansas City, MO for Mikes residency in periodontics. I am very, very grateful to our parents who helped us pack, clean, take the girls to Idaho and drive across the country. I can't imagine how miserable it would have been without you!

We spent three wonderful family filled weeks in Idaho and now we are in Missouri. Hmm what can I say about MO...There are a lot of bugs. The girls in the ward have been wonderful. I didn't have a car this first month but I've gotten picked up almost every day to go the park, library or swimming pool. The best, right!? After apartments the last 7 years we have enjoyed all the space in our little rental house. We also love catching fireflies at night (I had never seen one!) Our neighbors on both sides have gigantic gardens and we have gotten the best tomatoes, cucumbers, and corn.

I am glad Mike knew to bring us here even when I wasn't so sure. Things have worked out here so smoothly and now we get to begin our next chapter in life.

Hello again!

Hello again everybody! Sorry for going private for a while and if you weren't invited don't be offended cause nobody was (oops!) I put in two emails then I got lazy and forgot the whole thing. Anyway, I do actually want to go private. I know it's annoying but I am a paranoid person, what can you do? So please leave your email address in the comments. Thank you friends and family!

So a crazy amount of life milestones have been accomplished this past month. I took a lot of pictures then downloaded them on my computer that is currently 3 states away and then deleted them. So I will share all that on the fancy new private blog in a few weeks.

Grandma visits and other random cuteness

We all got spoiled with another visit from grandma! First thing on our list was to take a ride on the Jungle Queen. It's a ferry boat that takes you on a little tour of south Florida's canals or in other words a tour of where all the mega rich live. Check out this little vacation home!

Every night my mom read to Madison. They finished Alice in Wonderland and half of Winnie the Pooh. Her first chapter books! I thought it was pretty special.

Now for the random cuteness......

Lily set up this book and the clock from my night stand to practice piano! I'm not sure where she got this from since Mike and I don't play piano but it was just about the cutest thing ever!! If your wondering about the outfit it's a leotard over her pajamas :)

Lily wearing her hi-ho dress (inside out) and feeding her hi-ho baby. Mikes sister made these super cute princess dresses for Christmas and it is her favorite thing ever.

The end:)

Stuff we did for the Holidays!

Ok , ok time for me to stop procastinating and post some holiday pictures. We all enjoyed our last Christmas in Florida. The weather was great 70s even days in the 80s due to record highs. Here is a rundown of some of the fun we had.

I took Madison to the Miami City Ballets Nutcraker. She got a little bored near the end but I sure enjoyed it :) The theater is on the river and after the show we got to see some boats decked out for the holidays.

Every year we have gone to a live nativity put on by a local Baptist church. They have all live animals including a camel. I wish it could be a yearly tradition but of course this was our last time.

I went ice skating for the first time ever and amazed myself by never falling on my behind. The ever persistent, tough and athletic Madison stayed on the ice the whole 2 1/2 hours. That girl picked herself up every time she fell, even after cutting her hand on her skate she got a band-aid and headed right back out. By the end of the night she was skating short distances without the help of the kiddy walker. Her motto is (and she really does say this) "I never give up I just keep trying"

We spent Christmas eve with great friends (forgot my camera) and spent so much time taking video and skyping on Christmas day that I never took a picture. oops! We hope all our friends and family had a wonderful holiday season and are grateful you are in our lives.

Flowers

I have to tell you about my sweet girly Madison. She went grocery shopping with Mike and on the way home asked if she could buy mom some flowers (all her idea) She loves giving gifts and surprising people. For example at school when they turn in their homework they get to choose something out of the "treasure box" she often picks something out for her sister. Kind of reminds me of my sister. Anyway a couple days later when I told her how much I loved my flowers she replied, "My pleasure" I don't know where she learned to say that, what a sweetie pie.