Carlsbad Vacation

Family picts on the beach -Kaylie her usual grumpy picture taking self. She is a joy all of the time, but the we try to take a picture of her and she throws a giant tantrum. I cannot figure it out. Pictures with her making a plain face rather than and angry face were the best we could get.

We just got back from a week at the beach, and kaylie is definately a Carpenter, in that she loves the beach! She was crazy happy over the ocean, and as soon as she saw it, she started pointing and squealing for it. And as soon as we put her down, she ran full speek towards the water. She had so much fun splashing, and playing in the sand, and at the park, and at Disneyland, and with her cousins. She was non-stop going for a full week. She has been sleeping great since we got home, resting up from all the fun.

They made it !

My dad and little sister are in Tanzania this month. They sent this email to my mom yesterday.


"I only have a couple of minutes. I'll try and write more later
We made it!!!! Very hard!!!! Maybe 150 started and only 12 finished. We were two of them. Our trip is going absolutely perfect. No problems at all. Very safe here.
I miss you a ton!!!! Can't wait to tell you all the details.
Ali says she loves you and miss you a bunch too. "


Sounds like they made it; the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. I am so proud of them, but had no doubts they would do it. My dad thinks he is Indiana Alan and that little sister of mine is the toughest cookie I know. I am really proud of them...proud and a little jealous.


What and awesome experience.

This girl keeps me laughing....she is the silliest.


She is learning how to dress herself lately. Today she has decided that swim diapers work well as hats and sleeves.

We went to the children's museum this weekend agian on free Friday. The staff was putting tattoos on the kids as part of the party. She hardly noticed it until we went to get her in the bath later that night. When she found it she was quite proud of it.

We hope everyone had a fun fourth of july....here is a picture of K. doing what she could to stay cool at a city celebration over the holiday.

take me out to the ball game....

What kinda 14 month old sits through 7 innings of a baseball game?

We bought Jeff tickets to see the Diamondbacks and Angels game for father's day. I bought cheap seats because I thought that with Kaylie we would be lucky to make it through 3 innings. And even if she did, I didn't think we would be able to tolerate sitting in the heat.

I couldn't have been more wrong. By the time we got to the 7 inning stretch I was more done with the game then Kaylie was. And the stadium is amazing, completely air conditioned and comfortable - it was really worth going just to see Chase satdium.

Her favorite part...a dancing taco and a dancing yogurt cup.

Girls just wanna have fun

Jeff's sister Michelle and her girls drove out to Phoenix for a visit....in the heat of the summer too, what troopers! We had so much fun mostly swimming in the pool. All the girls, even Kaylie, really like the arcade a lot also. Kaylie was in heaven with some big kids around 24-7 to play with her, she really wouldn't have cared what we did as long as the girls were there too.

Hope you three had a fun visit.

We sure did!

Moms Fighting Stains

HELP!!!!!
This stain treater - dual action spray and wash - is the best out there. I would buy a bottle about every month, and had yet to lose a single article of clothing to stains. Even with everything that a toddler eats/gets into. It was a little miracle in a bottle.

And now I cannot find it anywhere.

Over the last two weeks, I have been to Walmart, Target, Fry's, Albertsons and Walgreens. I have tried four other products. And I have a pile of about half of Kay's clothes with stains that will not come out.
Please tell me if you see it at a store you shop at, or what products you use that do the trick.
And if you do see some....grab it! It is the best stuff out there.

The Progression of a Surivior

We sing the song "Survivor" by Beyonce at our house. It is Kaylie's theme song. I have no doubt that if my daughter was born hundreds of years ago and had to be a "hunter or gatherer" she would have had no problem. Survival of the fitest would not have left her behind. She has mad survivor skills.

All for the sake of hunger and a complete love for anything edible she has....

At 7 months old she found a tangerine in the back of the car, peeled it and ate it while buckled in her car seat. I was driving....completely unaware.

At 8 months she learned that if ever she was hungry there was alway food under her high chair and she could just crawl over there. I suppose that is why she threw so much of it on the floor while she was eating. Saving some for a long winter a.k.a another time when food was not so readily available to her.

As soon as she could walk she started going into the pantry and helping herself to whatever struck her fancy.

I have seen her catch flies and frogs with her bare hands.....don't worry I don't let her eat these.

She has been known to go and get washclothes, still wet from morning baths and suck them for water.

Last month she figured out how to open the frezzer and get herself popsicles.

Today she got into the diaper bag, found a granola bar, opened the wrapper and ate...no porblem. Should a 14 month old know how to do this?

And if worse comes to worse, she knows she can always turn to the dog. Not her favorite option, but hey if you are starving?

And I feed her four meals a day and multiple snacks....really I do.

I'm a survivor (what),
I'm gonna make it (what),
I will survive (what),
Keep on survivin'

* Today jeff handed her back a boxed happy meal, thinking she would look at the characters on the box and be entertained with them until we got home to eat. Oh no.... when I got her out of her carseat in the back she was slready working on her fries. It is like she barely needs us anymore.

Blurbs

I was turned on to this product by an old girlfriend, and my sister....both great photographers. If it had thier seal of approval, I knew it was a good one.

A blurb is a photo book that you create with a program that you download for free. You just upload your picts, type some text, a few points and clicks and you have a real book. I have seen a lot of photo product books out there, but this one comes more close to commercial grade than anything I have seen.

And the best part...it is super affordable. I just sent in Kaylie's one year book. A total 182 pages, probally around 600 photos and journaling of her first year. It is only going to cost around $50. I couldn't even print all those pictures for that much. Some of the pictures in the book are a full 8x10 print too.

I also made a small book of a vacation. It is much smaller, but it is only going to cost $16. I couldn't even by a nice photo album for that.

And it just got even better. This last week I opened up my computer to find an update to install. Now you can create your own layouts, move image and test boxes and adjust sizes.

I feel like I am Zelda and I just unlocked some new weapon. This blurb thing just got a hundred time better.

It really is worth checking out http://www.blurb.com .

the hills are alive

If there ever is a Sound of Music remake, I will be suprised if it is not shot in Heber and Midway. It is so gorgeous. I couldn't get over how beautiful everything is this summer.

We were in Heber for a few days to see my little sis graduate from Wasatch. Go Sis! She is going to Utah State like me to so... Go Aggies!

Some pictures of Kaylie in my parents yard. There really was a ton of good ones, but I kept it to four for the blog.

I love the way her face is in a question the same time the flower is drooping.

Seriously gorgeous

Very hills are alive.

She loves her dogs....kisses for Oreo

way behind

A few weeks ago, Crystal and Jake came down for a little visit. While they were there we took the chance to take the girls to the children's museum. It was so great. If any of you are every in the Phoenix area with your young kids you will have to let us take you. Everything was geared towards toddlers but even as an adult I was entertained by it all.
My favorite thing was this pretend grocery store. When I was little, my parents would take Crystal and me to the children's museum in Boston and our favorite thing was the little grocery store there. We used to go the first Friday of every month in Massachutes becuase it was free. Funny enough....the Phoenix museum is free on the first Friday too. Twenty plus years later it seems they are running children's museums the same way.

It is working I guess

I just loved this picture of the girls laughing together in their pajamas. For two girls that are a genetic half match, it is funny how different they are.

Both in personality and apperance.

Thanks for the visit Freeman famliy.

How things change!

I remember anniversaries Jeff and I celebrated before kaylie was born involving nice resturants and theatre tickets, or weekend vacations. Our six year anniversary was Saturday and how did we spend it.....meeting with the real estate agent, an Elmo party, and Jack in the box drive thru. How Romantic.

How things change?

Strangely enough we didn't mind. We were together, that is all that matters really . Love ya babe.....happy anniversary!

We are swimming about everyday, and kaylie is really starting to get the hang of it. She even tries to blow her water wings up herself.

Lake Pleasant Campers

We made our first Arizona camping trip to the Lake...nothing like camping in the desert in the summer. It was actually quiet beautiful and we had a good time.

We had our second encounter with desert wildlife. Wild burros. They came to steal our licorice, but Toby, the watchdog scared them away....
If he is not getting any, there is no way he is letting some donkey get any.

We went on a hike in search of tortoise, but it must have been even too hot for them, so we jumped in the lake.

Also, look how good a hiker our little girl is becoming.

Oh, what do you do in the summertime...?

Kaylie already knows how she will survive the desert heat. Eating ice pops in the pool. I know I am awful...she eats almost three ice pops a day. I say almost three because I am bound to steal a bite or two. She even knows how to get them out of the freezer by herself, so there is no stopping her.

Also, Jeff spotted a snowie shack on our way from church. A rarity out here, ...and my summer survival necessity.

Looks like we are ready, Summer. Bring it on!

" Heeeeyy yoooouuu guuuyyss!

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

Also, does anyone remember the movie Goonies......what child of the 80's doesn't right. Kaylie reminds me of Sloth in the second picture.

......a cute Sloth.

I know I am a mean mom.

Chicken Little

I am obssesive compulsive at times.....a hypochodriac, nuerotic worrier too. I hate that I am that way. It can be a tiresome habit.

The H1N1 virus appeared in the headlines this past weekend, and I have been diligently watching CNN. I have made the CDC website one of my computers favorites, as well as many of the links Crystal put here .

I decided today to not take Kaylie to the library per the usual. Limit our public exposure.

I just got back from the Walmart where I purchased all the things the CDC is recommending to have on hand for the pending pandemic as well as filling the holes in our food storage....

I was not the only one there stocking up.

Many people I noticed had on latex gloves. All the hand sanitizer has been bought up... masks too. I went to Walgreens and it was the same story.

Many of the schools are closing here in Phoenix.

I know I am always the first to worry, just wondering if you are worried to.

Hopefully we will all look back on this in a month, and sigh....smiling at ourselves for being so worked up. Hopefully.

one year photos!

I made kaylie take pictures to mark the one year milestone.....i am not thrilled with how they turned out, but after only 15 minutes we lost all ten ballons and our patience with each other.

saturday splash!

This is a spash pad near our house. Kids and water...it couldn't get any better in Kaylie's opinon. These picts were taken with a phone, but you get the idea.

Hollywood

Our little K is spending more of her time walking than she does crawling these days. It happened so fast; a week ago she was only learning to take a step or two, and now she is cruising. The beginning of this video she is actually video taping herself, and then at the very end she starts to throw a fit.....why? Because our daughter is either a narcissist or the next Hollywood starlet. K wants me to give her the camera. She is in love with herself on screen and cannot get enough of herself performing. I am finding that I get the video camera out less becuase of the tantrums over the camera.

Even if I am at the computer she will come over and stand next to the chair, arms in the air asking to be picked up. I cannot get her to watch cartoons for 10 minutes, but she will sit on my lap on the computer and watch home videos of herself for an hour. I find it hilarous....

Maybe she'll do comedies.

O mexico !

We went to mexico for spring break with my parents and Ali. It was so fun to be able to get away with them. As you can see from the few pictures I took, we swam and swam a ton....of course, kaylie was in heaven. The resort was so nice, and only a few hour drive from our house....thanks mom and dad for the vacation!

P.A.R.T.Y !!!

We had a b-day party for Kaylie last week. We celebrated with my family, that was visiting from Utah and our AZ family, the Lukes. Kaylie was really in to it all. She understood opening presents......

she attacked her cupcake .......

and I had a lot of fun creating something special for my special K!

One year old!

Kaylie is a year old today and I am so sad my little girl has grown up so fast. Everyday we have so much fun as she learns to do new things. A little about Kaylie at one.

she weighs 22 lbs.

she has 4 teeth.

she has taken 15 steps in a row.

she has slept through the night once.

she can say mama, dada, night-night, hi, nose.

she loves ballons, books, food, bubbles, babies and kids, toby, birds, airplanes, flowers, mirrors, elmo, puzzles, photos, and car keys.

her favorite things are swimming, reading, music, playing buckin' bronco, swinging, and bathing.

her best tricks include standing up, walking, clapping, waving, tickling, playing peek-a-boo, pointing to things when you name them, getting undressed, climbing the stairs, high-fives, giving toby love, giving kisses and talking on the cell phone.

her favorite foods are blueberries, tomatoes peaches, oranges, chicken noodle soup, spaghetti, beans, guacamole, turkey, ice cream, juice boxes, and ice.

she doesn't like sitting down, sleeping, brushing her teeth, riding in the car, the blender, things in her hair or baby food.

Last year on this day, in the first few hours of our little girls life, I remember my first thoughts.... that she was the most precious thing I had ever seen...that I was instantly head over heels in love with her. I remember thinking that she looked like a rock star... mostly because the nurses had but a neon orange and lime green bow in her hair. I remember we called her baby girl, because we had yet to decide on her name, and I was in complete in awe that she was ours....still am.

kaylie on april 13, 2008 and kaylie on april 13, 2009 - 9:33 pm PST

happy birthday baby girl!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter and...hello!

a finished project

I have a tendency to start craft projects and never finish them. I get almost obsessive about whatever the project might be, and then fizzle. At last a finished product.

I have wanted to make K. a homeade doll for some time, and I finally found a really cute, real easy pattern here at martha http://www.marthastewart.com/article/black-apple-doll.

Don't you love the vintage bird fabric? It had been in my craft stuff for a long time and I have been waiting to make something wonderful out of it. My mom helped me some with the sewing....I know I have mentioned by dislike of the sewing machine before. I started it by hand, but the stitches weren't one year old proof. I am pleased with her and think she will be a perfect birthday present for K. next week.