The backyard, red ball, and bathtime

The weather has been really beautiful this spring giving us extra time to work on our backyard, and if you could remember what it looked like when we bought this house you'd be able to really appreciate all the hard work and sweat Jason has put into making it a beautiful place for us to enjoy (I help too which is a shock to my family because I never liked yard work growing up....but it is different when it is your own, plus I love being with J, who doesn't :))! The girls love being outside too, if the sliding glass door is open Caelyn is searching for her shoes so she can go "outside"! We have been busy pulling weeds, planting in the terraced flower beds, putting together our waterfall, tending to our vegetables we planted- tomatoes and snow peas, and of course there is always time to play!

Aliyah really likes the swing!! YEA because her sister was never fond of it!!

If Daddy is working up on the top of the hill a little red head will not be far behind...she can now scale the grass steps all by herself! I know the girls will love it when we are able to build their playhouse up there. (The rocks are part of the waterfall J created)

Dig, dig, dig

Oh how I love her

CHEESE...

There are our snow pea vines

Here is some dirt, we have moved a LOT of dirt in the past 3 years we've owned this home

Two of the loves of my life.

Caelyn likes sliding with Daddy!

One shopping trip to Costco we saw this big red ball that you air up and kids can climb in it and roll around! So after 2 hours of pumping all the air compartments it was ready to go and why let kids be the only ones have all the fun. We have exceeded the weight limit, but it is holding up just fine. In the beginning Caelyn wasn't sure what she thought, she'd climb in and climb out. Now she LOVES her dad to push her as fast as he can across the yard. She yells "mo, mo, mo" when he stops. She looks like a little piece of laundry tumbling in the dryer as he rolls her back and forth across the yard, and if she can find someone to get inside the ball with her it is double the fun!

The red ball

Pop has even been in the ball with Caelyn!

Fun Fun Fun, that is how we like it at our house!

Daddy and Caelyn in the ball

Uncle G in the ball

And here is the best picture, it makes me laugh everytime I see it!!! :)

Aliyah, like her sister LOVES the water! So this past month they have started taking a bath together (as long as J is home to help since Aliyah can't sit up by herself yet). Aliyah loves it! It is pure joy on her face the entire time. I think she loves sitting up, watching her big sister, trying to grab a toy as they float by, just about the whole experience. Caelyn loves bathing her sister too, especially pouring water on her!

She is growing up so fast!! I love snuggling with her.

And Caelyn still loves the bubbles! She runs to the bathroom the minute the water comes on! We are looking forward to swimming this year too once it warms up!!

Springtime is a wonderful time

So as I am sure you have noticed it has been awhile since I updated the blog! Life is really busy these days around our home, when the girls are napping I am usually trying to keep up with the normal household chores, cleaning, laundry, making sure bills get paid, meal planning, cooking, you get the picture...and updating the blog just isn't at the top of my list!! But I have had a chance to load the pictures off the camera onto the computer so here are a bunch of pictures of what has been happening in our life! I am happy to say that after all of us getting sick (Caelyn-cold, Aliyah-congestion and ear infection, Jason-cold and me-strep throat) we are now all healthy, and I think that I take that for granted most of the time!! Caelyn is learning so many new words, she never ceases to amaze me at what she is retaining. The other morning I went to get her up (at 10:30 am...happy mother's day to me, trust me this isn't an everyday routine), she wanted to look at her book "A Basket Bed for Baby Moses", she opened up the first page and said "Hebrews"...one of the lines on that page says "The Pharaoh King of Egypt said the Hebrews have too many sons." She loves to be outdoors and work with her Daddy in the yard, rock her baby dolls, and walk around the house wearing my shoes. Aliyah is laughing, cooing, and getting really strong holding her head up. She has started grasping toys with her tiny hands, and has a very sweet disposition. She is also sleeping really well...going most nights between 8 and 9 hours!! I love these little girls, they bring so much joy and laughter to our home.

Baby Shower for my sweet sister Alyssa and niece Naomi who will be arriving sometime this month and I can't wait for that phone call!!

two of the three loves of my life

Our first batch of snow peas...please don't notice Caelyn's mismatched outfit :) she wanted to wear her cat sweatshirt! Jason planted the peas from seeds and the vines are growing really fast. This is the first batch we picked! Greg's grandparents always plant them and they seem to do really well so we decided to try growing them this year. We also have planted tomatoes so I am really looking forward to these fresh vegetables this summer.

Playtime at our house, what is more fun than sitting in an empty diaper box with as many stuffed animals as possible while Daddy pulls you around the tile???

Checking out baby chicks at Tractor Supply, she liked looking but didn't want to hold one.

Our first batch of homemade playdough...Caelyn would pull off little pieces and say "crumbs"

tummy time

I was switching out some of the clothes that she had grown out of to give to cousin Naomi and Aliyah was just chatting it up with the duck, the next thing I know she fell asleep on the changing table...don't worry she isn't rolling over but I moved her to her crib!

Wearing the dresses Grandma Buss got her great-granddaughter's from Hawaii!

Caelyn's Easter basket, she was very excited about the phone!

making a phone call

Aliyah's first Easter basket

A quick picture in the preschool wing after we picked the girls up from the nursery Easter Sunday. Jason had gotten home the night before after being gone on a mission trip for the whole week. Caelyn was VERY glad to have her Daddy back home, and I was too!!

Easter Sunday in our backyard which Jason has literally transformed. I never liked yard work growing up, but now I enjoy working out in the yard with him!!

The sun was too bright to open her baby blues, and Caelyn was to busy playing to stop for a picture!

Mother's Day 2011

I am blessed beyond measure

Uncle Mike and Caelyn sharing a seat on the little bench! We are looking forward to introducing Caelyn and Aliyah to all Uncle Mike and Aunt Lisa's grandchildren one day.

Pop and his littlest granddaughter

Love these women, it won't be long until we can hold Naomi too!

Happy Mother's Day Aunt Alyssa, you are precious and going to be a wonderful mom!

Caelyn is a sweet big sister, if Aliyah is crying Caelyn is quick to alert us and want to help give her her "paci"! She has been wanting to hold her lately, but it only lasts for minutes so you just have to take as many pictures hoping for at least one good one...

Sisters- I pray their bond will be as strong as the bond I have with my own sister.

May 8th 2011

What two incredible blessings to be thankful for, and an amazing man that I love so much.

Caelyn- 21 months Aliyah- 4 months

Our first fat lip!

Today was the last day of the women's Bible Study at church. Caelyn has loved going and getting to play with her friends and I have really enjoyed getting to go too, especially since I have never been able to go before. The study is on Wednesday mornings and Wednesdays is one of the days I work...but since I have been on maternity leave I have been able to go. One thing that I won't ever forget from this study is that "God is able to go WAY beyond your beyond!!" The best thing you could ever imagine to happen, in any situation, God is able to do far beyond, exceedingly better anything you could ever have dreamed of. He is able!! Wether or not things turn out the way I would like is not an issue of His ability but it is His sovereignty. And wether I understand His plan or purposes now or ever in this lifetime He is always good and always loving. This study has touched my heart and encouraged me in so many ways.

Back to the lip story...well today after her class had been on a buggy ride Caelyn tripped and took a bad spill. She ended up with this swollen bruised lip. Sometimes she gets going so fast I don't think her feet can keep up with her body. She is in perpetual motion and that motion is one speed, fast! It is by far the worst owie she has had in her life but I am sure that it won't be the last. When I picked her up she wanted a hug and kept pointing and saying "lip". Everyone we saw in the parking lot she wanted them to see her "lip". She sucked on some ice chips and when she got up from her nap the bruise was very purple. I think it appears more painful than it is because she played all evening not even acting like it bothered her. Hopefully the swelling will just keep going down all night, we will see in the morning. I got to thinking that this life is full of pain. Not only physical but emotional too since we live in a fallen world. And as much as I would like to shield her and Aliyah from pain, they both will have their share of painful experiences I am sure of this. My prayer is that they will both have a deep abiding love for their Savior and cling to His promises so that they be able to survive the storms of this life. It is my daily prayer that God would grant us the wisdom and knowledge to raise them to love and serve Him with all of their lives. Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed, I am a list maker by nature and like to check things off so that I can feel that I have had a productive day. When Jason comes home I like to have things accomplished but there have been some days I don't get anything checked off and a very wise person told me that children don't fit well into a to do list. One day Caelyn isn't going to be asking me to play with her little people with her and it won't have mattered if I got all the loads of laundry done, folded and put away. May I never miss a teachable moment or take for granted the time I have been given to share with them.

Thought I'd share some videos

How could life be any more fun than this!! Yes Caelyn does have some wild hair...she got good rest!!

Aliyah is reading her first book!

Caelyn loves to play the guitar at Pop and Gma's house. Here she is jamming in Bobby's room (and there is a deer head on the wall...she refers to it as the moose in the middle of her song)!