Its been a long time

Its been a long time.... no excuses I just don't feel like sharing a lot of what goes thru my mind at times.

Life is busy. Sometimes I wish it would stop but then I would probably complain about that as well. I just make sure that I am always putting one step in front of the other and somehow I make it. I try to stop and enjoy the moments I get with my girls. Sometimes its hard because I have so much that I need to do and so little actual waking time with them. I love bedtime because Kiersten just curls up next to me and we go to sleep but its the closest I am to her all day.

I have been blessed with my mother-in-law being willing to help with the girls. There are days that I get home and she has folded laundry or just straightened up. It is simple things that I am really appreciative of.

Our summre has flown by. We started it by flying out to Utah to spend some time with my family. It was so fun to be around everyone and let Kaia and Kiersten just play and play. Although Tasha doesn't believe me I do wish we were a lot closer and hold on to the hope that sameday it will happen. Kaia starts back to school in 3 weeks and its going to go fast. She is starting at a new school this year but hopefully won't be too big an adjustment because of the friends she has at school that are in the ward.

Anyways - David and I acutally took time our for ourselves last weekend and went to a concert. It was a 90s flashback with Next, SWV, and Raph Tresvant, Johnny Gill, & Bobby Brown. The night was perfect when the sun went down it was in the 70s and low humidity which is unusal here in Georgia. It was fun to sit back and enjoy some old school

Calloway Gardens

The weather was so beautiful this weekend we took advantage of it and went to Callaway Gardens. I can't believe I have waited 12 yrs to go there. It was so beautiful. There is a butterfly atrium. So many different plants and butterflies. Kaia and I were trying to sit still so that the butterflies would get close to us and possibly land on us. There were a lot of trails and gardens - it was fun to just be outside finally. I think the girls loved it. Kiersten kept talking about how she was looking for blues clues. It was so cute. Look at the pictures here.

Christams Catch up continues

Here are the rest of the pictures from the holiday season. I'm slow I know.

It's Finally Saturday

So I am here still trying to get work done. Why? Because yesterday was a total wash. I got a call at 6:15 am. The office had been broken in to. Great! Just the way to start a Friday. So I hurried and got over there. They had used a crowbar to get in and stole laptops and flat screen montiors. Luckily they didn't touch much of anything else. I get a good chuckle because 1 of the laptops was broken. I was messing with it earlier in the week and had left it on my desk. I think a new policy should be to hang more Radioactive Material signs around the office and make people more weary about coming in.

David was nice and when we got home built a fire outside and we enjoyed sitting out there watching the girls play. No rest for the weary. Today is just as jammed pack.

Christmas Catch Up

So I am sitting at the computer doing everything but preparing my primary lesson. That is why I am finally loading some pictures at Christmas.

This year we didn't go home but stayed here. I missed my family but enjoyed not having to travel anywhere. On Christmas Eve we had the Elders over for dinner and the girls put on a program. Then it was time for bed. We all fell asleep, except for Kiersten. Who know what time she finally gave up. David woke me up at 5am to play Santa - we did that and watched a movie (that doesn't happen often uninterrupted) before Kaia woke up - then we went and woke up Kiersten (she was not happy for the first 30 min).

Did I forget to mention that we made cookies for Santa as well?

I really should listen

I really should listen to Kiersten more often. Last night after Kaia's birthday party I was cleaning up and I noticed 2 of Kiersten's toys were missing. A purple horse and her doll. I had tried to limit the big girls from going into Kiersten's room just to prevent things from getting lost but there was still the "little people". I looked everywhere. Under beds, in other toys (found 2 cups that have been missing for a month or so), in my room and Kaia's room. Nothing. So I asked Kiersten where her purple horse and doll was. She said plain as day "Honor took it home" I didn't really listen and continued to ask her every few minutes and her reply was always the same "Honor has it. Honor took it home."

This morning Kiersten woke up and insisted on going to play with Honor. So David took her over there and he said that it wasn't long after they had gotten there and she ran up to him and said "See daddy, my horse."

Kiersten knows what she is talking about and I should listen to her a little more often.......obviously.

Thanksgiving

So I am a little late on posting things - This time of year is always busy. I am recovering from having my wisdom teeth extracted (all 4 at a time so for some reason - not sleeping as much.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving - nice and quiet with lots of food. I am very proud to say that I didn't go shopping the whole weekend.

The office is finally coming together - we have been "space optimizing" and it is finally coming together - it's a lot nicer to come into in the morning.

This is us on Thanksgiving - I wish my girls would stop growing up so fast.

Trick or Treat & The Day After

We had a great Halloween month (and enough candy to prove it). We enjoyed an awesome pre-trick or treating party and roasting marshmellows and a roaring fire after. Today was beautiful and we drove up to Amicalola Falls - the colors where everywhere and the girls were excited. We enjoyed it until our check engine light came on and had to drive ever so slowly back home.
Check out more photos at here and here

On Monday, during language arts a film crew from 11alive, the local NBC affiliate, was in Kaia's classroom filming a segment for "A Class Act". Her teacher, Mr. Witt, was nominated to receive the "Class Act" award. Donna Lowry has been doing this segment for a couple of years - another adventure in the room of Witt. It is suppose to air on Oct 20 and be online sometime soon. As soon as it is - I will post the link. Kaia is very lucky to have such a great teacher this year - kind of reminds me of the greatest teacher I know (hmmm, hmmm, Dad)

Uncle Shuck's Corn Maze

Every year Kaia's girl scout troop goes to Uncle Shuck's to brave the corn maze (imagine 9-10 screaming girls), enjoy the hayride and make some smores. Its a lot of fun and this year the weather was perfect! Not to hot and humid and not to cool. I love this time of year. The night before Kaia's school had her fall carnival and all I can say is that I survived! Kiersten had to do everything the big kids were doing and it was driving me crazy!