It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!!

It sounds a bit odd, but I am so So SO thankful for the ice/snow storm we received on Thursday night!!  It is finally making it feel like Christmastime here in Texas.  Having four seasons is really one of the things I really miss!  I know everyone in Cache Valley is complaining about the cold and snow, but I miss it!  This storm shut EVERYTHING in town down!  The ice on the roads is 2 or 3 inches thick and then we got 3 inches of snow on top of it.  Rock Salt doesn't exist here, neither does snow plows or even plows on trucks for that matter!!  School was cancelled on Friday, Saturday we ventured out to HEB and the roads were full of ice, Sunday church was cancelled because the heater in the building was broken, and today, Monday school is once again cancelled because of poor road conditions. 
The kids have been having a BLAST dressing up in all the winter gear and playing in the ice/snow.  The snow is really just the consistency of shaved ice, but good for playing non the less.  Allee was so proud of all the ice she pulled off the trampoline, and Derek payed Allee and Pierce each $5 for cleaning off the tramp, it was sagging pretty badly! 
Oh how I miss winter!!  For now we will enjoy every minute of this snow because in just a few short days it will be 55 degrees again and we will only have our white memories to hold us through til Christmas!

September Blessings

September is our birthday month.  Layla turned 2 on the 8th.  She is our little spunky girl.  She thinks she is hillarious and sometimes Derek and I will let her stay up late just because she gets so FUNNY!  She loves Minnie Mouse and playing with Pierce and Allee.

Allee turned 9 on the 27th.  9!!  She is growing up so quickly.  She is sweet, sassy, and ALWAYS fashionable.  She is at suh a fun age where she just loves to go into Justice with me and "look around"  She loves playing soccer and wants to be a singer when she grows up.  She isn't too big to give me a hug around her friends and I love that. 

Our girls are such a blessing. They bring warmth and love into our home. I am very grateful for my September Blessings.

Back to School

Yep. . . .  I officially feel old.  Allee started third grade and Pierce is off to all day Kindergarten.  That leaves just Layla and I together.  

Allee knew exactly what she wanted to wear for the first day of school for over a month.  The only problem, white denim jackets were hard to come by.  I finally found in in the juniors size and we made it work!  It came just two days before school started.  She was totally rockin for the first day and I love to see her so confident!

Pierce was a little easier.  As long as it wasn't a button up shirt he was happy.  Alas he didn't tell me about this new found dislike for button-ups until AFTER school shopping, and I merrily bought him 4 because they look so darn cute on him.  I am hoping I can persuade him to wear at least one or two before they don't fit him anymore!!  Kindergarten was a little tough for him at first.  It wasn't being away or anything he struggled with kids on the playground.  Poor kid woke up with nightmares for three nights and when he finally told me what was wrong he said some kids wouldn't stop chasing him so he finally just stood in the cornor of the playground.  Totally broke my heart!!  Luckily he has adapted and learned to stand up for himself and now school is AWESOME.  

Layla is loving running the house. I can just listen to her chatter nonstop. It is really a blessing to have this one on one time with her and I love the opportunity I have to give her the attention she sometimes misses out on when everyone is home.

Pierce's 5th

 And the force was with us. . . . .

This kiddo is ALL about Star Wars right now.  We had a Star Wars everything party.  Since his birthday fell on Easter Sunday this year, we decided to have his party on Saturday and it was a blast.  He woke up to being barricaded in his room with a door full of balloons.  We sprayed Darth Vader with silly string, had balloon races in the back yard and opened presents.  The only gift this boy got that wasn't Star Wars was a Nerf gun from Derek and I.  Pierce was pretty excited that Layla even gave him Star Wars underwear!  He loved the gun and everyone took turns shooting at all the Battle Pod bad guys.  I love how obsessed he is, it really makes me smile.

Pierce is such a handsome young man.  We love him so much and it is fun to watch him change into a big boy.  He is such a gentleman, he will always open my car door for me and says sweet things in his prayers like thank you for Mom to make this delicious food.  He really melts my heart in a way I never expected.   
Pierce's stats right now:
Weight: 33 lbs
Height: 40 inches (Just tall enough he can ride Star Tours when we go to Disneyland.  It's a HUGE deal!)
Loves: Star Wars
           Ropes
           Drawing (we go through about 10 pieces of paper daily, NOT KIDDING)
           Soccer
Favorite Color: Purple
Favorite Song: Nephi's Courage

Cheese

Trying to take a picture of Layla is always funny.  This girl has the best faces.  She is such a little cheese ball.  The only problem is if you want one of her just smiling for a project you are doing, GOOD LUCK!!  My little baby turns 17 months this week.  She is so much fun! 

Running around naked after her bath.  This little stinker ran outside (don't worry it was like 80 degrees that day!) and parked herself on this chair for 10 minutes.  I love her crazy hair!

Speaking of Cheese ........

This week Derek went to Missouri for the grand opening of the Schreiber Health Clinic.  To help all the partners in Clinton Derek started up a health clinic.  No copays, and access to a nurse pratcioner.  She can do everything from stitches to ear infections, to blood work, to physicals.  Wish we could be there to take advantage of it!

I am SO PROUD of all his hard work getting this up and running, especially considering the last six months he has been doing this from Texas.  What an amazing man I have.

Too Long

Sometimes I wonder if I should even post because I am SO far behind.  I have decided that at least for now I am going to focus on the here and now, and worry about back posting later (if it really happens, Christmas is overwhelming!)

Just a little update for now. 

Allee is growing up way too fast.  She has decided she wants to be a famous singer and I hear Taylor Swift and Justin Beiber cranked as loud as possible blaring from her room.  Her bed is the perfect stage (except for when she leaves Layla there all alone!)  She is testing her bedtime and almost every night is up messing around in her room until well after 9:00.  She is a great help with Layla and honestly still loves playing with Pierce which is awesome.

Pierce is in speech right now and loves every minute!  He loves going to the same school Allee is at (even if it is only for 30 min two days a week).  That kid is SO excited for kindergarten.  I see and talk to him every day, so I really haven't noticed any change, but our family always comments on how he is getting easier to understand and that makes me so happy for him.  He is such a sweet little thing and it breaks my heart when others can't understand him.  For example he was called Ian for two months when we first moved to our ward in Texas because his primary teacher couldn't understand him.  I was devastated.  Thank Heaven for speech therapists.

Layla is getting to be quite the little character.  She is climbing on EVERYTHING.  I have never had a climber.  She has colored on walls and the beanbag.  She is constantly in the pantry handing me things.  She rarely eats and is a tiny thing weighing almost 17 lbs at her 15 month visit.  This last week her pediatrician had us get a consult with the GI clinic at the children's hospital so hopefully the addition of some Zantac and an allergy medicine which will help stimulate her appetite will help her gain enough to get back on her growth curve.  She is definitely our sweet loving monster.

AAAHHHHHH.  It really does feel better when I can get some thoughts down, remember the good and crazy going on in our lives, and just take a time out and remember the little things that unfortunately get forgotten too easily.