MKmcneili

A year ago

2012-01-22T19:58:00.015-07:00

This is what I was doing a year ago on Jan 19th

As Ainsley turned one this week I am wondering were this last year went. Can I just stop time and hold my baby one more time and smell her newbornness. I know I can't reverse time and I will just have to remember my baby through pictures but I am enjoying the toddler she is becoming. Ainsley is a very happy one year old. She loves to be right in the middle of Esther and Henry and whatever they are doing. She is adventurous and gets into everything. She loves to eat Esther and Henry's books and any and everything else she can get her hands on. She smiles when anyone smiles at her and is not afraid of strangers. Ainsley completes us as a family and I feel very blessed to have such a sweet, not so little, baby.

Here is a look at a day in the life of Ainsley

She can sense the dishwasher is open from the other room
Ainsley loves to be pushed in this cart that was supposed to be for our computer desk
She likes to help me cook dinner
Could there be a more adorable baby?

The Birthday Party

2012-01-22T19:37:00.007-07:00

The big day. We celebrated Ainsley's first birthday this last Thursday Jan 19th. My parents flew in from Utah to join us for the big day.

She decided to climb into the toy basket

Grandma gave her a tiny taste of frosting while I was decorating the cake and she got it all over her shirt.
Of course help from big brother. Henry and Esther were more excited than Ainsley.

We had pizza for dinner, one of Ainsley's favorites; she also loves paper.

The cake. She grabbed a handful of frosting before we finished singing happy birthday.

When the cake was all eaten she decided to lick the frosting off the tray. She had a fit when we got her out of her chair.

I can't believe my little Ainsley is one. Happy Birthday baby girl.

The best thing to do in January

2012-01-08T15:33:00.007-07:00

Go to the Zoo! 76 degrees and beautiful
Here we are having lunch by the giraffes. There is one in the right upper corner of the picture

Carousel ride with daddy
Ainsley waits for the ride to be over

Playing with an orangutan
Riding the komodo dragon
Seeing a live komodo dragon
We had a really good time at the zoo and even bought a season pass(thanks Thomas and Laura for the Christmas gift). Next time we need to remember the sun screen, Michael got a little pink

Christmas & New Year 2011

2012-01-01T13:06:00.014-07:00

Our Christmas started out with an evening with Santa at the ward Christmas party earlier in the month. Esther and Henry both refused to sit on Santa's lap and Ainsley couldn't take her eyes of his beard.
Michael's parents joined us this year for Christmas, it is always a joy to have family around for the holidays.
Christmas Morning. Michael had one request on Christmas morning and that was to have breakfast before we started opening presents. We didn't let Henry and Esther see that there were presents until after we had breakfast. That is why Henry is dressed, he wanted to get dressed after breakfast because that is what we normally do. Santa brought a play house for inside since the backyard is still not finished. Henry thought he was getting a car because he helped me wrap his cousin Spencer's present, which was a remote control car. Maybe next year.

Esther and Henry love books so they got several books for Christmas. We had to take away the books in order to open more presents.I didn't take a whole lot of pictures and so many of the ones I took are blurry because no one would hold still with all the excitement. Ainsley didn't care much for the presents she just wanted to eat all the wrapping paper. We kept taking paper away from her but somehow she kept getting some. I finally had to put her down for her nap because she was throwing up paper. We spent the rest of the day with Michael's family eating wonderful food and playing dance revolution on the wii.

New Years Eve Arizona Style
We started our New Years Eve celebrations at the park. It was 78 degrees and beautiful.
After the park we came home and danced

And of course Ainsley had to eat the noise maker

I think Daddy was tired before the party began
After dancing we had a wonderful dinner together( not really, the food was wonderful but if you have had dinner with our kids it usually consists of whining about not liking what we are eating.)
After the whining we did FIREWORKS. There are firework stands everywhere for New Years Eve, one would think it was the 4th of July. Notice we are wearing only jackets.

Michael wanted to get the big box of fireworks but from past experience we decided to get the small box. Henry hates fireworks, he hates anything loud. Yes he is crying in the picture. After the first fountain he was crying to "please take me home Mom". I told him we are home but if he wanted to go inside by himself he could; and he did. Ainsley is not in the picture because she crashed at 6:30 right before the fireworks. Our New Years Eve ended with banana splits at 7:30 and Esther and Henry in bed by 8pm. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and a happy New Year. May this year be even better than the last with more trips to the zoo, a back yard finished, and no morning naps.

I leave this post with a few pictures of Christmas light in our neighborhood.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-19T14:10:00.008-07:00

I thought I better blog about Thanksgiving before Christmas gets here. We spent Thanksgiving in Saint George with Michael's parents. We braved the 7 1/2 hour drive but it was worth it. This was our attempt at family pictures. Some turned out bad....and some turned out better than expected.

We had a screaming time
With a trip to the Temple
And an afternoon of swimming with Grandpa

It was a great trip with much needed rest and relaxation.

What a Month

2011-11-03T15:49:00.006-07:00

This last month was a busy one. My parents came for a visit at the beginning of October, we love it when they come. My dad and Michael went to work redoing some shelves in our pantry while my mom and I talked up a storm, well as least my mom did. I lost my voice the entire time they were here and it was not fun as all but that didn't stop us from having fun. We took the kids to an aquarium. Esther and Henry had so much fun it was hard to get them to take a nap when we got home. I wish I had taken more pictures but I did get a cute video, it is at the end of all the pictures.
After my parents left we had planned on potty training Henry. That makes potty training 2 kids in one year. Henry pick out his own underwear, potty stickers, potty seat, and treats. We made a count down chain to the potty day and talked and talked about going on the toilet. We even practiced running to the toilet the weekend before we got started. Michael had the 17th, 18th and 19th off so that gave us three days to get Henry potty trained.
Monday we spent the day in the kitchen so we wouldn't have any accidents on the carpet. He drank and drank and drake a ton of juice and then it started coming out. He had 10 accidents between 9am-noon. My kitchen floor was getting very clean but Henry kept forgetting to tell us he needed to go potty. I would say "Henry tell Mommy when you need to go potty" he would say "OK" and then pee on the floor. The next morning we have a little talk. I had purchased a couple of match box cars for when he would poo in the toilet but that was not the issue; he had no problem going poo in the toilet it was the pee. I made him a deal. I would give him a car at the end of the day if he did not pee on the floor. He had one accident later that day and did not get the car and that was the ticket. The next day no accidents and he started telling me when he needed to go. He received 4 cars total and has not had an accident since. He loves his new underwear and I love not having 2 kids in diapers.
We had a great Halloween this year. Henry was supposed to go as a lion but wouldn't wear the costume so a quick trip to the fabric store to make a cape. Esther was the cutest witch ever and Ainsley was a fish. It was definitely a new experience trick or treating in shorts and sandals. Here in Arizona everyone sits out on their porch or in the driveway and hands out candy. It is like having a big block party.
The weather was perfect around 75-80 degrees. We went trick or treating for about an hour and have enough candy to feed a small army. Henry and Esther keep asking when we are going trick-or-treating again.

October has come and gone and I feel like Ainsley does here in this picture. I hope November is a little less busy. I am sure it won't be since we are trying to get the yard done by Christmas, the garage needs to be organized, I want to paint the kitchen, and of course all the normal day to day stuff that goes on with a 3yr old, 2yr old, and a 9th month old running around. But I am looking forward to cooler weather and more time spent outside.

Here is a video of Esther and Henry at the aquarium

Tug-A-War

2011-09-16T14:58:00.001-07:00

Cool Tricks Cool Tricks

2011-09-16T14:51:00.002-07:00

Our Utah vacation

2011-09-07T14:44:00.015-07:00

This last August we spent two weeks in Utah visiting family and friends. Our first stop was Grandma and Grandpa in Saint George.

Since Michael's parents were unable to come to our house for Esther's birthday we had a birthday celebration at their house. Don't you love the grin; I think she was just happy to be out of the car.

While in Saint George we went swimming at the city center.

After a couple of days in Saint George we drove to Fairview Utah to spend time with my family.

After a fun filled weekend camping with my family we drove to Lehi to stay with my sister Carrie

Esther and Henry had fun playing on the swings with their cousins Roxie and Peter. This is Esther and Peter on the swings.
Esther discovered dressing up with her cousin Roxie. She is wearing two tutus'
Of course we had to see Heather and her family while we were in Utah. It is always fun to get together.

And of course a good run around with uncle Thomas and Aunt Laura

Ainsley with Aunt Laura

We didn't forget to get some reading in.
Our trip wouldn't be complete without a visit with Debbi, Monica, and Meslissa. We love you guys.

We had a great time in Utah and enjoyed visiting with everyone. We hope to see you all next year or come visit us if you want to make it sooner.

Swim Lessons take 2

2011-07-10T14:58:00.005-07:00

As you can see there has been much improvement. Esther and Henry just completed 4 weeks of swim lessons and did great(once the crying stopped). They cried the whole first week but after that they started to get a hang of things. Swim lessons were Mon-Thur for 30min. They can't totally swim on their own yet but that will come with age. They are totally comfortable around the pool and I am more comfortable swimming with them. It is so much more fun to go swimming with Esther and Henry because they love the water and have a great time practicing what they learned. We still watch them like a hawk when they are around the pool or in the water. We will continue swim lessons next year.

Blackmail

2011-07-10T14:52:00.002-07:00

I am sure when Henry and Esther are in their teens we will use these videos to embarrass them or threaten to embarrass them. I just love the 2 and 3 year old meltdowns.

Some cute pictures

2011-07-10T14:40:00.005-07:00

Ainsley looking cute. It is hard to believe she is going to be 6months on the 19th.

We had a flat tire on the mini van so we had to move the car seats to the Camry so Esther and Henry could get to swim lessons. Then the car seats were moved inside for day till we put them back in the mini van. Here is Henry and Ainsley(who is sitting in Esther's car seat) watching TV together.

Possible Olympic Diver?

2011-06-23T14:05:00.002-07:00

Ainsley's Firsts

2011-06-23T13:59:00.003-07:00

Ainsley got to try out the pool for the first time yesterday. The Temp was around 113 degrees outside so we went swimming to cool off; she didn't cry.
This was her first attempt at baby food. I feed her some rice cereal and carrots. Neither one she cared for.

Day 1 of swim lessons

2011-06-15T13:54:00.001-07:00

We will have to see if they are still crying after 8 days.

Not what one wants in their kitchen

2011-06-15T13:21:00.007-07:00

This is what I found in our kitchen Monday night, yes a scorpion. The joys of living in Arizona. It was around 10pm or so, I was walking into our very dim lit kitchen heading toward the pantry when I saw something on the floor. At first I thought it was a piece of paper left by the kids and just as I was about the step over it my brain kicked in. I stepped back taking a closer look and it was exactly what I was hoping to never come across in my kitchen, a scorpion. It was about 2in long which the smaller they are the more poisonous they are. I quickly ran up stairs to get Michael. We both headed back down stairs with Michael having a shoe in his hand. With one quick Whack that was the end of the scorpion. Since then we have found 2 large dead cockroaches, one in the kitchen and one in the front room. The next day the bug man was called; he just finished spraying. It still creeps me out.

Birthday BOY

2011-06-06T14:31:00.020-07:00

Yesterday was Henry's Birthday. Here is a little tribute to Henry. Sorry the pictures didn't want to go in order.
Henry is a little clumsy he tends to fall a lot. Here he is with a bruise between his eyes and one over his eye brow and a small black eye.

Henry has always loved tools and putting things together and taking them apart.

He still has his blond hair and it usually is sticking straight up.
He loves this firetruck and still rides it all over the house.

Henry was and is a very cute little boy though getting not so little.

The Party
Henry loves cars, trucks, airplanes, and helicopters so that was the theme of his party.

A birthday cake fit for a two year old. Michael's family joined us to celebrate Henry's birthday. Michael's parents have been staying with us for the past couple of weeks.

I printed pictures of cars, trucks, trains, and airplanes and put them on the walls the night before so it would be a surprise in the morning. He was so excited when he saw the pictures he couldn't stop talking about them. I also blew up balloons and put them in his room while he was sleeping but that didn't go so well. The sun comes up at 5am here. He woke up and the balloons scared him so he started crying. He wouldn't go back to sleep so his birthday started at 5am.
Of course we went swimming.
Henry's favorite things to eat are peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and french fries. So that was what we had for dinner

Henry got a new bike from mommy and daddy, books and a fire fighter hat from the Kirby's(Michael's sister family) and a fire truck toy and car toy from grandma and grandpa. Michael's mom also made him a new blanket that has tractors on it. He had to take the hat, the fire truck toy and the new blanket all to bed with him last night.

Continuation of the tribute

When he is doing something he is not supposed to he says "look a me, look a me." I tried to get it on video, this was as close as I could get.

What we love about Henry,
Henry loves his blanket(not pictured). Ever since we moved here he has become attached to his blanket. He has to have it when he watches TV and when he reads books. It has to be over his legs and all straightened out. He does not like to share it. When it is not over his legs it is in his mouth. It has food all over it most of the time and usually some blood. He has a melt down when it goes in the washer. Henry is the filling in our Oreo cookie(the blond between the 2 browns). He can be absolutely adorable and crabby all at the same time. He is our alarm clock; always the first to get up(usually around 6am). He is his father's son and his mommy's little boy. We love you Henry. Happy Birthday.

That isn't dirt!!!

2011-05-04T14:07:00.003-07:00

After Henry and Esther have their bath at night I let them run around naked for a little while to dry off. Well the other night after the bath while they were running around naked I got distracted with Ainsley and Michael was trying to put lotion on Esther Henry comes to me with something on his fingers. At first I thought it was dirt from the window because I know he was looking out the window and playing in the dirt that sits between the glass and the screen. Well it wasn't dirt. Scroll down

Wait for it.

You guessed it. He took a dump on the carpet right in front of the window. It was poo on his fingers. That is my boy. Michael ran for the camera while I cleaned Henry up. Just love children.

Talking with Ainsley

2011-05-04T14:03:00.001-07:00

It is all fun and games till......

2011-04-22T15:44:00.002-07:00

This is usually how it goes at our house.

Ainsley at 3 months

2011-04-22T15:16:00.009-07:00

Ainsley turned 3 months old this last Tuesday. She is a very good baby and is very patient and mild mannered, which helps since Esther and Henry are both battling the terrible 2's these days. Everyday she smiles more and makes us laugh. She is not sleeping through the night yet but is a great sleeper through all the screaming, yelling and chasing that Henry and Esther love to do. Here are a few more things about Ainsley.
Ainsley loves to have staring contests with monkeys and she usually wins.

She is perfectly happy hanging out on the floor kicking her feet.
She has the great and powerful bald spot on the back of her head. Rumor has it that if you kiss the bald spot you will have good luck.
Other than the bald spot she has lots of brown hair that has one spot right on top that sticks straight up.
She loves Esther except when Esther is talking too loud right in her face.
She loves Henry and he loves her except when she wakes up and we have to stop playing and come inside.
She still has her baby blues. I wonder if her eyes will stay blue or go brown like mine.

Pooling no Fooling

2011-04-04T15:39:00.012-07:00

Since the temperature has been in the mid 90's for the last couple of days we decided it was time to get in the pool, kind of. This last Friday April 1st was our first swim day. The big pool is still a little chilly for the kids so I bought them a little pool till the big pool gets warmer. Michael, after cleaning the pool, decided it was time to jump in(see video below). Once Daddy was in the pool Esther and Henry got brave enough to jump in or jump to Daddy. We got a bid for a pool gate and to redo the yard. Now we just need the government to give us our tax return to make it happen. It is supposed to get colder as this week goes on and hit a low of 64 degrees by this weekend, I may have to pull out the long sleeve shirts again. But I am sure we will be pooling again soon. We are also looking at buying an under water digital camera, won't that be fun. Now I just need to sign Esther and Henry up for swim lessons. Ainsley is not featured in the blog because she was napping the entire time we were swimming.

What have we been up to you ask?

2011-03-17T14:32:00.010-07:00

Here are a few things we have been doing the last two months. These pictures are in no particular order.

Getting into butt cream. I keep diaper rash cream in Henry's dresser. Esther and Henry found it and decided to paint themselves with it. Esther had it all over her face and Henry had it in his hair. We are taking on a whole new meaning to the phrase butt head.

Being a good older brother and showing Ainsley how to watch TV.

Helping Mom with the laundry.

Ridding our fire trucks outside.

Taking lots of naps.

Enjoying the new mini-van.

Getting our exercise.

And having a good laugh with a fly.

As you can see life has not been real busy. We have enjoyed visits from both Michal's parents and mine. We visited the zoo but forgot the camera. We have starting getting ready for the summer. Michael has spent the last couple of days getting the pool clean and ready for swimming. Esther and Henry can't wait till the pool is warm enough to go swimming, until then we will continue to enjoy the very warm but not yet hot weather.

Ainsley at home

2011-02-16T13:34:00.006-07:00

Ainsley is 4 weeks old today. Michael has assumed his daddy role and naps when she naps. Esther and Henry continue to love their new sister. Henry loves to share his blanket with Ainsley and Esther loves to help change her diaper.

Here is Ainsley in her blessing dress. We blessed her this last Sunday since my parents were here for a visit. Michael's mom made the dress and did a wonderful job.

She is a good baby and very cute. She is starting to give smiles every once in awhile.

Welcome Baby Ainsley Elizabeth

2011-01-23T14:35:00.003-07:00

Born 1/19/2011. The delivery went well. We are glad she is finally here. Esther and Henry love her and fight over who gets to hold her first. We are excited to get to know this new little addition to our family.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-04T14:00:00.006-07:00

Christmas always comes in shift for us depending on work schedules. Michael had to work Christmas day so for our little family Christmas morning was done on the 24th of December. Santa brought Henry a work bench and Esther a play kitchen. We had the privilege of having Michael's family come for Christmas this year. Michael's brother Thomas and his wife Laura got up early so that they could share Christmas morning with us.

As part of the work bench came a couple of tools. Henry felt he had to use his saw to open his presents.

Debbi, Monica and Melissa (neighbors and friends from Utah) sent Esther and Henry dust monsters. It is a dusting mitt that has a face sewn onto it. I can't wait for them to help mommy with the dusting.

Ikea was sold out of the bottom half of the kitchen set so Esther just received the top on Christmas morning.

She also got a tea set

Playing with power tools

Christmas Eve night we got together with the rest of Michael's family for dinner and a gift exchange.

We gave Michael's dad a BYU Snuggie which came in very handy when they got stuck in a snow storm heading back to Utah.

Another Christmas had come and gone. This was a hard Christmas for me. It was hard to get in the mood when I was still trying to unpack and get settled. It did feel a little funny without any snow too. I also realized this is the first Christmas that I was not at my parent's house for Christmas Eve. I guess it is time to start some new traditions. We love you all and miss everyone not here with us.

Our House

2011-01-01T14:45:00.009-07:00

I know it has taken me a long time to post pictures of the house. I was waiting till it was more put together and a little cleaner but then I realized it is never going to happen. Picking up the toys has come to a stand still since it is hard for me to bend down these days and Esther and Henry just dump out what I do pick up. So Here is our house.
This is Henry's room. He loves birds right now so we put a little tree in his room with birds. Just outside his window is our front yard and two tall trees. Most days there are a few finches playing in the trees, which he loves to watch.

This will be Ainsley's room. As you can see the crib is still waiting to be put together. Ainsely's room is right next to Henry's room.

This is Esther's room. We haven't put her blinds up yet. There is a drape covering the window so it seems very dark. We also haven't gotten her a bed yet. We know which one we want to get we just need to borrow Michael's sisters minivan to get it.

This is the loft/playroom. It is always messy. It is just to the left when you come up the stairs.

This is what Esther and Henry got for Christmas. A play Kitchen and a tool bench.

The next couple of pictures are the master bedroom. We don't have official window coverings for our bedroom yet. The bedroom has two sections to it. This is on the right when you walk in the door.

This picture did not turn out the best but this is moving to the other half of our bedroom.

This is still our bedroom. This is on the left when you walk in the door and just to the left of the couch are two doors. One is the bathroom and the other is the closet. I did not take a picture of the bathroom, sorry.

This is our walk-in closet. We don't have enough hangers because my maternity clothes are occupying some and I don't want to buy more hangers so my scrubs are on the floor.

Here is the kids bathroom which is right next door to Esther's bedroom.

This is the front room. The little patch of tile on the right is where the front door is.

When you walk in the door the front room is on the right and the formal dinning room(which we will have as an office/den) is on the left.

Office/den

Here is the view from the front door. There is a half wall behind the couch which leads into the guest bedroom. Right now it does not have a door but we plan on putting a french door there soon. The door to the right behind the half wall is the half bath.

Guest bedroom.

Family room.

Messy family room/Kitchen

Kitchen. I took this picture when the kitchen was as picked up as it gets. The door leads to the pantry and washer/dryer. From there, is another door to the garage.

THE POOL

The backyard dirt. The backyard needs an overhaul. It is mostly dirt or sand. We plan on putting in grass and a swing set.

The putting green next to the dirt. I guess the people who lived here before liked to golf.

Here is a picture of the pool from the sliding door in the guest bedroom. I hope you liked the tour of our house. If you would like to see more you will have to come for a visit.

The plumbing

2010-12-08T19:48:00.004-07:00

It has been a roller coaster couple of days. On Saturday the plumber that our home warranty wanted to come came. He looked around to see if he could figure out why we didn't have cold water in our kitchen and to the washer. After about half an hour he felt like it was a clog in the line or the line was pinched. But here is the kicker, all the plumbing from the main in AZ is run in the cement slab foundation. So his suggestion was to jack hammer our kitchen floor and garage to find the problem with thousands of dollars, and after a phone call to the home warranty company with his findings they won't cover the cost because they feel it is a preexisting condition. After a few tears were shed and an ulcer created with stress we got a second opinion. Second plumber, 4 hours and 300 dollars later problem solved. We had to cut a few holes in the drywall in the pantry but who cares. The problem was the cold water running off the main by the water heater had some previous repair work done and the plumber who did the work shoved what looked like a paper towel in the pipe, for a temporary reason, but then forgot to remove it and it cloged the line. Michael and I were so excited that it was only 300 dollars and not 3 thousand that we took the kids out for ice cream. On a side note the refigerater finally got delivered on Tuesday so we are doing great. Now the only problem is the TV. We took it to a repair place and they quoted 500 dollars to repair it. Michael decided to order the part off the internet and fix it himself. Part came Monday but the TV still will not work. I guess we now have to buy a new TV. But it will have to wait a while. Esther needs a bed first.

We finally made it.

2010-12-02T20:56:00.003-07:00

With much anticipation we finally are in our new house. There have been many ups and downs so far. We signed paperwork on the Friday before Thanksgiving but the money did not fund until that following Monday, that is when we got the keys. We had the carpets cleaned that Monday and our storage container with all our stuff was supposed to be delivered that day too. Well the truck that brings the container broke and they could not get it delivered till Friday. We were not happy but what can you do. So we spent the week buying a washer, dryer, refrigerator, microwave and a dishwasher. We were not expecting to buy a dishwasher but when I was cleaning the kitchen I noticed the dishwasher had water sitting in the bottom of it. It smelt like rotten eggs. We tried running a cycle but it just leaked water and still did not drain. We bought the washer, dryer, and refrigerator from Home Depot because they were doing black Friday sale prices all week. The problem with that is they are selling a ton of appliances and the delivery is backed-up. The washer and dryer were delivered on the 30th, but when the delivery guys went to install it we discovered that the cold water is not working. We knew we did not have cold water in the kitchen, not sure why. The washer will not work if the cold water is not turned on. We have cold water for the rest of the house. So we had to call a plumber and of course can't come out till Saturday. Till then I will keep wearing the same pair of pants. The refrigerator can't be delivered till the 7th so we are using our deep freezer as a fridge. We have it on the lowest setting and we plug it in for a couple of hours at a time. We leave it unplugged at night or everything starts to freeze, we do have a thermometer in the freezer to make sure it does stay cold enough. I know it sounds crazy but if you could have seen Henry's face lit up when he saw his crib in his bedroom it has been worth it. He and Esther have been sleeping in pack-n-plays in the same room at Michael's sister's house, I think he was getting tired of Esther's middle of the night chit chat sessions. We are trying to get unpacked and settled in. Esther and Henry have been enjoying the warm weather. It has been around 65-70 degrees during the day and 50's at night. We have had to turn the heat on at night. We have been to the park several times. I will include pictures as soon as I find the cable to down load the camera.

SOLD

2010-10-20T19:06:00.003-07:00

We finally sold the house and are set to close on the 8th of November. Michael is going to fly in on the 3rd to help pack up the house. We will sign papers on the 8th then load in the car and drive to Saint George that day. We will spend the night in Saint George with Michael's parents then drive the rest of the way to Arizona. We don't have a house yet. I am going to leave the kids here with my mom for 2 days next week fly to Arizona and pick out a house with Michael. We will stay with Michael's sister till we close on a house there. We are hoping to be into our new home by Thanksgiving. We are very excited and can't wait to be together again and start our new life in Arizona. We will miss all our friends and family here in Utah. Utah will always be home for me and I plan to visit a lot.

Trying to catch up

2010-10-03T12:56:00.004-07:00

Forgive me father for I have sinned. It has been 4 months since my last blog entry.
What can I say other than it has been a crazy summer. It all began back in May. I was looking forward to a relaxing and fun summer. With the adoption of Esther in July 2008 and the birth of Henry in June 2009 came more house renovations to accommodate such children blessings. So the last two summers lacked that great summer fun. I was determined that nothing was going to ruin this summer. I wanted to spend time at the pool with the kids and do very little work on the house. My plans changed before summer even got here. At the beginning of May Michael and I decided that it was in our best interest to make a move to Arizona. This was not an easy decision and I won't go into all the details but that this is something we are supposed to do. With that decision I knew my summer was gone. It meant that the rest of the house projects would need to be finished in order to put the house up for sale. The week after we decided to move I found out I was pregnant. Now I really knew my summer was long gone. This meant 2-3 months of morning sickness. So between house projects and the pregnancy, life has been a little busy. Michael started his job back in August and I am still here in Utah waiting for the house to sell. We continue to wait till we can be together again and start a new life in Mesa, AZ where I will leave Utah winter and have more summer to maybe enjoy. We are way excited to add another baby to our clan in January. I will try to keep everyone updated on the house and when we make the actual move to Arizona.

Henry's First birthday

2010-06-20T12:58:00.004-07:00

On June 7th we celebrated Henry's first birthday. I can't believe a whole year has gone by. We did a dutch oven dinner in the back yard with a few friends and family.

Henry' s Birthday Cake

2010-06-20T12:34:00.002-07:00

Esther enjoying some of Henry's cake.

Walking?

2010-05-18T13:11:00.003-07:00

This last Saturday Henry walked. He took his first official steps on his own. We were at a friends house, Henry was playing in the kitchen just hanging onto the cabinets when all of a sudden he decided to walk(about 8 steps)to our friend. We were so excited. Michael and I are sad that it wasn't to one of us but at least we were both there to see it. Michael was working when Esther took her first steps. Here is a very short video of Henry walking. sometimes he gets too excited and has a hard time getting his balance before he takes off so he still falls a lot. I bet by his first birthday we will have another walking in the house.

Mother's Day

2010-05-18T12:59:00.005-07:00

Here is what I received for mother's day. Michael got me a very huge bouquet of flowers and Esther made a service card in nursery. I was so excited about the card from Esther. I remember giving a card like to my mom for mother's day. It made me feel more like a mother than anything else on that day. We will see if I get my kiss and huge though. It is a rare occasion to get a kiss from Esther, unless you are the doll she is constantly carrying around.

Saint George May

2010-05-09T13:53:00.002-07:00

Since Michael has some time off we thought it would be fun to get out of the cold and take a trip to Saint George and visit Michael's parents. We left after church on the 2nd. The drive was very pleasant on the way down and the kids were angels in the car to both of our surprise. That night I was a little worried that we would have some sleeping issues from Henry and Esther since they were in a new place but to my surprise again they both slept through the night without a peep. On Monday we just hung out at the house. I was excited for Monday night baths because the kids would get to bath in a real bathtub and not the kitchen sink. Well it did not go so well. They both hated it. I got the water a little to hot and that turned them off to the whole idea of the tub. Even after we cooled the water neither one of them liked the tub. I was very sad. On Tuesday Michael and I attended a session at the temple while the kids took there afternoon naps. On Wednesday we took the kids to the library where they have a water fountain and a little stream to play in. It was about 85 degrees and gorgeous. Henry and Esther had a blast. Esther just jumped right in the fountain and as you can see got soaked. I wasn't sure Henry would like the water. At first he did not want to put his feet in but once he did he wanted to sit down and splash. Esther had a great time following the other kids up and down the stream. On Wednesday Michael's mom took us shopping for kids clothes. Esther was wearing shorts and fell on the sidewalk and got her first official skinned knee. Later that day we went back to play in the water at the library. On Thursday we packed the car and came home. We didn't have as much luck in the car this time. Henry and Esther cried from about Payson till we pulled the the drive way. Esther would cry for a bit then take a breath while Henry cried and visa versa. It was a long drive home but it was worth it.

Time for Bed

2010-05-09T13:42:00.001-07:00

Here is the response we get when we tell Esther and Henry it is time for bed.

Graham crackers and Chocolate

2010-05-09T13:40:00.001-07:00

Here is what happens with graham crackers and chocolate.

Surgery?

2010-03-06T19:22:00.004-07:00

It has been a couple of crazy days. It all started on Thursday morning. Henry had just finished drinking his bottle and was sitting on my lap when I noticed a red spot on the left side of his jaw just below his ear. Not only was it red but it was a huge lump. Henry has had a runny nose for the the last couple of days but nothing serious. We decided to call our pediatrician and get it looked at. After two hours in the Doctors office, later that day, Henry was found to have strep throat and our pediatrician wanted him to see an ear, nose and throat Doctor about the large cyst on his neck. So the next morning at the ENT office it was decided to be a very large puss filled cyst that needed to surgically drained. Yes, surgery at 8am the next morning. So we got up at 5am this morning to be at the hospital at 6am so they could operate at 8am. Through all this Henry has been a good sport.
Here is what the cyst looked like on Thursday.

Here is Henry in his snazzy hospital gown.

Here is what the cyst looked like right before surgery. It had grown noticeably in size since Thursday.

This was taken after the surgery and after Henry finally got something to eat.

Michael was able to go in and watch the surgery since he is an employee of the hospital and he loves to watch big zits explode. I did not want to see the surgery. Michael said the Dr. made a small incision and puss came oozing out. Then the Dr. squeezed it and more came out. The surgery took all of 5 min. Henry got a shot of antibiotics at the Dr.s office and after the surgery and is on an antibiotic at home. He is doing well a little crabby but I don't blame him. We just have to change the dressing on his neck for the next couple of days and hope that this is the end of his big zit. Esther through all this has had a great time because she has spent the last 2 days with Grandpa(my dad)and has loved it.

How to get tapioca pudding out of the microwave.

2010-03-01T13:59:00.002-07:00

I had to buy tapioca pudding this weekend for a plum crisp that I was making for a family get together. This morning I thought since I have left over tapioca I would make some. It has been years since I have had tapioca pudding and I have never made it before. Keep in mind this is instant tapioca so it can't be that hard. I read the directions and decide to try the microwave recipe. I put all the ingredients in a bowl and stir it up. The bowl I am using is a little small but it is the only glass bowl I have clean at the moment, it will be OK. I am supposed to cook it for 10-12 min stirring every 3 min. I put it in the microwave set the timer and go down stairs where Esther is, Henry is napping. After a couple of minute I return upstairs to stir and then return back down stairs. Do you see where this is going. After a couple more minute I return back upstairs and open the microwave to reveal tapioca everywhere. The bowl that I thought would be OK was of course way to small and all the tapioca boiled out all over. I have to use oven mitts to get the bowl out of the microwave and wait till the tapioca cooled before I can start the clean up. After about 15 min I return back to the microwave. I pull out the glass plate which drips all over the floor as I move it to the sink. Then I have a brilliant idea. I will just scoop all the tapioca out onto a plate. Of course as I am pushing it out of the microwave onto the plate it runs all down the microwave into cracks that I have no idea how I am going to get it out. Then the piece that the glass revolving platter sits on has tapioca underneath it so I just pull it out. Now there is tapioca inside the inside of the microwave. Finally after 20 minutes of cleaning I get most of the tapioca taken care of. The kitchen smells like tapioca and I don't have any to eat. I return downstairs to find Esther licking the mouse to the computer. This is just how my days go and today it just 10am.

11:30
I am fixing lunch for Esther and Henry who are not the most patient kids when it comes to food. Sometimes if a need a moment to get things ready I give them gold fish crackers. In the past I have given Henry half of one but Michael gave him a whole one the other day and he did just fine, do you see where this is going. I give him a whole one and he does just fine so lunch continues. After about 20 minutes Esther starts throwing her food on the floor so get her down which produces an outburst. I give Henry another gold fish to keep him busy while I deal with Esther. Now Henry is very sensitive to textures and has gaged/coughed before but nothing real serious. So of course this time he didn't chew enough and starts to choke. I encourage him to keep coughing but this time he starts to go dusky, thank goodness I know the Heimlich. With Esther continuing her fit and Henry going blue I give one quick thrust to his back and out comes the goldfish. After tears and noses are wiped everyone is back to their happy selves. I can't wait to see what the rest of the day has instore.

PS. I have lost my cell phone

A hint of spring

2010-02-24T19:23:00.003-07:00

As many of you know we have a tangerine tree in our house and we are very fortunite to have it bloom twice in the last 6 month. Right now there are about 5 blossoms opened and our back room smells like a tropical island. In a couple of days more will open and the sweet smell can be smelt through the entire first floor. I love to just sit on the couch in the sun and take in the smell. It makes me long for spring even more. If you would like to come for a visit you might just catch the sweet frangrance.

New Pictures

2010-02-19T13:55:00.003-07:00

We had family pictures taken after christmas. Here is a small sample.

New Rooms

2010-02-04T19:17:00.003-07:00

We have always planned on switching Esther and Henry's rooms. The plan was to finish the basement, before Henry came, then move Esther into the old guest bedroom and Henry into her bedroom. Well the basement took a lot longer than planed so non of the above happened. It has been bothering me for quite some time so, a couple of weeks ago I decided to just get it done. I moved Henry into the new guest bedroom so that we could finish mudding walls and painting. Then Esther was moved into that room. Next Esther's old room was painted blue for Henry. Now all the cute decorations that I purchased months ago are up and everyone is in the correct room. It has been great and such a relief that it is finally done. Esther's room still needs the floor refinished along with our bedroom floor but it has to wait till it is warmer and we can have the windows open all day.

Why 2 kids are better than 1

2010-01-23T15:54:00.002-07:00

It is so much fun to have two children. I know that once Henry becomes mobile the fun will only get better. Henry and Esther will have such a blast chasing each other around.

Eating buddies

2009-12-06T14:52:00.005-07:00

I have been feeding Henry solid foods for a month or so now and he has really taken a liking to it, mostly because of Esther. Henry wants to do everything Esther is doing. If I am feeding Esther and Henry is watching he cries till he gets some food too. So we decided it was time to buy Henry his own feeding chair. We bought the same chair as Esther's just a different color. Henry gets so excited when I put him in his chair. Esther is not too happy about the whole thing. Solid food was her thing and she does not like having to wait while I give him a bite. Henry is a little more gracious and patient with food. Come on, we have all seen Esther eat.

The Aliens have landed!

2009-11-23T19:18:00.003-07:00

My house has been overtaken by Aliens! They drool all over the house and emit smells that can not be explained. They have an intoxicating giggle that makes me do what ever they want and only feed them candy. I think they have taken over my brain. They keep me up all hours of the night and expect me to feed and entertain them. I guess I will just have to love them and hope that one day they will depart from my house.

What's in her mouth?

2009-11-11T18:13:00.002-07:00

Here is a list of things Esther has eaten or put in her mouth.(most of these were just today)

Rocks, leaves, dirt, bark, dry wall, lint, toilet paper, dirty socks, shoes, old food off the floor, Henry's toes, my toes, Michael's toes, flowers, steer manure, dandelion seeds, and dog poo. We do keep an eye on her but she is fast. Esther will eat anything once and sometime twice.

Halloween 09

2009-11-05T10:08:00.004-07:00

Here are a few photos from this years Halloween party. Michael had to work so my dad helped out as papa bear in Goldi Locks and the Three Bears. We held the party on Halloween. We ate soup and then the cousins went trick or treating.

Saint George

2009-11-05T09:56:00.003-07:00

We went to visit Michael's parents two weeks ago. Saint George is always a fun trip for us. We don't do much while we are there and that is what makes it the best. We read, catch up on sleep, enjoy Grandma and Grandpa, and do a lot of cooking. We were also there to celebrate Michael's dads birthday. For his birthday we made a shadow box spotlighting him running in the Saint George Marathon this October.

How we clean the floors

2009-09-24T20:36:00.002-07:00

It is not always easy to entertain a 13 month and a 3 month at the same time. Sometimes I place both kids on a blanket and pull them around. It makes great entertainment and I get my floors dusted at the same time.

Old man winter?

2009-09-24T20:33:00.003-07:00

With fall approaching old man winter has started to make his appearance. Henry had just finished eating and fell asleep with the burp cloth still around his chin. It looks like he is a very old man with a white beard.

Oregon 2009

2009-08-20T09:52:00.001-07:00

Oregon 2009

2009-08-20T09:44:00.003-07:00

We finally made it to Oregon. Many of you know that Michael and I booked this trip for last year but then Esther came and the trip was rescheduled. We had originally rescheduled it for June but then Henry came and the trip was again rescheduled for August. The trip came after a very busy couple of weeks and was so needed. We took the trip with our great friends Mark and Tallie Menzie, and their two boys Luke 5, and Hank 2 1/2. We flew into Seattle because the Menzies live in Tacoma. We were going to hook up with them and then all drive to the coast together. Henry and Esther did pretty good on the flight, the trouble was getting through the airport with 2 kids that don't walk. Thank goodness Michael's sister Jennifer was flying home that same morning so she helped us get checked in. On Monday we took the scenic coastal route to get to Oregon and it was beautiful. On Tuesday we decided even though it was on the colder side we would venture to the beach. I didn't think Esther would care for the Sand or the water since it was cold, I was wrong. She loved the sand and the cold water. She even loved to eat the sand. The next day we spent at the beach house relaxing and catching up on sleep. Michael did go down to the beach and flew kits with Mark. He said he felt like a kid again. That night Mark and Tallie offered to watch the kids while Michael and I went of for our Anniversary. We found a very nice place in town that served amazing food. It was nice to get away for a moment. If you forgot Michael and I celebrated 10 years this year. How time has flown by and how things have changed over this last year.
On Thursday it was nice and sunny so we spent the afternoon at the beach again. On Friday just the McNeilis spent the day at the local aquarium. Esther loved all the fish. Henry slept through most of it. Saturday we packed the car and started the drive back to Tacoma. We had such a great time and the house we rented could not have been more perfect. I hope that we have many more vacations like this one.

Thomas and Laura's wedding day

2009-08-18T11:19:00.005-07:00

Thomas (Michael's brother) got married on August 8th in the SLC temple. Michael did the cake as a wedding present for Thomas and Laura. The ceremony was wonderful and sweet. The reception was at Thanksgiving Point. The picture of Esther and Henry is blurry because they were dancing together and movement comes out blurry. Esther had a blast dancing with Daddy and Michael's dad. We love Laura and are glad that she has chosen to join the McNeilis family.

Henry's Blesssing

2009-08-18T11:11:00.003-07:00

Since Michael's parents were in town for Thomas's wedding we decided to bless Henry on Sunday August 2nd. The day was wonderful. The blessing was a great experience. It is a rare occasion that one family gets to bless 2 children in the same year without the kids being twins. After church our friends and family joined us for a luncheon at our house. Here is Henry in his cut blessing outfit.

Watching TV

2009-08-18T11:00:00.003-07:00

Henry loves to watch the TV. He is here with Michael's mom enjoying a show. A quick update on Henry. At his 2 month appointment he weighed 12 pounds 1 ounce. He is the smiliest baby I know. He just loves to smile at strangers and talk his baby talk, I just wish he would sleep longer periods. His hair has a red hue to it. Michael was a red head when he was a baby. Henry's eyes have turn a pretty deep blue we will have to see if they stay that way.

The day in the life of 2 kids still in diapers

2009-08-18T10:53:00.002-07:00

This is what our back door looks like after a couple of days. We place 2-3 diapers in these bags and then they get put by the back door till we have time to take them to the garbage. Sometimes it is a day or two before they actually find themselves in the garbage. I think I counting about 15 bags and each one has about three diapers in it, you do the math.
I thought I would add this last picture. My mom came over a couple of times to watch the kids while Michael and I finished the basement. Here is Henry and my Mom enjoying a afternoon nap.

4th of July

2009-08-18T10:48:00.002-07:00

Michael's sister Jennifer and her family joined us for the 4th of July. Here are pictures of Ethan and Connor enjoying their new nephew, Henry.

Can I help you?

2009-07-06T09:53:00.002-07:00

Esther loves being the big sister and helping with Henry. Here she is helping him get in the car seat for Church. They are becoming best friends.

First bath

2009-07-06T09:50:00.003-07:00

Here are pictures of Henry having his first tub bath. He liked it as much as Esther did at first, lots of crying at first. Here is a picture of after the bath sleeping with daddy.

A pot of gold

2009-06-12T08:59:00.002-07:00

Life could not be any sweeter right now. Everyone is doing well. We are adjusting to Henry and his schedule. The first night home was a little rough. Henry was fussy most the night and I think he has a little reflux so we have been placing him upright to sleep and he has been a lot better. He will sleep for 5 hours sometimes and I have had to wake him up to eat. Our Dr. wants us to wait a week and see if the reflux continues before prescribing and medicine. Henry also thinks his cheeks are big, as you can see he likes to squeeze them too. Esther is adjusting to baby brother. She is having some jealous moments. Sometimes when Michael or I pick up Henry she will throw a little fit. Who knew at 10 months she would be jealous. She does not wake up at night when he cries and I am greatful for that. As far as myself, I am doing great. I feel wonderful and loving not being pregnant anymore. No more heartburn, I can bend down to pick Esther up, I have ankles back, and I have much more energy. I am loving life right now. I hope that this is not just the honeymoon stage. Yesterday as it was raining a rainbow appeared. It was the most gorgous rainbow I have everseen and I just feel so blessed in my life right now. I feel like I have found my pot of gold.

He's Here

2009-06-08T09:29:00.007-07:00

Kathryn woke up about 630 on Sunday Morning with a gush. Her water had not totally broken on the spot but it was running like a Garden hose. Kathryn also began having contractions that were stronger then she had ever had, strong enough to stop her in her tracks. When we checked in she was still only dilated to a 2+ so after a few checks they started her on pitosin to move things along. Here is a pic of her with her ipod going getting a little shut eye just after they started the epidural.

About 130 or so things started getting rolling and Kathryn started the great push It lasted until about 330 when Henry made his much anticipated debut. He weighed in at a new Russon Family record 8 pounds 1 ounce, 19 1/2 inches long.

He deffinately has some of Michael's features as well as that recognizable russon Chin (or lack there of)

Henry update

2009-06-05T12:54:00.002-07:00

I had my last Dr.'s visit today. The plan is as follows. If I don't go into labor on my own by Sunday then I am to be induced. I will get a call Sunday somewhere from 2-8pm asking me to come to the hospital where they will check me in. I will spend the night there and start my induction on Monday morning. It is good to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Henry has been very active and sometimes I think he is going to break my rib but, I guess he is too scared to come out. Maybe this Esther thing that keeps jumping on him scares him. So hopefully Henry will make his appearance on Monday or early Tuesday morning. I will keep everyone updated. Thanks for all you support and love.

No Henry yet and an update on the house

2009-05-29T10:26:00.002-07:00

Sorry these pictures aren't in order but I thought I would let you all know what the scoop is. Henry has not made his debut yet. We are ready for him as you can see by a second baby monitor. It almost brought tears to my eyes to think that I have 2 baby monitors. Since the basement is still not finished but making great progress the cradle has been put up in our bedroom and Henry's changing table set up in the family room. The car seat has been washed and is ready and waiting. We are hoping Henry will make his appearance early next week. I have been having some mild contractions. My Doctor thinks I will go before my due date on the 6th. The basement is coming along. Michael's parents have been here for almost 2 weeks helping out. We are almost ready to sheet rock the bedroom. The shower pan is almost done. The rock for the fireplace is here and waiting. We ordered carpet today and it should be here in about 2 weeks. So we have till then to finish everything. Michael is cutting the door for the new utility room today. I will try to include a picture later. We will try to keep everyone posted on Henry.

No Henry yet and an update on the house

2009-05-29T10:24:00.002-07:00

I swallowed a basket ball

2009-05-05T11:06:00.002-07:00

For those who don't live close and have asked what I look like at 8 months pregnant here is a glimpse. Henry and I are doing well. My due date is still June 6th, so just about a month. I am not sure we are ready for baby #2 but I not sure anyone is ever ready. I think Esther is ready for a playmate and a partner in crime. I think she will enjoy someone else in the back of the car with her.

Spring in Utah

2009-04-21T09:38:00.002-07:00

Here is what you get when you live in Utah. 70 degree weather one day and a foot of snow the next. These pictures were taken last Thursday April 16th. The snow melted by Saturday because it was then 60 degrees.

Easter 2009

2009-04-21T09:35:00.002-07:00

Here are a few pictures from the Annual Easter egg hunt at my parents house. The other picuters are of Esther and her new cousin peter.

Easter 2009

2009-04-21T09:32:00.001-07:00

St. George

2009-03-31T13:22:00.005-07:00

This last weekend Michael and our friend Adam rode in the Tour of Saint George. We left Friday morning the 27th around 8am. Esther handled the drive pretty well. She got a little fussy toward the end but I don't blame her. Michael's parents were so excited for us to come and to see Esther. And Esther is always excited when anyone dotes on her. The race was on Saturday. It was a 100 miles of beautiful St. George. We were supposed to meet Michael and Adam at the finish between 1:30-2:30pm. Michael's parents, Esther and I got there around 1:40. Michael or Adam were not there yet so we walked down the street and back. Then Esther ate a few gram crackers. She was using the wet wipe to cleaning herself up. Still no Michael. It was starting to get hot so we then played in the water fountain. Esther was getting tired and wasn't so sure about the water fountain. We waited till 3:15 and still no Michael or Adam. By this point Esther was really tired so we decided to go home and put her down for her nap. As soon as we walked in the door my phone range, it was Adam. He just finished the race but got separated from Michael and was wondering if I had seen him. I explained that we had waited but never did see Michael, I was a little worried at this point. Adam said he would get in the car and back track and see if he could see him and then call me. Adam texted me about 20 min later that Michael was still going and was about 45min from the finish. I guess it was a little harder than he thought. Michael finished about 4:15. He said that the first 60 miles were fun and the last 40 were brutal. Over all they had a good time. The trip was short but worth it. We all had a great time and already miss the nice weather.

2009-03-31T13:20:00.000-07:00

Saint George bike race

2009-03-31T13:18:00.002-07:00

What a week

2009-03-14T12:03:00.012-07:00

This last week was a long one. It all started actually the week before. I had been asked to speak in church last Sunday. I am not a fan of speaking in church, as most people aren't, but it was no huge stress, I had all week to prepare. I had most of the talk typed by Friday night and was planning on just finishing up early Saturday morning. At about one in the afternoon on Sat I finished and if I do say so it was an excellent talk. I went to save it for the last time and print it when our computer gave me a nice error and deleted the entire talk. After a small crying breakdown and a couple of deep breaths I called my dad. My Dad is the computer wizard and if anyone can figure where my talk went it was him. Well after an hour of trying, no talk. Of course Michael was working the entire weekend and Esther had developed a small cold the day before. After a small prayer and a few more tears of exhaustion because by now my back is hurting from sitting at the computer and being 6months pregnant, I put Esther down for her nap and started over. My only saving grace was that Friday night when I went to save my talk I accidentally hit print and the computer printed about two and a half pages before I canceled the print job. So not all was lost even though it felt like it. At about 6:30 that night I was finished. A couple of times when I tried to save my talk it started to give me that error message again so this time I just printed it every couple of paragraphs. Thank goodness we have one o'clock church. Then at nine that night Esther woke up coughing and sounded very congested. My plan was to have a neighbor watch her during sacrament meeting so that I could give my talk but now she was worse and I didn't dare take her to church. So I called my parents and made arrangements to have my dad come and sit at the house while I went to church. Sunday morning came and all was going well. Esther slept most the morning so I had plenty of time to get ready and read over my talk. My dad was supposed to be at my house at 12:45 so that I would have time to get to church. Well at 12:55 no dad. I am a little nervous by now and not sure what to do. Thankfully my neighbor had not left for church yet, so I called her and she ran over. I arrived to church just in time and there was my dad sitting on the back bench. I had talked to my mom on the phone and she relayed the message to my dad and he thought I wanted him to watch Esther at church but I needed someone at the house since she was sick. Anyway it all worked out. Someone was home with Esther and I had someone to listen to my talk since Michael was working. My talk went great. It was not too short, I was worried about filling my assigned 15 minutes. By the way my talk was on what lessons can we learn from the parable of the ten virgins, but the other person I was speaking with was assigned to speak on spiritual preparedness. So I focused on our physical preparedness through finances, food storage, and education. I know this is long but bear with me. Michael was home Monday, I had to work, and Esther continued to get more congested but was not running a fever. Monday night Michael got up with her at eleven and woke me up around one. Now she was not only congested but was wheezing and struggling to breath. So we decided not to wait any longer and ended up in the ER about 1:30. There she was suctioned out and was given an albuterol respiratory treatment and was tested for RSV. Esther's test came back positive, She has RSV. We were given a prescription so that if at any time we felt she needed to be suctioned and given a albuterol treatment we could just come to pediatrics and get a treatment. We got home around 3am and crashed. Esther slept most the day and we would suction her as best as we could at home. I did take he in Tuesday night around eight for a albuterol treatment but it did not seem to help a lot, which is very common. So all week we have been up at all hours with a coughing, wheezing, congested baby. Esther actually has been in a pretty good mood during the whole thing she just wakes up during the night because she can't breath. She did sleep through the entire night last night so I think she is doing better. I have been sick too. When adults get RSV it is just like having a cold but for babies it is a cold with more respiratory issues. Well thanks for listening. We are doing better and hopefully this will pass in another week and we will be back to our old selves.

More construction

2009-02-26T12:09:00.004-07:00

Well we are at it again. In order for the new baby to have his own room we need to move the guest bedroom from upstairs to downstairs, this means more renovation. We have a bedroom downstairs but it needs work. It has the original 1965 carpet and wood paneling. We have taken off the paneling and knocked out the wall that separated it from the utility room so that we can make it a little bit bigger. We are also planning on adding a bathroom. But of course that's not all. Since we are doing the bedroom we mind as well do the living room too since it needs new carpet anyway. We decided this would be a good time to tear out the old brick around the fireplace and replace it with a more updated look before putting in new carpet. My dad has been a great help with the demolition since I am no longer in a position to help. I now realize where I get my love for demolition and using a sledge hammer. The Russons may not be neat but we are fast.

2009-02-09T19:09:00.002-07:00

Michael asked me this morning if I felt any different now that we have been through the temple with Esther and I said that I felt more complete as a family and he said that was exactly how he felt. This last week was so wonderful I am having a little bit of withdrawal. Michael's mom was here all last week and she was so great at entertaining and helping with Esther that I think Esther and I are going through grandma withdraw. We will adjust in a day or two. Esther will remember how to entertain herself and I will adjust to being mom without a nanny. Michael's sister Jennifer was here for a couple of days too. We can't figure out how she got Esther to giggle so much. Family is always fun.

Happy Birthday to ME

2009-01-12T13:09:00.007-07:00

So I have been very anxious for this birthday. Not because I am now 31, going grey, and now having to mark the 31-40 age box but because we scheduled my 20 week ultrasound for this birthday. I could not wait to find out if peanut is a he or a she. First things first. The baby is health. Everything checked out just fine on the ultrasound. Everything is where it is supposed to be and nothing is missing. So without further ado, our peanut has a peanut. We are please to announce that Esther will be having a baby brother. Michael and I are very excited.

what have we been up to?

2009-01-12T12:47:00.003-07:00

So a couple of months ago we decided since the bathroom is in the middle of renovation anyway we mind as well add a linen closet. To do this we just needed to give up a small portion of our closet. I have been avoiding this for quite some time. I knew that it would involve ripping trough the sheet rock into our bedroom and making a huge mess. But it wasn't that bad or that messy and I will be glad to have more storage in the bathroom, and yes I still am the demolition queen. Now we just need to frame the closet and finish the bathroom. I am hoping that it will be finished here soon since we need to renovate the basement, move the guest bedroom in the basement, and renovate the what is now the guest bedroom for another nursery all by June. No problem.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-28T17:33:00.002-07:00

This year was a great Christmas. Being both nurses Michael and I had to work some of the holiday. I had to work Christmas eve from 6am-2pm and Michael had to work all of day Christmas. So we felt the best time for Esther to open present would be Christmas eve after I got off from work. You can look on Esther's blog to see what she got. Michael got from the Kirbys, books from his childhood mostly Beverly Cleary books. He was so excited. I am sure he will have fun reading them again. From me Michael got a remote control helicopter and new underwear. It isn't Christmas unless someone gets underwear. I got from the Kirbys an awesome activity binder with all kinds of fun learning activities for Esther when she gets older. I can't wait to use it and help Esther learn. Michael gave me new pajamas and a new robe, which I have been wanting for a long time. Michael and I also got new shoes from our friends Jason and Amanda, who have been staying with us for the last couple of weeks. Michael's parents gave us our Christmas gift in November, a trip to Costco for some much needed food storage. Later that night was the annual Russon family Christmas party. The food was great and so was the company. We always do a sibling gift exchange at the party. Jill and her husband Michael had me and Michael. Michael got "The Office board game and I got a magnadoodle, I think that is what it is called. My parents have one and I am always steeling it from the grand kids to play with. Thanks you one and all for the wonderful gifts, we have and will enjoy them all. Christmas day Esther and I went to the hospital to have lunch with Michael and my mom, who was also working. After lunch we came home and both took a nap. Then we spent the rest of the day at my parents house. Christmas has come and gone and memories created. Christmas is definitely different when you have children. I wonder what traditions we will instill over the next several years as out little family continues to grow. Merry Christmas and have a happy New Year.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-05T13:34:00.003-07:00

I thought since Thanksgiving was last week maybe I should blog something about it. I have been looking forward to Thanksgiving since the first of November. I have been craving a thanksgiving dinner for a while now. I don't know if it is the pregnancy or the fact that I love pumpkin pie and Michael's mom’s leftover thanksgiving dinner casserole. Anyway, Michael's parents came to our house this year. They arrived Monday night the 24th. We were so glad that they could come and spend the whole week with us. Tuesday I had to work so Michael's mom got Esther all to herself while Michael and his Dad spent the day doing things in the bathroom, it is getting closer to being done. Wednesday we spent the early afternoon at Costco. This year for Christmas and birthdays Michael and I asked for food storage. Since Michael's parents were here we got Christmas a little early. There is nothing like seeing your pantry full of good food for the next year. That afternoon I had my second Dr.'s appointment. Everything is going well. We heard peanuts heart beat and a small kick. I am hoping that we will find out what we are having on my birthday next month. Thanksgiving Day was a busy day. Well at least for Michael and his Mom. They did most of the cooking. I wish I could have helped more but someone needed to attend to Esther and we all know that Michael is the better cook. All I can say is yum. By the time dinner was ready Esther was fast asleep. I think that this will be the last Thanksgiving we have with the children asleep during the meal, so I enjoyed it. Michael had to work the next day and his mom was not feeling well so they left early in the morning. Here it was 9am and just Esther and me. The house was quiet and lonely. It had been a busy week so we spent the day taking naps and watching "What Not to Wear" on TV. Another Thanksgiving come and gone. We love and miss you guys and hope all is well.

What do I say?

2008-11-10T15:56:00.003-07:00

I didn't think that miracles could happen in the same year let alone two months apart. Michael and I are very pleased to announce a new addition to our already blessed family. We are very excited and stunned at the same time. This testifies to me even more that Esther was supposed to be with our family and that she truly is a special person to have picked us as her parents. Heavenly Father truly does listen to our prayers and knows us and even though we may not know his timeline for our lives he is mindful and loves us so much. I am a better person because of the struggles that I have had to endure over the years. I would not trade those experiences because I would not be having these exciting experiences now. I know that life will have many more ups and downs with having 2 children under the age of one but I say bring it on, I am ready.

Chef Michael does it again

2008-11-10T15:44:00.001-07:00

Waiting for comments from Michael. TBC

2nd Wedding cake

2008-11-10T15:40:00.000-07:00

Halloween 2008

2008-10-31T15:18:00.000-07:00

And the winner is?

2008-10-31T15:01:00.004-07:00

The annual Russon family Halloween party was this last Saturday. We had a great time. I always look forward to the Halloween party to see what crazy costumes my family can come up with and every year we get a little more creative. The party usually consists of dinner, this year we had soup, salad, and rolls. It was the best dinner I had all week. Then an activity, Jill created a fun scavenger hunt which had us driving to a graveyard, smiths, a church, and Cabela’s. We had so much fun trying to find the next clue before the other team. Then there is the costume contest. Kevin, the golfer with the ball in his head was the winner this year. The winner gets to take home the coveted trophy. I can't wait till next years Halloween party. If you can't tell Michael is corn, I am a carrot, and Esther is a pea pod.

Favorite PJ's

2008-10-23T14:13:00.003-07:00

These are pictures of Esther in her favorite PJ's, well at least that is what Michael says. I know that they are his favorite pajamas for Esther. She does look cute in them and they keep her warm at night which is a plus with the weather getting colder. The first picture is just of her in her car seat. Michael thought she was so cute and wanted to take a picture. Everything is going well in the McNeilis house. Michael is in the process of making another wedding cake for a co-worker. I will post pictures when it is done. I am just enjoying being at home. My first day back to work will be Nov 3rd. I am going to be working just one day a week. I am a little nervous going back. A lot of things have changed at work and I am worried that I have been gone too long. I am sure once I get settled in I will remember what I am doing. Esther is doing great. She has been getting up only once at night which I have loved. She now fits in the 3-6month clothes. She will be three months on the 29th.

What we won't do as parents

2008-09-28T17:42:00.003-07:00

This is what Michael does to keep Esther happy while I get the bottle ready.

2008-09-21T17:06:00.002-07:00

Here are some random pictures that I felt like adding of friends and family. We are all doing well. I have had a cold this last week. So far Esther does not seem to be affected. She has been a little stuffy but that is it. I have slacked off in taking care of myself these days and I guess I need to do better. I am going to try and eat better and get to the gym more often. I hope that we can all remember to take the time to take care of ourselves.

First play date

2008-08-27T16:35:00.002-07:00

Our neighbors had a little girl, Presley, the 6th of July. So on Sunday we got the girls together for their first play date. We took several pictures but these are the only two where someone wasn't crying or squirming.
An update on the sleeping. We moved Esther out of our room on Monday night and put her in the guest bedroom, since the nursery is still not done, and she has been sleeping so much better. She now has no problem sleeping in her own bed.

Calling all mothers

2008-08-24T13:10:00.003-07:00

So I am trying to adjust to motherhood. The first couple of nights were long but I am getting used to getting up at all hours for who knows how long. I really can't complain. Esther is a good baby. She hardly ever fusses and usually it gets resolved with a bottle. It has been a little bit harder adjusting to being home all the time. I am used to just going and going on my days off because I always had a list of things to get done. I have had to adjust to a slightly slower pace and it is OK that I am still in my PJ's at noon. I am sure many of you can relate to your first baby after working full time for years. So I have a question. Esther the last two nights won't sleep in her own bed. She sleeps great in the cradle during the day but at night after she is done eating and asleep in my arms I go to lie her down and she wakes up. She has spent the last two night sleeping in our bed. I don't want her to be 2 and still sleeping in our bed. Any suggestions?

Esther

2008-08-10T15:22:00.003-07:00

I am going to try to update this blog along with Esther's blog as much as I can. Esther's blog will mostly be about her since we set it up for the birth mom. So check both blogs for all the info.
Michael's parents have been here for the last couple of days helping us get ready for Esther to come home. We have been finishing the dry wall plaster that was left from when we had insulation put in the walls back in February. The ceiling has been textured and a new ceiling fan will be installed. We are hoping to get the walls primed and the hardwood floors sanded tomorrow so that we can spend Tuesday putting the lacquer on the floors. Then all we need to do is paint and do touch up stuff. I think in another week we will be ready to move in Esther's clothes and bed. I think that it will still be a couple of weeks before she comes home. We are shooting for the first part of September. She just need to get stronger and take all her feedings with the bottle. Michael and I are hanging in there. It has been a lot to get used to but we can't wait till we can bring her home and feel like a real family.

2008-08-10T15:16:00.002-07:00

Garden Update

2008-07-23T16:50:00.004-07:00

So everyone keeps asking how the garden is doing, as you can see not bad. We have eaten several of the onions. We ate our first green pepper last night and I am waiting for this one to get a little bit bigger. We don't have any tomatoes yet. Only half on the spinach row can up but it grows fast and tastes so much better than the store. The beans are struggling so we shall see. Yes I know we need to weed.

Garage Sale

2008-07-23T16:34:00.003-07:00

So our neighbor Debbi from across the street has been cleaning out her garage and going to have a garage sale. We asked if we could get in on the action. So last Saturday was the garage sale. We sold old camping stuff, pictures, old VHS tapes, our vacuum and our friend Jason's Forerunner. Yes we sold a car at a garage sale. Jason and his wife Amanda moved to Maryland and ask if we would sale the SUV for them. It has been sitting in our driveway for about three week now. There were a lot of people at the garage sale so we just stuck a piece of paper that said for sale on the window and waited. It was gone by that night. Other than the car we made about $80.00, which I used to buy a new vacuum. That night after the garage sale was the street block party. Everyone was supposed to bring their own meat to BBQ and either a side dish or a dessert. We just held it on our front lawn. It was great to get to know everyone better and the food was fabulous. As you can see the month of July has been busy for Michael and me.

2008-07-23T16:21:00.002-07:00

Michael's parents stayed for a couple of days after the party. Michael and his parents attended one of Thomas lacrosse games; I had to go to staff meeting that night. The next day Michael had to work so his parents and I along with Jennifer and her family attended the Aquarium. My favorite part is always playing with the sting rays; of course they don’t have stingers. Then Michael's mom Judi and I went and got pedicures. She had never had a pedicure before but loved it. She also helped me put together invitations for a block party that our street was having. Thankfully Judi is creative. She has such great ideas when it comes to making cards. I think they turned out great.

Ethan's Birthday

2008-07-23T16:06:00.003-07:00

After Michael and I got back from St. George his family came to visit us. Michael's brother in-law, Randall, parents live in Salt Lake County so Jennifer, Randall, Spencer, Connor, and Ethan came up north. After spending a week in St. George they were going to be spending the next week in Salt Lake. So Michael's parents decided to come too and stay with us. Since everyone was going to be in town Thomas planned a birthday part for Ethan and Parker. Parker is the son of Thomas's finance Sara. We had a blast as you can see from the picture. We went to the Kangaroo Zoo. It has a ton of those big blow-up slides. Michael volunteered to make the cakes. Parker loves Mickey Mouse and Ethan loves dinosaurs. The blue frosting did turn our tongues blue though.

2008-07-23T16:04:00.000-07:00

McNeilis clan

2008-07-23T16:01:00.001-07:00

Saint George

2008-07-23T15:53:00.002-07:00

Michael and I went to Saint George the last of June trough the first part of July. Why you ask we choose to visit the hottest place in Utah in July, family. Michael's sister Jennifer and her family were visiting from Arizona. It was great. We read, played games, talked and just relaxed. Michael's parents build a new house and this was the first time that we were able to see it finished. It is awesome. I will I had pictures but I relaxed a little too much and forgot to take pictures.

Russon Family Campout

2008-06-27T10:41:00.005-07:00

The annual Russon family campout this year was at Cherry Hill. For those who are not familiar with Cherry Hill it is not true camping but a good time was had by all. Cherry Hill is a campground/water park. This was a special family campout because Carrie, Matt and Roxie were able to come this year. They live in California. Most of the family arrived on Friday afternoon. After tents were set up dinner was started. We had Navaho tacos, which were delicious. Greg and Annettte were in charge of the food this year and they did a great job. We spent most of the evening catching up with everyone. The next day, Saturday, was started with a great breakfast by Kay-hop. This is what we call breakfast when my Dad cooks. It consists of pancakes, hash browns, eggs, sausage, and bacon. We then spent the whole day swimming. Sorry that I don't have a whole lot of pictures of us swimming. It was hard to take pictures and swim at the same time but I am sure that my family’s blog will have a lot more pictures. Everyone had a great time swimming. There were a few sunburned shoulders but not many. Saturday night we had lasagna. I did not know you could cook lasagna while camping. It was fun and relaxing as you can see.

The Garden

2008-05-04T15:31:00.003-07:00

Last year we were so busy with trying to get rid of the crab grass in the lawn that we never had time to plant a garden. Last spring we pulled dirt from the garden to fill in holes we created in the lawn when we removed the crab grass. The garden\hole sat all last year and collected what ever Michael tossed in there. Michael would throw old potatoes or egg shells in there trying to create a compost. But not a whole lot ever decomposed. As you can still see old egg shells.
So Friday Michael and I bought 14 square cubic feet of Steer manure. It smelt great. We tilled the garden/hole and filled it with the manure and planted a garden. If everything survives and grows we should have some tomatoes, pepper, squash, zucchini, beans, spinach, cucumbers, and cantaloupe. I am excited that there is no longer a hole in the back yard. I have also included a picture of the cherry tree that is currently in full bloom.