fun and funny pictures

Homeless

Driving around lately I've seen a lot of homeless people with signs asking for help. I am always hesitant to give money to these people because I don't want to support drug habbits. I have seen a homeless person throw an apple that someone gave to him (obviously he wasn't interested in money for food). I do know however that there are homeless who truely need help and so I should respond to their requests in the chance that they do truely need it. The question I pose for you all though is: how? I won't give them $ because I don't want them to buy beer, I would give them a resturant gift card (like subway-- I could just keep gift cards in my car) but they don't have cars so they might not be able to get there if it is far away. So what about having little "homeless people kits" in my car with food-- but it would have to be food that will keep a log time and yet include all food groups(crackers, raisins, canned tuna?). None of these ideas seem very good though...so I"m asking for any suggestions.

Princesses

Kiera is into princesses lately. We've been watching a lot of princess movies lately. I'm noticing a theme: It seems like all of the princesses want to be something that they are not. So is that the definition of a princess?

We went to Arizona for Thanksgiving (2 of Steve's siblings live in arizona). We all ate too much of course but had a great time doing it.

We put up our Christmas tree and decorations today which is one of my favorite things to do. We also put christmas lights on our house. It is the first time we have ever done it. we are the only people on our street who have lights.

Steve took Kiera for a walk today and she found a puddle to play in. You can only do that in november in california!

TWO!!!!!!

Kiera celebrated her second birthday on saturday. She had the pleasure of sharing her special day with the BYU/Utah football game (which didn't turn out so well). I made Kiera an Elmo birthday cake. It was my first cake decorating experience and I think it went well since she recognized it as elmo at least. Kiera was of course afraid of the candles and nobody ate any of the cake (who likes birthday cake anyway? yuck!)

Here is a little about Kiera:
1. Afraid of everything that most kids like: disneyland, beach.
2. Won't eat candy or dessert.
3. Can identify and name #'s 1-9.
4. Can count to 20 all except 12.
5. Can identify all the letters of the alphabet.

It is interesting to me to see the different things that kids can do. Kiera is really good at letters and numbers, but yet I'd say that all of her friends her age can talk much better than she can. She is just starting to put 2 words together.

Anyway, it was fun to finally have a child who has some sort of idea that something special is going on for her birthday.

We figured out who Lydia looks like when she has a combover

Q'd

Q is for Quarantined.....which is what we are right now. We've got the plague at our house: the fever/vomiting/runny nose/cough etc.. Steer clear unless you have a desire for plague in your life.

Tagged....

7 random facts about me:

1. I'm the only person that I know who has 2 belly buttons. I've had 2 for 5 months now.

2. My dad worked for the CIA while I was growing up....but now that I told you I'll have to kill you.

3. I graduated a year early from highschool and regret it.

4. When I was 18 I spent 3 months volunteering in orphanages with this group. It was an amazing experince.. I honestly think that every 18 year old in the USA should have to spend a few months in a 3rd world country.

5. We don't get TV in our household. And I don't want to ever get TV. Everyone needs some sort of rest/relaxation time--I use blogging as my non-productive time.

6. I'm starting school again online in January. I have 2 more classes to get my BA in nursing. I don't actually plan on ever working again as a nurse (I'll probably work in my husband's dental office), but I figure it wise to get my degree just in case.

7. I think I'm a bit of a germ-freak. I'm not as bad as some people I know, but I'm definately worse than most. I hate my kids being sick!


If you have the desire to be tagged, then pretend like I tagged you and go ahead and list 7 random things about yourself on your blog.

Hallelujah

Done with prop 8 and we won....until next time.

My talented friend

This past weekend my friend Laura and her mom came to visit. Laura was a good friend of mine from my high school days and is ridiculously talented in the arts. She came down from Utah to audition for the reality show "Project Runway" (not to be confused with America's top Model which I think is trash). She is an amazing clothing designer and I'm proud to call her my friend.

Side story: for those of you who are familiar with the long drive from Utah to Southern California, you will appreciate this. Laura and her mom came to California using a GPS. I called them about 2 hours after they were supposed to arrive at my house and asked them where they were. "um... we are on a road called Rim Of The World.....next to Running Springs....Big Bear...." Their GPS had them get of I-15 in Victorville and go through the mountains! And this happened to be on a stormy foggy night. Never trust a GPS!

Big girl bed

Kiera has been in her new "big girl bed" for about a week and a half now. We had the idea to let her try it out while we were assembling the second crib in her room which Lydia will be moving into shortly. Kiera has always been a great sleeper (unless she is afraid of a new place) so we thought we would try it out. I was curious to see what she would do so the first night I actually hid in her room to watch her. Daddy came in and laid Kiera down in the bed. She didn't move a bit except to admire her red tonails: "wow!" and then roll over and go to sleep. She has fallen off the bed once, and once I found her asleep on the floor right in front of her door, but that's it. Easy transition. I just hope that she'll be ok with the transition of moving Lyida into her room.

Disneyland

Yesterday we took our girls to Disneyland. It was the 2nd time Kiera has gone (the first was when she was one month old though). Many of of friends who have toddlers Kiera's age have season passes and say that their toddlers love Disneyland and we were even considering getting season passes. However, after Kiera's reaction yesterday, we have changed our minds. Kiera was afraid of all of the rides. The ONLY one she enjoyed and didn't cry on was the Jungle Cruise. Our picky princess was happy as long as she was not on a ride though! Ok, we'll try again in a year or so and manybe we'll consider getting season passes then!

Learning the hard way

Ever since Lydia was born I've been slacking on changing Kiera's diapers. We usually go through 3 outfits a day because her diaper leaks through to her clothes before I get around to changing it.
Kiera and I frequently go for walks down to the corner of our street barefooted. This evening we went for for a barefooted walk and I had Lydia on my chest in my front carrier. When we got down the the corner Kiera would not turn around to go home. She insisted we keep going (we've walked around the block a few times before with shoes on). No matter what I did I couldn't get her to turn around (besides carrying her by her arms since I couldn't pick her up), so I decided that I would just let her keep going and we'd walk around the block. Of course, since she was barefooted, she got tierd of walking sooner than she normally does (and of course it had to be when we were half way around). She sat down on the sidewalk and refused to walk anymore and cried when I tried to get her to walk. Just then I noticed that her pants were wet--yep, her diaper had leaked through. I had no other way of getting her home so I had to put her on my shoulders. So I carried Lydia on my chest and Kiera and her wet bottom on my shoulders home and had a wet shirt by the time we got back. Yes, I've learned.

Lydia's Baby Blessing

Lydia was blessed today at church. Thankfully, she was asleep during the blessing (

I was sure she'd be wailing as she seems to do that a lot lately). She was beautiful in her little dress (made by her Grandma), but she hated wearing it... probably itchy. The power went off at church about 10 minutes after the blessing so we all went home early which was kindof nice since we had family visiting.

Off and running (sortof)...

I ran 3/4 of a mile this morning and man was it tough! The last steps that I ran before today were the last steps of my half marathon last November. I finally got medical clearance this week to start exercising again so I'm officially training for my next half marathon. It's going to be a long road though-- I thought I was going to pass out after a 3/4 mile! I was pushing Kiera in the jogging stroller and when we started she kept looking back at me like "mom I didn't know you could run!" On the uphill parts I probably could have walked faster than I was running. So-- I'm offically training for another half marathon. Any of you local folks who would like to train/run with me -- I'm in (just give me a month or 3 to catch up to your level!)