Safely Dorkified!

This moment was way too cute to forget so I just had to take a picture! We went to the DI last week in search of Halloween costumes (which we did not find) and left instead with a $2.00 pair of roller skates that Lydia found and was absolutely thrilled about. When we got home she was so anxious to try them out and I explained that she would need to wear her bike helmet for safety. She added, "and my elbow pads and knee pads and helmet, so I can be Safe!" Not sure if she got that from Dora or her Sesame Street Safety First book. The elbow pads and knee pads are a big deal because they came with her helmet when we got her bike but she refused to wear them and will only ride around with her helmet on. That has been fine by me so it really surprised me that she was so set on wearing her elbow and knee pads. Of course I supported her decision and thought she looked so cute wearing these pads that take up half of her limbs. The cars driving by thought she was pretty cute too and a lot of them slowed down to check out my little Saftey Skater!

I decided to post this today because earlier this evening we had a fabulous breeze come through and the wind was just right for flying a kite. Dan told Lydia that if she ate her dinner he'd take her out to fly her kite. She was so excited that after dinner she ran and got her shoes on and her bike helmet. We both died laughing and Dan assured her that she'd be ok with out a bike helmet while flying her kite! I guess you never know when that kite will take a nose dive and hit you in the head! I'm glad my little sweetie is so concerned with being safe and hope she always will be even if it does look a little dorky!

Oh the Pain of it all!

Anyone who has ever experienced an in-grown toenail knows what kind of Extreme PAIN I am talking about! If you have never had one it is a Pain I do not wish upon anyone.
I woke up @ 5:00am Friday to an intense throbbing pain in my toe. Sure enough it turns out to be an ingrown toenail. Of course just as I start trying to dig it out my sweet baby starts stirring. With tears welling up I ask Dan to go soothe Emmett. Dan quickly gets him back to sleep and joins me on the bathroom floor to coach me along. At this point I have part of it out but can't get the rest. Dan explains that the skin grows underneath your toenail and I'll have to cut back my toenail even more to get to it. If you have a weak stomach you can stop reading this. My stomach was also feeling weak as I looked at my toe and I began to break out in a major sweat. I started taking deep breaths and pep talking to myself, "Ok you can do this Cassie, it's not like you're pushing out a baby." I would bravely clip the nail and then pull it up with tweezers only to cry harder and become frustrated as the tweezers slipped. Dan took over for me and as if things couldn't get worse just then my sweet little Lydia woke up crying from a bad dream. She came up into our room and started crying even louder when she couldn't find us. We settled her down as she joined us in the bathroom. Now I had one foot in the air while Dan dug at my toenail and my other leg was supporting my poor little toddler as I held her and tried to rock her back to sleep with out screaming from pain. She decided she needed to go potty so I hurried and hefted her onto the toilet. Of course from this angle she had a great view of my toenail that was now half missing and nasty looking. So what does she do? She begins to Dry Heave and Dan leaves my foot to grab the tubby Tupperware (you know the little bowl we use to rinse off the baby when you're giving a bath) and gives it to Lydia to use as a barfy bowl! I honestly thought she was going to lose it and have never seen anyone dry heave so bad in my life! Of course all this excitement wakes Emmett back up to which Dan says, "Ok let me get Lydia in our bed and I'll go get the baby. I think I've got a good angle at the ingrown toenail, you'll just need to pull it out." He is such a wonderful husband! Long story short I finally get it out and my toe is now throbbing from pain due to half of my toenail missing! It is now 6:00am and my baby is hungry. I take some Tylenol, feed my baby and start out the day feeling sorry for myself because I can hardly walk! I guess the moral of this story is that we never realize how truly wonderful it is to have healthy toes until they're injured and we don't realize how much we rely on our toes until it is hard to use them. I'm thankful for Toes and hope I never have to experience pain like this again in order to remember how great toes truly are!

Three Terrific Weekends!

Tic Tac Toe. . . three in a row! This weekend is shaping up to be a terrific weekend which will account for three in a row! I'll try to include a summary and some pictures of each of them as they have all been memorable ones I'd like to not forget.
Weekend 1
Two weeks ago Dan had to go to SLC for a training all VA employees have to take about non-violent intervention. We decided that if work was paying for his travel we may as well all go and enjoy a weekend up North. It also worked out perfectly because Monday was Labor Day so we got an extra long weekend!

We drove to SLC late Wednesday night and stayed in a hotel. The next morning Dan headed off to his training and I headed to the good old Hogle Zoo with the kids. We met up with some of our favorite friends from Pennsylvania and it was a lovely reunion. Well actually none of us live in PA anymore, Caroline McCann is now living in SLC and Natalie Hanks is in Columbus, Ohio. Those of you who know these gals know what fun they are and needless to say we had a perfectly wonderful day. I wish I had more pictures but only got one of the kids in the stroller in front of the zoo. We went to their really cool bird show and I pulled out the camera to take some pictures only to find the battery was dead. Poor Caroline was stuck taking pictures for me all day! Once I talk her into sending me some I'll post more pictures. I have to mention that I was rather impressed with the changes they've made at the zoo. The last time I had been there was probably when I was in the 4th grade and it was a pretty sad sight. Now they've created some cool habitats for the animals and we had a really great time. The kids loved the zoo but were more into the 2 minute train ride and each other than most of the animals. We got a hilarious picture of the kids staring at the maps instead of the huge giraffes that were coming up right behind them! Lydia really thought it was cool to see so many animals in "real life!" Her all time favorite was the penguins. She could have stayed there watching them all day and loved pointing out every time they took a step or "went swimming to have fun!" I practically had to drag her away from them. Other highlights were the green apple ice cream Caroline treated us all to and of course the train ride. Emmett was a great sport at the zoo too!

After the zoo we spent the rest of the afternoon at the McCann's and enjoyed a delicious BBQ. I feel so blessed that we were all in PA last year so our lives could cross and we could be friends. What remarkable, fun and wonderful friends and mother's they are. I'm already anxious for another reunion!

We spent the rest of the weekend up in Logan visiting with my parent's. It was a perfectly delightful weekend and we didn't want to leave when Monday came. We had a blast! From walks to the park to backyard baseball games. From golfing in the morning to singing around the piano in the evening. My mom was so thoughtful and treated me and my Grandma Ellsworth to going and getting pedicures together. She also was my super seamstress and fixed a zipper on a cute skirt for me! Dad was a delight with his delicious zucchini bread, fun alphabet pancakes and playing fisher price people with Lydia. We were spoiled with delicious dinners and had fun going out for our ever favorite Aggie Ice cream! It was also wonderful to see my sister Tasha and my brother Gabe before he headed off to India. A special treat was having my Grandma there visiting at the same time. I was so happy Emmett was able to meet his GG and Lydia just loved sitting out on the porch in the sun with her. One day they saw a butterfly together which was really fun for me because Grandma has always called me her little butterfly! My other favorite part of being home was watching everyone cuddle, rock and play with Emmett. I am so grateful that my children know and love their Grandparents and family. It is always fun to come make lasting memories and build stronger relations with one another.

Oh, I can't forget to mention the fun we had at the Logan Aquatic Center with our good friends The Terry's. Nate, Dorie and their three adorable girls came swimming with us. We always have a great time together! The Terry's are the best of friends. Dan and Nate have been friends since they were eleven years old. They went ring shopping together, proposed within a week of each other and we were married within two weeks of each other. I'm so glad Nate married Dorie because she is a doll and we get along so great! We only wish we could convince them to move back to St.George!

Weekend 2
One week ago we went on our first family camp out with kids! Dan and I used to go camping and backpacking all the time so when we suddenly realized that Lydia was 2 & 1/2 and had never been camping we thought we really should go before this summer is over. The weird thing is that I didn't think twice about taking Emmett. This is a big deal because I tend to be a over-paranoid mother. If Dan had suggested taking Lydia camping when she was just a few months old I would have thought he was crazy and completely refused. Somehow things change with your second child and I thought a family camp out was a great idea. It turns out it was!

I have to admit we were a bit of "urban" campers this time. We drove up to Pine Valley Mountain and paid to camp in a campsite at South Juniper. Our car was only about twelve feet from the tent but we had a nice spot with a little stream running a few feet behind us. We also had a fire pit and log bench to sit on and the best part was the outhouses with flushing toilets across from our campsite! This was definitely a bonus so I didn't have to try and teach Lydia how to go to the bathroom in the great outdoors. We'd borrowed Dan's brother Brock's tent. It was awesome. Super tough and enough space inside for not only our air mattress, but Lydia's little princess air mattress sleeping bag and a pack-n-play for Emmett. Of course when it actually came time to sleep I was too concerned about the thought of Emmett getting cold in the corner all by his lonesome so instead he slept in between Dan and I and stayed nice and cozy in the tent. Lydia also slept like a gem and we had a perfect night. That is with the exception of when I had to go to the bathroom and started hearing howling as soon as I entered the little outhouse. The flush of the toilet made the howling even louder and it sounded like there was a wolf or coyote or something just outside the door. I was so scared I almost cried and contemplated staying in there until Dan or someone came for me. I finally said a prayer, opened the door and ran as fast as I have ever ran to the tent. I was seriously shaking when I got there. Turns out the next morning that some late campers had pulled into the spot next to the bathrooms late in the night and they had a big dog inside their vehicle. I felt really silly once I found out and could finally laugh about it. But I tell you what, it wasn't very funny at four o'clock in the morning!

The next morning we got up and went down to the lake for some family fishing. Of course Dan was the only one who fished. I spent most of the time trying to feed and keep the kids warm. Once the Sun was shining on us it was perfect. Dan caught a fish but threw it back. Lydia loved watching him and still talks about our camping trip where we slept in a tent!

Our little bookworm Lydia even brought her books camping and had fun reading them while Daddy set up the tent!
Lydia loved to help Daddy get fire wood and especially just sitting and staring at the fire. She was very obedient and safe around it.
Dan and Lydia, just fishin'!
Daddy caught a fish . . .
And Lydia caught Daddy!
Here's a nice shot of the gorgeous Pine Valley Mtns. Dan was so nice and helped the poor little boy next to us get a worm on his hook. Lydia watched in awe!
Happy Campers! Lydia loved the fact that we slept in a tent!
Sweet Cheeks! Emmett looked like the kid bundled up on The Christmas Story with his two hats and multiple layers but I didn't want to risk him getting cold in the Mtns!
Isn't this an awesome picture of Lydia!

Weekend 3
To add to these two terrific weekends we had fun this one as well. Our friend Michael planned a BYU excursion for him and Dan and a few guys to go cheer on the cougars in Provo as they played UCLA. Dan was really excited because he loves football and he's never really gone and done anything like this (well besides hunting or horse rides with his Dad and brothers). They left early Saturday morning, got to the game and cheered BYU to a 59-0 victory! Then they went out to eat and came back home late that night. Lydia was sad to share her Daddy on a Saturday when he is usually hers. However after sobbing when he left she soon got over it when she realized this meant she could hang out with her best friend McKenna all day while their Daddy's were at the football game. Jessica and I took the kids to play at the park. Well, Lydia and McKenna played while Emmett and Cason sat in their car seats, ate and slept! Later that night they joined us at our house for more playing, dinner and even popping popcorn and watching an Elmo movie in their pajamas! Jessica's sister Karen joined us in the evening and was a sweet heart to bring us Subway. I'm sure I've mentioned it before but I so love that our kids are best buddies because Jessica and I enjoy hanging out with each other just as much as they do. We are much like the "Chicken and the Egg." We're not sure if our girls are best buds because we love hanging out so much, or if we're best buds because our girls loving being together so much! Regardless I am forever thankful for our friendship. The boys had a great road trip and the girls had fun on the home front. We were all happy to be together again today and while our entire little family of four was sitting on our bed today Lydia put it perfectly, "I Just Love My Family!"

Classic Shots!

Deer in Headlights! Need I say more?
"The Lydia Cheese" this one is especially for Dan's family. His parent's and siblings always get a kick out of watching Lydia smile for pictures. Whenever we say, "Say Cheese" she cheeses while squinting her eyes and putting her chin in the air! This picture is actually pretty good because you can actually see her eyes!

Smother Me With Love, but Please Let Me Breathe!

Lydia is not lacking when it comes to loving and thus no one in our household is either! Lately our little Miss Affectionate has been so sweet with spontaneous hugs and kisses and endearing "I LOOOVVEE YOU's" in her squeaky sincere little voice! This week she has been calling me "Honey" a lot. I remember the first time she called me Cassie instead of Mommy but I think hearing her call me Honey is even more funny! "Honey, just read me this book," or "It's Ok Honey, go get Emmett," or my favorite, "Thanks Honey, you're a nice person!" Her increased demonstrations of love are enjoyed by all of us but there is one member of our household who hasn't said much but seems a little concerned. Yes, poor little Emmett isn't able to say much about it but his expressions speak volumes! This is just one example of how much Lydia loves Emmett! She showers him with hugs, kisses and in this case toys! I had asked her to bring Emmett his little bear (he likes to hold on to it's ear) and like the big helper she is she did it. The next thing I know she's not only brought him his bear, but her blanket, more bears and even balls to play with. This next picture is a good example of how much she wants Emmett to play with her and be a part of everything. This little patient has more patience than you know! Luckily I don't have to get nervous about Lydia around Emmett. She is amazingly gentle and she really loves to help me with him. Last week he was sitting in his bouncer and Lydia was speaking gibberish while turning the pages of a picture book and then showing him each page up close (almost too close). When Dan and I asked her what she was doing she looked at us like "Isn't it obvious" and then said, "I'm reading Panish to Emmett." Yes, Panish means Spanish and for all she knew it was Spanish because it definitely wasn't English! Lydia really is the best big sister and just loves her brother more than I can describe. She is always telling me, "He's a cutie pie" and calling him her "little buddy!" I think Emmett often enjoys the attention because Lydia is good at making him smile. I'm sure he loves to be smothered with all of her love and affection, but once in a while he starts to fuss and by the look on his face he's begging for a little room to breathe!

He's Healthy, He's Happy & He Keeps On Growing!

Emmett had his two month check up on Wednesday, well he's actually ten weeks but his doctor has been out of town. He now weighs 13 lbs 13 oz and is 24.5 inches long! Yes, he is a big boy! "Hey, who you callin' Big?" When I was leaving his appointment I ran into my cousin Susie who also lives in Southern Utah. Her baby girl was just finishing her 4 month check up and she only weighed 14lbs! Yes, Emmett, you are Big! Big and Beautiful and absolutely Perfect! Emmett showed off for the doctor when she was asking if he's stared cooing and smiling I assured her he is and told her how he even started giggling last weekend. He smiled at me and when I cooed back he started giggling just to show the doctor how adorable he really was. She was very impressed! Then to keep her humble he decided to fill up his diaper just as she was taking it off to check him. Luckily she was quick and covered him back up and I gave him a nice clean diaper before she attempted to check him again! I can't believe that Emmett has been a part of our family now for 2 1/2 months. He is a complete joy and we are so blessed to have him in our home!