"These are the days of OUR lives....."

It has been so long since my last post. It seems like we have been so busy, but nothing worthy of a blog update. I suppose it has been a case of writer's block. My blog serves as my journal, and I need to realize it doesn't always have to be breaking news, just things I want to make sure I remember, especially things about Paige. She is growing up so fast and her personality is bursting at the seams. She is definitely turning two which has been a challenge, but it has also been a really fun age. She never ceases to make me laugh.

We have had some issues with the furnace in our new house. Nothing major, the filters need to be cleaned more often since everything is new. We learned this the hard way, but going a few days without a good heat source has motivated Mark to be on top of the situation. Paige loves to go down in the crawl space with Dad and help. I am sure she was her usual helpful self and made the job a million times harder, but you couldn't ask for a cuter helper!

My parent's have been cleaning house and getting rid of things left and right in preparation for their mission. My dad has been called as a mission president in the Rancho Cucamonga California mission. This is a brand new mission, and my dad will be the first mission president. They are pretty excited, but nervous as well. I told my dad he has to pay for Paige's counseling because she will miss him and grandma terribly. Anyway, back to the story. This lovely dragon was on the top of the DI pile and Paige was awfully confused as to why such an item was considered unwanted. She saved the dragon and it has been a best friend ever since. After packing it around the house for a few days, she insisted on it riding in the car with her. I was happy to get it outta the house, and it has now become her full time car buddy. It is from Lagoon and smells bad and is in no way soft and cuddly. We hit up Burger King drive thru for a quick lunch and they gave Paige a crown. As we were driving home, I glanced in my rear view mirror and had to pull over to take a picture. It was too funny. She had staged this entirely on her own. It made me laugh out loud!

Paige is a big animal lover. I am glad I now have a partner in crime. Mark has more of the farm approach to animals. Paige and I tend to be more loving and humanizing of the pets. Roxy is the best dog, she is so so sweet. Paige can be a little nervous around her sometimes, usually when Roxy is excited about playing. I am sure it is because they are essentially eye level with each other. Roxy wouldn't hurt a fly. In fact, she lets the cat eat her food and drink her water. If Roxy is distracted and not in a licking position, Paige loves to give her cuddles. I also like that Roxy raided the diaper pail and Paige's diapers are in the background. The silly dog doesn't do anything besides cart them around. A strange hobby for sure!

Paige gets really excited about the cat. I think she finds Boots more entertaining than Roxy. As Boots has gotten older, she has been forced out into the world as a barn cat. She still gets spoiled and spends a lot of time in the garage, but I would like her to become the mouser she was destined to become. Boots isn't nearly as interested in her new calling and spends most of the time  meowing for attention. Paige is happy to oblige. Boots won't let Paige pack her around anymore, but is still a pretty nice kitty. If we ever speak in person, remind me to tell you more about Boots the cat. It really is quite the story.

 

The past month has been pretty busy. After visiting with LDS Family Services and realizing how busy they are, we felt we needed to get our home study done independently, or wait months. I wasn't willing to do that, so we found a really great social worker who has been a real go-getter. We called her up, and she immediately got the ball rolling. We went from zero to sixty in a matter of moments. As of now, we are just a few weeks away from being home study approved. We are waiting for some references, Mark's medical clearance, and our second home visit which is currently being scheduled. I am so happy with our progress, but know that once it is done, the real waiting game begins. At least when you are actively working on something, you feel like you have some control over the situation. With LDS Family Services so busy, I just feel like our chances with them are not looking promising. I have been researching agencies and other avenues, and it is so frustrating. Agency adoptions are SO expensive and some of them require some ridiculous hoops to jump through. I hope and pray that a miracle will happen, and maybe by letting everyone we know we are hoping to adopt, someone will know someone who is wanting to place. Please keep us in mind if you come across a situation. We are really just a few weeks out from being ready to go!

 

Mark had a business trip this week,  I decided to go to Utah for a girl's shopping trip with Paige's birth family. I was SO excited and had been looking forward to it for a few weeks. We haven't seen them for a few months, and it was going to be great. Thursday was  a busy day getting all the housework done so we could all come home to a clean house. It always seems like a ton of work to get Paige ready for a trip, so Thursday felt like a big run around day. Fortunately, Paige was in a playful mood and entertained herself quite nicely. Here are a few pictures of what she did Thursday:

Put almost every stuffed animal she owned down for a nap. I love how tenderly she stuck these in the crib. I found this after I put Paige down for a nap. Cracks me up.

She has loved playing play dough lately, and we get all the cookie cutters out since I can't really make anything with play dough unless assisted by a cookie cutter. She loves this bear one, and I have found it in some interesting places. She placed it this day on the window next to our front door. Hmmmmm, no idea why.

These are some heart "cookies" I made out of play dough for her. We had been setting them on her tea set plates and setting them on the table. She thought this idea was much better. Boots was on the back porch and I think she was trying to share.

I heard her closing and opening drawers in my bathroom, she came out later to show me she had done her own hair with one of my headbands. I wear a headband everyday to the gym, and I have ruined her into thinking they are cool Not cool or cute, just necessary Paige! She makes it look pretty good though if I do say so myself. And I was relieved to see that with all the options she had available in my bathroom drawer, she picked a headband.

 

Like I said, this was all on Thursday. After getting everything done and the car packed, we were ready for our girl's trip. The week seemed so long, and Paige had been so ornery most of the time; I was ready for a break! Paige has had a cough, and when I got her up for the day, she coughed with a mouth full of milk and puked all over me. I had gotten all ready for the day and was stoked about having to change and re-do my hair. I should have taken this as an omen, but decided it was a fluke since she pretty much does this all the time, and I rushed to get on the road, even if we were already behind an hour. The roads were fine until we got to Blackfoot. Blizzard conditions made for a scary drive. I was scared stiff, especially after passing a turned over RV, a semi in the median, and a 7 car crash. I called my mom to see if the roads were supposed to be this bad the entire time. As I was talking to her, the sun came out and things seemed to get better so thinking I had survived the worst, I excitedly pressed on. Not 10 minutes later Paige starts to cry, I thought it was because her DVD had ended. I glance in the rear view mirror just in time to see her barf all over the back seat. No small amount. Ughhhhh. We pulled off the interstate and I crawled back into the worst mess ever. Fortunately I had lots of wipes and extra clothes that we supposed to be for our over night stay. Not knowing if the roads were gonna get better, or if Paige was gonna throw up again, I decided it would be best to turn around and throw in the towel. I was so disappointed! And, I now had to drive back through the blizzard. Needless to say it was quite the field trip to Fort Hall, and it took me HOURS to de-barf the car. The worst day! Just to make the blown weekend even better, Mark got stuck in Denver and still isn't home! A full day later than he planned on being home. By some miracle, he is finally on his way back and should be back tonight. Wahoo!

 

We are so ready for spring around here, and even though the weather this week has stunk, Paige and I were stir crazy and had to get out. We took Roxy for an hour walk and had a great time. I had two happy kids on my hands, and I successfully wore them both out. I am anxious for warm weather and the opportunity to get out more.

We were all sorts of muddy, wet, and stinky when we got home, but it was worth it!

 

With the somewhat warmer temperatures, birds have been invading our space. I feel like our backyard is becoming our own nature reserve. We have had tons of deer(I realize these aren't birds), flocks of geese, huge cranes, and even some swans this week. For a few days, our trees in the front yard were swarmed with these little black birds. I first heard them from inside and couldn't figure out what the strange sound was. They seriously make a deafening roar. It is unbelievable! I had to take a video just to document how loud they were. It was seriously eerie and all sorts of Alfred Hitchcock. If they started flying into the windows I am pretty sure I would have freaked!

 Insane right?!

 



 

 

Reality

 

Oh where to start. It has been a crazy few weeks. Mark has been traveling, we have been trying to get settled, and we have been busy with every day life. January seemed to fly by, which is fine by me. I hate the cold, and this January was just plain bitter. I have been hesitant to post any house pictures, because frankly, it still is a work in progress. Nothing is quite finished, and nothing is decorated. I have not hung one picture. It seems like there is quite a list of "to do's" and I haven't really been inspired to tackle it. I want a few more things to be finished before I dive in head first. I snapped all of these really fast, with my trashy camera. I didn't even bother to make sure the picture was straight or things were picked up, but they will have to do for now! I figured if I waited until everything was perfect, finished, and clean I would never have any pictures.

 

Our entry--the only room finished.

Looking from the entry into the living room. We just bought this couch a week or two ago. I love it! Unfortunately we never sit in it, we all love being in the bonus room too much. I love my big windows and the view out the back. Gorgeous!

Paige's room

Living room to kitchen. The built-ins are not finished obviously. Still need tile around the fireplace, shelves, and crown molding across the top. Through the door is Paige's room, the main bath, and another bedroom.

Main bath

Laundry/mud room.  I love this drop zone!

Kitchen to laundry/mud room.

 

Laundry to kitchen. Ignore the dirty bottles and dishes in the sink. Like I said, I literally snapped these shots during Super Bowl halftime.

Living room to kitchen

My pantry, in need of food storage and organization

Master bath

Close up of master shower tile

Master bedroom. I really need a headboard. My bed makes me sad. It looks half done all the time!

I took a few picture of the upstairs bonus room, but it is currently a disaster and Beyonce was performing on the TV. I just couldn't bring myself to advertise our lounging selves. We are really loving our house and feel very blessed. I look forward to making it a home and I am waiting for some of my more creative friends to offer to help me decorate. Just kidding---kind of! I have a few ideas, I just need more time and money to pull it all together. It may be awhile, which is fine. I am sure we will be here for awhile.

In my last post I alluded to our big life change in June. The cat has pretty much been let out of the bag at this point, so I feel pretty comfortable sharing that my dad has been called as a mission president. We don't know where yet, but he and my mom will be serving for 3 years in an English speaking mission. They will do an amazing job, but I will sure miss them. I have been blessed to have them close. I've been spoiled having them around. They help me so much! I love the relationship they have with Paige. It hurts my heart a little to know that will change. Paige really loves her grandpa and she asks for him everyday. They are best buddies and it will be hard to see him go, but we know it's the right thing to do. In addition to leaving, they are planning on selling their house, a house I still very much consider my home. I spent a majority of my life in that house. It's hard knowing that once my parent's leave, they really are leaving the area for good.

January also brought some new, unexpected news. There are honestly times where Mark's cancer feels like a dream. As time passes, we have less follow-up appointments and it's easy to think of it as a trial firmly planted in the past. I have read many blogs and posts from other cancer families, and they reference all the things that cancer cannot do---which is very true. It can't do a lot of things, but there are times when it CAN do enough. We have been very open about our infertility woes, and they aren't new. Before cancer, there was really no defined reason explaining why we weren't able to conceive. I personally feel like it was me, I know it was me. We knew adoption was the right path, and in the middle of the process, Mark was diagnosed. At that moment, we knew why adoption felt so right. Paige's arrival was an absolute testament that we had made the right choice. No doubt in my mind she was meant for our family and we feel so blessed to have her. We love adoption on a very real and personal level. With that being said, adoption cannot cure the feelings associated with infertility. It's hard.

We have been trying to grow our family for awhile now, and I do feel an unknown sense of urgency. I don't know why. Maybe because Paige is two and I want her to have a sibling decently close in age. Maybe I feel like I am only getting older. Maybe I knew it was going to be a journey and we might as well get started. After all, it only took us 4 years the first time around. Maybe I subconsciously wanted something to happen while my parents were still close. When I first got their news, that was my first thought. I needed my mom!  Whatever the reason, I felt I needed to up the ante and start talking some infertility treatments with my doctor. Since we didn't know where we stood after the whole cancer thing, it was obvious we needed to address that issue first. I was confident it wouldn't be an issue, and was working through some of my own fears and questions regarding the next steps in treatment. Mark, however, wasn't as optimistic, and once again---Mark was right. He always seems to be right. I need to learn when Mark has hunch, it's best to plan on it. Even though we knew it was a very real possibility, the news was crushing. Before, there was always hope and a chance we would have biological children. None of our tests were conclusive, or negative for that matter. We experienced unexplained infertility.  Hearing the finality that chemotherapy and radiation ruined any chances for us to have children was a blow I didn't think we would have to deal with. I thankfully do not know what it is like to lose a child, or to miscarry, and I hope I never have to know what that feels like. I do feel a huge sense of loss, mourning a child that will never come. As scary as pregnancy and labor and all that entails was to me, I will always wonder what it is like to see a positive pregnancy test, to go to an ultrasound, to feel a baby kick, to compare Mark and I's baby pictures to our new bundle of joy. Like I said, it hurts.

I hate saying those things and seeming ungrateful, because we do love adoption. And even though it is incredibly difficult, it provides experiences that pregnancy does not. It was exciting to be matched, to get to know and love somebody in a very new a different way. Having a relationship with Paige's birthmom is something I can't explain. She allowed us to be a part of so many things that she didn't have to let us in on, and I feel grateful to her for allowing us into her life. The adoption process isn't easy, and I am overwhelmed and scared to start it all over. I have to remind myself that things will happen as they should and have faith in that, but I am sure there will still be hard days, and days that we doubt. Our first adoption was amazing--textbook. We were so lucky and blessed. Ours was the antithesis of the horror stories people like to pass around. We are just beginning the journey, but we hope by being open and sending out the vibes that we are ready to adopt again, that it will spread like wildfire and maybe, just maybe, we can have another success story. If we are meant to be a family of three, then we will be grateful for our little miracle family.

This post is quickly becoming a novel, but I wanted to share some fun photos of our seemingly normal days.

I found my old "My Little Ponies" and Paige has enjoyed them. I enjoy watching her play with them. It's fun to watch your kids love something you loved.

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This picture concerns Mark. He is fairly certain I have ruined our child and am turning her into a clean freak. He may or may not be right.

Paige's very favorite toys are her dishes. She grabs them out of the cupboard multiple times a day and sets them up like this all over the house. I find dishes in strange places. On this particular day, she found her way into the pantry and into the soup cans. She makes me smile.

Paige and I have a lot of similarities, but we are also very different. Paige is a girly girl. She doesn't get it from me that's for sure. She was so excited about her bright pink nails!

We didn't have many free Saturdays, but we were itching to get back in the saddle after a very long hiatus. Scout is at pony camp, and his teacher let's us come out and use the indoor facilities whenever we want. Scout is not ready to ride, so this isn't him, but a very fancy pony we only can wish was ours! It was about 5 below, and being inside didn't make it warmer. Paige has never really ridden, and with it being freezing I was skeptical we would have fun at all. Paige was a trooper and totally in love. We rode in the bone chilling cold for 2 hours. Paige laughed and laughed. I learned that one of the greatest blessings of parenthood is sharing something you love with your child, and seeing her love and experience it for the first time. I can't wait until we are consistently spending time with our horses as a family.

 



Behind

Wow--It has been a crazy few weeks and I am pretty much behind in everything, especially blogging. I am pretty sure 5 people read my blog, so I know it's been a huge disappointment to the masses having no updates. The move was overall successful, we have a few loose ends that still need to be tied up, but we are in and mostly unpacked. I have a junk room, mostly filled with decor that hasn't found a home yet. I have been reluctant to take pictures and give y'all the big reveal because there are quite a few things that need finishing. I lived without cabinets for a few days, I now have most of my cabinets done, but no hardware and a few key doors are gone. I have no bathroom mirrors, towel or toilet paper roll holders, mailbox,  and the main feature in my living room is currently a massive tower of plywood. It is pretty beautiful. Now that the holidays are over, I am hoping some of these loose ends will get tied up. It has been lovely being here, having a garage and a furnace and a nice big old tub to sit in when I have had enough! The cleaning process was a disaster. Mark was pretty sure it was worth saving some money and having me do all the construction cleaning. While that may be true, after 3 straight cleaning days I was ticked I agreed to do it. In the future and for anyone wondering, it may not be a waste of money having someone else do all that nitty gritty. It was awful. My hands are still trying to recover. I am still finding dust everywhere, and probably will for years. I have been maniacal when it has come to cleanliness, I want it all to be perfect. My OCD is in full swing, but no matter how hard I try, it just isn't going to be perfect. I spent HOURS on my kitchen floor, and still vacuum it almost every day, and as soon as someone walks through the door, sawdust is tracked everywhere. I am learning it is a battle I can't win, and a pretty ridiculous battle anyway.

Paige's birthday fell right on moving day, so we pushed it back a week and I threw a little housewarming/birthday party for the grandparents and Paige's birth family. I didn't think moving and getting ready for Christmas was enough to keep me busy I guess. It turned out to be an awesome day and everything came together really well. I made the cake, hot cocoa, and appetizer, but cheated on the main meal and bought chicken salad sandwiches and a salad. Best idea ever---thanks Mom! Paige was so fun and pretty excited about the presents, cake, and extra attention she was getting. She wasn't spoiled at all! I was so grateful her birth family made the trek up here to be with us. They made the day super special. We love them and they really are an extension of our family! This sweet thing is starting college this semester and I feel like a proud mamma. I am SO happy for her. I knew the moment I met her she had more tenacity and gumption than almost anyone I had ever met. She is an incredible person and has taught me what it means to overcome obstacles and soar!

Gotta love this picture! If you were ever wondering why Paige is so darn beautiful, this should provide you with an answer!

 

After seeing the amazing He-Man cake my sister-in-law made for my nephew a few months back, I was feeling inspired and slightly pressured to come up with something decent for Paige. My little brother helped me quite a bit with the finishing touches. I think it turned out really cute, and it was YUMMY! I cheated and did a cake mix, but the frosting is a homemade mint frosting that was delicious. It is my grandmother's recipe and was one of the fancier things I have ever attempted to make. Not hard, but room for error for sure. I had no back up plan, so thank goodness it turned out!

Remember the part about Paige being spoiled?! Well in addition to the fabulous presents from her parents and grandparents, her birth family brought up this special gift. Her very own kitty. Paige was ecstatic and hasn't stopped! Poor kitty has had to learn some survival skills and I don't think there is a mutual love going on. Paige directs the kitty, bosses the kitty, and packs the kitty around. We tried to name the kitty Boots after Paige's other love, but everyone keeps calling it Kitty. I don't know if we can move past that. Paige was pretty excited to share her new tent, tea set, and shopping cart with the cat. The cat was less excited about all these adventures. Kitty has since been banished to the garage, where it is still being spoiled, but still tries to sneak into the house now and then. Unacceptable. You are cute Kitty, but you are not going to be a house cat on this farm! I am hoping it has some mad mousing skills!

 

 

 

 

After Paige's party, we had about three whole days before it was time for Christmas. Paige was pretty excited about this fun magnetic calendar from Grandma. It was one of the very few decorations that made it up this year. I snapped the other shot on Christmas Sunday. It was her holiday dress this year and she looked so cute!

 

Christmas morning seems to be a little overwhelming for Paige. She was pretty unsure about things and wanted some serious snuggles from Grandpa before she warmed up to the whole idea. This is becoming a Christmas tradition. Here is this years picture.....

 

And last years......

 

I don't know why she has a breakdown, but that is how we start the day. She warmed up a lot quicker this year, and was once again spoiled!

 

She LOVES this roller coaster. It is the gift that keeps on giving. In addition to the coaster, she got a stroller and bottle for her baby, which she opened first and refused to put down to open other presents. She also got a new stuffed animal (baby she says), Little People Playhouse, clothes, hat, books, and candy.

Pretty sure I have asked for a pony for Christmas since I was 3, Mark made my dreams come true and surprised me with this little guy. I was floored! I found this guy in October and fell in love. Mark seemed very disinterested and then told a few lies that put me way off track. He wrapped the AQHA papers and few pictures for me to open Christmas morning. I was so shocked and happy, I cried. Something about Scout grabbed my attention and I wasn't looking for any other horses. I was so sad when Mark said he was no longer for sale.Yay! Glad he is no longer for sale;)

 

Here are a few teasers of the new house. This light fixture caused me some anxiety. Our first choice fell through, and I loved this one in the store, but once it was hung, I was worried it was too low. You can see the box in the background waiting for a final decision. In the end, I decided I wasn't tall, and I loved the fixture too much to part with it.

 

This was our living room the night they laid carpet, we moved in two days later. That plywood monstrosity still looks that way, it just has a TV up there instead of doorknobs. I love this carpet. One of the best choices I made for sure!

 

Last Saturday, we rolled into Texas Roadhouse. I have taken a cooking hiatus over the holidays. I haven't had time to go to the store really, so eating out and over at families has been the ticket. Between that and my overindulgence in food....the last few weeks have been scary I am sure. Hopefully tomorrow we will get back into the swing of things. Paige is usually a nightmare to eat out with, but this night she did great and we had so much fun!

 

Earlier that day, Mark decided to take Paige on a 4-wheeler ride. It was darn cold outside, like 9 degrees. I tried to bundle up Paige the best I could for her first real snow adventure. I hate the snow, so we don't get out much. I leave those activities to Dad, and last year she was just too small. Mark said she loved it. She was pretty happy when she came home, but her face was frozen. Even Mark had to admit it was a little frosty out there!

 

And thus ended our Holidays. We had a great time, even if it was a little unorthodox. I feel so sad it came and went so fast and we had little time to soak it all in. I honestly hate the thought of a new year. Time seems to go so fast. I am unprepared for life to pass so quickly. I hate that I am getting older, that Paige is getting older, that the world is getting more and more crazy. Ahh! It all just stresses me out. 2013 has already promised some bittersweet changes and I am pretty much dreading June. Gah, it will be a pretty big life change for us around here. Hopefully some good things are around the corner and I can get some things figured out. I feel like I am running out of time. Does anyone else ever feel that way? I feel like time is short for so many things, but especially growing our family. I know it isn't true...kinda....but it really feels as if I am running out of time and I have no direction. I do not have a plan. I want a baby so bad, but have no plan and don't feel like I have much control. Add with the June life changer and I really feel like I am running outta time. Hopefully I can shed some light on that soon, but now isn't the time for the big blog reveal.  I hope this year isn't a stalemate for us. I honestly crave change and progress in my life. Strange I know, but I feel like I get restless pretty easy. I think that's why I hate January so much. It just feels dull and like nothing ever happens. I hope I didn't just dare karma and curse myself with something bad. It seems to happen that way right? At least for me anyways!

 

I have been reading a novel my other sister-in-law wrote (seriously I have overachieving, awesome, sister-in-laws that make me feel super untalented), and it is honestly a good story. How cool is that? She wrote a book...sheesh! I am hoping I find some confidence, drive, and niche for myself this year. I hope I can find and accomplish something fulfilling and self-improving. If I could only discover what that might be, I could actually make a resolution to do it!

 

Well 5 readers, thanks for sticking it out to the end of my really long post. It feels good to catch up and journal a little bit about our last few weeks! We feel very blessed and humbled by our blessings. I hope we can be deserving of them and look for ways to lift those around us. Happy New Year to all our friends and loved ones, we hope it's a good one for us all!

Calm Before the Storm

This week is going to be a nightmare. I am chilling this Monday morning and thinking of all the things that have to happen before Sunday rolls around, and it is pretty overwhelming. I can't even get a jumpstart on it. It is hard to believe that in one week from now, we will actually be in our new home. I told Mark the other day that it doesn't seem like our house, it seems like a project and I can't even imagine myself living there. Is that strange?! Maybe it has been a type of defense mechanism to keep from getting my hopes up. There is a lot of cleaning and packing to be done, in both rental and new house, but I can't really do either until later this week. And Mark will conveniently be gone. That kid has a special talent for avoiding moving. In our last three moves, yours truly has done essentially all of the cleaning and packing. I even loaded most of our stuff in the trailer last time. Mark had a hernia so all the real heavy lifting was done by his brothers. I wish I could go for a week and come home to a clean, unpacked, new home!

In the next 3 days, the house should be completed. It will be a blitz, but I think it is doable. Electrical is done and inspection is passed. Today is plumbing, tomorrow is carpet. Hopefully my cabinets and fireplace will also be done today and tomorrow. That really is all that is left. Mark is pretty tired of buying annoying things like hardware and blinds...all the fun details you don't have to deal with when you buy an existing home. The backsplash situation is causing me serious anxiety. I had NO idea how expensive they are! I feel like it is the most expensive part of the house, which I know is not true, but it feels that way. Especially since it comes at the end when our wallets feel a bit lighter. I was hoping it wasn't going to be a necessity right away, but I can tell it will be, especially in the bathrooms.

It has honestly been a pretty insane few weeks. I feel like we have been super busy doing nothing. Everyday is full of lots of little errands, combined with nap time and wham! Another day spent with not a lot to show for it. We have managed to have a little fun, highlighted by a trip to see family, including Paige's birthmom and her family. I always love seeing them! It had been much too long, and we had a great time, even despite waiting in traffic for an hour only to find that we arrived at the wrong mall. GRRRRR. I have no one to blame for that mistake but myself. Even though I really wanted to blame Mark:) We had our first ever hotel experience with Paige, and I have to say she did really good. She was fascinated by the elevator, and I think I am the only one that didn't get any sleep. Paige climbed into bed with me in the wee hours of the morning and I enjoyed a very rare snuggling moment, which was enjoyable but not restful. Paige is not a peaceful sleeper. Between Mark and Paige, I was hanging on the edge of the king sized bed, freezing cold.  How do those family bed people do it?!

Can't wait for some summer evenings on this front porch!

Even though it's freezing cold, it helps keep the mud at bay.

We are still waiting for cabinet doors and drawers, hopefully soon. I didn't notice until I posted this picture that Paige had sneaked herself into it. She pretty much thinks the new house is a fun playground.

My awesome wood floors in Mark's office and the foyer.

 

Cool tile around my tub, I forgot to take a picture of the shower, it looks amazing!

LOVE our granite, we changed our minds at the last minute to go with this particular slab, but I am glad we did. The colors are perfect for our home.

Cabinets before the granite. We even have appliances now.

This little girl is as baby hungry as her mamma. She always has a friend by her side. Last night she changed the diapers of two plush snowmen. I have to say she did a pretty good job. She insisted these two babies eat with her. I love her bib that proclaims her love for a mysterious big sister. Pears and chicken nuggets are 2 of 4 foods I can get Paige to eat regularly. And of course......ranch!

This picture was taken by Paige's birthmom. I love that Paige is sharing her sucker and that as Mark licks it, Paige sticks her tongue out.

 A good cheese moment.

Hats and babies are the current obsession around these parts. We bought this hat for her last Christmas, but she has only recently decided it was cool.

 

 

Can't believe this little bug of mine will be 2 this week. AHHH! Time flies. We will have to postpone the big party for a week since her actual birthday will be one busy moving day. We are so blessed to have her in our home. She makes our lives  a lot more exciting.