Graduation

I know that I haven't posted about the trip to Ft. Scott yet, but I haven't gotten the pictures... and since I'm just getting farther and farther behind, I figured I'd just have to go out of order! Plus, I had the really hilarious video at the bottom to put up, so I just decided to go for it!

This past weekend, Tim's girlfriend, Mallorye, graduated from MU, so the whole family came up to visit. They actually all (Jess, Leila, Mom & Dad) stayed at our house, which was really fun, since we had all the baby toys, beds, etc. right there. Friday night we had lasagna and homemade ice cream for dinner. Saturday we headed to graduation, which I was a little worried about (nothing like 2 toddlers at a 2 hour graduation at the Hearnes Center). But, actually, both girls did really well. They slept through the first hour, and then we broke out the animal crackers, gummy smiles, and Smarties, and we made it through!

After graduation, we headed to Tim's house for a bbq celebration for Mallorye. We got to meet her family and friends, and just run around in Tim's backyard... which had chickens in it, which Laney was FASCINATED by! :)

Overall, it was just really fun to get to hang out with the Looten's for the weekend! It's fun to see Leila and Laney together, because they are soooo different! Laney is loud and everywhere, and Leila is so quiet, I can barely hear her when she cries. Although, by the end of the weekend, Leila was doing some random screaming, a la Laney, so apparently she was picking up some bad habits from Laney! :)

And, now for the pictures...

Laney, helping Daddy make the ice cream for dinner on Friday night. It was POURING down rain, and really storming. Laney, of course, loved it, because she loves the rain. And it gave us a good reason to wear the cow boots, since she wears them around the house all the time anyway!

After the Lootens got there, we gave the girls a little snack. Laney was not too excited about sharing. She said she would, but then, with these cheerios, she left them on the table, and didn't keep Leila from eating any. Instead, she just jammed them in her mouth as fast as she could until she looked like a chipmunk. It was pretty funny, but we're obviously going to have to work on sharing!

Hanging out in the high chairs, waiting for dinner!

And, after lasgana, they both needed a bath. They were, however, NOT interested in looking at the camera... so this is the best we could do for a picture!

Headed to graduation... lookin' cooool in the shades!

After graduation, Josh had a flat tire on his car. Laney occupied herself while we aired it up! :)

Walking on campus... just thought she looked like such a big girl... especially with the shades!

Leila playing at Tim's house. She was funny to watch because she's just learning to walk, so she was very unsteady, especially on the uneven grass. It's hard to believe that Laney, who now RUNS everywhere, was like that not too long ago!

Before church on Sunday, Grandma Looten painted Laney's toes to match her's and Leila's! Love the look on Laney's face!

And the video I just had to post... not actually from graduation, but from this past week. I've been working out to the 30 Day Shred video, and Laney wanted to get in on the action... hilarious!

It's HERE!

Our new couch came in weeks ahead of schedule, which was a nice surprise! And Dad was nice enough to meet Josh at the warehouse with one of Kemper's box trucks to pick it up, so we didn't have to worry about smashing it into the Suburban. Then Mom & Dad helped us unload the new couch, and load up the old one for Dad to sell. And the new couch is loving its new home in our living room... almost as much as we love having it there!

Anyway, I know you just want pictures, so here you go...

Laney, of course, was a BIG help in getting the couch unloaded. First, she showed us how to go UP the ramp...

...then how to go DOWN the ramp. (Notice the old couch sitting in the front yard: Mom, Ruth and I carried it out like half an hour before the new couch got there... and then we sat in it for awhile... in our front yard... Whiskey Tango, anyone?)

Laney also made sure to help Daddy while he put on the legs of the couch.

And, TA-DAH! Here she is...

The pillows actually came with the couch, which was a nice surprise as well! And it looks really dark in that picture, but the pictures with the flash look really tan... so you'll just have to come over to truly appreciate the new couch! Charlie has already given it the seal of approval: he can stretch out full length on it. It is huge, and it takes up a good portion of the living room. But it is so comfortable, and I think we're going to love being able to all pile on it to watch a movie... however many of us there end up being!

Anyway, so there it is, the new couch. Now we just need to get through until July, when I can start ripping off wallpaper and painting, painting, painting!!

Notice the hand weights and water bottle by the couch? I've been getting my butt kicked by the 30 Day Shred DVD. Usually hate work out dvds... love this one. It's only 20 minutes of a work out, and I totally feel like I'm going to die by the end. Even I can squeeze in 20 minutes! Anyway, I'm on day 8, and I've worked out 6 of those days. Which is pretty darn good! Just in case you were looking for a good toning work out...

Ear Recheck and Roses Revisited!

Well, this is kind of a random Laney update.

First, the bad news... we had an ear recheck yesterday, and the ear that had fluid on it last month is clear, but now the OTHER ear has fluid on it. Seriously, these ears will be the death of me. So, we're back for another 30 days of antibiotics, and a recheck when we're done. Laney was so funny at the doctor's office, she's definitely figured out she doesn't like what happens behind the exam room doors! She was thrilled to be in the waiting room watching the "silly fishies" in the aquarium. But as soon as the nurse opened the door and called Laney's name she ran for me saying "Nooo, noooo." Then, when the basic checks were done, she was happy to play with the toys in the exam room. Until Dr. Garb actually walked in, then it was back on my lap saying "Noooo, nooooo" and crying. It was actually pretty funny, if it hadn't been so pitiful! Anyway, she was on much better terms with Dr. Garb when he gave her an Elmo sticker!

In other Laney news, she has new phrases that are quickly becoming her favorites- "I want it/more/that/chips/etc" and "I do it." Ahh, yes, my friends, we have developed 2-year-old attitude!! We are working on "I want it PLEASE" and other modifications to make it SLIGHTLY more polite. But the "I do it" is pretty funny! And she's pretty much up for doing anything! She is totally fearless. We have been enjoying the weather at the local park (Cosmo), and she loves the slides, even the giant ones!! The one thing she doesn't like is walking across the equipment that has holes in the floor- she doesn't like being able to see the ground through the floor (can't say I blame her there). But as far as slides go, the bigger the better! Her other new thing is possession- she's very concerned about what belongs to who: "Mommy's coffee" "Daddy's car" "My EVERYTHING ELSE." Actually, she's pretty good about leaving stuff alone if you say "That's Mommy's _____" But she is not so good at sharing anything that she has deemed her's! And combined with the "I want it" it makes for interesting conversations!! Ahh, toddlers...

Anyway, the last of the Laney update: She's definitely getting better with her singing! Although not as cute, Ring Around the Rosie is a lot more recognizable now!!

And now for some cute pictures! These are just random from the last month or so, no real place to put them in a post, but just fun pictures anyway!

Down the slide to Daddy! I love that you can hardly see her because she's laying totally backwards!

Loves the swings...

Does it get much cuter than this?!

And some good blackmail fodder for when she's 16! She loves these boots. She puts them on all the time, even though they're so big she can barely walk in them!

Just thought this was adorable. She said "My chair" and climbed up in it. She won't be able to fit there much longer!

Anyway, I still have pictures from my birthday party and the family reunion in Ft. Scott to post, but I didn't really have time, so thought I'd make do with a quick update! More posts coming soon... when I have time! :)

New Stuff!!

So, we're planning on doing some repainting this summer (I've been chomping at the bit to get rid of the not-so-attractive wallpaper in the kitchen) and I'm wanting to obviously do some redecorating. Our couch (a hand-me-down from Josh's parents, which we've really liked) has some broken parts on the frame (there are supports sticking out of the back of the fabric) and it's probably time for it to go. So Saturday we did some couch shopping, and ended up ordering one!!! It's this couch right here, and we got it from Ashley Furniture store.

So, you can't really tell from the picture, but it's a really neat chocolate brown, and the fabric is almost like a teddy bear! It's a full 10 inches longer than a standard couch (100 inches instead of 90) and it's wonderfully comfortable! It's definitely a couch that you sit IN, not ON, which is what we were going for. Anyway, we are totally excited about it! It will come in in about 6 weeks, so we'll have more pictures when we actually get it! Yay for new furniture!!

Easter... Finally!

I know I'm a couple of weeks late, but I finally have time to sit down and put up pictures from Easter! I actually was not very good at taking them, but Ruth took some, so I've managed to put together a few! :)

Easter started VERY early, as usual! Laney and I had to be at Sunrise Service at 0700 (Daddy was helping cook breakfast, so he had to be there even earlier)! But I did manage to get us both up and ready to go on time, which was a miracle (NOT a morning person). And we even had time to take a look at the Easter basket!

She was THRILLED... until we had to leave the basket alone until after church!

Notice... Laney's basket has all of Mommy & Daddy's favorite candy... weird...

One good thing about being up for sunrise service... seeing a cool sunrise!

We made it through Sunrise Service (no nursery) thanks mostly to packets of Smarties that I had in my pocket! I think she ate 4 packs during the service... but she stayed quiet! :) After Sunrise Service we had breakfast (cooked by the men at our church... delicious!) and our normal Sunday School and church. Afterwards, pretty much all the family we have in town came over to our house for lunch! We had a really good time, even if we were crammed into our little kitchen at our kitchen table and two card tables! :) Laney fell asleep during lunch, so pretty much everyone left. Then she woke up just in time to hunt for her eggs! She actually understood what she was doing, which made it a lot of fun. She looked pretty adorable, if I do say so myself!

Examining her "haul." Every time she found an egg and put it in her basket, she'd look up at us and say "Mo?" She was really good at finding them, though. Except for the ones buried in grass!

Even putting the purple one by the purple pool didn't fool her!

Great-Grandma Looten gave her eggs full of quarters for her piggy bank (much appreciated, since she got GOBS of candy). She had a blast putting them into the piggy bank one at a time... too bad Daddy's back still hasn't recovered!

Hanging out with Aunt Ruthie, eating Smarties, and playing with the stuffed bunny Uncle Tim brought her!

And... the million dollar question... Laney DOES like Peeps! We'll have to see if she comes to her senses as she gets older.

In fact, she likes them so much, she pushed them around in her stroller! If you can't see them, she's got a comb, her milk, and a peep in her stroller. What more could a girl need?!

So there's the Easter update... we are busier than ever, due mostly to the fact that we have a 19 month old with apparently limitless energy! She is a handful, very willful and stubborn. But she's a lot of fun to have around... most of the time! :) In case you're wondering, she's adjusting pretty well to the new daycare. We really like Tamra, who takes care of her. She's good with Elena, and she takes them all over, doing fun stuff like the carousel at the mall and Bonkers. And, she's even working on potty training with Elena (it's kind of like peer pressure, because the other little girls all go to the potty at the same time, so Elena goes, too). I really consider it a God thing that she happened to open up a daycare in our neighborhood when we happened to be looking for one. Lena is happy to go play with her friends (she runs towards the door yelling Ally every morning) and happy to go home every afternoon (she never fails to come running towards me with a huge grin, yelling Mommy), and what more could I ask for in a daycare?!

Hilarious

Ok, I know I need to be posting Easter pics, and, really, I was supposed to be out the door 3 minutes ago, so I really shouldn't be posting anything. But I was changing Elena and she did this really funny song for me, and I thought, man, I need the camera! So I went and found it, but I didn't think she'd do it again, because she never does- she usually refuses to do anything for the camera. But, I gave it a shot, and this was the result...

I have no idea what song she's singing, but at least she's singing it with enthusiasm!!

Leila's First Birthday

As promised, here are pics from this weekend's trip to Springfield to celebrate Leila's first birthday!

Josh & I headed down Friday as soon as he got out of work, and planned to meet up with Josh's parents at Hemingway's for some seriously delicious all-you-can-eat crab legs! Occaisionally, Josh and I get a craving for seafood, and Hemingway's is our favorite place if we're wanting crab legs! We had a good time eating and catching up with Josh's parents, and they were loving the time with Laney! Elena discovered that Hemingway's also has delicious chocolate mousse! So she had two bowls full. No joke... after she finished the first one she picked it up and tried to lick the mousse off of the bottom. Which would account for mousse ON HER FOREHEAD! Then she went after the second bowl with two spoons. It was pretty entertaining! :) And made for a good picture!

On Saturday morning Josh, Laney & I went to CPO (Christian Publisher's Outlet) to spend Josh's gift card. Poor Josh, he actually only found one cd he wanted... I, on the other hand, found 4 canvases to hang in our living room (after we paint this summer). So excited about them!!

Anyway, after CPO, we headed back to the Looten's to help get everything ready for the party! It was a pretty simple plan (the best kind) with little sandwiches, fruits, vegetables, chips, and other finger foods.

Even Laney climbed up on the island to help stir the punch...

...mostly because she wanted a taste!

Anyway, the party went really well, everyone chatted and had fun, watched Leila (or really Luke & Jess) open presents, and eat cake- which was pretty funny, as all 1st birthday cakes are! Jess put me in charge of taking pictures. I discovered I really like taking pictures of babies and set up... not so much of grown ups. I just always feel like I'm intruding when people are talking. Or I take a picture right as someone opens their mouth or does something silly. So, not many pictures of the partiers, but lots of pictures of the birthday girl (and her friends!). There were 4 girls (counting Leila) there age 2 and under. It was fun to see them all in different stages!

The birthday girl, enjoying some juice!

And her cousin... enjoying some dinner! :) Laney loved all the snacky food, she ate the entire day! Never much at a time, but she was constantly eating a chip, a carrot, some ham, some turkey- whatever anyone would give her! Except for red peppers- she was NOT a fan!
The big cake...

...the little cake

With so many girls the same age, Leila had some serious competition when it came to opening presents! There were many reminders that those were "Leila's toys." But they all had fun!

Leila says "Yay for presents!"

Now it's time for CAKE! :)

Once the candle was out, Leila started off slowly... just tasting some icing!

But discovered that it was pretty delicious!

Unfortunately, she rubbed those purple-icinged hands in her eyes. Made for a good picture...

...but ended up with stinging and screaming!

And the demolished cake! :) Leila mostly stuck with icing, apparently!

Laney got in on the cake-action, too- she opted for chocolate... and a fork!

The Wilson family, after the party!

After the party was over, we headed outside to enjoy the weather- it was 70 degrees and sunny, absolutely beautiful! The girls ran around for awhile, and then the grown ups goofed off for awhile. Everyone had a blast, and ended up with grass-stained and muddy feet (most of us were barefoot)!

Laney picking flowers! :)

Grandma and her girls!

Laney had fun standing on a chair next to the porch rail and watching the grown ups play ball... and mooching some more punch from "Shella," as Laney called her.

Finally, Laney went inside, found the balloons, and drug them outside. Since the party was over, we let her have fun with them!

We really had a great time. It was a short trip, but a lot of fun hanging out with family and celebrating Leila turning one!