Spring Has Sprung

We enjoyed some beautiful weather this week and spent lots of time outside. It's so nice to get fresh air (since all we've been getting for a while is what we get in the time it takes to walk from the house to the car/car to the store).

I think springtime clothes are so much fun. It may be the Arizona girl in me, but I much prefer sundresses and sandals to coats and boots.





I put Clara in Abby's crib with her when she woke up from her nap. (Excuse Abby's sweatiness). She woke up the next day saying, "Mommy, put Clara in my bed."



Our new favorite activity--chalk on the balcony!

An Evening of Firsts

A church just up the road hosts one of those travelling carnivals every year. Some of our friends were going, so we decided to join them. I wasn't sure if Abby would like it but my concerns were unwarranted. She LOVED it!

We started off with Abby's first roller coaster ride on The Dragon Wagon.





She kept a straight face most of the time, so I wasn't sure if she was having fun, but as soon as she go off, she wanted to do it again. I don't think she was quite sure how to respond to all of the excitement.



Next, Sam took Abby down the giant slide.



They beat Dixon in the race. I think they had the advantage with Sam's extra weight.



Next, Sam took Abby and Dixon on Abby's first Ferris Wheel ride.



Abby said, "We're way high in the sky."



After that, the kiddos went on some little airplanes. I thought Abby might be nervous without daddy but we were trying to save up our tickets for her to go on more rides. She was so brave and flew along happily with Tay by her side.



We wanted Abby to play her first carnival game so we found one with a prize guarantee. She caught the "small" shark (surprise, surprise). She got to choose between a princess crown, a dart gun, a magic wand and a stuffed whale. She went with the gun! Ha!



She chose to go on the airplane again. This time all by herself.



As we walked around, she kept asking to go on the big rides--the ones requiring riders to be twice her size. I think we have a little dare devil on our hands.

We gave Clara the old switcheroo so I could take Abby down the big slide two more times.





We finished off the night with an overpriced, yet delicious, funnel cake--a first for Sam and Abby. It was really hot when Sam went to pull off the first bite. Ha!





The undocumented first of the night was Abby's first time in a port-o-potty (Have a mentioned that she is potty trained? WOOO!) I had to laugh when she asked to wash her hands. Sorry honey, no sinks in the port-o-potty. Thank goodness for hand sanitizer.

We had such a fun night. I love seeing Abby have so much fun experiencing things for the first time. My face was sore from smiling so much.

Easter Festivities

We started off our Easter celebration by having some friends over for dinner and egg dying. We caught Abby just as she was starting to put one of the dye tablets into her mouth. Apparently she thought it looked like candy. Yikes!





While the rest of us were dying eggs, Clara hung out with her boyfriends. Don't these boys kind of make you want some cute, chunky twins?



On the Saturday before Easter, we met up with a bunch of friends at the park for an Easter egg hunt. It was a rainy day, but the weather let up just long enough for the kiddos to find their eggs. Abby loved finding eggs but she really loved the fact that they were all filled with candy. She is such a candy monster! The down side of the day? Sam came home with a tick on his leg. Eek!









On Sunday morning, Abby got to find a few more eggs and an Easter basket full of more candy. What were we thinking?





After that, we got ready for church and listened to wonderful songs and talks that reminded us what the Easter season is really about! We are so thankful for our Savior and his atoning sacrifice for us. It is amazing to know that we will live again just as our Savior did.













After church, we had some friends over for a delicious dinner. I couldn't find my camera until everyone left. Sam had put it in the bedroom when he was clearing the table. Oops.

It was a wonderful week. Kids make the holidays so much fun!

Twinners

Remember when I said Clara continues to look more like Abby?

Well, the proof is in the pudding.





What do you think?

Life Lately

Abby took this picture of Clara. Not bad!


My pretty lady. She looks more like Abby everyday.



Best Friends playing at the park.



Sweet Sisters.



First real ponytail.



Happy girl.



Snuggles.



Smith Playhouse on the "Yeehaw"



Clear the road. Abby's behind the wheel.

Flashback Sunday: Dating Memories-Part 1

Our lovely first date left me feeling very confused. I recognized Sam's amazingness but was very unsure of where things would lead and how to proceed (if it all).

As I was getting ready for church two days later, I tried to look extra special. Despite slightly chilly weather, I purposely left the house without a jacket. Sam happened to be speaking in church that day so he was sitting easily in view. In a test of Sam's gentlemanliness (yeah, I just made up a word) I tried to look cold. He passed the test and offered me his jacket. What can I say, I can be a bit manipulative (more on that later), but only with the best intentions.

That night, I was at my grandpa's house for dinner. I sent out one of those lame mass texts wishing everyone a happy Labor Day (or is it Memorial Day? I can never keep those straight) weekend. Sam was (very intentionally) included in the list. After a couple of texts back and forth, we made plans to hang out the next day. Sam had never texted before, and didn't have texting in his plan, but he decided texting me was worth a few extra bucks on his cell phone bill.

When I got home from my grandpa's I was ready to call it a night and hopped in the shower. When I got out, Sam called me to solidify our plans for the next day. While we were talking, my phone kept shutting off (coincidence? I think not!) Seeing as we lived next door to each other, we decided I should just go over to his house to continue talking. I quickly shed my high maintenance status when I went over in jammies with wet hair and no makeup. We played WWF Smackdown with some of his roommates. When it started getting late, Sam, being the gentleman that he is, decided to walk me the whole 20 feet to my apartment. But, instead of going inside right away, we sat outside talking for a couple more hours.

That night, I was more confused than ever. I prayed to ask Heavenly Father if this was a relationship I should continue to pursue. The next morning, I received an e-mail with the answer to my prayer (No, it wasn't an e-mail from heaven, but wouldn't that be nice?) I felt free to see where this budding romance would lead.

Sam called me that morning to inform me that he was sick. Staying up late talking in the cold did him in (the illness resulted in a high fever and a round of antibiotics). Our plans changed from rock climbing to a trip to Home Depot to buy soil and pots for some tomato plants Sam got from a guy at work. We planted the tomatoes and decided to make it a competition to see whose plant would produce better. Unfortunately, we weren't very good gardeners and our plants went swiftly the way of all the earth.



After that, we spent time together everyday. We would go on walks, study together or just spend time talking. We were both quite smitten, but neither of us was very sure of what the other was feeling and neither of us wanted to initiate "that" conversation.

A week after our first date, I had to go to an overnight retreat for my job as a counselor for the BYU Sports and Dance camps. Unlike most of my coworkers, I didn't know any of the other counselors so I spent the majority of the night hanging out by myself. I wanted to call Sam but I couldn't get cell phone service in the Canyon. As the night progressed, I started to meet and talk to some of the other counselors. I gained a better perspective on my feelings for Sam as some of the guys starting acting flirtatious. After just a week of hanging out with Sam, I wasn't even really flattered by the flirtation. I just wanted to get home and hang out with Sam.

I arrived home early the next morning and texted Sam. He invited me over for breakfast. Breakfast turned into rock climbing up Provo Canyon and rock climbing turned into dinner and a hike up Y mountain. It was a really fun day, but by the time it came to an end, I was really frustrated that Sam hadn't kissed me yet! I mean, come on, what was he waiting for?



Sam says he didn't want to kiss me until he knew it was right, which I can appreciate, but I was fairly certain he has passed up on many "right" moments. I mean, what could be better than a romantic sunset on the Y? When the "right" moment finally came, it was perfect, but you'll have to wait in suspense until next Sunday to read about that...

It's been a while...

I know, I know, we already failed at Flashback Sunday and it was only the second week. It takes, like what, seven times to form a habit, (or something like that) right? I just wasn't in the mood. And now, I feel like I haven't blogged in forever. We are in the midst of finals, so I don't get a lot of time with the computer. Plus, Clara has a super sad rash on her face so we haven't been taking a ton of pictures.

I feel like I'm starting to get the hang of having two kids. Abby had a rough week where she was particularly needy, but she's doing a lot better now. We've started having some nicer weather. It has helped a lot to be able to get outside. However, we now face the problem of getting Abby to leave the park (or anywhere for that matter) without a meltdown. She really loves playing with her friends!

I must admit, I'm CRAVING a schedule for Clara. I try not to wish away her newborn months, but I thrive on consistency. She is sleeping really well at night, but the daytime can be a bit of a challenge. It's hard to get her to sleep outside of our arms for a significant amount of time. (Unless we are out and about, then, she sleeps like a champ.) Sam or I usually have to go to her several times to give her the paci or rock her back to sleep. I try and remind myself to enjoy it while it lasts. Before I know it, she won't want me to hold her.

Despite the challenges, we sure love our little ladies!

Flashback Sunday: Our First Date

At the beginning of the year, the members of our church congregation were given a few challenges to work on/goals to accomplish during 2011. One of the goals was to write five years (any five) of personal history. Since Sam and I started dating five years ago (at the end of May), we thought that would be a good place to start our history. And, since our blog is our family journal, we thought we'd document our history here. With that said, we are pleased to introduce Flashback Sundays. Every Sunday (ok, so probably not every Sunday, but we'll do our best) we will post a story from the past five years and our life together before this blog began (I know, it's hard to believe we existed before Internet documentation). Without further adieu, I bring you, Our First Date...

Sam and his roommates planned a group date--a bonfire up the canyon. It was mandatory that all of the roommates attend. Though I wasn't his first phone call, Sam got the guts to call me--"Philip's sister, the one with the missionary." Upon seeing a Utah number on my caller id, I promptly pressed ignore. If it was important, whoever it was would leave a message. I was curious when no message was left, so I looked through our ward phone directory to see if there was a match. The number was listed under Sam's picture who I hadn't exchanged more than about five words with. Needless to say, when the number appeared on my caller id again a few days later, I answered. Sam informed me that he and his roommates were having a bonfire and asked if I wanted to go with him. I surprised both of us by quickly responding, "yes." Sam came to pick me up (a long walk next door) and brought me back to his apartment where everyone was meeting. His friends were immediately skeptical of me. I was, apparently, overdressed for a bonfire. But hey, a date is a date and I hadn't been on one for quite some time so I was going to dress to impress.

After everyone arrived, we loaded into a few cars to head up the canyon. Our first attempt at a location failed. All of the fire pits were taken. So, after some time at a playground, we loaded back up and went further up the canyon. We found a spot and unloaded the gear. Once the fire was ablaze, we all sat around talking and roasting marshmallows. I (admittedly) talked Sam's ear off. He still teases me about it! I was so comfortable talking to him and it was nice to feel that way.

It started getting pretty late, so we decided to call it a night and head home. As we were walking back to our car, some sprinklers came on and totally blasted us in the face. There's nothing like cold water to the face to add some excitement to the night. It was hilarious.

When I got home, Philip was furious with me. He had been trying to contact me for the past couple of hours, but I had left my phone in the car. He didn't expect me to be gone so long and I didn't think to check in--seeing as he's not my dad.

Obviously, the night was a success. Sam looked past what his friends saw as "high maintenance" and despite my rambling (seriously, I didn't shut up!) decided I was pretty great (can't blame him!) And the rest, as they say, is history...

Here we are sitting by the bonfire. So young and soon-to-be in love.