What a gal

So Lisette has taught me a few things, lately. She's amazingly good at taking things easily; go figure for an almost-one year old. However I must add that its not always true. She's still such a girl and can take her dramatics over the top sometimes. She’s a little bit of a daredevil and I love it. She likes slides, swings, being thrown around and she’s trying to stand up on her own (can definitely pull herself up but now she’s trying to let go of things) and I think she’s wanting to walk already. I’m ready for that. But what I’m talking about is the other day I was in my room and heard Lisette getting mad; not crying, just grunting. I come into the living room to see Franklin laying on top of her. Too funny. He thinks he’s doing the same thing we do, hovering over her to give her raspberries and tickling. I wonder what’s next; Body slamming?

Franklin is helpful sometimes, but I have to remember he’s also a 2 year old. He’s still a charmer, and wins people over. Everyone enjoys his language and I’m glad they do; doesn’t mean I have to. I’m working on my patience as I’m trying to get him to say things that I understand. I know he understands everything I tell him, so at least I have that in my favor. I’ve been wondering if the reason he still speaks his language is because everyone encourages him to. He also can finally pick what show he wants to watch, and we've got enough of a variety. He loves "Toys" (Toy Story 1 and 2, he likes 2 because there is red on the disc) and calls Woody "boody". Too funny, but hey, at least thats one we can all understand.

Stephen and I are coming with plans for our place. I’ve been talking about finding somewhere else to live but honestly we’re both tired of moving, and we’re free to do things to this place. Our sprouts are getting bigger, and so are the sunflower sprouts. We’re going to grow a garden and I’m really looking forward to that. I never once thought I’d grow anything, especially a garden.

We have a kiddie pool (thank you Grandma Reed) and a sand box (thank you Grandma Quinn) for the kids and they are both having fun. We’ve put the end of a slide into the pool, and Lisette loves it, so does Franklin. We’d do more out there if the wind would just go away. For all of you with kiddos, bring their swimmies and sandals to let the kids go out back and have fun. Jessica Tilton came over on Saturday with her boys. Though Dallin slept the whole time, and Corey and Bryson didn’t really want to play outside, they did want to help Stephen shovel out all the mulch that Grandpa Reed brought over for our garden. Thanks boys, I didn’t have to do it and Stephen had tons of help!

Stephen has been very busy with work. When we moved down here they said that it was the slow season, and yet he still worked a full 8 hour day. Now he’s making, at the very least, 2 ½ hour overtime daily. Yep, I’m finally able to sacrifice Stephen for work; they are definitely making it worth it for me, or for him, which ever. We’re not even into the hottest part of the year yet, just a few months away still. The residential calls are starting to build up, and now he is back into his realm.

As for me, Stephen has been encouraging me to build up my inventory. I go through spurts of struggling with loss of patience/interest? The ties have been my vice. We’ll see, once I finish the first 24 I’ve been trying to get done for 2 weeks now, maybe longer. I will conquer! We’ve been trying to get some ready for sale in a local shop, the one I mentioned weeks ago, but we discovered that we don’t have enough snaps and clips to supply both the local store and my shop. We hope to have the resolved very soon, and never to get too close to being out ever again!

What a busy Spring

Unfortunately we have all become sick over the past few weeks. I’m finally getting over a sinus infection, and both the kids are back to good health. Lucky Stephen wasn't even phased by his momentary turn of being sick. Things are heating up, but that’s nothing new about Arizona, or even interesting. That does mean that business is picking up for Stephen. My business is picking up as well. 82 sales in the last 6 months of actually selling (the last 20 in the past couple of weeks alone). Sheila will be opening a space in her home to sell her jammies (culottes) and my pacifashions. She also has gotten us a spot in a shop in Pima. I’m super excited to see what that holds in store for my product!! Thank you Sheila!

Franklin slowly prefers English over Franklinese. I’m very happy about that since we are struggling with communication. He’s very sweet, and somewhat patient. He’s also extremely eager; finally!! I haven’t pushed him to learn everything since he didn’t have patience, or interest. Now it’s a steady flow of information, and he’s soaking it all in. He’s so much fun, but he’s Franklin, he’s always been so great!

Lisette is dead-body crawling, at least that’s what I’m calling it, in correspondence with her whole “rigor” thing. She uses her toes and her arms and propels herself forward; it’s very funny to watch. I honestly was beginning to think she’d skip this stage, she’s been so proud of her rolling abilities. Her other new trick is putting herself in the sitting position. Don’t worry if you thought she could do it all along, just about everyone else did too. After all she is 10 months old. I can’t tell you how elated I am that she can FINALLY sit herself up. No more yelling and crying at me to put her in a more comfortable position. I just about cried when I saw her do it the first time I was so very happy. Stephen likes to tease her with the laser. There is a video I am uploading of this very thing, and why not get some laughs about her new tricks!

This will probably be useless information to most of you, but I am very thrilled about this; we have discovered what breed of cat Rizzo is. Now I never really needed to know, or care much about cat breeds. Granted I grew up with Persians, the very beautiful, “Fancy Feast” type Persian (no squished faces) and I cared very much about that breed. Now that is a beautiful breed of cat. However Rizzo is a VERY odd cat. He doesn’t entirely act like a cat, nor does he have much of the same temperament of our fat lazy Osgood. Thanks to Animal Planets series Cats 101 we have discovered that Rizzo is an Egyptian Mau (Mau actually means cat in Egyptian). It truly is an amazing breed, and very beautiful, too bad they are so rare. Rizzo is definitely the perfect cat for me, I wish all cat lovers could have a cat like him. It’s almost a shame that we had him fixed; almost, but not quite.

We are also making an attempt at growing flowers. We have two beds of watered seeds, at the current time, in front, and we planted a long row of sunflower seeds along the century-old wood fence along the road. It’ll look awesome, if we actually can get it all to grow. Let’s hope.

Ok, Easter! On Saturday we went out to Cedar Hills and had fun with the Quinn clan. Nearly everyone was there, and though our family didn’t camp out (due to illnesses) we stayed for several hours that morning. I also forgot that the Arizona sun burns me very quickly. I got used to being in Utah and hardly ever got sunburn. It was worth it. Franklin LOVED being out there with his cousins, Aunts, Uncles, and Grandparents. He learned about playing in the dirt from Brooklyn, and Caylee (yes, the girls had to show him) who are his age. His uncle Danny helped him color an egg, which he loved. Later, after lunch, we went for a drive in Brent’s awesome 4-wheeler. Franklin could sit between us. I didn’t think we had been gone that long, but Franklin started to fall asleep. We headed home after that to let the kids sleep.

My parents joined us Saturday night for the festivities the next morning. Franklin got to be 100% center of attention between conference sessions as he did the egg hunt. There are some videos of that as well; one is long, I must warn you, but it was just cute to hear Franklin say egg a million times. When his basket was getting too full he’d put his eggs in Lisette’s. I wish she was old enough to appreciate that since I really don’t see that happening ever again in the coming years. However, Franklin does always surprise us. After a very filling, and delicious ham dinner, my dad returned to Sierra Vista, and my mom stayed behind to hang out with me for the rest of the day. I had to go to Sierra Vista the next morning anyway to finally get Franklin’s birth certificate, so my mom rode with me, and Franklin loved having her there.

Enjoy the video below of Lisette's version of crawling!

The promised pictures

I'm glad I was able to get right to it this time, instead of waiting several weeks. I didn't take as many pictures as I had liked, but here are a few, and I hope you enjoy them. Also make sure that you go to the bottom of our blog page to see the new videos. I'm still working on adding a few more. I've discovered with our new internet that I can't download several things at once; it takes way too long for my patience. Enjoy the slide show, and videos!!

Baby Got Back

We're back in Arizona, and it feels just like home. Not that Utah wasn't but we are happy to be so much closer to family, and able to visit/see family members far more often than we have in the last 2 1/2 years. The kids are liking it just fine, and probably more since there's so many more willing/wanting hands to hold Lisette, and Franklin has double the amount of playmates, just with cousins around. Jaycee, and Ashley seem to favor him very much. He has that affect on little girls; they want to play with him, tote him around, and get him to do things with them (which he is more than happy to do, and this started back in Utah at McD's play places). Just the other day at the park he somehow got a little girl to do everything with him/for him. What a little stud!

Lisette is 9 months, and weighs 24 1/2 pounds. I thought she was less, just because of her age, but her bulk doesn't lie. That baby does "got back". She has major rolley thighs, and a very round bum. Yep, at 9 months old, that girl has ghetto booty. There I said it. I'm not sure if it makes her more irresistible or not. She has been amazing! Sorry Greta that wasn't as easy, and content before we moved away, for you. I'm not sure why the sudden change, but I LOVE handing her off to adoring arms.

I love my daughter, but my kids have turned me into mommy-playground, and even though I probably deserve it for what I did to my mom at their age, I'm not willing to always allow it. In Sacrament meeting she was perfectly fine while Stephen held her, but once Franklin was getting to silly being with me, we traded and then she took over Franklins' duties. She had to be grabbing and pulling something, and if I didn't let her torture me she'd turn to pull Franklin's hair, shirt, colored pencil, etc. Finally I handed her off to the Knights behind us, and she calmed right back down; thank goodness.

The cats are loving it here. They have many more windows, and different views from all around the place to look out. Birds are of plenty here, and they are constantly on a frenzied attack (all play) with each other. Franklin loves to birds too. You can sometimes hear the train faintly, and he enjoys that. 3 Firetrucks drove by yesterday morning, and Franklin was very excited about that. (don't ask what they were up to, I never found out but did see a very small black cloud an hour later that only hovered, and no source)

We love having a yard, and Sheila has let us borrow some playground equipment. Franklin love that too. We spent all afternoon out there with the kids. They played while we cleaned. For some odd reason the last tenants had a HUGE spread out pile of chilies, all dried up, and some had been burned in a small fire. I could tell you lots of thing we're discovering about the last tenants. Lets say that this house is very happy, and lucky to have us. I do, however, hate the wind here, and that was the only thing I've never liked about the desert. There has been some rain, and I've been thrilled about it. That is until we need to go somewhere, and there's way too much mud out there.

Stephen is so far liking his job. I'm loving it, and I have yet to meet anyone he works with. This job has definitely been an answer to our prayers, and been very good to Stephen (so far, I have to add that). He's been happy to work, and I'm please that thus far everyone there has been very welcoming, treating him like he's an important part of the team, and boosting his self esteem. They sound like they treat everyone like they are important, and that is truly how a business should work. (Unless there is an employee that is bringing everyone else down, than that guy isn't as important)

I'm happy here, and Stephen says that's the most important part of the whole change. He's right. If mom isn't happy than the whole house tends to fall apart since she's the one keeping a clean home, raising the kids, and feeding daddy. Stephen will tell you, it might be his home, but I rule it. In truth we do it together, but don't cross me. Since we've moved back I've been feeling, and seeing my old self return. Its been a while since the real me has been around, and I got to say it feels dang good, and ABOUT time!! Sheesh, its been too long.

We've moved back to a place where we both know a lot of people; Stephen from growing up here, and me from attending college. There are quite a few old college friends that have also returned to the valley. Everyone is hugely welcoming, and friendly. Yep, we definitely feel like we are home at last.

Don't worry, pictures will come soon.