Reading

Ella is reading.

And no, not just this silly book she read to Hads the other day.  She is really reading.

  Recognizes probably 50-100 words by sight, sounds out harder, new words, and only asks for us to help her with maybe one word per book.  She has graduated from all of the "teach me to read" books and can pretty much read any book we put in front of her (scriptures included)! 

She now takes her turn and reads with us at scripture time before bed, keeps Maggie entertained by reading her story after story, and also helps read to Hadley.

We are amazed at how quickly she has picked up on it--and I really haven't taught her at all.  She started by asking us to point to every word as we read to her, then progressed to pointing to the words herself as we read, and now can read on her own.

Brad keeps telling her we are going to lock her in a closet because she is getting too smart--she always laughs, but a little hesitantly. . .I think she worries someday we just might do it!

Not even 4 1/2 and reading on her own.  We are proud parents!

(By the way, she did her hair herself the day of these pictures :))

Angel

Ella was an angel in her preschool Christmas play this past weekend.  We were very proud of her.  She sang all the songs, and did all of the sign language actions that she had learned to go along with it.  It was a big accomplishment for her as just one month ago when they had their Thanksgiving mini-performance she bowed her head, would not look up, and would not sing or do the actions for any of those songs she had learned.  She was too embarrassed with the parents who were all there watching.  We talked about it a lot and she told us she was going to brave this time around and participate more. 

The chapel was jam-packed with people (probably 4 times the amount as at the Thanksgiving social)

 and she performed with her class the entire time.  This is a big deal for her, she does not like to be the center of attention and gets VERY shy in front of large groups. 

I am glad her self-confidence is growing.  We are proud of her for facing her fears and being so brave and I think she felt pretty good about herself afterwards as well! 

Oh Christmas Tree

We spent last Saturday searching for and cutting down our Christmas tree, and we even had snow this year!  This is one of my favorite Christmas traditions, we were worried with the storm we wouldn't be able to do it on the one day we could all go together, but it worked and having the snow made it that much more memorable. I left the memory cards for the camera on the computer at home (big mistake), so I was only able to get one, low quality pick--but at least we have one!

Goodbye

We officially said goodbye to our home in Virginia today.  It is bittersweet.  Sweet because of all of the fond memories we have of our first home, and sweet because we will no longer have to worry about it from across the country month to month.  But bitter, very bitter, because of how much we lost on this house.

I had to force Brad to not look at the "bottom line" when signing the closing documents today.  It was terrible to think that the lady who bought our house from us had to pay $500 to do it and we had to pay $1800 to sell it to her, not to mention the money we put down on this house when we bought it and the money we put into this house over the years.

Thankfully we had Brad's Dad who could advise us from across the globe that sometimes you

 lose A LOT of money on investments that you once thought were good.  And whenever that happens you have to just "stop the bleeding" and move on.  So that is what we have done.

I think it has been especially hard for Brad.  He worked super hard through college and saved a bunch of money so one day he would have a good down payment on a house for his family.  He thought that would provide such a good start for his family and I think it has been hard for him to let it all go.  But when it came down to it we just could not afford the month-to-month worries of making a 2nd mortgage payment and the bigger worries of if something big needed to be repaired.  So now it is gone and no longer ours.

I am still sad about this.  WE LOVED THIS HOUSE and all of the time we spent in it.  It was the PERFECT little house for us.  It was small and quaint but oh so charming.  It is the house we lived in when we became a family.  I wonder if we will ever live in a house that we love as much as we loved this one.  Even though it has been a year and a half I still feel like I could fly to Virginia, walk in the front door and feel right at home.  Up until now, I still could.  But now it is someone else's.  I miss sitting on that front porch swing and singing to our girls.  It was the best thing to calm a crying baby.  Our girls don't even remember it anymore.  But I guess it will be good for us to finally close that chapter in our lives and end the worry that came with it.  It's funny, I was the one pulling for us to get rid of it these last few months, while Brad was more resistant.  Now that it is done I'm wishing I would have let Brad win this one.  Ok, not really, but it is still always hard to say goodbye.

Christmas Wishes

The girls made their Christmas Lists this weekend.  I am LOVING how simple their requests are.  Ella wrote hers all by herself and Maggie told Mommy what she wanted and wrote the list with me.  I kept trying to pick their brains and get them to ask for something more exciting, but then realized I was crazy for trying to do that.  I need to enjoy these simple Christmases where I can give them more than they ask for while I still can.  We're excited for this wonderful season!

Personalities

I got out my camera and followed the girls around as they were playing this morning. In the 10 minutes I was taking pictures I feel I was able to capture their personalities as I see them right now. I've always been amazed at the difference between Ella and Maggie. Ella is still pretty shy and quiet. Maggie is spunky and wild. I hope the two rub off on each other as they grow and balance each other out. Maggie can help Ella come out of her shell a little more, while Ella's calmness and obedience can influence Maggie.

 

Ella was in her own little world talking to herself in the backyard.  She said I scared her when I snuck up on her.  She had just jumped from off the top of our playground and I heard her tell herself, "I can't believe it!  I can't believe I did it and landed on my feet!"  (I pretended I didn't hear her, but smiled on the inside)

Maggie was so excited for the piece of gum she found (I'm still not sure where) and was proudly chomping on her treasure and hanging upside down from a chair and giggling.  This girl has some sort of radar detector for candy and sweets.  Somehow she always seems to find them, and as much as Brad may try to sneak a bite of something yummy when Maggie is not looking, she somehow always seems to know (even if she is in a completely separate room) and comes begging for a taste herself!

And then there is Hadley.  Who, for now, smiles and sits and watches it all.  Which one is she going to take after?  Or will she be an entirely different little person than her bigger sisters?

I REALLY love you, but . . .

Maggie's new favorite thing to say when she is going to do something she is not supposed to is, "I really love you but. . . ."

An example:

Yesterday I was in Hadley's room changing her diaper when I hear, "Mom, I really love you, but I'm going to turn off the light in this room."

or

"Mom, I really love you, but I really need a treat."


The best part about it is that she really emphasizes the word "really" and tries to make it super convincing.   It sure is funny to me, even if Maggie is being a wee bit naughty!

So I don't forget. . .

I imagine this little story will be a wonderful thing for me to remember when Ella is a teenager and wants nothing to do with me (but I'm still going to cross my fingers that that won't ever happen).

Last night we were reading in the scriptures about when Jesus was crucified.  Maggie didn't understand what it meant that "Jesus died".  She asked what "died" meant.  I explained to her that to be dead is like going to sleep and not waking up. . .that when someone dies they go to heaven and they don't live here on earth with us anymore.

We put the girls to bed and said good night.  About a half-hour later Maggie comes out of her room, so I take her back to bed.  While I am doing that Ella calls to me in a soft voice and says, "Mom, I don't ever want you to leave me."  I asked her what she was talking about and told her that I'm always here and I rarely ever leave!  She then replied, "No, Mom, if you went to heaven and left me I would be so sad."  She started crying and had tears streaming down her face.  It broke my heart.  I gave her a big hug and told her that I wasn't going to heaven and that I would always be here with her.  She kept crying and crying and just said "Mom, I just need you to be with me all of the time. . .I don't ever want you to leave. . .not even to take pictures of people"  (something I have been doing a lot lately).

This little conversation I had with her was so sweet and innocent and it was so nice to hear how much Ella loves me and needs me.  She is constantly telling me lately that she "loves me forever" which has replaced her "I love you more than you love me" comment.  I am so grateful for what a thoughtful, sweet and loving little girl Ella is and I certainly hope she always stays that way.

(I can't believe I'm really putting this picture up here with curlers and no make-up but I thought it was fitting so I couldn't help it.  I'm still not gutsy enough to do it in color so the black and white is all you get!  This was taken a few Sundays ago when we were getting ready for church.  Ella decided she wanted to have her hair in curlers just like me and then wanted to take a picture of us together.  In never thought we looked to much alike before but now I can see the resemblence in this picture.  I know one day she will realize that Mommy is not that cool, but for now I'll enjoy her wanting to be just like me--even if I think she is crazy for it!)

Happy Halloween!

We waited until a night we had Daddy around to carve our pumpkins (since Momma HATES cleaning the pumpins out).  In fact, I opted for a Mr. Potato Head pumpkin this year so I could decorate it without getting all gooey.  The girls always love wearing Daddy's t-shirts anytime we do something messy.  They designed what they wanted their pumpkins to look like on Brad's Ipad and then went to work carving their masterpieces.

We celebrated by going to our ward Trunk-or-Treat on Saturday followed by a Halloween party at our friends', The Wrights, house with yummy food and trick-or-treating on Halloween night.  I made my traditional "dinner in a pumpkin" and ended up having to clean out a pumpkin for that anyway.

Ella was a ladybug, but no ordinary ladybug, she insisted she was a "ladybug fairy".  Maggie was a bumblebee, and Hadley was the cutest little butterfly around.  You can't tell from the picture, but Brad and I dressed up as "Pest Control" and borrowed our uniforms and hats from a friend here who does that on the side in the summer.  Our family theme of costumes was almost ruined by Maggie who informed us she did NOT want to be a bumblebee, but wanted to be Cookie Monster instead.  I held firm, and she eventually came around and got excited about a bumblebee and stinging people.

Hope you all had a Happy Halloween!

3 Months Already

This one is growing up too fast. We all love our Hadley Bear so much!  I got the Bumbo down from the attic the other day to see how she would do.  She loves her new sitting skills.  I remember with the other two when they first sat in the bumbo they would be okay for 2 minutes or so and then the heads would droop down to the side.  Hadley held hers up like a champ for a good half-hour while the girls played and read books all around her.  I think she enjoyed it.  She has also figured out how to get her hands to her face now and is sucking on them or a binkie any chance she gets.

She is a sweetheart. The other day I took a minute to sing her some songs and give her some one-on-one attention and she just ate it up. She was giggling and smiling like crazy. I couldn't believe it. It made me realize that I don't give her enough attention face to face. She is always with me--either on my hip, in my arms, or right behind me in the bouncy seat while I am fixing dinner. However, I don't think I take enough time just to talk with her. I am now pledging to be better and really enjoy this one more. And with a face and a smile like this, how can I help but snuggle and play with her all of the time! If only I could get someone else to do the cleaning, cooking, and laundry for me. . .

Utah Trip

We went to Utah for a week in mid-October when Brad had a week of vacation.  It was great to see parents, grandparents, cousins, and friends, and introduce many of them to our Hadley.  We had a great time, but didn't take many pictures.  Oh well!

Some highlights were. . .

*Coordinating our trip with the Stutzneggers and being able to meet up with them for some fun at the zoo.
*Visiting with Grandma and Grandpa Johnson (Brad's grandparents) in their home and having them spoil our girls--Ella and Maggie keep asking if we can go visit them again!  Grandma and Grandpa really have a gift for making everyone feel so special, and we were no exception.
*Seeing the witches at Gardner Village with the Hills and being amazed at the crowds for the Witch Parade.
*Hanging out with my parents and siblings and Kaden, Mckinley, and Mia
*Hitting the Park City Outlets with my Mom--this seems to be a regular stop now on our trips home!
*A night out without the kids with the Jackmans
*Cousin time with Emily and Jacob (although this was far too short since they were out of town for most of our trip)
*Family hike up Donut Falls---Ella has always been such an amazing hiker, we think if we were there on our own hiking, she would be able to keep up with our pace with no problem. Maggie also did pretty well, but her little legs got tired and had a little bit of trouble keeping up with ours.

 (Taken by Courtney)

Balloon Fiesta

The only day Brad had off during the Fiesta this year was supposed to be super cold, so we didn't feel we could brave the cold and the crowds super early with the little baby.  We still didn't want to completely miss out on all the fun, so we got up at 6:30, got breakfast and drove down by the river to watch the Mass Ascension.

It's always so amazing to see, but I have to admit it didn't compare to last year when we were down on the field.  We'll have to make up for it next year.  We are left wondering what we are going to have to do to convince someone to come and visit us next year at Balloon Fiesta time. . .

2 months

She is just past 2 months old and hit the 10 week mark yesterday.  I am loving this little smiley girl--she is so much fun and gets so excited whenever anyone looks her in the eyes and talks to her.  We just can't get enough of her!

Little Miss Independent

Maggie is a very willful child and likes to do things her own way. I think I am a follower and a pleaser by nature and it is so hard for me to understand. Maggie is much more of a leader and knows what she wants.  I'm sure these traits will serve her well as she gets older, but for now it can be rather difficult to parent a child who has her own very clear idea of what she wants to be doing and what she doesn't at any given moment. And who am I to stand in her way?
She is definitely giving me a bit of a hard time as of late, but sometimes I have to laugh at how her mind works and the things she does.

She is an early riser and since she has the tendency to get up earlier than anyone else. I have learned to be careful and I always have one eye and ear open during those early morning hours before we all get up to make sure our Maggie doesn't get into too much trouble.

--If I leave any type of goodie out on the counter I know Maggie will sneak in the kitchen in the morning and help herself to as much of it as she can before she is caught. She has a sweet tooth and she knows that it is only in those morning hours that she will be able to indulge and she has gotten away with it many times, but now I am smarter.

--Many times I wake up to a noise in the living room and find Maggie awake sitting on the couch with the TV on and changed to her favorite channel. She has also found a stool to turn on the lights. We don't normally watch TV in the morning, so I guess it's just her way of finding a way to do what she wants all on her own.

--The other day I woke up a little after 7 surprised that no one was awake yet. I proceeded to get up, and check my email on the computer when I heard the sliding door open on the back of the house. I jumped up only to find Maggie coming in from outside. She stated that she had decided to go out and play with the bubbles in the backyard. I didn't know she knew how to unlock or open the sliding door!

--We have been working really hard at encouraging Maggie to "listen and obey". A lot of the struggle seems to repeat itself around the time when we have to take Ella to preschool or pick her up. Maggie always needs to get her shoes on and go potty before we leave. The other day she was being particularly difficult and unwilling to do what I asked. I always threaten that I will leave her, but she never believes me because I never do. Since Brad was sleeping in the bedroom (he's on nights right now) and about to get up, I told him I was going to leave her so beware. I was so glad to have the chance to leave her and make good on my promise. I walked out the door to her screaming "don't leave me, don't leave me" and was hopeful that I would finally make some progress with her since she would know that I would in fact leave her (she didn't realize Brad was home). Brad says after I left she screamed and cried for a couple of minutes and then got quiet. After about 5 minutes or so of quiet Brad got nervous and came out to investigate only to find her on the kitchen counter helping herself to the M&Ms in the trail mix on the counter. What a stinker! After 2 minutes she was able to realize the bright side to having the house all to herself.  I guess she knows how to make the best of a bad situation!

Oh, Maggie, sometimes you really wear me out and leave me with so many questions about how I can be a good mother to you and keep my patience.  But then, you look at me with that big mischevious smile on your face and that sweet giggle and I am so glad you are just as spunky and fun as you are!

A Visit from the Binghams

Some of our bestest friends from VA came out to stay with us and play with us for a few weeks this past month.  We had so much fun with the Binghams!  Josh was doing a rotation in Orthopaedic Surgery here at UNM and while he worked I got to hang out and catch up with Cami and the girls got to play with Brody and Brooklyn.  We went to the aquarium and the zoo, swam, had movie nights, Ella got to take Brody with her to preschool on special person day, we hit the balloon museum for storytime with farm animals, went to Olde Town and so much more.  (I guess I should have taken more pictures, but I always feel like I am terrible at it with a newborn--it's just too hard to carry the camera and the baby I guess!)

Now we are going to just cross our fingers and hope that they match here for residency so we can hang out with them all of the time next year. Ella and Maggie keep talking about how much they miss them all ready. Thanks for the great visit guys! We hope to see you this way again come June :)

Family Picture

by Ella , Age 4

It says "From Ella" at the top, though she says she forgot the "r" in from, but at least she left a spot for it!

She drew a picture of everyone, though Hadley is named "baby" since she says "Hadley is still hard for her".  I love how I am so little and Ella and Daddy are so big. 

Just shows how much she loves her Daddy and how he is the center of her universe.

Just as it should be.  Love it!

6 weeks

She's 6 weeks old and starting to smile a lot more.  Still trying to capture a photo of that elusive smile--this little smirk is the best I've got so far.  She's into her fussier stage and is spitting up a lot, but still an easier baby than my other two--mostly because she sleeps pretty well.  Stay little sweet Hads!

Hadley's Blessing Day

We blessed Hadley at church this past Sunday. It was a wonderful day for our little family and we were all filled with such joy about how much our family has been blessed with these 3 wonderful and healthy girls. Brad and I are so blessed!
Hadley wore the same dress for her blessing that her big sisters Ella and Maggie wore. 
I wonder if it will get worn another time down the road . . .

 We were lucky enough to have my family join us for the weekend. We had lots of fun catching up with all of them and are so thankful they were all able to make the journey down here and join us. We missed having Brad's family with us (especially his parents who are on a mission in Russia), but there will certainly be another time to make up for that.



Smothered

Poor little Hadley can never get a moment to herself. Whenever she is awake the girls always have to be right where she is. I imagine this is how it will always be for her. I hope she doesn't mind always having to share her toys and never having any time alone!