Christmas 2017

This year Christmas was extra special. The girls are old enough to really get into the holiday season and loved everything about it. We were counting down the days and they were so excited for Santa to come. 

We celebrated Christmas with my side of the family on the 23rd. The girls had a lot of fun getting to play with cousins and they loved all the new toys they got. 

On the 24th we started Christmas Eve out by going to church and then drove to Jason's parents house to spend time with his family. The girls were very excited to see everyone, and also loved playing with the dogs. 

Finally it was time to get to sleep so Santa could come!

Marley woke up at 6:30 VERY excited to see what Santa brought. We couldn't get out there fast enough! It was so much fun to see their excitement with each present. Being a parent at Christmas is such a joy! 

 

 

After breakfast the girls went outside to play in the snow with Jason and then we were able to skype with my parents and brother who live in California. 

A few hours after that we went to another family gathering with my in-laws, and then spent the rest of the day at home enjoying lots of new toys and time together as a family. 

We were truly blessed this holiday season to spend so much time together with family. I'm thankful for my Savior and the opportunity to celebrate his birth. Because of Him I get to be with them forever. 

Fun with Family

July was such a busy month for us! No wonder it seemed to fly by. We were lucky to have my parents visiting for two weeks, and that meant we spent lots of fun with grandma, papa, and cousins.

Of course the weekend of the fourth was busy with lots of fun activities. The girls sat outside stadium of fire with my family while Jason and I went inside to watch the show. 

In the evening on the fourth, we had family over to our place for yummy food and fireworks.

Some other activities included the splash pad in Springville, watching cousin Evie's baseball game, lots of trips to DI, watching Cars 3, and playing with cousins.  

Real Talk about Potty Training

I'm going to be real with you guys for a sec...potty training is the WORST. People, myself included, are very quick to share their successes with potty training but not the accidents, setbacks, and failures. It has been a battle, mostly for me, and we are just now beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

I put off potty training Marley until she was almost 3.5 because I was terrified. I had no idea where to even start, and had NO desire to clean up bodily fluids. Marley is a very smart girl, but she also had no desire to potty train and could care less if her diaper was wet or poopy. 

About a year ago I decided it was time to start because Marley would be doing preschool in the fall. (Even though being potty trained wasn't a requirement for her school.) That summer was already on the rocks because Jason was living in Logan (about 2 hours away) Monday-Friday doing an internship. I was fried, Kenzie was getting molars, and I had no help. A recipe for disaster.

That first day of potty training I did what most people suggest, and I let Marley run around with no diaper/pants/underwear on, so she could start to figure things out. We hit the ground running, and I was not prepared physically, emotionally, or mentally:

-I wasn't ready to be on my kid like glue, asking every 5 minutes if she needed to go potty, while still trying to get things done around the house. 

-I wasn't prepared with cleaning supplies for the MANY accidents that would happen on the floor, couch, etc.

-I had no clue that my laundry would double or even triple during potty training.

-I didn't know that finding pee spots on our thick, dark carpet would need to be done by hand (EEEW!) because it blended in too well.

-I hated being confined to the house, when trips out and about were how I stayed (semi) sane. 

-I didn't realize that all the reward ideas, bribes, and sticker charts from pinterest wouldn't work on my child. She was not motivated by bribes, and needed to see a reward (cooler than stickers) right away.

Any transition with a kid is rough. And this was no exception, but after a few days (and purchasing some lysol) we made progress. Marley was starting to get it, but there was one problem. I was terrified to take her out of the house without a pull up on. (This was mostly because she would NOT poop on the potty, and I was terrified of a poop accident in public.) And once she had a pull up on, her potty brain shut off and she treated it like a diaper. 

So after maybe a month of making good progress, we fell back into wearing pull ups that were basically used as diapers. I made excuses: we were busy with school, dance class, family trips, so potty training was put on the back burner. 

Fast forward to this summer. Once Marley finished school, and our schedule was wide open, I decided potty training NEEDED to happen. It was getting ridiculous to have a 4 year old still in diapers. 

This time things went much better, for everyone involved, because I had the idea to let Marley pick out her own potty at the store. Before we were using a chair for the big toilet because I didn't want to worry about transitioning her later on, or create a fear of big toilets. 

Marley chose a Paw Patrol potty, and she was SO excited to use it. I can count on one hand the amount of accidents we had during this second go of potty training. 

Every kid is different, but here are the things that worked for us:  

-I had her wear leggings to catch more pee if she did have an accident. It meant more laundry, but less floor scrubbing.

-I had a stash of rags, Lysol, and extra clothes ready to go. I also kept a plastic bag hanging on the bathroom door to collect all wet clothes. Our washer is in the basement, so at the end of the day I took the clothes down all at once instead of going up and down the stairs. And this also helped me not run around like a chicken with my head cut off when she had an accident. 

-I told Marley that if she pooped on her precious Moana panties, then they were going in the garbage. She got over her fear of pooping in the potty real quick. 

-We kept a stack of books by the little potty to help distract her in the beginning when she needed to poop. She would sometime sit for 20+ minutes, but now she has figured her body out a little bit more and it doesn't take that long. 

-We did a candy jar of treats for every time she peed, and after her first time pooping in the potty, we made a huge deal about it. We went straight to the "toy store" (dollar tree) and she got to pick out whatever she wanted. We did this a few times, then changed it to bigger treats like gummy worms or a tube of M&M's.

-Once we got in a groove, Marley was in panties right away once she woke up, and we kept them on all day...no exceptions! If I wanted to go out shopping, I either made sure Jason was with me or only planned super quick trips. It helped me overcome my personal fears, and we have been able to gradually stay out longer. 

Right now we are working on making Marley use the big potty without any help from stools or potty chairs so she will be fully independent when school starts up again. She is doing an amazing job! 

I know I could have saved myself a ton of money on diapers by starting this process sooner, but I'm so happy with the way things have turned out for better or worse. Marley and I have both learned a lot and I will have more confidence and knowledge to use when the time comes for Kenzie. 

Good luck on your own potty training journey!  

Trip to California

Towards the end of June,  we were able to make a trip out to California. Jason and I both grew up in the same hometown, so it is fun for both of us to head back there. 

We split the drive out there and stopped for the night in Winnemucca, NV. It is about a 12 hour drive total, so splitting it up was nice for everyone. 

Once we arrived, it was fun for the kids to play and run around Grandma's house. The week was filled with lots of fun activities and we all had so much fun!

The first full day there, we spent up in Sacramento visiting Fairytale Town and then the Railroad Museum. The girls loved both places, and there was so much to see! We were able to visit with my Aunt and Uncle who live up there and have dinner with them at the Old Spaghetti Factory. 

The next day we stayed in town and visited the Jelly Belly Factory. We took the tour and had fun picking out treats in the gift shop. We ate REALLY well that day, and had lunch at Round Table, dinner at Chevy's, then dessert with Pazookies from BJ's. Had to squeeze in some of our favorites! 

Friday we were able to catch up with Jason's brother and visit the California Academy of Sciences where he works. That place was amazing, with so much to see! We were so busy there, I took Zero pictures. Sad! The girls loved getting to visit Uncle Mason. 

Saturday was my favorite day, because we went to a Giants game in San Francisco! I love baseball, and going to Giants games is something I used to do a LOT. This was my first game back in almost six years! It was so much fun to bring the girls for their first game, and they had the best time. They loved all the treats, music, and cheering loudly! Marley was the cutest little fan, and would yell, "GO GIANTS" about every 5 minutes. 

The Giants didn't win, but we got to see a homerun by Brandon Belt and eat lots of yummy ballpark food. So it was still a great day! 

On Sunday we had a great time visiting the ward I grew up in and seeing old friends. Marley was very brave and went to a new primary all by herself without batting an eye. We spent the rest of the day at my parents house. Kenzie was so exhausted from the week of fun, she went to bed before dinner!

The next day we made the trek back to Utah, along with my parents who were coming out for a two week visit. We had a great time in California and enjoyed my parents being here in Utah for a bit. More on those adventures later!    

Kenzie Turns 2

Our sweet Kenzie girl is now 2 years old! I know its cliche, but seriously time has flown by. Wasn't this just yesterday...?

Kenzie is our quiet observer. She has gotten better about smiling for people she doesn't know, or doesn't see very often. When we are at home, she is talking up a storm and VERY happy. She is starting to show a lot more attitude though, especially when she gets caught doing something naughty. (Climbing on the kitchen chairs, stealing the remote, lying in wait for a baby gate to be left open, etc.)

We often joke that Kenzie is a ninja because she is SO quiet. I knock her over all the time because I don't realize she's right behind me. 

For having such a bubbly, talkative sister, Kenzie is actually talking sooner than Marley was at this age. She is constantly surprising us with the words she knows, and has recently started saying phrases like:

"Look at that!"

or

"Man oh man!"

Kenzie is very analytical and studies things before making her move. I feel like she is going to be an engineer like her daddy. She loves to explore, and her favorite thing to do outside is dig in the dirt. Kenzie also loves to read and is always running up to us with a book in hand saying, "Weeeeed?"

Our smart girl knows most of her letters, numbers, and even colors. Counting to ten came quickly because her sister is OBSESSED with playing hide and seek. 

For her birthday we threw her a Trolls party because she loves the movies and even knows the characters by name. We had family come over to enjoy yummy food, open presents, and Kenzie opted for cookies instead of the cake because that is her favorite snack. 

Although we are bracing ourselves for the terrible two's that are starting to make their debut, life with this sweet girl is just the best! We can't imagine life without her. She just needs to stop growing up so fast. 

Read Kenzie's birth story HERE

Marley Turns 4

Better late than never, I'm writing a post about Marley's birthday!

I can't believe that this little girl is four years old now. 

Marley is our spunky, crazy, happy girl! She is quick to make friends, very talkative, and loves to learn. She wears her emotions on her sleeve, and can sometimes lose her temper. (Sorry if she has ever yelled at you...you know who you are!)

Right now she is loving preschool and primary...two VERY grown up things. She is known for belting out songs during primary, making everyone smile. Marley loves going to preschool, and after a rocky start has learned to control her temper and "use her words."

She is a very good big sister, and loves to make Kenzie laugh. 

Marley is also very tenderhearted, and loves to snuggle still. 

The Saturday before her actual birthday, we had an awesome Rapunzel Party. This was the first time we invited friends from church and school, and everyone had so much fun! Marley has the sweetest friends and cousins. 

The each decorated there own crown, ate apples and "princess towers, and were literally showered by candy from a pinata. The party ended with presents and a delicious Rapunzel cupcake cake. 

A few days later Marley had her actual birthday, and loved getting to open more presents. Mommy was feeling super crummy that day so we didn't go out and do anything fun until a few days later. 

Eventually we were able to take Marley bowling for her birthday, and she had a blast! Kenzie stayed with the neighbors, and Marley loved getting some one on one time with Mommy and Daddy.

She was so excited, even when just one pin was knocked down. Marley also was very encouraging and cheered loudly for Mommy and Daddy. 

Four years with this girl have flown by, and I am so thankful she is a part of our family.   

Read Marley's birth story HERE

Christmas 2016

We had a lot of fun with family this Christmas! We bounced from thing to thing, and it makes me tired just thinking about it all. 

First, we got together with my sisters to celebrate the Sunday before Christmas. We gathered at the Ashby's house and had fun decorating cookies, eating yummy food, and playing with cousins. 

Marley and her cousin got matching coats, and someone was extra excited. 

In the week before Christmas, we got to spend some time with Jason's sister Heather who flew in from California. We don't get to see her very often, so it was so much fun having her here!

We spent the night at Jason's parents house Friday night and had a Christmas eve breakfast with his mom's side of the family. Uncle Mason flew in the night before, and we were so happy to spend time with him too! 

We headed back home Christmas Eve, and were able to spend Christmas morning at home with just our little family. It was nice and relaxing, and the girls had so much fun opening presents. We were able to skype with my family in California and visit for a bit. 

We got a TON of snow that day, and Jason went out with Marley to shovel the driveway and have some fun.  

It is such a blessing to spend time with family, especially around the holidays. I am so thankful for my Savior and the opportunity we had to celebrate his birth. Because of Him, I can be with my family forever.