Giving Thanks 2013

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with our families. Each year we have the opportunity to attend two dinners. One with the Ontiveros and the other with the Hortons. Needless to say, we eat A LOT. This year, was a little different. We ate at the rehabilitation center where Grandma O and Randy are staying. It turned out to be really nice, and it was wonderful to be able to spend it with them, especially because we did not think we would be able to. Lily enjoyed walking around the table, sitting with her aunts, cousins, grandparents and eating their food. She especially loved eating Zane's turkey drum stick!
Then off to the Hortons, we had dinner with my sister and her family who drove down from Utah. I love them and missed them a lot, wish we still had them near by. Andrew and Whitney joined us as well, so it was good times with the fam.
I decided to not go black Friday shopping this year and just enjoy a relaxing day with my family. We saw the hunger games which was amazing. Really low key day.
As always with this time of the year, your heart lingers on the things you are blessed with and ways you can give back to others. I can never express just how much I love my little family. Mark and Lily bring me so much joy, I cannot imagine how I ever or could ever live without them. I try not to think about them not existing in my life because it makes me sad, but how on earth did I live 25 years without them in my life?! I pray everyday that they are protected and kept from harm, cause to not have them in my life would end me. They are my greatest blessing, for them I would do anything.
Tomorrow begins packing up and moving out of our apartment into g-ma's house, not sure how long we will be there, at least 6 months, I'm pretty sad to leave our place. It is warm, cozy and feels like 'our place'. However, the more I allow the idea of leaving to sink in, the more I want to slap myself for mopping. As long as I have my little family, I can learn to be happy with wherever I am residing. Nothing else matters. Besides, should be nice to live in a house, right? Hopefully this decision will be a wise one.

Potty Talk

Had to snap a picture of her concentration on the potty...even with her diaper on.

 

I'm thinking Lily is ready to be potty trained. I figure this for a few reasons:

1. She hides when she needs to poop. Behind the couch, by a chair or runs into another room.

2. She takes interest in others using the potty.

3. She sits on her potty chair while I'm going potty and then will hand me toilet paper.

4. She takes off her diaper to roam the halls naked.

5. Her diaper is dry in the morning, and does not pee till she has her morning milk.

6. She says 'yuck' when she poops....

Funny story: Yesterday, Lily and I were taking a shower together, usually she plays in the shower while I bathe. I was busy washing my hair when I hear her say 'YUCK YUCK YUCK!' I laughed and asked her why she was saying yuck...looked down and noticed a nice little surprise, poop. At least she acknowledged it was gross.

So, I'm thinking we are ready to potty train. I don't want to be one of those moms who rush their child to potty train so they don't have to deal with diapers, but then again I don't want to ignore her signs  of 'readiness' and miss this chance.

It will be a bit of an challenge because I'm not with her during the day...so time to get the grandparents on board as well. My baby is growing up! :(

Halloween 2013

Halloween 2013 was a blast! Great way to end the month considering all that has happened.

We attended two trunk or treats and went house to house on the 31st. Lily is a trick or treating pro.

My work put together a trunk or treat for the kids, which turned out great. At one point we lost lily, which was scary, but she turned out by the jumping castle...my heart stopped only for a moment.

Then off to Vail ward trunk or treat. Had my car decorations up for about 20 minutes and then had to take them down because we ran out of candy. Mormons have to many children.

Halloween night. We got off to a late start (by my standards, we should have been out before the sun fell) but we still managed to get a good amount of candy. Most houses ran out of candy by 7pm. We pushed lily in her little red wagon, she chilled as we went house to house collecting goods. When we would get to a house, she would lean over, grab her candy pale and say 'awayt' (alright). Then with a smile she would walk up to the door and say 'tik twee'. She was lovin' it! The fire department was passing out glow sticks and lily wanted to see the fireman in the dog suit. she gave him a hug and kiss and then sat down on his lap eating her candy, while other little kids assumed her candy pale was free for grabs, provided by the fire department. It was pretty funny.

 

Mark and I were a little lame and did not dress up this year. I guess I was so caught up in Lily's two costumes, I did not figure out something for us. Next year, we will definitely need to dress up! I've already planned some ideas.

I've eaten so much candy today it is disgusting! So ashamed, but not ashamed enough to stop! I will recommit to healthy eating on Monday...and then live it up on Thanksgiving :) I have a whole life time to eat healthy...I'll enjoy these moments!

Lots of pics!



Love my Lollipop Princess

some of my favorite trunk or treat cars

Our car, I was the crazy pumpkin lady

The three scary HR ladies...I have great co-workers

Just Chillin'

The Pro

Oh October...

This month has been filled with some really high ups and really low downs.

We were able to attend my brothers wedding which was a really big up, but that was also mixed with Marks father and grandmother ending up in the hospital due to some health issues. I won't go into detail regarding Marks family out of respect for him and this not completely being a private journal, but just know we were scared and sad. Things look to be getting better, though we've got a long road ahead of us. We have hope and faith in the lord that everything will go according to his plan.
Grandma O for instance will not be returning to her home anytime soon and her home will need some close care, so Mark and I have been asked to take care of her place until we know when she can return. So, looks like we will be moving out of our place and into G-ma's. We had just renewed our lease, but luckily our complex is awesome and are not making us pay any fees for breaking the lease. We will most definitely want to return to Edgewood apartments if it is in the for seeable future. I love it here. Never thought I could feel at home in an apartment, but they are so nice here, they do not bother us with silly things, they keep the grounds clean, our place was nice and the walls were painted...which is huge for me (I hate plain white walls). I'm kind of sad to have to move, because I like it here so much...but family comes first and in the long run it will help us save tons of money! We are not officially out of here until January, but we will be moving little by little to the house and we will most likely be living there next month while keeping our apartment. The whole situation has me a bit stressed, but Mark is trying hard to keep me grounded.
We don't have to worry about finding a car anymore, which is bitter sweet. I'd rather have grandma driving it. But still a blessing in disguise.
Getting old sucks. and I hate watching our love ones go through these obstacles. The worst part for me is seeing Mark and his mother go through all of this sadness and not knowing how to make them feel better. I can't, because I can't make the family members physically better! I guess the best I can do is love and support them through this time. Many prayers needed.

We have had fun getting into the Halloween spirit. We went to Apple Annie's pumpkin patch, which was tons of fun. I wish we lived closer to farms and country settings, love it and reminds me of Oregon (minus the mud). There were a lot of bees, so we did not stay long, but lily loved running around without me grabbing her before running into traffic.

We attended a Halloween party. Lily dressed as Richard Simmons and we were the 'dancing to the oldies' video folk. Lily got to play beer pong, which makes me mother of the year! (no worries folks, neither lily or mark and I drank beer) She partied it up dancing with many people and even went around the room stroking ladies fishnet tights. No, we are not worried. She had a ton of fun, and so did we.
At work I convinced my co-workers to join the Halloween decorating contest, and I'm pretty sure we have the best display. I love my co-workers, they are so fun.

Halloween is still to come and I will post up pictures of the festivities. Now here is a lot of pictures of Pumpkin Patch and GTX Halloween party.

 

Lily was Richard Simmons for the party...and lived up to the character!

Couldn't get this in the right place, but this is at work in the HR area, our managers performed 'Thriller' for the agents. It was awesome, and they are awesome as well!