Dance Class

Abby started dance class a couple of weeks ago.  She absolutely loves it!  She is in a combo class, ballet/jazz/tumbling.  So cute!

My Little Tender Mercy

Let me start by painting you a picture of my day. 

The last week or so, Lexi's sleep has been sporadic.  She got a little cold last week, and also has a tooth just millimeters from braking through.  The last couple of nights I have been up with her quite a bit, and she decided to start her day at 5:30am.  A little early for me, but whatever.  So, I'm tired.  And when I get tired, I'm even more forgetful and scatterbrained than usual. 

I needed to get to the store to get some groceries.  So, we were off to Smith's.  Abby brought a book in the car that she can draw in with a dry erase marker.  When we arrived at the store, she had managed to color all over her arms, legs, and little on her face.  And I was out of wet wipes.  So, she would have to walk around with that stuff all over for awhile.  Oh, yeah, and I'm pretty sure I forgot to comb her hair this morning.

I'm desperately trying to stay on a budget lately, so grocery shopping requires more prep work and more time in the store.  I have to make sure I get the best price on every item, and add up every item placed in the cart to make sure I don't go over my budget.  I realized about 10 minutes after we entered the store that this was not going to be easy. 

When I finally got to the check out, I was very frazzled.  I was nervous about having more groceries than I had cash for, so that was what I was totally focused on.  Meanwhile, Abby was throwing several items on the belt, and the cashier was trying to have a conversation with me.  But I was still only thinking about money.  When the total came up, I was $1 over my budget.  So, I asked the cashier to take a few candy bars out.  The lady behind me heard and said "oh, I have a dollar." To which my response was "oh no, it's only candy, don't worry about it"  But of course she insisted.  I was so frazzled and embarrassed.  I thanked her, and nearly ran out of the store.

I know that lady didn't have a clue as to the horrible day I had been having (or maybe it was totally evident on my face), but her offer of a dollar was just the tender mercy that I needed.  I didn't NEED those candy bars (but I really, really wanted them), and on the way out to the car I realized that in my tired, frazzled state, I had forgotten about a couple of coupons I had intended to use, and how I probably could have scrounged up enough change, or that I had wanted to take off the items Abby had been sneaking onto the belt.  If I had thought to do any one of those things, I would have had just enough money.  But I didn't.  I think I needed to see that people can still be kind.  Yesterday I saw this horrible news story about a 4 year old girl who wandered away from her Mom at a Deseret Industries, and later was found in the Men's bathroom with a sex-offender.  When you hear stories like that, it's easy to lose faith in human decency.  So, I'm glad that this lady helped me.  Of course, by the time I got home, I was feeling so bad because I was worried that I didn't thank her enough, and I think I was a little rude to the cashier when she was trying to talk to me.  I was so distracted when she was trying to talk to me that I didn't really give her my attention and I can't even remember if I responded to some of her questions.  Instead of focusing on how embarassed I was, or whether I was rude, I decided to pay it forward.  It's like that comercial for some insurance company, where a person does something nice for someone, and another persons saw and decided to do something nice for some one else, and so on.  I want to remember to take every oppurtunity to help someone out.  All the time I find myself thinking "someone should do fix that" or "someone should help that person out" and I rarely realize that "that someone" could be.

Cam's Moment of Fame

This year Cam was in charge of the MDA's Fill the Boot campaign at work.  Part of what comes with the job is going to the MDA telethon to give them a check for the amount Orem City Firefighters raised this year.  So, this morning he was on TV.  We are so proud of our little TV star : )  I wish I could of figure out how to record it or something : ( Oh well.  He did a great job.

Dinosaur Museum

Lexi was SO tired

Playing in the cave

Playing in the sand pit

They took a small break for a quick round of "ring-around-the-rosy"

In front of the giant shark dinosaur

Are and I took the girls to the Dinosaur Museum today.  I've never been willing to pay full price to go, but they are having $2 Tuesdays, so we decided to fight the crowds and go.

Pirate Island

We went to Pirate Island again yesterday.  For weeks, we have told Abby if she would stay in her bed all night long (she is in a horrible habit of getting up several times a night to come into our room and try to sneak into our bed.  We are both so tired of dragging her back to her room two or three times EVERY night) for one whole week, then we would take her to Pirate Island.  Well, she finally did it.

Climbing in the pirate ship

Happy 3rd Birthday, Abby!

Abby turned three yesterday.  I can't believe I have a three year old?!  I swear, I just barely graduated from high school, but, nooooo, this year was my 10 year reunion.  I'm getting old.  The signs are all there:  I'm in bed by 10pm every night, those extra pounds are getting increasingly difficult to shed, and saving for the future is a topic that is always on my mind.  But the most obvious sign of my "old age" is the wrinkles around my eyes.  Oh. My.  Gosh.  This can't be happening already.

We celebrated with Cam's family yesterday.

Abby decided several months ago that she wanted a Toy Story party.  Her last two birthdays I've made her cake, but this year I wasn't feeling ambitious enough to tackle Toy Story.  So, Wal-Mart made her a very lovely, and expensive (who knew a Wal-mart cake could cost so much.  It's gonna be homemade cake from here on out) Toy Story cake.  She received some really cute clothes and Cam and I got her a dollhouse for her ever growing imagination.

I just love this little princess.  She is most definitely a challenge.  There were a few months about a year and half ago where I thought "This Mom thing isn't so bad.  I can do this, piece of cake."  Then she turned 2.  I'll be honest, it's been a rough year.  My mother-in-law said one time to me, that it was a good thing I got pregnant BEFORE she turned 2, or else we might have totally rethought having a second child.  But, regardless of the challenges, she is such a joy in our lives.  She makes me laugh every single day.  I catch myself just staring at her, amazed at what a sweet, beautiful, little girl she has turned into.  She has endless amounts of love for her little sister, and Lexi already looks up to her and tries to be just like Abby.

I just loved these series of shots I got of the girls playing together. 

I'm excited for what the next year will bring her.  I've already got her signed up for dance class, which she is SO excited for, and I know that she will just continue to blossom into a sweet little girl.

Lexi, 8 months old

Here's a good shot of her teeth.  Her top teeth just broke through a few day's ago.

Happy Lexi

Grumpy Lexi

Lots of love from big sister