Comparison

 

Scarlet and Ella at birth

Scarlet is the top picture in all pairs.

 

 

6 months

 

 

9 months

 

 

12 months

 

 

18 months

 

I can't believe how fast my children are growing up. I'm happy for them and I'm excited about the new things in store for them. But it's poignant to realize that before long, these pictures will be old. They will be farther in the past and I will only be able to remember them being so young.

I love them so much!!

 

Fair Time!!!

 

I've never been a die hard fair go-er until Ella got old enough to enjoy it. I love taking her on the little rides and seeing her so happy and excited!!

This year we may have committed a little kidnapping!! We swiped Jara from her kindergarten class and brought her along for the fun!!

Ella's first choice for a friend is always her cousin!!

 

 

 Motorcycles

 

 

 Four wheelers

 

 

 Race cars

Ella is turned around screaming for Jara to go faster before the other cars catch them!!

 

 

 Merry go round

We met up with some other friends along the way

 

 

 Ella was too scared to ride an animal so she got in the sleigh. The next time around she consented to ride a blue horse if I held onto her the whole time. She realized it wasn't scary at all!!

Brent got her this tiny little purse and she loves it!!

 

Ella's favorite will always be the ponies. If she could some how unhitch that thing and just ride it home, she would!!!



Simple Things

I am very easily pleased and very simple things make me happy.

 

 

Last night Ella and I were sitting on the couch watching Duck Dynasty re runs. In the episode, two of the guys were turkey hunting. Ella asked me what was going on and I told her. I told her they were trying to get a fat turkey to wander into the field and they were going to shoot it and take it home and eat it. I wondered if she was going to feel bad for the turkeys or be upset. Nope. Not my little blood thirsty savage!! She said, "Yum!! I love turkey!! Get him!! There he is!! Blast him!!"

I don't know whether to be proud, laugh, or hang my head and pray for her salvation!!

Last night I just laughed and gave her a squeeze.

 

 

 

Today I was at my parent's house painting a dresser I got at a yard sale for Ella. I was washing out my brush under the pine tree with the hose. My dad's old lab came wandering up when she saw me and sat down close to me. He didn't get this dog as a puppy so I have never really got to know her. I fed her this weekend while my parents were on vacation and we spent a little quality time together.

So I greeted her with a smile and spoke to her like she's human. (A quirk my husband teases me for) She wagged her tail and looked at me deeply like she was trying to communicate. I figured she wanted a drink from the hose so I offered her a sip. She lapped at it a little and then inched a little closer to me, looking at me very earnestly. Then she gave my cheek a little lick and kind of glanced at me shyly from the corner of her eye. Then she leaned on me.

I put down the hose and spent a few scratching her ears and petting her graying head. She licked at my face and tried to purr. It sounded like a grinding gurgle.

I wish my children were as easy to please as that old dog!!

 

 

 

Some other simple things that make me happy.

Favorite smells:

Pink Baby lotion
Granny’s bread (Or my mom’s rolls. Same recipe!!)

My dad’s jackets in the winter when he used to work for NV power. It was kind of a sweaty/ coal dusty/ cold smell.

Desert Rain
Freshly mowed hay.

 

Favorite sounds:

My kids laughter.

Rain on the roof. (Preferably a tin roof)

A cat’s purr.

Canadian goose honking

Prelude music

 

Favorite touch:
Soft baby hair
Cool sheets
New socks on my feet
New grass
My daughter holding my hand

 

Favorite taste:
First bite of watermelon after a long time
Bonnie’s potato salad
Ice cold water after a long run

 Favorite sights:

Clean dishes I didn’t have to wash
The smiles on the face of my children
My husband when he sleeps
When the sky turns to grey at the first break of dawn

 



Why March Sucked

I am going to to take you all through a week by week schedule of the really crappy month that was March.

 

 

Week 1

3rd to 9th

Everyone gets the stomach flu. Including me. I gain some lbs because I eat potatoes and saltine crackers.

Scarlet gets a major ear infection that has damaged her hearing in her left ear.

She stops sleeping.

I snap and have a mild nervous break down because no on appreciates me and I am taken for granted. Lay in bed for a solid 24 hours. I plan and plot how I am going to run away.

We learn we have 20 days to move out of our house.

 

 

 

Week 2

10th to 16th

Time changes. Ruins our lives.

Start trying to pack up the house.

Become severely overwhelmed.

Develop an eye tick.

Get up and go running on Monday morning. My hip is popping and my lower back feels stiff, but that is actually common for me.

Get home to a swollen knee that won't bend.

I am counselled by medical personnel to take a break from running for several weeks.

Gain some more lbs.

 

 

Week 3

17th to 23rd

Frantically trying to spend every waking moment preparing our new home.

Drop into bed exhausted to my bones every night, only to be awoken by a baby that refuses to sleep through the night anymore, or nap, or sleep in. Or stop fussing.

Paint some more.

Clean and pack more.

Trying to accomplish this while fighting crying children and Brent's work schedule.

 

Week 4

24th to 25th

Move on Sunday

Move Monday

Move Tuesday

My knees and back are destroyed.

Brent has court so our moving efforts are greatly hampered.

His brothers save the day.

Our bank account is drained by the whole experience making the eye tick worse.

I break out in a rash

Now we must plan Easter.

Oh, and I have to go to the doctor. He orders blood tests. NINE of them.

5 huge vials of blood later, I decide if I'm going to gain weight, it's going to be fun!!

Eat cake. And Easter candy.

Gain the inevitable lbs.

Scarlet develops another fever. We now have an appointment for the urologist to test her kidneys. We're hoping this is the problem and not something far more sinister.

 

 

 

 

 

I write this post so I can apologize to anyone I snapped at, or yelled at, or rolled my eyes at. Or if I didn't answer calls or texts or just didn't care!! I was completely selfish and pretty much had a reason to hate everyone and was consumed in my bitterness with the injustice of life.

I also pounded down sugar and carbs with a vengeance. That did not help.

 

But it's all over now!! Our house it put together. Our kids are calmed down. I am mostly calmed down and ready to start the painstaking efforts of losing the lbs I gained. Our attitudes have improved and we are ready to get out of debt and start trying to save for a home.

 

For the record: NO my parents did not buy me a home. NO we are not living here for free.

 

Today is my dad's birthday.

Happy Birthday Daddy.

 

 

 

 



Easter Photo Overload!!! In random order....

After a long, hard week of moving, it was nice to do something fun.

Brent was called into work early, so Ella and I colored eggs together while Scarlet took a nap.

 

 

We headed over to my parents' house later in the afternoon for a BBQ.

 

 Scarlet loves food.

 

 Ella and Jara- partners in egg hunting crime.

 

 Scarlet REALLY loves food.

 

 But eating so much always wears her out. So she curled up to Aunt Chelsey.

 

 Easter morning!! Ella found her first egg!!

 

 

On our way to the hunt!!

 

 Scarlet found her basket. She was not impressed. But she did love her bunny!!

 

 She also loved her book. She loves books in general. I can always find her in a corner "reading".

 

 We tried to take an Easter morning picture in our Sunday best. Tried being the operative word.

 

 Jody and Elsie at the Bowler family egg hunt.

 

 Scarlet and Daddy swinging. She is still not impressed.

 

 But maybe these glasses are kind of cool!!

 

 Ella wanted to make her daddy a special egg since he wasn't there. She wanted it to say 'We love you".

 

 Ella loves food too. Especially ribs!!

 

 Ella's Easter dress.

 

 Scarlet's Sunday dress. She refused to stand still for one, so I had to get one inside. Yes I had my phone in church. Yes I took a picture!!

 

We tried again. No luck.

Scarlet finding an egg. Yes that is our family Mexican in the back ground. No it is not a racial statement. My great grandpa brought him from New Mexico when he moved her 80 years ago. It has our name on it. *Note: my great grandpa's first language was spanish.

 

 

Scarlet really loves books.



 

We had a great weekend and we are grateful we have moved and are settled in.