Totally Random Pictures

I've been trying to take pictures of my kids in their natural habitat, do what they naturally do, but the cold hard facts it that I'm just not that great of a photographer. But, I will swallow the small bit of pride that I have and show you what I have managed to take so far of my kids.


I'm trying to get a good picture of Skyler walking, which he has been doing a ton of lately. It's really only going to be a few more weeks before it's his permanent mode of transportation. It's hard to get a picture of him though because he gets so excited to see the camera that he ends up dashing toward me, then falling down...
As you can see!

Jayda watching her show, sorry about the lighting!
The girls in the area here do a fun playgroup every Wednesday, something that I may enjoy even more then the kids! Last Wed we went to a fun, secluded park about twenty minutes from where we live. It was a lot of fun, and it's always so nice to give the kids a chance to play with friends and wear themselves out!




Skyler feeling like a big boy on the tricycle!

Home Sweet Home

Getting our camera battery charger after waiting so long was almost as good as Christmas morning! The funny thing is that after so long of not having a camera, I have to make a conscious effort to actually take pictures now, I forget that I actually have a camera! Anyway, I thought the most appropriate way to start my photo journal in Philly would be to show a bit of our living quarters! To keep this photo-tour genuine, I opted not to clean before taking pictures, so that you might see what it looks like on a day-to-day basis. I only did this for your benefit, you're welcome :-)

Our living room. The entrance is at the back right corner of the picture with a small storage closet facing the door, and a much larger storage closet in the hallway. I really love our apartment because the rooms are so much wider and offer a lot more floor space then we're used to. We can actually put our ottoman in front of our chair where it belongs!
The office. It's actually where the dining area is supposed to be, but since our kids are young and ridiculously messy eaters, we kept the table just in the kitchen and put the office in the dining area. The office is where I spend more time then I'd like to admit!
(Do you like how Jayda managed to sneak into all the pictures!) One view of our kitchen, the closet that Jayda is leaning against is actually where our washer and dryer are. It's kind of weird having the two appliances in the kitchen, but still a lot better then hauling our laundry downstairs like we used to. We had a buy a cheap little table and chair set from the IKEA to fit in our kitchen, but it's perfect for the stage our family is at right now, and we all fit at it very nicely.
The kitchen from the opposite entrance. The kitchen was probably the one place where I have a lot less room then I had in our house in Poky. It was hard getting everything to fit at first, but we managed to turn our hallway storage closet into a makeshift pantry, so everything fits great now.
Our living room from the entrance. We have a huge balcony with a gorgeous view, but right now it's also being used as a place to hold all of the stuff we really should have gotten rid of a long time ago. We're probably going to spend the next few months trying to sell or donate whatever we can, and by the spring I'm really excited to use to balcony to grow a small garden and set up some chairs and a table for some nice weather reading and lounging.
This is obviously the kid's bedroom. Ironically, this is probably the place that Jayda has slept the least since we've been here! Still scared of Skyler, who can blame her? Anyway, this is probably the room that I'm looking forward to working on the most. It's a really big room, so I'm hoping to really turn it into a fun room for the kids, plus then it keeps all the toys, crayons, etc, in their room!
Our room, what a mess! It's also a really big room with a lot of potential. We've talked about putting a futon or couch along the wall next to the rocking chair, but time and money will tell if we actually do it. Our room is also accompanied with two closets and another bathroom, they're around the corner to the right. Having a bathroom separate from the kids is nice!

So there you have it. We LOVE it here. And the area, as well as apartment complex we live in feels so safe. It's going to be fun to continue to turn this place into more of a home after living here for a few years.

Love Bird Tag

I'm sure the tags are getting old, but I have no camera, and I'm addicted to blogging, so this is the best I can do! I was tagged with this one a few months ago, and I've been meaning to do it for a while, so here you go!





1. What is his name? Glenn Terrell Green (aka love machine)





2.Who eats more? It kind of depends on the day, and quite honestly I'm not keeping track, I guess I don't really compare. I will say that when it comes to sweets, Glenn out does me everytime.





3. Who said I love you first? Glenn, awwwww. It was sweet, and he caught me completely off guard, which made it even more awesome. I still get tingley when I think about it.





4. Who is taller? Glenn





5. Who is smarter? uh, what kind of smarts are we talking about? We kind of balance each other out when it comes to book vs. street smarts.





6. Who is more sensitive? We're both sensitive in different ways. Glenn is actually a little more cuddly/"lovey dovey" then I am, but I'm more sensitive in the "hey, why are they being so mean to me?" kind of way. It's a whole sensitivity conundrum.





7. Who does the laundry? Lately it's been me, which is cool because laundry is probably my least despised chore.





8. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Your right, or my right?





9. Who pays the bills? Lately me also, is this a good thing? That is yet to be discovered...





10. Who cooks more? Me, but Glenn can cook a meal, and quite well I must add.





10B. Who cleans up after cooking more? It's a draw, probably whoever gets to it first.





11. Who is more stubborn? We're both stubborn, but I like to think that we're both learning when it's important not to be stubborn. We're getting a bit better in our old age.





12. Who is the first to admit they are wrong? Hmmmm, well, speaking as a person who is never wrong...


Just kidding, it's probably a tie, although there may need to be a little coaxing...





13. Who has more siblings? Glenn beats me by a landslide. His eleven siblings definitely beat out my four.





14. Who wears the pants in the relationship? We don't wear pants in our relationship-wait, what?





15. What do you like to do together? We kind of like to explore. I can't even tell you how often we'll pack the family in the car without any idea where we are going. Sometimes we get lucky, sometimes we strike out, but it's always fun.





16. Who eats more sweets? Glenn, without a doubt. Sugar is his life source. Without it, he would die.





17. Guilty Pleasures? Staying up way to late, eating food we have no business eating, and spending money we don't always have. Yikes!





18. How did you meet? Ha ha, we were actually the classic barfalicious Singles Ward story. I think it was Karma for all the times I swore I would never meet a guy at a church activity, and I would never get married until we've dated at least a year.





We met at an FHE at Lava Hot Springs. I went because I just lost a bunch of weight and I was ready to flaunt it. I met Glenn, who I actually thought was 18, he was adorable, and had great pecs! I discovered that he was in fact my age and had a lot of similar interests as I did, so we hit it off instantly.





19. Who asked whom out first? He asked me. It took him FOREVER to do it (a whole week). And then we had to wait when he finally did because I had a blind date that night. Oh, the drama!





20. Who kissed whom first? It's kind of a draw, we just ended up kissing. Although I may have had a little something to do with it, rawr.





21. Who proposed? Glenn. He took me ring shopping all day long, and after coming home after picking out what I wanted, and having a plan, he proposed. He had the ring all along, so I was completely blindsided. It was freaking awesome.





22. His best features and qualities? He is such a hard worker and is very determined to accomplish any goal he sets. He serves unconditionally, and expects nothing in return. He is patient and loving and is often the calming quality in the home when his counterpart has completely lost her mind! Plus, he has a hot body!





Love you babe!

Taggy Tag

Rules: list 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 current goals, 3 current obsessions, and 3 random facts about yourself. Then tag at least 5 people at the end.

3 Joys
1) My family (obvious)
2) A good book
3) A good conversation

3 Fears:
1) Losing anyone in my family
2) blue whales
3) failing at our goals

3 Current Goals:
1) Lose weight (always and forever)
2) Become more patient
3) Complete my new years resolutions

3 Current Obsessions:
1) The Internet (a serious addiction, perhaps life threatening)
2) The Twilight Books (I'm reading them again, and I'm not even enjoying them as much, but I'm still addicted. Curse Stephenie Meyer!)
3) Food, hence my first current goal!

3 Random Facts About Myself:
1) I can't remember where I put anything, ever. I am the queen of losing things and it drives me nuts!
2) I'm a bit of a hoarder, but after so long I usually break down and get rid of EVERYTHING.
3) I would love to try getting hair extensions just once. My hair is so thin that having long hair is out of the question unless I get a little help. Obviously it's not an option now, but hopefully down the road I can give it a try.

I Tag: anyone that has a little time on their hands, or can't seem to pry themselves away from the computer, you know who you are!

Who knew?

Kids are so funny, and so hard to predict sometimes, especially when it comes to toys. Sometimes you bring home this awesome, state-of-the-art, amazing toy that your kid couldn't care less about, but then you bring home an old box, and suddenly you've just changed their lives with a new world of imagination.



The latter happened today when we brought home this...


That's right, it's a stool, and it's not even as cool as it is in the picture. I couldn't find a picture boring enough to depict the stool we bought. We bought it to go in the bathroom so Jayda could reach the sink, my kids have other plans.

The stool became a chair, a table, a hat, an object to throw, an object used to ward off anyone who wants to dominate the stool. It was like the stool was laced with "kid-nip" and we actually had to put the stool in time-out twice after our crazy, possessed kids fought with a venom to have the stupid stool to themselves! I don't know what we were thinking not getting a stool for each of them. If only every toy they own could have the same appeal. Of course, just like every toy they own, the greatness won't last forever.

*PS, we got an email, the camera battery charger has been shipped, so I should have pics in a about a week, YAAAAAAAAY!

Visit from Gustav

Pocatello knows how to snow. We tend to get a ton of that over there, but, it really doesn't RAIN that much. We have our season of cloudbursts and occasional rainy weather, but nothing like I saw today.

After Gustav hit, apparently it continued north, so we got a little aftermath of it today. HOLY CRAP! I have never driven when it rained so hard that I had to run the window wipers full blast and I still couldn't see. It was awesome! While shopping, Jayda and I had some fun running from store to store in the rain, which wasn't even cold. Jayda loved splashing in the puddles, and I just enjoyed the downpour. It rained pretty much all day. What's fun is that we have a balcony that lets us stand outside and watch the rain without getting wet at all. And our balcony faces Fairmount Park, so it smells so good! I love it!

Recent Rundown

Philly is fun and has already proven to be full of cool things to do. Last weekend we had a fun time checking out the Renaissance Fair. It was basically a regular fair with a medieval theme, but it was still a lot of fun. I loved all the costumes, and of course the food! The only downside was that it was so expensive. They reeled us in by offering two-for-one tickets, and then skewered us with the price of everything else. But, seeing as I was already missing all the fun and food at the SE Idaho Fair (I know, I'm lame), it was worth it.

We also took a spontaneous trip to Lancaster, which is about an hour outside of Philly. We didn't do any of the Amish sight seeing, but we did check out the sights at the Outlet Mall (be still my heart). Glenn needed some scrubs for school, and this was a great place to get a good deal on them. We fed the whole family for fifteen bucks at Cici's, my favorite buffet ever!

Jayda went to her open house for pre-school today! Her teacher is going to be Miss Annette, who is so nice, and the classroom is SO COOL! I wanted to be in preschool! Jayda had to show some of her basic skills, like showing colors, shapes, and trying to write her name. Jayda actually got a little shy, which was weird, but I'm sure once she gets used to her friends and teacher, she'll have a blast.

We're feeling more and more comfortable here, and I'm starting to be able to actually get around a little more without the Tom Tom. The people we've gotten to know have been so friendly and supportive and we have already been to several activities to socialize and meet people

Skyler is growing and developing so much. He's not quite walking around yet, but it doesn't matter, because it doesn't get in the way of doing anything he wants to do. We went to the park the other day for a playgroup and I was amazed to see the kid playing on the equipment, going down the slide and riding the little seat that rocks back and forth all by himself! Just a few minutes ago he pushed a chair to my kitchen counter, and climbed on to get a bottle he needed. He's so independent already, like his sister. He is also so much fun. He loves to growl, make faces and wrestle. He's also starting to communicate. At the very least, I know he can understand what I'm saying, so it makes things a bit easier, and fun.

So life is going pretty good. It gets a bit stressful sometimes, but looking at things with a glass-half-full perspective is the best way to cope, for me anyways! Catch you later!