Sneaky Snake

I don't know how, but Marcella has turned into a complete Sneaky Snake, at least where shopping is concerned. We did the grocery shopping tonight. It takes about an hour or so, because Kanien liked to buy food for two weeks...that way we can eat really well for one week, then make a bunch of little trips to the store the second week. Anyway...It's tough for Marcella to stay in the cart that long, so inevitably, before we get to the register, she's down on the ground darting in and out of shopper traffic and driving me nuts. That's usually when I start a series of pilgrimages to the water fountain in order to preserve some measure of sanity. When we make it to the cashier, Marcella's true genius comes out in full bloom. She, in her toddler wisdom, understands the law of averages....the more you attempt something, the more likely you will succeed at it. So while Kanien and I are unloading the cart, swiping our debit card, reviewing the tally, etc., Marcella is waging a battle all her own. It consists of placing as many treats onto the conveyor belt as possible, hoping we won't notice one or two of them. What ensues is this: Kanien takes over as grocery QC (you know, making sure we get the advertised price on avocados and stuff), and I start removing the candy, explaining to Marcella that she gets enough treats already, and any more would violate the Laws of Childhood Deprivation so painstakingly instilled upon me by my parents. (These are for real....my Mom is famous for saying things like, "OK, you've had too much fun this weekend. Get out there and weed those raspberries!" I'm not making this up!) Inevitably, after arriving home and unpacking the groceries, we find some contraband (always fully paid-for...she hasn't yet mastered the art of thievery) that managed to make it in the bags. Today it was...

a bag of Candy Corn.
A few weeks ago..some Life Savers. She's also done it with air-heads and other candy.

4 Things I am Thankful for

#1. This might just look like just an ordinary Brush, but Oh no, it is one of my favorite things that I own. I believe it is suppose to be used while giving yourself a pedicure, to scrub your nails or something. I have found a better use for it. It scrubs out all of the spots Marcella gets on her clothes. I have been using it for 2 years now and it work wonders. It is the perfect brisilness, I haven't found a better one. I am sure you can find them at Bath and Body Works. I think I have seen them for a couple bucks, so not bad for a wonder tool.

#2. Rubber Gloves! I don't think anyone can argue with how wonderful these are. I can't even imagine what people did before these. Let's just say they are lifesavers! You can even get two pair at Walmart for $2 what a steal! If you don't have any, you must not have Kids.
#3. Clorox Wipes. I think this is one that I am almost most grateful for today. It just really helps do the Job. I am so thankful to those wonderful people in advertising who helped me feel like I really needed to buy these or my life wouldn't be complete. Well I am here to tell you I really did need them today and I am glad I had fallen to an advertising trap and bought them, plus they did what they said... My life is now better because of this purchase.



#4. Why M&M's, Well because after you finish reading this you will know that any chocolate in your house helps keep your sanity and today these did just the trick. As a matter of fact I am eating them right now. Man they sure are amazing. They have that calming, enjoyable effect that always reduces my stress levels.

Why am I grateful for these today well I will tell you. First I would like to start by a bit of back logging. Marcella received the potty training lesson about a week and a half ago. She has had her good days and her bad days, but all in all she has done really well. Especially these past few days. She has only had one accident and that was because we went to a bazillion stores and forgot she might need to go potty. Other than that she hasn't had an accident in three days. AMAZING! At least that is what I have been telling myself. I love that she is potty trained. She loves getting a sticker every time she goes potty, so it works out very well.

So Today being the 4th day she has done an awesome job, she managed to go poopoo in the toilet. "Awesome!" I exclaimed being all excited for her and still giving a bunch of praise so she will continue the good behavior. Well after that she went back to playing and I went back to working on pictures. After about 20 minutes I started to smell an awful smell so I decided I better go and check on Quiet Marcella. Well this is what I found.

I should at least be grateful she was on the potty right? (notice there is no more toilet paper on the holder? ya, it had to be our last roll) Well I told myself, at least you now know why you felt like staying in bed today. To say the least I was VERY Grateful I had everything I needed to clean up. The M&M's helped me calm down and enjoy this moment that I new would come sometime in my life, I am just hoping that it doesn't come again.

Moving!

I am finally getting around to our move. Here is our truck at my mom's house on September 01, the day we left.

Welcome to our place. I really need to take newer pictures because it looks a lot different.
This is our living room

You can see how the kitchen connects.... kinda

So I have to admit that I was really proud of myself and Jon. We moved in on Saturday and we had everything unpacked by Monday. Granted I am still rearranging and trying to figure out how I like things, but I was so glad that we did it fast and got it over with. I had boxed up all of Marcella's stuffed animals in April, (besides a few) and when we unpacked this box (four months later), she was in heaven. She had to have a diaper for each one and she started to play "mommy". It was pretty funny. I didn't think she would enjoy it as much as she did, but she was having a ball.

Here is our bedroom. I haven't really decorated it yet or done anything, so it basically still looks like this (only I did hang some drapes up).

Here is the living room without all the boxes. Pretty small and cozy. I am really enjoying our small place. It has been a lot of fun so far. I will post some new pictures later. A funny thing is we hung up our big mirror on the wall behind the couch, but the wall bows, so the image on one side is warped like a Fun House mirror! So ya, it makes you look distorted in some places. It makes me laugh.

So I just took a couple pictures to add, here you go

Jon took this one standing at the front door, so it's the view as you enter.

Here is the kitchen. Sorry these ones are a little dark, Jon took them at night.

Christmas

Just thought I would let all the family know I set up a link to the Christmas lists, it is in my links column. Love ya bunches!

Happy Halloween!

It took us a long time to convince Marcella to carve her pumpkin. She was terrified of it. I finally just said we are going to do it, and after a few tears shed by Marcella she gave in and had some fun.

After we got it all done and I put the candle in it, she started singing "Happy Birthday" and the proceeded to get me to sing to the pumpkin as well. After blowing out the candle we got a good laugh. What a sweetheart.

Here is our cute little Fairy. This year has been a lot of fun, because we have been able to get dressed up 3 times.

Here she was turning me into a frog.

We decided to go up to visit grandmas and grandpas this year. At first we weren't going to give in and go up but in the end we decided it would be more fun. Which it was. Marcella had fun seeing Sister Cloward, Sister Smith, Sister Perkins and of course her Grandparents.

My mom and I went to our trunker treating activity at the church on Saturday while Jon was at work. It was pretty fun. Thanks for coming with us grandma!

So besides the fact that our costumes weren't that good, I was Wendy and Jon was S'me from Peter pan, I vowed next year to have better costumes. I think Halloween is so much fun if you have a fun costume to wear. This was at Grandma Wallin's annual halloween Party. We had a great time this year. Marcella wasn't so sure about the pinata, but has been enjoying the candy. We also played bingo and got lots of fun prizes. Thanks Nana! We had marvelous time!

SICK, SIck, sick!

This is mainly for me and having a pity party, but I can't remember the last time I got sick. I am blaming Provo. Mainly because there is nothing else to blame it on, and it sounds good for the moment. I don't think I have been sick since my first year of marriage and even then I don't remember ever being sick. We need to move back to Salt Lake and the good air!! Jon is the one who Always gets it, so why me? I feel as though my head is going to explode and I am about 2 seconds away from finding Marcella's nose sucker to try to get everything out of my head. I am hoping to be better for our Halloween party tonight. At least I am planning on being Wendy from Peter Pan so I get to wear Pj's. Well to all you moms out there I feel for you. We really don't get any sick days do we. Well, I have to go and change the laundry, I hope you all are felling better than I am and believe me this picture is so I can hope that one day I will feel better too. (yes, I think a trip back to Europe would definitely do the trick.)

Visiting Greg!

In august we went and saw Greg in Cody,WY. It was so much fun. I was really surprised at how pretty it was. The drive in and out were so gorgeous. I won't mind living there, although I would rather have Jon teach at a better University than the one right by Cody.

Greg has a sweet place. We ate Breakfast in his backyard. Man I wish I had a backyard. It was really pretty.

We went to a museum in Cody. It has the world's largest gun collection. It was pretty sweet looking at them. Marcella enjoyed the "stuffed" animals. We had to go back in that room about 10 times. She kept saying "mama, bear scary Roar!" The only sad thing about this is I didn't get a picture of the animal she is still obessed with today. The stuffed Walrus head. Anytime we talk to Greg or tell Marcella we are talking to him she says "Big Walrus" only she totally can't say walrus. It is pretty funny.

This is in the basement of the gun collection section. It was pretty funny they have this puzzle you can put together a gun. Marcella was having a lot of fun with that.

Pajama Party!

Marcella loves Uncle Greg. Even when she was really little she would go to Greg more than any of my other siblings or Jon's. I have always thought it was sweet. They are great friends.

This is another picture of Greg's backyard, did I mention it was pretty big? I loved it!

We decided to hike up to a dam on Sunday. It was a lot of fun. Although I didn't think it would be so hot, boy was I wrong!

This was pretty sweet. It has to be the biggest caterpillar I have ever seen in my life. I couldn't believe it when we saw it. Then I couldn't believe Marcella started kissing it and saying "nice", and "it tickles". It was pretty funny.

Here is Jon's new home. Visitors are always welcome as long as you can climb to it.

On the way home from Greg's we stopped at Yellowstone Lake. It was so pretty. Pretty and cold I should say. It was a moment like this I will remember forever. It was just so amazing.

Thanks for letting us Come Greg. We had so much fun going to dinner and hanging out with you. We can't wait to come again!

Bike Ride

The night before we had a garage sale Jon took Marcella on a bike ride. They went while I was sitting on the porch pricing all of our stuff. The best was they would go around the block and then stop and say "we are here to pick up baby" or we are here for "pooh bear". Etc. Each time they stopped they picked up a new animal so Marcella wasn't lonely I guess.

This is what they ended up with. Once they had all there passengers they rode over to the railroad tracks to watch a train. The only time you want a train to come by and I don't think they were able to see one.

Kristin's famous toe socks. These were being sold at the garage sale. Only I am sad to say I don't have a better picture of them. They are sweet they have some dude in an army helmet and then a bunch of peace signs on them. Well, this was the one thing that Marcella wanted from the stuff we were trying to get rid of. I told her she could keep them in her crib but she couldn't wear them because.... (well let's face it, she was sleeping in my Dad's office at the time, it was August and it was like a sauna in there.)

Needless to say this is what I found when I went to check on her. What a crazy girl!

Cabin Trip with the Dougals

Welcome Home!

My Dad Came home in August and we were all so excited. We made posters and had some fun Balloons. Then we went down to the airport to see him fly in.

Here we are waiting, we had to wait about an hour before they came in

This was quite funny. Marcella was holding the balloons and then the next thing we know they started flying away. At first she wasn't sure what to think. Should I laugh or cry. After she looked at all of us laughing, she thought it was pretty funny. She would then point up in the sky and say "da baoons up dere."

Here he is, We were really excited to see him. We are so glad that he is home now.

Jon and I agree that he did everything just right to get Marcella to like him. He bought her a Teddy Bear, which she promptly named "Pooh Bear", and he brought her a dress. He sure did win her heart and she is in love with his rocks, "Fish & M&M's". Thanks Dad. It is great to have you home. We love you!

Pre-Thanksgiving

We had a pre-Thanksgiving dinner to welcome my parents back from Wales. It had all the goodies....sweet potatoes, turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, green beans, and I even tried this dish called a Gruyere Galette...sort of a potato pie held together with Gruyere and fresh Parmesan cheese...it was pretty good, but if you're not a strong cheese fan you wouldn't like it. That being.....only my mom, dad, and myself really liked it.