To do list

Have I mentioned the girls love doing projects? Ava (especially) could craft all day and not be bored. So I made a list in anticipation of the days coming soon when I will be too tired and huge to do much of anything. There are about 30 things on the list, mostly from the book: The Toddler's Busy Book, which is great! It has lots of activities for all young age ranges. It is hard to find a book that can appeal to a 1.5 year old to 4! Another one I recommend is First Art.

Day 1 (yesterday) We made no bake cookies and the flowers below from glitter water colors, coffee filters, pipe cleaners and floral tape. Of course they were getting married with them and I made them be careful and not play with them until a picture was taken. Otherwise they would be destroyed in a matter of minutes! Some things never change.




Day 2 (today) We made glue spaghetti. I'm not sure how it's going to turn out. Basically you just dip spaghetti in glue and let it dry. Hopefully they'll be able to paint it too.




Tyler started school this week. I miss him being home. It's sort of like he's on a different planet, because that is the kind of focus that is required to not miss anything at school! He has first round interviews over the next couple weeks and is at a practice right now for four hours for his interviews. He has some companies he would love to work for, so we'll see!

Yesterday and the day before he also participated in a crisis challenge. Teams delt with a fake crisis and met before a board, and held a press conference, etc. We came and watched for a while. It was nice to be on campus for a while even though Tyler's team didn't make it to the finals.

I have been doing way better for the past few weeks. I am wearing my maternity clothes now, as of yesterday, and although I can still fit into my normal clothes they are just much more comfortable. On Jan. 25th I have another ultrasound and meet with the Dr., so I should have more news then. I had my first real doctor appt on Monday after much fiasco with insurance, and the midwife said I was measuring 22 weeks, not 16. Although I do not think it is possible I am actually this far, I have only ever measured dead-on previously.

I am feeling the baby move every once and a while. It is exciting. I am only letting myself think of girl names because we have only ever had girls. Ava keeps calling it a "him" though, and Tyler desperately wants a boy.

That's all. Maybe I'll venture to Costco today. Or not :)

Rented!

An answer to prayer our house was rented! Thanks Heather and Hai for keeping it so beautiful!

Single family home in downtown Rochester, Mi. Clean and comfortable with 1200 sq feet. Built in 1917. Three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Partially finished Michigan basement. Washer and Dryer. Big fenced in backyard. 2-car garage. There are the original hardwood floors throughout. Updated kitchen, newly refinished hardwood floors. Screened in front porch.

Renter is responsible for gas, electric and water. Pets considered.

1 month deposit with 1-year contract.

Within walking distance to parks, Dairy Queen, downtown shopping, walking trails.

Rochester schools.

Amazon Books !

I got some gift cards for my birthday and Christmas, so here's a rundown of all the books I got! I could have gotten a lot more, but had to restrain myself. Most of them are in preparation for June when our little cutie makes its debut. I'm hoping to learn some great coping mechanisms so I can mentally be prepared and as relaxed as possible.

I also made Tyler a robe with my new serger. It turned out well, minus a few errors I made. Ava keeps asking me to make her some dresses. So we'll see. A new Joanne's coupon just came! Sewing projects are always so messy. It literally takes up an entire room. Tyler's robe took like 10 hours straight to make. The girls were with grandma and grandpa so I could hyper focus all day and make it. It was exhausting, but I finally conquered the fear of actually pressing the pedal and putting fabric through the machine.

School starts on Monday. Ughh.

1	"The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth" Henci Goer; Paperback; $10.37 Sold by: Amazon.com, LLC
	1	"Husband-Coached Childbirth (Fifth Edition): The Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth" Robert A. Bradley; Paperback; $11.56 Sold by: Amazon.com, LLC
	1	"The Official Lamaze Guide: Giving Birth with Confidence" Judith Lothian; Paperback; $8.64 Sold by: Amazon.com, LLC
	1	"The Hypnobirthing Bundle for Happy Hypnomoms and Blissful Hypnobabies" Michelle Leclaire O'Neill; Audio CD; $59.99 Sold by: Amazon.com, LLC
	1	"Birthing from Within: An Extra-Ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation" Pam England; Paperback; $13.57 Sold by: Amazon.com, LLC
	1	"Sew Liberated: 20 Stylish Projects for the Modern Sewist" Meg McElwee; Paperback; $16.47

New Year Reflections

Here is a timeline of a few of the things that happened in crazy '09. I am really excited to start a new year, and hopeful things may settle down?!?

-Jan/Feb: Tyler gets into U of M and BYU. We have to decide where we're going. We also are acclimating to having our dog, Milo.
-March: We decide on U of M, despite ever enticing offers from BYU
-April: Tyler leaves his job to focus on his side business, we move out of our house, and move in with his parents
-May to August: We rent out our house, visit my mom in PA, one of my best friends Heather gets married, and try to save as much money as possible.
-August to September: Move in to Ann Arbor and enjoy football games, adjust to a new ward.
-September to October: I see Tyler less and less as he fills his time with homework, clubs, group assignments, class, business plan competitions, company presentations, social commitments and business activities.
-October: I find out that we are pregnant while Tyler is in SF and tell him over the phone. Disbelief. Shock. Excitement! I get called to teach the CTR 7 class at church.
-November: Spend Thanksgiving in Vermont. Really really nauseous. Tyler incredibly busy.
-December: Christmas, family, love, joy. It's really been a great Christmas.

Here are a few things I am looking forward to next year:
-Teaching Ava all her upper and lower case letters. Maybe get started on reading
-Teaching Violet to write her name
-Having a little baby to snuggle with
-Nesting
-Finishing Violet's 1st year scrapbook
-Tyler getting an internship and *prayerfully* *maybe* a job offer from it
-Being outside, traveling, discovering new books and new hobbies

Things I am not looking forward to:
-Having Tyler gone a lot
-The cold
-Losing baby weight
-Cleaning up after a family of 5

Happy New Year!

Winter 09 Pictures

Our Christmas card picture.


Another fun picture. My hair looks much better in this one.

Christmas Holidays 2009

This is how our Christmas began. I worked very hard this year to be organized and well planned. In fact, aside from online shopping, I only had to go out to stores three times. Each Christmas celebration we went to got a garbage bag full of presents that filled our car to the brim.

Here is my Grandma Lucas. Still going strong at 92! Thanks for having us over Grandma :)


The girls actually knew what was going on this year. Especially Ava. This adds a whole new dimension of stress and expectations that I wasn't prepared for. Picking the perfect presents, balancing Santa presents with Mom and Dad presents. Budgeting, being secretive, and figuring out what we wanted to tell her about Santa. Yes, I did pull the "I'm going to call Santa if you don't behave."

Here's Audrey in her zebra print Snuggie the night before Christmas.

My dad cutting the ham.. We ate a lot of ham.

The night before Christmas we did a Nativity where we all got dressed up. This year we included 3 Nephi 1, and the story of the star appearing to the Nephites in the New World and the righteous people believing that Christ had been born. Here is our Nephite, Uncle Jared.

My brother Bryce and his wife Stephanie.

My Grandma Culver in front of a beautiful spread she put together.

Some of our home made gifts. Here is the food Tyler made.


Stenciled shirts I made.

One of Ava's favorite presents: a doll she can do hair with.

Uncle KC and I as Mary and Joseph.

Aunt Audrey and our little lambie Violet.

Uncle Riley and our Ava as Angels.

The three wise "people" to be politically correct. Those graduation gowns do come in handy for something!

Some home made name signs I put together with Jenny before she moved. Sad. I totally ripped the idea off etsy.

Ava opening presents.

Violet in her bumble bee dress with Granda Mclean.

Daddy and his girls

Violet's crazy hair braids.

We've literally been gone for the past two weeks straight it seems like. But I am feeling much better!!