Snow day

So we went to my parent's house last week and were pleasantly surprised the next morning when we woke up to snow! Here are a few of the pictures I got. In other Grantham news, Sequoia is finally walking! She started taking steps at 14 months and now she has taken off. She's even doing a speed walk now. Just another example of how different my kids are; Phoenix took his first steps at nine months. Also, we are now in Washington state visitng David's parents and are finding out what real snow and real cold are like. It was four degrees when we got here. It even feels like the air is frozen.

"Look at our car, that's really weird." Phoenix's title for this picture. That's my mom behind the car.

There's still a little snow left when I took these pictures.

This might have been fun to slide down but we decided not to find out.

Phoenix touches Texas snow. It was very wet icy snow but we were glad to have it anyway.


Here's our very humble snow man. This is as much as we could make before our hands froze!

Thanksgiving

Happy belated Thanksgiving to all ya'll who are reading this now. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. We join the number of sick people to add to the count, if anyone is counting. But we still had a fun Thanksgiving despite being under the weather. We went to my parent's for Thanksgiving day and went with my family to Hodges Gardens in Louisiana. I will post pics as soon as I get them. I'm getting my dad to make copies from his camera since I seem to have misplaced mine. Anyway, Hodges Gardens is a place my family has been visiting since I was a kid and it is an awesome beautiful place. The trees were beautiful this time of year, all different colors. This is something we are not used to here in Galveston. It was refreshing to see all the trees standing upright with their tops still attached. I had become so used to hurricane trees I forgot what it was like to see normal trees. We stayed in some cabins out by a beautiful lake. We rented canoes and went boating out in the lake. We also hiked the main gardens which are full of waterfalls and flowers. Although this time of year it was mostly the red and yellow leaves that were so beautiful. It was pretty cold and rainy but we were still able to enjoy it. We're back home in Galveston now and as I said earlier, we've all got colds. I've got pregnancy nausea also so I'm feeling pretty yucky but I am glad I was able to have a nice Thanksgiving with my family.

Shoes, shoes, shoes, and more shoes!

So...for a long time 'Quoia wouldn't wear shoes because she didn't see any need to strap leather to her feet to protect them since she didn't even walk on her feet. (If we could find something to strap to her bottom on the other hand...that might be helpful.) However, one day Tam, decided to strap shoes on her and force her to wear them. Whatever happened, you can definitely tell that 'Quoia has taken a liking to her shoes. She now scoots up to us demanding that we put shoes on her feet. Normally she demands we put her own shoes on her feet and they don't match. Today though, she demanded that I put on her feet shoes and shoes and shoes, and then...more shoes. Here is a picture.

First of all she is actually wearing two of her own shoes in this picture. She's also wearing Phoenix's sock on her right hand/arm along with one of his shoes. On her left foot she has one of her shoes on and Phoenix's sandal. And while I don't have a picture of it, she is currently wearing Tam's red and black leather shoes. She's sporting one of them over her sandal on her right foot. For such an anti-leather-wearing-gal, she sure has changed!

The following pictures show just how crazy she's gotten.

This is actually her arm!

Phoenix's sandal over one of her own shoes! It's shoes madness. I just can't wait until she starts explaining to me how she has no shoes to wear with any of her outfits. I'm practicing my eye rolls already for that big day. Many people tell me just how much of a boy Phoenix is, but 'Quoia is definitely all girl. I wish all of you could hear her stomping around in her shoes right now. It's cute.

Oh dear, what's a dad to do...

Surprise

Having weaned Sequoia after nursing her for over a year, I was excited to get my body back to myself again. I started working out again and started eating healthier. Things were actually sort of easy with a one year old and three year old. I might also add that with my new diet I was faithful about taking my vitamins and birth control every morning. Then on Saturday I realized I was a couple days late, not too much to worry about right? By Monday I bought a test. I really didn't think anything would come of it. Dave and I weren't planning on having another critter for a few years, and I had been very diligent in taking my birth control. Test number one results: positive. Well obvioulsy that can't be right. Test number two results: still positive. Now wait a minute. Can I take this back? This can't be right. Well, I am (gulp) happy to say that yes we are expecting Grantham kid number three. Dave was thrilled, and if I didn't have three months of nausea ahead of me I would be ecstatic also. I am pleasantly surprised and I am sure Heavenly Father knew I needed another little blessing in my life. I'm putting my sister Andrea's baby ticker with mine because we're actually only about ten weeks apart. I'm really excited about that. It'll be fun to have kids so close in age. Possible baby names so far: Sur Prise, Acci Dent, and Oops!

Halloween

So here it is! I've finally got our halloween pictures up. Phoenix had decided last year that he wanted to be a firefighter for halloween. You'll see him as a firefighter in the three pictures on the bottom from the ward party. I bought him a pirate costume to wear to the Rennaissance festival, so on halloween he switched from firefighter to pirate.

Arrgh! Phoenix and Carter raiding for some treasure! Dave taught Phoenix to say, "Gimme treasure!" instead of "trick or treat" so when they gave him candy instead of treasure we had to explain that Daddy was just kidding.

One of our only shots with Sequoia actually wearing her hood. She was little red riding hood but not for long!

Here's firefighter Phoenix.

Here we are at the ward party. Congrats to Dave who performed his first magic show at the ward party. And congrats to Sequoia who won the cutest baby costume award.

Lorena and Chris

Congratulations to Lorena and Chris! They finally tied the knot despite being chased off by Hurricane Ike. They were actually married in Oklahoma after evacuating from Ike. We held a small reception for them at my sister's house in Beaumont.

Lorena poses with her favorite red headed nephew. Sequoia's upset that she didn't catch the boquet.

My sister Andrea, on the left, Lorena, me and Quoia, and my Mom.

Family Update

I've decided to take a break from all this Ike stuff and talk about our family. Dave started back to work this week doing a dermatology rotation in Texas City. He's had a nice schedule and he has weekends off so I'm not complaining. It's been nice to have Dave around. Dave has alreay gotten 10 interviews for residency. We're still wondering how we're going to pay for all the plane tickets but we're excited that he's got so many options. Sequoia is really getting to be a "daddy's little girl." He's usually the one to give her a bottle at night while I'm getting Phoenix in bed. She's definitely get him wrapped around her little finger. Quoia's favorite word is "cheese!" She uses it to say thank you and please. This is also the word she uses any time she sees a camera. Of course Phoenix is a daddy's boy also. We like to play "smash" together. For those wondering, smash is a glorified pillow fight. Sequoia's even getting in on the action now. We've been enjoying the fall weather and having fun with the friends who are able to stay here in Galveston.

Galveston after Ike

The shirt on my back

I was just thinking about what it feels like to literally only own the "shirt on my back." When we ecavuated Galveston I didn't pack many clothes. I really only expected to be gone a few days. So now I find myself cycling through the three pairs of clothing I own. Thankfully Briana has graciously let us use her washer/dryer and that has been a great blessing. I feel like we didn't have a lot of warning for this hurricane. It kind of caught me off guard and, to be honest, I didn't think it would hit. Thank goodness for the church and for the preparations we had already made months in advance. Now I feel like I'm rambling but there is so much on my mind. I'm having trouble sleeping at night thinking about all our friend's houses that have been destroyed. If anything though, my testimony has grown stronger knowing that we have a loving Heavenly Father who knows our situations and will take care of us.

Gone for Ike

So we're here at Jason and Briana's trying to outrun Hurricane Ike. I just wanted to let everyone know that we are out of harms way. We are enjoying our "vacation" but are also nervous about my family who are going to ride out the storm in Beaumont. Take care all, especially all our friends living in Galveston. (Hopefully you aren't still there!)

Sequoia turns 1!

So my bald beauty just turned one! Yes, it's already been a year since I had her. It's amazing how time flies. There is a story behind her birthday cake. We first had a small party at my parent's house and, of course, we let her have her own piece of cake to do with whatever she wants. I suppose after getting fussed at several times for making really bad messes with food she just didn't want to make a mess. She poked the cake with the fork and with her finger, but just wouldn't dig in like she ought to. So we gave her a second chance on her real birthday. This time she made a mess with her hands but nothing else. She wasn't even interested in eating it. So after 10 minutes of just too much cleanliness, Dave took her little hand and rubbed it all over her face and hair.

Close Call

So I just had one of the worst scares of my life. If anyone wants an excuse to have a messy kids' room, here's a good reason for it. I was in the kitchen making dinner when Dave got home. Phoenix went to his room to find a ball and a few minutes later we hear a loud crash and screaming. When I get to his room I find Phoenix's brand new five drawer dresser laying flat on the ground. Phoenix is nowhere in sight. I panic. I can't see Phoenix at all but I definitely know from the screams that he is laying underneath the dresser. Dave and I pull the dresser off. Of course Phoenix is screaming like crazy. Dave checks him out head to toe and all we find are a few cuts and scrapes. Phoenix eventually calms down and asks to play with his dump truck. So five minutes after the whole ordeal Phoenix is happily throwing blocks in his dump truck. As I was sitting in the room with him I notice that a big green block box and some other clutter had been right beside Phoenix when the dresser fell, so I imagine the box and clutter had kept the dresser propped up just enough to not entirely crush Phoenix. Can I just say that I know Heavenly Father was watching out for my little red head. It was a very close call. I was about to sue IKEA (we bought our dresser there) but Dave said the dresser actually came with a band that hooks to the wall, he just hadn't put it on yet. Yes he's attaching it right now. I'm pretty sure Phoenix was trying climb up the dresser when it all happened. Anyway, here's one good reason to keep your kid's room messy.

ABC Tag

Here you go Briana!

A= ADVOCATE FOR: Being a mom. I don’t want to miss a minute of it.
B = BEST FEATURE: Dave says my legs.
C = COULDN'T DO WITHOUT: My testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I wouldn’t be who I am without it.
D = DREAMS AND DESIRES: To go RVing across the US with Dave when we are old and wrinkled.
E = ESSENTIAL ITEM: A/C! How did they survive in the olden days?
F= FAVORITE PAST TIME: What’s that? No really I like reading when I can.
G = GOOD AT: Dreaming. It’s really easy. Honestly though, I do have some crazy dreams. I’d like to write stories of them some day.
H = HAVE NEVER TRIED: Sky diving, and I never intend to no matter how much Lorena begs.
I = IF I HAD A MILLION DOLLARS: Pay off school debts, save it, pay tithes, and give some to my mom and dad.
J = JUNKIE FOR: Cookies, all kinds, all shapes, all sizes.
K = KINDRED SPIRIT: My hubby.
L = LITTLE KNOWN FACT: I don’t know the difference between itch and scratch, and yes, I did major in English.
M = MEMORABLE MOMENT: Giving birth to my two kids, but I’ll spare the details.
N = NEVER AGAIN WILL I: Throw up while I’m pregnant (I wish).
O = OCCASIONAL INDULGENCE: Chocolate, well, a little more than “occasional”.
Q = QUOTE: My Grandma used to say, “It ain’t so bad that it can’t get worse!”
R = REASON TO SMILE: I can’t be mad at Dave. For some reason he always makes me smile.
S = SORRY ABOUT: All the times Phoenix hit and pushed Ava! Yikes!
T = TAG SOME FRIENDS: Whoever reads this and hasn’t done it yet.
U = UNINTERESTED IN: Going all day without a nap.
V = VERY SCARED OF: Snakes, I think it’s a genetic thing. All the women in my family are terrified.
W = WORST HABIT: Not taking enough down time from my kids. I’m always a lot nicer after I get a break.
X = X MARKS MY IDEAL VACATION SPOT: Europe
Y = YESTERYEAR DECADE OF CHOICE: My college years while I was dating Dave. It’s funny how you date way more before you’re married.
Z = ZODIAC SIGN: Aquarius

Child of God

Phoenix just finished singing Castle Song and then he started singing I am a Child of God. We thought it was really sweet. He then proceeded into what will also be a big hit, "The Chair Song."

Here's a little serenade for our blogging audience. The actual song is much longer, but we cut it down to a mere 42 seconds. Phoenix really enjoyed singing it.

July 4

Somehow Phoenix has enough pull at the railroad museum to get a spot in the fourth of July parade. They really only reserve the parade train for "upper level members" but Phoenix goes to the station so much they decided to give him a spot. So we decorated our stroller and walked along beside Phoenix inside the parade car. I do have pictures I hope to be posting soon. Phoenix was dressed as a conductor with overalls and red bandana and a conductor's blue and white striped hat. He really enjoyed the parade and so did we, although for 10 a.m. it was very hot. My parents and sister and brother in law came to watch also. That's our latest!

80 cents

Phoenix and I were looking at some pictures of Dave's parents (Grams and Grandpa) on the computer. They live in Washington state. Phoenix said he wanted to go see them and I said we couldn't because we didn't have enough money. I told him he needed $800 so he ran to my room and ran back out with a handful of coins. We counted them and he had 80 cents. Just 1000 more handfuls of that and he'll have a ticket!

Sequoia "crawls"!

So we decided to have some watermelon for FHE. Sequoia was sitting on the opposite side of the room when she spotted her dad eating one of her favorite foods (she likes food.) She decided to "crawl", well actually scoot on her bum, to the watermelon. I caught the last half of it on video, she had already scooted most of the way before I caught it on tape. But we thought it was really cute. She hates being on her belly but she has found a way to get around anyway!

Congrats Dave!

David just finished his third year in med. school! We sure are glad it's over but it does give us an idea of what the intern year will be like. He has a whole week off and then it's back to work. Phoenix, Sequoia and I have just returned from my uncle's funeral. It was a sad event but we know Uncle Larry is in a better place. My mom just finished reading Twilight and she's hooked. I can't wait for number four.

Lorena's book

So as Lorena's unoffical publicist, I'd like to encourage everyone to spread the word that my sister's book is available on amazon.com. Just type in lorena hanks and it will bring you right to it, or click on my link and it will bring you right to lorena's web sight. If the link won't work just type in lorenahanks.com. It's an amazing book, I can't wait for the sequel!

3 yr. old with a camera

So if you're crazy enough, let your kid loose with a camera and see what happens. This happened sort of unintentionally but I thought it was pretty cute. It sort of shows things from the point of view of a three year old. So enjoy an evening in the life of Phoenix!

I got theses pics. taken at JCPenney's portrait studio inside Baybrook Mall. They also took Phoenix's two year old photos and I liked them as well.

Phoenix just turned 3 on April 4. He's a really good big brother.

Sequoia is 9 months old and a "lazy" girl. At least that's what the doctor calls her because she isn't crawling yet.

I took Phoenix and Sequioa to get their pictures taken. These are their first professional photos together.

The photographer suggested we take their shoes off and I thought it turned out pretty cute.

Quoia fell off of Phx. in this one.

Grantham Gossip

Welcome to our blog! With two small kids a day never passes without some sort of excitement. We wanted to keep everyone well informed of our latest Grantham gossip.