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Thursday, March 27, 2008

photo editing..


Well, I had previously been trying to just past Brody's eyes from one photo to the other, then I got the bright (duh) idea of pasting his whole head. His head was slightly more cocked in one, so I had to do some painting, luckily the background is dark. I think it turned out okay, you might be able to tell in an 8x10, but otherwise I think we'll be okay. Tell me what you think. If I can get good at this, it will be a major breakthrough, as getting a good picture of the two of them is a virtual miracle - Brody closes his eyes 80% of the time, and Ainsleigh looks away, wriggles, or isn't smiling 75% - it doesn't not leave the odds in my favor. :)

Happy Easter

Yes, I know it's a little late, but better late than never, right?!! We had a nice day. Brody and I both spoke in church, so Ainsleigh sat with Grandma & Grandpa Johnson. Normally this would be heaven for her, but for some reason she wanted to sit with us on the stand - I think she really just wanted to speak into the microphone, becuase we went up to say good morning to the bishop before the meeting started and all she wanted was to speak into the mic. The initial meltdown was decent sized, huge for her in this situation, then it was just periodically through the meeting saying, "mommy, I want mommy." Luckily, she didn't do it at all during my talk or I think I might have lost it. Overall, I think the talks went well. We were both a little unsure of how they would be recieved. After church we took some baskets to a family Brody home teaches, then home for Ainsleigh to search the house for hers. I didn't want to fight with candy during church, so I opted for afterwards. In the evening we had a family from church, Brad, Meredith and Lilian Coy over for dinner. Ainslegh enjoyed holding Lilian a lot, and got down to talk to her a few times, but overally I don't think she was mobile enough to hold her attention for very long. And, once we realized she might like to hold her was about the time Lilian was tired of being held and just wanted to wiggle. Overall we had a really nice day remembering our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and enjoying time with friends. Hope yours was good too.
I, of course, couldn't get a good picture of both of them at the same time, and I haven't figured out how to switch a head or something yet - i'll keep working on it, and if my results are decent i'll post them for you. So, I included the best picture of each.
Ainsleigh & mommy in their new Easter dresses :)

Ainsleigh holding Lilian

Having some good talking time. It's funny, Ainsleigh normally looks tiny - but next to Lilian she looks huge!!

meeting cousins

My 1/2 sister Jamie was up during CA's spring break last week visiting her mom in Cottage Grove, so we got to meet up in Eugene. Ainsleigh had never met them (Brody still hasn't!!), but she warmed up to the kids right away. We met at this cool place called the Science Factory in Euguene - the kids had a ton of fun. Isn't the building crazy?!


Zack helping Ainsleigh put the balls into this cool machine - he must have lifted her up there 50 times

Zack & Ains

The whole gang around this interesting duck in front of the museum - Lindsay, Kaylee, Savannah, Zack and Ainsleigh.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

follow ups, new stuff, random questions

Hello all, I think I have a few new pictures, now many though... Just thought I was write a quick note...

Has anyone else been getting random comments on their blogs? I got one that is acting like it's giving me or scanning for a virus when I try to link to their site, then I got one from a mom something blog, a brasilian webcam blog that likes my ladybug videos, and one that just said warning and to click on it, but with the whole wierd clicking on the other, I just don't.

As for the the JELLO CATASTROPHE... No, I didn't freak out. I realized quickly it was mostly my own fault - I gave her a big heavy bowl full of jell-o, she probably spilled it trying to move it so she could get down, and then realized how much fun it could be. Unfortunately, when she was sick, we got in the habit of her eating on the couch because she basically lived there for 4 days. I spread a towel out on top of her (hence the one in the photo), and we get no spills on the couch. I just wasn't thinking that day of how big/heavy the bowl was, and totally forgot she had it because she was watching a Dora show so quietly (this is normal) while I was cleaning the kitchen. Yes, my couches are totally cleanable and it didn't stain. If they weren't very cleanable they would've been very stained from the puke fest a few weeks before. But, my little green machine (a carpet, etc cleaner), does amazing work. Without that, I might have freaked out due to the amount of scrubbing required. But, with it, I was able to make quick work of it. I just put her in the tub so she couldn't make any more messes.

We had a fun afternoon today, my 1/2 sister Jamie and her family were up from So Cal visiting her mom about 1 1/2 hours south of here, so we met in the middle at a children's museum in Eugene and then went to lunch. It was the first time for Ainsleigh meeting those cousins, but she immediately latched on and cried when we parted ways. It was great to see them, and nice to jsut play. The weather has been really rainy lately, so we haven't been able to go to the park, which Ainsleigh has requested almost on a daily basis for the last week. We tried to go an indoor park cooperative thing on Monday. It took about 30 mins to find the place, (I could never get good directions), then when I finally found it I found out it had been dissolved because everyone was going to a different place that I had already gotten directions to twice. At that point she and were both so frustrated I said to heck with and we just went to do the grocery shopping.

Not much else is new around here. I am constantly trying to figure out how to keep up with housework, I found a schedule on one of Erin's friends websites that I think I might modify to my 3 days a week home so I don't feel like i'm constantly behind or neglecting Ainsleigh to be able to do it. We'll see, housework has never been my strong point. After Ainsleigh being sick, me not being well, then her party, i've just been out of my routine and i'm in a bit of funk getting back into it - you know?? I have to give a talk on Sunday, and I think that's weighing on me. I always feel extra pressure when I talk on holidays - like it needs to be spectacular or something. But, I have been getting some good ideas popping in and out of my head, so hopefully by Sunday I can get them all on paper and organzied, and long enough. Anyways, i'm just grateful for everything I have. Sometimes I think I get so wrapped up in the everyday grind of life to take step back and look at all i've been given. Have a wonderful day!!

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

wadybug wadybug



We discovered yesterday that we have a large population of ladybugs in our front lawn - Ainsleigh loves it. She likes to say hi to them, tell you when they are scared, and get me to hold them on my hands for her. I put one on her hand and it was fine until it started crawling, then she flung her hand around and it went flying. Better luck next time - in a few months.




looking at ladybugs on my hand/coat


can you see all 3 of them that close together?



clapping "yeah ladybugs!!!"



getting down to their level to talk :)

all dressed up with somewhere to go...


NERFWY!! YEAH NERFWY!! (nursery)

This photo was just too cute to pass up. The dress has an adorable matching hat that she was loving wearing until we wanted to take a picture with it of course!

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

BIRTHDAY TIME - the cake



Here is the birthday singing, yes it's the entire song. She appears a little confused at first, then begins loving all the attention once she realizes it's on her. And, as you can see, cousin Cayden was right there on the action!!


She definetily liked the cake. She saw it in the morning, and asked all day long to eat it. She kept telling me she was done, and then when i'd have the rag ready to wipe her off she was eating again.

eating cake is serious business

always time to pose for the camera


the "after" photo of the cake.

BIRTHDAY TIME - opening presents

We were waiting for someone to come, so I got her to say some of her latest words she's learned from watching Dora - it is how to say hello in Russia, Tanzania, France, and in spanish.

Opening her first gift - a Little People barn - she loved it and kept going back over and over again to open and play with it.

Nana Loi got her a cradle for her babies - she likes to rock the babies (in a way that would make anything breathing quite ill).

BIRTHDAY TIME - random party photos

Eating lunch..



cousin Camrie



cousin Kennedy

walking to the park -- playing at the park




I just love having a park 2 blocks from our house.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

BIRTHDAY TIME - photo ops with the family


Waiting for everyone to arrive...

Hanging out with mom.

with Grandma Sandy

with Papa Jim

with Nana Loi


We took the opportunity of Ainsleigh having on matched, not stained clothes and a great attitude to take pictures with some others.

BIRTHDAY TIME - cake decorating






For my second attempt at decorating a cake, these didn't turn out too bad. I had to make decorator's frosting twice, because my Crisco was bad - good thing I tried it before starting to decorate - it was NASTY!! I had planned a "happy flower" theme all along, but first tried doing one with a star tip, it turned out terrible, so I scraped it off and started over. I included pictures with and without the smiley face because without it these are pretty nice looking flowers, i'd seen them before on someone's cake for a bridal shower.

Jello catastrophe




I should've known better than to allow Ainsleigh to eat jell-o on the couch, a large bowl none the less, and even think about getting something else done. She was being so queit, I forgot she even had the jell-o until she came up to me and said "yook mommy." I actually laughed at her, and just told her she had to go take a bath, then I saw the couch!! I was just in shock. Jell-o will no longer be on the couch, or in large bowls, and I don't know what I would do without my Bissell little green machine. I know, it looks like a gore fest, but it's just cherry jell-o.

cocoa cereal



One morning this week Ainsleigh ate "cocoa cereal" for breakfast. She didn't get it anywhere but on her, but look at how much she got it on her - I just laughed. How do you end up with cereal on your forehead?!

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Latest Tag

Lila tagged me on this one....

5 things on my to do list:
1. Go to Wal-Mart (again to get the things I forgot when I accidentaly left my list at home today) - but I got to go by myself - much faster
2. work on latest sewing project (s)
3. clean - dishes and folding laundry are a constant
4. workout (pretty much get to it 3 days/week - it keeps me sane and a much mom & wife)
5. start scrapbooking - guess I need to find the top of my table again

10 things I enjoy:
1. playing with Ainsleigh
2. time with Brody as just us
3. watching Brody & Ainsleigh play together
4. Spring/Fall weather
5. working out - yes I really DO enjoy it
6. sewing
7. finding/trying new recipes
8. running errands by myself
9. days where I feel like i've actually accomplished something
10. hiking

suddenly a billionaire....
Pay tithing, pay off all debt, buy a house in OR, furnish, decorate, and organize it with hired help, have a cool theater room, playroom, and workout room (in the smallest square footage possible), work as little as we want to, pay someone to do spring cleaning for me, get a full makeover by the "what not to wear team", travel A LOT, set up finances to last until age 100 living however we want to, donate a lot to humanitarian, missionary, and perpetual education fund, give money to whomever, whatever we feel deserves it.

5 jobs I have had:
1. "shop girl" at a heating & air conditioning company
2. medical records clerk
3. cashier at Nordstrom
4. Surgical Technologist
5. Registered Nurse in surgery

5 things most people don't know about me:
1. I was born by flashlight light
2. I used to rock climb a lot (and would love to do it again if anyone knows anyone around her who does)
3. I just turned 30 - and i'm really excited to be into a new era
4. I (an RM) married a "sister hater"
5. My first car was a 4 wheel drive truck

.... I tag : Rachel, Erin and Erica