HAPPY NEW YEARS!

The reason we almost didn't go home for Christmas~

BUT we did make it home and we had a great time! We were snowed in at my parents on Christmas Day and pretty much the whole day after...the snow plow came at 4:30 in the afternoon.

Alyssa playing with Britta in a little girls heaven!





We opened the presents from Jake's parents and Sally's family the night before we left. Lyssie got her Christmas jammies from Gramma and Grampa and Duck slippers from her Bernhisel cousins.


Thanks to all! We had a great time with all the fam!

sO sMArT!

Lately Lyss has been doing the smartest things! Today we were driving to church and she kept saying bite, bite. I asked her what she wanted a bite of and then turned around to look at her and she had her eyes all squinty and said it again. I then figured out that she was saying bright and wanted her sunglasses on! Holy cow!
She is starting into the pretending stage too! I don't know when kids usually start this, but I thought it was older. Tonight she was pretending to wash our hair. She would go in the bathroom and put her hands up by the sink and wait a minute, then run back into the living room and rub her hands in my hair. It was so funny. The other day we were at Walmart and she was pretending to be a kitty. Really cute, but disgusting cause she was on all fours on the floor.
And it is official....she is in nursery! Today was the official and she did great and the nursery leader even gave her a Christmas cookie and a chain to count down till Christmas. I'm so excited since Jake is now in the Young Mens and has to go to class with them and I have to go to Young Womens.

Too Tricky!

This morning while I was getting ready for the day, Jake gave Alyssa an orange and she brought is upstairs. I was in the middle of something, so I told her to wait just a minute. Jake put her up on our bed and the next thing I know she has peeled the orange (a clementine) and is eating! I thought it was too cute. She officially doesn't need me anymore if she can peel her own orange...I still have Jake start mine!


Me and my birthday cake....Jake made it for me!

I love my child, I love my child, I love my child

This week has been very trying for me. First of all~ it has lasted for like an eternity!! I don't know what's up with that, but it has. Part of it I'm sure was that fact that Lyss has more more unpleasant than pleasant. She is whiny, booby and mean, especially in the morning, (which Jake blames on me cause I am not so much a morning person.) I don't know if she is getting teeth, I thought I saw a canine coming in today so maybe. Or if she has an ear infection. Or both.
HOWEVER- I do have some things to brag about on her. One day we were going for a walk and she needed her hat. I couldn't find it so I asked her. She said it was in the car and she was right! Then I couldn't find her jacket so I asked her where it was and she ran to the bathroom and it was in there because that is where she took it off! I would say that is pretty smart! She talks so well and I have started having her repeat prayers and she is so cute about it. TOday at Wal-mart I was trying some shoes on her. I got them on and stood her up in them. SHe started trying to pull them off and I asked her if, " Do you like them or not?" Lyss replied very emphatically "NOT"! Jake and I busted up laughing!
She love Ring Around the Rosies, which she learned in nursery, and she runs around in a circle singing it!She can be such a hoot!
I do love her to death and we will all make it through. I just keep telling myself that she is only little for a while and that I will wish she was little again. So just enjoy her, the good and the bad!

All Dolled Up!

Lyssie in her Christmas Dress.

The other day I had to make cookies, so Lyssie was up on the cupboard helping me dump in ingredients. I was so cute. Then she wanted to wear an apron like me. She is just too cute lately and does the funniest things!
Some funny things she says and does:
Today at dinner she started to sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" all by her self.
She says "Chritmas"
She says "Gramma" and "Bampa"
THe other day she got hold of my phone and wanted to call Gramma. She loves to talk on the phone and talks alot!

Home for the Holidays

For Thanksgiving we made the trek to Lovell to be with the fam. We had alot of fun seeing everyone and we got to see Josie for the first time. She is so cute and sweet and put up with Lyssa's "mothering skills!" Lyssa's new thing is to wrap her dolls up and pat them and such. So she did alot of the to Josie. But she did have alot of fun with her. She was constantly talking about the baby and if she was sleeping. She hated when I would hold her though. I guess she'll just have to be an only child!!
We ate ALOT of good food, got some shoppiing in on Black Friday and gamed it up almost every night. Thanks for the good time everyone!
Somehow these are the only pictures I ended up with....but kudos to me for remembering my camera at all!!

AlYssa LOu HoO, Who Is No moRe ThaN tWo!!

Lyss walkin in Jake's shoes. She actually does really well!!



Do you ever have one of those nights, when you take the first bite of the dinner you made and just want to pat yourself on the back because it is just DELICIOUS?!! I had one of those last night. I tried a new recipe and it turned out great! It was called Chips and Chili Casserole. It was great to have it turn out so well since the night before I had made my first ever stew and it turned out to be soup. It tasted fine, but not quite the right texture. So I am going to share the casserole recipe:

1 can Chili
1 can corn
1/4 c sour cream
1/4 cup salsa
1/4 cup chopped olives
1/2 cup grated cheese
20 tortilla chips
Mix all ingredients together. I kinda broke up the chips. I put extra chips and cheese on top too. Way easy and so good!!
Cook for 20 min. at 350.

A new phase

Alyssa has entered a new phase. She is now able to open drawers. She loves to get in my drawer and play with the unmentionables. I'm just glad that I'm still able to shut the door and keep her out!


Lyssie and Mom.

She also loves to try on other people's shoes. This is her in Jake's shoes.

Aaron and Alyssa having a snack. She calls him " Er-nun" It so cute.

Sick, Rainy Days

Things here have been pretty slow lately. It has been rainy and cloudy and drab for about a week now, but there is sunshine in the forecast!!! I am very much a sun person.
Alyssa has had a cold this week. Last night she woke up at 2:30 with a fever of 103. sick kids are the worst! You just feel so bad for them and for your lack of sleep!! She didn't run a fever all day today, so we'll see how tonight goes.
These are just some fun pics of her and her friend Linzy.

Sweet Singing

Jake had this idea to sing a hymn or primary song every morning with Alyssa. So we started this morning. We got about half way done with "I am a Child of God" and Lyssie starting singing in her own little vocabulary, but very sweet voice. It almost made me cry cause it was so sweet and innocent. She also sang with us in the car on our way to Kennewick. I love that she is starting to sing. I love singing- not very well- but I'm glad that she has picked up on that. She also loves to lead the music in church. She is just so sweet and picking up so many things. She is like a parrot. TOnight we were with Aaron Cutler and he said something about someone being a sucker and Lyss immediatly started saying sucker. We definantly have to watch what we say and do!!!

Happy Late Halloween....and more!

I was out on a walk with my friends one morning and we past a garage sale. I saw this and went and looked at it. It was $1.00 for the table and both chairs. I saw potential and called Jake and had hime bring the car and a dollar so I could get my great find.
Before......

After......

For Halloween, April invited us to La Grand for a Halloween Party. So before we went, Lyssie got to go trick or treating at Shopko. (She has many fans there!)Then we headed for La Grand. The little boy is Trey, April's baby. The lamb and the lion had alot of fun together!







Thanks for the shirt Gramma and Grampa Despain!

Breakfast for champions!

Lyssie's First Hair cut!

I cut Lyssie's hair today! I mostly just trimmed the back up some and it really helped! She was kinda getting a mullet look goin on, but now she looks like a little girl. I curled it under too.

The pile of hair I cut off.

Not a very good picture of the back of her hair, but she wasn't cooperating. She was too busy weighing herself.

Family Pics take 2

We took our pictures again today. They turned out really good. I was worried cause when we fisrt got to the park, Lyss was an absolute beast!!!(She didn't sleep much last night.) But they are great! Big thanks to Ashley! The fall colors were gorgeous and there was enough trees to not get bad shadows. I just love them!


I just had to show you Lyssie's glare that she does all the time. We caught it on camera.

Halloween Cookies

Yesterday Lyss and I made Halloween cookies. She loves helping me cut out the shapes and this time she even used the rolling pin. She is just too much fun!

Stinker Potty Lyssie

Lyssie has been doing some sassy thhings lately. The other night at dinner, she was being naughty. So I started the counting. I said one and she said two, five!!! (That's what we count to when we're having fun.) Jake and I both cracked up and then how can you stay upset?!!
Today she told me that she needed to go potty, so I took her into the bathroom and tried to put her on the potty. She wouldn't stay on it, and then she wouldn't let me put her diaper on..(naked is her favorite these days.) Like 2 minutes later I look over and she is walking around dropping some brown tresures all over my floor!! Luckily most of it got on the pergo flooring and not on the rug.

Sad day about our family pics. I went to make an 8 by 10 and it turned out way grainy and blurry. I was so bummed. So I started cursing my camera and my neighbor said somethin about 5 mega pixels. What a dork am I? I have that setting on my camera and didn't even think to put it on it. We are going to take them again hopefully Saturday, but there were some really cute ones that were just right in the moment.

Fall is Here

This weekend, we went to a pumpkin patch with a few other couples. It was alot of fun! There was the big slide, that Alyssa loved going! There was also a little shop, some caribou, and of course pumkins.

Lyss being naughty. She climbed in the stroller all by herself. Even though it was naughty, I couldn't pass up a picture!

Lyssie Exercising & the Picture!!

Pardon my apparel, but this was just too cute. She also enjoyed sitting on my stomach when I was doing the ab work. Also today, I went and got her one of those potty seats that you put on the toilet and the first time she sat on it she actually peed!!!!!! I think it was just a fluke, but I was extatic!

And the moment you've all been waiting for....the wisdom teeth cheeks. So it isn't as bad as I imagined it be. Jake said I didn't look that swollen at all. Do I take that as a compliment or do I always look like I just got my wisdom teeth out??!!!!

So much to say!

Lyssie and I are back in Walla Walla. We had a good time in Idaho playing with family. I forgot my camera (grrrrrr) so I will just have to tell you about some of her fun times.
She got to play with two of her cousins, Eisley and Britta, quite a bit. Some funny stories:
Britta and Alyssa were out in the garage playing with one of those little electric cars. Britta got out and was just wondering around and I here Lyss start yelling at her. She was mad because Britta wasn't doing what she wanted her to do. Lyss was very sassy with all the cousins. Her and Eisley fought quite about. (being only three months apart, you would excpect that.) But they also loved to give hugs on each other. One time they were hugging each other in the bathroom and lost balance and ended up falling on the tub and hitting their heads. Very traumatic. Alyssa loved playing with the play dishes. She had one bowl, a spoon and plastic carrots that she packed aroumd all day everyday. She also picked up on so many words....tractor, car, night night, grandpa, potty, (which she loves to sit on...I hope that means the time will be soon!!!) We also got to go to Logan and see Debra and the girls and my sister and her fam. It was alot of fun!


Anyway.... here is Lyssie in her new dress. So cute!


And here it is, the unveiling of my new table!!!!! They finally brought it the Monday after I went home. I am absolutely loving it! It has a butterfly leaf too so it gets bigger. I can't wait to have people come and eat on it! Thanks honey for spoiling me rotten!

Wisdom Teeth Woes

Last Sunday, Alyssa and I drove to Idaho. She did so good in the car. She slept from Pendelton to Ontario. We stopped in Boise for a half hour or so and we were on our way again. She got fussy around 7:30, so I stopped at rest stop, as much as I didn't want to, and I got her in her jammies. She was asleep by 8:30 or so and slept the rest of the way!

On Wednesday, I got my teeth out. I had to be there at 7 AM, and Lyss had woken up at 5 and wouldn't go back to sleep. Everything went fine, but now I have infection in my jaw. I am on antibiotics. He told me to take 4 as soon as I got it and then 2 every 6 hours. It is still tender, but I think I am ready for steak tomorrow!

Also, my parents have had a lady that my dad taught in France on his mission staying with them. My dad is obviously the only one who can really talk to her, so me and my mom use two word phrases and play charades! It has been fun though and she is such a nice lady!

Lyss and I will head back to Walla Walla on Saturday. I will post a picture of my wisdom teeth face, cause it's like a pregnant belly; it's not really you!

Tagged by Melissa

This is in response to Melissa tagging us. This is the fourth picture in our fourth folder on our computer. It was taken right before we moved from Portland to go on rotations last February. We're at the beach just outside of Tillamook. Mom you might remember this spot: Pirates Cove Restaurant. Alyssa has changed a lot since then. She just had her 15 month check-up and was in the 60th percentile for height and 40th percentile for weight.

Lyssie's New Bed

We finally got a crib!!! Jake brought it home today at lunch and then put it together when he got home tonight. Lyssa was being way too helpful, so me and her went to DQ to get a treat. When we got back home, Lyss went up to her room. She saw the crib put together and went "OOHHH" and gave it a huge hug. Too cute! She was way excited to go to bed too. She seems so big now in that bed, even though it is a crib...it's bigger than the crib she was in!!!