daisy's firsts...

ah- daisy's frists!

these pix were taken right after we came back from Cali for Christmas.

However, we had issues - something crashed or didn't work and somehow we lost these pix.

Gow worked for like 2 hours to recover them... ended up having to pay to recover them... and we lost some videos.

argh.

all in all- these are some of daisy's FIRSTS! woot woot!

her firsts in the jenny jumper!

first rice cereal (5 1/2 months)

she first rolled in Cali- but this is the first documentation (again, video was lost)

firsts in the exersaucer!

i also had video of her saying "mom mom mom mom mom" - lost.

so we are nearing in on Daisy Kate's 6 month bday! incredible.

she will be at her 6 month mark in 2 weeks. wow.

currently daisy has graduated from the buzzy chair and her fave thing is to sit.

she is not quite ready to be left alone... she sat for about 20 minutes by herself a few days ago.. but randomly takes face dives. =)

as far as sleeping- she is doing much better with nappin 2 times a day for about 2 hours. wahoo.

however, we are a mess at night.

she is waking up.. not sure if she needs food or if she just doesnt know how to put herself back to sleep without the plug.

argh.

i am trying to increase her cereal intake during the day - but i may just get up to feed her in the night as i have read that it is typical for 5-8 monthers to need more food in the night as it is a growth stretch.

argh. i really really really really like sleeping thru the night. sigh.

well- friday we went and checked out some houses in town.

gow didn't have work on thursday and friday so we are just checking out what is available, costs and kind of thinking thru what we want/need as a family.

it is super interesting, a little overwhelming and actually really great to be looking right now because we have ZIPPO pressure to have to make decisions or buy.

of course we are waiting and praying that God will provide steady work here... only He knows.

i also made a crazy decision yesterday to take the girls outside to play.

gow had to pick something up at camp- so i thought that we three could play around in the sunshine for 30-40 minutes at camp.

i bundled us all up... and we headed out.

but the FOUR DEGREE temperature only allowed us girls to enjoy the great out doors for about 15 minutes.

daisy was super super quiet with her teeny nose all pink.

and sally was happy and frolicking and then all of a sudden was TOTALLY done.

we headed back to the car for a snack with the heater at full force as we waited for daddy. =)

today i went to a ladies brunch at church.

it was super super great! auntie karen and my mom were part of the leaders in it... sharing some verses on encouragement and a lil skit on how important it is (especially in the cold "shut in" months) to be there, encouraging one another and sharing life. That God doesn't recommend it, but commands it.

it was really good to be a part of it and hearing from my Aunt and my mom made me so proud to be their family.

I am truly blessed.

tonight is one of sally's lil buddy, Ela's, 2nd birthday - so we are headed to camp for bounce house, pizza and presents!

blessed weekend to ya'll.

DV Christmas in Jan

auntie jano and all the cousins

rocking bonjovi with rock band... all night long!

seriously- we were AMAZING.

we had dv christmas in jan... here are some fun pix...

entertaining the little ones until it was PRESENT TIME!

the kids' table!

so- today was freezing.

we woke up this morning and did not want to get out of bed.

i threw a blanket around me and bumped up the heater!

it was a cheery 7 degrees at 10 am.... ouch.

long johns, thermals, layers... we are doing it all.

well. gow worked from home today and it looks like he will have the next two days with no work.

we haven't heard back from the other guy in Milwaukee... God knows.....

i realized today that from 6am- 8pm the girls are almost on opposite schedules as far as napping. niiiice.

it is great to get quality time with them one on one.... but i am really looking forward to them napping at the SAME TIME. =)

daise has slept thru the night that past two nights- with a good serving of rice cereal at supper time. i am STOKED about that. she is also falling into habit of napping at 10am and 3ish. good good. we are finally finding some "NORM".

okie dokie...

fun videos and a few pix

this video is of me entertaining the girls one afternoon after naps.

and this video was taken on a day that it was like 12 degrees- the snow was so cold it remained as snowflakes on the ground... kind of looks like/feels like glitter

this video- sal has the giggles while "jumping with" daisy in the johnny jumper.

cutie patootie pix. (and yes, daisy's hair bow is actually attached- hanging on to about 3 hairs.- i am sooo proud!- oh and by the way, daisy is not sporting the ever amazing mullet that her big sis has had since birth. oh no, daisy wants to be her own person and there for is growing a nice healthy mohawk! you can see it a bit in this next pix)

it is super sweet how much sally and daisy care for each other.

we are so so blessed

sally- walking on a COLD day

old lady sally... ha. this pix cracks me up. it's in our backyard.

she likes to go back there every now and then to check up on her swing that grandpa put in on a tree back there...

so today we were playing in the living room and sally took out my blockbuster card, went to my phone and slid it open and then "swiped' my blockbuster card! unbelievable- she already knows that cards are for swiping! 21 months old.. and ready to shop!

gow worked a full day today for About Face.

i got to sneak out for 2 hours for art class... i am excited about this next painting... it is of a beach in Ecuador that i only went to a few times, but has amazing rocks/spray/break/waves... mompiche it's name. i am such a rookie at painting- but i am pretty excited about the colors and painting in general!

then tonight gow and i dropped the girls off at their cousins so we could go out on a date night!

thanks kerhlis for the gift card!! it just keeps on giving!

as we were sitting in chili's we realized that it has been 2 or 3 months since we had gone out on a date!! so we really enjoyed our time out!

ever since Christmas Daisy has been off schedule... we have been trying different things to figure out what she needs when.... the biggest frustration being that she has been waking up in the middle of the night and not going back to bed until i feed her.

we were thinking to let her cry it out... watch the clock and let her work it out.

however, last night we fed her rice cereal around 6pm and she slept the whole night thru - like the good ol days before Christmas. we are wondering if maybe she is growing and simply needs more food? not sure. but we will keep up with the rice cereal at night and see what happens...

gow is currently working on planning worship for this sunday and i am attempting to catch up on some long over do emails...

nighty night from a super cold - Lake Geneva.

serious about bob a "warry"

thank you uncle ron and auntie linda for supporting sally's veggie tale "habit"! =)

uncle ron is a designer for veggie tales and aunt linda works with all the fan mail and ocassionally at the front desk.

For Christmas- they sent the girls a LOAD of super great veggie items, including personalized DVDs where bob and "warry" talk to sally and daisy by name.

these videos show sal's reaction to them saying her name, her passion for bob (when the video is over) and also she calls the veggies by name.

she says "bob" "Waarry" (Larry) "Achie" (Archi- for Archibald) and i think maybe "dunt" (for Mr. Lunt)

you will also see that Daisy is catching the veggie excitement as she wiggles and movies while watching the video.

Thanks Uncle Ron , Aunt Linda and the whole Veggie Tale Crew!

gotta love it.

today sally took "warry" to grandma and grandpa's and daisy took bob. =)

gow is working from home today on About Face.. .should have work thru the first part of this week, we will see what opens up for later this week.

sally just past another month bday- she is now 21 months and daise is approaching her big 1/2 year mark! wowzers!

had church, youth group and a small viking gathering at our place last night.. not much more to report.

it's snowing. pretty fluffy flakes.

and that's it!

loves

finally- Christmas pix - the beach

ah- we just had a delightful time with the rubios and taubes.

thanks guys for coming!

last night we hung out- had dinner, sally was in heaven as the taubes played with her, read with her, sang and danced with her...

then we went to Neal's to put the girls to bed, take a quick dip in the hot tub and then we headed out to the 10pm Avatar. good flick.

interesting look at cultures... sort of a remake of pocahantus. =)

then breakfast, some wii, some "pop pop" (mary poppins) for sal and a fun board game.

now we are prepping to go back to neal's so he can go out and win some serious youker and we will stay with their kiddos tonihgt.

and gow and i will have a date night of our own after the girls go down.

welcome home to my folks from MX! can't wait to hear about it!

and now.. some sweet beach pix from Christmas... oh to be back on the beach!

ah- daddy and sal on a walk!

uncle cookie and daddy chatting and the girls soakin in the rays.

i think this is a deep theological discussion going on with uncle cookie and daise.

yup. she's happy. and she loved the beach.

this is laguna. ahhh... our last day in cali...

seriously- an amazing place

baby taylor's first beach experience as well!

lovin this pix!

tidepoolin

the little girls getting dinner on the beach. =)

love this pix of the buelos!

ahh the sunset, the waves, the smell, the feel in the air... what a sweet blessing it was to be at the beach!

so today sally discovered how to turn and open a door knob!

we are proud- and slightly sad as now there are no physical restricting boundaries. =)

also, daisy was on the kitchen counter in the bumbo while we were cleaning up and making a salad for tonight... we turned around, she had scooted the salad bowl to herself, picked up to leaves of lettuce and was munching away!

so far daisy has munched on

1) chocolate frosting- thank you uncle neal

2) an apple of mine- she is chewing on EVERYTHING and loved the flavor

3) lettuce.

toodles.

fun times in cali with friends and fam

here are some more pix from cali- really good times!

sally's sitting in Taylor's bed!

This is the bed that Kat slept in as an infant...

sharing a yummy meal together.

daddy and sally scooting together

uncle steve (john's brother), aunt leanna (from TX) and cousin linds are meeting taylor

great grandma gowan and daisy

ca-leb ready to devour a tiramiasou

it was great to see Jarrod (gow's roomie from Joshua), Nicole, Hudson and their daughter (not in pix) Emmie!

Sged popped in for a visit too!

and Johannita came to introduce us to her sweet Jadelyn!

Sally and Jadelyn swingin away in the backyard

the girlies!

buela with taylor - she is soo smiling here!

crazy ca-leb and nancy

silly sally in the tub

ha- if you can click on this pix to enlarge it... sj's facial expression is priceless.

sal after rubbing her dinner in her hair

buelo showing off daisy kate's cutie bloomers from Silvy!

and the gowan siblings all sneaking a smoochie from their loves!

thanks to the hans, sged, johanna, steve and leanna and great grandma gowan who all traveled to take time to connect with us. it was such a treat!

daisy's nappin, i can hear sj shriekin from the garage with gow and i best be taking the laundry out to get beds ready for the taubes and rubios!

oh - and we discovered that sally has GREAT bee boppin talent as we watched this week's AI this mornin.... too cute. she's a natural.

happy friday to ya'll.