Drive me CRAZY!

After our drives, back and forth from Utah, we were Driven Crazy - literally. It was great to go home, but it was even better to come back Home. Here's an account of the time we spent with "Cory's People" as Tessa called them. (All the quality photos were taken by our new sister-in-law, who we all had a good time getting to know better!)

Cory's sisters and brother-in-law ran the Wasatch Back Ragnar Relay and we went to Park City to cheer them on and chill.

We took some family photos with the Maughans, but first met Uncle Luke's snake Nagini. Tess was not a fan, Emory thought it was cool, and though my face says otherwise, I didn't altogether love the experience.

Family Photo: Us, Luke, Kylee, Grandpa (fresh off a farming work day), Austin, Kayla, Sierra, Kellie, Adrian, Mahal, Grandpa Bruce.

The best part of this picture is that I doubt Emory actually meant to do this face.

More family photos, this time with the Hulses.

Us, Uncle Chase, Luke, Kylee, Kayla, Adrian, Mahal, Kellie, Grandma Hulse, Tina, Tracy, Grandma Lisa, and Papa Flint.

Priceless.

Camping with the Daltons.

Our favorite-est girl!

Cory and I on a Rhino ride.

Photo shoot on Grandpa Maughan's farm.

All in all good fun, aside from the dog we saw eating an unidentifiable carcass and the allergies.

The Quilts of Doom.

Try not to pay attention to the un-bound edges.

Thanks to Kylee for taking the time to take these photos!

Belated

It was Emory's birthday a few weeks ago. We've been all over the place and she didn't even mind our low-key-ness. That's one of the things I love most about her! I kept saying how sad I was that we didn't get to spend the whole day fawning over her and she'd say, "I really don't mind, Mom."

We spent the day moving, unpacking, cleaning, field day-ing, and Yogurt Extreme-ing.

This little girl is so special to us. Someone recently informed me that during my infamous Georgia stint with Emory six years ago, I'd offend

ed another person. It was so weird to hear about this thing that I had no recollection of! Then I tried to remember other things that happened during that unplanned 11 week stay, and all I remember is Emory. Not to say that I don't have memories like when my mom kept me company for 5 of the 11 weeks, or when I first held Emory, or when she finally came home, it's just hard to remember anything else that didn't pertain to her.

Unless you've done the NICU, you have no idea what it's like. To leave your baby there. The day you're discharged from the hospital, you go home empty handed. And everyday after that. You have a baby, but you don't. And to top it off, she's sick. Can't breathe very well and doesn't know how to suck and swallow. It's not a good feeling, watching your baby forget to breathe. Trust me.

(Photo by Kylee Ann Photography, more to follow!)

But now She's mine, and I'm holding on to her Forever, even if she's getting to big to hold!

Hike and puppies

A couple weekends ago we wanted to get out of our house/miniature apartment/town, so we headed for the hills. I've wanted to hike Mary's Peak since last summer, alas it was not to be.

I thought by late May the snow would be dwindling, but it wasn't. We settled for a jaunt down a trail and the girls loved it.

They kept saying, "This is the best hiking!" and, "Thank you for taking us hiking!" There was tons of fog and snow, but it was fun (and a memory) nonetheless!

2 days later, the weather was gorgeous, so the girls and I had a picnic at a favorite park.

Emory has been begging to get on top of this train since we moved here, and I finally let her.

I LOVE this big tree at said park.

Some random funniness;

We were playing a game with some friends and one of them noticed a particularly interesting passage on the fridge:

We were also invited to a pizza party a while ago. One of the children, in the family that invited us, was one of my Laurels and babysits for us.

Tessa has her wrapped around her little finger. (Her and most of the other 16-18 year old girls in our Ward ;)

We were playing puppies and building castles for them yesterday.

Tessa's were Tutu, String, and Dad.

Emory's were named Flower, Awesome, and Diarrhea. Their weirdness and creativity cease to amaze me.

I'm starting to feel a little sad about leaving Corvallis. I've always been sad to leave all my wonderful friends, but I will miss this quirky, little city a little too. I'll miss going up the "mountains" as my girls call them, where some of our friends live and seeing deer in the middle of the day. I'll miss our fun library and story time. I'll miss the parks we frequent.

I won't miss the lack of stores to shop at or the smallness of our apartment. Ever.

Finally, about once a month Grandma Chris sends the girls a package. It's the best day of my month! I set it on the table and tell them, "No fighting, no whining, no nothing!" and they hover around the package all afternoon, being relative angels, until I've decided they've been good enough. It's awesome. In this package they received new swim suits (for both passing a level in swimming lessons) squirting tub toys, ring pops, and puzzles.

Cory even got some of his beloved Nerds Bumpy Jelly Beans, which I have to say are very addicting. Hooray for Grandma!

I know, I know . . .

Another post about the amazing things my children say.

They were getting ready to brush teeth, Emory let Tessa up on the stool in front of her and said, "For you, my Beloved Sister." In return Tessa said, "Thank you for your Righteousness." It was all very regal, and I couldn't stop laughing! (I figured out the "new" words were from something we've been trying to be better about - reading the Book of Mormon.)

This is something I hesitate in posting, because it was a parenting moment when I literally was speechless. They were bathing and I was having my "computer time", when I heard a lot of splashing water. Emory kept saying, "Stop barfing, Tessa. Stop barfing, Tessa." They were laughing though, so I figured they were spitting water as usual. A few more minutes of giggling and water splashing pass, Emory's pleas for the "barfing to stop," become a little more intense. Tessa is still laughing. I figure the classic bug-you-sister-till-she-cries was happening so I yelled, "Tessa, STOP barfing!" They quieted for a minute, then more splashing and Emory screams, "I'm going to fall in the barf!!!" I run in to this:

Emory is up on the edges of the bathtub, trying to stay out of the water. Tessa has her finger half way down her throat and proceeds to dry heave in front of me. The room's smell hits me - vomit. I walk closer to the tub to find hot dog chunks and pieces of carrots floating in the water that Tessa is still bathing in. "What is going on here?," I say. "I'm just barfin'," Tessa says, with a smile. Emory pipes in, "She's done it like at least 5 or 6 times, Mom. And I'm not getting back in that gross water!"

I seriously didn't know what to say. This child has more spunk, passion, and weirdness than most adults I know. And it scares the CRAP out of me! In fact the barfing seemed like a walk in the park, because the next day she told me she didn't "like penises".

Sweet Emory, who is not always sweet, asked me the other day if she could, "Do equations on her Magna-Doodle?" I laughed and said yes. Then I went in, expecting to see 2+2=4 etc. and found 1000+2000=3000 and other such thousands. Not really difficult stuff, but I still don't know how she figured it out. Now she's obsessed with figuring out the 10's and 100's of thousands, it's all she talks about!

Cory's just finished his last day of IM and begins his last 2 weeks of Internship (ER) on Tuesday! We're moving not too long after that and very excited about what the last two weeks of June hold . . . vacation!

It went like this . . .

I'm always texting and calling to tell my family the AMAZING things my children say. This is the latest and greatest.

(Emory and Tessa playing in their bedroom. The "fun" they're having is sounding more and more like fighting.)

Emory comes running out, defending herself with this, "But she keeps attacking me and attacking me!"

Tessa follows with, "But she was trying to DESTROY my head!!"

A's for both of their attempts in ultra-descriptive verb usage.

Here is some recent Emory art as well, it always makes me smile.

"Tessa and I turned into centipedes."

No description.

(That white in the middle of the green stuff, coming out of Tessa's mouth, it a hole worn in the paper from coloring too hard. ???)

Time out

Cory had a whole week off and in the end of April, so we did some serious relaxing and house hunting. I will be so glad when I never have to move or look for places to live! We explored Riverfront Park and thoroughly enjoyed the scenery, playgrounds and Carousel.

During that week, we were still house sitting and the girls loved being outside!

They built this "fort" from mossy branches that had littered the yard in a recent wind storm.

I also caught them like this the other day . . .

The explanation was, "We need to go to the bathroom at the same time." We're so converted to Oregonism-Conservation we want to flush the least amount of times possible. That's commitment, girls!

Sadly, the YW Pres. and I were released because we're both moving. I will sorely miss these girls. They have been tremendous babysitters, crafting partners, "Movie-game" players, and friends.

Easter

We had a really good Easter this year. Different, but good. Usually we try to follow the sun/warmth and head down to St. George, but the 17 hours it would take to get there didn't sound super fun to me. Instead, my family followed the clouds/rain and came to see us! It was a super fun and relaxing weekend, with a ton of sunshine surprisingly.

We met them in Portland on Thurs. and enjoyed Stepping Stone Cafe, Powell (I can't go to Portland without visiting this store. Doesn't hurt that Anthropologie is across the street.), and that VooDoo place (My girls think we have to go there every time we're in Portland.). We showed my parents around the Derm Office that Cory will be working at, and took the scenic way "home". "Home", in parenthesis, because we were house sitting for some amazing people, that let us use their gorgeous home as a hotel! The rest of their time here was filled with golfing, playing at the park, soaking up some sun, Easter Egg Hunting, Vietnamese Sandwiches, playing Ticket to Ride Europe, Easter dinner with the Wallaces, and a lot more.

It was so fun to see them and I forget how easy my life gets when my mom is around. She makes food, she wipes my kids butts, she totally prep-ed the Easter Egg Hunt and Dyeing stuff, and made my girls the cutest scripture totes. I think I need to hire her!

The gigante house we stayed in.

The VIEW

Avery Park; finally playing Kubb with the amazing set my brother and sister-in-law made us for Christmas.

Hunting

Oh, Cadbury Eggs . . . while do you have to be so delicious?

Don't ask.

My mom bought all the stuff to do these cute Twinkie chicks in Chow Mein nests, but we ran out of time and did them after she left.