September 2013

 The girls in their new jammies. They loved them. Simple pleasures.

 

Addie playing with my old iPod as a phone. Was cute to listen to her have conversations to absolutely no one.

This is Izzy showing off her reward for completing her goal list. I got the idea from a neighbor of creating a goal list. Then the kids have the choice of completing the goal or not. The have consequences for doing it or not. Izzy's goals were to listen, clean her room every night, write her letters and brush her teeth every morning and night. She did great and I need to do another one, but have had the chance to sit down to a new goal sheet.

Maia came over and spent the day with Izzy and the girls helped me get ready for the Halloween season.

Later that night, Mulligans came over to watch the Husker football game and Izzy, Ella, and Maia played outside on the playset.

Addie tried real hard to keep up.

My dear friend Heather and me.  

 



Let the football season begin! Mark and I had a great time Labor Day weekend at the first football game. We would like to give many thanks to our parents for meeting us half way and taking the kids for the whole weekend. We got to spend some great time together. The following weekend Mark headed to Lincoln and we stayed back to go to a car show and do some shopping with Gamma and PopPop. We watched the Southern Miss game at home and our friends, the Mulligans, joined us. Izzy and Ella played and it was a great time.

We went to our first and last dance class for Izzy. She decided that it wasn't for her, but she still wanted to go to Runza with the girls after. We have yet to make it but we will soon. So now we are just doing swim lessons and she LOVES it. Izzy had some fun birthday parties to go to this month. She went to Bounce U, had a neighborhood BBQ, and then to Vala's Pumpkin patch. She is getting so big and mature for her age. I know I always said I can't wait until she is big enough to do things on her own, but it came sooner than I wanted. Now that it's here I want to go backwards.

As for Addie she is sick already. Sinus infection and a round of antibiotics. I hope this isn't an indicator of how the winter is going to go. If so we have a long road ahead of us. She is her usual spunky self and is a delight. She makes me smile after a long day, but she also knows how to push the right buttons. The "cici" has been an issue. Izzy still had it at this point but only at night. If Addie is upset she wants it. I feel like it's affecting her bite and speech a little, but it's the only thing that calms her down. I really need to crack that. Oh, to find the energy to do it.

Hope you are all well and we'll talk soon.
Ariann

August 2013

 Addie wearing her "hat" because Izzy is. She just pushes her bike around instead of riding it. When she does sit on it she actually keeps her feet on the pedals pretty good.

 Oh, the "ci-ci." How will we ever let go?

 

 Hanging out by the fire at Gamma and PopPop's,

 

 The new fire pit my dad built,

 

 Great for roasting marsh mellows.

 

 First to arrive at the reception. Watching a movie to pass the time.

 

 Still waiting...

 

 Me and my girls.

 

 Izzy and the Princess, Morgan.

 

 Family photo at the Moonlight Vineyard during the reception.

 

Mark's mom and step-dad.

 

 I love their sober faces.

 

 Enjoying the swings in the back yard on a beautiful night.

 

This picture says a thousand words...

 Sisterly love.

 

Go Big Red! First spirit day of the year at school.

 



Wow! That month flew by. At the beginning of August we all went back to Grand Island for Mark's cousin's wedding. Izzy loves to go to weddings because she gets to see and dance with a princess. Morgan sure looked like a beautiful princess. Her wedding gown was the palest of pink and gorgeous.

Nothing is really new with the girls. Both growing and playing, dancing, and talking back all the same. We've managed to stay healthy and have a great summer.

My friend Ashley came home from Australia for a few weeks and we managed to get together and have dinner. It was great to see her. I wish there was more time.

Mark is happier than ever because football season started the last day of this month. Gamma and PopPop took the girls to the State Fair in Grand Island and Mark and I got to enjoy the first Husker Game together. The Huskers won, but only by 4 points. Should have been a blow out. Hope the season looks up. While at the fair, Izzy got to ride an elephant and thought it was the coolest thing. She talked about it for days.

We have inherited three new pests (I mean pets...) this month. Izzy's teacher at school was teaching them about the life cycle of a meal worm. The chrysalis of all three have now turned into beetles and she doesn't want to free them. What is a mother to do? Any suggestions are helpful.

On to another month. Hope all is well.

P.S. Izzy had her first sleep over at our house. Why can't I keep her little? I'm not ready for this.

July 2013

 Brock showing his boys how it's done. Fourth of July was great this year.

 

 Jaycee and Izzy solving the world's problems.

 

 Izzy caught her first parachute.

 

 It's a race for the second!

 

 TROUBLE!

 

 Izzy had a great time at Gary's birthday. She finally figured out she could go down the slide and touch at the end. Mommy didn't have to catch anymore.

 

Birthday Boy!

 



Addie and Daddy!

 



The girls!

 



Enjoying the  BBQ weenies.

 

Best of friends!

 



Camping at Branched Oak. Playing a little Candy Land at the camp site.

Great Grandma Brown. Enjoying camping and a cup of joe.

Digging in the sand at Party Cove.

Gamma and Addie.

Great Grandma and Izzy.

PopPop and Great Grandpa Brown.

My Dad and I.

 

Branched Oak at sunset.

 



Giving big sister a little help.

Addie enjoying the swings just like "Izzy-Izzy."

 



Izzy learned how to pump the swing and get going really high about a week after getting the swing set. Thanks to Xavier showing her how.

 

At the end of their sliding choo choo train.

Izzy made this hula skirt in her class. She loved it and wanted to wear it all the time for about two days.

Back outside. Loving the weather.

Sister train.

My little poser.

Sorry so many pictures of Izzy. Normally she won't even look at the camera and today she was asking me to take her picture.

Addie is crawling all over the playset like a little monkey. I watch with caution but she does really well.

 Izzy's airplane from a diaper box. She loved it and so did Addie as you can see.

 

 



July is here and gone. It always seems summer is a downhill slope from the July 4th on. This summer in particular. It had a slow start and didn't stay hot long. We had a great time on the 4th this year. Our yearly plans had totally changed and we didn't skip a beat. Mark still bought a ton of fireworks and he just blew them up in front of different people. He loves his fireworks. We just stayed in the neighborhood on the 3rd and 4th and had a great time. Izzy did awesome this year. She wore her noise blockers and got right in the game.

Izzy has also started to "read." She loves to sit down and look through the pictures and make her own story out of them and what I have read to her in the past. She is a smart little one and she will tell you that too. My mom told her that she should listen to her mom because she is a smart mommy. Izzy replied with ,"I'm already a smart kid."

Izzy lost her first good friend. The daycare we go to built a second location and her friend went to the new school. Izzy cried the whole way home and a little while after because Aubrey was gone. She wanted to go to the school Aubrey was at. The weekend had past and I didn't hear much about it and then on Monday Izzy wanted a side ponytail. She told me she wished Aubrey could see it because she loved side ponytails. She broke my heart. The following Sunday she went to Aubrey's birthday party and had a blast.

Addie again is developing so fast. She is 19 months.  She is counting "one, two, three" and singing her ABC's . She is also singing right along with the lyrics to Disney Jr. shows. I love to hear her sing Jake and the Neverland Pirates theme song. She is asking "why" all the time. I think we might be on our way to potty training. She tells us when she has pooped and sometimes when she has peed her pants. She will sit on the potty but no action yet. She loves her Elmo potty seat.

Mark and I were lucky to get away to a Dave Matthews concert in St. Louis. We had a great time staying in Old St. Charles, MO. We stayed in an old hotel and shopped the quaint boutiques along the brick road way. The concert was great as usual. But the trip was a whirlwind. There and gone in 40 hours. I'm getting too old to do that anymore.

Hope your summer has been great.

Ariann