Did anyone else have this experience while taking pictures for your Christmas card????

Poor Kona!

Kona got spayed today. I can not even explain how sad I was all day, just thinking about her lying on the operating table, all drugged up and unconscious. Now she is home, and my heart is absolutely breaking because she is obviously in a lot of pain, and still very groggy. Ava and I have been keeping vigil with her, and Ava is very good at being gentle with her and giving her lots of hugs. She is such a great dog. The world needs more dogs like Kona.

Ugh...

So I am helping out at the swim school right now, and I am currently covering the front desk. By "covering" I mean I am checking my e-mail and blogging and listening to KTAR. Little did I know that in the few months that I have been away from the front office consistently, my sisters-in-law have gotten this place running like a well-oiled machine! So, basically, there is really nothing here for me to do besides take roll every half-hour and answer the phones (yawn). But there is a very heated debate on the radio that I am listening to (they are talking about whether or not a Mormon should be in the White House) and I keep trying to call in to the radio station. It's been busy for quite a while now. So that is keeping me kind of busy. Oh wait! It's ringing!!! Oh wait...I dialed the wrong number. Oh wait...there's a customer. That's my cue to start doing some real work. lol

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!

A Very Happy Birthday!

Saturday was my 28th birthday...and I can honestly say it was one of my best birthdays to date. On Friday night, a few of my closest friends took me out to dinner in Tempe. We ate a FANTASTIC meal, and then sat around and chatted for hours after we were finished. As far as girl's nights go, it just doesn't get any better than that.

Then, on Saturday morning, David made me a wonderful breakfast in bed...eggs, waffles, fruit, veggies, toast, juice...it was a feast! After that, he told me that he and Ava had been working for a long time the night before (while I was out with my friends) on my birthday gift. They led me into the kitchen, where a huge bouquet of pink roses was surrounded by "28 Reasons Why We Love You More Each Year".

How sweet is that?!

That afternoon, David took me shopping (I had requested quite a while ago that this be my gift...), and then he took me to a really nice dinner at Monti's. All in all, it was such a wonderful day. I think the best part about it was just the fact that David took the entire day off work! I am really grateful for all of the blessings in my life, and couldn't be happier with what the past 28 years have brought me. Anyhow...here are a few of my fave "Reasons..."(some from David, some from Ava...but it looks like Ava helped with the coloring). These were just too cute not to share!

Top 10 Ways You Know You Are Expecting Your SECOND Child...

This pregnancy has been so different from the first time around! I'm sure many of you can relate. Anyhow, here are my Top 10 Ways You Know It's Baby #2...

1. You feel no need to count the number of minutes, hours, days, weeks, or even months that you have been pregnant. You just know that a baby is coming...sometime next spring...or around then.

2. Your doctor's visits can usually take place in 6 minutes or less. This is mostly due to the fact that you are a certified professional at peeing in cups of any size.

3. Suddenly, you realize that you have more answers than questions.

4. Your maternity wardrobe takes up more closet space than all of what your husband uses.

5. You know to keep a bottle of TUMS on your nightstand. Just in case.

6. Instead of imagining a picture-perfect bundle of joy miraculously arriving on your doorstep, you are remembering sleepless nights and the smell of spit-up (all caused by a picture-perfect bundle of joy that you earned fair and square through 36 hours of labor).

7. You spend less time decorating the nursery. You may actually spend absolutely no time decorating the nursery. Suddenly, just having a bassinet at your bedside is perfectly sufficient.

8. You stock up on diapers and nursing pads first. Everything else is icing on the cake.

9. You enter Babies 'R Us looking for what might as well be the minivan of strollers....the DOUBLE stroller (ugh).

10. You know just how happy your life can be with one child...and your mind is reeling at the thought of loving another baby as much as you fell in love with your first. Your heart feels like it just might explode with the joy of it all.

Girl's Night Out, Take 2...

Well, this is the second weekend in a row that I have enjoyed a Girl's Night Out at Kona Grill (YUM). Last time around, it was with a few girlfriends, this weekend it was with my sisters/mother-in-law. Can life get any better? As Brian Regan would put it, "I submit that it can not!"

Happy Halloween!

Yesterday was such a fun day! In the morning, Ava and I went with some friends to Mother Nature's Farm. We saw some farm animals (and Ava kept singing "Ee-I-ee-I-OOHH"...She sure does love "Old MacDonald!), went on a hayride, and then Ava picked out a pumpkin to decorate.

Later that afternoon, we enjoyed spending some family time together because David came home early from work!! (This is a truly rare event!) The swim school closed for business at about 3:00 in the afternoon, so David got to come home and relax for a bit before the night's festivities began. Just before nightfall, we went to the McCook's for some yummy chili and cornbread, and then set out for trick-or-treating! Ava wasn't too happy about things at first, but soon warmed up to the idea of CANDY, CANDY, CANDY!
By the time we got to Grandma and Papa Tait's house, Ava was on a sky-high sugar high. It was pretty funny to see her hysterically laughing and playing with her cousins. On the way home, she was quietly murmuring "Night-night" in the backseat. Even she knew that it was time to go home and crash! :)

Excuse me?!

Well, I guess the inevitable has happened. Ava is now going through a phase of calling me by my first name! Actually, it sounds a lot more like "Tim" than "Kim", but it is definitely NOT mom/mommy/momma etc. She will wander through the house looking for me, calling "Timmmm? Timmmmmmm????" I can't help but wonder where she gets that from (David)? I guess it also helps that I have a short name that's relatively easy for her to pronounce. So, for now, I am answering to "Tim" in lieu of "mommy", and crossing my fingers that this too shall pass! lol

Trunk-or-Treat!

Last night was our ward Trunk-or-Treat. Ava went as a fairy princess, which was probably much more fun for us than it was for her. :) Still, she had a good time, and really enjoyed the haunted house that had been set up in the cultural hall. She was really entranced by all of the lights and fog. She especially enjoyed all of the suckers and lollipops she received...and didn't say "Trick-or-Treat" once, until the drive HOME (of course)! lol

Ava's Big Announcement...

Cast your vote!

I have now had an official "blogging tutorial" (thanks, Aimee!), and I am really starting to enjoy this whole blogging idea. I thought I'd get things started off right by having everyone cast their vote on whether you think we are having a BOY or a GIRL in March (use the buttons on the left)! We keep asking Ava whether there is a brother or sister in there, but so far she's not too consistent with her answers...

Our ultrasound is scheduled for this Friday, the 19th...so we'll keep everyone posted (literally, ha!) with the results!

Entering the Blog Underworld...

So I have decided to take the leap into the world of blogging. I'm new to this, so I think I'm just going to post some pictures for now. Enjoy!