Smiling, Sleeping, Singing and Storytime

Here are some pics of sweet little Ella doing what she does best:

Smiling...
Sleeping...

More sleeping (always with her arms up!)...Listening to Ava read her a story at bedtime...

And now for a little taste of what Ava does best...

As some of you might know, little Ava is turning out to be quite the singer. Here is the latest and greatest rendition of "I Am A Child of God" (even though it took some major bribing to get it). Notice how she holds me to it at the end of the song. (Quid pro quo, Mommy!!)

YUCK.

So I decided to try this really great and very effective diet...otherwise known as the 24 hour FLU.

I came down with some very strange and very violent bug quite suddenly last night, and it has sapped all of the life out of me.

I was throwing up ALL night last night, and into this morning. Now I am huddled away in my sickbed, with nothing to do but blog, blog blog.

And even in my delirious state, all I can do is feel a foggy sense of gratitude that David is the guy that he is. You wouldn't always know it from afar, but he is the BEST at taking care of people when they are sick. I kid you not...this guy could have been a male nurse or something.

For example, every time I got up to throw up in the middle of the night, David sprang out of bed to help me to the bathroom and hold my hair back while I threw up. I'm sorry...I know that is gross and probably too much info, but it was just so sweet and reassuring to have him there. He would tell me to relax and rub my back, and then get me cold water and help me back to bed. Mind you, this whole sequence happened like 8 times last night. Neither one of us was able to fall asleep until about 4:00 this morning.

This morning, David took Ava to my sister-in-law's house so I could get some rest. Little Ella stayed here with me, and she has been such an angel. She has just been sleeping and contentedly hanging out with me in my little dungeon here. She is so smiley all the time. I swear, I love this little girl like crazy. And to make things even better, when David brought Ava home during his lunch break, he carried Ava here into the bedroom where she proceeded to give me a hug and say, "Mommy playing on laptop. Ava tired. I take a nappy now." I'm not kidding. What little sweethearts I have been blessed with.

At least if I am going to feel like crap, I am surrounded with a really awesome family. That's what I keep saying, anyway...to make myself feel better. YUCK.

New Look...

I, too, have decided to give my blog a new look.

http://cutestblogontheblock.blogspot.com/

I am in the mood for renovations lately...because we are finally doing some much needed home improvements! YAY!!!

Starting next week, we are having granite countertops installed, new fixtures throughout the house (no more BRASS...YAY), new flooring, and a fresh coat of paint, inside and out. If you've seen my carpet recently, you are probably just as relieved about this as I am. It is in pretty sad shape.

It's going to be kind of busy around here, because we basically have to move out of the house for a few days...but I can not WAIT to post the before and after pics! I have been waiting for so long to make these improvements...I won't even know what to do with myself when I'm not secretly cursing at the 80's Broadway lighting in my bathroom.

Wish us luck...

Ella's Blessing...and more

I got so caught up with my bee story that I forgot to post a few pics of the more blog-worthy event...Ella's blessing! I didn't take enough pictures...but here a a few, at least.



I also included just a couple cute pics of the girls that I haven't had a chance to post yet.

This little chub-a-lub is so precious...


And...should I be worried by this?!?!!? LOL Ava fell asleep while apparently gouging out her doll's eyes. Ummm... weird, right?

The No-Good, Horrible, Very Bad Morning...

I want you to imagine the worst possible thing you would want to have hovering over your precious, sleeping infant.

Africanized Bees, perhaps? Please...read on.

Yesterday was Ella's blessing. We had everyone over for brunch at our house after sacrament meeting, and everything went great. Well, after everyone went home, I noticed a couple of bees flying around in our bedroom. So, naturally, I completely freaked out, and made David kill them.

Great. No more bees, right? Wrong.

This morning, just as David was leaving for work, I was getting ready to get in the shower. I heard a familiar buzzing, and my stomach dropped. I saw a bee just above the window in our bathroom. I scrambled to catch David before he left for work, and made him kill the bee. We both thought it was just a straggler from the day before. So, with Ava watching Sesame Street in the living room, and Ella asleep on our bed, David left for work, and I proceeded to get in the shower.

(Cue the scary music....the Jaws theme perhaps?)

So, I turn off the shower, and what do I immediately hear?

BuuuuuZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZz.....

My heart stops.

I slowly step out of the shower, and there are BEES EVERYWHERE. But mind you, I don't have my contacts in, so all I can see are little block spots all over the place. I am scrambling for my glasses like a crazy person, and all the while, the incessant buzzing is growing louder.

So, I race to the telephone and call an exterminator. My conversation goes something like this:

Exterminator: "Good morning, AAA Exterminators. How can I help you?"
Me: "You have to get here right NOW there are bees in my house and I have a baby and a toddler and I think there is a hive somewhere in my bedroom and they are flying all around me and I don't know if they are aggressive, but did I mention I have a 2 year old and a BABY sleeping right here and I need someone here right away because my husband just left for work and I don't really care what I have to pay, but someone needs to get here NOW..."
Exterminator: "Umm, ma'am, can I get your name, please?"
Me: "My name is Kim, and I need someone here right now because I have a toddler and a baby."

You get the idea...

So, after I get off the phone, I realize that I must army crawl back through my bathroom for one very important reason. Well, two important reasons. First and foremost, I must rescue Baby Ella from the bees swarming overhead. And second, remember how I had just stepped out of the shower? Well, I was still naked. And blind. I had to put some clothes on before the exterminator got there, and find my stinkin' glasses. So I proceed to army crawl - while squinting like crazy - on my bathroom floor to my closet. I throw on the first items of clothing I lay my hands on. Then, I slowly crawl towards the bed to rescue my sweet sleeping baby...and retrieve my glasses. We make it out of the bedroom, slam the door, and I proceed to line the bottom of the doorway with several large towels.

Phew.

The exterminator came and saved the day. 500 bucks later, and we are officially bee-free.

However, while I was looking over the invoice after he had left, the following boxes were checked under the "Scope of Work" section:

Africanized Bee Colony? Check
Newly Arrived? Check
Aggressive? Check

EXCUSE ME??? Aggressive Africanized BEES? In my freakin' HOUSE?



Sheesh.

So....how was your morning?

Happy Birthday, Ava!

I can't believe that my baby Ava is two years old today! Where does the time go? We had some of her friends over for a little party at Peter Piper today, and I'm pretty sure by the amount of pizza and cake that was encrusted on her little body by the time we got home that she had a good time. :)Ava's birthday booty...
Ava rode the carousel approximately 387 times in a row. She could have stayed there all day.
Playing Skeeball with Peyton.
Riding the train with Luke Jones. I don't think Lukey was diggin' it too much.
This is Ella's way of taking in all the party action. She slept through the entire thing!
Cake time!

And really, what's a birthday party without a little pizza up your nose???


Well, here's a quick look back at the last two years. Love you, Ava Babes!

Multiplying and Replenishing...

10 years ago, I was living in the dorms at ASU, and dating the hot Gospel Doctrine teacher from MCC 2nd ward. My next door neighbor in the dorms- a person who had more influence on my life than she will ever know - Jenn Ellis, bought me a pack of "Get Lucky" gum (which I was positive I would be chewing when that hot guy, Dave Tait, decided to kiss me for the first time). Our mutual friend, Mary Snyder, was a regular around the dorms. We walked to classes together, and all ended up living together in an apartment during my sophomore year.

Wow, how times have changed....


Today, I am married to that one and only Dave Tait...toting around 2 of our children. Jenn Ellis is no longer Jenn Ellis. She is Jenn Rees, and a mom to 3 adorable girls (only 1 of which made it into this picture, unless you are counting the ever-so-slight glimpse of the carseat on the far right...lol). Mary Snyder is Mary Woodman...also a mom of 3. That means, that between the 3 of us girls, we have a grand total of EIGHT children. HOLY COW, right?! Aren't we supposed to be going to YSAP parties and Tee-Peeing Dave's truck? While I am so glad that I have progressed and matured a little in the meantime, I am so grateful for those fun college years. It was a time to be fun and spontaneous. It was a time that I truly got to figure out who I was. Now that being "spontaneous" requires almost and hour and a half just to get everyone fed, dressed, and out the door, it just feels good to look back and realize that I truly enjoyed that previous season in my life. I wouldn't trade those years for anything in the world. And I wouldn't trade the friendships either. Even though I am really bad at keeping in touch, I want Mary and Jenn to know that I cherish their friendship still...even if we only see each other once in a while. They will always have a special place in my heart. :)