Compound Living

Sarah's 3-year-old pictures

We moved to the family compound right after Christmas.  Since then we've been so busy playing I have been very neglectful of my blog.  So sorry.  Sarah is still my favoritest girl and she's growing like crazy.  She had a bit of an adjustment with the move and asked almost everyday for the first month when we were going back to our home.  Luckily she's doing much better.  She misses her Rigby friends ... especially Paisley, Lily, & Annie.

Here's what's been going on in bullet format so I can catch up:

• Nathan got laid off of his job a few weeks before Christmas
• We spent a wonderful Christmas with mom and dad and the Holmes family
• Left Sarah with Julie while we came back and packed (moving is the worst)
• Moved to Meridian
• Nathan worked a temp job and then found a job with Norco
• We started a co-op preschool
• We started a dinner rotation (Best invention ever - I only have to cook 2 times a week!)
• Aunt Michelle introduced us to a crazy workout lady and we are enjoying her Tues/Thurs classes
• Celebrated Nathan's 33rd birthday
• Started a date-night babysitting rotation with Karen & Krista
• Visited Grandma and Aunt Erma for Valentine's Day
• Library visits, park, walks, movies, and lots of playing time with cousins

Happy Birthday Sarah - 3 years old!!!

Halloween Week

The week of Halloween has been a fun one.  We went to "trick-or-treat" street with Jennie and Paisley and then to "Boo at the Zoo."  Then Jennie invited us over for fajita salads.  Super delish!

Paisley & Sarah at Boo at the Zoo

Both events were really cute, but at trick or treat street right behind us was a boy wearing a skeleton mask.  Sarah kept turning around and freaking herself out.  She kept saying, "mom hug you me"  I tried for a little bit, but did not have very much patience for that.  Especially since I told her 100 times to stop turning around and looking at the skeleton.  Not sure she's quite old enough to appreciate all the Halloween fun.  For some reason, she DOES appreciate the candy from trick-or-treating though.

Playing Ghost-Ghost-Goblin

Painting her pumpkin.

The next day we had a Halloween party at pre-school.  They made frozen banana ghosts, painted pumpkins, played ghost-ghost-goblin (duck-duck-goose), and pin the face on the pumpkin.

On Halloween day we went to storytime at the library.  They had a little pumpkin walk/parade and Dad had the day off so he even got to come too.  Went into King's for their Halloween costume contest.  The employee in charge of taking the kids photos was....you guessed it ... wearing a skeleton mask.  I'm pretty sure Sarah will have nightmares of skeletons for the next little bit.


The Halloween walk at the library with Dad

We finished off the night attending trunk or treat at our ward.  By that time, I think Sarah wasn't as scared of all the costumes and masks.

Anyway, all in all it was a fun holiday and Sarah sure makes a cute cowgirl and Pocahantas.

 

Pre-School

Today Sarah is at preschool.  It's been weird having 2 hours to myself.  Not sure I ever would have thought 2 hours alone was a big deal before kids.  Anyways, we started a mommy preschool where the kids rotate homes.  So I teach only once a month and we all teach a letter, color, and number.  Last week was at our place.  It was on spiders, purple, 8, and the letter S. 

Spider cookies

We made spider cookies for our treat.  Created purple spiders with finger paint.  Read books about spiders.  Sang the eensy weensy spider and little miss muffet songs and then had play time.  This will totally help me make it thru the Rigby winters a little more sane (hopefully). 

Handprint spider

I also set up a temple swap with our good friend Tonya.  She watches Sarah one Friday a month so I can attend the temple during the day.  We swap babysitting so we can both get in an added temple session.  It’s so nice having someone close by that I trust to watch Sarah.  She loves playing with Gabriel.  Sure appreciate the time to attend the temple, focus, think, and reflect.  There is nothing better than feeling the Spirit in the temple and spending some time in the celestial room.

We were so so so happy to have the Peerys come visit us. They had a homecoming to attend in Idaho Falls, but we were glad to see family again.  They are all so cute and smart and I love them to bits.  I'm not at all biased either. :)

Sarah, Adam, Aysha, Aimee, Allie, & me

In other news, mom and dad left for their mission.  I am so happy they are able and willing to serve.  They are such Christ-like examples to me.  I am so lucky to have them as my parents.

 

Nathan surprised me with flowers!  Nice or what?

Stupid, Nakedy, Hick

Yes, it’s true!  My sweet little innocent child is learning all sorts of bad words.  And not only that, but she likes to repeat them A LOT. 

She repeats the word “stupid” several times a day.  Not actually saying it as a bad word, but instead telling me that her doll, stuffed animal, chair, bed, etc has said stupid.  Plus I’ve come to realize most of the Disney movies we have, say the word “stupid” too.  Who knew, right?

 

 For some reason Sarah also cannot stand having her dolls clothed.  She wants them to be “immodest” and “nakedy” (another bad word she loves to say).

 

Sarah heard a little neighbor boy says, “what the heck.”  Of course she needed to know what that meant and I told her it was a bad word that we don’t say.  I should’ve known not to tell her something was a bad word because now she says “hick” thinking she’s saying heck. J

 

 

 

She loves, loves, loves books and will usually escape to her room and flip through books.  It’s pretty cute when she makes up her own version of the story.  She also loves to sing and knows a bunch of songs.  Her favorites lately are “I Know You” (from Sleeping Beauty) and “You are my Sunshine.”  For some reason she thinks it’s SO funny to replace the word “snow” with words in songs she already knows.  For example… “I looked out the window and what did I see? Popcorn popping on the apricot SNOW.”   Sadly, she’s done this with so many songs lately that I am even starting to appreciate the toddler humor. 

 

RECENT QUOTES:

“That’s hilarious!”

“You’re NOT hilarious!”

“Mom, Paublo said stupid”

“I’m a big, old, hairy lion! ROAR!”

“I’m going to take your lid away so you’ll be immodest” (to her markers while coloring)

“I don’t want to be Barney anymore (after pen exploded all over her)

“hickle dick” (only thing I can think of is she’s trying to say hickory dickory dock???)

“Karen, You’re scary!”

“I’m gonna be a mean witch all by myself”

“Mom, is that a mosquito, or a praying mantis, or a beetle? (pointing to a wasp)

 

Reunited & Stuff

We just got back from the Floyd Family Reunion.  We camped in the Strawberry Mountains near John Day, Oregon.  It is a beautiful area.

It was so cute to see all the cousins playing together.  Everyone was so sweet with Sarah.  Samantha was her secret cousin and she made the cutest little purse/bag and bracelets.  We had games, a treasure hunt, duck boat races (ours came in 2nd), and a hike to see Strawberry Lake.  Unfortunately, Nathan got sick the first day and spent most of the reunion asleep in the tent.  So Sarah and I tried the hike, but since snow was covering most of the trail, we didn't make it too far before Sarah had had it.  "E" for effort I guess.  Then we headed back to the Treasure Valley for the big Floyd reunion.  The last Sunday in June they hold a potluck in the park.  It has been going on for 50+ years and is seriously the best potluck ever.  Homemade ice cream, fried chicken, and every salad you can imagine.  Super delish.

We stopped by mom and dad's on our way back home because Dad picked strawberries for me.  Nice or what?!  Not only is Dad the master gardener of america, but he also shares.  I got super spoiled this year because mom called and asked how many strawberries I wanted, washed, stemmed, and mashed them for me.  I know I'm spoiled...but hopefully not too rotten.  We got to visit with them for a while and Dad read stories to Sarah while filling her with gummi bears. 

And since I haven't posted anything for a while, here's a little catch up stuff:

For Mother's Day Nathan fixed the tires on my bike and the bike trailer.  I have been in love with riding my bike around Rigby.  I might look like the wicked witch of the west riding around on my bike, but I don’t care.  Sarah rides in the trailer and we explore.  My REAL gift for Mother's Day is going to Les Miserables in Boise this September, but Nathan was so nice to give me labor time on fixing the bike as well.

June 4th was our 8th wedding anniversary.  Nathan had the day off so we got a sitter and watched Avengers (I know...totally romantic) and got couples massages.  I am totally addicted to those.  I seriously could get a massage twice and day.

Rigby just had their Stampede Days.  They have a cute little hometown parade and rodeo.  Sarah and I went to the parade (on the bike of course) and she actually realized what was happening this year.  Her favorite highlights from the parade were seeing Oscar the Grouch and a tooth from a dentist office that waved at her and threw her a new toothbrush.  Not too tough to keep her happy. :)  She still asks when we're going to the parade again.  Luckily there is another one July 4th.  At the beginning of the parade, everyone stands for the flag.  I told Sarah to stand and tried to quickly explain why we do that.  Well, every float that had any type of flag on it Sarah told me to stand and put my arm over my tummy. :) 

Zoo

We bought a membership to the Idaho Falls zoo.  It's a small zoo, but perfect for a little toddler. 

I think Sarah loves the statues and kids play area more than the actual animals, but that will probably change as she gets older.  Her favorite exhibit is the flamingos (said familingos by Sarah).

Lily, Annie, and Sarah on the tiger

Sarah on the lion

Lily and Sarah in the nest

2.5 years

Yesterday Sarah turned 2 1/2 years old!  Where does the time go?

It doesn't seem that long ago, she had this cute little tummy. 

Lately she has been in LOVE with all her dolls and stuffed animals. 

Sarah has even named most of them with names most people haven't heard before.  Her dolls are Pusa and Ms. Hannigan.  Her monkey is Salta.  And just recently she named her cat Paublo. 

Ya, don't ask me where she comes up with them, but I do think it's funny.  

She even named Grandma Floyd's doll Shasha Lulu.  I think she gets an "A" for creativity at least. :)