Howells Fam

Boise Aquarium

2012-01-31T11:34:00.000-08:00

We went to the Boise Aquarium for FHE last night and the kids LOVED it! Even though there were sharks, sea horses, stingrays, eels, snails, shrimp, crabs, all kinds of fish, etc., Carlee's favorite were the fish from NEMO... There was Gill, Nemo, & even Dori! I didn't capture any pics of these fish, but she kept wanting to go back to them. They had all kinds of things that you were allowed to touch, but of course the girls and I were mostly too chicken... They had fish that actually BITE! At the end, they had all sorts of fun costumes for the kids to try on (they looked disgusting, but we did it anyway...). Of course, Carlee picked out the mermaid and Phoebee sported an octopus costume...

The seahorses, aren't they fun?

Valentine's Day Fun!

2012-01-30T15:10:00.000-08:00

We're already pretty excited about Valentine's Day... We've been crafting up a storm today. Seriously, I think we used every drop of glue, glitter, and styrofoam hearts we owned... : ) The girls loved it!

Don't worry, Carlee didn't stop here. After taking these pictures, I think she added about 700 more little hearts! She's a pretty good crafter... She must get that from her Grandmas!

Snow Days

2012-01-24T06:55:00.000-08:00

Granted, we have only had one snow day and we didn't really get to play much, but what little we did have, we had fun! The girls were dying to get out there and play. Unfortunately, we still (apparently) aren't 100% unpacked, so I couldn't really find any snow clothes...

Here they are anxiously awaiting the snow play and watching the snowflakes fall...

Play Dates...

2012-01-18T08:42:00.000-08:00

This is Carlee and her ..."Princess hair"... She INSISTED on wearing it throughout dinner and wouldn't take a single bite until it was on her head.

We have a standing play date with our friends Callie & Paige (the girls with Callie and me with Paige) every Tuesday. That provides us some much needed social time... : ) After playing hard, jumping on beds, tea-partying it up, doing some stairs, and shopping a little bit, the girls were ready for a snack. Paige and I were just talking and we looked over to see them all sitting together on the stairs (and Carlee with her crossed legs, like she's 16...). So cute!

Bieber Fever

2012-01-17T05:40:00.000-08:00

Apparently Phoebee & McCoy love the curtains as well... They play so cute together, I love it. They played peek-a-boo in the curtains for quite a while.

They would just sit there giggling at each other...

Hmmm.... How Young is Too Young for Bieber Fever? I think Carlee & my nieces have it...

Random Happenings at the Howells' Household...

2012-01-16T14:05:00.000-08:00

We went to Chili's for lunch and they obviously enjoyed their corn on the cob!

Walked into the bathroom this morning to find both girls brushing their babies' teeth... Guess we're doing one thing right!
Such a good helper!
This seems weird, but for those of you who know me - you know I would NEVER and I mean NEVER eat something like this. I just had to take a picture as proof (and YES, it was DELICIOUS!!)... This was a Spinach Chicken Alfredo Pizza I made. For those who make fun of Pinterest - there are some great things on that website (I got this off of there)!

PUDDING, PUDDING, & MORE PUDDING!

2012-01-10T08:54:00.000-08:00

Today I am babysitting my nieces and nephews and Shaybird brought along some pudding snacks for everyone. Phoebee LOVED hers! She finished hers completely and then hopped up to the table to finish Carlee's and Shay's... What do you think? Does the mustache and goatee work for her?

First Day of Primary

2012-01-08T13:09:00.000-08:00

I was a little sad to admit that today Carlee was going to Primary for her very first time - she just keeps getting bigger and bigger! She was a little nervous to go in, but ended up having a great time and the teacher said she was great. I was also just a little bit sad that Phoebee was in the nursery all by herself (she has some attachment to her mother, and I think being closer to Carlee helps a little), but she did fine as well. My girls are growing up WAY TOO FAST!!

Following in her sister's footsteps... This is the face I now get from Phoebee every time I ask for a picture - good thing I love this face!

Pizza Peek-A-Boo

2012-01-05T07:29:00.000-08:00

I pretty much just think they're cute...

She discovered her new coat that she got for Christmas, and now she won't take it off... I love it, but it makes her look too big!

Clint has been out of town since Tuesday and won't be back until Friday, so we decided we would splurge (I really just didn't want to cook a huge meal since these two eat NOTHING) and get a pizza. It turned out to be more entertainment that you would expect...

PEEK-A-BOO!

Don't judge... Sometimes you just need a treat/junk food night... This was after the pizza, we enjoyed some delicious sugar cookies! Yes... All of this ended with baths!

Tink Nails

2012-01-03T07:34:00.000-08:00

My kids love their grandparents and they were quite sad (as were we) to have them leave after Christmas, but I guess reality has to set back in at some point...

Carlee got some TINKERBELL NAILS for Christmas, and my was that an exciting gift, for about 15 minutes...! She loved those, but it did cause quite the stink when they all fell off 15 minutes after applying them. Now we're finding them stuck all over the house, but she enjoyed it!

Yes, folks... This is the face I get every time I try to take a picture...

New Curtains...

2011-12-28T20:30:00.000-08:00

We have been moved in for about 1 month now and I still don't really have any decorations up. I just can't decide which things to hang or put up, which colors I want, etc. So, while my mom was in town for Christmas, we went shopping for some curtain fabric... Found some, super cute curtains - these were made by me, my mom, my grandma, and my grandpa (mostly the other 3, not so much me, but I played a small part...). I love them and now that I know my colors, I guess I can start shopping DECOR! : )

The family room...

The dining room...

We also recovered my dining room chairs to match... The BEST part is - the VINYL COVERING!! No more disgusting chairs due to children/hubby (okay, I'll admit it - and me) spills! YAY!

The kitchen...

Birthday - Christmas!

2011-12-28T05:27:00.000-08:00

We had a pretty fun Christmas - Christmas with kids is just so much better! I had to work on Christmas Eve, but luckily when I got home, the girls were still sleeping (miracle of all miracles...). Not long after that, they were rushing down the stairs to see what Santa had brought them...

They got a new table and chair set, which they love - Carlee already has lots of tea parties planned...

Just checking out all of their stocking loot... They were spoiled to say the least!

There were LOTS and LOTS of BARBIES involved this year...

Pretty excited over CANDY-LAND! They were definitely spoiled this year, and got all kinds of fun barbie toys, games, books, clothes, tea party sets, make-up/hair supplies, and lots of other fun toys. They even got a brand new PVC pipe play house which is absolutely AWESOME!! Thanks everybody!

All dressed up for church in these darling skirts my mom made the girls... I've got the cutest kids around, I'm pretty sure! : )

I just had to post this little video. It's mostly just the first few seconds that are funny, but when Carlee started opening up her stocking and finding all of the treasures that were inside, she said, "It's my BIRTHDAY-CHRISTMAS!" This is so funny, because she is convinced (or rather, she tries to convince us) that EVERY DAY is her birthday!

Visit with Santa

2011-12-18T16:03:00.001-08:00

Well, let's just say our visit with Santa Claus was... less than successful... It started out great, both girls were excited to tell him what they wanted for Christmas and sit on his lap. As the time drew closer and Carlee actually saw what was happening with the other kids in line - she decided she wanted NO part of it! Once it was our turn, Santa's helper asked Carlee what her name was and she answered back (in quite a SASSY manner), "Uhhh, PRINCESS!" Then she wouldn't even go near Santa, and as evidenced by the pictures - neither would Phoebee! I tried holding her there, sitting by her, just having her hold him and get a screaming picture (I would have taken anything at that point), but no she wasn't having ANY of it! Santa sat down and read Carlee a story and that won her over just a little bit...

3 Years

2011-12-14T06:42:00.000-08:00

These are all pretty close to the same, but I couldn't decide between any of them - I love them all. Thanks Ash for your awesome photography skills!

Well, this is also slightly late (approximately 3 months), but I figured it was still worth a post. Carlee is 3! YIKES - how did I get so old? Anyway, I just wanted to share some fun things about her...

FUN FACTS ABOUT CARLEE AT AGE 3:

She's all about PRINCESSES - it doesn't really matter which one.

She changes her name frequently... Usually it goes between BARBIE and PRINCESS, and she insists you refer to her by this if you are talking to her.

She likes to be the Mom - she loves bossing Phoebee even if it is something I just told her to do.

She loves dancing and singing - often no one else is allowed to sing...

She loves to read books.

She absolutely loves hanging out with her cousins Laynee & Shay-bird. She thinks she is just as big as them and can do whatever they are doing.

She loves watching movies.

She's definitely a shopper and often asks if we can go to "The Target".

She's requested a purple Barbie for Christmas with a dress that's short... (Hmmm....)

She is quite a spitfire and she cracks us up all the time.

She loves treats and cookies... (Who doesn't?)

She knows how to pin things to PINTEREST - obviously she spends too much time "clicking" on the computer...

She loves playing Barbie games on the computer.

She loves to color.

She loves playing with her little sister Phoebee.

She loves going to Nursery.

She loves when Phoebee tickles her back.

She knows how to cut hair - oh wait, maybe not, but she does practice on herself and her ponies...

We love this little turkey and we're so glad she's a part of our family.

We LOVE YOU Carlee Bear, Carlee Bean, C-Bomber, Punkin, & Missy Moo!

18 MONTHS

2011-12-12T07:05:00.000-08:00

Phoebee turned 18 MONTHS about 2 or 3 weeks ago, but since we were in the middle of our move, we didn't really get anything posted about her. Well, here goes...

Some fun facts about Phoebee:

She loves dancing and twirling.

She thinks she's just as big as the rest of the girls and loves playing all the things they do.

She loves Peek-A-Boo.

She's a BIG fan of cereal (mostly fruit loops & cheerios, but will also eat raisin bran, corn flakes, or anything else she's given).

Size 4 diapers are still pretty much drowning her.

She can still squeeze into some size 6-9 month onesies, but can also wear up to size 24 months/2T in some things.

She is a little parakeet and repeats everything you say.

She loves reading books, brushing her teeth, and saying prayers (our bedtime routine).

She tries to say prayers along with you and always says "AMEN" at the end - so cute!

The girl loves shoes and will wear anybody's at any time.

She's not really a fan of movies like her sister, she claims she likes Pablo, but will only sit still for a minute or two.

She still has the most gorgeous red hair a girl could ask for!

She sleeps perfectly all through the night (unless woken up by her less-than-perfect-sleeper sister Carlee)...

She's definitely a Mama's girl. (And I like it!)

She has been to nursery twice already, once was a complete success, the other took a little more convincing...

She's a big TREATS girl and would prefer that to anything. Hmmm... wonder where these girls get that??

We love our little Phoebers, Phoebee, Phoebes, Seebers, & Monkey Moo, but wish she wasn't growing up so darn fast! LOVE YA SEEBS!

Moving Fun

2011-12-11T08:55:00.000-08:00

This actually happened a couple of weeks ago before we got completely moved out of our other house, but I still thought it was funny. I was babysitting some of my nieces and nephews and they played for seriously about an hour and a half in these boxes. Apparently, kids really do have more fun with the boxes!

This was my girls helping to unpack in the new house...

Sisterly Love

2011-12-08T10:42:00.000-08:00

I just think I have two cute girls! They used to fight quite often (don't get me wrong - it still happens more than I'd like), but now that Phoebee is getting old enough to actually play with Carlee and understand more of what's going on - they are getting along so much better. I love it!

Entertainment at the NEW HOUSE!!

2011-12-07T11:10:00.000-08:00

The best thing we have found at the new house so far... THE STAIRS (at least in the kids opinions)! They would seriously do this for hours if I let them - it gets pretty wild!

Gingerbread Men

2011-12-06T10:08:00.000-08:00

We decorated "GINGY"s the other day and I think they turned out pretty cute! Phoebee spent most of her time eating the candy and Carlee spent most of her time licking frosting, but I think they had fun!

Clint's is on the top left, mine is the one with the bow, and Carlee's is the one with all the candies. Phoebee's didn't have much to show for him since she just ate off every candy we put on there...

All Ready for Christmas...

2011-12-04T14:43:00.000-08:00

I have been dying to get into our new house so I could set up my Christmas tree and decorations and have it actually feel like Christmas! Well, here we are, things are set up, and all that did was make me realize in a house this big - I have NO Christmas decorations! Oh well... The girls loved setting up the tree. Of course, all the ornaments did have to be moved once the girls were in bed...

Also, "BUDDY" our Elf on the Shelf arrived the other day and it has been so much fun watching them search him out. The first day he came, I caught Phoebee playing Peek-A-Boo with him.

Hairdresser in the Making

2011-11-28T16:49:00.000-08:00

Well, I don't know if you all recall the post about Carlee "washing" Phoebee's hair... (She actually just dumped an entire bottle of shampoo on top of her head...) Well, now that she knows how to shampoo, she decided to move on to the CUTTING. Yes, folks - that's right - she chopped about half of her hair off (and she didn't have that much to begin with)! It was slightly traumatizing to us both, but now we think it's kinda cute!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-25T11:15:00.000-08:00

Today, I am thankful for a lot of things... My girls, my hubby, my family, my job, my new house (& my old one), friends, the gospel... The list could go on and on and on if I let it. Just know - I am grateful!

We got together with my grandparents, my parents, all my siblings (minus Bryce), and two of my aunts and uncles, some cousins, and all the grandkids (minus Bryce's) for Thanksgiving! They actually did pretty well, I didn't think it was too wild, and it was soooo yummy - thanks Grandpa & Grandma! I thought my girls looked so cute, I had to snap a few pictures... (SURPRISE!)

Getting Ready for Winter

2011-11-20T20:47:00.001-08:00

Although the winters up here are nothing compared to Preston, it still gets pretty chilly up here. The other day, we were getting ready to make a few trips over to our new house (yes, we're going to be moved in soon, so there should be a blog update coming...), and we had to get all bundled up... The girls had fun, even though hats usually only stay on for approximately 3 seconds!

Pudding Time!

2011-11-13T17:40:00.000-08:00

Sunday afternoon snack... Pretty tasty!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T20:36:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween everybody! We know we had fun and sure hope you did too!

We went trick-or-treating with all the cousins, so it was a wild bunch, but nobody seemed to mind...

Soooo excited to go out trick-or-treating! Carlee had been practicing all day and saying, "We're going to say Trick-Or-Treat and we're going to get THREEEEEEE candies!"

Most adorable Strawberry Shortcake Ever...

Cutest Little Strawberry...

Playing in the Leaves!

2011-10-24T14:18:00.000-07:00

Look Who's Got a New Do...

2011-10-19T20:38:00.000-07:00

So I struggled for several weeks over this decision... (That may seem odd to some of you, but that's just the way I am!) I love long hair - I have since I was little. So, I didn't really want to get Carlee's hair cut, because it was finally getting long and it was a little curly at the ends and always looks so cute in pigtails... BUT, it's just so thin, and is always hanging in her face due to the way that it grows, so I finally decided to do it, talked Clint into it, and went for it! I took her to this cute little shop near our house where they get to do their nails (they pick a color and glitter color), get glitter in their hair when they are done, get treats while they get it cut, and get to sit in a cool Power Wheels Car while they are getting it done. So fun! She loved it, even though in some of these pictures she appears less than thrilled, she really was excited about it all. I told her she was going to have hair just like SNOW WHITE and that won her over immediately!

This was the BEFORE picture, I couldn't really get her to cooperate, so this is the best we have. You can't tell how long it is, but when it was wet, it was about to the middle of her back...

Getting the nails done...

Checking out the car...

The end result: HAPPY CAMPER!

Chuck-E-Cheese

2011-10-16T13:54:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love a good visit with Chuck-E-Cheese? This was the place Clint took me on our first date after we moved up here. (We just needed a SUPER CHEAP activity...) Well, Carlee loves going here and requests it often, Phoebee on the other hand is not 100% sure about him, the rides, or the food yet, but we're still working on her...

Yes folks, she did huck this thing clear up there, not ROLL it, like I asked her too... : )

This was actually Carlee hugging Chuck-E for the third time, but they were such quick hugs I never could quite get the picture! You can tell she's pretty excited...

The only thing she was fond of, was the ROOT BEER!

Linder Farms

2011-10-10T08:27:00.000-07:00

I seriously LOVE the fall season! I get excited each year when I have to start putting jackets on my girls. There are just so many fun things to do in the fall, so here was our first adventure... We went to Linder Farms. They have so many fun things there. There is a petting zoo, Phoebee loved seeing the animals, but didn't want to get close at all. Carlee, on the other hand, was all about getting close, feeding them, giving kisses, etc. They have a little train ride which Carlee loved. We went for a hay ride, let them play in the corn pit, and put them on the swings. They have other stuff too, it was just getting a little late and the girls were getting tired...

Yes, that's Phoebee attempting to EAT the corn kernels... SICK!

Phoebee was cracking everybody up that was watching. She was just leaned far back in her swing, with only one hand holding on, with this serious look on her face like "This ain't no thang, I got this!" She did like it though, she smiled when we got her attention, but then went right back to the serious face...

Toddler Time at the Library

2011-10-08T16:50:00.000-07:00

We attempted Toddler Time at the Library this past week and it did go better than last time, but was still slightly wild. They had so much fun though and I think we'll have to attempt it again. Carlee was a big fan of singing the songs and reading the stories, she keeps asking if we can go back. Phoebee was more just a fan of exploring the room and watching the rain out the window...

Happy 3rd Birthday!

2011-10-03T20:03:00.000-07:00

One Year Older & Wiser Too - Happy Birthday to You! We had a birthday at our house today, Carlee turned 3! She was super spoiled & loved by all those who came! Grandpa & Grandma Jasperson, Uncle Andy & Aunt Ashlee & kids, Uncle Bryce & kids, & Phoebee & Mommy & Daddy were all in attendance. She got a brand new princess bicycle, two barbies, some hair clippes & a watch, some jammers & shirts, a puppy that walks & barks, a cupcake decorating set, & some cute new boots! She was pretty excited about everything and everybody coming to celebrate with her. She had a pink owl birthday party. I have been asking her for the past week or two what she wanted for her birthday and all she would tell me was a "PINK CANDLE!" We love this girl!

The owl cupcakes...

The owl cake...

The "Jangled" balloon...

The owl balloon... This one seemed to cause a lot of commotion between all the cousins... : )

Trying on the new princess helmet that goes with the new princess bike...

I thought she would struggle just a little bit figuring out her new bike, but she went right to town and rode it all over the sidewalk. We could hardly get her back inside to open the rest of her presents...

Another example of my OCD child... Just stacking and unstacking some of the presents...

She had lots of cousins and helpers while opening presents, enjoying birthday cake, and blowing out the candles... When Carlee opened up her first present (which was wrapped in a plain brown box), my niece Jade gasped with excitement, "A BOX!!" So fun to be so easily pleased!

Getting ready to blow out the candles!

Mom showing off the birthday princess crown!

Some of Carlee's favorites right now are:

Watching movies - mostly Tangled, Thumbelina, Aladdin, & Strawberry Shortcake

Pretending (most of which involves giving a lot of stern instructions to her barbies and toys)

Dancing

Singing

Dressing up in her Belle dress

Painting her fingernails and toenails

Playing at the park

Going to nursery

Eating Treats

Reading Books

Visiting the new house & playing in "HER ROOM"

Happy Birthday Carlee Bear! We love you so much!

Gotta Love 'Em!

2011-09-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

These are just some random things going on at our house lately...

- We are getting ready for Carlee's birthday (hence the party glasses, tiara, & balloons)...

- We have been enjoying summer with some fresh corn on the cob and grillin'...

- We have been reading books and just enjoying hanging out together...

- We have been spending some good quality time snuggling in bed together... (Lately Carlee has been waking up around 6:30 and coming into our room wanting to "nuggle you"...

It Was All Fun & Games...Till Someone Lost An Eye

2011-09-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

We're so excited... We are finally getting a new house! We love this house, but we just can't squeeze into it anymore. So, after what felt like months and months and months (it was really only about 2 months) of searching and searching, we finally found our house. It needs a little bit of work, so we will have some projects on our hands, but we are pretty excited! We had to go there the other day to let a repairman into the house and the girls had so much fun just running wild in the big empty spaces and in the yard! A YARD! (It just felt so good to say that we're finally going to have a yard, I had to say it again!) : )

So cute when they play together (it doesn't usually end up in tears from all parties, but this happened to be the one I captured...)!

P.S. It is Clint's 31st birthday today (OFFICIALLY AN OLD MAN!!), so if you think about it, call him, text him, tell him happy birthday! We love our hubby/daddy/hard worker!

Hot Air Balloon Ride

2011-09-20T17:19:00.000-07:00

Last year for Clint's birthday, I gave him a hot air balloon ride... Finally, this year on September 8th, (almost his birthday 1 year later) we were able to take our ride. We had so much fun! It was so relaxing! Leanna even took the girls outside and we flew almost right over their house so they were able to see us fly by!

Family Pictures

2011-09-14T11:04:00.000-07:00

My sister took some family pictures of us and the girls were not super cooperative, but I think she got some really cute ones of them... Thanks Ash!

Just Some More Funnies To Remember

2011-09-01T11:56:00.000-07:00

You always think you'll remember the funny and adorable things your kids say and do, but since I have a terrible memory, I can't even remember them the next day, so I just need to post a couple!

* The other day during prayers, Carlee blessed the mermaids...

* Phoebee will not eat anything that is cut in half (grapes, sandwiches, etc.)...

* Phoebee loves snuggling anything soft and lately insists that she carry around every soft and snuggly blanket she can find in the house...

* I told Carlee she looked like a princess (as she had her blanket wrapped around her head in princess fashion) and she said, "I not a princess, I a QUEEN!" - My kinda girl!

* Carlee is terrified of flies/butterflies/bugs (anything that flies really), and today we went to get out of the car and there was a big leaf on the ground. She wouldn't get out of the car until I told her it was just a leaf. Then she says, "Yeah, it's not a butterfly...Right?"

* Phoebee loves giving kisses - she just opens her mouth wide and makes a Mmwah sound.

* Phoebee is starting to become just like her sister (I swear we have two track-stars on our hands, but I don't know where the athletic ability would have come from), she wants to run everywhere and especially just away from us!

Love these girls!

They Grow So Fast

2011-08-30T09:11:00.000-07:00

I know everybody says this and you just don't get it until you have them, but kids grow so darn fast! While we were on our cruise, Phoebee started saying a few more words and now just one week later, she says all kinds of things.

Some of her my new favorites are: Thank you, Target, Bye-Bye, Hi, Ball, & Mama. She can point out most of her body parts.

Carlee also sounds and seems so big all of the sudden. Yesterday she said, "My eye hurts." I said, "Oh, did you get bacon in it (she had her bacon sitting on top of her eye)?" To which she replied, "Don't put bacon in your eye!" She also requests to visit Target often (which explains one of Phoebee's first words being TARGET). She can count all the way up to twenty (occasionally numbers are mixed up, but they're all there).

They're just so big and it's a little sad to think they won't stay this little and cute (age 16) forever!

Mexican Riviera Cruise

2011-08-25T09:44:00.000-07:00

Clint and I just got back from a 7 day cruise to Mexico! SO MUCH STINKIN' FUN!! I have to admit, it was terribly difficult leaving my girlies for that long, but I knew they were in good hands with my parents. I loved the cruise, but was so excited to get back and see them - and they didn't even forget me! On the cruise, we ate like kings and queens (all you can eat, desserts galore, 24-hour pizza and ice cream, free drinks), partied hard, stayed up late, relaxed more than I even knew what to do with myself, went parasailing, shopping, went on a glass bottom boat, went snorkeling, went on some zip lines, went to some Vegas shows, sang karaoke, and had tons of fun. Can't wait to do it again in 10 years or so!

Just getting ready to get on the ship...

First day on the ship...
Clint and I celebrated our 8th anniversary while we were there and we ended up winning $250 playing bingo that night!
The girls on our way to Lover's Beach...

Jess and Mindi in Puerta Vallarta where we went parasailing and zip lining.

If you know Clint, this won't surprise you... He had to perform Titanic.
In Cabo where we were able to talk to Carlee (she hung up on me before I was able to talk to Phoebee).
Loved all the fun towel animals they had. This one was a scorpion, they also did a hanging monkey, a sea turtle, and a sting ray.
This was on Lover's Beach (you couldn't swim here, obviously), but the waves were so cool to watch. They crashed up there HUGE!
On our way to Los Arcos & Lover's Beach.
Tyson & Gentry...
Saying goodbye to Puerta Vallarta.
Elpiedo, our waiter was so much fun. He danced, sang, told jokes (some dirty, some not so dirty), & entertained!
He even got the boys out there dancing with him.

It was pretty amazing watching the sun setting over the ocean. Thanks Mindi for forcing us to go outside! : )

Clint eating frog legs... Yes, I found it disgusting, and he actually liked it! They had some heavenly food there and Clint was the explorer of the group and tried almost everything "weird" they had - shark, escargot, alligator, frog legs, & lobster (I find that weird).
This was the Warm Chocolate Melting Cake, that was absolutely divine! It was super rich, but mmmmmm... so good!
Here we are in our cabin, we spent a lot of time waiting for the other couples to "get ready"... Just kidding guys!
Leavin' on a jet plane, don't know when we'll get back again... Sad to leave, so exciting to see the girls, fun time had by all!

Random Fun

2011-08-11T12:52:00.000-07:00

Although Daddy was sorely missed while he was on his business trip to Kansas this past week, we did have some fun while he was gone! We attempted some new hair styles, some good, some not so good... We played at the park, went swimming, played some fun games on the computer, watched lots of movies, and the girls played at the gym daycare while I worked out (it's a little sad because Phoebee used to cry when I would leave, but the last time we went, I practically had to drag her out of there!).

Look at this big girl sitting in a big girl chair and everything! I think she thinks this whole having a big sister thing is pretty cool - she's doing big girl things so fast!

First "Back" Piggys...

She's at that point where she thinks she can feed herself. I'm not too sure about it...

Big Helper! That is one of Phoebee's favorite things to do - loading and unloading the dishwasher. Now if I could just train her where to put everything, we would be in business!

She just kept saying, "I'm a clown! I'm a clown!"

Don't worry, these only lasted long enough to take the picture...

More ETSY... : )

2011-07-29T12:33:00.000-07:00

First of all, let me explain myself and my ETSY biz... We are attempting to purchase another house (one big enough for the growing family) and another baby (yes, I say purchase a baby, because our children happen to be EXTRA expensive!), and we need all the help we can get. So.... help me out - if you know anybody who needs anything in my shop - LINK to the right - let me know!

These are some of my latest ETSY shop additions. I think they're super cute and of course, I'm not biased at all, so if you know anybody who has a play kitchen, wants a play kitchen, or even just likes to dress up - these are perfect! Let me know if you know anybody who wants one! (Or anything else in my ETSY shop...) I also do car seat covers, hair bows, adult aprons, triangle flag banners, and super cute belts!

Froggie baby quilt...
Flower baby quilt - in the process of this one still...
Teddy Bear baby quilt...
Darling little girl aprons...

It helps to have a pretty cute model, too! : )

The Owls Family

2011-07-25T13:29:00.000-07:00

We went to the MLK visitor's center downtown the other day. We just needed something cheap to do (it's free) and so we went to check it out. The girls seemed to enjoy themselves. Every time we would show Carlee something, she would say, "Cool." "Cool." "Cool."

There were some huge fish down there, Phoebee & Carlee loved that!

Just checking out some more fish. I don't think Phoebee understood what she was supposed to be looking at, but she enjoyed dancing on the benches.

Making crayon rubs - she wasn't that into it...

Digging for treasures...

Just doing a little light shopping...

Checking out the birds...

I have to tell you a funny story about Carlee. The other day, I was trying to teach her that our last name is HOWELLS. I would say, "What's your name?" to which, she would answer Carwee. Then I would say, "Yep, it's Carlee Howells." She would reply, "Ya, Carwee Owls, whoo, whoo!" So, when we saw these cute little owls, we just had to snap a picture!

P.S. I never could get her to understand that her name isn't Carlee Owls!

Sisterly Love...?

2011-07-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

The girls both went upstairs while I was downstairs making lunch. That was fine, I kept a listening ear open. All the sudden, it became quiet and Phoebee was whining just a little bit. I am always afraid that she's going to try and come down the stairs or something, so I ran up there to investigate. Carlee had DUMPED almost an entire bottle of shampoo on top of Phoebee's head. I guess she was just trying to help me out in the bath department... Too bad Phoebee had all her clothes on at the time!

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T21:58:00.000-07:00

We started our celebration early and decorated 4th of July cookies last night. We walked over to the park and listened to a little bit of Reggae, played on the toys, and checked out some fancy trailers I intend to own some day. Then this morning, we enjoyed breakfast at IHOP, the parade in downtown Boise, and back to Andy & Ash's house to play in the water. After we thoroughly wore the girls out, we put them in bed and went outside to watch the fireworks. Happy 4th of July everybody!

Splash Pad

2011-06-27T20:32:00.000-07:00

Oh yeah, how I have missed the sun! We went to the splash pad today (92 degrees out) and then enjoyed some ice cream afterward. I thought Phoebee would be a little hesitant to get in the water, but she played around in it until she was soaked! P.S. If anyone is wondering about Carlee's poor nose/face, it was just another MOTHER OF THE YEAR moment for me. Carlee pulled the computer over on her nose today and I had to take her to a Primary Care and get the gash on her nose glued shut. She was so good though, they took x-rays and everything and she just layed there singing. So cute, she sang the entire alphabet and when it was over she said, "Let's do it again!" Poor baby!

Look Who's Walking

2011-06-26T16:58:00.000-07:00

She's actually been walking for a little bit now, but she's getting it perfected. She still gets a little distracted if you talk to her and I think in this one you can see that she keeps looking down at her skirt. She took her first little "Walk" on her birthday though, so I think she's doing quite well!

Love this little monkey!

McCall with the Fam

2011-06-23T09:35:00.000-07:00

We just spent the past week in McCall with all of my family and we had a blast! We were so sad to have to come back to reality here in Boise... We did so many fun things, we stayed in my parents timeshare condos, so they had a swimming pool right there. We went swimming, fishing, bike riding, played at the beach, went canoeing, went to the fish hatchery, and took lots of walks. The best part of it all was having everybody there together. It was a little wild, (SO SORRY Mom & Dad) with 8 kids under the age of 5 there, but I'm pretty sure I can say that the kids enjoyed each other's company thoroughly!

Three beauties basking in the sun while Clint went fishing.

Clint informed me that he got this hat when he was only 11 or 12. Looks, like it, right?

Making messes and enjoying some cookies!

How cute is that?

Fisher & Phoebee swimming in their floaties.

Chillin' on the beach.

Impossible to get these two looking and smiling at the same time.

Carlee didn't necessarily love the canoeing, but she was brave and went for a short ride. Maybe it was just the captain's directions she didn't love...

We went canoeing, unfortunately, Phoebee was just a little too small, so she didn't get to go, but she had fun playing on the beach with the Grandmas.

Jade was kind enough to allow Carlee to borrow her "BIKE". They both loved riding all over the place on this thing.

Not too sure what to think of the beach at first.

Fisher & Phoebee in the bike trailer - they took lots of walks like this.

Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming...

Bubbles, Park, & Carnival Fun

2011-06-16T04:09:00.000-07:00

Before I get started with my post, I must say: PHOEBEE IS WALKING!! There will be a post and video to follow, but we are going out of town today, so it might be a little later. Yay PHOEBES!!

We're so excited that it is summer! We were outside playing with bubbles, and we love it!

Grandma Smith got Phoebee this little bubble blower for her birthday and Carlee LOVES it. We have to tell her it is broken just to get it away from her. In fact, the other day we took it to the park and we were the hit of the entire park. We had about 10 kids crowded around us trying to get turns with the bubble blower.

We went to the Eagle Parade the other day and we had fun out in the sun, but it was kind of a let down parade. It was supposed to be a water parade and not only did we not see any water, we did not see any CANDY! WHAT?? What kind of a parade has no candy?!? : )

McCoy & Aunt Ashlee at the parade... How cute is that boy?

A little light snack at the park...

You can't tell from this picture, but both girls LOVED the swings. This is the first time Phoebee has been in the swings.

Apparently while I was at work the other night, Phoebee climbed into the laundry basket all by herself and just sat there and played for quite a while. It doesn't appear that there was much room for playing though...

We went to the Meridian Dairy Days Carnival last night. We rode some rides, played some games, and won some prizes. I'm not certain Phoebee was into it, but Carlee definitely had fun!

Check out the piggys people... I think they're pretty cute and I can't believe I haven't tried them before!

Carlee loved riding the rides, but it was so funny because she would hang on for dear life on every ride regardless if it was hardly moving or not. We rode on the merry-go-round, a roller coaster, the whales, and an airplane.

She really enjoyed fishing, in fact, we ended carrying her off screaming from this one...

She got smart and just decided to forego the

I Love This Girl!

2011-06-02T07:26:00.000-07:00

WAHOOOO!! Carlee is finally potty trained! After several frustrating attempts to get her potty trained, we finally decided she just wasn't ready. One day last week, I just told her we were going on the potty and wearing panties and that was that. She fought me at first, had two accidents, and then completely figured it out! She rarely has accidents, I don't have to remind her, in fact - if I even try, she usually tells me she doesn't need to go and won't unless it is on her time/terms. She even woke up last night around midnight to go potty! Anywho, I just wanted to say how excited we were to finally be out of diapers (well, at least one of them...). We were beginning to wonder if Phoebee was going to be potty training Carlee... : )

You can't tell in this picture, but Carlee is actually sitting on her potty. It must have been cold this morning... What can I say, the girl takes after her Mom and she just loves blankets!

ZOO BOISE

2011-05-31T14:44:00.000-07:00

We took our first trip to the zoo yesterday. Since it was a little cloudy (and we did get rained on, but only for about 10 minutes), there weren't very many people there, so it was lots of fun! Carlee said her favorite animal was the TIGER. I don't know though, one of the lions was actually roaring. They are usually just sleeping, so that was kind of fun! Anywho, we saw penguins, giraffes, bears, kinkajous, squirrels, birds, monkeys, snakes, etc. Carlee was totally into checking out all the animals and I think Phoebee enjoyed herself too.

Getting creative with the rain gear...

All geared up for the rain...

What a FOX...

Just catchin' a ride from the tiger...

Happy Birthday Seebers!

2011-05-29T09:42:00.000-07:00

We had Phoebee's birthday party at our church yesterday and I think it turned out pretty cute and the people who were there had fun (I hope...)! We had a BEE themed party, so everything was black and yellow. We had lots of family and friends in attendance. My grandparents, my sister and her girls, and my friend Melinda, her mom, and her three kids. We partied hard, and hopefully the pictures will show Phoebers someday how much fun she had on her first birthday! : )

I made flower clips and bee party hats for all the boys and girls in attendance. I slacked and they didn't all get handed out, but it was a fun idea...

Phoebee just entertaining some of her guests... These were the youngest 3 party-goers.

The set up...

McCoy even had a turn with the BEE party hat, but I don't think he enjoyed it...

The BEE pinata - according to Laynee - it was raining candy (and it sounded like it was the best day EVER)!
My attempt at a BEEHIVE cake. I planned on having bees buzzing around, but I ran out of time...
Lookin' HOT there Phoebes!
Digging into the LOOT!

Phoebee was super spoiled (Thanks everybody!) and got some chimes, a camera, lots of books, some clothes, two shape sorters, a magnetic farm, and a musical farm.
Just attempting to share a little cake with the camera...
We ended up the night at Burger King playing on the play place... The crowns were a huge hit!

Happy Birthday Phoebee!

2011-05-27T13:41:00.001-07:00

Last year at exactly 10:01 AM, I was meeting my precious Phoebee for the very first time. I have to say it's been one busy year, that has completely flown by! Tomorrow is her birthday party and I knew I would post on that, so today I just wanted to post all about PHOEBEE!

Some fun facts about Phoebee:

She loves giving kisses (it's really more like she licks your mouth, but still cute...).

She loves giving 5's.

She loves dancing.

She took her first steps a couple of weeks ago, but hasn't really figured it all out by herself yet.

She loves holding onto your hands and walking around the room.

She cruises all around the furniture.

I thought she was going to be our calm, quiet, little peacemaker - I'm not so sure anymore...

She knows what she wants and lets you know if she doesn't get it.

She loves playing with all kinds of gadgets (remote controls, telephones, cameras, etc.).

Her hair just keeps getting redder and redder... and we LOVE it!

She has 6 teeth, but has been acting as if she is about to get ALL the rest of them!

She often thinks it is fun to be awake at all hours of the night (I think this is usually if she's teething, she's getting closer to sleeping through the night, just not quite there yet...).

She's definitely still a MAMA'S GIRL (which I love)!

She loves wearing "HATS" (most of which are random objects she has picked up off the floor).

She loves snuggling her two blankets.

She loves being held upside down.

She is still in size 3 diapers, but now that Carlee is potty trained (more on that later...), she may be quickly moved up to size 4.

She is still wearing some 6 month clothes, all the way up to some 12 month clothes.

She refuses to eat baby food and pretty much only wants to eat what the adults are eating.

She has mostly given up her bottle and chooses only to drink from a sippy cup.

She loves playing games like peek-a-boo and hide-and-seek with Carlee.

She still takes 2 naps a day.

She claps to "If you're happy and you know it."

She dances and claps each time music plays.

She loves cheetos and oatmeal.

She answers to Phoebee, Phoebers, Seebers, Seebee, & Missy Moo.

We love our little one and especially enjoy watching all the fun new things she is learning. LOVE YA PHOEBES!

Chuck - E - Cheese!

2011-05-21T10:03:00.001-07:00

Where a KID can be a KID! While the food is not terrific, the noise is slightly obnoxious, and it is a little spendy, we do enjoy visiting Chuck-E on occasion...

Most of the time...

Finally Enjoying Some Sun!

2011-05-19T10:10:00.000-07:00

The weather has pretty much been off and on here. One day it's perfectly warm and sunny and the next day it will be rainy and windy. We have been taking full advantage of those warm days! We've already been to the park, playing outside by our house, and soaking up the sun. It cracks me up because Phoebee won't put her legs on the grass - she is NOT a big fan, so when we put her on this blanket outside, she was pretty much trapped.

Smelling a dandelion...
Playing a little soccer.n Hopefully she'll have a little more athletic ability than her mother...

Just a little conversation with the baby in the mirror... (Please ignore the dirtiness - it's a favorite play place for their fingers.)

1 Year Photoshoot

2011-05-16T07:01:00.000-07:00

Can you believe my baby is almost 1? I can't! My sister Ashlee did this adorable photoshoot for us. Since Phoebee is somewhat of a Mama's girl, I did have to hide in the bushes in order to get her to cooperate, but it seemed to do the trick - I think they turned out so dang cute! I can't wait to see the rest! Thanks Ash!

I'm super busy working on getting her birthday party ready now, so I'll post more about soon...

Am I Crazy??

2011-05-06T13:24:00.000-07:00

So, people always ask me if I MEANT to have my kids so close (as if trying to politely say, "You're INSANE!"). Well... Yes, they were planned and on purpose, and these pictures demonstrate one of the reasons why I'm so glad they're close together!

It's so much fun (especially for Carlee) now that Phoebee is getting big enough to do a little more playing, rough housing, and mess-making with Carlee. I think Carlee probably also enjoys the fact that there is now someone to share the blame with...

Don't get me wrong, they definitely keep me busy and some days are harder than others... but totally worth it!

Sidewalk Chalk & Hide & Seek

2011-04-28T15:02:00.001-07:00

I keep telling myself if we wish hard enough for spring/summer it will come... So far, it's not working! So, we've been trying to come up with ways to entertain ourselves. Sidewalk chalk and hide-and-seek are some of are new favorites.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately for us, we were all sick and tired (Clint was sick, I was tired) and we didn't do much celebrating on Easter. However, the Easter bunny did manage to find the girls and bring them a few goodies...

My Easter Bunnies.

I don't know what she was looking at, but something is pretty exciting!

Carlee & Phoebee checking out all the fun things the Easter Bunny brought them. They got necklaces, sidewalk chalk, play dough, a couple treats, & some books.

Sharing a RING POP.

We had Easter dinner at my Grandma's house. Thanks Grandma! It was fun & delicious! Phoebee is just demonstrating her hat trick - with a spoon.

It's a family tradition of ours to have "FINGERS" when we get together for big dinners. Carlee is a HUGE fan!

The 5 oldest grandkids. We're missing the babies, but I don't think we could have squished them in there anyway.

HAPPY EASTER EVERYBODY!

A-Hunting We Will Go!

2011-04-22T07:17:00.000-07:00

We had an Easter Egg hunt when we went to my parents house to help my Grandma Peterson celebrate her 90th birthday! Unfortunately, my camera wasn't working properly and both kids were sick, so I didn't get very many pictures this trip. Carlee was totally into the Easter Egg Hunt (She now thinks eggs are called Easter Egg Hunts instead of just eggs...) and was excited with all the loot she collected! Thanks Easter Bunnies in Preston!

All the kids were so excited, we practically had to hold them back.

I also just wanted this documented because it was so cute! Two days ago, Phoebee said her first word - Bye Bye. She said it twice and now we can't get her to say it again, but it was as clear as day and it was after I had said it, so I'm pretty sure it was actually meant to be a word... Also, she learned a new trick. If you say to her, "Phoebee, where's your hat?" She will find the nearest object and place it on her head.

Here she is demonstrating the HAT trick with a fork...

Random Silliness at the Howells' House

2011-04-10T16:29:00.000-07:00

Since it has been so cold, we always have Phoebee in her car seat in the stroller. The other day we put her in like this and took the girls for a walk. They loved it. Carlee kept turning around and making Phoebee laugh. I'm definitely getting excited for the warmer weather!

We took the girls miniature golfing at a Glow in the Dark place the other day. Carlee was really into gathering up all of our balls every time we hit, but not as much into hitting her own! I think she thought it was pretty fun though.

The Many Faces of Phoebers...

HOT DOG DANCE - Need I say more??

Easter Activities

2011-04-05T13:01:00.000-07:00

I babysit my nieces and nephew once a week and so we're always looking for activities to entertain 5 kids under the age of 5 (otherwise it gets pretty WILD). We painted easter eggs and made...um... cards?? Well, they started out to be cards, but ended up just being decorations. The kids loved them, and although we were finished in about 20 minutes, I think they enjoyed it! Phoebee loved her egg - she did a great job of painting, right?

Laynee's is in the upper left corner, Shay's in the upper right, Carlee's (can you guess), & Phoebee's is in the lower left corner. Poor McCoy didn't get one because the package only came with 4 and I didn't think he would mind.

CORRECTION

2011-04-01T08:43:00.000-07:00

I need to make a correction to my last post. In the past 2 days, Phoebee has popped out 2 more teeth! She now has 6!

10 Months & 2.5 Years

2011-03-30T16:50:00.000-07:00

Phoebee turned 10 months on the 27th & Carlee turns 2.5 on the 3rd of April. WOW! Anyway, they're definitely a handful, but they're so much fun!

Some things about Phoebee:

She loves clapping and now knows how to clap when you sing "If You're Happy & You Know It".

She loves dancing.

She is pulling herself up to everything.

She still only has 4 teeth and loves exploring different textures with them (my hands, my arms, my nose, etc.)

She still wakes up once or twice to eat at night.

She crawls like a maniac.

She's still a Mama's girl, in fact Clint can't even get her to eat if I'm around.

She loves hanging upside down.

She has the best little smile & giggle.

She loves to play peek-a-boo.

She's finally moved up to size 3 in diapers.

As you can tell by the pictures, her red hair is still as beautiful as ever!

She's a pretty wild sleeper. At night when she wakes up, I will occasionally find her sitting straight up, tucked into a corner, or with her head at the completely opposite end of the bed as she started the night out.

She's not a huge fan of formula right now, she would much rather be eating what we're eating.

She loves putting her hands in my mouth, whether it be just to feel my tonsils or to attempt to feed me some tiny crumb or morsel of food she has found somewhere.

Much to my dismay, she isn't really a big fan of headbands. I've been making and selling some new flower clips that are darling in her hair. If I attempt to put them on her, they usually just end up in her mouth or around her neck.

She has big brown eyes - thank heavens they are nothing like her mother's...

FUNNY STORY: I went to get Phoebee one morning and found this (look to the next picture) on her foot. It freaked me out for a second, and then I figured that Carlee must have drawn on her foot. A little while later, her other foot had turned green. I was seriously wondering what was going on. Then I realized that Carlee had actually just drawn on the outside of one of her coloring books and it had just rubbed off on her foot. After this, Carlee kept trying to color her feet!

Some things about Carlee:

She's so full of energy, she wears me out some days!

She loves being tickled.

She can count to sixteen all by herself.

She can sing her ABC's, Twinkle Little Star, I am a Child of God, Mary Had a Little Lamb (which in our house translates to Lady had a Little Lump), If You're Happy & You Know It, Old MacDonald, Snowman, Popcorn Popping, & several others.

She loves reading books, playing all things "PRINCESS", and watching movies.

Her favorite shows currently are Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Pablo, Garbie, Tinkerbell, Cinderella, & Care Bears.

She's a great helper. She loves getting down on the floor and helping me clean.

She loves brushing her teeth.

Some of her favorite foods right now are McDonald's nuggets, peanut butter sandwiches, bologna, yogurt, bananas, & apples. (Notice: No veggies - I can't get the girl to eat a single veggie!)

She loves having her "Owies" kissed better. This ultimately leads to a lot of injuries at our house - just to have them kissed better.

She loves dancing & when we are dancing, loves being held & bounced around.

She loves jumping in Phoebee's jumparoo.

She's a little clumsy, and sometimes has a little bit of a hard time walking, running, jumping, etc.

She definitely loves her cousins "The Gails (girls said with Carlee's accent)".

She's quite the character & she keeps us constantly laughing.

She also has beautiful brown eyes, although hers are slightly more like her mother's...

We love them both so much and although I'm a little sad that they're getting so big, it's so much fun watching them grow and learn new things! Love you girly girls!

Shoes

2011-03-27T16:58:00.000-07:00

Well - I figured if I can't get any use out of these cute shoes - someone might as well... I'm actually quite pleased to be able to say she's finally getting into some girly things. I used to wonder if she ever would, but now she loves her "princess dresses", "princess shoes", and "princess hair". Love it!

Bouncy Seat + Children = Serious Entertainment

2011-03-25T09:04:00.000-07:00

I guess this was a seriously good buy...

Phoebee isn't quite as ... violent ...

My 2 Kiddos

2011-03-22T08:13:00.000-07:00

I just love my girls, Phoebee is all over the place now and so she keeps me on my toes, and Carlee cracks me up with all the new things she is learning to do and say!

There will be a separate post about this later, but this jumparoo has turned into a VERY good purchase!

Yesterday, Carlee told me she was going to the "Talent Show". (An episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.) This morning when I got done going to the bathroom, she asked "Are you a big girl Mommy?" (We are working on the potty training thing - NOT GOING WELL, SO TIPS ARE APPRECIATED - and we always tell her big girls go on the potty.)

She's On the Move

2011-03-17T08:36:00.000-07:00

Phoebee is getting too big, too fast! I don't know if I just don't remember or what, but it doesn't seem like Carlee was trying to stand up to things this soon after she started crawling. Phoebee pretty much wanted to stand as soon as she figured out how to crawl! She's pretty good at it too - SCARY! I do NOT want her walking already, she's supposed to stay little for just a little while longer...

Good Night, Sleep Tight

2011-03-15T13:58:00.001-07:00

Is there really anything better than a sleeping baby?

U-SWIRL

2011-03-06T09:49:00.000-08:00

I got an available from work last night (which just means I didn't have to go in), so we decided to do something fun with the girls! We went to a self-serve ice cream parlor. It was so much fun, they had about 20 different ice cream choices with about 50 different ice cream toppings! It's nice because you can choose how much you get and you only pay by the weight, so I got some for Carlee, but just a tiny bit in the bottom of a cup, so it wasn't super expensive for hers. Poor Phoebes didn't get to taste any ice cream, but she still had lots of fun!

Sorry this is sideways, I couldn't get it to turn...

Mmmmmmmmmm....

Photo Shoot

2011-03-03T13:58:00.000-08:00

I pretty much missed the bow on this one and even though you can't see her face, I really like it for some reason!

I took these pictures in an attempt to capture how cute these bows are, but I think I captured just how cute my kiddos are! (By the way, my bows are now selling in two stores here in Boise, and hopefully soon, one in Logan - check out Munchkins & Other Mothers!) Anyway, it was a little cold out, but we still had fun!

And We're Off!

2011-02-28T20:24:00.001-08:00

9 Months

Look whose finally crawling! She's been dying to get around for the past couple of weeks now, and she finally has it mastered. I love it because now she can follow me around instead of getting upset if I set her down and leave the room. Yay Phoebers!

Funny side note: We took a video with our video camera (and I don't know how to post that or else I would) and the whole time Carlee was saying, "You can do it Seebers! You can do it!" It was pretty funny and cute!

Some things about Phoebee at 9 months:

She is always smiling - especially when Mommy comes in the room.

She loves to growl.

She has 4 teeth.

She sleeps pretty well - she still wakes up occasionally for her binky, but compared to the rough nights we used to have with her - that's awesome!

She loves her big Sis Carlee.

She is always moving her feet in tiny little circles, she moves her hands in circles too when she wants something.

She is still wearing size 2 diapers and can still fit into some of her 3 month onesies.

Her favorite toy is a singing Hippo toy (it's really obnoxious, but it makes her happy).

She loves it when I sing to her - it's about the only thing that can calm her down when she gets upset in the car.

She still has beautiful red hair.

She is now crawling completely (as opposed to the army crawl she's been doing for the past several weeks).

She says Mama & Dadda, but I don't think she understands what they mean yet.

She's not very snuggly, unless it is during nap time.

Some of her favorite foods are fish crackers, graham crackers, bread, beans, and pretty much any other table food you give her.

She enjoys reading books.

She loves to be tickled, tossed into the air, and sticking her fingers into your mouth.

She still pulls hair, pinches, & scratches (not on purpose, but she's really got a talent for it).

She goes by Phoebee, Phoebers, Seebers, Phoebus, Seebs, Phoebes, & Monkey.

We love our little baby girl & can't believe how fast she's gotten big! We can't wait to see her doing and learning so many fun new things. LOVE YOU BABES!

Hair Bows!

2011-02-27T18:29:00.000-08:00

Now, if that doesn't sell hair bows, I don't know what will! I'm so excited! Other Mothers has decided to sell my hair bows in their store. I don't know all the details yet, but if you're looking for some darling new styles of hair bows and headbands, go to OTHER MOTHERS and look for some of these...

I was making these, getting ready to take them to the store, and she insisted they all be put on her shirt and in her hair! She cracks me up!

Silly Goose

2011-02-23T16:13:00.000-08:00

Phoebee keeps sitting up by herself, which is great, but it looks a little awkward... She pretty much does the splits and then pushes herself up. Ouch!

Does this make me a bad Mom?
It was my niece Shay's birthday on Sunday, so we celebrated with her. They had these silly glasses for us to wear. It took a little convincing, but in the end, Carlee loved these and did not want to part with them!

2011-02-19T14:00:00.000-08:00

We've been busy tending this past week. First, we tended my sister's kids, and poor McCoy had a bit of a blowout, so he ended up sporting some beautiful pink and yellow jammers that he borrowed from Phoebee. Next, we tended my friend's little boy who was quite the ladies man. He kept putting his arm around Phoebee as if to say, "How you doin'?" Then, we tended my brother's kids. They have a little one only 2 1/2 months younger than Phoebee and they were pretty cute together. He looks like he's bigger than her already! So cute!

Jader & Carlee Bear just watchin' a show...
Phoebee and Fisher...Poor McCoy, even wearing pink, he's pretty darn cute!
Phoebee and Alexandre...
Still enjoying those Valentine's balloons...
Phoebee is finally big enough that I dare let her and Carlee play in there together and they both loved it!
When Carlee woke up after her nap, I went in there to get her and I was holding Phoebee and she insisted, she "Seebee Sit By You!"

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star...

Some funny things said by Carlee lately:

"Listen Up Everybody!"

"Miss You Mama! (Right when I got home from work - so cute!)"

"You have to say Sorry!"

"You have to say Please!"

"That's mine Seebee/Mama/Daddy, etc."

Phoebee is learning to crawl - she mostly does the army crawl right now, but she seems to get where she needs to go. She's definitely still a Mama's girl, which I love, but she is branching out just a little bit more now. She's got 4 teeth, two on the top and two on the bottom. She loves being tickled right in her armpits.

We've been having so much fun lately, but I still just can't wait for Spring & Summer!! Bring on the pools, parks, and heat!

Valentine's Follow Up

2011-02-16T09:44:00.000-08:00

First of all, check out my new favorite car seat cover available here in my ETSY shop.

Second of all, here is a V-Day follow up. Clint gave me these beautiful flowers. I know, I'm spoiled.
Carlee's cousin let her borrow Mickey for a while and she couldn't be happier. He goes everywhere with her, takes naps, gets hungry, and needs his buns changed!
Uncle Tanner and the girls the night he babysat.
I thought this was so funny I just had to post about it. Today, I asked Carlee to get me the wipes, and she says, "No, you have to say PWEASE!" So, I say "Please" and she says, "No, you have to say "SORRY!" Apparently some of what we're teaching her is sinking in... : )

Valentine's Day Post #2

2011-02-14T16:59:00.000-08:00

We had a lot of fun for Valentine's Day today - not that my girls know it's any out of the ordinary day - but we still had lots of fun! We started the day off right with balloons and an entire pink breakfast: pink heart (Carlee was convinced it was Mickey Mouse) pancakes, pink milk, & pink eggs. Then, my two spoiled girls opened up their presents - jammers, stickers, bracelets, snacks, and LOVE BUGS! We then ended the night with heart pizza. (Well, Carlee & Phoebee ended the night, but Clint & I are headed out for a hot date - thanks for babysitting Tanner!)

Sorry, the pictures are slightly out of order...

Checking out the set up and the balloons...

SPOILED! But... they loved it!

How about that hair?

Breakfast...

Phoebee even enjoyed some of the Valentine goodies.

Pink twirly straws and all!

These t-shirts are actually part of their jammers, but I thought they were too cute to pass up...

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY ALL!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-13T21:30:00.001-08:00

We hope everybody has a Happy Valentine's Day tomorrow and is able to celebrate with the ones they love! We had to snap a few pictures of the girls in their Valentine's Day church outfits today since Carlee was so uncooperative when my sister attempted to take some of her...

Carlee giving kisses, Phoebee seems to enjoy it!

Clint's Valentine's Day cookie that I made him.

Road Rage

2011-02-10T13:20:00.000-08:00

I guess I should start paying more attention to my road rage... The other day in the car, there was someone (who shouldn't have been) driving badly in front of us and I was getting a little upset when all of the sudden, Carlee says, "What the heck! What the heck! What the heck!" Needless to say, it was hard to be mad after that.

I just think they're cute...

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-08T19:03:00.000-08:00

I tended two of my nieces and a nephew today and so with 5 kids under the age of 5 in my house, I figured we would need some entertainment. We made Valentines! My niece Shay told me this was the best day of her life because I was being so nice... (Although, the other day, she also said, "I'm Ains because I'm the loudest yeller!") Anyway, I think the kids had fun, Carlee kept saying, "I need a FARKWEE (Translation: Sparkly) heart!"

Then she insisted she have FARKWEE eyes.
We had a lot of fun with the stickers...
The finished product... (Well, one of them.)
Phoebee, lately has been doing this thing where she crinkles her nose and snorts at you - it's pretty cute!

It made a HUGE mess, but I think they enjoyed it, so it was worth it!

Meet Figaro

2011-02-03T07:05:00.000-08:00

Meet Figaro - that's right, I said Figaro. Carlee came walking in with this new friend the other day and I said, "Oh, is that your kitty?" Carlee says, "No Mama, it's Figaro." I about fell off my chair laughing. I still am not 100% sure where that even came from because she's never seen Pinochio...

Anyway, they've become the best of friends lately...
She got a little upset when I touched him and quickly threw him to the ground - I guess they're not THAT close...

8 Months

2011-01-31T12:39:00.000-08:00

Phoebee turned 8 months on the 27th of January. I can't believe it! She's so much fun to have around. Some of our favorite things about our Seebers:

She's got adorable red hair.

She's definitely a Mama's girl (that might just be one of MY favorite things about her).

Her face lights up and she gets a huge smile every time anyone talks to her.

She started saying Dadda yesterday.

She can almost crawl.

She's beginning to sleep better, still wakes up once or twice a night, but that's a huge improvement.

She loves to snuggle.

She loves Carlee, and giggles every time she sees her.

She still giggles each time we change a stinky diaper.

She never stops wiggling, whether it be her feet, hands, or stiff-bodying.

We love her so much and are so grateful to have her in our family!

We attempted Valentine's Day pictures, and they didn't go so well for Carlee, but Phoebee at least cooperated for a minute or two... This was the only picture we got of the two of them together.

Also, don't forget to check out my ETSY shop here, I've added a bunch of new things that are super cute!

Kids Say The Darndest Things...

2011-01-30T20:17:00.000-08:00

I just have to post this because I think it's so funny. The other day, I was counting something with Carlee and after I finish, she turns to me and says, "Good job Mama!" As if to say, I'm so impressed Mama, you know how to count! Then a couple of days later, she was at my sister's house and was reading a book and counting. After she finished, my sister heard her say, "Great job Carlee!"

Other funny sayings from Carlee:

Howdy Partner!

Clint asks her 'Can Ya Dig' to which she replies, 'I CAN DIG!'

Want to watch Garbie (instead of Barbie)

Phoebee started "talking" today. All during church, she kept saying Dadda! Unfortunately, it was not what I was wanting to hear. No matter how hard I tried, the word Mama just wasn't coming out - only Dadda! I should have guessed, that was Carlee's first word too! She doesn't actually mean Clint though, so maybe I still have some hope, right?

All Dressed Up

2011-01-23T12:09:00.000-08:00

I just thought the girls looked cute all dressed up for church today. Unfortunately, it didn't last long...

The other day, I noticed that Carlee was getting tired and I went to help Phoebee with something, and came back to find Carlee all snuggled on our coffee table - I'm guessing that wasn't the most comfortable spot in the house...
Love that smile!
The other morning, Carlee was playing in the laundry basket and insisted that Phoebee sat in it with her. She kept saying, "Hi Seebee, Hi Seebee!" while rubbing her head. They're just too cute together!

Oops-A-Daisy

2011-01-18T19:17:00.001-08:00

Random picture of my girls enjoying a snack...I just thought this was funny... Yesterday, while Carlee was in the bath tub, I said Oops-A-Daisy to her. A couple of minutes later, she says, "Oops-A-Minnie, Oops-A-Mickey, Oops-A-Pluto, Oops-A-Donald!" Obviously you can tell what her favorite show is lately...

Go SEAHAWKS!

2011-01-15T14:52:00.000-08:00

I tended 5 of the cousins (including my 2) the other day (McCoy is sleeping, so he's missing...) and it was a little wild. It's a good thing these girls will sit and watch a show or two. : )

We've recently gotten out the high chair and Phoebee is loving it. She's a big fan of seeing what's going on and being at least at eye level. Just enjoying a few snacks...
Cute bow right, check it and others out in my ETSY shop HERE.

I seriously can't get over how adorable these two are together. Phoebee just loves to watch Carlee no matter what she's doing and Carlee can't get enough of her "Seebers". Each morning when Carlee wakes up, she always asks, "Where's Seebers?" When she sees her, she immediately runs to her and says, "SEEBERS!" (Along with some other jibber jab that only the two of them can understand...) I just love them!

Can you tell we're big fans of the SEAHAWKS?? If you can't tell what she's saying - it's this:

Clint: What time is it?

Carlee: Game time!

Clint: What time is it?

Carlee: GAME TIME!

Clint: Who's going to win?

Carlee: SEAHAWKS!

This cracks us up, so we just had to get it on video. Phoebee never and I mean, NEVER, stops moving her feet. She is always doing this when she's sitting, laying, being held, etc. The funniest part about it is the fact that I always tease Clint because he does the same thing, sitting on the couch, laying in bed, sleeping, etc. It's like they have ADHD in their feet or something...

It's even funnier when she's mad or wants something, because she does it with her hands too!

ETSY

2011-01-07T11:38:00.000-08:00

Anybody ever heard of Etsy? I'm sure many have... Well - I've opened up my own etsy shop located HERE. I'm selling some of these adorable hair clips I made. There are so many more cute ones, so if you know anybody with pig tails, bags, belts, necklaces, etc. - tell them to check it out!! If there is anybody willing to post this to their blogs, it would be greatly appreciated!

Our Lives

2011-01-07T04:09:00.000-08:00

While I wish that my children could just stay little forever, I am also just loving seeing them get bigger and learn new things every day. Carlee has really gotten into pretending and actually playing with her toys as opposed to wanting to watch Pablo every second of every day (don't worry, she didn't actually watch it that much, she just wanted to...). Phoebee loves being involved with Carlee and will sit (as long as I'm visible) and play with her for quite a while. She loves her new toys (they all make a LOT of noise) that she got for Christmas and keeps quite entertained. They're so much fun to have around!

Yesterday morning, Carlee came up to me and wanted me to put this diaper on Phoebee's puppy. Right after I did, she ran upstairs and Clint and Phoebee were still sleeping, so I hurried up there to make sure she wasn't going to wake them up. When I got up there, I heard her say, "Time to go bed. Night-night." She walked out of the room and closed the door. Then later, she had a toy cow and was trying to feed him Phoebee's binky.
Cute, right? Remember the hair clip...
Fresh out of the tub and "nuggling" to stay warm.
Look how big she's gotten!
Just playing together...

Look What I Can Do!

2011-01-02T15:26:00.000-08:00

Phoebee started sitting up about a week or two before Christmas, but was still pretty shaky. During our trip to Preston/Paradise, she perfected it. It's a lot nicer now, because she'll sit there and watch Carlee instead of needing to be held constantly. You can also see her two cute bottom teeth.

Our Christmas Festivities

2010-12-31T07:45:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun for our holiday vacation - we got to take off almost an entire week! We saw Santa, got spoiled, played in the snow, launched rockets, flew helicopters (remote-controlled), completed some sewing projects (more to come about those later...), stuffed ourselves full of yummy food, saw the Christmas lights in Preston, and almost got snowed in, in Paradise!

I just realized that for some reason we didn't make it home with any of our pictures of the girls with Santa Claus...

All dressed up in their Christmas jammers waiting to see if Santa found them here at Grandpa & Grandma Peterson's house.

Uncle Tanner and Rudolph, uh... I mean... Phoebee.
Enjoying some Christmas snacks.
Here we go again... Please ignore the fact that my child is being ridiculous and just take note of how cute all 8 grandkids are.

After church, we decided to have a photo shoot will all of the 8 grandkids - did not go well (thanks to my child...), but hopefully some of the pictures will be usable. This next picture is post-photo shoot.
Phoebee playing with one of her Christmas toys.
Uncle Tanner gave all the kids head lamps for Christmas - it was a big hit with all of them!
Play dough... Going to have to get me some of that...
Assuming the usual position with Grandpa, good thing he likes to snuggle!

This video is so funny - imagine 2 more kids just like this and then add 3 babies into the mix - it was wild... Anyway, they are super excited to get into the "Big Bath Tub" (Hot tub).

Grandma Carol had this really cool car at her house, and Carlee was pretty much in it from the time she saw it to the time we left her house.

Just enjoying some chocolate licorice - I know, it's probably not something she should be eating, but after 5 1/2 hours in the car, I was desperate...

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

2010-12-22T19:18:00.000-08:00

More Pictures...

2010-12-16T14:19:00.001-08:00

I know, I know - I post a lot, but I use this as my journal (I seriously do NOT have a great memory, so I need to remind myself). One day, I'd like to be able to show my girls how adorable and cute they were/are (and with this I can)!

6 months

2 years