The Richards Family

Our little man!!!

2011-12-22T12:03:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures of our little Joshua. He is a sweet spirit in our home and we just love him.

A New Addition to Our Family

2011-12-09T12:43:00.000-08:00

On Monday, November 28th, Ken and I added a new addition to our family. He weighed in at 8 lbs. 14.5 oz. and measured 21 inches long. We named him Joshua Roscoe Richards. We are both doing great. It is a joy to have him in our family. The girls just love him and try to help anyway they can (maybe too much). I will post pictures soon.

HALLELUJAH!!!!!

2010-10-22T07:42:00.000-07:00

After several months of waiting, Ken is now officially ready to start work. He got his temporary license last night. Now we can start paying the bills and our debt that accumulated while unemployed. It has been a hard couple of months. But I learned a great lesson. Trusting in the Lord and having faith in Him will help you get through any trial. I am grateful that I was able to go through this, it has made me grow in so many ways and not to take things for granted.

We have loved spending time as a family. We have kept each other busy. We made several (I mean several) trips to the aquarium (courtesy of our annual passes), the beach and local parks.

Tressa started preschool and she loves every minutes of being social with the classmates and learning. Katelyn also enjoys going to preschool once a week. I was asked by the director to be the Spanish teacher. So while I am teaching, she is able to go to the 2 year old class. I enjoy teaching Spanish. The kids love learning a new language. Teachers tell me that the kids have so much fun, they are bummed when it is not a day for Spanish class.

We have enjoyed Myrtle Beach and what we have experienced so far. I am excited to see what the future has in store for me. So far, so good.

One crazy summer!!

2010-08-29T14:02:00.000-07:00

We have had one crazy summer. A lot has transpired since I blogged last. At the end of May, we closed on our house in Peoria. Ken lived in the call room for the month of June finishing up his residency, while the girls and I lived with his family in Cincinnati. We enjoyed a quick get-a-way to Amelia Island, FL in the middle of June for a conference. Ken's mom was nice enough to keep the girls while we celebrated our anniversary a month late. We also had Ken's graduation from residency at the beginning of June.

In July, we started off with a trip to Charlotte, NC for our niece's baptism. After spending the Fourth of July weekend with them, we made a road trip down to Myrtle Beach to look at housing. Luckily we were able to find one and had an offer accepted.

Mid-July, Ken, the girls and I took a road trip from Cincinnati to Salt Lake City with two stops. We were able to visit my Aunt Leslie and her family in Kansas City, KS and Ken's brother's family in Denver, CO. We had a great time visiting with everyone. We were able to see all my siblings but my oldest brother, Mike. (We missed you and your family.)

The first week in August, we had the Richards' family reunion. It had been 5 years since the entire family had been together. We were able to get some family photos taken in the backyard. We had such great times.

After a few trials, Ken and I were able to move in last week to our house here in Little River. We are still waiting on his license to practice. Until then, we are enjoying our time at the beach and visiting the aquarium. We have been getting our house in order and getting to know the area. We have met some really nice people and are excited to be starting this new adventure. We welcome any of you who want to to come and visit us.

Happy Birthday!!!

2010-07-13T17:35:00.000-07:00

Happy
4th
Birthday,
Tressa!!!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

2010-05-04T14:50:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to wish my hubby a

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

We have been married 8 short years. It just seemed like yesterday. Today, I sat down and was going through thinking of what we have done since we got married. Highlights:

We have moved 4 times, and is about ready to move again this summer.
We have lived in 3 different states (Utah, Kentucky and Illinois). Here this summer we will be starting an adventure in South Carolina.
We have 2 beautiful little girls.
We have both graduated from undergrad, medical school and here in a month residency.
We have traveled and explored areas all across the U.S.

We have loved every minute of our life together. We have had our up and downs and our trials, but we still stand strong. We are looking forward for many more years of marital bliss.

ENCORE!!! ENCORE!!!

2010-04-18T15:23:00.001-07:00

For those of you who missed out on Tressa's dance recital, I have posted her recital pieces on YouTube. Tressa is on the far right of the stage. Here is the link: (you will find 3 videos)

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=shellrichards&aq=f

Pull up a chair, have some popcorn and enjoy the show.

Time to Breath, at the moment....

2010-03-30T12:50:00.000-07:00

We have had a pretty busy couple of months. Here is the low down of what we have done since the new year....

Freshly painted the toy room, upstairs bathroom, both stairwells, the entire basement (walls and floors), kitchen nook, and touched up the crown molding. I learned a valuable lesson, in the 8 yrs Ken and I have been married, I finally realized that you never paint with Ken. He complains the whole time, he would rather get a root canal then paint. I, on the other hand, find it therapeutic (maybe because of the fumes).
Packing up the clutter
Reorganizing the furniture to make the house feel open and spacious.
Cleaning all appliances, fixtures and floors.
Outside we raked the leaves, worked on the landscaping, painted the door frames to the back door and door to garage.
I painted the front porch.
We organized and swept the garage.
While doing all these projects, we still functioned as regular parents with jobs and responsibilities.

It may have been rough these past couple of months, but it sure paid off. Within 25 days and 5 showings, we SOLD our house!!! Just under the asking price. Things just could not have gone better for us. We truly are blessed.

Now the next step for us is to get the moving all arranged and flying out to Loris, SC to look for housing and take a walk along the beach. We are closing at the end of May and Ken doesn't finish residency until June 30th. I am going to take time to breath the next couple of weeks to enjoy my family and friends, then I can worry about moving arrangements.

Any Takers?

2010-03-04T13:24:00.000-08:00

Well, it is OFFICIAL!!! As of last Wednesday, our house is on the market. We have spent the past couple of months painting, decluttering and staging the house. I hope it will all be worth it in the end.

If you know anyone looking for a home, spread the word. Check it out on:

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3007-N-Sheridan_Peoria_IL_61604_1116392175

Dancing with the Stars!!!

2010-01-28T08:54:00.000-08:00

Last fall, Tressa started her first dance class. She absolutely LOVES it!!! The minute we get home from class, she has to show me what they learned. This year she is able to participate in the April dance recital titled, "Dancing with the Stars". She came home last night and told Ken that she would get to wear a COSTUME and gets to dance on a STAGE!!!!

Yesterday was her first day back into dancing after having a holiday break. I was not able to take pictures of her yesterday, but here are some pictures from last semester.

Tressa with her dance instructor, Heather.

Before Christmas break her class had a mini recital for parents and siblings. Ken was able to make it. Tressa loved showing off her new dance moves in front of everyone. I don't know where she got all of her confidence. It definitely didn't come from me, I get stage fright. At the end, her dance instructor presented her a trophy with her name on it and some goodies.

Our Adventures have come to an end....

2010-01-07T13:42:00.000-08:00

The past month and a half, Ken and I traveled to 4 different states for 5 job interviews. I was able to go on all but the one to Myrtle Beach, SC. It felt like we were going on honeymoon after honeymoon, leaving the kids home with family or friends. Thank you for those who helped us out. We really appreciated it.

Our first 2 interviews were in Wilson and Jacksonville, NC. We enjoyed exploring the towns and looking at housing. On Saturday morning, Ken and I took advantage of our free time and headed to the coast to visit the Emerald Isles. It was just beautiful. We were able to walk along the beach and collect seashells for Tressa.

Out of the 2 interviews, we really liked Wilson and would compare all the other interviews to this one.

After a visit to Ken's parents for Thanksgiving, Ken and I had a few days to get ready for the next interview in Greeley, CO. I don't believe this interview was meant for Ken, I think it was meant for me. It just so happens that my Mom was born in Greeley and her mom's side of the family had a lot of history in Greeley. I was able to reconnect my Mom with her cousins after 30 years. I visited with one of her cousins and his wife.

My great grandfather was a well-respected rancher just outside of Greeley, Jim (my mom's cousin) took us on a drive of the land my great grandfather used to own and the land that still runs in the family. I was given some aerial pictures of the ranch.

I found the burial sites of my great grandparents, the sister my grandma lost when she was just a girl and my grandma's 3 oldest brothers and their wives. I have a lot of dates for my mom for our genealogy work.
I believe the Lord took a part in giving me the courage I needed to come out of my comfort zone and get this done for my Mom. What a great experience it was for me.

We were also able to visit with Ken' s brother and family. They had moved to Colorado just weeks before our interview.
The following week, Ken and I went to Riverton, WY leaving 2 sick kids behind at a friend's house. Thank you, Amy. I don't think Riverton was for me. It was the location and the housing that didn't work for me. However, it was great to see the mountains. We hadn't seen that in a long time, living in the Midwest.

The weekend before Christmas, we received news that Wilson was pulling out of recruiting. We were really disappointed, it was the job that Ken and I had decided to take. With help from our NC recruiter, we were able to rig up an interview for Ken in North Myrtle Beach, SC. After Ken visiting the area and talking with me, we prayed about it and received an answer on where to go. We have accepted and are moving in July to.................

NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC

We are very excited and don't know what is in store for us there. I am eager to find out. Wish us luck. Now the next 2 months, my project is to get this house ready to put on the market by the end of February.

Merry Christmas!!!

2009-12-29T13:47:00.000-08:00

This past month and a half just flew by. Ken and I have been so busy with interviews (from the weekend before Thanksgiving to the weekend before Christmas), that we feel we were not able to participate in all the holiday festivities. I will post much more on our adventures from the West coast to the East coast, as for now, I want to wish everyone a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

We had a great Christmas this year. Ken and I decided to have our own little Christmas with the girls at home. This will be our last Christmas in Peoria, IL and we wanted to celebrate in our first home.

The night before Christmas, we made homemade pizza for dinner. After the dishes were done, we sat around the tree to open our Christmas Eve presents (the usual pajamas and the Christmas Eve movie). The girls absolutely loved their pajamas courtesy of Mimi and Papa.

We put our pajamas on, read the bible story of Jesus' birth, pulled out the goodies and sat to watch "Merry Madagascar". Before bed, we put out cookies, carrots and milk for Santa and his reindeer.

Ken had to work Christmas day; however, he was able to go in an hour and a half later than scheduled so he could watch the girls open their presents. Santa was very kind to them this year. They really enjoyed their gifts and goodies from Santa, family and friends.

Katelyn didn't care about the rest of her presents. The minute she saw her Wonder Pet figurines, she was in heaven.

Tressa really wanted a dog for Christmas. I didn't want to have a real one so we ended up getting her a fur real puppy. She absolutely loves it. She takes it everywhere with her and her newborn cat.

The rest of the day was spent sitting around in our pajamas playing with every new toy. We had a nice roast dinner and was able to talk with family through Skype. It was a joyous holiday season. We want to wish everyone a

HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON!!!!
From the Richards Family to You!!

Kindness begins with me!!!

2009-11-10T11:55:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday night, Tressa wanted to go out to eat as a family at a sit down restaurant. Ken decided to try the Sterling Family Restaurant. I have to say the only thing good that came out of this was the kindness Tressa showed to an older lady.

During the meal, Tressa had found a penny on the floor. She held on to it for the rest of the meal, so excited to put in her penny jar. Next to us sat an older lady eating by herself, she kept commenting on how cute our kids were and was entertaining Katelyn (or was Katelyn entertaining her, it was a toss up). As we were waiting for the check, Tressa did and said something that I will never forget.

Tressa hands the older lady her penny. The lady asked her, "What is this for?" Tressa looked at me then her and said, "I want to pay for your dinner." The lady was very touched by this. What surprised me is that she kept the penny and on the way out, she (the lady) said to me, "I will cherish this penny forever."

I was really touched with the kindness Tressa had shown toward a complete stranger. True she doesn't quite understand the value of money, but I know that she is learning charity and the true love of Christ through her kindness and compassion towards others. Who would have thought, Tressa my little tornado.

Thank you Tressa for setting an example to me and our family.

Happy Halloween!!!!

2009-11-01T06:19:00.001-08:00

We kicked off the night with Ken carving our pumpkin while I was in the kitchen making caramel brownies and doing Tressa's hair for her costume. Tressa wanted Ken to do a silly face, so with a marker, I did my part by outlining the pumpkin. Ken got in to get messy.

Around 6:00, crowds of trick-or-treaters started knocking at our door. Thanks to YouTube for providing the scary halloween music. This year Tressa dressed up as Sleeping Beauty. For her love of bananas, we thought it would be appropriate for Katelyn to dress up as our little monkey.

Tressa was getting anxious to start on her quest for a bucket full of candy.

Successfully, she came with a big bucket full. Katelyn came back with the same amount. We are up to our ears in sugar.

Tressa got to go trick-0r-treating with her friend, Aubrey.

The final product of our jack-o-lantern being displayed on our front porch for all to see.

We finished off the night with Papa Murphy's Pizza, drinks, breadsticks and salad. We enjoyed spending our Halloween fun with friends.

Happy Halloween!!!

My Sleeping Beauty

2009-10-30T07:29:00.000-07:00

Today Tressa had her Halloween Party at preschool. This year she dressed up as Sleeping Beauty. She looks really cute with her dress and hair in ringlets. I have to say I was impressed with myself on how her hair turned out. I was WORRIED!!! I hope that she has a great time at her party. I want to hear all about it when she gets home.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

My New Hobby!

2009-10-14T07:13:00.000-07:00

So, I have now started a new hobby. It is CROCHETING!!!! Last night, I went to a friend's house and she taught me how to make a headband. The one I made was a little too short for me to wear, but it fit Tressa just right. She wore it today to preschool. Here are her model shots.

Do you like?

Happy Belated 1st Birthday!!!!

2009-10-13T12:01:00.000-07:00

Our little Katelyn turned 1 on Sept. 30th. I know I am such a slacker when it comes to blogging. On her birthday, we dropped Tressa off at preschool and then headed over to Build a Bear. She picked out her own stuffed monkey that giggles when you push down her hand. Hence the monkey's name "GIGGLES". We figured it was appropriate since Katelyn is always happy and smiling. She really does brighten up your day no matter how ornery you are.

In the evening we made homemade pizza and had cake and ice cream for dessert. She opened up her presents and immediately wanted to play with them.

Katelyn with GIGGLES!

Happy Birthday Katelyn!!!

FYI: These past couple of weeks she is doing well with her walking. It is kind of hard with her walking in socks on a hardwood floor, but she is getting better.

One Step at a Time!!!

2009-09-25T15:13:00.000-07:00

Katelyn is going to be 1 next Wednesday. Just a week before her birthday, she is taking her first steps. She walks 5 steps at a time. I am excited that she is starting to walk (less baggage I have to carry); however, here comes another kid for me to chase and keep track of.

Congratulations Katelyn on your milestone.

Trivial Question

2009-09-16T15:26:00.000-07:00

This is a trivial question (at least for me), here it goes:

If you could live anywhere in the U.S., where would you live?

Just curious.

The Conclusion of our Trip

2009-09-10T09:17:00.000-07:00

The conclusion of our trip out to Utah and California. Here are the highlights:

Aug 7th:

Aunt Joan, Donna, my Mom and I spent the afternoon at the movies, "Julie & Julia". For those of you who like Julia Child, you would love it. Meryl Streep did a fantastic job.
Aunt Donna and I spent the evening watching little kids, while others went to a baseball game and my parents met up with one of my Dad's old friends for dinner.

Aug 8th:

The whole family went to Huntington Beach for our Annual Clayton Reunion.
We enjoyed visiting with family I haven't seen in a long time.
Tressa, my Mom and Dad and I had a great time playing in or near the ocean and the sand.
We roasted hot dogs and s'mores in the fire pit.
We also had fun looking for and collecting seashells. I remember doing that as a child with my Mom whenever we would go to the beach.

Tressa as a mermaid.

"Shark Attack!"

Have you ever seen an octopus with seaweed hair?

Aug 9th:

We headed home to Utah. Before we left L.A., we went to visit my brother's, Aaron, grave.
On the way, we stopped in St. George to visit with Ken's Grandma Avery and her husband, Lorraine.
They treated us to dinner at Chuck-a-Rama.

Me and my girls with Grandma Clayton.

My brother's grave site.

GiGi (Colleen's Mom)

Aug 10th:

I spent the afternoon doing laundry and packing for our journey back home to Peoria the following day.
In the evening, Tressa, Katelyn and I were able to go out to dinner with my good friend, Melissa, and her husband, Rhen.
For the rest of the evening, I went with my Mom to see Harry Potter. I think that one had to be one of my favorites.

Tressa and Katelyn with Uncle Spencer.

Aug 11th:

My Mom and I woke up early to attend the temple. What a joy it is to have a temple within five minutes of your house.
Early afternoon, we caught our flight home.

So long, farewell. We will see you next year.

Thank you Mom and Dad for letting us stay with you and visit. We love you. We always enjoy going to Utah and seeing how much it has changed. I am looking forward to our next annual trip.

Preschool Pics

2009-09-09T10:59:00.000-07:00

1st day of Preschool

2009-09-09T07:55:00.000-07:00

I just dropped Tressa off to her first day of preschool. I already miss her running around causing a ruckus, oh the little things you realize you love when they are gone.

Last night I asked her what she was going to learn about in preschool. Her first response was "Jesus". I told her that she learns about Jesus in nursery, but in preschool she will learn colors, shapes, numbers, letters and the spelling of her name. She got really excited.

When I dropped her off this morning, the teachers have everyone wash their hands and then go play with the toys. Tressa fit right in. She didn't even turn around to see me go. I guess that is a blessing in disguise. I am glad that she is excited to learn and grow. I can't wait to hear how her first day went.

I will try to post pictures later. My upload photos is not working at the moment. Stay tune.

Week 3, Part 1

2009-09-01T11:59:00.000-07:00

We arrived in California safely (of course) after traveling in the car for 10 hours. I have to admit that my daughters are gems when traveling (why not any other time?). Tressa had a great time looking out the window looking at all the scenery. She really liked looking for Joshua trees and the gorge between St. George, UT and Mesquite, NV. We were at my grandma's house just in time for her delicious spaghetti and garlic bread dinner.

My two little traveling angels.

On Aug. 5, we relaxed around the house, trying to stay cool, while waiting for the A/C repairman. My Mom and I cooked a delicious Mexican dinner for our hostesses in appreciation for letting us stay with them. Later that evening, we watched, "The Soloist" starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downy Jr. It made you appreciate what you do have in life and to enjoy it. It may have had a good message, but my aunt and I agreed that it was too slow.

Tressa and Katelyn with Great Grandma Mary.

On Aug 6, my parents and I took the girls to Disneyland. Oh my gosh!! Tressa was in heaven. We were there from 11 in the morning until it closed at midnight. Tressa did not sleep at all, she was too interested in going on all the rides and looking for princesses. Katelyn was able to sneak in an hour or two of Zzzzs. Tressa's favorite rides were: Peter Pan, It's a Small World and Finding Nemo Voyage Ride. She thought the Haunted Mansion and Snow White Scary Adventure were TOO scary.

While we walked around the park, we were trying to look for Disney characters. We were disappointed the only characters we saw was the Queen from Snow White. (I didn't find out until later that there is a special area made for the princesses and that is where you go to get autographs.) That information would have been helpful earlier that day. Oh well, we will save her autograph book for the next time we go.

Towards the end of the night, we watched Nightastic on Tom Sawyer Island and the River of America. Afterwards, there were fireworks from above the castle and Tinkerbell and Dumbo flying through the air. Tressa kept pointing them out everytime they would fly in between the trees. When the show was over, we headed over to the Tiki Room. One of our all time favorites. Tressa was able to wake up Jose at the beginning of the show. She was volunteered to go into the center of the room (with all eyes on her, what a brave girl), this was the conversation with the Tiki Room employee.

Employee: What is your name?
Tressa: Tressa (very quietly)
Employee: How old are you?
Tressa: Without saying anything, she held up 3 fingers.
Employee: You're 3!!!
Tressa: Yes (with a head nod.)
Employee: Do you know what bird is Jose?
Tressa: Nodded her head, with it being her first time, she pointed to the right bird.
Employee: Can you say "Wake up Jose?"
Tressa: Wake up Jose? Following a sprint to the seat next to me.

Good job, Tressa!!

Here are some pictures of us at Disneyland:

In front of It's a Small World.

In front of the Sleeping Beauty's Castle

Tressa with the Queen.

"It's A Small World"
Having dinner at the Village Haus in Fantasy Land.

Tressa and Katelyn on Finding Nemo ride. Katelyn loved it too.
Tressa waving the whole time during the parade.

Week 2 of our vacation!

2009-08-24T11:40:00.000-07:00

We started our second week on vacation celebrating my Dad's 60th Birthday!! Sean, Keli and the girls arrived late the night before from California. They came to Utah for Keli's father's wedding. It was great to see them and let the little ones play. We spent my Dad's day at Hogle Zoo with half of his grandkids. (We missed Bryan, Mike and their families. If they are reading this: We wish that you were there with us.) It was a really nice, not to hot day for enjoying the outdoors and a picnic lunch.

Later that evening, we had a BBQ for my Dad's birthday and those who had just recently celebrated (Tressa) and those who begin in August (Me, Emma and Keli). My Uncle Lynn and Aunt Rosanne were able to come up from Payson for dessert and presents. It was great seeing them and catching up.

Happy 60th!!!

Happy Birthday Keli!!

Happy 10th!!

Happy 3rd!!

On July 29th, we spent the afternoon indoors at the theaters to see "UP". I thoroughly enjoyed it and so did Tressa. It is unlike her to sit through an entire movie without having the wiggles. From what my mom said, she did pretty good. Katelyn on the other hand wanted to get down and crawl and eat. So I sat in the front rows away from everyone to keep her happy so the others could enjoy the show. I recommend it to anyone.

On July 30th, Sean and Keli invited me, the girls and my parents to spend the day with them at Lagoon for Emma's 10th Birthday. We went for the afternoon. Tressa had a blast at Lagoon-a-Beach until she was knocked over by 12 years old going down the waterslide as she was trying to go back up it (like kids do on the playground at the park, however, this was no park). She was a little shaken up, but I had her get back in the water so she wouldn't be afraid. We spent late afternoon and early evening riding on the kiddie rides. Tressa had a great time going from ride to ride. I can't wait to take her to Disneyland. She thought Lagoon was fun I couldn't wait to see her face at Disneyland.

July 31st, my Mom and I took Tressa to see the inside of the temple. We went to the Oquirrh Temple Open House. She was curious, every room we walked through she would ask, "What is this or that?". At the end of the tour I asked her what she enjoyed the most. She responded, "the COOKIE!!" At the very end, they had a refreshment tent. Before we left to go home, we stood in front of the temple and took pictures. In the afternoon, Tressa went swimming with Grandpa, while Katelyn and I stayed to visit with Kristen. Later that evening, I went back with Tressa and Katelyn to Jared and Kristen's house to play with the cousins and to visit. We had a great time.

August 1st, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to ME and EMMA!! I turned the big 27 and Emma the big 10. I spent the day helping my mom clean and cook for the party. My Dad took me and Tressa to Taco Time for lunch. Family came over that evening for a broccoli chicken over rice and veggies. Emma and I each had our own cake and candles. It is always fun to share my birthday with a niece.
August 2nd, we went to my ward that I had grown up in. It was great to see my old Young Women leaders and Primary teachers.

August 3rd, we spent the day playing in the toy room and outside. Later that evening we cleaned the house, did laundry, went grocery shopping and packed for California. We are heading out early in the morning.

Stay tuned for the conclusion of our trip to Utah and California. I hope that everyone had a great weekend.

First week of our vacation in Utah

2009-08-20T07:02:00.001-07:00

On July 21st, Tressa, Katelyn and I left from Chicago to Salt Lake City for a 3 week vacation to visit family. My friend, Mary, was kind enough to take us to the Chicago MDW Airport, where we took a direct flight (love direct flights when you're alone with 2 young ones). I can't complain though, my girls did an excellent job traveling. Tressa stayed by my side the whole time and both of them did really well on the plane. I received several compliments from passengers.

My Dad was there to pick us up in my Mom's new Lexus. When I got to my parents' house, my Aunt Leslie (from Kansas City), Uncle Tom and their daughter, Ellen, were there spending the night. Also, my Uncle Richard and Aunt Julie came to visit with Leslie and Tom. It was great to see some relatives I haven't seen in years.

Wednesday (July 22nd) we hung out with my Dad in the morning before he left for the temple. In the evening, my Mom came home from her class and we chatted over a taco salad dinner. That evening, she had some sisters from the ward over for book group.

Thursday and Friday (July 23rd to July 24th), Tressa had her first sleepover with her cousins Abbey (5) and Claire (3). They spent most the day playing down in the toy room and in my parents' backyard. My parents have the coolest playground, Tressa kept calling it the park. I asked her one day what the name of the park should be, she answered, "the Barbie park". When night came, they sat in little chairs with their popcorn and watched a Barbie movie (Tressa's new love of movies= the Barbie movies). Trying to get them to go to bed was hard. Tressa kept talking to them and they would tell her they were trying to sleep. Eventually, they were out like a light. All day Friday was spent, again, down in the toy room or outside.

Friday night, we celebrated Pioneer day with a family BBQ. Spencer was down for the weekend from Logan, Jared and Kristen came with Jacob to eat and pick up the girls. We had a delicious dinner outside on the patio.

Saturday (July 25th) brought much joy and excitement to Tressa. As you know, Tressa has a love for dinosaurs, so my parents decided to take us to the Dinosaur museum at Thanksgiving Point. I will sum up Tressa's whole day into one word "heaven". At every turn she would point to the next dinosaur with smiles. It was great to see her have so much fun. Here are some pictures.

Tressa with Grandma

Tressa watching through the window at the employees working on the dinosaur bones.

What a grin?

"Watch out!!!"

Sunday (July 26th) I was able to attend my cousin's (AJ) farewell. He left for his mission to Charlotte, NC. It was great to see him and his family. I will see his parents again in California for the family reunion.

Monday (July 27th) was a day full of shopping, going out for ice cream and swimming in the pool out back. Tressa and Katelyn had fun splashing and swimming on a hot day. Katelyn after a while climbed out of the pool and crawled around on the grass. My roommate from college, Carolyn, came over to visit with us and to meet my little girls. She also was kind enough to help me make dinner and stay to help eat it.

Well there is our first week of fun. Stay tune for tomorrow for week 2 of our vacation to Utah.

Back in the Saddle

2009-08-12T11:53:00.000-07:00

After 3 weeks in Utah and California, Tressa, Katelyn and I are trying to get back in the saddle. Here in the next couple of days when I am unpacked and settled, I will post for the next week or two to let you get a look inside our fun and exciting vacation with my family. My parents kept us busy with places to go and people to see. Stay tuned......

Tressa's Princess Party!!!

2009-07-13T14:28:00.000-07:00

Today is Tressa's 3rd birthday, she decided that she wanted to have a princess party with princess invitations, pink strawberry cupcakes with princess tiaras and plates, napkins, cups.

We had a fun time celebrating her birthday with her friends and their moms. The kids decorated their own foam visor with foam princess stickers and for the boys in the group car, plane and train stickers. After the crafty portion of her party, they all headed outside for some fun in the water.

We had Tressa's little swimming pool, (thanks to my friend) some sprinklers and what is a party without squirt guns. While the kids played, my wonderful hubby after pulling a 27 hour shift at the hospital, grilled up some hot dogs.

L to R: Aubrey, Tressa, Eva, Beckham, Topher, Maggie

Next came the ice cream and princess strawberry cupcakes. Mm...Mm....Delicious!!

After dessert, the kids dried off and dressed for the opening of presents.

Tressa's loves her presents this year. Ken and I bought her a dollhouse with furniture, Thomas train set and the expansion train set. Her friends gave her a Barbie doll, Snow White polly pocket, a princess dish set, a princess coloring book, a princess skirt to dance in and a sign with a princess crown with her name. The rest of the day, she has been playing with her dollhouse and train set.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRESSA!!!!!
We love you!!!

Happy 3rd Birthday!!!

2009-07-13T12:29:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my baby is now 3 years old.

HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY, Tressa!!!!

Ken let Tressa paint his fingernails. Too cute!!

Dancing Queens

2009-07-03T17:00:00.000-07:00

Tonight, Ken and the girls were dancing up a storm. Here are a couple of videos of them being DANCING QUEENS. Pull up a chair, have a snack and enjoy the show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qIE-tPML4c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hekyuDQ8b4

P.S. If anyone can help me, how do you put the actual video from YouTube to the Blog?

She's mobile

2009-06-15T06:07:00.000-07:00

That's right. It is now time to child proof our house. Katelyn is getting into everything now. She is MOBILE!!! It is so cute. She does not do the typical crawl instead she decided to go military. She is an ARMY crawler. She cracks me up. When she wants something she will either roll or crawl or both.

Ken also taught her a new trick this past week. I hope this does not offend anyone, if it does I apologize. When asked, "Do hemorrhoids", Katelyn will bare down and grunt. Hopefully one day I can get it on video and post. We will see.

I hope that everyone had a great weekend. I know we had a productive weekend working in the yard.

The Good, The Bad and No Ugly

2009-06-13T11:16:00.000-07:00

Match day was this past Wednesday for Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship and well, we did not match. We both had a feeling that we were not going to make it this year, but it was still hard when it was concrete. We will just try again next year, we still have hope for next year. That was the bad news this week.

However, the good news is that Ken made Chief Resident for next year (which will look good on his resume). He will work about 15 hours more a week, which is really nothing compared to how much he is gone already (what is a few more). We have also decided for Ken to look into an away rotation for cardiology for a month. Again, I can handle a month with him gone and 2 kids right!? We will see when we cross that bridge.

We both feel that the Lord has something in store for us, we just don't know what it is. We will just have to rely on our faith in Him and wait and see.

JoAnne's Baptism

2009-06-11T11:44:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, we had another girls day out (Colleen, Tiona, Tressa, Katelyn and I). This time, we headed up to the southern part of Chicago to the city of Mokena, IL. We went to support JoAnne (Travis's girlfriend) in her decision to be baptized. We had a great time up there visiting with her. We took her out to dinner at AppleBee's, then headed to the church for her big moment. I was honored in taking part and saying the opening prayer. The spirit was definitely with us in the room. I love going to baptisms. It makes me remember and ponder the promises and blessings I made and received when I was baptized. What a great night. To top it all off, we stopped for ice cream on the way home. We have really enjoyed having Colleen and Tiona come to visit us. It is always great to see family. Thank goodness for great in-laws.

Here is a picture of JoAnne with the missionaries:

CONGRATULATIONS JOANNE!!!!

Old Historic Nauvoo

2009-06-10T14:11:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, we had a girls day and night out at Old Nauvoo. We left at 9:30 to get our Subways for a picnic lunch then headed out of Peoria toward Nauvoo. We got to the visitors center around 12:30 to have lunch.

At 1:00, we met up with Elder Richards and his two companions. We had a great time visiting with them. I know Colleen was tickled to see her baby (Elder Richards). We took a carriage ride around the wooded areas (what Nauvoo looked like when the pioneers arrived) and heard several different stories about our ancestors.

We made a visit into town to the LDS Harvest bookstore. I was able to find Tressa the primary childrens' songs (words and music) on CD. Now we have something to listen to in the car instead of Christmas music all year round.

While Colleen was giving Travis a haircut on the deck of his apartment, Tiona and I took the girls to the pavilion to play pioneer children games from their time period. It was a lot of fun. Tressa made a little friend while we were there named Briel. We also got a tour of Scovy's bakery (I think that is the right name, I could be wrong).

An hour later, we met up for dinner at the Hotel Nauvoo. It was YUMMY home cooking. It was pricey but worth every penny. After stuffing ourselves happy at the buffet, we watched the band perform in front of the Cultural Hall for about 20 minutes. Tressa was rather entertaining dancing to the music.

Later that evening, we watched Sunset by the Mississippi. It had some great humor and rather enjoyable. In the beginning of the show, they had all the little kids decorate a hat and carry either a musical instrument or a flag around in their parade on the stage. Tressa looked so cute waving her flag.

We had a great time. After a long fun day we got home around 1:00 in the morning.

Visitors have come and gone

2009-06-09T17:33:00.000-07:00

Last Tuesday through Friday, Colleen and Tiona came to visit. We did a lot of traveling in the time they were here. I thought I would tell you our adventures one day at a time for the rest of this week. So today, I will tell you what we did the night they came to town.

We had a nice made over taco bake. Delicious! Courtesy of Taste of Homes magazine. Of course, what would make a delicious meal even more delicious, WATERMELON!!! For those of you who know me, I could live off watermelon. It is one of my favorites this time of year.

After a great meal and conversation, we headed over to the couch to talk and flip channels. Later on that evening, we had refreshments made by our a little chef, Tressa. We had pudding popsicles with oreo chunks. Again, delicious. I think Katelyn would agree. Here is a picture of her enjoying Mimi's dessert.

Katelyn

Tressa (by the end she had a pretty good goatie)

It was a delightful evening of relaxing and hanging out. Now it was time to turn in early, because the following day would be filled with fun and games in Historic Old Nauvoo. Stay tuned tomorrow for our day trip and also for an update on Fellowship.

Afternoon at the Circus

2009-06-08T14:12:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago, the Ringling Brothers & Barnum and Bailey Circus came to town. I had been debating whether or not to spend a FORTUNE and take the girls. After learning that Ken had NEVER been to a circus, I decided we needed to go at least once. We had a great time spending an afternoon as a family. Tressa enjoyed the first half of the GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH, but after the tigers she wanted to go home. Ken was a sucker and bought Tressa a stuffed poodle. Plus, what is a show without popcorn. When all was spent and done, we had fun. Here are some pictures to highlight the afternoon.

What a vacation, we had!

2009-05-13T08:39:00.000-07:00

Sorry that I haven't posted in a while. We had a very relaxing and fun vacation. There is so much to say, so to save me and you some time here are the highlights of our trip.

Hopefully later today or tomorrow (when I have time) I will create a slide show of our trip.

May 1st:

We met my in-laws in St. Louis to see Travis off for his mission. He is doing a young performance mission in Nauvoo, IL playing the trombone for the bandwagon this summer.
We spent the night in the Embassy Suites, where we enjoyed playing in the swimming pool and walked a deserted mall in search for the food court. Hoping that a zombie would not jump out at you. Seriously, I felt like I was in a horror film.

May 2nd:

We spent most the day at the Gateway Arch State Park.
We were able to take the ride up to the top of the Arch and overlook St. Louis and Illinois.
We headed out to Giant City State Park in Carbondale, IL and checked into our cabin.

May 3rd:

We spent the morning, hiking a few trails before it would rain that afternoon. The scenery was beautiful, the weather was just right and we had a delightful picnic of sandwiches and chips. To top it off we made s'mores by the fire.
In the afternoon, we drove to Anniston, MO to find the burial sites of Ken's great grandfather and grandmother. We were able to find their graves and some others with the last name Smith. It will be great to work on the genealogy.

May 4th:

Happy Anniversary for Ken and I. We celebrated our 7th anniversary. We spent most the day driving from Carbondale, IL to Cincinnati, OH.

May 5th:

Thanks to Ken's mom for watching the girls, Ken and I were able to celebrate our anniversary a day late by going to see "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past" and getting a quick bite at the food court.

May 6th:

Ken stayed home with the girls, while Colleen and I had our own girls day out full of shopping. I was able to buy me 2 pairs of capris and 3 tops. For many of you who don't know, I HATE clothes shopping. Surprisingly enough, I actually enjoyed it.

May 7th:

We decided to take Tressa to the Cincinnati Zoo. She thoroughly enjoyed it. She would walk around with the map pointing us in all directions. She would run from one animal to the other. She is definitely growing up.

May 8th:

We celebrated Ken's birthday (May 10th) early. We had a delicious dutch oven dinner of bacon potatos and BBQ chicken. Followed by a lemonade oreo ice cream cake.
To top it all off, we saw a late showing of the new Star Trek. I am not a Star Treky but I absolutely LOVED it. Definitely recommended to everyone to see.

May 9th:

We headed down to Louisville and spent the day at the Brenheim Arboratum and Forest. Boy, how I miss Louisville and Kentucky. Excellent scenery.

May 10th:

HAPPY 30th BIRTHDAY Ken!
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY Michelle! and to all those Mothers out there.
Headed home, sad to see our trip end. Oh well, back to the real world.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the slide show.

Our Not-so-little Angel!

2009-04-30T17:53:00.000-07:00

Can you believe that Katelyn is now 7 months old today. I can not believe how much she has grown, literally, I had to start pulling out Tressa's one year old clothes for Katelyn to wear this summer. I just wish that they last through summer and does not outgrow them before then. (She is getting pretty close, it is just those cute chunky thighs of hers.) But we love her just the same.

She is our not-so-little angel. She is always smiling, hardly ever cries (which is a plus). When she does smile her whole face lights up. It just makes your heart melt and make you want to laugh. Just today, she started to show signs of crawling. I don' t know if that is a good thing or a bad thing. This is about the time Tressa started to crawl too. She must take after her sister. Here are some photos of her at 7 months.

Our trip to Nauvoo

2009-04-21T18:24:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we were lucky to have my cousin and her family come visit from Indianapolis for a few days. We sure had a lot of fun. I needed a vacation after our vacation. We hardly got any sleep. We were either on the go or just stayed up talking with each other all hours of the night.

Friday night after our BBQ, we headed out to Nauvoo. There we spent the night in the Family Inn and Suites. We were able to go swimming in the pool. Tressa had a great time, she was so excited to be able to swim. I think Tracy and her family had fun in the pool too.

Saturday morning, Ken and I were able to go through the Nauvoo Temple. It was nice to be together and to renew our covenants with our Savior. Tracy and her husband were nice enough to babysit the girls while we went. We did them a favor by watching their kids while they went through.

Saturday afternoon, we spent the time taking a wagon ride around Old Nauvoo. It was a nice cover from the rain. Following the wagon ride, we headed to Carthage, where we were able to take a short tour through the Carthage jail. We got back late Saturday night and Sunday we went to church. Before they left we had a filling dinner and a yummy dessert. By Sunday evening, we were all tired out, especially Tressa. We let her have popcorn and watch a movie in her toy room. When I went in to check on her, this is what I saw. It made my day.

Thanks Tracy and Jeff for coming out to visit. We had a great time. You are welcome back anytime. We enjoyed your company. I hope that everyone had a great weekend.

I want to congratulate my Mom and Dad on their 36th wedding anniversary (April 19th).

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!! We love you.

Easter dresses, 2009

2009-04-16T05:55:00.001-07:00

Our beautiful girls

Here are some pictures that were taken with Tressa and Katelyn in their Easter dresses. While we were in Cincinnati, Ken's brother (Carl, thanks Carl) took these pictures in his parents' basement. They turned out really cute.

Katelyn

Tressa

Great shot of her uvula!

EASTER

2009-04-14T09:04:00.000-07:00

Here are the highlights of our Easter weekend. It started off Friday night while Ken was on call at the hospital, the girls and I had a our own little tea party. Tressa was so excited, she has been watching to much Ruby and Max. It seems that Ruby is always throwing a tea party with your dolls. We had grape juice and girl scout cookies, the carmel delites.

Saturday night after having a BBQ for dinner, we sat down to dye Easter eggs. Personally for me, I found the whole preparation of the dyes and cooking the eggs tedious. However, we still had a great time dyeing the eggs. Tressa had fun mixing the colors by moving the eggs from one bowl to another. I think she got more dye on herself than the eggs.
Before going to bed, Tressa wanted to leave the Easter Bunny a snack like we do for Santa Claus. I asked her what she wanted to leave out for him or her, she said "Carrots." Of course, Ken had to add his two cents and asked her if the Easter Bunny wanted some Doritos. So we put some carrots and Doritos on a plate with some Diet Coke (courtesy of Ken). We left him a little thank you note.

Easter morning, Katelyn with her basket. She got a stuffed duck and some fisher price people she can nibble on. She absolutely loves them.
Tressa on her little Easter egg hunt from the Easter Bunny. He decided to hide her some eggs with candy for her throughout the house.
We hope that everyone had a great Easter.

An M&M melts in your mouth and in your NOSE!

2009-04-09T12:22:00.000-07:00

As you recall about a month ago that Tressa had stuck some pieces of glass up her nose. You would think after going to the OR and having it removed she would have learned her lesson. Well, I guess not.

This morning while I was reading my scriptures a couple of feet from her while she was eating lunch, she started to scream. I run over to her and she is again pointing at her nose. I looked up her nose and saw the tail end of a light green M&M. She had stuck a whole M&M up her left nostril. What a genius she is.

I paged Ken hoping he would answer quickly. Luckily, he was just about ready to go to lunch and had time to come home to see if he could remove it. He was not able to get it out, so we went to the PAC clinic that he was working in today. He just laid her down and used saline to try to get it out. I guess by the time we got to the clinic, the M&M had somewhat melted in her nose.

I guess the saying is true. M&Ms melt in your mouth and they should add "and your nose".

Birthday Wishes!

2009-04-08T09:29:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to wish

Mindy

and Travis

a very

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

I hope that you have a wonderful and relaxing day.
We love you.

Gotta love the rotavirus

2009-04-07T12:34:00.000-07:00

It has been pretty crazy this past week not because of Spring Break (well because I don't have any kids in school), but because of Tressa having the symptoms of rotavirus. The whole week consisted of diarrhea, vomit, watching children movies and cartoons and listening to Tressa say, "Mommy I peed my pants" (when she actually did not, it was diarrhea). She would also say, "Mommy my stomach hurts" (following that she would throw up). After she got over the worse of it, Katelyn started showing symptoms as well. Will it ever end?

The past couple of days were tough, Tressa was only peeing once every 24 hours. She didn't want to drink anything because she associated it to throwing up. She is now getting back on track with her drinking and urination. Yeah!!! She is now up and running like the little tornado that she is.

On a good note, Ken's interview at RUSH in Chicago went really well today. We both feel as if that is where we are going to end up next summer. But it is only a feeling, it could change.

As for the answer to last week's "Where Are We?" It was the Hill Cumorah. Congrats to those who were right. With this past weekend being General Conference, I feel this one is appropriate. This is where it all began. Here is this week's, best of luck.

From _'s _?

2009-03-30T07:13:00.000-07:00

Well it is time again to play "Where are We?"

(Hint: You can definitely feel the spirit there.)

Ignore the bad picture of me. It was wet and cold and I was 5 months pregnant with Tressa.

Tomorrow, I will post the answer. Also, I am thinking of starting something new on Tuesdays called "Tasty Tuesday", where I will try different recipes once a week and then post the recipe. Give some people out there some variety to spice up their dinners and save money on eating out.

Good luck!!

Our trip to Cincinnati

2009-03-25T08:16:00.000-07:00

We had a great time visiting Ken's family in Cincinnati. There was never a dull moment with two cute little girls, especially our tornado Tressa. The drive there was great. The girls behaved, Katelyn did not cry at all or get fussy. They just sat in the back and watch movies the whole trip. Thank goodness for portable DVD players.

Tuesday, we took them to the Cincinnati zoo. Tressa was on animal overload. She had so much fun running from animal to animal, getting excited over everything she saw. She loved to ride the train around the park with Mimi. I took pictures of the zoo; however, I can not find my camera cord to connect to the computer. So when I find it I will definitely post you some pictures.

For the rest of the trip, it consisted of Tressa taking a lot of walks with Papa, Carl or myself. She loved being outside. We went shopping like girls do. Mimi took Tressa to Build a Bear. She picked out a pink monkey dressed as a doctor and named him 'Doc'. She did not quite know what to do with filling the monkey with stuffing, giving it a bath, dressing it and giving it a name, but she did enjoy it.

We had a great time and we are thankful for Mimi and Papa for their hospitality and for Carl and Tiona coming over to visit us with their busy school schedule.

As for the "Where are We?" for the week, the answer is The Old North Church in Boston, MA. We were able to see it while we were walking the Freedom Trail through Boston. Congrats to those who answered correctly.

We're back in business

2009-03-23T16:08:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted for the past week. We were out of town having a grand old time with Mimi and Papa. Now we are back and having to face reality and the responsibilities that come with it. We had a great time on our trip, more of that tomorrow.

Here is the "Where are We?" for the week. For the last post, everyone was right. The picture was of Niagara Falls on the Canadian side. Ken and I stopped there on our way to see Phil and Bonnie in Boston while I was pregnant with Tressa. Good luck on this week's.

Hint: It is mentioned in the movie "National Treasure".

Girls' Week Out

2009-03-15T20:00:00.000-07:00

Well, me and the girls (Tressa and Katelyn) are having a girls' week out. We are heading to Cincinnati to visit with Ken's family. We are really excited, especially Tressa because she gets to go with Mimi (Ken's Mom) to the Cincinnati Zoo. It will be fun to see them and for them to hang out with the granddaughters. I will have a full report on our adventures when we get back. But for now, I leave you with "Where are We?". Good luck.

Name the landmark and what side of the line we are on. (Give you a hint: It is either on the U.S. or the Canadian side.) Have fun.

I will have the answer for you on Tuesday. Have a great Monday.

Correcting Mistake

2009-03-13T14:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday when I took pictures of my bangs, I did it right when I had woken up so they were not well styled. I tried today to do my hair with some advice from a friend and here is how they turned out this afternoon. I hope they are better than yesterday's picture.

I got BANGS!

2009-03-12T07:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I went and got my haircut. I decided to go with the A-line like I always do; however, I wanted something a little different, something risky. So, after 11 years of not having bangs, I went for it. I now have BANGS. Can you believe it? It is some getting used to, but to me I feel younger and carefree.

Allergic to Exercise?

2009-03-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you but did you know that you can be allergic to exercising. I was reminded yesterday by my hubby, the doctor.

Yesterday, I decided to go run on my treadmill (first time on it since Katelyn was born). I know, I know, 5 months to late (but I have been enjoying my Wii Fit to much). About 5 minutes into my workout, I started itching all over my body especially my legs and arms. I could not take the itching anymore. I quit my workout and went upstairs to do some scratching. Ken looked at me and asked "Done already?" I told him that I was itching like crazy. He told me to take a Benadryl, wait 20 minutes then go back down and finish the workout. I looked at him with a confused look. He said that I am allergic to exercise. He went on to tell me that some bodies tend to release more histamines into the body while exercising causing itching (an allergic reaction).

I know I thought he was crazy too. It just sounds like an odd excuse "I can't. I am allergic to exercise". That would work great in Gym class. Don't you think? Believe it or not, it totally worked. A benadryl before exercising keeps the itch away.

The Answer is...

2009-03-10T07:41:00.000-07:00

The Washington Monument in Washington, D.C.

Here are some facts about the monument that you may not have known:

- The total cost for the building of the Washington Monument was $1,817,710.
- It stands 555'5-1/8" tall and weighs in at 90,854 tons.
- Thirty years after the death of the monument's architect, it was finally completed in 1884.

Congratulations to Hester and Amy for having the right answer. Kudos to you. Stay tune for next week's "Where are We?"

Play along with me....

2009-03-09T14:22:00.000-07:00

I was wondering what I could post today on my blog. As I was sitting and pondering what I should write, an idea popped into my head. It is a game I would like to call, "Where are we?" Since Ken and I have been married and living outside of Utah, we have had the opportunity to travel to throughout the country seeing and exploring brand new sites. So I think every Monday I am going to show you a picture and you have to post a comment telling me where you think we are. Let's see how well you know our country and the history behind it. We will start with an easy one.

"Where are we?"
(name the landmark and city or state, which ever you prefer)

I will let you know that answer the following morning. I hope you like playing games. I know I sure do. Good luck!

ER trip turns into the OR

2009-03-04T12:06:00.000-08:00

Let me set the story. Last Friday night while Ken was on call, Tressa broke or shattered a drinking glass from the counter onto the floor. Me (being a good mom that I am) I asked her is she was okay and then cleaned it up thinking a got all the pieces. Apparently not!

Last night after we had cleaned the kitchen from dinner, I turned off the kitchen light and went into the Toy Room to tidy up her toys. When all of the sudden, Tressa just starts screaming and crying at the top of her lungs. I rush into the kitchen, thinking she may have peed her pants. Sometimes when she doesn't make it to the bathroom she reacts that way. From my observation, she was dry. I proceeded by asking her what was wrong. By then, Ken had ran in with Katelyn in his arms. Tressa looks at me and points to her nose. She had stuck something up her nose and it happened to be a piece of glass. I am guessing from a couple of nights ago. Ken, being the good doctor that he is, tried to get it out with a pair of my tweezers. We were unable to grasp it and then her nose started to bleed.

To make a long story short, we headed to the ER. My friend came and took Katelyn back to her house for the night, because there were 15 patients in front of us. About 2 hours later, they send us to the MEC department. There the doctor tried to find the glass, but wasn't able to see it. Ken also tried to see what he could see earlier, but he was also unable to see. So the doctor decided to call up to the OR.

They were able to get us up to the OR within a half hour. Tressa and I got to ride in a wheel chair up to the OR. There the nurses gave her a book and a quilt to take home. While I was gone to feed Katelyn and put her to bed and come back she was out of recovery. They had to sedate her and then the surgeon went in and was able to remove 2 tiny pieces of glass that had gone farther up her nasal. To end on a good note, everything went real well. She was a trooper. Hopefully this has not traumatized her too much that she will be able to go and see daddy at his work. We were released from the hospital around midnight. I was able to get a good nights sleep and this morning, Tressa and I went and picked up Katelyn.

Here is a picture of Tressa in her hospital scrubs after we got home. She didn't want to take them off. In the picture, her sedative is still wearing off and she is using her hands to quack like a duck. I just hope that it will be quite awhile before we have this experience again or any other in the ER or OR for that matter.

Sick of being Sick...

2009-03-02T09:00:00.000-08:00

This whole weekend was a HUGE headache, literally. This past weekend, I have been home with the common cold. However, it felt like I was hit by a train. I can't seem to shake it. It does not help to recover when your husband is on call all night Friday, then sleeps most of the day away Saturday. So lucky for me, he was nice enough to take the girls to church and as a bonus I got another nap while he offered to watch the girls in the afternoon. I was able to take two naps, which is unheard of.

Now that I am just in the worst phase (you know before it gets better) my hubby is starting a very demanding rotation and my house chores are being neglected. So I have a dirty house, 5 to 6 loads of laundry and still taking care of the little ones awaiting me today. Hopefully, I will have the energy to get the things done I need.

I hope that everyone had a good weekend.

Going on 5 months

2009-02-26T08:14:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that it was just 5 months ago that I was in labor in Katelyn. I think that the second child goes by a lot quicker than your first. Don't you agree, those who have had more than one child could probably relate? Here are just some updated pictures of Katelyn this past month. She will be 5 months old this week. Amazing.

Katelyn is now starting to sit in her little highchair and loves to eat her rice cereal. Yeah, no Soy allergy with this one. (Knock on wood)

This is Katelyn big sidekick her sister, Tressa (2 1/2 yrs old). They are always having fun together. Tressa is the only one that can really get Katelyn to smile and laugh. It is so fun to watch them play.

Oops! This is a picture of Katelyn at 4 months. She is such a doll.

kids say the darndest things

2009-02-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

Last night, we were getting the kids ready for bed. Tressa is not dry at night enough to keep her in panties, so Ken was putting her in a diaper, when the funniest conversation occurred:

Tressa: It hurts. (As Ken was taking her panties off)

Ken: Where does it hurt?

Tressa: Right there. (She points to a little red spot on her bottom.)

Ken: It is a little zit. I think you will be okay.

Tressa: I think we need to go to the Doctor's office.

Ken: No, you are okay.

Tressa: No we need to go see the doctor.

Ken: Tressa, guess what? Daddy is a doctor, you will be okay.

I just thought it was funny. It made my whole day. She is fine. It is just a little pimple or zit nothing to be worried about.

A Heartfelt Hairdo!

2009-02-23T14:30:00.000-08:00

While I was visiting Keli in Chicago, we were looking at a Hair Blog and found a really cute Valentine's Day hairdo. So I had to try it on Tressa, it looked really cute. The first time I did it, I braided the heart. The second time, I twisted it. I hope you like it too!

Braided

Twisted

Family Fun

2009-02-23T14:16:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, we were able to spend time as a family and I was able to have a break from kids, husband and household chores.

Saturday morning we cleaned the house and did our chores. That afternoon a group of residents from the hospital and their families had a cosmic bowling party. We reserved 3 lanes, one with bumpers for the kiddies. We had a blast. It was fun taking Tressa bowling for her first time. Either Ken or I had to help her with her 6 lb. ball and help her push it down the lane. The first time she dropped the ball and then tried to kick it down the lane. The second time she would lay down on her belly and try to push it. We, of course, had to add our little push to the ball to make it down the lane.

In the end, Tressa went home with a bowling pin trophy that says

Children's
High Game
TRESSA
#1

She was so proud of it. Ken also received a trophy that says:

Resident
High Game
KEN

That evening, Ken was a trooper and watched the girls for me, while I went out with a couple of close friends to see the movie, "Confessions of a SHOPAHOLIC". It was a fun, lighthearted movie that you just could sit and enjoy and not have to think. Then one of my friends and I went to the grocery store to pick up a few items for the next day. It was a day filled of fun that I haven't had in awhile, very therapeutic.

Called to Serve as...

2009-02-17T07:19:00.000-08:00

Sunday morning, I was asked by the Bishop to meet with him 20 minutes before church. Uh-oh, I have a new calling. I have been called to serve as......

THE RELIEF SOCIETY PIANIST.

I had a feeling that was it, because they had me substitute a few weeks back. Wish me luck in my new calling.

My Bargain Shopper

2009-02-16T11:23:00.000-08:00

Tressa received some money from her Mimi for Valentine's Day. She wanted to use that money to buy her some dinosaur books. I guess that is her new rage, DINOSAURS. On Valentine's Day, we went as a family to Barnes & Nobles in search for her dinosaurs.

We were able to find "Danny and the Dinosaur", "Danny and the Dinosaur Go to Camp" and "Detective Dinosaur". It was buy 2, get 1 free. When we got up to the register, Tressa handed the cashier her books and told her that they were about dinosaurs. Then not only did she get one book for free, Tressa also received 10% off her total purchase. She is quite the bargain shopper. She bought her 3 books for a total of $7.75. She gave the cashier her 2 $5 bills and took her bag, receipt and change. Tressa told the cashier "Thank you, have a nice day!", then she proceeded out the door to the car.

The minute we got home she wanted to sit down and read her latest books on Dinosaurs. What a fun day!! My daughter finds great bargains. Maybe I should have her do the shopping in our family more often.

Friday fun came early!

2009-02-13T06:44:00.000-08:00

Last night, we decided to have a sleepover in our front room. We had so much fun I forgot to pull out the camera to capture our little kodak moments. We started the party out with a game of Candy Land. The game didn't last long do to Tressa's short attention span. Although, she is doing really well learning her colors. Afterward, we set up our beds and watched Shark Tales. We ate oranges for our movie treat. I know, oranges, but we had so much junk at the movies and throughout the day that we needed to end the day eating something healthy.

After the movie, Tressa was running around ragged and wouldn't settle down in her bed. So we all went upstairs to sleep in our own beds. I look back at it now and I think we definitely had to sleep in our beds for a better nights sleep.

We had a great time spending it together as a family. Today is going to be filled with cleaning, babysitting and then a date night with no kids courtesy of our activity committee in our ward.

I hope that everyone has a great Valentine weekend. We love you and wish you a HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!

Also HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my neice, Abby who turns 5.

HAPPY 6th ANNIVERSARY to my brother, Bryan and his wife, KIRSTEN. We miss you and love you.

Matter of minutes....

2009-02-12T06:56:00.000-08:00

Last night while Ken was at a conference dinner, I was home getting the kids ready for bed and giving them baths. I had just given Tressa her bath and was getting ready to run Katelyn's bath water. Before I went into the bathroom, I decided to take a minute and check my email. In just a matter of minutes, I look over and Tressa had the lotion and was sitting right next to Katelyn. Katelyn started to look a little fussy, so I went over to get her undressed. When I got closer I looked down and her hair is wet and there is white all over her face. I look over and Tressa had the lotion lid off and her hands were covered in baby lotion.

I asked her what she was doing and she told me that she was washing Katelyn's hair. Luckily, I had not given Katelyn her bath yet. Now she definitely needed a bath. It is amazing how quick a little toddler can get into mischief with me only a few feet away.

She got in...

2009-02-11T13:31:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning I went to the preschool and registered Tressa. She starts the week of Labor Day. We are so excited for her. She will be going Monday, Wednesday and Friday for a couple of hours in the morning. I told her about it and she can't wait to go. I think that she will do well and enjoy spending time with other kids her age. Here is the conversation we had after I got home:

Tressa: Where were you?

Me: I just went to register you for preschool.

Tressa: I go to preschool, come home, have lunch and go down for a nap.

She already has her days planned. I can't wait to hear all about her days at preschool and all the fun and excited stories she will tell me on the car ride home and throughout the remainder of the day. I was telling Ken that Tressa is at a fun age because she can actually converse like a big girl.

Now there is 2...

2009-01-29T09:06:00.000-08:00

We are glad that are prayers were answered. Not only do we have one interview in Chicago for fellowship. We now have two. Yes, can you believe that we have two interviews with two different programs in the Windy city of Chicago. Maybe someone is trying to tell us something, I don't know like maybe we should be living in Chicago. Who knows? We are just ecstatic that we have another one. Now we are starting to feel a little hope for our future. We will keep you posted.

My Baby is Growing up...

2009-01-27T07:39:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it? My baby is going to be turning 3 this summer and it is time for me to start filling out a preschool application. I always knew that this day would come, but I don't think anyone is fully ready to send their baby out into the world. I know it is only preschool, but preschool turns into elementary school, middle school and high school. I just hope that I teach her what she needs to survive in the world. It is always an exciting adventure for her and for me. I know that she will enjoy socializing with kids her age and she loves learning. She will do well.

For those mothers out in the world who have kids in school, any advice for first time mothers whose child is starting school?

Here's your sign...

2009-01-22T12:23:00.000-08:00

The other night, Ken and I decided to face the cold, cold weather and take the girls out for some Mexican food. It has been awhile since we actually went to a sit down restaurant with 2 kids. When we were looking for a parking space, the only ones we saw were out in the boonies. However, there was a sign in front of two parking spaces in front of the restaurant. I wish I had my camera to take a picture and post it, but I didn't. So here is what the sign said.

"PARENTS WITH TODDLERS"

Those of you who have toddlers would agree that every parking lot should show the same courtesy to mothers with little ones. It makes the daily errands a little more enjoyable and easy. So we were able to park within a few yards from the front doors in the bitter cold nights of winter.

So EXCITING!!!!!

2009-01-14T12:57:00.000-08:00

For those of you who did not know, Ken started applying last fall for fellowship programs in Cardiology. Lately, we have not had much luck until today. He received in the mail a letter from Chicago wanting him for an interview. We are so EXCITED!!! We have 12 more programs to hear back from, hopefully, from here on out it will be good news. But for now, we are on cloud 9. Wish us luck. We will keep everyone posted.

Advice well needed

2009-01-08T07:50:00.000-08:00

For those of you who haven't heard, I have been trying to potty train Tressa. We are doing well so far since Thanksgiving. She is staying dry throughout the day and her naps. We still haven't concurred the night, not quite yet. Right now I am having issues with her pooping in the potty. I got her to go once, but since then she refuses. Only seconds after I have her sit on the potty, she goes and hides away in the corner of her toy room. Next thing I know she is coming to me telling me she is stinky. I am about to give up (I won't) but still it is frustrating.

Is there any advice out there that someone can give me? I have tried everything from cheering her on to bribing with a treat bucket of fun big treats not just the one little skittle. Any advice or ideas are appreciated. Well, today is going to be another fun filled (hopefully not in her panties) day. Wish me luck. It is a new year and possibly a new beginning to her becoming a big girl. So my new year's resolution is to not get mad and frustrated and get Tressa potty trained. Maybe after that, I can set another resolution, but for now this will definitely take up most my time.

Christmas Day!!!

2009-01-07T06:35:00.001-08:00

Sorry this post is so late. I haven't had the time to post since the last time. Things came up and I just never got back into the saddle until now. I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday season. I know we did. It all started Christmas morning, we got up to open presents at 7:30 am. Very impressive for the Richards' family to wait that long. Usually, they are up at 6:00 am (when I mean 'they', I am referring to the adults not the kids).

Tressa was excited to go through her stocking with a little help from me. She is just starting to grasp the whole idea of Santa Claus. Katelyn could care less right now. She slept most the time and when she did wake up she was chillin' in Papa's lap. Of course, the first thing that caught Tressa's eye was the $20 bill Santa left for her in her stocking. When we would hand her presents to open, she would open one and want to play with it that very instant. She didn't want to open up any more presents. She would get overwhelmed and push presents away that we wanted her to unwrap. I think all in all she had a Merry Christmas. I think next year's Christmas will be fun, she will be able to tell us what she wants for Christmas. We had a very Merry Christmas!!

Here is Tressa checking out her $20 bill. Already into money and she is only 2 1/2 yrs old.

Here is Katelyn hanging out with Papa Christmas morning.

I am so excited I got my WiiFit from Ken and also the game "Dancing with the Stars". I bought Ken "Aerosmith: Guitar Hero" and a nice jacket to wear on interviews.

Tressa couldn't wait until after presents, she was hungry now so she is eating a crescent roll made for Christmas lunch.

The rest of the day, the guys were rocking it out upstairs playing Guitar Hero. Phil, Ken's brother, got Rockband for the Wii. They spent most the day away playing. Not unusual for the Richards' boys. We had a fun filled day.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!!!

Twas the Night Before Christmas.....

2008-12-29T08:36:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Christmas Eve with our annual Richards' family traditions. First, each family had their picture taken in front of the Christmas tree surrounded by piles of presents. It is amazing how much presents pile up when you have 3 families together with little children.

Our little family!!

Our 2 beautiful festive girls!!!

Second, we all gather around and open up our Christmas Eve presents which are always pajamas. Then we all disperse to put on our new pajamas and get settled down for our Christmas Eve movie premiere. This year was the movie "Fred Claus" starring Vince Vaughn. Before we watched the movie and enjoyed the festivities, we gathered to celebrate the birth of our Savior (the true meaning of Christmas) and read from the scriptures the story of his birth. It was really cute, this year Colleen had bought the Little People Nativity Scene. As Arlyn read the story, the grandchildren re-enacted using the Little People figurines.

We all settled down for our movie, the kids got their pillows and blankets and nestled themselves together on the floor. It was a fun movie from what Ken and I were able to see of it. Katelyn was getting tired and Tressa, well, she does not have the long attention span to sit for 2 hours.

Waiting patiently for the movie and popcorn!!

Our new addition, her 1st Christmas, Katelyn!

Finally, the kids fell fast asleep after putting cookies and milk out for Santa Claus and leaving him a note. Can't wait to see what Santa left us. Tune in tomorrow for more holiday joy.

Tis the Season.....

2008-12-15T07:35:00.000-08:00

We have had a great time this past weekend spending it as a family. Friday night, we had our Ward Christmas party. The cultural hall was nicely decorated courtesy of the activity committee. They served Rosemary Garlic potatoes, ham and Garlic green beans with rolls. The youth served up our meals wearing black pants, a white shirt and some wore Santa hats. Santa Claus made an appearance for the first part of the party. Tressa and Katelyn were able to sit with Santa and tell him what they wanted for Christmas. Well, Tressa was the one who told Santa what she wanted and this was how the conversation went:

Santa: what do you want for Christmas this year?

Tressa: A Plasma TV. Gee I wonder where she got that idea from. Ken.

Saturday night, we went to see the Festival of Lights. Every year for the past 24 years, different companies sponsor a float decorated with just lights. Every Thanksgiving weekend, they have the Parade of Lights where of course they parade their floats. Following the parade they have the floats on display in a park in East Peoria. It cost $10 per car or van to go in. It is about a 30 minutes drive through the park to see the lights. What an amazing view. We had a lot of fun looking at the creative and time consuming floats. Wow there are talented people out there. Here is a preview of what we saw, enjoy the slide show.

The Twilight Series

2008-12-11T07:30:00.001-08:00

Who would have ever thought that I would be reading the Twilight series and following the in crowd. I went and saw the movie Thanksgiving weekend. I loved it so much that I just had to read the book to compare. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book after reading it within 24 hours of buying it. So this past week and a half I have finished books 1 through 3. Currently, I like the 3rd book the best. Hopefully, if I have some time today, I would like to start the last book. That has been probably the highlight of the last few days.

I would like you input on what you thought of the book and the movie. I have been hearing that people who watched the movie first before reading the book loved it. Those who had read the book previous to the movie didn't like the movie.

What is your opinion? Just curious.

I am a slacker!!

2008-12-04T09:24:00.001-08:00

I apologize that I haven't blogged in a while. The past couple of weeks have been busy with our trip out to Cincinnati for Thanksgiving, Katelyn's 2 month appointment and me getting into the book series Twilight.

Last Wednesday, we were able to go to Cincinnati for the holidays. We arrived in late that evening with all the stops that come with kids. Those who have kids understand. Thanksgiving was a blast, of course, they ate a lot of turkey, desserts and played a lot of Wii. I, on the other hand, did not stuff myself with turkey. Yuck!!! Thanks to Colleen, she did make ham for those who did not want or like turkey. For dessert, Colleen and Tiona slaved over a hot stove making the following: pumpkin pie, chocolate peanut butter pie, pumpkin cake with whip topping, chocolate chip cookies, caramel brownies and to top it off cheesecake. Of course we had to have a little slice of everything. It was all delicious.

Friday, everyone (except for Colleen, the girls and me) got up at 4 in the morning to hit all the sales. People are crazy for going out on Black Friday. Kudos to those who fought the crowds. However, they were successful in getting the shopping done they needed. Throughout all of Friday, we continued our shopping for Christmas.

Saturday, I went and saw 'Twilight' without ever reading the books. I thoroughly enjoyed it. So I just had to start reading the series. On Monday, after arriving home late Sunday (at 1:00 am to be exact), I went to Kroger and bought the first book. I am totally hooked. So these past couple of days I have read the first book and I am now half way through the sequel.

For those who want to know how Katelyn is doing, she is now weighing in at 13 lbs. 7 oz. and 23 inches long. She got 3 shots in the leg and 1 orally. She did farely well with her shots. She is starting to coo at you and smile (which just melts your heart), follow sounds with her eyes and developing on track.

I hope that everyone had a WONDERFUL and HAPPY THANKSGIVING. Now on to the season of giving, CHRISTMAS!! My favorite time of year.

On a side note, I just wanted to wish my brother, Sean, a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY today!!!

Weekend Highlights

2008-11-24T06:39:00.001-08:00

We had a great weekend spending time as a family. We really don't get to hang out the four of us with Ken's schedule so it was well needed. Above is a picture of Tressa and the dessert she helped make last night for a treat. She was so proud of herself. She made a chocolate moose with vanilla wafers. It actually turned out to be DELICIOUS. Way to go Tressa!

Ken decided to give Katelyn a bath last night, guess who just had to get her hands in to help? That's right. Tressa. She had so much fun giving Katelyn a bath. I think she just loved to play in the bath water. Both my girls love the water, they must get it from their father.
I know, I know. You don't put up Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving. Let me explain, we thought since we would be out of town the weekend after Thanksgiving we would put the decorations up now. That way it will feel like Christmas when we get home. I just love Christmas especially the decorations and giving out presents. I love to see the smiles on our loved ones faces. You know the feeling. We had a great time decorating, especially now that Tressa is old enough to help and try to understand the meaning of Christmas. She just loves those candy canes on the tree. We keep telling her to leave them alone. What kid doesn't have a sweet tooth?
Here is a picture of my village. Ken's mom got me started on doing a Christmas village, so far I have 2 houses (on the ends), a lighthouse and a gas station. Every year after Christmas, I hit the sales for more village items. Hopefully some day my village will be the size of Colleen's.

I want to wish everyone a HAPPY THANKSGIVING this Thursday.

No Escaping IT

2008-11-19T14:58:00.000-08:00

As you know from my last post that my family (excluding me) was sick with the flu, you know the throwing up and diarrhea. I thought that maybe I would escape from it and not get sick. Boy was I wrong.

Last night, it just hit like a ton of bricks. I was up most of last night with the same symptoms. So today, I decided to cancel all my appointments and just stay home. I know that you don't use the TV as a babysitter, but today I did. Tressa stayed in her toy room to watch cartoons and play with her toys. Katelyn stayed with me because she too is sick and throw up last night. So today I am kicking it back and fighting this flu so I can have an enjoyable Thanksgiving season next week.

On a side note, Ken and Tressa are doing well and over the worst. Yeah!!! Now if I can just get over it life will be great.

Best of Times, Worst of Times

2008-11-17T08:58:00.000-08:00

This past weekend to me has been the best of times and the worst of times. It all started Friday morning with Ken having some gastric issues. While he was home resting with a bowl next to him and being close to the bathroom, the girls and I decided to go to playgroup and then have lunch at McDonald's with a playplace. When I got home, he was still where I had left him. That evening, he was sweet enough to let me go out with the girls (some friends in my ward) to dinner and then to Amy's house to play some Wii. I left Tressa with Ken and took Katelyn with me. I had a blast. It is always nice to somewhat get away from the kids and the responsibilities I have at home. Little did I know the weekend was only going to get worse.

Saturday, Ken still wasn't feeling well. The house was a wreck, which is not like me at all for those who know me. I am a Clean Freak. So later that afternoon, we decided to get some fresh air and do some Christmas shopping. It is amazing how many people are out this early starting their shopping for the holidays. We ended up getting Tressa a few things and then wishing for stuff that we will never get, i.e. a plasma flat screen TV.

Sunday morning, Tressa woke up at 5:00 in the morning complaining of monsters, before long she was up vomiting throughout most the morning. She couldn't keep anything down. The whole family stayed home from church. We ended up watching movies and eating crackers. It was not fun at all to sit at home with everyone sick but you. That's right, Katelyn also had some runny diapers and a little bit of throw up. In the end, we made it through. Ken is on call today and won't be home until the morning. So I am the one who will be dealing with Tressa who still is throwing up and telling me her stomach hurts. Katelyn, well, I will be changing a lot of diapers. Wish me luck. Hopefully, I can squeeze in some z's throughout today and tonight just to get me by.

Say 'Cheese'

2008-11-12T11:24:00.000-08:00

Katelyn is now 6 weeks old and for the past week she has started smiling. I was finally able to get a couple of pictures of her smiling. She has such a cute smile and it is fun to see her so happy. She is quite a joy in our family.

Blessing pictures!!!

2008-11-11T15:17:00.000-08:00

For those of you who want to see pictures from Katelyn's blessing, my cousin Traci put some up on her blog. Just go over to my Family and Friends, click on Traci, there you will find the pictures. Hopefully soon I will be able to put some of my own up. Enjoy!

A Tressa moment. Kids say and do the darnedest things. The other day, Katelyn was sitting in her swing just content not causing any trouble. Tressa walked over to her with her special time out timer, set it and put it on the couch next to Katelyn. Next thing I hear is Tressa telling Katelyn "35 minutes. Alright?". She is so used to being in time out that she thought Katelyn needed a turn. It made my day. It is amazing how the little things makes ones day.

Crazy do, hairdo that is!

2008-11-10T06:34:00.000-08:00

Saturday night, I put sponge curlers in Tressa's hair. Well, I got great results, maybe a little to much result. Here are some pictures I took of Tressa and Katelyn in their Sunday clothes. I hope you find them as cute as their mother. LOL!

Above: Tressa and Katelyn

Top: Tressa with her new hairdo.
Below: Our cute new addition at 6 weeks on Tuesday.

Finally, we have success!

2008-11-05T06:58:00.000-08:00

Starting last Friday, my mom and I started potty training Tressa. Yes my third attempt with her. She had several accidents throughout the day. She learned to hate the wetness running down her leg and standing in a pool under her. She would get upset and cry, which is understandable, considering it was all new to her. We didn't have much success the first day. Then the weekend hit and we thought it best with the blessing and visitors we would just put her in a pull up. We would start the adventure again on Monday.

Well it has been 2 1/2 days so far and we have finally succeeded. All day Monday she remained dry in her panties. After I put her pull up on for her nap, she would wet in them and tell me she wanted another one. For the past two days she has tried to hold it as long as she could until we put on the pull up. Monday night she did a little tinkle, we did not get to her in time.

However, this morning was a huge success. She did it not only once but twice. We are very excited for her. Hopefully we are off to having a great day and a good start to potty training.

Way to go, Tressa!!!

Katelyn at 1 month old

2008-11-03T15:35:00.000-08:00

Here is Katelyn's one month old picture. Wow, how time flies when having fun.

Highlights from October!!!

2008-11-03T15:12:00.000-08:00

So much has occurred in the month of October, it would take a novel to explain. So I will do it bullet style.

We have had so many different visitors come stay with us. Colleen came to help for a week and a half. Keli and her girls came for a few days. After having a week to myself to adjust to two kids, my mom and dad came the last two weeks of October. Then this past weekend we had 18 visitors come for Katelyn's blessing.
While my parents were here, we spent two days in Nauvoo, IL to attend the temple, explore Historic Nauvoo and to see Carthage jail. What a neat experience to walk where the pioneers walked and to see where our dear prophet, Joseph Smith, spent the last of his days on earth. I know that I enjoyed feeling the spirit and I know my parents felt it as well.
My parents and I took the girls on a field trip to the Wildlife Prairie Park. There we took a train ride, watched the bison and elk be fed and went to the petting farm. Tressa had a blast, she has been asking me all summer to go.
Most days we either went shopping for something or stayed in to clean or just relax.

Of course, for Halloween we took the girls Trick-or-treating and handed out some candy.
Last Saturday, we spent the day getting ready for visitors to arrive and for the blessing.

Yesterday, we had Katelyn blessed. Followed by a feast of chicken salsa chili, chicken rice soup, beef stew, french bread (courtesy of Tiona), rolls and yummy desserts.

I want to thank everyone who came for the special occassion, we really appreciate your love and support. We really enjoyed having my mom and dad come out to see us in Peoria. I hope that they had a fun time and a safe travel home.

FYI: I apologize for not having any pictures from the blessing. It turns out that the pictures I took with my camera didn't work, because well I didn't have my memory card in the camera. OOPS!!! I will post some as soon as I can.

Halloween Fun

2008-10-20T07:55:00.000-07:00

Tressa and Katelyn in their costumes

Our weekend was full of fun and getting through 4 colds. That's right, we are all sick with the cold including little Katelyn with her runny nose. Although something fun came out of this weekend. On Friday night, our ward threw a Halloween party. It was filled with game booths, face painting, donut-on-a-string contest (which by the way I beat my friend and tied with the other). There was also a carving pumpkin contest that my friend, Amy, and I participated in and won first prize. Our pumpkin was a carving of castlevania. It turned out really well that we were impressed with ourselves. They also had trick-or-treating set up for the little kids to go around the halls and collect candy. Tressa dressed up as a little purple pixie and Katelyn went in her pumpkin onesie. I went as the official candy taster and Ken went as a (bet you can't guess) a doctor. We had some great fun and needed the night out after being cooped up in the house with a newborn.

The rest of the weekend, we laid around the house trying to cure our common colds. Now on my agenda is to get my house clean and ready for my mom and dad to come tomorrow. We are really excited to see them and can' t wait to have some fun. I know Tressa is really looking forward to it.

My friend and I competing with donuts.

Tressa with her trick-or-treat candy.

Crafty Halloween

2008-10-14T08:30:00.000-07:00

This morning Tressa and I both dressed up in our Halloween outfits (well, me in my shirt and socks and her in an outfit from head to toe) and made Halloween candy necklaces. We had a great time doing it. Tressa does not quite have the threading of candy on a string, but we are still working on it to help her with her small motor skills. I think she had the most fun eating the candy off the necklace. Here are some pics of her with her candy necklace and her outfit. She just looks for festive.

Grateful for family

2008-10-13T06:18:00.000-07:00

Emma with Katelyn

Keli and her girls came to help out this past weekend. They came in Thursday evening and stayed until Saturday morning. It was nice to have them come and visit. Keli was a big help with making dinners, cleaning the house and keeping me company. The girls helped keep Tressa out of Katelyn's hair. I am sure if Katelyn could speak for herself she would thank the girls for some peace and quiet. We just wanted to thank Keli and her girls for coming down to help us for a couple of days. THANK YOU!!!!

Tressa and Katelyn with their cousins: Gretta, Maggie and Emma.

Keli with Katelyn (sorry Keli this picture was too cute to pass up)

THANKS AGAIN GIRLS! IT WAS FUN!

All by myself!!!

2008-10-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

Well, I am now officially on my own during the day raising a two year old and a newborn until my mom and dad come at the end of October. I don't know what I am getting myself into. I have been really lucky to have my mother-in-law with us for as long as she did. She headed home this morning to take care of her own chores and life. We are truly thankful for all of her help and patience. She did all the household chores, played with Tressa and made us some wonderful food. It is going to be an interesting road that I am heading in. If any of you have advice on raising two kids, let me know.

Here are some pics of Tressa helping Mimi unwrap caramels for the caramel brownies. Mimi called Tressa her little cooking buddy. Another picture of Tressa and Katelyn with Mimi this morning before she left.

Thank you Mimi for all of your help. We will miss you!!!

Coming home baby!

2008-10-02T14:46:00.000-07:00

Tressa with her doll set.

Today we brought home Katelyn. We have only been home for a couple of hours, so I really haven't had the experience to handle two children on my own. I will have that moment when Colleen goes home next Wednesday. Hopefully by then, I can have some kind of routine that all three of us can work with. Last night my mom told me she saw Ken's post of Katelyn. She told me she wanted a close up picture of Katelyn. So here they are. Also, before Ken brought me home from the hospital, he gave Tressa a little present. It was a doll with a carrier and items that you use daily to take care of a baby. This way, she will hopefully leave me alone while I am trying to take care of Katelyn. We will see how it goes. Here are the pics.

A close up of Katelyn.

Isn't she adorable?

Katelyn Michelle Richards

2008-10-01T08:08:00.000-07:00

Here are the pics. Katelyn weighed 9 lbs 6 oz, and was 21 inches long. Born on 9/30/08 @ approx 1215. Labor lasted only three hours (two pushes and Katelyn was here). Mom and Baby are both doing well.

7 and definitely counting!

2008-09-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

Today I went in for my 39th week doctor's appointment. According to them, I am still the same as I was last Wednesday, dilated to a 3 and effaced at 75%. The midwife was nice enough to give me a "vigorous exam" (stripping of the membranes). Hopefully, this will move the process along a little faster. I am just getting anxious to have this baby and to see what she looks like. Wish me luck in the next week. Luckily, I might have this baby over the weekend. Knock on wood.

Weekend Highlights

2008-09-22T14:03:00.000-07:00

Ken and Tressa going down the potato sack slide.

We had a wild and crazy weekend. It all started Wednesday with contractions. Ken was on call at the hospital all night, so I was up with contractions every 6 minutes until 2:00 a.m. Finally, I was so exhausted that I went to bed and woke every 30-40 min. They eventually went away, however, Thursday morning they started up again. Finally around 1:00 p.m., we called Colleen and told her that we were heading to hospital in hopes of having a baby. I was bummed when after an hour, they sent me home with Braxton Hicks. Darn Braxton Hicks.

Ken's mom came in Thursday evening and was going to stay to see how the weekend played out. We tried everything to run me into the ground and get this baby out. So here were the highlights of the weekend.

- Friday morning we went to Apple Blossom Orchard to play on the playground, go down on the potato sack slide and to pick apples.

- The rest of the day was spent grocery shopping at Sam's Club and Wal-Mart.

- Nothing happened that night.

- Saturday, we had an early start in the morning. Colleen, Tressa and I went around the neighborhood looking at garage sales. We found some toys for Tressa and some clothes for Katelyn.

- Saturday afternoon, we headed to Morton (the pumpkin capital) and had to look at all their stores for pumpkins. (Colleen is a nut for pumpkins. She was in 7th heaven.) We also found a farm that sold pumpkins, had a corn maze and farm animals to look at.

- Again nothing happened.

- Finally, Sunday afternoon Colleen decided to leave and come back when we were either admitted to the hospital or my water broke. Sorry Colleen for dragging you out here. False alarm. However, we did have an eventful weekend.

Ken and Tressa picking apples.

Top pic: Tressa running through the apple orchard.
Bottom pic: "Look at all the apples I picked. Yum!"

Any minute now!!!

2008-09-17T12:48:00.000-07:00

Today I went to my 38 week appointment and received some great news. I am dilated to a 3 and I am 75% effaced. The doctor said that I should get my bags packed because I could go in any day now. She believes that I will have my baby by the end of the week. Wish me luck!!! We will definitely let you know when it happens and have pictures of our little Katelyn for you. Have a great day!!!

The weight of the baby is......

2008-09-16T19:46:00.001-07:00

Today, I had a sonogram done. I guess my OB likes to have one done in your 37th to 38th week. They just want an estimate of the baby's weight, my amniotic fluid count and the position of the baby. Tressa went with me again, she had a great time watching the baby on the screen. She kept saying, "Oh! Look! A baby! Baby Katelyn!". So here are the stats.

My amniotic fluid at a 16. I guess they like the number to be between 10 and 20.

The position of the baby is head down.

The weight of the baby is......8 lbs. 4 oz. That was the size of Tressa when she was born. I could have a 9 lb baby. Ken told me that this was just an estimate, they are usually 10-15% off. I guess we will have to see when she decides to come.

I have my checkup appointment with the doctor tomorrow morning. I will keep you posted.

3 weeks in counting!!

2008-09-12T14:23:00.001-07:00

Today was my 37th week appointment. It is now coming down to the wire. Things are going well. Tressa was able to come with me to the appointment. She was able to hear the baby's heartbeat and thought it was cool. She also kept asking the nurse, "what you doing?" when she was taking my blood pressure or drawing my blood. She was actually really good during the appointment, I was worried that she would be running all over the place and getting into things. Luckily, she was on her good behavior, impressing all the nurses and doctors.

Everything is going well, here are the numbers:

- B/P: 110/66
- Dilation: 1 cm still
- Effaced: 20%
- The heartbeat of baby is wonderful

Only 20 days left and counting. Yeah!!!

The Results are In!!!

2008-09-10T13:40:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, we took Tressa in for some blood work to determine what she is allergic to. We had taken her last Friday to an out patient, but after poking her twice (once in the arm and in the hand) they were unsuccessful in getting her blood. So we ended up going to the hospital to the lab. It was amazing how fast they did it. The nurse told Tressa that she was sorry for having to have blood drawn and Tressa looked at her with tears in her eyes and said, "It's okay". The nurse's heart just melted and she said to me, "You have the most precious child". If only she really knew, just kidding? Tressa is sweet and kind when she wants to be.

We got the results in today. Surprisingly, she is not allergic soy. Hallelujah!!! However, she does have a peanut allergy. So no peanuts for her. It is amazing what medical professionals have come up with to help answer unanswered questions. We are excited that she only has one allergy and not two.

Daddy Daughter Fun!!!

2008-09-08T07:01:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning before church, I was in the bathroom doing my hair. I stepped out into the kitchen for a moment and I beheld my husband painting my daughter's toenails. It made me realize what a great dad my hubby is. Could you imagine watching your husband paint toenails for the first time in his life? Tressa actually let him do it, which in and of itself is amazing.

I might add he did a really good job for his first time. Here is the final product. Oh, so cute!!!

Tressa with the biggest grin on her face. I know that she enjoyed it. She kept going around saying, "Look! Beautiful like mommy's." (I had painted my toenails a few seconds before doing my hair. )
What great daddy daughter fun.

4 More Weeks!!!

2008-09-05T07:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I had my 36 week appointment. Everything is going well. Here are the stats:

-Baby's heart rate is great.
-Measuring on schedule
-Dilated to a 1
-My blood pressure was 110/70
-Gained 1 1/2 pounds

We are getting excited and anxious for little Katelyn to be here. We are now starting to get ready for the her. The other day I pulled out Tressa's 0-3 month outfits and reminisced about her as a baby. It is amazing how time flies by. My next appointment is on Sept 12th. I will keep you posted.

Another Allergy

2008-09-04T07:35:00.001-07:00

For those of you who don't know, Tressa has a soy allergy. Well, as of Tuesday night she now has another allergy to add to the list. Tuesday night, we went shopping and decided to buy some Reeses' Puff cereal. When I got home, I read the ingredients and found out that it did not have soy in it. Tressa had a little bowl and she loved it.

Later that night, we had read scriptures, said prayers and went up to brush her teeth. She usually fights us at night when we brush her teeth because she just wants to suck the water out of her toothbrush. She was a little bit more fussy than usual, so Ken put her in time out. After her time out, Ken went to get her and noticed that she had been rubbing her eye. Her eye started getting swollen and she was breaking out in hives around her nose bridge, mouth and on her neck. So of course I go playing detective and look over the ingredients to the cereal. We have concluded that she is allergic to......drum roll please......PEANUTS!!! My poor child, she definitely gets these allergies from Ken's side of the family. Hopefully, she will grow out of her soy allergy and luckily her peanut allergy isn't life threatening. We will go get her tested when she is a little older and the test is more accurate. As of right now, we are just going to avoid peanuts all together.

Labor Day Weekend

2008-09-03T09:51:00.000-07:00

the Milwaukee Zoo
Cedar Lake
Emma with her fish she caught.
Lake Geneva, WI

This Labor day weekend, Ken was able to have the whole 3 day weekend off, which is amazing. We decided this year we would go and visit Sean and Keli in Chicago. Ken really wanted to see their house and the area where they live. We took a 4 hour drive Friday afternoon and arrived a little after 7:00. We had a great time visiting with them and letting the cousins play together. We were always on the go the entire weekend, never having a moments rest. Here are some things we did while there in Chicago.

Friday night we started with some pizza for dinner and Ken getting a tour of their huge beautiful home. Ken was jealous. Maybe someday we will have a nice house like theirs.

Saturday, we went up to the Milwaukee Zoo, but to Tressa we went to the animal center. Tressa was in heaven. After the zoo, we had a BBQ in the backyard and did s'mores. Mmm...Love 'em.

Sunday morning, we went to sacrament. We came home and spent the afternoon at Cedar Lake just a couple of miles from their home. Tressa really had fun in the lake. She didn't mind walking on the rocky bottom, but when she started stepping in the gooey, squishy mud she would start to cry. Emma, Maggie and Sean were having fun trying to catch little tadpoles. Emma was able to catch 3, she was so proud of herself. Way to go, Emma!!!

Monday afternoon, we headed up into Wisconsin and went to Lake Geneva. We walked around the shops, ate lunch at Popeye's (reminded me of a restaurant at Disneyland). We had Cold Stone ice cream and ate it while enjoying the scenery of the lake and the boats. I have decided that Wisconsin is a beautiful state.

We really enjoyed spending time with Sean and Keli. They are quite the host and hostess. Thanks also to BeBe, their dog, for putting up with Tressa. The whole time we were there Tressa would just smother the poor thing. And no we are not getting a dog.

I hope that everyone had a great holiday weekend. Now back to life and our daily routines.

She's almost here!!!

2008-08-22T14:07:00.000-07:00

Today, I had my 34 week appointment. Everything is going well. The baby is getting bigger and stronger everyday. She sure is very active and loves to get the hiccups. Last night while laying in bed she had three episodes of the hiccups. The doctor's appointment was fast and easy, all he did was measure me and check the heart rate of the baby. I am right on schedule. Starting in 2 weeks, I will be getting cervical checks to see how dilated I am.

We are getting really excited for this bundle of joy and I can't wait to breath again. That I am looking really forward to. I will keep you posted on my weekly checkups.

I hope everyone had a great summer and good luck to the kids going back to school.

Home to stay? Not quite.

2008-08-06T07:37:00.000-07:00

Well, Tressa and I just got back this past Monday from our week vacation in Cincinnati. We had some ups, downs and more ups. Our vacation was full of playing, shopping, eating and looking for cars. That's right, I said looking for cars.

We started our trip with a little trip to Kentucky Kingdom Six Flags in Louisville, KY. Arlyn's company was throwing a party there for all their employees. It was great to go back to where we used to live, I hadn't been back there since we moved out to Peoria. Can I just tell you that we had the greatest time. Unfortunately, I could not go on any of the rides, not even the kiddie rides. Thanks to Arlyn and Colleen, Tressa had a great time. She loved the rides and her face would just brighten up with the biggest grin. It made my heart melt to see her enjoying herself. She absolutely loved the wooden shoes and the balloon ride (similar to the swings). I will have pictures for you next time, my father-in-law took all the pictures so I need him to make me a CD.

There was another upside to our visit and also a downside. Ken called me Sunday morning to tell me that the '88 Jetta finally saw its last days. It broke down while Ken was driving to work. So the whole time I was gone Ken either walked 2 miles to and from work or would hitch a ride. So my quest for the week was to find and buy us a car. After several days of looking with Colleen, we finally saw the new addition to our family. We purchased a ruby red 2005 Kia Sedona minivan within our low budget that only had 39000 miles on it. It was only leased for 2 1/2 years, so it is in great condition. We really like our van. I can't believe I am saying this, but we have now officially entered the minivan stage in our life. I will have pictures for you next time.

Now that I thought our trip has ended and I could stay home and get ready for the baby, we are headed off to Cincinnati this Friday to pick up our other car that we had to leave behind. I will post pictures this weekend.

I hope that everyone has had a great summer so far, I know that we have.

The Richards Family

Our little man!!!

A New Addition to Our Family

HALLELUJAH!!!!!

One crazy summer!!

Happy Birthday!!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!

ENCORE!!! ENCORE!!!

Time to Breath, at the moment....

Any Takers?

Dancing with the Stars!!!

Our Adventures have come to an end....

Merry Christmas!!!

Kindness begins with me!!!

Happy Halloween!!!!

My Sleeping Beauty

My New Hobby!

Happy Belated 1st Birthday!!!!

One Step at a Time!!!

Trivial Question

The Conclusion of our Trip

Preschool Pics

1st day of Preschool

Week 3, Part 1

Week 2 of our vacation!

First week of our vacation in Utah

Back in the Saddle

Tressa's Princess Party!!!

Happy 3rd Birthday!!!

Dancing Queens

She's mobile

The Good, The Bad and No Ugly

JoAnne's Baptism

Old Historic Nauvoo

Visitors have come and gone

Afternoon at the Circus

What a vacation, we had!

Our Not-so-little Angel!

Our trip to Nauvoo

Easter dresses, 2009

EASTER

An M&M melts in your mouth and in your NOSE!

Birthday Wishes!

Gotta love the rotavirus

From _____'s _____?

Our trip to Cincinnati

We're back in business

Girls' Week Out

Correcting Mistake

I got BANGS!

Allergic to Exercise?

The Answer is...

Play along with me....

ER trip turns into the OR

Sick of being Sick...

Going on 5 months

kids say the darndest things

A Heartfelt Hairdo!

Family Fun

Called to Serve as...

My Bargain Shopper

Friday fun came early!

Matter of minutes....

She got in...

Now there is 2...

My Baby is Growing up...

Here's your sign...

So EXCITING!!!!!

Advice well needed

Christmas Day!!!

Twas the Night Before Christmas.....

Tis the Season.....

The Twilight Series

I am a slacker!!

Weekend Highlights

No Escaping IT

Best of Times, Worst of Times

Say 'Cheese'

Blessing pictures!!!

Crazy do, hairdo that is!

From _'s _?