We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.

Well it wasn't so bad. Scott handled it pretty good, I had to give him a threatening look that said, "this is serious, do not be sarcastic right now." He gave all the glory and power to God. We actually had just talked about Adam and Eve in a family home evening lesson, and since God created them, he also created the babies that are born now. That was it, that was a good enough explanation for Rylan, whew! He might want a more specific answer later, maybe after he starts school and some evil kid tells him way to much and the innocence of my little boy is gone!

I have been dreading this ever since I had kids, and just minutes ago it happened. Rylan asked me, "where do babies come from?" What did I say, "Well that is a good question, you should ask your daddy." Scott should be home from work anytime...hee hee

So as you can see in our picture above, we took Christmas pictures for our annual newsletter that we send out this time of year. I might add that that picture was the ONLY one that was decent! The only one that doesn't have a goofy smile from Rylan, or Madelyn looking anywhere but the camera. Oh well it will have to do. We got this one of the kids too. Madelyn would not smile, the little stinker. We went to Temple Square in SLC to look at the lights with Jeff and Margie's family. I think Rylan and Erica were more concerned with holding hands running around and giggling with each other. This is the best photo I could get of them holding hands, they were moving so fast...

Oh what a crazy three months it has been. I feel like I have hardly left the house and that i have been in my pajamas most of the time! That is part of taking care of a baby I guess. Madelyn thinks that she should have to lay down any more to play she wants to sit up very bad. Whenever I prop her up against the couch she tries to sit up which results in her over extending and falling onto her face. I was trying to get dressed and so I set her on my bed in the bobby pillow with some blankets helping her to stay put. She did pretty well, it won't be long before she is doing it on her own, and rolling, and crawling, then walking...oh they grow up too fast!

So here is some advice...never take your kids to get shots the day before you have company come. Madelyn was pretty cranky and sore from her shots while everyone was here for Thanksgiving. It was pretty sad, but Anna (who by the way has this magical power over Madelyn, she LOVES her aunt Anna and always has a smile for her) was able to get these cute pictures of her. The day after Thanksgiving we were all feeling a little bloated so us girls got up and exercised at a local park that his a trail around it. Aren't we cute? I love my mom and sisters! We were missing our fun sister-in-laws for this holiday. Here is my Grandma Erma holding Madelyn. She is turning 90 years old next month! Isn't she a babe?

Yeah, yeah I know it is late, but I forgot to take pictures but my dad did (he always does) and he sent me some treasures. This is Scott and Rylan making some sweet cinnamon bread for some families in our ward/church. Again his shirt is off, who knows why? Rylan helping Grandpa fix the "squeaks" in the chair. My mom and dad noticed that when Madelyn was born that we didn't have a rocking chair, and my parents are getting ready to move into a "retirement" home so they are trying to get rid of what ever they can. So we inherited this chair from my mom and dad who inherited it from my grandparents. It was my grandpa Nelson's chair so we figured that it was about 30-40 years old. Isn't the color groovy? Here is a picture of me on my dad's lap on the chair. . . Ok back to thanksgiving, we had a full house! My sister Anna from Boise, my mom and dad, my sister Margaret her husband Jeff and their two kids, my Grandma Erma, and Scott's Uncle Staten a...

As I was cleaning up after dinner tonight (while Rylan was still eating it) I randomly asked him if he ever wanted to get married someday. Our conversation went on as follows: Leah: Hey Ry do you ever want to get married someday? Rylan: NO! Leah Why not? Rylan: Because I don't want anyone to take my heart. Leah: What do you mean? Rylan: When you get married you have to give them your heart. Leah: ohh, honey that is just an expression. When you love someone with your heart, you give your love to them, not your real heart. Rylan: No, mom I know these things. Leah: But Rylan I still have my own heart,if I didn't have my heart I wouldn't be alive. Want to feel my heart beating. Rylan: Umm yes. {So we both put our heads on each others chest to hear each others heart beat.} Leah: See I still have my heart, but I give my love to your daddy with my heart. Rylan: No, mom I know that when you marry someone you have to give them your heart. Leah: whatever... So I tell Scott about t...

The 8 Things Tag... (Thanks Breezi) 8 TV shows I love to watch: 1. Rachel Ray 2. Ellen 3. Oprah 4. Dancing with the Stars 5. The Biggest Loser 6. The Office 7. Grey's Anatomy (it's bad I know but I have watched it from the beginning and I can't stop) 8. Jon & Kate Plus Eight 8 Favorite Restaurants 1. Taco Time (only the one in Lewiston, ID.) 2. Rumbi Island Grill 3. Costa Vida 4. Cafe Rio 5. Pier 49 Pizza 6. Olive Garden 7. Garcia's 8. Crown Burger 8 Things that happened today 1. Had a refreshing 10 hour sleep 2. fed Madelyn 3. played "balloon" with Ry 4. changed a poopy diaper 5. gave Rylan a bath 6. made egg in the baskets for breakfast 7. put Madelyn down for a nap 8. that's about it...its only 10 a.m. 8 things that I look forward to: 1. my renovated Ikea kitchen 2. Thanksgiving at my house! 3. making new friends 4. Scott coming home from work (I hate drill weekend) 5. Christmas in snowy wonderland Grangeville 6. time to do my projects 7. getting to...

So this week I have been sick, and poor Rylan has been forced to entertain himself. He loves to play with others and very rarely does he ever do his own thing for very long. He is getting better at it since Madelyn has been born, but yesterday he was very entertaining. First I walked upstairs and he was drawing a picture on his belly with a pen, I usually would not like him to do this but knowing what a neat freak he is I knew it would not get out of hand. I went about my business and then the next thing I see is him sitting on the bathroom counter trying to wash his pen markings off his belly. Then he comes to me and says that his shirt and pants got all wet so he threw them in the dryer and my little streaker went crazy. I loves to randomly rip off his shirt and run around usually this is the signal to dad that he wants to box or wrestle with him. I ask him probably 3-4 times a week, "where is your shirt Rylan?", "why did you take off your clothes?" He is not shy ...

So the main selling point of our house when I was house shopping was the huge family room downstairs in the basement. We love how cozy it is and how it was already painted to go along with our Americana theme. We also found a new love, the fireplace. Last winter we didn't use it because we had to idea where to get wood, but we wanted to try it this year and we found that we love to have a fire going on a cold evening. After a couple nights of doing this Rylan thought it would be a great idea to put our tent inside and have a campout. We bargined with him to set up his army fort instead. So last weekend we played games and watched movies in our "tent" (well Rylan did anyway.) Then Rylan and Scott slept in it that night.

Madelyn has transitioned from the fussy newborn baby into the a happy, bubbly, smiley girl. She smiles a lot now which is so fun to get a reaction when we go goo goo over her. Scott got these shots of her. . .

Using the picture below (from my last post)of Madelyn who do you think she looks like? The first photo is of me on my blessing day and the second is of sweet Scott as a baby. I tried to make a poll but my elements page is not working does anyone else have that problem on their blog?

On Sunday we had Madelyn's blessing. We had so many of our family come to be with us. My brother Jared and his family, wife Heather, Porter, Carson, Grace and Heather's mother Hallie, sister Anna, sister Margaret, Jeff, and Erica, Grandma and Grandpa, and the Kikkert family! Isn't she so sweet,she is wearing the dress I was blessed in. I am glad that her little acne went away, she is such a beautiful baby, i love her little smile, but I can hardly get one on camera. When ever I get the camera out to take one of her smile she just looks at the camera and will not smile. Anna took this picture of her and it is the closest to a smile I have seen. Anyway back to the blessing . . . Here is a funny story, Rylan went to church early with Scott to get the paper work done for the blessing with the clerk and Scott told him that we were going to bless Madelyn that day and Rylan said he needed to tell Scott what to say, but not now, later. So sacrament meeting starts and it is time ...

This last weekend was super busy in our family. On Saturday we drove to Provo to go to our niece Erica's baptism. She is one of the most intelligent, imaginative little girls we know. Rylan loves to play with her. It was also Jeff's birthday on the following day. After her baptism her little brother Benjamin was blessed. We then went to the Anderson's house for lunch. My sister Anna is a great photographer, she is always taking pictures of everyone and getting great candid shots. These are my nephews Porter and Carson, ladies aren't the handsome? This is my niece Grace, doesn't she look like a cute little secretary or something with her little buns on her head? My dad got into the left over halloween candy and we discovered that it turned his teeth green! So funny! Between me and Anna we got a series of shots of both babies, it looks like they are having a little conversation. Like here Benjamin is saying, "hey Madelyn, how do you like having all these ...

Well it finally came, the day Rylan has been waiting for. We had just gotten home from our vacation and put away our things when we started getting trick-or-treaters. We got the kids dressed up and went to our church where they were having a trunk-or-treat. Rylan had a blast going around and being his social self.

I HATE mice! Two weeks ago my mom thought she spotted a mouse in our basement, then Rylan came running to me the next day and said that he saw a shadow run really fast across the floor. I wish it was just a shadow. So we went out of town to go up to northern Idaho while my parents stayed at our house. My dad set up some traps to reassure me that it would be taken care of by the time we got back. This sneaky thing can lick the peanut butter off the trap without being caught. So we come home and I stay out of the basement as much as possible well that night (after trick or treating) I am feeding the baby upstairs on the couch talking to Anna when I see it scurry from the stairwell to under the couch. EWW! I scream Scott's name to come save me, and he comes with a metal bat in hand and lifts up the couch with the other hand (my honey is super strong!), but the mouse runs down the hall somewhere! Ok my little boy is sleeping on the floor in the baby's room (Anna was sleeping in his...

Scott and I were both born and raised in Northern Idaho and we are very proud of it. We delight in driving up there just to see the beautiful picturesque mountains, rivers, and wilderness. Scott went hunting with his dad, cousin Dustin and our foster brother Jacob for four days straight! They would come home in the evenings bloody and worn out. Scott was able to get two deer, he filled his dad's tag and his own and the meat is being processed into roasts and peppered sticks (yum!). While the boys were out playing, my mother-in-law Jody and I did some craft projects. Here are some photos I tried to snap while in the car.

Madelyn has been so responsive lately, she coos and smiles. I have a little video of it on my camera but I can't load it on to my blog for some reason. So the pictures will have to do.