We made it

It's been a crazy week! Pappy arrived on Christmas Eve to help us move. The kids opened a couple presents on Christmas morning and then we spent the day packing. Tuesday we got everything packed into our U-Haul and cleaned the apartment, it was a long day. I hate packing and I'm so tired of moving. Anyway we left Utah early Wednesday morning and drove ALL day, 16 straigh hours in the van with two toddlers. It was okay at first but they spend the last 5 hours screaming (because it was dark and they were tired and wouldn't sleep.) Then Corey got food poisoning (not a good thing during a road trip.) I got no sleep at all Tuesday or Wednesday night and no matter how tired I was I could not sleep in the van. The kids cried the whole trip the second day. But we did make it, got in yesterday afternoon and finally got some sleep.

Today we unpacked everything and things are slowly beginning to get back to normal. John is so upset about everything. He isn't happy with Nana and just wants mommy to hold him. He's so sensitive. Bella LOVES it here. She's a real natural farm girl. Loves the cat that lives outside (she calls it Cow) and loves her new rubber boots the Popeye (that's what she now calls Pappy) bought her. They're her Bobbies and she wants to wear them everywhere.

Anyway I gotta shower and get to bed. We're driving to St. Louis tomorrow and it's a long trip and I don't want to go. The kids will probably not be happy about it either but we have to take Popeye to pick up his rental car that he left of the airport.

We've been having lots of fun and been busy. Tuesday we went shopping (well window shopping.) We just took Isabella and John stayed home with Daddy again. Bella fell in love with Erin's scarf and stole it, which was okay because Erin was out to buy a new one anyway. Tuesday we went to Thanksgiving Point, it was our last visit there since we're moving. I'm so sad to leave it, I wish we could take that place with us. The kids enjoyed the farm and both of them rode the ponies. They played in the museum and ate at the yummy cafe. Then we went and saw their holiday light display. It was fun to drive through and Bella really enjoyed it.

While we were at Thanksgiving Point Isabella started saying more than one word. She said "thank-you Daddy." We're so proud and it's the cutest little talking ever. Now she'll put everyone's name after thank-you. Shouldn't be long before she's going non-stop. Not that she'll be talking any less though, she's been jabbering like crazy since she was a baby (just not real words.)

John is walking a lot more now. And he'll pull himself up to stand and then start walking on his own. He's been going everywhere all day today. He's too cute walking around.

Our house is a total mess still and I really need to get it all packed up and cleaned. I don't want to though, I hate moving. I guess I'll get to that tomorrow.


Bella's new scarf
Riding the pony
John LOVES lemons, even though they make him do this

More snow

Well Erin got here yesterday. We picked her up at the airport and then headed to Cracker Barrel for brunch. It was so yummy (we haven't been there in awhile.) Bella was a little nervous around Erin at first since she changed her hair (Bella and I don't approve of it) but she adjusted pretty quick.

Today we went out and played in all the new snow. Erin taught Isabella a new word (stuck) and she said it over and over. Everytime she fell down she'd say "stuck, stuck." It was a lot of fun, we sure love the snow.

John had therapy and since we're moving it was our last time with Becca. I'm so sad to have to leave her, she's the best therapist and just loves John. She seemed pretty sad to have him leave too but it was so nice for her to see him walk before we go. Today was his 6 month evaluation and he clearly met every goal (he wasn't even rolling over 6 months ago.) So we set some new goals that I'm sure he'll accomplish before long and hopefully we'll get good therapists where we go.

After therapy the girls went to the shopping village by our house. I went once with Corey but it's a pretty girly place and he didn't want to go in the shops so I was looking forward to going and looking around. The place is really old and all the shops are tiny and cute. And with snow everywhere it was beautiful. We forgot the camera and really need to go back and get pictures. They have a big Christmas shop that we looked around and a fabric store. And a really nice quilt shop, wish I had money because I wanted all the quilts. We ate lunch at the little bakery and it was really good.

I'm sad to be leaving as I have really enjoyed living here. But we need to move and we were planning to anyway. I think this move will be good for the kids. Lots of make up time with Nana, I'm sure they'll be spoiled rotten in no time.

I can't believe how fast the holidays are going. Erin gets here tomorrow and we're all excited about that. We're going to go to Temple Square and Thanksgiving Point to see the Christmas lights, I'm really looking forward to doing that. It should be really pretty.

Looks like we'll be moving right after Christmas so we're busy trying to get everything in order. The kids are busy as always, but good. Isabella has become awful at bedtime though. She screams and cries every night now, I really don't like it. And somehow John just sleeps right through it, he only wakes up if we go in the room.

John climbed under my chair and got stuck. He didn't really think it was funny though.

He's walking

So John's walking! We're so excited and shocked. I did not expect him to be walking yet as he really wasn't even standing. Then Friday he took a couple steps while I was having him practice standing. By the next day he was taking up to ten or more steps. That's what is even more shocking, the progress he made so fast. Bella took her first steps at 12 months but it took nearly over 2 months for her to really be walking. At this rate he'll be on the go in no time. And he's so proud of himself, he's just full of giggles the whole time. He even likes falling. Perfect timing too since he gets his evaluation for therapy next Monday. His therapist will be so proud. And now we can get him into speech therapy too.

Oh and now Isabella is walking around like John, with her arms out to the side and wobbly. It's adorable. She's really not sure about this whole thing though, lots of jealousy. I think once she gets over him being on her level though she's really going to enjoy it. I'm looking forward to next summer when we go places and he can go do the fun stuff with her instead of just sitting in the stroller.

Thanksgiving Point

We spent the day at Thanksgiving Point. It was really nice, especially since we haven't been in so long. The kids had fun in the museum, Bella played at the sand table for a long time while John walked around. He walked along holding onto the wall for the first time, funny because just yesterday his therapist asked if he could do that and he never had.

Then they played in the sand pit, digging for fossils. John did NOT like the feeling of sand on his feet. Luckily once we put his socks back on he was happy.


Then we went over to the farm part and played with the goats, Bella LOVES them. They are adorable. They pulled her gloves off and she thought that was funny. She also went on two pony rides. She enjoyed that a lot more this time than she has before. She's enjoying everything so much more now that she's older.

On Saturday we went to a get together/party with some friends. It was a lot of fun, there were about 11 kids there and Isabella did really well. Every time I looked around she had run off playing. Still not really playing with the other kids but at least she was glued to my side being anti-social. Instead John did that. He cried everytime I put him down.

We haven't really done anything else lately, we're super broke right now until the paycheck comes so nothing exciting to do. We're planning to take the kids to Thanksgiving Point this week though because we haven't been in 2 months. I think John will enjoy it a lot more now.