My Deepest Apologies!!!!

First let me begin this post by giving props to my military momma's!!! I don't know how you girls do it! I thought I was going to lose my mind at one point. So let me begin at the beginning...

Christmas was crazy, but wonderful. It was so neat to see Taten experience her first real "get excited for Christmas" Christmas. She didn't make it any further than her dollhouse from Santa and she was set for the day. She literally didn't want to open any of her other gifts! We'd keep trying to get her back over to where we were sitting, and she'd tell us "No, I want my dollhouse please". She was a big help with opening presents for her sister though. Taten loved helping her sister. Tessa even got into opening presents. Nothing like the crinkling of paper to entertain for hours.

By the time we made it through New Year's, family Christmas, and Taten's birthday I think she was a little burnt out by the present opening. Give her a couple of years and that will change. I however would like to move her birthday to June 8th! By the time we came back from our joint little birthday shindig with two other families on the 3rd, Taten didn't even want to open the gifts we had gotten her!

Unfortunately on January 6th Travis had to go back to Hawaii. I cannot even begin to tell you how much we missed Daddy, and not just because I got an abscessed tooth (root canal on the 11th) and both trucks took a dump. It's amazing how much of the load one other person takes on even if it is just part of the get ready for bed stuff. By the time Travis came home I was running on close to empty. It also didn't help that my house was still a mess (not to my standards anyway), and the girls still weren't sleeping that great. Alas, the house is looking much better, just the loft (my space) needs work all in due time. The sleeplessness had a root cause too, Miss Tess got her first two teeth last weekend!!!

We couldn't believe it!!! Tessa got her two bottom teeth 2 and 1/2 months ahead of Taten. All she had was a couple of sleepless nights, and a little puky spit up, nothing like her sister. Again, they are never the same!

Taten is doing great in daycare too. There is never a battle to get her to go, it's actually more difficult on Tessa because there isn't anyone here to entertain her all day long. Taten seems to me at least to be even more verbal, and her imagination is just taking off. Believe it or not she's even taking naps! We love daycare!!! Still not making much headway with the potty training. I'm trying everything though. We hope you are all finding yourself warm, safe, and in good health.

And yes HI friends, that is our Hula Snow Girl!

~H

Home Again!!!

Ahhh, we are finally home, and a little more organized than when we first got here. Unfortunatly I am still not nearly as organized as I would like to be. I have a feeling that things won't be to my liking until the end of the month. I have one to many couches, and Taten's room is still filled with my craft supplies. All in due time I know. I just find it really annoying.

Anyway, we are all safe and sound in our cozy little house in the woods. Most of you have seen the pictures of our house that I am posting. They are more for our HI friends than anything. A little snow for your "season". The rest of the holiday pics will be coming soon.

Love to you all,

Heather

My Girls

Ok, so how many pictures of my girls watching an Einstein video together do you need to see??? A million! I was getting Tess dressed after her bath, and she was contorting herself all over to get a look at Taten's video. I set her down next to her sister, and not one complaint about being on her tummy! Tessa and Taten are so awesome together. Such sister love in our house. It was one of those moments that I hope there will be way more of:) Oh and the picture Taten is holding is of Grandma, me, and Taten. She carried it around the house all day today.

Love being a Mommy,

Heather

Ho, Ho, Ho

Hi Everyone,

My husband is a trooper! It's not like he likes the heat as it is, but Travis was our Santa Claus for this years Mom's Club Christmas party. The poor guy was roasting, but he made the day of kid's and Mom's alike. He played the role to a tee, unfortunatly Taten wouldn't sit on his lap:( He even waited till the end and showed her that it was him. No dice. He may have talked like Daddy, and offered to play chase when he got home, but there was no way she was going to sit on his lap for a picture. I did get one of Tessa, and a family one that I will post later (a friend took it with her camera). I have a wonderful husband and daddy. Can't wait to see the snow:)

See you soon,

Heather

Animal House

First baskets, next lampshades! I'm in the kitchen cutting strawberries for Taten, and I can hear her in the living room giggling. Then they are both laughing. I think to myself 'Oh how nice, they're playing together', what a minute! Something is a miss, kind of like when you only hear silence with your kids. I look around the corner and Taten has put the basket on Tessa's head. The funniest part was when Tess got mad because I took it off!

The video is just a clip of Tessa's laugh. Yes, I sound stupid, but she laughed:)

Love,

Heather

Happy Turkey Day

Aloha,

The older turkey had a great time helping Mommy in the kitchen. This is the second year Taten has helped make Aunt Tonya's secret roll recipe. She is a great little chef, and always very "helpful". The butterball sat in her saucer and watched all the happenings!

Travis and I did Thanksgiving for his crew, napped, and then went to Palmer's for their annual Ohana Thanksgiving. Trav played poker, the girls ran like crazy, and I got to socialize. Great time had by all:)

Taten had her last ballet class this past Tuesday. A big Mahalo to Laura for all of her patience with the cruise director. By the last class Taten was actually doing what she was supposed to do from beginning to end! This was a huge improvement from the beginning of class.

We know that most of you are getting inundated with snow, and think we are crazy for coming back. Yes, we know. Just to prove how much we are trying to soak up the sun, we went to the water park today with friends of ours. Yeah, I'm just being a brat.

See you all in two weeks, and two days.

Love,
Heather

Tessa's 4 month appt.

Well, I knew she was bigger than Taten, just not that much bigger! Tessa weighed in at 17 pounds, 11 ounces, and 24 1/2 inches. She is 3 1/2 pounds bigger than Taten was at 4 months, but they were the same length! I've started having to remind Taten not to call her sister "Chubby, chubby". My fault, I can't help it. We need to come up with a new nickname:) See you all soon.

Love,
Heather