Update!!

Well, it's been a while since my last post. We've been very busy and have a lot to catch up on. I never posted on Halloween, Thanksgiving, our FOURTH anniversary, and Daniel finished his first term back in school (with Excellent grades I may add!) and of course keeping up with our job and our toddlers. Not to mention a bout of illness that was the very WORST thing we have ever experienced aside from food poisoning. All in all, life is sweet though. We try very hard to count our blessings every day and remember that we have a very bright future. Daniel and I often say how much we love our humble little life and our wonderful little family. Sometimes things don't happen at the pace we want, but we know that our future is bright and we are doing our best to be patient as we go through the refiners fire. These things are in the fore front of our minds as of late because of the Christmas season. It is easier to be thankful for what we do have rather that dwell on how badly I want a house, new furniture and a shiny new car!! These things will come with time, as we work our booty's off to get them. In the mean time, Heavenly Father has given us much to be thankful for. We have a comfortable apartment, which we do not have to pay for because we manage the place, we have 2 cars, both of which have no mechanical problems, we have a happy marriage and love each other very much, (even when we test each others patience), we have 2 of the sweetest children in the world (even when they test our patience). Most of all, we have the gospel. I am so grateful for the principles it gives us. Family home evening, scripture reading as a family and daily and family prayers keep us safe from the world. We are very far from perfect, but we hope to do and be our best. We have high hopes and big dreams. I took my nephew and niece to the coast the day after thanksgiving. I took this picture at dusk. It was a very nice night for for the end of November and we had lots of fun together.

Another picture at the coast

Clare at her best. Being mischievous. Where is her mother!!!! The only thought that gives me any comfort from this event is knowing that I not only bleached the toilet this day, but that I also put bleach tablets in the toilet regularly. She was very thoroughly washed and left to soak in a very VERY soapy bath. I can't wait to show her these pictures when she is grown. I hope it grosses her out as much as it does me.

She is such a character. I had the kids clothes folded and put in this basket( I was procrastinating putting them all the way away). We put Clare to sleep in our room at night, then move her to her own bed (so her and Max don't play instead of sleep!) This night she thought that the basket of folded clothes looked like a more comfortable arrangement. Did I mention that she goes to bed with her jam jams on every night, and then takes them off as soon as we leave the room???

This was Halloween. Clare was a lady bug, and max was a Clark pest control salesman. Ironic??( a pest control salesman and a pest. Get it???) I really did not get in to Halloween at all as you can see from the time I put in to Max's costume. It's just Daniel's work shirt. I must say that he did look really cute even though his Mommy was lazy about his costume.

This was a funny sign at the coast. I thought that the city had a good sense of humor and made a funny play on words.

I took this picture of Tyce on Thanksgiving. We had a small family dinner at my sisters house. Only one of my sister's, my brother and my folks were there, everyone else was out of town.

This is at 4:30 in the morning on thanksgiving. This is when it all started. The horrible plague that attacked my family for a week. At first we thought she was having an allergic reaction from a possible milk exposure. Turns out, we were very wrong.On Friday morning Max started, by Friday evening this was me laying on the floor dying, a few hours later Daniel started, then few minutes after that my niece who was spending the night with us started. What I mean by "started" is vomiting. ALOT. Every 10 or fifteen minutes for several hours. On day 2 of the plague our bodies hurt so bad we could hardly move. It was especially hard because Daniel and I had it at the same time, so the kids got over it first, then we were both down for the count at the same time! Horrible. The house was completely destroyed and they were tearing it apart. Daniel and I were helpless. The best we could do was say "no no" or Be nice to each other" from wherever we happened to be laying. I had it he worst, and it lasted the longest with me. I was sick for a week, everyone else was pretty much better by the 3rd day. I must say however, that with 2 toddlers throwing up, we miraculously got NO puke on the carpet!! I stayed up with Clare holding towel under her chin, and max only threw up 2 times. Both times all over Daniel. The 2nd time, Daniel ended up pulling Max's pajamas out and catching the puke in them. I thought it was hilarious. Better than on the carpet I guess. Did I also mention that our hot water heater broke the day before this all started and it was the long Thanksgiving weekend so we could not call maintenance?? Yeah, that sucked. We did have hot water, but we would have to flip the circuit breaker and you really don't want to wait 10 minutes for hot water when you have puke all over you and your screaming child. Okay, I'll spare any more details of this horrific experience.

So, I have a habit of seeing things that I think would make good pictures....while I am driving. It was a very pretty, foggy day on my way up the interstate the other day. So I snapped a few pictures at 65 MPH. No lectures please, I know that is a really stupid thing to do. I just can't resist though! I love taking pictures!!!

This looks like it should be the cover of a 1970's era album or something! Gotta love the transients!! I guess the shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line right???

Clare doing her Shrek impersonation.

I do love a good sleeping picture!! They are both out cold! Clare of course with her pajama's stripped.

More pictures of the foggy day while I drive. I really want to take a photography class so I can actually know what I am doing!

The end.