It was so awesome having Sadie, Cory and Isi here. Next to my cousin Jenn, Sadie is the closest thing to a sister for me. So it was so much fun just getting to hang out for an entire week with no real agenda except to eat good food and watch the two kiddos dook it out. And for Kailie Isaak is the closest thing she has ever had as a sibling so like any two typical siblings they had fun playing together most of the time and had their moments of fighting, mostly over toys every once in awhile. Mostly they were best buds, it was so nice to have someone to entertain Kai so the adults could all catch up.
Isi loved his pacifier so Kai had to have one as well.
Right before Sadie and Cory arrived I watched the T.V. show Sisterwives on TLC which is about a polygamist family in Utah. I just couldn't help but watch it, but after I had some major weird dreams about either Jared or I or friends of ours being polygamist. Anyways, one thing about their lifestyle that I would love is that they always have another woman there to talk to or help with the kids. Of course the sharing of the husband part is just too much for me . We were all talking about how nice it would be to maybe have close friends or family members all leaving somewhat together with your own private living area as well. It would be so fun to have your best friend around everyday to talk to, cook with, watch kids or just hang out. That is how this week felt for me and I love it!
We decided to head to Critz Farm again on the Saturday before Halloween. We expected it to be super crazy and crowded but instead it was like a ghost town. I guess the cold weather scared everyone away!
Nice Family Portrait
This video is hilarious of Isi Feeding the Lama..
The very end of it is the best.
Can you say Yummy!
These two were the best of buds. Who knew bath time could be so much fun! I think it is time for Kai to have a sibling don't you!
Giving hugs and brushing teeth together.
Oh the car, the reason for many fights and alot of laughter!
Little Trouble makers
Chocolate milk is so much better with your buddy!
Kai was way into eyes so she would go up to everybody and try to touch their eye!
Kai was pretty excited to hold her on umbrella!!
Of course the rest of us got pretty soaked since she is a little small to cover us as well!
Ithaca New York- I kept hearing from all sorts of people that Ithaca is definitely a place to visit in New York. It was such an amazing town! It has at least 100 waterfalls within the town and it sits on the edge of a beautiful lake! We are pretty sure that a lot of the scenes from the movie Last of the Mohicans were filmed here.
It is also home to Cornell University! As we were driving through the campus, I stated that Cornell is the most beautiful campus in the country and Cory just laughed and was like you haven't been to all of the campus's, which is true but I bet there isn't any other University's that has huge real waterfalls in the middle of the campus. Here is one of those waterfalls and Cornell is literally right to the right of the falls.
It was raining pretty hard this day so we didn't get to spend a lot of time outside enjoying the falls but we all had a good time at this one even if we all got soaked and it took us forever to figure out where to park!
Sadie is my best friend from college. My first semester at the U of U she ended up being in ALL of my classes and then we were also in the same ward. Needless to say we were destined to be friends. Someday we hope to open up a program for youth but for now we are just enjoying being mom's together!!
Cory is pretty awesome too. He was like our unofficial 8th roommate when Sadie and I and 6 other girls all lived together. Can you say Crazziness!
Anyways if you are ever in upstate New York you MUST visit this amazing place. You will not be disappointed. I would even recommend eating lunch at the Ithaca Bakery for some awesome Deliciousness!!
Two the four churches all on the same block corner!
While my friends Sadie and Cory were visiting we went up to Palmyra to see the sights. When I first mentioned to Sadie that we could go up to Palmyra she was like why whats up there? She didn't realize that that is where the Sacred Grove and Hill Cumorah were and that they are so close to us. Needless to say she was pretty excited when she realized what was there.
Walking towards the churches. No wonder Joseph Smith was so confused. I would be too if there was 4 churches all right across from each other, all christian reading from the same book (bible) and yet all were totally different!!
Kai and Isi (as Kai says) in from the of the Frame home that Alvin Smith built for his family before he died. The Smith family was only able to live there a short time because of financial problems so they then moved back to the tiny log cabin they lived in before. During the tour of this home the Missionary shared a quote from Lucy Mack Smith after they were forced to move back to the log cabin.
We had a great Thanksgiving this year. We got to spend it with 3 other families from the ward.
Jen the Hostess and a friend who I actually grew up with from Kindergarten to senior year. So funny how people come back in your life.
I also made my first completely from scratch pie or 3 of them actually. This is the Lemon Meringue I think it turned out well. The other two were both Key lime. I just couldn't decide between two recipes so I tried them both!! They were good too.
For FHE this week we made lists of things we are grateful for this year. We did this in just a few moments and so I am sure we have alot more we could have added.
Gina's List:
1-Being married to Jared
2-Having Kailie has a daughter
3-Great parents
4-Great Extended Family
5-Wonderful Friends
6-Kai's sweet disposition
7-America
8-Military Members
9-My Faith in God
10-Church and they amazing people we meet there
11-Our Home-very happy that we found this one
12-Good Diabetes Care-Medicine and technology
13-Food
14-Jared's Job
15-Jared's Work Ethic
16-Internet-being able to stay connected with friends and family
17-Cameras
18-Earth-Nature
19-My Health
20-Jared's Health
21-Kai's Health
22-Animals
23-Babies
24-Primary Kids
25-Good working cars
26-Electricity
27-The Prophet
28-Scriptures
29-Prayer
30-Money
31-Good, fun recreation
32-Kisses and Hugs from Kailie
33-Sleep
34-Laughter
35-Joy that Kai brings to us
37-Christ
Jared's List:
Gina
Kai
Job, food, shelter,
Chance to travel
Kai smile, laugh and tantrums
Christmas
Christ, Church and Teachings
The Atonement
Prophets and General Conference
Our Country-Freedom
Lantus, Novolog and Diabetes Technology-Research
Sunrises/Sunsets
Lake Powell
My Parents and Gina's Parents
Chocolate/Ice cream
Warm Clothes
The chance to Operate and Help People
Rain/Snow
Kai's Cute Cheeks for kissing
Fire, Hot Chocolate, Mountains, Ocean
A healthy mind and body
NYC
Surfing and all Water/snow sports
The Internet, cell phones
Byu Football
Brothers and Sisters
The ability to have a family
Work
Music and Entertainment
Thai food
Steak
Dishwashers/Laundry machines
Camping
River Rafting
Canyons and Waterfalls
Kai's Laugh
Putting Kai to bed
Our CTR 4 primary class
Good Friends
We truly have so much to be grateful for. I wanted to post this just so we can look back and see it when we are going through the tough times!
In church this past week the speaker talked about giving thanks and one thing he said really stuck out to me. He was talking about when Christ fed the five thousand with just the loaves of bread and fish. The apostles doubted and said there wasn't enough but Christ Thanked his Father for what they DID have and then the MIRACLE happened. It seems most of the time we want the miracle first and they we will give the thanks! Perhaps if we followed Christ's example more Miracles would happen. I know that both Jared and I would love to have a miracle happen for our sweet little girl!!
From reading friends blogs and seeing other kids Kai's age it seems they are all into things like tv characters or certain toys like cars, dolls, etc. Kai isn't so much into anything, she has never really watched tv and therefore knows no characters, she likes her toys but isn't really into any of them so when it came time to plan a birthday party for her there was only one thing we could think of that she would love and that is swimming so we had a swimming party!
Here is the Birthday girl enjoying a few fruit snacks compliments of Diabetes
This girl loves her water so away we went to the YMCA which has a really awesome indoor pool. They have a huge slide for bigger kids and adults which Jared thoroughly enjoyed and then tons of other stuff for smaller kids.
Some of the friends who joined us for this celebration!
Getting ready to go down the slide!
After Swimming we headed out to eat some yummy Cake.
The kids made this throne for Kai to sit on!
I was having the hardest time trying to think of a cake for Kai and my friend Sadie suggested a swimming pool since she loves to swim so here it is. This was by far the biggest cake I have ever made. Took me about three days and three batches of frosting to do it and Three layers of cake Yellow-Chocolate-Yellow!!
If you can't tell the middle part is cut out!
And like last year we decorated the side of cake with our favorite things about Kai!
AIY-Ice, she has to have ice in her water and freaks out if we don't have any!
Potty-or Poppy as she says it since she is just learning to go potty!
Cheese- the kids eats so much cheese we should invest in a cheese company!
Car-she loves to play in the car.
Raisins-We should also invest in a raisin company, I guess it keeps her balanced against her cheese consumption.
Stroller-she loves her little play stroller!
Mommy-She calls everyone mommy from friends to even Jared!
Mom-more-Instead of just saying more she always says ma-more!
Noo-Noo- One of her newest words which means Noodle
Mine- She sounds like the seagulls on Finding Nemo whenever she has to share her toys!
Mermaid-To represent her favorite toy her mermaid car and the 1000's of times Jared an I have heard the song " I am little mermaid down in the sea" this past year!
Tantrum-she loves to throw them and we just think they are so darn cute- most of the time!
Peas-Probably her favorite food- she'll eat them in any form from baby food, to frozen, to fresh straight out of the pod and she finally just barely learned to say them. Now every night for dinner we hear Peas-peas!
Cheerleader-Her favorite activity to do with dad
Buckles- because she is obssesed with them
No-her new favorite word of course!
Kisses-she loves to give kisses and we love to get them!
Squirt- her nickname
Thank you- or as she says tank you!
Shoes- she loves to wear all of my shoes and likes her own as well
Pig tails-her classic and favorite hair style
Wa-wa- Water which she is obsessed with and pretty much the only beverage she will consume of course it has to come with Ice now as well!
Bath-her favorite time of day!
Teddy Bear-she loves to read and Teddy Bear Teddy Bear is one of her favorite books right now!
Purple the only color she fully knows how to say and pick out!
Treadmill- was and would be still to play on if she hadn't hurt her hand!
Getting ready to sing Happy Birthday!
Kai had no idea what was going on or how to blow out the candle. Rowan her buddy helped her. My favorite quote from the day came from him he told me "This is the best little kid birthday party I have ever been too" apparently his family had never been to that pool and he loved the big slide! So funny!
Enjoying the cake and ice cream!
Present time!
It was so cute how all the kids helped her even though most of them are way older than her!
I realized the night before the party that we probably should get party favors for the kids. I think they turned out super cute and actually matched my wrapping paper perfectly! If I was a kid I would have loved it, curly straws, play dough, sixlets and the parent's favorite punching balloons!
We ironically enough forgot to bring our presents to the party so she got to open them up later.
We love Kailie but there are definitely some things that we don't love. She was such an angel on her Birthday but the very next day the terrible two's set in and she literally threw 30 tantrums! They were all short but still, I think we are definitely in for it this year! She is one stubborn chicka who loves to have things her way or no way. We think her tantrums are cute and funny so we can't help but laugh when she does them. I have been diligently trying to capture her funny tantrums on video but haven't quite been able to get one. Basically, she stomps her feets, walks backwards and her new thing is trying to knock somethings over or throw it but she seems a little timid in this and barely tries!She also bites herself when she gets really mad! So funny!!
Although it wasn't so funny the other night at the grocery store when she threw a fit in the checkout line and when I picked her up I realized she had blown out of her diaper. There was poo all over me, her and the floor!! Not so cute then!!
Another thing she loves to do is throw a fit when we try to get her in her carseat! Probably 60% of the time she is great and then the other 40% she is horrible and getting really good at fighting me. I am truly amazed how strong she can be. She arches that back and becomes stiff as board and it is tough getting her in there!
Video of Kailie and her buddy both not happy about getting the car seat!!
Today was Kai's 2nd Birthday! I can't believe it has already been two years since she came into our lives. I love Birthday's so my goal is to make sure my kids have a very special day on their Birthday!
My good friend Andee's family would always get woken up on their special day to their family singing this funny Mickey Mouse Birthday song. In High School Andee past on the tradition to our group of friends and then continued it in college when we were roommates.
Basically the deal is you get woken up to this song blaring and everyone dancing around in their PJ's and then you get to go out to breakfast or have a fancy one at home.
I am so excited to continue this tradition on with our kids.
Kai seemed to like it!
Every time we drive past this Restaurant/ fast food place out here called Panera, Kailie freaks out and starts saying I want I want. I guess she just loves the place which makes me happy since it is healthier food. In my quest to make her day extra special, she got to go to lunch there because a bunch of friends were all meeting there to celebrate our friend Kari's Birthday already so perfect for Kai.
She loved the Mac n Cheese and Yogurt as always!
One of her favorite activities right now is playing inside the cars so after she had her favorite dinner (thyme chicken and Yummy rice) daddy took her out there and let her play to her hearts content! She loves to buckle the seatbelts, pretend she is driving and even use the cd player as a piggy bank but that is a story for another day!
Sadly, the presents we got for her hadn't arrive yet so all she got to open was her card from Grandma and Grandpa but she loved it and played with the card forever. I think she thought it was a book which she loves books right now!
All in all I think she had a great day and was such an angel all day!
We are so happy to have the little squirt in our lives.
