Back to the grind...

Why is blogging so dang hard for me these days??? Last week I FINALLY made a book from my blog using the website www.blurb.com. It is supposed to come in the mail next week and I am so excited to see it. It is Andrew's first year of life:) As I was making it I realized two things: 1) I need to keep blogging because it motivates me to take pictures and makes it all the more easy to keep making these books! 2) I have been horrible with taking pics of Abby! Oh I feel so bad. There are oodles and oodles of pictures of Andrew and not very many (in comparison) of Abby. So I took my camera to the park today and tried to get some pics of her and start my quest of blogging again. Life has been busy lately. Two weeks ago I was supposed to be leaving to go on a trip alone to Arizona to spend some time with some of my bffs from college. About two hours before my flight I had to go to the hospital and next thing I knew I was in surgery to get my appendix removed! It was kind of crazy. But the surgery wasn't too bad and luckily I felt I had a pretty speedy recovery. So things are back to normal now. I even ran today, which was liberating. I am running a my first half marathon April 16th...and I do not feel ready at all, seeing as how I basically took two weeks off of training because of my appendix. Oh well, I am really counting on a big addrenaline rush for the race:) Zach has been in school full time this semester which has been craziness, but I am SO PROUD of him because in about two weeks he will only have one semester left and then he will finally graduate! He has done the best in school I think he has ever done in his life this semester and I couldn't be more proud of him! He is working full-time while being in school full-time as well. Like I said...craziness. We leave for the summer again April 26th and will be in Washington D.C. this summer. This will be the third year we have been there and I am super excited to be back there again. It is definitely my favorite place we have ever gone.

Abby and Andrew have become pretty good friends lately. Abby is talking up a storm. These are the words/phrases she loves to say: Mommy, Dada, Drew Drew, Andrew, Jake, Jenna, Goldie, Bibby, Poppa, Nana, Poppy, Rachel, Love you, I did it!, Hooray!, Wait!, Baby, Elmo, Bear, Doggie. I think there are more but I can't remember! Anyways, I love hearing her babble and put phrases together. Today I received a package in the mail of some summer clothes from Old Navy that I had ordered for Abby. I said "Abby look! Your new clothes came!" She no joke came running and sat beside me while I opened the box. I pulled out the clothes and she kept saying "ooooo!" So then I asked her if she wanted to try them on and she said yes. We put on about three different outfits. Everytime I would put one on she would run to the other end of the room and smile super big like she seriously knew she had a cute new outfit on. It was hilarious. She is such a girl. I think she like to do artwork too. I have noticed that every time I go to pick up her and Andrew from the gym daycare she is always sitting in the art section coloring with a crayon. So cute.

Andrew has been playing with his friends in the neighborhood a lot lately. He begs everyday to have Brendan or Easton to come over and play. His imagination seems to be in full gear these days as he loves to pretend monsters are coming, or he is hiding from something, or he is a super hero. He told me the other day that he would like me to make him a cape. HA! Better get on that...

I think Goldie (their cousin) looks so sassy in this picture it cracks me up!

Little buddies playing!

Nothing makes Andrew happier than playing outside and riding his bike!

I forgot to mention that Abby is OBSESSED with dogs. She just starts giggling and saying "doggie! doggie! doggie!" over and over again when she sees one. This is our neighbor's dog Chuck. Abby loves Chuck:) And don't worry she is wearing Andrew's coat because she has outgrown her's and I refuse to buy her a coat with spring around the corner.

Love my booger face Abby!!!!!!!

Andrew and Abby are getting so big these days. Abby is saying some words and loves to play. She loves to play with Andrew, but somestimes, or all the time, she thinks "playing" is smacking him on the head repeatedly, then he wants to kill her and you know the rest. Ahhhhh good times:) USUALLY though, they are really cute with each other. Andrew likes to "get Abby" from her naps by going in and getting in the crib with her and jumping together. It's so cute. Here are some recent pics:

BLOG SALE!!!!

I am STILL in the process of getting rid of lots of stuff, but I hate to just throw it away, so I thought I would try a blog sale first. Some of this stuff may seem random:) Everything is in excellent condition, some of it has never even been used. If you are interested in anything, or have any questions you can email me at katie.hillstead@gmail.com. There will be more to come after this first "phase". I still have Pottery Barn bedding and other things to add...so stay tuned!!

Williams and Sonoma Linen Table Runner $10

Williams and Sonoma Yellow Quilted Table Runner $15 SOLD

Williams and Sonoma Rooster Place Mats Set of 5 $15

Table Runner $10

Rustic looking book stand $5 SOLD

Blender $10

Silver Salad Bowl $5 SOLD

Decorative Birds the set for $8 SOLD

Decorative Clock $5 SOLD

Lumbar Pillow insert (fits the PB cover down below) it is a down pillow, $15 SOLD

Two Green and White Zebra print pillow covers and inserts. Just bought these on etsy, but they aren't working how I thought they would with the new living room. $20 each

Crate and Barrel Green pillow covers (I have two of these) $5 each

Pottery Barn Cream Pillow Covers (I have two of these) Made for 20" pillow inserts--$10 each or 2 for $15

Pottery Barn Damask Pillow Covers ( I have 4 of these) Made for 20" pillow inserts-- $10 each or 4 for $35 SOLD

Pottery Barn Paisley Lumbar Pillow cover with Velvet Back $10 SOLD

Two mustard yellow Pottery Barn lamp shades. $20 each or 2 for $30 SOLD

Random, but some people like to collect this kind of stuff....set of three milk glass glasses. They are so cute! I just don't have much use for them right now. $5

Crate and Barrel mixing bowl set $15 SOLD

Colorful acrylic tumblers, they are a smaller size glass, set of 8 for $10

Small little reindeer platter 5$

Getting a Little Stir Crazy:)

I have to admit that I actually really love winter. I don't mind the cold or the snow....but I DO mind that Andrew is stuck inside all day and bored out of his mind. So I am trying to find other things for him to do, because he always wants to watch tv and it drives me insane. SO...we went to the craft store and bought some things for him to do. This is what you will find him doing these days.....

Oh, and Andrew never wears clothes at home. He prefers just underwear....ALWAYS.

Stories About Andrew

Today I had a neat little experience with Andrew that I thought I should record. Everyday I try to go to the gym and Andrew and Abby play in the daycare while I am there. Andrew used to HATE going there, and it would make me feel so bad, but then he started bringing a train with him and now he loves it! Anyways, today he brought Thomas the Train. When I came back in the daycare to pick them up we couldn't find Thomas anywhere. Andrew was starting to get really sad because we thought he was lost forever. I seriously was looking EVERYWHERE. All of a sudden I had a thought that this would be a great teaching opportunity for Andrew. He started to cry a little bit and I said "Andrew I have a great idea! Let's say a prayer to Heavenly Father and ask him to help us find Thomas. I know he will help us." At first he was like "no I don't want to" and then I said "ok here I will just whisper the prayer in your ear." So I knelt down next to him and said a quick prayer in his ear. He sat there quietly while I said it. When I was done I said, "Ok! Let's go find Thomas!" I looked up and saw Thomas immediately. I said "Look Andrew there he is! Heavenly Father helped us!" I think he almost could not believe it:) He smiled super big, but was really quiet like he was amazed. I was grateful for that little moment with him today.

On a funnier note....Andrew was playing with his trains as usual a few minutes ago. He suddenly came up to me and said "mom, toby pushed Thomas, I think he needs a time out." I said, "yeah, you better put him in time out." So Andrew picked up Toby the Train and told him he was going to time out. He marched him over to the bathroom and sat him on the toilet (which was CRACKING me up because this is exactly the routine with do with him) and then he said as stern as he could "Toby-you think about it!" I seriously was laughing so hard, because that is more or less exactly what I say to him when he is in time out.

Abby is currently jumping her brains out above me in her crib. The ceiling is pounding. I love these little crazies.

Best Buddies

It seems like in the past two weeks Andrew and Abby have really started to figure out how to play together and it is so cute. Andrew likes to chase her and she runs around giggling and squealing. I love it! They also LOVE bath time together. It gets a little crazy sometimes:) Just love these two little monkeys!