Growing Grace...Update

It's just amazing watching Grace grow, learn, and become more capable. I mean, seriously, who can resist saying hello to a little blondie with blue eyes when they KNOW there's gonna be a ..."HI!" right back at them!! Ah I just melt every time she does it! And not only that, but she's got two different waves! If you use your fingers to wave at her, then that's what she'll do. If you do the whole hand, "I'm a princess" wave, then so will she!!! It looks more like she's spinning a pizza on her hand, but who cares!!

Her tootsies are obviously growing too. We went to Payless to try and find better shoes for me (I lost my sneakers and only had sandals) and she is now a 3 1/2 shoe size!!! WOW!! I can't believe that pretty soon, I'll be digging in the storage garage for her size 4 shoes!! AHH!! Where has the time gone!!

Oh, I probably didn't tell about this. She had her OT over a while ago, and Grace was supposed to show all of her naughty habits she has when eating...smearing fruit bars like lotion, squeezing bananas in her hands, throwing cheese off the table, and slamming crackers on the tray till the crumble. Well shucks. She was PERFECT! She even FED HERSELF with a SPOON!! Granted, most of it got on her cheek but holy smokes, she did it! And even yesterday, when I "tested" her again to see if she was just pretending to eat normally, she fed herself an entire plate of macaroni and cheese!! What in the world is going on? I mean, I had to help her "ssscccccooooooooopppppp" the noodles, but she did everything else. I couldn't believe it. And even still, she'll eat the fruit bar like you should...one bite at a time WITHOUT crumbling it in your fingers. Gosh. It just seems like a new thing every day with her!

Today we had a meeting with Grace's Coordinator for her services. We clicked pretty quick, and she's an awesome person!! She lives on a 1 acre farm in RIGBY (Which is where the house is), she's Mormon, she's SO SWEET, and she LOVES Grace. When we move she is going to fight to remain Grace's coordinator (it would usually change with different cities). But I just love her so much. She's getting paperwork for me for Shriners (in Utah) and said "no problem" she will be accepted, and they have the vouchers for gas. And she's going to look into hippotherapy (horse riding) and also get us an appt for a doctor that she highly recommends, and will take patients that were accepted by medicaid but don't have it quite yet. Then she brought us 8 ears of corn because of her 1 acre garden!!! She said we could come over to her house anytime and have dinner, and go see her "petting zoo." She's got goats, chickens, pigs and all sorts of things, and we can raid her garden whenever we want!!! So we are pretty much waiting on the Katie Beckett Medicaid. But hopefully we will have that soon.

I guess that's pretty much it for us here. We will be heading to Montana on Thursday for our "Labor Day Vaca" so you probably won't hear from me, especially since that's her birthday weekend!!! Or, there might be an entry, since I'll want to share as soon as possible about her wonderful day!!

Amanda

Utah!

I love that Utah is only about 4 hours away. How nice it is to just decide to go on a mini vaca and end up there in 4 such a short time! We were there this weekend, and all was well. We are now back and getting prepared for our next trip to Montana for the Labor Day weekend, and even more exciting...Grace's 2nd BIRTHDAY!!! Woo WHOO!!! I'm so excited for that, and just can't wait for it to get here! But I can wait, because my little one is growing up way too fast!

Oh, exciting news...as you can see, first, I am typing a short account. So obviously, Grace is here with me at the library and already bored, so it will be a quick account. Anyways...

Grace walked by herself!!! I mean, she wasn't prompted or anything!! I was standing facing the kitchen, as was Brad, and she just up and decided to wak over to him all of her own choice!! I was so surprised that I think we startled her with how happy we were!! Any day now, she'll be walking!

Amanda

Walking Talking Swimming Eating... and spots?

I can't believe the changes in Grace. I think my California friends wouldn't even be able to recognize Grace with how well she's doing!! She's learned some new words...Hi, water, all done, and these words are actually spoken rather than signed. I mean, she stills signs them, but speaks them now too! And her walking has just skyrocketed!!! She is now VERY willing to walk from myself to Brad, and has started walking from objects (like the couch or chair) to us without being prompted! It's still super short spurts before she falls to the floor, but she's now able to stop herself most of the time and bend to a squat, and then get to the floor! She can also go from her knees to a stand, but she either needs a lot of help balancing while doing it, or she needs our help lifting her up while she positions her legs. But what amazing things she's doing!! She walks pretty much 95% of the time with us when we go places (while holding our finger/hand) because we want her to see that this will be her main way of transportation!

She LOVES going swimming!!! When we ask her if she wants to go swim, she repeats "wa-ter" over and over again, and as we walk to the pool, she gets all giddy and starts trying to speed up to get there faster! And she doesn't care about the water temperature either!! She just gets right into her floaty. She's actually started showing a HUGE interest in NOT being in the floaty! She will try to climb out. So we hold her outside of it a lot, but it's hard because she can't put her head under the water...yet the couple of times I've tried it with her, she does ok. She doesn't freak out, but there was the one time she breathed in...so we won't try that anymore. And the spa is called "bubbles" and yes, she says it! We ask her if she wants to go in the bubbles, and she looks right over to the spa and starts repeating "bubbles!" She loves going in there too, but when it's too hot, we just sit on the ledge and kick at the bubbles!

Grace is having some issues with eating still...well, actually, we spoon feed her still because of these issues. So this Thursday an OT is coming out to monitor a feeding time, and we are going to feed her an assortment of textures and see what she does. This will be fun...just kidding. The fruit bars will normally get rubbed on her arms, face and hair like lotion (yes, she knows how to "help" lotion herself up after baths), and anything liquid, like pudding, gets rubbed in her hands like she's washing her hands with soap (yes, she can do that too!!). Anything hard, like crackers, gets spread all over her tray with a throw of her arm, and cheese is usually squeezed in her hands. So long story short, the OT will come see what she can do. But like she said, she can't work miracles!

I do believe that's all for now. Her birthday is coming up so quickly and I can't believe she's going to be 2!! We are going to celebrate up in Montana with the family, so that will be nice. I hope she can refrain from getting sick....She's got this weird rash going on. I actually don't know if it's a rash. It's spots that look like pimples all over her body. But they aren't chicken pocks. I'm REALLY hoping she's not sick, seeing how her Katie Beckett Medicaid isn't ready yet...so fingers crossed that she will get over this quickly, and that maybe it was just a skin irritation from the chlorine in the pool or something.

Oh...we found out that she can do horseback riding therapy with speech therapy, so we are HOPING that her medicaid will cover the cost. That can be weekly, but it will be a drive. But it's definitely worth it!! And the place that does it supposedly accepts 2 year olds, so we'll have to see about that.

Ok, I better be done for now!

Amanda

To My Followers

I'm so sorry to all you out there that followed me for my food storage, dehydrating, canning and other information!! It's just been so crazy getting settled down and the apartment is so small that I don't have room to do any of my exciting things! But I will say that we've eaten a lot of Dinner in a Jar meals as well as am mainly cooking with food storage, and it's been going pretty well. I think the only complaint I've had so far is that I left my white flour open in it's #10 can for too long and it got a little old. So the cookies I made with it are edible, but they aren't my favorite. I also baked these said cookies with homemade dried eggs and I think the next time I do it, I will water down the eggs first and then add them.

Hmm...so for the most part cooking with food storage hasn't been too much of an issue. It's tough not having meat...well, we have chicken and elk, but a nice slab of steak would be GREAT. But we can't grocery shop except for the fresh things like fruits and veggies, so we are basically food storage 99% of the time. We've got our butter stored in the freezer along with the cheese, so we don't have to shop for that for a while. The bread has been bought from the outlet store, which costs us 88 cents instead of $4, but I can make bread now that I have the recipe for my "quick mix" so that's going to save us 88 cents a loaf. I think the only problem I have with food storage cooking is that all my recipe books are still in storage, and it's hard to think up tons of different recipes!! But here's some meals I've cooked so far.

Couscous with mixed vegetables and mushrooms.... The mixed vegetables were dehydrated by yours truely, as were the mushrooms. I warmed up 1 1/2 cups water on the stove with chicken bouillon, and added 1 cup of couscous. Oops...I forgot to tell you about the veggies. I just soak those in boiling water (which comes out of our faucet!!) and then add them once I add the couscous (same with the mushrooms). Then it just sits there and expands and tada! Dinner!

Rice and chicken Dinner in a jar. The only problem with this is that the recipe asked for too much salt, and so other than that, it was good. And the chicken was self preserved (canned) and so it broke apart REALLY easily, so I think that fresh chicken would be better for this. But for our situation, it was alright.

Chicken soup with Vegetables. Pretty much like the couscous recipe. Chicken bouillon in water till it disappears, then canned chicken, mixed veggies and noodles. This one was pretty good once I spiced it up :)

We also had my self made/canned chicken soup. No noodles, but it was AWESOME. Brad said it was pretty spicy, so next time I might add less chili powder.

Biscuits and gravy...this one didn't turn out, but it was all operator error! My head was in the clouds while I was rolling out the biscuits, and instead of 1/2 inch thick they were...like 1/8th inch thick, so they were solid as rocks. But we just let the gravy soak for a bit, and they were edible.

I can't think of any others right now...oh, except for my cabbage and kelbasa soup, but that's not really food storage (except the meat in the freezer).

Ta ta for now. I hope that I don't loose too many people, because once we move to the new house (if we get it which I HOPE WE DO!!) then I will be canning/baking/storing up a LOT. And I will also be adding quilting to my list of expertise...if you can call it that...and I will be back to sewing clothes for Grace and I. I will also be adding dutch oven cooking too! Oh, and you can't forget gardening. This will be the best garden I imagine, seeing as it's about 4 times the size of our one in California!!

Amanda

The house!

Well, we haven't heard anything yet about the house. Actually, the papers haven't even been submitted to the bank yet because the seller is being a bit slow. But I have pictures!!

The front of the house :) The three large windows are the garage, the three small windows to the left of the door is the kitchen, and the three on the right of the door is the office (which will be Grace's "homeschool" room. There is a pasture to the left of the house, which will be the garden, and a gate to the right of the house that leads you into the backyard/pasture.
The beautiful kitchen!!! Pretty much everything I have wanted! The pantry...which is hard to see, is behind a door a bit but you can see that it's open. To the left of the bananas.

Here's the living room :) The front door is the one with the glass beside it, then the coat closet, then the homeschool room, bathroom, and Grace's room is next to that. The wall you see with the pictures is where her room is opposite.
There you see the dining room in the distance...
and here it is with the door on the right leading outside.
The backyard that we will "grass" next year.
The horse pasture with a tack room/round pen on the left and the 3 stall horse barn on the right.
Downstairs...The place by the window is where my quilting frame will go :)

This is the game area. The bed will be gone.
And the opening of the downstairs basement. TONS OF ROOM!!

Ok once again she's crying so I better go before they throw us out of the library!!

Amanda

WE FOUND A HOUSE!!!!!

We found a house!!! Of course there was another offer put on it WHILE we were looking at it, but we put in a counter offer $5000 above the asking price, and we're paying cash so I hope it turns out. It's 5 bed, 3 bath, 2.88 acres WITH A 3 STALL HORSE BARN AND ROUND PEN!!! An absolutely beautiful home, beautiful HUGE kitchen, AWESOME room down in the basement for our food storage, mud room/laundry room, and it's just gorgeous. It's got a side pasture that's about 10 yards by 4 yards, and it's all fenced with nice plastic fencing (the expensive stuff). Then in the back there's a big backyard then goes right into pasture. The round pen is on the left and the stalls with a bit of walking room is on the right. So we'll put up a fence between it to block the horse from getting into the yard, and the one pasture in the front will all be garden!! I think I'll train the horse to drag a cultivator so we don't have to do it with a hoe. And there's a private well/septic, and HOA irrigation. Oh it's just beautiful!! I really hope we get it, and will hear in a few days if the bank accepts our offer. The only downfall is it's a short sale, which usually takes a few months to deal with rather than a quick sale with just a normal house on the market. I can't wait to move in though, and hope we can before the snow comes. We hope, if they accept our offer, that everything will close by October 1st, that way we can move in before the snow does. We will probably wait to get the horse until next year (after the snow) because we aren't going to have any time to ride it while it's pouring snow! It's in Rigby, so just 15 minutes from BYU Idaho!!

Ok, so imagine with me if you will. You walk up the stairs to my door. Glass oval in the door, two glass sections beside the door on either side. You walk in, and right to your left is the door into the kitchen. But you don't go that way. You take a step or two in and turn to your right, which is where you will find Grace's room on your left, the bathroom in the center, and Grace's homeschool room. Turn completely around, (so the front door is at your left now) and you are facing the ENORMOUS living room. Walk into the living room and take a seat at the bar, and check out my awesome kitchen with granite countertops!! I could dance in that kitchen and not hit the counters. Then the dining room is big too, and has a beautiful view of the backyard (well, once the backyard is beautiful it will be a nice view!) Get off the seat and walk to your right, and you can either go directly right to the stairs taking you to the basement (wood stairs...well, wood flooring all throughout except the bedrooms), next to the stairs is our BEAUTIFUL BEDROOM with a whirlpool tub, then to your left is a slight hallway taking you to the mudroom/laundry room, garage (3 car, two facing one way, and one kittycorner to that), and a closet. Head downstairs and you've got an enormous family room!! I know for sure that in the back of the family room I will put a quilt square frame so I can finally start quilting, but I don't know what else will go in there. Then there a bedroom size portion with a closet (but it's NOT a bedroom) that will be our "game area", and then two more bedrooms to the left of that with a bathroom in the middle! One for Kailyn, one for Ryan...Elder Hildreth, once he gets off his mission!!

Well, I hope you could understand that as I can see it in my mind. If not...sorry!! Pictures will definitely come if we get the house!!!

Amanda

House Hunting

Just a super quick note as Grace is at the next computer banging away on the keyboard...we went house searching yesterday for 6 hours...11 houses...and only 2 (maybe) were on they "think about it" pile. Today we are going to see 11 more...or maybe more. One will be in an equestrian estates area, so horses are allowed and it will be nice since it's 5 bed 2 bath. We'll see!! I am being optimistic...I want to move into a house before the snow moves in on us!!!

Amanda

Shew, I'm so Sorry it's been so long!

Gosh, it's just CRAZY not having internet in our apartment, and seeing as I come her mainly with Grace (the library) I don't have the necessary time to update the blog!! But, here goes...seeing as it's just Brad and I today!!

Grace is getting SIX teeth in!!! I didn't even know until yesterday when I was brushing her teeth!!! 2 top back 2nd molars, 1 bottom 2nd molar, 2 top front teeth and 1 bottom front tooth!! She's been CRAZY drooling!!

A couple of days ago we came upon a therapy place that does PT, OT, and speech and went to get information, and if the doctor approves (once we get a doctor) then she can have double the amount of therapy and it will be covered by her Katie Beckett Medicaid!! (That's special needs medicaid). So I'm pretty excited about that. It's called "The Speech and Language Clinic Rehabilitation Center". It either costs or doesn't, but I was so excited when they told me insurance would cover. And they either do clinic or house visits, so that's great too. They are on the new system where there's just ONE person working with Grace, and if necessary, she's told by other people what to do for her. So for example, PT will work with Grace. Then if I think she needs some speech help, the Speech therapist will work ith PT to train her on what to do. I think it's pretty rediculous if you ask me. I don't want PT to work on speech, and I wouldn't want a speech therapist trying to do PT!! But with this place, if I ask for it, they will do one on one with EACH PERSON!!! So I feel SO blessed that I found that place.


Today, we will be going to Rigby to look at a house that is pretty promising. It's got land for Kailyn's horse, and looks pretty decent sized with a basement, so I'm excited. I didn't really want a house with a basement, but now that we've looked at enough with them, I'm really stoked about getting a house and basement!! It's amazing the temperature change, and our food storage will definitely be safe down there. We've seen quite a few houses that were pretty promising, but there were enough things wrong with them that we said no. Like one was pretty near perfect. We were feeling really good, liked it all, and had an AMAZING food storage room. But then my eye caught a water damage spot on the ceiling...and then when I was looking on the ground, I caught black on the wall, so when I bent down to see it more, I saw the cement was pretty wet, and the wall had mold. So the sprinkler water from outside had seeped into the cement, and up the wall. So obviously, a no. Then there was a house with land and all that you would need for a horse (tack room, LARGE lean to with 2 GIANT stalls and another partial barn with 2 more LARGE stalls, and then a hay barn, and it had an AMAZING riding area but was littered with rocks. But...the house was a manufactured home with dog pee carpets, bad paint job, and exterior wasn't very well managed. And...no basement, which means no food storage room, and the room were SMALL. House hunting is a big job!!

There's a family history center down the way, so I'm going to go to that sometime today or tomorrow. I'm excited to get back into my geneaology. And the Temple has a TON of walk in services so I can get my names done without having to have an appt!! So Brad and I will go do a ton of those some time this week or so.

What's next? I've decided to go back to school. I have to meet with the Bishop to get my ecclesiastical endorsement, and then pay the fee and sent my transcripts to BYUI, but after that, and hoping I get accepted, I will start in Jan. I'm not going to overburden myself, just one or two classes maybe, but I am going to get started. And then, when Grace turns three, she will qualify for state preschool, so I can bump up my schedule once I know hers. So I'm pretty excited. And I put in a job app for the library working part time, so I hope I get that!! It's just 10 hours a week. That's nice. I get to reshelve books and wander the library which is what I LOVE to do! And it will give me a break from Grace, and Brad more time one on one with her.

I guess that's pretty much it here...I better head off now so I can look at some more houses....I hope the one we see today is "the one." But we'll just ahve to wait and see with a pesimistic view...I always get myself worked up with optimism, so we'll go the other way now!

Amanda

Oh an Update

I guess I should let everyone know we ARE still alive! Brad finally got here on Thursday with the rest of the stuff...and our TINY apartment is SOOOO small that we look like the biggest Hoarders EVER. We didn't even try to deal with any of it; we packed and headed out on a quick jaunt to the mountains for the weekend. Much needed, but I am feeling the slight tingle of cabin fever since I know what's waiting at home. I'd rather just get it done than have it sit there waiting.

Grace has been enjoying herself up here. We went and did some logging yesterday, and Grace got to watch mommy carry dead trees and "up and over" a HUGE log we were going to use for firewood in the winter. That this was MASSIVE. And we let her play in the creek but all she did was stick her hands in, and even that was too cold for her! This was her first time EVER riding in the pickup cab without being on Mommy's lap, so that was an experience I loved seeing. She LOVED standing up and looking out the back window at Daddy on the 4-wheeler. And oh my gosh...the cows! She absolutely loves seeing cows, and mooing at them, so that was so cute to see as well!

While we've been up here we've seen a fox and porcupine. The porcupine was just adorable. It was on the side of the road at about 11 pm while we were driving up, and we flased the high beams at it and watched him waddle around. And when Brad got out to see if he could round it up, that thing waddled away so fast!!! And as we drove off he looked back and was gone, just that fast into the sagebrush. Silly guy. The fox we saw was obviously a baby, seeing as it was only the size of a small pup. But that little guy ran across the road and almost became hawk food!

Grace's princess party went well that we were invited to. It was kinda sad because it was mainly bigger kids that were there, so she didn't have anyone to play with, and the librarian read 3 books which is asking WAY too much from Grace at this point! But that's ok. We ate some cookies, made a crown, and got a couple pictures, so all was well.

I think that's pretty much it. We will be looking at houses this coming week, which will be nice because these paper walls give NO privacy, and the cramped quarters makes family life a bit less tolerable! High school starts soon for Kailyn "YES!" and I'm just so excited for that!! Long summers are hard on the entire family.

Alright, till next time.

Amanda

Keeping Busy

Shew, we've definitely kept busy. More out of adventure than anything else! A new place means investigating!!! Today we went to reading time at the library, which was really singing time with one book at the end which I LOVED! Except for this one boy that pummeled Grace and totally upset her. But..she got over it...obviously, I have yet to get over it! We also went to the Cemetery a couple days ago to find some relatives, but that thing was HUGE! Seriously, I drove in thinking, "oh this will be easy." Then I look to the left and there's a bridge going over an aqueduct, and taking you to another section the same size. Then you drive forward, and you realize your at the top of the cemetery, and that it goes down a hill, and then around the hill, and wow...it's huge. So we'll try that again another day when there's someone there to help us!

We also went to Smith's grocers, but wow, those prices...so I'm gonna do a search for coupons because here, they allow double up on coupons!! Extreme couponing here I come!!

I don't have much more time...Grace is getting wiggly. But I will say something for all my food storage followers out there...eating food storage is SO REWARDING!! To know I'm eating things I've dehydrated, or worked to get stored is just so amazing. I'm so happy I am feeding my family basically from the storage...except for those days when DQ just sounds TOO good!

Ok...she's done :) She just growled at me, so I better be heading off. Down to the kids section so she can crawl all over the dragon rug...

Silly girl! One more month till she's 2 YEARS OLD!!!!! OH MY GOSH!!!


Amanda

Oh My Goodness

I feel like I'm never able to post anymore. Having to rely on the library for my internet needs is NO fun!! I will definitely have to get service into our apartment so I can update daily, because that's how fast things are going here!!

Grace got a big girls bed today!! She did NOT like sleeping in it, but once she fell asleep in her pack-and-play, I put her in her big bed and she did fine :) I'm so HAPPY!!!

Grace had her evaluation today with the infant toddler program. That went well and they will be deciding who her PT will be, and what we should focus on first for therapy. So I'm excited about that too!!

We will start helping out in the soup kitchen...well, as much as I can get Kailyn to do it!! Once Brad gets here it will be a lot easier because the three of us can switch off watching her at the apartment while the other two go, so that will be great a great service opportunity!!

Kailyn made a friend, which is fabulous!! They went to the mall today, so I'm glad she was finally able to do that!

This week my honey will be coming!! I'm so excited because I miss him, and his support, and I just want to show him everything this place has to offer!!!


Well, we are off to go get more books for Grace. She absolutely LOVES the kids area because they have a GIANT rug with a dragon on it, and it's so big she can crawl around and have her own space.

So, off we go...

Amanda

Institute

I'm so excited to say that I will be attending Institute classes starting in August and September. They are right down the street, so I've got no reason not to attend!! And my plan is to graduate, so I will be well on my way because I'm able to take three classes for my first semester, so that's an awesome start.

And onto other church news, I went to a couple classes for the Education Week in Rexburg, and I will definitely be going next year to the complete thing. I'm so thankful for my sister in law that let me go in her place while she watched Grace. It was enough to get my engine going about education week for sure!

Amanda

YES!!

Grace learned how to sign yes!! I'm so excited because that's such a hard one for her to do! It's hard only because yes and hi are the same things, except yes is with a fist!

Good girlie Grace!!

Amanda

The Mail

Oh, how we do love the mail. I love receiving cards and letters, and especially packages! The first day I got our keys, which was like 6 days after we moved in, I was happy to see a card from my grandparents!!! What a way to welcome us to a new state, huh? And silly Dado had a cute comment in there that just made me laugh! Then just yesterday, I received a HUGE package. Well, not just me, but all three of us girls!! We had just missed the Fed-ex guy. We were walking back from the pool, and I saw the truck pulling away, so I started running to our apartment door to see if there was a package there. Sadly, I didn't see one, but then I saw the little note saying they'd leave it in the office! So I got dressed and headed to the office. Now, I thought I'd just be receiving one thing from a friend, a can opener. There's been this joke that we are all settled, but don't even have a can opener! And when I told this friend, she actually sent me one! So anyways, I asked the ladies up front and they were like, "Well, it could be any one of these..." and with a wave of her hand, she showed me a stack of about 10 packages. But, mine was so easy to find!! A BRIGHT PINK label stuck to the front, about 4.5" x 6" big with "Amanda, Kailyn and Grace Hildreth" written in pink marker, and "Keri and Jona" as the senders. I was SO HAPPY!! I couldn't even wait to get home, I had to open it right there. There was a sweet letter inside, the first thing I saw, and then two pictures that Grace had made with them at the state fair. But sheesh, it was so much more than just a can opener. This is what else: a CD of pics/movies of Grace, a $25 gift card to Winco (I can't use my debit card because I've been having issues with the pin...I told her that and she sent me this!), ziploc bags, sandwich tupperwares, picture nails/hooks, a can opener, 2 "just add milk" mixes (banana bread and chocolate chip muffins), and bread tins! I was so...touched. I cried about it in the car when I called Brad and told him. He didn't even know what to say other than "you really have a good friend there." I'm such a sap too. It's just a package, but I see caring right there :) Not that everyone has to send me a package. But I was really just venting on a not so good day, and she totally picked up on it and "fixed it". So I definitely thank her for that!! I miss you too Keri, and I KNOW Grace misses Jonathan!

So now, I get to send something back :) I will be making a little book called "Grace goes Here and There" for Jonathan, and it will be with pictures of Grace at the park, the zoo, the apartment, the pool, and so many other places. That way he understands she's just moved houses, and that she's doing well! I can't wait to get started on it!!

I also love sending mail, and have already sent the postcards we got from the zoo, and some cards too. I especially love snail mail because I like handwriting to people. Computers and emails aren't as personal, but they are free, so I do understand why so many people just shoot an email out!

Amanda

Swimming

Ok, so I can say that one of the greatest reasons to live in an apartment complex is that you get a pool, a huge pool, that you don't have to clean but can swim in whenever you want!!! I LOVE IT!! And so does Grace. She's just a natural fish in water. We've been going there almost every day just because there's nothing else to do when we get to about 6 pm. And we can easily stay there till about 9 or later! Grace just hangs out in her floaty while either I or sissy push her around, and when it gets boring in the pool, we jump into the hot tub for a bit!! What a relaxing way to end our days, right?

Amanda

House Searching!

We went with our Realtor yesterday to look at some houses :) It was definitely an experience. We had 4 houses to go to, and truthfully, I was hoping we'd find "the perfect" one on this try. I'm always about instant gratification you know? Anyways, the first one was a dud. Bank owned, dead grass and trees, weeds galore, 4 levels (not complete flights), and lots of repairs needed. Oh well, that's ok, we can only go up from there right? The second house was...wow! It's kinda old, being built in 1969, so I REALLY felt like I was in a grandma's house...well, not my grandma's...anyways. It was just really small, cramped, granny style. Whatever. Other than that, it was wonderful...oh, and the stove? It was like something you'd see in "Leave it to Beaver." The house was pretty immaculate, full basement, beautiful rooms, and the lady that lived there did some AWESOME work with quilting :) Outside there was a giant lean-to for a horse or two, space for the horse, garden area, storage shed and play house for the kids, and this house was out in the boonies where you don't have your neighbors looking at you while you shower. So that was nice. The third house was alright. I can't remember much of it, which must say a lot. And the 4th one was another horse lot. Nice house, HUGE FOOD STORAGE space, 4 bedrooms, nice size barn with storage to the side, and it was pretty good. I think for this one, the only things we didn't like were that above the fireplace, it had a swing out door that had the TV behind it, and our tv is too big for that! Also the tiling the leads from the kitchen to laundry room goes all throughout and absolutely MASKS the fact that there's a step DOWN, thus causing Kailyn to almost face plant while holding Grace. And then there's a deck out back, but it's about 2 feet off the ground without a step down...so we'd have to fix that. But minor fixes. After talking with the hubby, we're going to look some more but keep these houses in the backs of our minds. We don't really want houses built in the 60's...more updated, more modern, more safe!

Amanda

Grace's Therapy

So, up here in our new state, we of course have to get her reevaluated for her services through the infant toddler program. So we went to the office and got to meet someone that we will work with on getting her evaluated and into the program. It was so funny to meet with her because she was very surprised that I had so much information on her when we got there!! I already had two medical records, one from her main pediatric hospital, and one from her eye hospital. There was only the packet we are waiting for from her surgery hospital. So when I handed over the packets of about 400 pages of records, along with a complete IFSP (Individual Family Service Plan), she was obviously impressed :) We have a meeting with them on August 1st for Grace to get evaluated. She's not going to get a different IFSP, but they will just update the information so we can have a global eval. and see where she's at in all aspects of her progress. She will also be followed by the school for the deaf and blind, which I'm absolutely thrilled about since she's got hearing and vision issues. And she also might be eligible to receive services in Salt Lake at St. Jude's, which would all be at no cost to us (including gas, food and living situations). So this is sounding like a wonderful opportunity for Grace! They've also got spina bifida services there, which will help Grace as well.

I will definitely be updating on how she does with the eval. Oh, and a side note. She can now walk about 20-30 steps without support!! It's absolutely amazing to watch. Last night she walked from my bedroom, down the hall, and into sissy's legs all by herself without falling, or even losing her balance! Any day now, she'll be walking!

Amanda

New words

I can't believe how well Grace is doing with her words! She just continues to amaze me with how much she is learning. At this point, I love walking into her room every morning and saying "Good Morning Grace" because...I finally get a response!! "Mornin" she says!! WOO WHOO!! And she now asks for "water", which I absolutely love to hear as well. It's amazing that when I least expect her to say something new, she amazes me, and when I think "oh, that will be too hard for her to get," she gets it! Like at the zoo yesterday. I showed her the bears and said, "Grace, this is a bear. Bear." And she said it!! Holy smokes!

Good girl Grace. I will definitely keep everyone updated on how she's doing vocally since it's so important for her to be speaking. She can now sign "milk please" in one sentence, rather than just pointing at my milk and signing please, or vice versa. YES!!

Amanda

The Zoo

We went on the 22nd...yesterday.

Ok, so this was absolutely fun. I was hoping to wait to go to the zoo since it would be Grace's first time, and I wanted Brad to be there, but after talking to him on the phone and getting his ok to go without him, we headed out :) What a fun experience. All of us had fun!!! I mean, right when we walked into the gates after paying, we were stopped by a peacock!! What a beautiful creature those are. Then off to see the baby camel fed, but we were too late. But we still got to see it, and still got to hear Grace say, "MOOOO". No Grace, it's not a cow silly! Then we got to go pet some goats, which she LOVED!! She wasn't scared at all. As we traveled around the zoo, checking out all the animals, I just loved seeing Grace engage and actually see the animals (notice them). I was worried that since they were so far away behind the gates, she wouldn't understand what we were looking at. I think, one of the cutest things I saw was when she saw the geese and their babies, and she signed bird as she said, "beep beep beep beep!" It was SO adorable!! But that totally came in second to the next thing that happened. We went inside a building where there were some monkeys behind windows. At this point, Grace was eating her pop-tart (snack). When we went up to one of the windows, there was a white/black monkey up at the top of the climbing structure, and after a few seconds, it climbed all the way down, grabbed one of the monkey treats on the floor, and jumped into the window, RIGHT IN FRONT OF GRACE!! They sat there, not even 3 inches apart from each other, with just a glass window separating them, and ate their snacks together! We were there for about 8 minutes, and the entire time, the monkey didn't move. Grace waved to it, made monkey noises at it, and tried to share her pop-tart with it (which ended up leaving HUGE smears on the glass). I LOVED it! Totally a picture moment, but of course, we doing know where the camera is.

So, all in all, a wonderful zoo trip. We bought some postcards to send to our friends back in California, and Kailyn got some information about working there starting in February, so that will be an awesome experience for her.

After this, we drove by the park that is accessible for special needs children, but we were all too tired and hungry to stop and play! Maybe some other time.

Amanda

We're Still Alive

Shew...it's been a tough couple days, but we are still alive :) We've been moving in, unpacking, driving EVERYWHERE and getting things done. I'll update more when I leave Grace at the apartment with her sister, because she only lasts so long crawling around a library. But we are doing well.

Amanda

A sweet Farewell

Gosh, goodbyes are hard. My friend Keri came over today with her son, and they helped us pick our crop of green beans. Since we can't use them, I gave her the crop, along with some bell peppers and squash/zucchini. After a little visit, they had to be on their way :) They made sure we knew where they'd set our "lunch" for our road trip tonight, which was filled to the brim with goodies. And as we gave hugs goodbye, I can't believe the love that Grace showed her. She pulled Keri's face close to hers, nose to nose, and with her little dirty hands on either side of Keri's face, they stared at each other for a few seconds while giggling. I can't help but tear up when I bring this back into my mind just minutes afterwards because that's exactly what Keri's little one Lily did when they were close to saying goodbye to one another for now. To see Grace, my Grace, the glasses yanker super speedy hands Grace, to lovingly hold Keri's head while nose to nose and giggling, I just melted! And even now, as I type this, Grace is over on the stairs, halfway up, giggling as she stares at me between the rails on the stairs, and when I glance over at her she giggles BIG! What love this beautiful spirit holds, for friends and family alike. I don't think I could have asked for a sweeter farewell. As they drove off with two bags full of green beans and sweet spirits, we just stood there waving. Grace gave the best waves ever; her arm WAY above her head, shaking to and fro as fast as she could, watching them drive off. We'll be back little Grace. Don't worry. You won't forget them, and they you.

My heart hurts for those friends that are so near and dear to me, and it will take time for it to heal, but this will be great. We will keep in touch, I will remember them often and with sweet memories, and they will get to receive mail from Grace as she grows...with pictures of her reaching milestones, pictures made by my sweet artist, and sometimes gifts that Grace has decorated :) Emails, letters, calls, packages, and maybe even skyping!!

We love you all, all those that have been part of our lives. I am so thankful to have such wonderful friends with me throughout Grace's almost 2 years of life, and I couldn't have asked for anyone better. I will keep you all forever near and dear to my heart.

Amanda

It's Final

We were approved!!! The apartment place approved us, so we are definitely leaving tonight (the girls and I). We aren't hauling anything, so I'm relieved. We are definitely embarking on a new adventure for sure! I've getting the loose ends tied up, my map is marked with the supermarkets, rec centers and Grace's service places, so I'm getting so excited!! Countdown, 7 hours...no...6 hours. Maybe even less than that! Maybe we'll leave at 6 pm. I don't know yet, but I know I'm EXCITED!!! Sad to leave but excited for our adventure to come!

Amanda

Out to Dinner

13th of July, 2011

Today we went out to linner with my grandparents, her great grands, and I was so excited to be going to my favorite mexican food restauraunt. But the best thing about the day? She got her FIRST kids meal!!! EVER!!! I had always just shared my food with her, but today, she was a big girl, so she got her own cheese enchilada, beans and rice all for herself! The cheese was too hard for her to chew, and she ended up choking a lot on it, but the rice and beans were a hit!

This was our last "out to lunch" date with the great grands :) For a while anyways. We leave Monday (well, the girls of the house do) so that was our last time we'll see Dado and Papa for a bit. And what a nice way to do it too, celebrating with them her first time having her own kids meal!

Thanks Dado and Papa for sharing that wonderful milestone with us!

Amanda

The fair, the fair

This happened on the 15th of July, 2011
Grace was SO lucky yesteray because she got to spend the day with our close friends and went to the fair (while we worked on the house...yuck.) She had SO much fun! I was told by my friend that she brought so many smiles to people young and old, and that there were a few grumpy people that turned their frowns upside down because of Grace's sweet smile. She loved the petting zoo, and there was one goat in particular that wouldn't go to anyone but her, so that's an extra special friend for Grace :) There was also a super scensory activity for her that she just LOVED!! There was a sandbox FULL of popcorn kernels!! She loved putting her feet in it and sitting on the side, and we've always been worried because she eats everything she plays with (which the friend knew) so she was very careful. Well, Grace just tried ONE time to eat it and that's it!! The rest of the time she sat in it, scooped it, hid her fingers and toes in it, and played for an hour there, and no sneak nibbles from her!!! Good girl Grace!!

After a full day at the fair in her super cute white and yellow overalls (it was her FIRST TIME EVER wearing overalls!!), she went to her friends soccer practice! After this, there was pizza for dinner, and playing at the park until dark! I just can't believe it...while she was at dinner with them, she learned how to say the word "watch". WOW! She loves stealing people's watches, and at this moment, they were taking a quick walk while waiting for the pizza and she was toying with his watch, and he said, "it's a watch", and then she said it!!! Again Grace, good girl!!

I got Grace's medical record in the mail on this particular day, and what I read was kind of annoying. I found out she had minor flat head syndrome, which I'm not worried about, her ribs and sternum are mishapen, and she has cysts on both of her ovaries...that's the same thing I had but mine burst, and I spent the day throwing up and didn't go to the hospital till the evening because my parents thought the pain/vomiting was "just a bug." But anyways...OH! And I found out also that her hypotonia (low muscle tone) is highest in her chest/hip/waist area, which is why she's not walking yet. That would have been VERY nice to know so we wouldn't get so frustrated and work her so hard!!

All in all, a long busy day.

Amanda

The Little Pink Tutu

I was definitely surprised when I went to my friends house to pick up Grace and she had a super fluffy pink tutu on. HOW ADORABLE! I was standing there, jaw dropped, tears welling, because she just looked so beautiful...so graceful...so much more grown up! I loved watching her crawl around, especially when she would crawl like a bear and her butt would shake, which made the tutu shake so much more! The little pink tutu was a gift from these friends, these extra special, "like a second family" friends, a goodbye gift for little Grace. I just loved it so much. I can't wait to take a picture of her with her tutu.

I love you guys so much. Grace will not forget you. We will write often, call frequently, and every so often, a special gift from Grace will be found on your doorstep :)

Amanda

Our New Home to be...

I didn't really look into the apartment size when I was searching for places to live. I went totally based off prices, closeness to "normal life town", and availability. And now that we've got our names carved into this particular one, I'm realizing we're going to be breathing down each other's necks...for however long it takes to find a house. But let's the optomistically...we get to know one another so much better!! Quality family time!! The closeness will be wonderful!!! Here's the specs:

Master Bed: 13x10
Kai's Bed: 6'8"x10
Liv. Room: 12x15
Din. Room: 8x9
Kitchen: 8x8
Bath: ONLY ONE 5'8"x6

Total square footage in our new humble abode? 883 sq ft...that's 1000 less than we have now. YIKES! I guess we'll manage. It will just push us to get a house. The most recent plan has been to buy a lot and get a house built we want. We'll see if that plan sticks ;)

Amanda

The days Drag on

I seriously just want to be on our way to our new place. I'm done with the super slow pace of a teen that doesn't want to move, and starting one project before another has been finished is tiring! The packing is done, it's all ready to go into the truck. The main things we have to get done are: B getting HIS car fixed, B calling the painters I found and choosing which ones he likes, and then telling them when to come, B calling a contractor/repairman to work on repairs around the house, B doing minor repairs around the house, B getting a new title for his car because I packed the title and moved it already, and cleaning the carpets. So as you can see...my work here is done. I don't know how to lay new tiling, I don't know how to repair stucco or siding, and so I think the best idea is for the three girls (really??? Me and the teen alone...?? Will my hair last?) head to our new location with a trailer load (seeing as someone doesn't think we are going to need a truck again...hmm...we'll see), get set up there, get Grace's therapy going, get acclamated, get the apartment set up/decorated, go to the ward there, and let Brad finish up here. I think, if there weren't two other bodies in the house to deter Brad from what he needs to do, then things would get done faster :) Sorry honey, but no matter what, I won't be able to fix the water damage under the sink! I've got this card...it's here in my back pocket...it's...A WOMAN CARD!!!

I will never move again. Ever. Unless of course I've got someone packing my stuff, loading/driving it, unloading and unpacking. :) That would be SWEET!

Amanda

House Cleaning

Today was our day to clean the house :) And I've got such good friends that were willing to come over and help us!! We started early, with the first friend coming over about 9 and we had people coming in and out until just a few minutes ago (3:30 pm)!! They helped us get so much done! One friend worked in the kitchen, another did an awesome job on the windows, and still another packed the rest of our food storage. And our late arrival (but still appreciated immensely) helped out in the office, master bed/bath! Ahh...I can say the the house is so clean now! We also had another one of my friend's come over, and he helped us out with some odds/ends of things that need to be done in the house (repairs and such), and there's a property manager with us today now.

Shew, what a busy day. I've got a headache from the fumes, my feet are sore, but I'm happy. We got really far along in the house, and so I can relax the rest of the day. Grace and I will be going berry picking tonight with my friend and her son, so I'm excited about that! Blackberries are so yummy they make me drool!

Now, on to some fun stuff! Something new that Grace learned!!! Sorry for the friend who's child was involved with this, but I'm amazed so I have to share. Grace got her hair pulled by this friend, but I didn't know this in the heat of the situation. Grace cried, I went to her and picked her up, and kept asking her "what happened Grace?" I didn't think I'd get anything, but I just worked the process anyways. Well holy cow did she amaze me. She reaches up to her head, rubs it and then pulls her own hair, and then pointed at her friend! GOOD JOB GRACE!! She just told me her friend pulled her hair! I was floored! So, another good day.

Until tomorrow :)

Amanda

Grace is SO SMART!

So, among other things that Grace is learning...here's just a synopsis of what she's learned since we went on vacation:

Words: Turtle (she pointed at her brother's shirt and said it without being prompted!), water, Meagan (teen's friend), dog, no (grr...she says this to me all the time, and whenever she sees shoes, she heads over to them while chanting no and then plays with them. She so knows she's not supposed to play with shoes!! Apple, she kinda already knew this but is more articulate with the word. Na-na, which is her friend Jonathan. Bird, she says shoe now, she growls for bear, barks for dog too, says oose for moose, grandma/pa, up/down for the stairs. Oh, and she says vroom vroom for the 4 wheeler. MAMA!!! She says MAMA all the time now!!! I'm so happy!

Actions: Can go up AND down the stairs...the right way!!! Loves swinging in the tire swing...FOREVER! Walked 10 FEET ALONE in a gas station at 3 am in the morning! She wanted Daddy, so I put her on the floor, and he was about 3 ft in front of her andshe walked the whole way!!! Of course she lost her balance a lot, but she caught herself so many times! Gets up on her knees w/o an issue and can bounce like that, LOVES riding a 4 wheeler!!!

I love watching her change, grow, and expand her knowledge! It's definitely a beautiful thing! I'm hoping the therapy she receives at our new location is going to be just as good as what she was receiving here, if not better! Time will tell of course.

Amanda

Finally back home, and Packing...

We are finally home. I can say I'm glad we are home because I don't have to be in that darn truck anymore, but I'm not glad to be home because there's still packing to do! yuck!!!

Today we got home at 5:30 am. Brad drove about 1/4th the way, and I drove the rest. Of course, I had the help of a 5 hour shot drink and an energy drink (size of big red bull). I will NEVER drink those two at the same time EVER again! I was SOOO hyper at 2 am and everyone was so annoyed! I couldn't stop laughing, or talking, or even moving in all actuality. But I did fine. About the time I was on the homestretch I had to chew on a straw and swing my legs back and forth while the truck was in cruise so I could stay alert, but all is well :) We checked phone messages once home, all 11 of them :) I feel so loved! Then off to bed at 6:30 am, then I was up again at 8:15 am for church. I was DEFINITELY not missing church. Loved seeing my friends, loved feeling the spirit, loved feeling normal, well at least for a few seconds. Then the glances came (WOW! You're here!!) and I got to explain why I was back, for how long, where we were moving, why we were moving, and all that :) I felt so loved!!! I asked for help in RS and about 5 sisters said they'd be willing to come help clean the house, so Tuesday is "cleaning day" for us. Monday is Salvation Army pickup, with whatever is left over going to DI. The piano is most likely sold to a sister in our ward, and the chickens are going to be up on Craiglist just as soon as I can get to a friends' house to use their internet! The one I'm on is so old it doesn't have the updates for yahoo email! WOW.

Today I was planning on having a relaxing day since I'd slept all of two hours, but I just couldn't help it. Brad and the teen had gotten a bunch done in the pantry, so I got some more done while Grace was sleeping, we broke for lunch, she went to a friends house so we could keep working, and now, he and I have the pantry completely packed...well, except for the cupboard by the garage (darnit!) The friend that has Grace also brought over some toys and arts/crafts for her since I went overboard the first packing session and packed up all her toys! She also brought some pots/pans/utensils...since those were packed too! OOPS!

Well, we will just continue to pack. Since the pantry is done, we will move to the cupboard, and then probably to the storage shed out back. We will be putting our fishtank, fencing from the dog run (chainlink), and...I think that's it...up on craigslist in hopes we can get rid of it all!!

Shew...I'm beat. Gonna go now!!

Amanda

At a home base with Faster Internet!

Well, I've been absolutely itching to write a long post about our fun, but with slow internet and tons to do, I didn't get a chance to up at the cabin! But now I'm at the in-laws house, so I've got time to post. (That's hoping Grace can be entertained enough by herself).

So we got there on the first of July at 5 am. Wow, that was crazy early. We had finished packing the storage at 11 pm, drove around aimlessly or a couple hours trying to find the drop off site for Uhaul, found it, fast forward to 3 am where Brad pulled off the side of the road and said, "I'm tired, I need to sleep." We had been headed to the cabin at the time...and right when he laid his had down, Grace started to stir in her carseat (which usually leads to crying/whining). So, as badly as I wanted to sleep to, we switched and I drove the rest of the way. Shew, we skipped over that could have been disaster! It seemed especially dark that morning, which was scary because an animal could have jumped out at any minute, but we were safe...this time! We got there at 5 am, Grace laid down till 10 am (so did I at about 7 am), and then enjoyed the family.

Sunday...We went zip lining. I didn't do it. Too cold, too fast, TOO HIGH!! But we watched, got eaten by mosquitos, watched some more, and finally headed home. Then a family member's dog ran off, so we were up in the mountains, bear/mountain lion/wolf territory at a little before dusk, looking for this darn dog! About an hour later, it just came waltzing up the walk like nothing happened. GRR. But I'm just glad we found her.Hm...I have forgotten some days...

Monday the family went to Dad Creek Lake, which is the lake right above the pond where we do Zip Lining. This is the day I took Grace to the hospital for her "what I thought" strep. It turned out being pneumonia. So, when I was going to Dillon to take Grace to the hospital (for her pneumonia that I thought was strep) we have to go a pretty long ways. There is a dirt road coming from the cabin onto the main dirt road, and usually there's a bridge. But when the propane delivery truck came to the cabin, he went across the bridge (even though he was SUPPOSED to go through the creek) and broke it. So we've had to drive through the creek, which comes up to the bottom of the truck, and so when I did (with bald tires) and then got on the main dirt road (that also has TONS of rock on it) I almost fishtailed right off the road! I was SO scared! I was going into a turn at 20 mph so I thought I'd be ok, but the brakes still wet and the bald tires...shew...I was so nervous from that point I drove 20 mph the rest of the way down the dirt road (you can usually drive it at 45-50 mph). I even stopped at someone else's ranch in hopes they could check my tires/brakes because it kept jerking to the side and everything, but they weren't home. It was just me and Grace in the truck, so I didn't mind going slow. Shew was I scared though. And at the hospital, she became everyone's favorite!! She'd flirt, giggle/laugh and just be so cue they were all really nice to her. And after about 5 hours we were discharged (they did two chest x-rays which she stood so well for, and got a sticker and lollipop afterwards!), they gave me a sandwich and pop because I told them I was tired and didn't know if I'd make it back to the cabin w/o eating fast food first. We also did fireworks some day, but I don't remember when.

Well, we are pretty much updated. I gotta go do laundry. We are now in town, going to buy 4 new tires, and if it goes my way, be headed home. But, I'm assuming it will go Brad's way, and we will be here for a few days more doing...I don't know what. I just really want to get done with the move. I've got lots of paperwork I've got to get in CA, so I just want to get there and get it done.

Amanda

Fun stuff for sure :)

Today was fun :) I think the highlight for me was all the girl time I had with family while all the guys were out on a trek with the ATV's. We spent hours just gabbing, laughing, oohing and aahing over the babies, and eating!! Today I also mapped out all the stores, fun places and our apartment on a map, so I now know where everything is :) I'm super excited to get the rest of our stuff to the new place, start life in an apartment, and look for our new dream home. I'm SO happy because we found one with 4 acres and 5? bedrooms (maybe 7), which means a sewing room for me, play/homeschool room for Grace, and a guest room for family. I just can't WAIT to go see what the house looks like!!! We got a realtor that is out searching for houses in the parameters that we've set, so we'll see what she's found when we finally land in our new place for good!

I think the biggest event of the day for Brad were his two SUPER HUGE bonfires! I mean, seriously, they were both 7 times his height. Today, we did "super clean" of the cabin/outside, so the men were yanking out nasty sagebrush and burning it. Well, of course, my pyro husband wanted bonfires, so this evening, after the sun went down, he started his fires :) He's always SO happy to do that!! And I was lucky enough to get some time to go on a walk with two of the ladies of the house, so that was an awesome walk/talk. All in all, a great day!

Grace walked SO much today!! Of course it wasn't like, real...it was the "ok, go to so and so!!!" Drunk walking, every so often falling walking, but still!! She walked about 10 steps each time, so I'm super excited! And she's got more things she's learning (words) and today with her Aunt she learn how to "roll" her arms like the wheels on a bus!

It's now dark out, the hot tub (horse watering trough that is HUGE...10 adults can fit) is hot, and I'm ready to go soak with the girls and then play a couple games with the family before bed!

Amanda

Update but not Part two of move!

Sorry I've been so sadly sporadic!! We are still in Mountain land and having fun ALL THE TIME EVERY DAY, so I don't have much time to jump on here and update. But, updates:

Grace has two teeth coming in! I know I wrote about the first one coming in, but now there's the other one on the opposite side!! WOW!! Sadly, she's got pneumonia. We've thought it was just a cold for the past two weeks, and finally I took her to the ER today to get her checked out. 4 hours later, after two chest xrays, blood tests, and RSV swabs, we figured out it was pneumonia. So of course that's no fun, but I'm just glad we figured it out.

Other than that, we've just been having fun. Zip-lining, climbing up mountains in the back of a truck bed, getting dirt in my face while driving our ATV, and hiking through mountains that I'll bet are FILLED with dangerous animals just watching our every move.

All in all, this has been a pretty good trip so far. Other than taking Grace to the ER today, she's not been in her carseat, so I'm so happy! She's gotten a much needed break. Of course, we've gotten ours too.

Sorry I haven't been updating about canning, preserving, drying, or anything like that...we've been in the middle of a serious move/vacation, so you all will have to just be patient :)

Amanda

The first half

So, the first half, well, more than half, of our stuff has been moved. Wow, it was crazy insane and if I'm ever moving again, I'm getting people to move me! We were a day late leaving and other than four of my husbands' sons friends coming over (along with the son and daughter in law) it was only us packing the truck. Upon arriving at our new destination (two vehicles, so we were both exhausted because we couldn't nap while the other drove) we started putting everything in storage at 5 pm...and didn't get out of there until 11 pm. Then...we couldn't figure out where the U-Haul storage truck drop off location was, so we drove around for quite some time...2 hours later we were just going to sleep in the back of the truck, but luckily a cop drove by and helped us find the drop off location. So of course we were headed to our vacation after dropping the truck off! And now, here I am updating while on vacation!!!

What's next to come? Heading back to CA to load the rest of the stuff, and then back to our new location for good :)

Amanda

Water Therapy...the BEST EVER!

06/23
This day I can say was definitely the best. Why, you ask? Because of the awesome thing that Grace did on this wonderful day!! She stood up, nice and tall...by herself (while leaning on the bar)...and fell/jumped into the pool!!! WOW! I'm so sad to say that I don't have enough pictures of it all because we were talking to another mother there. But the memories will forever be in my mind, because I was so lucky enough to be able to see her stand there, so tall and proud, and when the therapist open her arms towards Grace, she went for it!!! She had the trust of the world on her heart, and fell into her therapists arms!

The above picture is how she usually walks now :) Holding onto the noodle makes it a real balance test for Grace. She's got to use her core to keep her upright, especially when the noodle moves left or right. She does SO great walking this way!!
And here's Grace walking with just holding hands. Actually, today was awesome for another reason too because she stood by herself for 8 seconds, and took 6 steps by herself in the water! Congratulations Grace!
Here's the part where she pushes off the wall and kicks. She doesn't like the whole kicking part, but we still use this a lot because it's good for her leg muscles, and hopefully her coordination.
And here's the beautiful part of her therapy today. I wish I would have had all my attention on her, but there was a mother that we were talking to. But what I got to see, and what I got to take pictures of, is just beautiful. Here she is turning from facing away from Elaina. You are so awesome Grace. I'm just so proud of you...To have the trust you do to turn yourself on that wet tile, and not get scared, or to cry or even whimper...you are so Brave!!
And here she is facing forward. From here, she leaned back on the bar, waited about 5 seconds, and then Elaina stepped back, opened her arms and said "come on Grace!" and Grace leaned forward and fell right into the arms of her therapist with a big splash to boot! YEAH!!!

This was an awesome therapy session. I was so glad to be able to see her just into the water because it showed her bravery :) I love you Grace.

Amanda

Park Play

06/24
We just absolutely love going to the park! And what better than to have our friends there to play with :) On this particular day, Grace had SO much fun playing with her friend Keri! She absolutely loves her friend, and I love watching the two of them play together.

We are definitely going to miss Keri and her family. We will definitely be keeping touch because they have been such a positive impact in our lives.


Amanda

Update on Grace!!

She got her nails painted!!! WOW!!! This is her first time ever, but it wasn't with me! Today she spent some time with a very close friend while I packed, and that special friend (Keri) got to paint her nails. It was extra special for Keri because she never got the chance to paint her daughter's nails before she passed away, so that was kinda "taken care of" by painting Grace's :) There will be an update with pictures...sometime!

Keri's been so great watching Grace for me while we pack everything. And she just loves Grace, so it's no hassle for her!! It's so cute...right when Grace sees her she lunges!! And when it's time to go, she reaches so far for Keri!!

Amanda

Ok, Change of Plans!!

I know I said I'd be off blogland, but I've changed my plans...what's new!

First of all, I won't put too many details up, but we're moving!! Idaho Falls, here we come. That's why we've been so super busy and I haven't been blogging. But because I'm going to make this into Grace's journal every two years (bind it), I better update!

Changes in the garden of course, and in one day we've packed the living room, family room, dining room, and kitchen..WOW! And can I just say that I LOVE packing!! Weird, I know!!

Grace is cutting a tooth!!!! WOW! It's her third to the back on her right side. I've been worried she didn't have this tooth on either side, as well as not on the bottom on either side, so I got such a blessing tonight by seeing a little white spot!

Hm...what else...I think those are pretty much the huge things for us. WAIT!!! I forgot!!! I pulled one of the potato plants out because it was starting to die, and sadly, there weren't any HUGE potatoes, but there was one about the size of...a gumball? And then there were about 4 more that were the size of peas!

Well, I'm not going to update all this tonight with their own posts because after a day of packing, my feet ache! So I'm going to kick my feet up, eat some beef jerky, and watch Supernanny!!

Amanda

Time Off

Starting Monday, I will be forgoing my normal routine of blogland. I will be taking a much needed break from the computer :) I'm actually kinda excited about it. But don't worry. I'll be sure to take TONS of pictures of all the fun things we're doing while on "computer vacation" so you all can see when I return to the "comfy chair" in front of the computer.

Amanda

Our Garden REALLY up to date

06/21

This garden is crazy. I love how big everything has gotten, and I just love going out there and taking pictures because it seriously changes daily.

The peas are slowly dying, and the green beans are becoming monsters...I swear, someday I'm going to wake up and they'll be climbing the house, and knocking at the back door!
Check it out! The feeler got all the way up and down the sprinkler. That will probably be cut off if it starts to interfere with the sprinkler doing it's half revolution for the garden.

Here's the tomatoes. They are lookin' pretty scraggly, but still growing tomatoes so I'm not gonna complain.

Wow. Lookin' good.

Do you see the little zucchini over in the bottom right of this picture? We've taken off about 4 veggies from all these plants so far.
Do you see the feeler shooting up and over to the left? These things have seriously started grabbing out at everything and anything they can get!

The beets...and the weeds. I know I know, I should get out there and weed, but I just can't seem to find the time, or the drive/desire.

Our pomegranate tree. We've lost quite a few blossoms from the chickens or the sprinklers, so I'm hoping we still get a lot of pomegranates growing.
Here's my potatoes. The grass I was walking on was SUPER soaked so I was too lazy to open the gate, walk through the mud right there and take a picture. This is the best ya get!

Amanda

Brad FLEW!

I am so excited that Brad finally used his birthday present I gave him! It was one pilot lesson, and I was so impatient for him to use it! He used it on the 17th, but I've just now gotten to the post...oh well!! I'm happy to say that he was actually able to fly the plane, which is exactly why I wanted him to have this for his birthday. He's always wanted to fly like a b

She's saying "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" as long as her breath will allow.

There goes that goofy eye...dangit. I just wanted to show her stickin' her tongue out at me!!
Here's Grace being SUPER cheesy waiting for Daddy! Next time, I definitely won't be taking her. The appointment was for 3, he didn't get into the plane till 4, and we didn't leave from there till 5. WAY too long for her to have to wait.
This is what all the controls looked like...the brakes and rutter were so weird (how they work/how you make them work) and I'm just SO glad I didn't go fly with them. I would have definitely freaked out!!

Bleh, dry grass everywhere...I want to see greenery in ALL that brown...

Look at him...kinda scared...kinda happy at the same time!! He said I would have freaked out from the turbulence.

Brad and the pilot. Brad said he was SUPER technical and all business up there, but he was pretty calm and friendly outside of the plane :)

Brad and his pilot checking out the front view through the plane :)

They look like tiny ants...

HA! He went over our house!! That's so awesome...of course, the camera took to long to actually take the picture, so he missed our house, but oh well. He got around the house anyways.
Wow, look at all those millions of houses...kinda crowded, eh? Bleh, I can't wait to get out of this crampy place....
There's the super tiny plane that he flew!! He looked SO cramped in there, but he didn't care because he had FUN!!

All in all, he loved it. He wants to get his pilot license someday, and I'm just glad I was able to get him out there in the clouds like he's always wanted to be. Happy Birthday Honey!

Amanda