This time last year...

This time last year I began my job at AA Alpine Storage. I remember getting the phone call for the interview and I immediately started crying. We had been so stressed about finding a new apartment. All we could afford were the GHETTO ones. You know the ones where the neighbors have two pitbulls that are barking and snarling at the flimsy fence that is seperating you and fate, the brown shag carpet, the dirty nasty fridge, and small window air conditioning unit/or non existant air conditioning. So heres to you Alpine Storage its been a good year, mostly and we are sure grateful.

Also, this time last year during the week I started training Maddie had contracted RSV, influenza 3, and had a bronchilolitis cough. She was such a sick baby and that RSV virus was nasty it gave me the worst runny nose of my life. So of course to honor the virus we have contracted it again thank heavens it is not as severe, thank goodness Maddie is a year older, and praises be that I'm not enduring my first week of job training. Although she has not been herself, I'm aware it could be much worse. Guess we really need to up our vegetable and fruit intake.

So my question for "mothers" is how do you get you children (toddlers) to eat veggies and fruits? I know now that I should have feed them to her much more when she was young and ate everything. Now all she wants is candy and cookies. I mean I can't even get her to eat a dang fresh strawberry so you see something is not right.

100th Post

Ok so actually the 100th post was two posts ago. I just wanted to mark somewhere that we've actually hit 100 posts. Unfortunately I don't have much good to say, Yakima Police Dept. has contacted us for an oral board and Jon will be doing this April 8th. Kennewick Police Dept. decided not to let us continue on and we've been so disappointed. It seemed so perfect and felt so right. We had fasted and prayed and gone to the temple and hoped that we had done everything to deserve the job, but we can you do? We'll just move on and learn from the experience. Hopefully this will be in the end an answer to those prayers. Thank you to those that have prayed for us and kept us in your thoughts.

Grandpa Walkers Farm

Lulu and Maddie jumping on the tramp, Maddie giggled the whole time Lulu bounced her.Lulu was such a good sport and pushed Maddie around for like 30 minutes this girl is strong.They would be going along and all the sudden the door would fly open. Lulu would pull the brakes and make sure to shut the door. They were hilarious.Weird flash, can't wait till we can have a real camera that takes good pictures. I really enjoyed spending time with my brother's girls while he and his wife were vacationing. I hadn't held Lulu since she was a newborn.Sweater obviously a bad choice for pictures. Lulu would have jumped all day with Mimi and I if I hadn't snuck off after 30 minutes, it was so fun to jump on a tramp again. Later when I stepped on it again Lulu immediately looked up, ran over, and wanted to hold my hand to jump.They were so giggly in the bathtub, I got some good pictures but I wanted this one to be internet appropriate.

Grandpa Merrells Farm

Maddie drove this teeny four-wheeler while Jon rode behind, she loved it.There was so much to do in so little time, she pretty much escaped outside whenever she got the chance.She loved Uncle Marlo's animals including cats, dog, and horses. She was fasicinated.She looks afraid but she actually really loved driving the tractor, it was sure noisy.

Grandma Jeanie's Home

Waiting....waiting...Spotted......Hugs....Tears.....

Thats right and I'm sure you've heard Grandma Jeanie came home February 17th from her 1 1/2 year mission in Australia. We had a lot of fun that weekend full of visiting, delicious foods, emotional drainage, and laughs. Its felt as though she had never even left us, although it had been weird to think she had never seen Maddie before that day. So much fun. Jon got to fly home with Jeanie and took his physical test up in Kennewick. He did wonderful and so we got to drive up the following weekend so that he could interview, which he thinks went well. We have been busy! My next post will be all about that trip but I figured I needed to catch up since it is now March. Maddie was Grandma Jean's little side kick she loves to sit on her lap and soak up the attention. So excited for all the fun memories to come. Oh I so hope we get this Kennewick police officer position, I would be so happy and relieved.

Barrage of random pictures

So goofy.

Maddie & Lizzy

Valentines Day morning, she got these new sunglasses and she loves them. She also loves purses what a girlie girl.

Thanks Gma Walker for the little purse as well as a fun visit!

So good with her dollies.

Cutest hat ever, right? Thanks Melissa Hahn! Oh yeah these are the boxes we sell in our office, obviously put to good use.

I found these Croqs at a garage sale, best smallest investment ever.

A face we have seen way too many times, what will we do when she turns 2?

Spaghettios are a cupboard staple in our home.

Proof that my house is clean one day of the week, sometimes :) I must credit Jon for doing a majority of the cleaning.

This is totally OUR kid, ha ha ha. She does sit in her princess chair or does summer saults over it anyway.

Maddie's been attending yoga classes at Golds gym with me, not really but as you can see she's quite flexible. Gotta give her props, I don't think I could do that without pulling out the drawers or having the the whole thing fall on top of me.

Pledge

www.pfpchallenge.com

Go ahead and pledge you know you want to. Wait only do this if you need to lose weight. I thought it would cost money and it doesn't, but for every pound you pledge to lose .14 cents is donated to help feed America. I pledged today, I also signed up for a competition, thats correct a weight loss competition. I had to get my stats taken in a bathing suit....awkward. But hey if I win in my age/gender group I win $2,000. Might as well right? Wish me luck.