Once Again!

So once again I realize I have neglected this blog. I think about getting around to it, and think about how I am missing out on the chance to document our lives. So I will give it another shot, because frankly its never too late. A lot has happened since June but I am not going to recap it all because it would be too long:-) But my daughters are growing and learning so much every day. Dereck started a new job, and my daycare is full and busy! 
What's up with Jasmine?
-started preschool and LOVES it
-As busy and friendly as ever
-Started asking Why about everything...I understand the phrase "Because I said so, thats why"
-knows all her shapes, colors, counts to 20 and is recognizing letters and their sounds
-Loves to talk about Jesus, and how he wants you to be kind
-Very compassionate towards people
-Loves to play with her sister, and friends
-Loves pizza, chicken nuggets, cucumbers, pickles, salad, water, and anything sweet
-Talks your ear off
-favorite show is Diego, and loves any kind of television show or movie
-Loves to play with any kind of electronic
-Loves playing with dollhouse, and tinker bell toys, her birthday cake
-She loves playing mommy and baby with Jessie, she is usually the baby and Jessie is the mommy
-loves to pray,  and reminds me to pray with her before she goes to sleep
-LOVES being with others and warms up to people really fast

What's up with Jessie?
-Talking in sentences
-Very aware of whats going on around her and where she is
-Very shy at first around most everyone,
-Gets embarrassed easily
-Takes everything in, and remembers it later
-learning her numbers, letters, colors, and shapes concepts
-Loves puzzles
-loves gluing
-Favorite thing to eat is bananas, baby carrots, mac and cheese, string cheese, spaghetti, pizza, cottage cheese, apples, green beans, LOVES her milk
-Loves playing with Jazzy and misses her when she is at school
-Calls Jazzy Sissy most of the time
-loves to write
-Gets in ornery moods and annoys her sissy
-Wishes she was in school
-Talks all the time when she isn't around new people
-Loves to swing, she will run to the swing as soon as she gets outside and sit on it so no one else can get it even if you cannot push her right then she will wait for you...she has waited at least 10 min before. She is So stubborn sometimes.
-Doesn't want to potty train and I am not making her:-)

Dereck is going to school online fulltime and working full time, so he is so busy but still manages to make time for all 3 of his girls.  I will be back with pictures soon!

Branson and a Birthday

So its true, I turned another year older.  I had been talking to Dereck about what we should do to celebrate and I told him I would love to take the girls to Branson...I knew it was not going to happen that is just what sounded so fun. Dereck decided to surprise me and make all the arrangements to go, all the way to getting a substitute for my daycare. Friday we loaded up our car, and our girls and hit the road.  We made our traditional stop in Coffeyville for breakfast, and then stopped in Springfield so we could go to Bass Pro Shop. We had a blast looking at all the fish and wildlife, Jessie also fell in love with a purple hat, and Jasmine insisted on taking a picture with the old guy holding a fish statue.
 After Bass Pro we headed to Lamberts and waited for an hour so we could eat some delicious food and drink some sweet tea.  We then headed to Branson. We did a little shopping and then headed to the hotel. Dereck got us a room at the Raddison and it was so beautiful he asked for us to be on the top floor so the girls could look out the window and see all the lights that Branson displays. We are pretty sure riding the elevator made it on the favorite things to do in Branson list. Jasmine kept calling it a elgavator. After we were all checked in and freshened up we headed to the outlet mall and found the girls' easter dresses and swimsuits at the Carter and Gymboree stores. We then ate dinner at a pizza place and headed back to the hotel to swim, and get to bed so we could get up and go to Silver Dollar City. The next morning which happened to be March 19th my 27th Birthday the girls slept in till 6:30 and we got around, ate at IHOP, and then headed to SDC. It was a little chilly that day but we still had loads of fun. SDC just added a new childrens section complete with a merry go round, sand pit, miniature swings, and a huge climbing tree house.  So we spent quite a bit of time there and then rode the train....which of course was a HUGE hit with both girls. We spent the whole day at SDC and then went back to the hotel for a small rest time. We then headed to The Landing, and enjoyed watching the water shows and shopping again.  completely exausted we headed back to our hotel, but Jessie was not ready to be there she kept going to the door saying "go bye bye" so we took them outside in front and did some elevator(you can see the elevator on the outside of the hotel) and people watching. Finally we had enough and got the girls to bed. Sunday morning we packed up and headed to my Parents to celebrate with my family. Here are some pictures of our trip and fun times in March.

January

We have been hit with the flu bug this past week,not the throw-up kind but the respirtory/high fever kind. This was our first and hopefully last with this nasty nasty very contagious bug. Jessie came down with it on Monday, I closed daycare on tues and wed hoping to get Jessie all better, then Dereck came down with it on Wednesday, and my SIL and nephew came down with it on Wed. and I am pretty sure a couple daycare kiddos came down with it too, because before I knew what Jess had some kids were already exposed. Anyways, I have been a lysol and bleach sprayin ninja this week...and I feel like I lost the battle. Derecks sister was 9 months pregnant and decided to, while she had the flu to have her baby a few weeks early, so she had a beautiful little girl and can't even be with her for at least 24 hours:-(But hopefully after this weekend and lots more disinfecting everyone and everything will be as good as new! Here are some pictures of whats been going on in our life.

I thought Jessie looked particulary cute in this picture!

Playing with colored rice....they measured and scooped, and dumped for well over 30 minutes. I highly reccomend this activity for little ones.

A snowy day calls for happy pancakes

Just because the girls were sick didn't mean they didn't have fun with the snow.

Most of the time Jazzy was too busy eating and licking the snow to play with it, but at least it was white snow:-)

It's All About Jessie

So I have been told that when your child turns 18 months their language starts really taking off...so I have been excited to start understanding Jessie better, therefore "hopefully" having less fits. So here are the words/statements she is saying as of November 2010.
*Mama :-)                  *Dora
*Dada                        *help
*I want some            *baby
*juice                         *Hi
*kitty                          *fish
*nana (banana)           *she tries to say Jasmine
*Gamaw (Grandma)   *yes 
*Papa                        *yep
*cup                          *apple  
*eat
*please
*thank you
*nose
*eyes
*mouth

She also started making a kiss sound and puckering when she gives kisses. Jessie has a way to get her point across even without words too, by pointing, whining, throwing things, stomping, crying, saying uh uh uh.
*She wants to do EVERYTHING her big sister does, which doesn't always fly with Jasmine.
*She is starting to pretend play more, like cooking play food, and eating play food, talking on the phone, and taking care of her babies. she loves going inside the play tent and then coming out. One day she played with her dolly, a stroller, and a blanket for probably a good 15 minutes. I loved watching this take place because as many people know I loved playing with babies all the way till 5th or 6th grade probably. She seems more interested in dollies than Jasmine does at this time, and if it continues I plan on giving her my very special doll from when I was around 6.
*Jessie also has a very special kitty that my mom got her when she was 5 months old while in CO on our vacation last year...we call the kitty "kitty" and it already looks like she has had it for years, but she loves her anyway.
*Jessie's favorite things to eat are-bananas, crackers, pancakes, any kind of pasta, chicken nuggets, green beans, apples, applesauce, yogurt, cookies, hotdogs, mashed potatoes, french fries, waffles, bean and cheese burritos, mandarin oranges, peaches, cheese roll ups, and any kind of muffin.

Jessie is such a beautiful, sweet, funny, and delightful little girl...and we are so honored that we are the ones she calls Mama and Dada, and that we can train her up in the ways of the Lord.

Thank you Lord for entrusting us with this precious life.  We pray that we bring you honor in how we parent her. Amen