The Neff Family

Non-Christmasy December photos!

2012-01-08T20:14:00.000-08:00

Lucy Lucy Lucy....

As quite the busy little girl, she is often found playing in the sink. Sometimes her feet stay on the stool, while other times not.

If locked out of the bathroom, she'll find other amusement with the light switches,

or opening and closing doors.

(Usually closing- and getting stuck inside a room until someone frees her. She's still mastering the skill of turning the doorknob. )

But, she's most likely to be found tickling, chasing, and giggling with her best buddy Emery. (Until one of them doesn't get their way and starts screaming.)

Emery is coming to understand the value of alone time. Not such a big fan of the girlish screams.

Lucy loves to point out her belly button,

eyes,

mouth,

and ears.

And she knows just how to get her way with that cheeser!

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

2012-01-01T16:47:00.000-08:00

I decided to make our big Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve this year. We had ham, cheesy potato casserole (funeral potatoes!), rolls, salad, and ginger ale. It worked out perfect so we could enjoy the leftovers Christmas day without all the work!

We made sugar cookies and frosted them for Santa on Christmas Eve too.

Then the kids opened their 1 gift...pajamas!

Both kids pj's were too small. Those kids are tall! But they wore them for 1 night anyways. Emery's were 4T/5T but I guess I should have gotten the 6/7. And Lucy's were 18 months and she's now 19 months so oops on my part!

We couldn't forget carrots for the reindeer and milk for the cookies!

Late at night Santa delivered the gifts and filled the stockings

Christmas morning was filled with oohs and ahhs and smiles all around!

And then off to church we went! What a wonderful way to spend Christmas!

More Christmas season fun!

2012-01-01T16:16:00.000-08:00

In the middle of December Emery had his Christmas program at his preschool. My camera has done me well over these 5 years but it really can't handle the far away low light! Maybe 2012 we'll upgrade :)

He sang with all his heart and we couldn't be prouder of him!

Lucy did not appreciate being put into the nursery during the program. But she was full of wiggles and sequels and I knew I'd be getting nasty looks from other parents if I didn't take her. At least the program was only 20 minutes long!

For our girl's night out we had a fun gift exchange, drank hot coca, and went to see Christmas lights! So much fun with the girls!

Emery was so excited to have a Christmas party to go to with his buddies! The decorated ornaments, made treats, had lunch, and even had a gift exchange. My fried Julie Rogers really outdid herself. She is a great hostess for the parties!!

During the holidays it's fun to make more goodies than usually socially acceptable. We enjoyed white chocolate popcorn, lots of cookies, and candies too!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T10:28:00.000-08:00

"Giving, not getting, brings to full bloom the Christmas spirit. Enemies are forgiven, friends remembered, and God obeyed. The spirit of Christmas illuminates the picture window of the soul, and we look out upon the world's busy life and become more interested in people than things. To catch the real meaning of the "spirit of Christmas", we need only drop the last syllable, and it becomes the "Spirit of Christ".

-President Thomas S. Monson

7 Year Anniversary

2011-12-22T05:55:00.000-08:00

7 years ago we were married in the beautiful Salt Lake Temple. It was a chilly day but I didn't even notice for a while because I was just so happy!

Along the way we got 2 bachelor's degrees, 1 master's degree, 3 apartments, 1 house, 2 kids, and career at Michelin. And I wouldn't want to have been through it all with anyone else.

We celebrated our anniversary by going out to dinner and then to an indoor shooting range. I haven't been shooting since before I had kids. It was a fun date! Later we wrapped Christmas gifts for the kids while watching the movie "While you were sleeping". I'm so excited to see the kids faces on Christmas morning!

Love you Joel! Thanks for these 7 years and all the memories. I can't wait to make some more :)

Getting in the Christmas spirit!

2011-12-13T19:15:00.000-08:00

We having been having so much fun this December getting in the Christmas spirit! Emery and Lucy did some sticker Nativity scenes.

And saw Santa Claus. Lucy was not a fan.

Emery went ice skating for the first time!

Of coarse we put up our Christmas tree Thanksgiving day!

Our little elf "Elvie" has been keeping an eye on the kids and reporting back to Santa!

Joel put Christmas lights on our house for the first time!

They aren't much but I just love them! We'll gradually add more each year. Actually we have 3 little spiral trees on the grass too that we added after I took this picture.

We dressed up as people of Jerusalem for our church Christmas party.

The kids loved making a gingerbread house (and eating all the candy and frosting off it!)

It's quite a work of art!

And one of my favorite things was visiting a house that goes all out with their Christmas lights! We even lucked out and happened to come by a the same time a little concert was going on in the backyard!

We also did the driving tour of the Roper Mountain Holiday Lights with some friends. We got out to walk around a bit and took a quick family picture!

And there is still more fun to come! And then Christmas day! Yay for the holidays!!

November

2011-12-02T12:09:00.001-08:00

This moment in time: 18 months old

2011-12-02T11:29:00.001-08:00

Age: 18 months

Height: 34.5" (98 %)

Weight: 22.4 lbs (19 %)

Hobbies: Following big brother around, dancing, and coloring.

Skills: Eating with fork and spoon, drinking from a cup, running and climbing, scribbling with crayons and learning more words.

What I'm in to: Jabbering, playing with stuffed animals, playing with push toys and stroller, reading, playing tea party, and eating all day long.

What I'm not in to: Sharing, sitting still, being quiet, the high chair, diapering and waiting for things.

Foods: Loves to eat all day long! Lately like pomegranates, clementines, mashed potatoes, and candy.

What I'm saying: Mama, daddy, rar rar (Jaguar), ball, bowl, apple, cocoa, no, and this.

Sleeping Habits: Up around 7:30am and down around 8pm with 1 nap around 1:00pm. for about 1.5-2 hours. (occasionally a 3 hour nap)

Favorite Songs: Jingle Bells, Wheels on the bus, Popcorn popping, the Daddy song, and the Elmo song.

Other things: Likes the toys in Nursery but doesn't want to be left.
Loves to dance around to music.

Misses big brother when he is at school.

Blows kisses and gives good hugs.

Folds arms during prayers and then says "All done!" very loudly.

Loves to giggle and tickle and smile.

This moment in Time: 5 years old

2011-11-27T16:46:00.001-08:00

Age: 5 years old

Weight: 47.8 lbs (86.4%)

Height: 3' 10" (94.5%)

Hobbies: Tying knots, running fast, bouncing around, and exploring everything.

Skills: Beginning reading and spelling, addition and subtraction, understanding the calendar and days of the week.

What I'm into: Riding my bike, attending preschool, playing with friends, imagination games (playing "Fair"), photography, and directing.

What I'm not into: Washing his hair, wearing socks, and being attacked by little sister.

Foods I like: Mac & Cheese, Meatballs and Rice, yogurt, apples, bananas, and oranges.

Foods I refuse: Chocolate, jam, syrup, honey, mashed potatoes and smoothies.

Favorite songs: I love to see the temple, Christmas music, and Preschool Songs

What I'm saying: Basically talking non-stop! Quite a lot of " Why?" "When?" "Where?" "How?"

"Who?"

Other things: Sweet big brother, still loves watching TV snuggled with his blankets, very helpful most of the time, and also very independent. Getting very strong and accidentally breaks somethings almost every day.

Grandma Kathy and Grandpa John visit

2011-11-27T16:26:00.001-08:00

The kids were just thrilled to have their other grandparents come visit so soon after the others! They enjoyed lots of time playing, baking, reading, and working!

John did several projects in our yard while he was here as well as painting our garage!

Kathy sewed this little bag for Emery's bike so he could carry all his rocks and leaves or whatever else little boys pick up on their bike rides!

All ready for church!

And I got lots of time to myself while the kids soaked up time with their grandparents. I'm pretty sure it was a win-win for everyone!

Come again soon!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-04T08:20:00.000-07:00

Everyone was excited to go Trick-or-Treating this year. We found a great subdivision that hands out lots of candy! Emery skipped from house to house humming and just enjoying every minute of it. Lucy was very surprised to see candy in her bucket and quickly got the hang of it. In just over an hour we had collected a whole load of candy! Just the chocolate weighed over 4 lbs! Good times :)

Grandma Debbie and Grandpa Paul visit

2011-11-04T08:14:00.000-07:00

The kids had such a blast while Grandma and Grandpa were here! I make this "road" out of masking tape for them to play on.

They spent lots of time playing outside, going for walks and bike rides and playing in the backyard.

Grandma also made hats for Emery and Lucy while she was here!

We went to pick out pumpkins!

Thanks for coming! Come again soon :)

Emery's 5th Birthday!

2011-11-04T08:01:00.000-07:00

Emery was so lucky to have his Grandma Debbie and Grandpa Paul in town for his 5th birthday! After school, they took him to the mall for ice cream and a train ride.

Emery loved decorating his cake and having everyone sing to him!

Earlier in the month Emery had a Halloween birthday party with lots of friends. They painted pumpkins,

ate mac and cheese and pb&j for lunch,

had cookies and cakes,

played games (like pin the nose on the pumpkin and ring toss)

and had a screaming good time!

Opening presents is always so much fun!

Happy Birthday to the sweetest boy I know! :)

Family Pictures 2011

2011-10-16T11:18:00.000-07:00

Updates

2011-10-12T17:43:00.000-07:00

Parents were invited to come visit the kids during circle time last week. We heard them sing songs, and saw what they've been learning. Emery just loves school!

At home, we were trying to mix things up to ease the boredom. I made a sensory bin after finding inspiration HERE. It was a hit! Well until they started fighting over stuff and screaming and crying...

They enjoyed scooping the black beans,

and looking at the animals and bugs,

making patterns,

and sorting into a cupcake pan.

Oh, and we also went camping with our ward last weekend. Unfortunately this is the only picture I took. By the time we got there, set up, started a fire, and ate dinner, Emery was asking to go to bed! He did have a good time though playing around with his friends while we set up. Lucy did surprisingly well. At around 9:30 she was drifting off while sitting in front of the fire. I took her into the tent, bundled her up, and cuddled with her until she fell asleep. She did wake up a few times in the night, but was able to get back to sleep ok. At 5:30 both kids were awake but Lucy climbed over to Joel to keep warm and somehow Emery fell back asleep until 7 or so after I insisted we were not getting out of the tent while it was still dark! With the low being around 50 it was a little nippy but with lots of blankets and our sleeping bags we managed to stay warm enough! It was fun. We'll probably do it again in a year or two....

Lucy

2011-10-10T17:44:00.000-07:00

The Fair

2011-09-11T17:47:00.000-07:00

Emery has been asking to go back to the State fair for 11 months (ever since we went last year!) He was so excited to go again. We has a blast!!

Lucy lasted for about 2 seconds in the stroller this year! She waned to play!

Both years this was one of Emery's favorites. A little maze/obstacle coarse with a big slide at the end. Daddy was a good sport and took Lucy through a few times.

The petting zoo was fun. We bought a bag of sliced carrots for $2 to feed the animals.

We love the Ferris Wheel!

Lucy was able to go on a few rides, but always had to have help from Daddy!

Emery liked this big roller coaster much better this year!

Lucy likes to be in control of the food and drinks!

And this year was even better because we went with our friends the Buelo's!

This time I forgot to get my funnel cake :( But we did have quite a spread of fair goodies: corn dog, pizza, nachos, turkey leg, lemonade, icee, cotton candy, and a candy apple! One funny thing that happened to Emery at the petting zoo. After feeding the antelope some carrots, Emery looked away for a moment and it licked Emery on the face! It had a very long tongue! Emery didn't know quite what to think! He was a good sport though and thought it was pretty funny!

Homemade Fruit Roll-Ups!!

2011-09-08T12:49:00.000-07:00

As a child I had quite the sweet tooth! Now that I'm older, I have become more reasonable. However, I still have a soft spot for fruit roll-ups! I found a recipe for homemade ones and then adjusted it to what worked for me. Turned out delicious!! I want to run right to the store and buy more strawberries asap!! Here is my version

Ingredients:
1.5 lbs strawberries (or other fruit)
1/2 cup sugar (or to taste)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Puree fruit and sugar in a blender until smooth. Pour onto 2 baking sheets lined with a silicone baking mat (or parchment paper sprayed with Pam). Smooth thin, about 1/8" thick.
Bake until center is no longer tacky, about 2 hours. Remove from oven and peel off baking sheet onto fresh piece of parchment paper. Cut into long strips and roll up. Secure with a piece of tape. Store in airtight container or freeze.

The place I found the recipe was from OurBestBites. I like not cooking the fruit on the stove-top first (as some other recipes call for), but I liked cooking it faster at a slightly higher temperature in the oven. Two hours sounds way better than 6-8!! You should try it; you'll love it!!

Labor Day Play!

2011-09-06T11:07:00.000-07:00

We had a fabulous Labor Day yesterday. My sister and her family were visiting for the day from FL and we took the kids to the children's museum. Fun was had by all :) Emery is only 6 months younger than his cousin Aleya and they loved getting some time together!

The Kids

2011-08-31T18:16:00.000-07:00

Lucy is really letting her little personality shine lately. She is quite the lady loving all things girly. She especially loves to try on Mommy's shoes; even if it is a little frustrating trying to make them fit! She is a little climber as seen here in the tub. She is also very concerned with little specks of dirt or lint on the floor. She'll pick them up and take the to the garbage. If she feels some unknown particle on her foot, she'll sit right down to take care of it.

As with many little girls, she is quite emotional. She is quick to cry if she doesn't get her way. I see quite a lot of this face...

But, at least she can soothe herself with her thumb and favorite stuffed toy.

She loves to feed herself. However, it does make quite a mess for Mommy!

Emery still loves school! His favorite friend in his class is a little girl named Isabella. Apparently she whispered to him the other day that she loved him. I asked him if said it back and he said, "No, we weren't supposed to talk while the teacher is talking!"
He is very interested in reading lately. I think he'll be quite the book worm some day :) Just like Mommy and Daddy!

Keeping Busy!

2011-08-31T18:05:00.000-07:00

Joel has been keeping busy getting fit and running a lot. His latest 5K was sponsored by his company Michelin. It was early in the morning and a little overcast. But still pretty humid. We've decided though that we all do much better in afternoon races. Momma likes her sleep!

His time improved from his last race so we'll count it as a success! Good job Joel!!

Insecurity

2011-08-28T18:08:00.000-07:00

This moment in time: 15 months old

2011-08-24T13:00:00.000-07:00

Age: 15 months

Height: 32.25" (94%)

Weight: 19.62 lbs (26%)

Hobbies: Being with mommy, climbing, and eating

Skills: Running, climbing, and getting my way

What I'm in to: Playing outside, running, picking my own snack, and playing with Mommy's shoes, purses, jewelry, and makeup brushes.

What I'm not in to: Diapering, riding in the car, being told no, and playing alone.

Foods: Whatever mommy and daddy and emery are having! favorites also include yogurt, Popsicles, and treats!

What I'm saying: Dada, and lots of grunting and pointing. Also nods yes and no

Sleeping Habits: Up around 7am and down at around 7:30pm with 1 nap around 10:30 or 11am, and a rest in the afternoon (but not falling asleep) for about 30 minutes.

Favorite Songs: Winnie the Pooh, Twinkle Twinkle, and I am a Child of God

Other things: 6 teeth now with at least 2 more on the way

Pulls Mommy's hair to get attention

Loves to hold her stuffed "Baby Jaguar" and suck her thumb still

Beginning to have stranger anxiety (heavily prefers mommy to any others)

Likes to self feed

Still has a beautiful smile that melts your heart!

Visit from Grandma Kathy

2011-08-24T08:52:00.000-07:00

In anticipation of Grandma Kathy's arrival, the kids went to town on coloring a nice picture with markers for her.

Lucy was a little concerned with getting her hands washed afterward :)

I didn't get pictures of everything we did for the 7 day visit but we sure packed in a lot of fun!

To sum up we played in the tent, did worksheets, went to school, took naps, went to lunch, got wet in the back yard with the pool and slip n slide, went shopping, went to the library, watched movies, went to a birthday party, played games and puzzles, had lots of stories, went to dinner and the candy store in Greenville, and got rained on too.

And we can't wait until next time! Thanks for coming Grandma!! The kids LOVED it :)

First Day of K4

2011-08-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

Emery started K4 today. He goes to a local Christian church for his preschool. His teachers are Mrs. Jill and Mrs. Tiffany. He was beyond excited to start school. So excited even that he woke me up at 4:45am anxious to get going! My sweet little boy is growing up. Love you Emery!

What is it...

2011-07-31T11:45:00.000-07:00

What is it about the word "Dentist" that makes kids freak out?

Emery was beside himself when I told him it was time to go to the dentist. Never mind that 6 months ago he was fine about it. He was scowling and insisting he would never get in the car. Somehow we made it there. In the car I tried to remind him of everything that would happen and how he'd get a prize at the end.

He was very nervous but also very brave and sat down in the chair just fine.

Lucy watched intently and had a snack.

Emery was pleased to get to wear special sun glasses so the light wouldn't be so bright.

And thankfully he sat still and opened up wide!

Emery thought Lucy should come try out the big chair.

She was not having any part of that!

He also was able to get x-rays of his back teeth. He sat still and loved it when the hygienist praised him for being so good. She insisted that some 10 year olds didn't do as well as him.

After his cleaning he proudly showed me his clean and cavity-free teeth!

He even admitted to me after getting a sticker and toy that going to the dentist was pretty fun!

He's even considering becoming a dentist some day. Mostly because he wants to push the button to lift the chair...since only dentists can do that.

Fleeting moments

2011-07-30T20:07:00.000-07:00

I know they may not always enjoying playing

together, eating Popsicles and playing peek-a-boo. So I enjoy these fleeting moments of pure joy!

Emery is very good at sharing some of the time.

Where's Emery?

Peek-a-boo!

She's found her belly button!

I wish this picture wasn't blurry but I only had my phone handy. Look at those cheesers!

Love my kids!!

Site Seeing in Philly

2011-07-29T14:36:00.000-07:00

While in Philadelphia for the wedding, I fit in a little site seeing! I went to see where Angie lives and her awesome view from her porch! Then only a few minutes away was Valley Forge.

The meadows were beautiful!

Log Cabins

Train station

George Washington's headquarters while at Valley Forge

I touched the original handrail that George Washington touched! :)

I then saw the Washington memorial chapel.

Later, I took a tour of Independence Hall.

Saw the Liberty Bell

And went shopping for the first time at Anthropologie!

Everything was so beautiful! 4 Floors of unique (and expensive) clothes and home goods. But I found a pair of jeans in the clearance room for only $9.95 (originally $98). Score!

Took a drive down to Penn Landing

Then took the Ferry over to the New Jersey side!

Saw the Benjamin Franklin bridge!

Sat for about 1.5 minutes before riding the Ferry back to Philadelphia :)

A whirlwind trip! The end.

My sister Angela's Wedding!

2011-07-29T12:51:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago I went to Philadelphia to see my half-sister Angela get married. I'm so glad I got to go!! And it was a nice little vacation since Joel stayed home with the kids while I was gone :)

She looked beautiful and so in love. Congrats Angie and Dan! Love you both!

Picking Peaches

2011-07-24T13:51:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to Greer, SC to pick peaches. Sounds so very exciting and fun huh?! Well, it was for about a minute until we were covered in sweat! It was really hot and humid and not very pleasant in actuality. But we got some yummy peaches and have enjoyed some delicious peach cobbler!

These first 2 pictures weren't taken with my camera. That's why they look so much better! My friend Julie took them with her Rebel. Note to self: get better camera!

It was difficult to find peaches that were soft. We ended up with a bunch of hard ones, but they softened up a few days later. All the soft ones apparently fell off the tree onto the ground. Watch your step!

The big fall

2011-07-23T13:52:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday night Emery ran as fast as he could out in the back yard after his Daddy. Turns out Daddy was already inside. And to make matters worse, Emery took a tumble face first down the hill. Ouch! With no other injuries other than his face he jumped right up and came running and screaming toward the house. He was covered in dirt, in his eyes, nose, and mouth. After getting his washed up and calmed down with a Popsicle, this is what the damage looked like.

The next day it wasn't looking much better! But he was brave and strong and insists it doesn't even hurt anymore :)

Arg!

2011-07-12T17:14:00.000-07:00

What is going on??

2011-07-11T12:34:00.000-07:00

July 2010

Last year my tomatoes didn't do so well. I did get a few tomatoes, but the plants were thin and small and died once it stated getting too hot.

July 2010

So this year we planted 5 plants, 3 different varieties. And....

July 2011

Boom! They are huge! I guess we planted them too close together, but with only last year's garden to compare it to, we didn't really know this was going to happen! But, I will have lots of tomatoes this summer! Yay!

4th Festivities!

2011-07-07T17:36:00.000-07:00

We had a fun 4th of July this year! I made Lucy's and Emery's outfits, which was a lot of fun for me! And we went to our favorite outdoor Orchestra and fireworks show at Heritage Park. It was amazing yet again!

Furman 5K

2011-07-02T08:14:00.000-07:00

Today we all woke up early for the 5K at Furman University. Joel ran and the kids cheered him on! It was a hot morning but Joel did fantastic!

There was also a race for the kids! Emery ran in the 4 and under boys group. And he smoked them all getting first place! Good job Emery!!

Fun Stuff with Lucy

2011-06-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

Lucy is a sassy girl and full of personality! She keeps us on our toes for sure :)

Lately, she loves using straws and carrying around her snacks. (Those are not snacks, they are checkers but she does the same thing with a bag of goldfish! And no, I didn't let her put the checkers in her mouth!)

We are almost always listening to some music. Perfect for dancing!

It's fun to make a fort with big brother!

Starting to love going to Monkey Joe's and play on the bouncy things!

Rocking out!

And our little gymnast loves to practice head stands!

Peek-a-boo!

Lucy also loves to dance to music, clap her hands, point to her belly button, fold her arms during a prayer, put on her shoes to go outside, point at things in books, chase and be chased by brother, climb, and color. We love our little Lucy girl!!

Trip to the park

2011-06-23T20:26:00.000-07:00

Saturday before Father's day, we took advantage of the beautiful weather and went to the park! Emery loved showing Lucy all the fun things to do. And Lucy, though hesitant at first, discovered she loves it too!

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-19T12:51:00.001-07:00

What makes me smile

2011-06-18T10:26:00.000-07:00

Shoes!

2011-05-30T17:08:00.000-07:00

Lucy's Birthday!

2011-05-29T16:55:00.000-07:00

This moment in time: 12 months old

2011-05-29T16:42:00.000-07:00

Age: 12 months

Height: 30.75" (92%)

Weight: 18lb 5 oz (4%)

Hobbies: Throwing balls, blocks, cars etc, playing with Emery, pointing in books, and playing outside.

Skills: Walking, climbing, combing hair, blowing nose into a tissue, opening cupboards etc.

What I'm in to: Emery, stuffed animals, dolls, push toys, cars, blocks, jewelry, shoes, purses, hair bows, playing outside, and the trampoline.

What I'm not in to: Emery (sometimes), being told "no", riding in the car, getting boo boos, diapering, and washing hands.

Foods: Loves to eat what everyone else is having! and all the unhealthy stuff like cake, icecream, candy-even chocolate, etc.

What I'm saying: Lots of babbling, dada, grunting and pointing, and shaking head (no), just being loud in general (she has 2 volumes: Loud and screaming).

Sleeping Habits: On average 12 hrs at night and 2 naps (at 10:30 and 2:30) although the 2nd nap hasn't been happening more often lately

Favorite Songs: Charlotte's Web and Primary music

Other things: Still only has 2 teeth but seems to be teething (very grumpy!)

Tries to drive mommy like a horse (squeezes with legs to giddy-up!)

Starting to defend herself from Emery by hitting and biting

Has the sweetest smile and the most piercing scream.

Alabama

2011-05-28T08:41:00.000-07:00

2 weeks ago, Joel went with many other men in our church to Alabama. After the tornadoes, there was a lot to clean up. And the people needed help.

There was mostly just debris that needed to be cleared.

They made piles near the road to be picked up later.

Here, they gathered all the wood and made a huge fire to get rid of it.

It was quite an experience and we are so sad for everyone's losses in Alabama. And we are also so grateful for our homes and being safe from harm!

Happy Mother's Day

2011-05-08T20:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to me! Happy Mother's Day to you too!

Love these guys!

Joel's 30th Birthday!

2011-05-08T20:24:00.000-07:00

Joel's always in demand with the kids. And for good reason. He chases and jumps and does all sorts of fun things!

And...Joel turned 30 this year! The day before he ran his first 5K.

Warming up

It was a big event and Emery loved all the kid friendly stuff going on!

Somewhere between 3000-4000 people ran in the race! Here is the start line..

And, here is Joel heading out

I was lucky to make it over to the finish line just a few minutes before Joel finished! He beat his goal time by 2 minutes! We are so proud of him :)

Emery liked all the free snacks afterwards...

Instead of a surprise birthday party, I got quite a few friends and family to send their birthday wishes via photograph! Thanks everyone for your help! I think it turned out great! And Joel really loved it!

If everyone pictured had been at our house we would have had 80 people, a horse, a dog, a cat, and a bird. So it was probably better this way...

Later we went to pick strawberries at Stewart farms. Yum!

Lucy probably about ate her weight in strawberries! And was pretty happy about it :)

Happy Birthday Joel!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T16:34:00.000-07:00

Holidays are so much fun with kids! The pure joy and excitement on their faces make it all worth it!

Hunting for eggs in the backyard

Taking a moment to check out the grub!

Found a big one!

Lucy was content to watch Emery find all the eggs this year. But I'm thinking that by next year she is going to fight him for that candy!

The final review!

Easter morning! One happy boy=one happy mama :)

The Easter bunny may have brought candy, games, and a movie, but Mom and Dad got the kids a pool! After 3 or 4 inflatables ones kicked the dust, we figured we'd try one of these!

And Lucy started walking all over the place this Easter! We are so proud of her :)

It was a wonderful Easter day!

This moment in time: 11 months old

2011-04-24T16:07:00.000-07:00

Age: 11 months

Hobbies: Pushing around shopping cart, carrying her purse, brushing her hair, playing with shoes, and looking at her hair bows/flowers.

Skills: Climbing all over the place, and WALKING!!

What I'm in to: Talking, screaming, and feeding myself.

What I'm not in to: Not getting my way, and being left out of any fun!

Foods: Finger foods, water, and any treats I might come upon.

Sleeping habits: Sleeps about 11 hrs at night and has 2 naps during the day.

Favorite Songs: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Charlotte's Web soundtrack.

Other things: Got ears pierced! Turning out to be quite the girly girl!

Birthday Party!

2011-04-23T16:55:00.000-07:00

Emery was so excited to get invited to a Ice Cream birthday party! His friend Lily from next door was turning 4. We rushed back from Atlanta on Saturday so he wouldn't miss it!

Ice cream, cake, and candy. Sound like a party!

Atlanta Temple Open House

2011-04-23T13:40:00.000-07:00

We went down to Atlanta this weekend to go to the open house at the renovated Atlanta Temple. I wish I got more pictures but it was just a quick trip and we seemed to be rushing a lot! We drove down Friday night and then back Saturday morning after going to the temple. It was overcast, but still so beautiful. Emery was very excited to be able to go inside the temple!

Here are a couple pictures from 4 years ago when we used to live in Atlanta.

We lived in Midtown and used to look at this skyline every day! Don't miss it ;) Seriously, we are so much happier here in South Carolina! But it was fun to go back a visit for just a day!

Notice anything?

2011-04-14T17:07:00.000-07:00

Hint hint: Look at her ear :)

What's up?

2011-04-08T18:48:00.000-07:00

Lucy is so busy these days. She does love to play toys with Emery, but her attention span is somewhere between 5-60 seconds!

And Emery loves to take care of his little sister! On nice days we spend as much time outside as possible!

She has hair! And enough for a little pony tail up on top! So sweet.

I got some creative juices flowing yesterday and this is what the end result was...

The Ruffle Pouch! Limited quantities available! Only $15! Let me know if you want one before they are gone! If there are any left in a few days, I'll try to get around to listing them in my Etsy shop!

Just us

2011-04-03T11:58:00.000-07:00

Lucy plays

2011-03-28T18:01:00.000-07:00

This moment in time: 10 months old

2011-03-21T19:53:00.000-07:00

Age: 10 months

Weight:

Hobbies: Dumping out baskets/bags/containers and filling them back up again, opening cupboards, walking with push toys, and playing with Emery's toys.

Skills: Climbing down the stairs (feet first!), clapping, and dancing to music.

What I'm in to: Climbing, walking with help, and being with mommy.

What I'm not in to: Being away from mommy, having a toy taken away, and being told "no".

Foods: Prefers table food over baby purees especially pizza, spaghetti, and hot dogs!

Sleeping habits: Sleeps about 11 hrs at night and has 2 (50 min) naps during the day.

Favorite Songs: The ants go marching, Once there was a snowman, and Teach me how to Jimmer ;)

Other things: Loves to copy noises, play with Emery, and climb up and down the stairs all day long!

Green Day

2011-03-18T13:29:00.000-07:00

We didn't catch a Leprechaun this year. But, he left us some goodies! And he created some mischief like last year. Green footprints, green milk, chairs tipped over, and gold coins. He even left a little scavenger hunt to a pot of gold!

The best part really was the reaction of pure surprise/joy of a 4 year old. I was still in bed when he came downstairs to see if he caught a Leprechaun in his trap. I guess he realized he needed to pee first and after I heard the lid go up, I heard a gasp and giggle. Right on his forehead were little green footprints. I told him that the Leprechaun must have come to make sure he was sleeping before he hid his gold in the house. :)

And of coarse we all wore green. Our house is a no-pinching zone!

Grandma's visit

2011-03-16T18:27:00.000-07:00

When Grandma comes, there is so much fun to be had! Here is just a glimpse of it...

To sum up, Emery (and sometimes Lucy) did all sorts of things like: going to the mall, the library, the zoo, monkey joe's, flying kites, riding bikes, making cookies, sewing, playing outside, coloring, and watching movies in pj's. Some tears were shed as we dropped her off at the airport and we can't wait for her next visit!!

Daddy Time!

2011-03-12T18:26:00.000-08:00

Lucy loves it when Daddy comes home

And if I seem to remember correctly, Emery did too when he was this same age -almost 10 months old :)

Likes and Dislikes

2011-03-04T13:48:00.000-08:00

Dislike teething

Like outside

Like brother

Like laughing

Like smiling

Like playtime

Like bath-time

Like washclothes

Push toys: Him VS. Her

2011-02-28T12:27:00.000-08:00

I was looking at some old video clips from when Emery was Lucy's age. He loved the push toys too!

Then and now

2011-02-28T12:08:00.000-08:00

6 months old

4 years old

The work of a child

2011-02-28T12:05:00.000-08:00

Lucy has been working really hard lately! She loves to climb up the stairs!

And she loves to be with mommy!

And now is working on 2+ teeth! Ouch!

Nice day

2011-02-21T13:03:00.000-08:00

We have been enjoying some nice weather the past week!

But sometimes we still like to hang around in our pj's until noon :)

And Emery decided to be my cowboy today!

If you send your husband to Costco...

2011-02-17T13:32:00.000-08:00

If you send your husband to Costco.....

He might get everything on your list.

And maybe a little more.

This moment in time: 9 months old

2011-02-16T13:26:00.000-08:00

Age: 9 months

Weight: 16.25 lbs (9th percentile)

Height: 28.25 in (74th percentile)

Hobbies: Dumping out toys and then putting them back in, climbing stairs, babbling, and smiling.

Skills: Crawling (7 mo), pulling up (7 mo), cruising (8 mo), and feeding self.

What I'm in to: Bath-time, climbing, throwing/banging toys, screaming happily, waving, shoes, tissues/paper, and putting everything in my mouth.

What I'm not in to: Riding in the car when dark, having my nose wiped, getting my diaper changed, and having a toy taken away.

Foods: Everything I can get my hands on. Especially bananas, goldfish, yogurt, and cookies.

What I'm saying: Dada, Mama, baba etc.

Sleeping Habits: Sleeping through the night (unless sick), and 2 naps during the day.

Favorite Songs: Twinkle twinkle little star, elmo's song, abc's.

Other things: I love playing with Emery, anything shiny or crinkly, and making a lot of noise!

Coming right along

2011-02-07T17:44:00.000-08:00

Just as an update, I am feeling quite a bit better. It's been almost 2 weeks and I'm almost back to normal!

The pain is much less severe now. Thanks everyone for the concern, love, and prayers! I really appreciate it!

In other news, Lucy is as cute as ever :) She is really getting around these days! She can even climb up the stairs (so we are keeping close tabs on her!). On this day she accidentally fell backwards while playing. She didn't hit her head very hard-she didn't even cry-but just sort of stayed there. I think she was waiting for me to come and scoop her up like I usually do! But, I knew she was ok and thought she could get up herself!

She did finally get herself up!

I made Lucy this cute little Valentine's Day skirt. I can't wait for her to wear it this Sunday!!

Lucy really loves to eat! She especially loves table food. Whatever I am eating she wants to try! Some of her favorites right now are bananas, blueberries, cheese, and bread. She doesn't have any teeth yet but she uses her gums pretty well! (Emery didn't get his first tooth until 10 months so I'm not very surprised). She is getting better at feeding herself too. She can pick up a puff or other small snack and usually get it into her mouth. She is also working on giving herself a drink out of her sippy cup.

Oh, and if you feel like you don't hear from me enough already on this blog, feel free to jump over to my new fashion blog --> Everyday Embellishments! :)

In Shock

2011-01-30T17:04:00.000-08:00

A week ago Saturday (22nd) I was really sore from a workout the night before. But, not only did my back hurt, my skin hurt too. I kept thinking it sure was weird and maybe my mind was playing tricks on me because I couldn't see anything red or irritated looking. Then I thought perhaps all that moving around just caused some chaffing or something.
Day after day it continued to hurt on my left side and my back. Tuesday morning as I was getting in the shower I noticed there was a rash. Well that's why it hurt! Apparently it just took a few days to look like it was feeling! But then Wednesday morning it was looking worse. Some small blisters were forming on the rash. The pain was increasing around the rash and also radiating outward down my leg and up my back. The rash had also grown. It looked like a belt from my belly button around to my spine but only on my left side. During the day I'd also started feeling sick. I was was nauseous, had a headache, and was really tired. I was starting to worry that I was pregnant. I was a bit relieved to get a negative on the pregnancy test though! By the time Joel came home from work I told him I wanted to go to the doctor and see what was wrong.
So of coarse I saw the nurse first and I told her everything that was going on. She was just as stumped as I was but wrote everything down for the doctor. When the doctor came in she asked to look at the rash. She then told me I have shingles. Uh, what?! Basically as soon as the nurse told her I had a painful rash she knew that was what it was. Pretty much all my symptoms are textbook shingles. The rash, pain, flu-like symptoms with no fever etc. I was in shock. Most people who get shingles are 60+. But apparently while it is less common for a younger person to get it, it isn't impossible. Great.
So, the short version of shingles. It's caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox. Anyone who has had the chicken pox carried the virus dormant in their nerves. If your immune system is weakened it can flare up as shingles. It is mildly contagious but you can't catch shingles from someone with shingles. You can catch chicken pox if you've never had it from someone with shingles. But even then you 'd have to touch the rash/blister to have a possibility to get it.
It is a very painful illness! The doctor gave an antiviral medicine but isn't a cure, just to help it clear up faster and hopefully keep it from getting too bad. On the short end it will last 2-4 weeks. On the long end, months. I read that even after the rash clears up the pain can persist. I really hope that doesn't happen! It is really hard to describe the pain. Since it is in the nerves it radiates inside the body as well as hurting on the skin. I have pain mostly on my left side but not completely. I can feel pain all the way down to my foot and up to my left hand. Occasionally on my neck too. And then on top of that I feel like I have the flu. My head pounds, I feel sick, have the chills, and am tired a lot.
But, I do feel very grateful that my case is only on my lower left side. You can also get it on the neck or face. If you get it in your eye you could have a possibility of going blind. It can also cause nasty scars. And I'd much rather have scars on my side than on my face!
Thank you everyone for your concern and offers of helping me out. I'm just taking it day by day (some are better than others).

Bubbles!

2011-01-29T19:27:00.000-08:00

What the kids are up to

2011-01-21T12:11:00.000-08:00

Lucy is finally loving bath time. She crawls around and splashes like crazy!

Also, we now need to baby-proof the house. For example: Lucy is already interested in the stairs-yikes!

After being on vacation for 2 weeks, sleeping wasn't going too well for poor Lucy. But, we've almost got things back to normal. On a good day she'll wake up at 8am, nap at 10:30, nap at 3:00, and be to bed at 8pm. I'm always hoping the naps will be an hour and a half but usually if her morning nap is, then her afternoon nap won't be. Sometimes the afternoon one will only be 30 minutes. :/

These two are really starting to be great friends! Emery always wants to hold Lucy, and give her hugs/kisses!

But, Emery still also loves it when his little buddy Bree comes over to play! She follows him around and wants to do everything he is doing. And he likes to teach her how to do things :)

Snowed In!!

2011-01-13T07:43:00.000-08:00

Monday morning, we woke up to this....

About 6 inches of snow. With not much snow removal here in the south, we were pretty much snowed in! Joel stayed home from work and we just tried to stay warm!

Emery and Lucy didn't mind!

Lucy just loves playing with her big brother!

And Emery loves to play too!

Later, Joel took Emery outside to play in the snow!
This is the best picture I got-from the back door. There was no way I was going out in that! Brr!

I think Emery's favorite part was eating the snow!

Tuesday wasn't much better. The snow hadn't melted, and overnight we got freezing rain. A nice thick sheet of ice covered all that snow. So, we had another day with Joel home and playing around!

Here is a piece of ice from Joel's car. Yes, Emery is licking the snow from the underside of the ice. Silly boy!

Joel decided to take Emery sledding a little later in the day. We didn't have a sled, but the top part of our wheel barrow worked just great!

Fun!

Wednesday the sun finally came out to start the melting process. Joel went into work after lunch and Emery headed out back to play some more. I tried to tell him that he shouldn't eat any more snow now that it wasn't fresh but I caught him several times eating it anyways. His response? "But mom, I just LOVE to eat it! It's my favorite!"

Somehow we managed to stay warm enough (our heat pump isn't terribly effective when it is below freezing) with the help of this...

And a few of these...

After days of staying in, we are ready for the roads to dry so we can get out! It was fun to have a little vacation at home for a few days though :)

Nevada: Part 2

2011-01-12T17:44:00.001-08:00

Christmas morning!
Lucy loved to unwrap the gifts she got. But mostly because she liked the boxes. And paper. Oh well, maybe next year she'll actually be interested in the toys!

Emery loved to unwrap as well. In fact, after he opened all his gifts he graciously offered to help anyone else with theirs ;)

This was my 1 surprise for Joel. His very own Angry Bird. If you don't know what that is, google it.

Later on Emery found a nice box to fit all his gifts and candies in to keep them all together (and away from Lucy). Unfortunately the box itself was too much of a temptation for Lucy.

So, we found her her own box :) She spent most of the remainder of our trip pulling up and playing with this box!

Emery wore his new clothes the Sunday after Christmas

And we all got together for a little family picture.

Emery loved having Grandma to follow around, cook with, and read bedtime stories with!

Joel and I always look forward to playing games with Sam and Mary!

And before we left, Emery had to try out Grandma's new hot tub! Pretty nice on a cold snowy day, I hear!

When we finally made it back home, Lucy had one more gift waiting for her. Hopefully it is a little bit better than a box :)

Nevada: Part 1

2011-01-12T17:07:00.000-08:00

We made it out to Ruby Valley, Nevada just in time for the annual Neff Family Christmas party. We filled up on yummy homemade soups, breads, candies, pies, and other goodies.

The children all dressed up to act out the Nativity from the bible.

This is the first year Emery has been in it. He chose to be one of the Wise Men.

Lucy got re-acquainted with Grandpa John.

And then Santa Ben passed out a gift to everyone! Emery was his little elf and helped pass them out. Earlier Emery told me he wanted to help Santa deliver gifts on Christmas eve. This is as close as he got :)

We has lots of snow for Emery to play in while we were there!

With the help of his cousins and aunt they made a huge snowman and snow fort!

Ben always loves to play with the kids!

And Emery was so excited to play with Ben too!

Lucy and I had lots of time to hang out together most days. Joel was usually working on the ranch and Emery was "helping" out Grandma Kathy!

On Christmas eve we had the big family dinner. It's times like these I am so glad to be a visitor and not the hostess! We had 21 plates set!

Here is Joel's brother Sam and his wife Mary (holding hands). Also at the table were Joel's niece Vivian and a friend Janie.

Here we have Emery, Peter, Lisi, Ben, John and Janie's dad.

Then there is Bill, Carol, Carol's sister and Grandma Kathy (at the head of the table)-the Awesome chef of the feast!

Lastly, here is Philip, Adam, Julia, Annemarie, and Louise.

After our bellies were full, we opened our Christmas eve pj's!

Lucy was the cutest!

Then it was off to bed before Santa showed up! I thought Emery might have trouble getting to sleep with all the excitement, but he didn't! He was out in under 5 minutes. Lucy on the other hand... sheesh! That girl was all off schedule during this trip!

Merry Christmas!!

2011-01-02T17:54:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Utah Christmas

2011-01-02T17:40:00.000-08:00

The kids got to have and extra Christmas with my parents in Utah on the 21st!

They both got some nice Christmas Sunday clothes and a toy.

Emery was DYING to make a snow angel since he learned how to make one on TV ;)

And he decided to eat a little snow while he was at it!