Kids

The day was filled with baths, teeth brushing and chew toys.

Happy

Britt had Addi smiling for a while.

Addi

Let's Go

It's pretty obvious a lot has been done since the first picture.

Oops!

A teenager hit Britt's car. Enough said.

No Thanks

We let Addi have a go in the bouncer. She wasn't buying it.

Road Trip

Britt has a WebEx at noon and she has asked me to take the girls somewhere. It's quite professional when the sound of a tired and screaming two-year old is heard by the customer.

I'm thinking we may take a drive to the property and see if they are digging the foundation yet.

Let's Burn It Down

My entry title is a little dramatic but it’s somewhat the truth.

We are REALLY looking forward to living in a new house again. We will miss the rental’s sweet sewer pipe smell. I’m always thinking Emma has strategically placed a dirty diaper around the house.

I will miss the low ceilings in the basement. I have repeatedly slammed my head on the overhang while walking downstairs. I'm then forced to inflict severe punishment on the nearest stuffed animal.

We will miss replacing light bulbs every week. The basement is now completely dark because I refuse to buy more bulbs. Emma does not set foot downstairs unless it’s during the day.

We will miss the 1/8 of an inch vertical gap between the front door and the jamb…not to mention the ability to slide all five toes underneath the door. The draft from underneath is strong enough to blow a tissue across the room. This equals to a payment of over $350 a month for utilities.

Brittany will miss the quality dryer which requires an eight-hour work day to successfully dry a couple shirts and a pair of pants.

I will admit something.

Rental homes are never as nice as you would like them to be. That's understandable.

This rental allowed us to move across the country without buying a house sight unseen. Our landlord has been EXTREMELY nice and that really helped with my transition from Kentucky to Utah. The location of the rental has allowed us to see Kristie on a fairly usual basis and that’s been good for the girls. The neighborhood is quiet with almost no traffic and the ward has been pleasant.

BUT…

It’s still time to move…in a few months.

Yo, Holmes

Emma insisted on doing her own makeup.

Takes A While

Life is always joyful when Emma wakes from a nap.

Build Time

We met with the builder yesterday to finalize last minute changes to the house. We then picked the colors for the stucco, countertops and paint. The builder mentioned there was a possibility to have the house finished in 90-100 days. This is due to the housing market being almost at a crawl. He would be able to put crews normally at another build on our house. We’ll see what happens. I’m still guessing four months. Too many things can happen to slow down the process.

Asleep

Both girls were out like a light. Emma was still sleeping over an hour later.

Small Lot

...building lot.

Makes Me Nervous

Happy trails to you until I break your piano. ;)

House

Our house will not have a porch but everything else looks the same. The colors will probably look a little different. It's not a big house but it will work fine for a few years.

Floor Plans

That burst pipe is going to make a mess.

New Build

Yesterday Britt and I signed a contract for a new build in the Ranches. Tyler and Aids can relate to that area. We had put an offer (with a condition to withdraw) on a house in Herriman but after walking through again we discovered it reminded us of a fish bowl. We needed to buy a new kitchen table due to the room being so freakin’ small. We needed to finish a large part of the basement in order to have a place for Emma’s toys. The yard wasn’t even big enough for Emma to play.

After telling Britt of my concerns we took a drive to Eagle Mountain and contacted the realtors of Prestige Homes. We talked to them a couple months back but we were unsure of whether we wanted to buy or just stay with renting. He took us through a house that had a great floor plan, spacious and was cheaper (before some upgrades) than the house in Herriman. We realize this new house is a little further away which necessitates a longer commute for school. It’s still worth it. Britt LOVES the house and I feel a lot better about the situation.

The neighborhood is loaded with kids and our house will be built between two larger homes. The house will have 4 bedrooms (all upstairs) and 2.5 (we are adding a half-bath next to the laundry room) baths. Britt will have her office and she decided to give each girl their own room. The unfinished basement has a rough-in for a full bath and room for a couple bedrooms in the future. My office will be finished after we move in. The approximate build time is 4 months.

Britt is giddy. Life is good. End of story.

Grow Up Already

Maybe we are pushing Addi too soon.

Night Night

Emma was obviously uncomfortable but refused to leave the car. Sweet dreams.

Sugarhouse

Britt and I were feeling a little closed in today so we took the girls to the park.

Easter

Emma opened her Easter basket while Addi relaxed after a long night of sleep. Later we had Easter dinner in Marion.

Shark

Addi shared her strategy with Travis during Hand & Foot.

Attractive

We are hoping Emma outgrows her attractive lip look soon.

Calm

Addi actually allowed me to give her a bath without freaking out.

Dad...please.

...fast forward eight years with that look.

Sisters

...just in case Addi needed some help.

Good Times

Britt’s strep throat is better today. She is still feeling a little crappy but at least she can eat like a normal human being. She leaves today for Portland and is due back Friday.

I have three exams this week and our babysitter is sick...totally figures.

Funny

Papa had Emma laughing like only Papa could.

Claws

Emma discovered outdoor cats have claws.

More Time For Herself

Emma enjoyed her time alone with Papa much better.

Papa

Addi, Papa and a grumpy Emma. ;)

Hello, Papa.

Addi met her great grandfather for the very first time.

Cousins

Addi spent more time chilling with Madelyn.

Kentucky

We are in Kentucky. Grandpa Beavin is enjoying his time with Addi while Emma is into EVERYTHING. ;)

Britt is gone and I feel like a Mac truck hit me. Good times.

Travel

Britt is back out of town again. She gets back Thursday and we then leave Friday for Ky. Addi will probably sleep for most of the flight but it's Emma I'm worried about. Hopefully we will have a family with a bunch of kids around us. We then won't be the only ones making noise.

College Exams

I often wonder about the need for college exams. You study for hours leading up to them and then you forget 95% of the material the next day. Maybe that's just me...nevermind. College exams are great.

La La La

Since Addi is sleeping and Emma is watching Dora I thought I would share a little of what has been going on here.

Emma is really coming along with her talking. She walks around the house counting from one to ten quite often. She sometimes can make it to thirteen. She knows shapes quite well and is able to select letters from a puzzle pile after each letter is spoken. She will NOT count or say certain things if asked. I was the same way when I was her age. We are still in search of that “trigger” and the ways to make the trigger appear more often. She is a smart little girl who is exceptionally funny.

Addi is SO different from Emma. She is more laid back and doesn’t appear to get flustered as easily as Emma did at her age. She smiles at will and has graduated to the high-pitched squeaks when happy. She requires to be held more though and that proves to be difficult when I’m doing homework. She is just now getting over a UTI which caused her to wake every 2.5 hours during the night. She is overall a great baby and we are so lucky to have her.

Britt is back to traveling. She continues to be the foundation for our family. I say this because her massive workload allows me to be in school. This in return will allow for a stronger future for our family. She is an awesome mother and wife. Anybody who puts up with me is pretty awesome.

I continue with college at Weber State. I mix this with watching the kids when Britt is traveling. It’s a little difficult at times but it’s not forever. I have grown to really appreciate the full-time Moms who are told they “don’t really work”. That’s a bunch of crap. Being a full-time Mom would be far more difficult than any job I have ever had or will have.

Addi is unhappy so it's time to bolt.

(I hope Word helped with my grammar)

Moving Along

I will finally be a senior at the end of this semester. I would be pretty pumped if I didn't have another 65 credit hours to go.

Pictures

I've been taking a lot of video of the kids lately but I need to catch up with pictures.

Sisters

Emma and Addi actually look more like sisters here. Britt still thinks Emma is a carbon copy of me but I don't see it as much anymore.

True That

Yeah, maybe so. ;)

Better

Addi is starting to look better after being under the weather the last few days.

Early 2nd

We celebrated Emma's 2nd birthday a little early this year due to Brittany's travel plans. Charlie and Kristie stopped by as well. I might make a bold move and take both girls out tomorrow for Emma's actual birthday.

I was obviously bothering Emma while trying to snap a picture.

Visiting our house could prove to be dangerous.

A Brush Can't Touch It

This is typical morning hair for Emma.

Good Little Kitty

Emma likes to think of Addi as her pet cat at times.