So this is a step in blogging. I decided instead of catching up on all the pictures from SA and Larry being here I would take one from Halloween and load it up. (Yes, this was the best picture of the two girls, clearly they would have rather been running around than posing for a picture and if I had the energy I could have gotten an action shot but I was SO not in the mood to run after then with my camera.) This is huge for me. My computer time has been limited to five minutes here and there. I wish it was because I was super busy but in reality it's because I don't enjoy sitting for longer than that at the desk where our computer is. 

Rewind...did I just type I wish me not being on the computer was because I was super busy? Hmm, I didn't mean that. I'm good with what I've got on my plate. Actually I could use less....as in less social outings...as in remaining home until the baby comes, LOL. I don't remember being this anti social with the girls while I was pregnant.

With that being said....Nate has been on Guard duty since Wednesday night and will be back Tuesday. The military has some weird obsession with doing drills and exercises on Halloween so the girls and I went to the ward Trunk or Treat without him again this year. *sigh* The girls were both hat less(they both had hats but didn't wear them) witches and had fun for the most part. By the time we were done I was spent, they were spent. The 20 minute ride home from church can seem like an eternity when everyone in the car is tired.

We miss Nate. 

Tons.

I will be glad when he comes back and doesn't have to go back to Ft. Worth until after the welcoming of Baby W. 

Home is better with him here, that is for sure.

Happy Birthday Nate!

Yesterday we celebrated Nate's 31st birthday after church by driving down to Ladonia to take some family pictures by the creek (courtesy of Larry, Nate's dad). It was cool except for the part where you had climb down, and back up, 20 stairs that were literally 2.5 feet high and very steep. Not really sure what Nate was thinking taking me down there but it worked out just fine anyway.  Turns out my favorite shot from the day was at the top of the stairs by the car on our way out. Go figure. Thanks to Larry, my FIL, for toting the camera around to get this shot, just before Nate bit my nose...err I mean kissed me.

Before we headed to church I wanted to play around with the sun and take advantage of Nate dressed in his new outfit picked personally by our lovely daughter Charly especially for the occasion. Charly liked the sweater because she said it looked like a farmer. Hmmm.

I gotta do something with this sweet collage of a dad and his daughters which is very true to life. 

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(I should mention I broke my Old Navy boycott for Nate's birthday but plan on reinstating my lack of interest for the company that supports things I abhor. What can I say? Nate needed some slim pants and the ones from ON are HOT!)

While Nate didn't get his usual box of Cocoa Puffs this year I think with the combination of Charly and Piper singing to him the night before and scoring some new clothes made him happy. Charly later told me that Nate gets presents every day because he has his family and love and church etc for blessings. Amen Charly, AMEN!  Then five minutes later she was fighting with Piper. Aye aye aye, I guess those tender moments don't last for long and you take what you can get. 

Speaking of tender moments, yesterday Charly was in the bathroom and Piper decided to slam the door shut and sit in front so Charly couldn't get out.  Nate, Larry and myself witnessed a 3 year old blocking the exit for her 6 year old sister. Finally Charly got free but I can't put into words how hysterical it was to watch the hostage situation take place. Poor Charly.

Seems just like yesterday Nate was celebrating his 22nd birthday in Germany and I tagged along to the party hardly knowing him pitching in for a group gift for a guy I never really talked to. Crazy to see all that has happened since then. It's true what the old folks say, time does go by too fast.

Life is sweet

Our days are quite simple really.  Complete our to-do's in the morning and spend the rest of the afternoon outside waiting for Nate to get home from work so the girls can spend even more time playing.  I love to watch them play.  It delights me to listen to their imaginations run wild while I try to read whatever book I may be into. 

Life is good. We are blessed. The little things Charly and Piper do every day bring so much life to our days.

"They're so now"...with bangs of course

Charly and Piper both got bangs this week.  Nate and I are tempted to call Charly "Mickey Jr." after Nate's mom because while it was apparent Charly looked like her a lot before the bangs she looks like her even more with bangs. It's crazy how much she looks like her grandma!Of course my mom thinks she looks even more Soria with bangs, I guess she has the best of both worlds.

Nate and I are so anxious to see this new baby. We wonder what traits the baby will have. A Charly look or a Piper look or a red-headed offspring. LOL Time will soon tell. Until then we have these two cuties to adore.

I thought I would be immune this time. I thought perhaps I got lucky in this department.

I was wrong.

After going the whole time sleeping through the night getting up only occasionally to pee I have reached the point where I have to pee every five minutes. I literally will go and sit back down and have to go again. I think it's safe to say the baby is officially engaged and in position. The next 8 weeks I will be grateful for this feeling as I feel the baby growing inside me. I will not complain, but will laugh, when I wake up for the sixth time during the night to relieve my bladder.

Second place is a good place to be!

Today was super exciting! We woke up bright and early to take the girls to the Davy Crockett Days. Charly has been looking forward to the bike rodeo there for months. Wouldn't you be excited if you had a decked out bike like this too? We are lucky to have Nate do the horse designing for her bike, had it been up to me the horse would look like a turkey I'm sure. While it was way awesome for her to ride a horse to town she decided to take it off before the actual bike rodeo. This turned out to be a great idea.

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Once there we registered Charly and we were all excited to see the amount of participation from the town. There were loads of kids there and before the competition they all rode around the square. It was great to hear the laughter coming from Charly half a block away.

We were really impressed to see how much sponsorship went into making this fun for the kids. Every child who participated got a free helmet too!

Seeing as this was our first year doing this we really weren't sure what to expect. Would it be like a little parade, obstacles, what? So you can imagine our excitement when it finally started. Here is Charly doing the course with ultimate concentration.

There was pretty fierce competition in her age group so we were super anxious to get to the awards afterward, which involved VERY cool trophies and new bikes for all the winners. Not bad for a small town huh?

Charly clearly is stoked to have gotten second place in her age category! Look at that face!! We knew she would do it, this girl has been riding a bike since she was four.  Even though she didn't place first I'm pretty sure the trophy was the prize she was after. After all her bike is practically new thanks to Grandpa Rich hooking her up on her 6th birthday. (BTW this is Charly's first trophy ever!)

Grandmama deserves the award for best support person!

This event seriously has made Charly and all of us so proud of her! We came back to the house afterward and had a wonderful day filled with parental naps while my mom colored with the girls followed by hours outside enjoying the beautiful weather.

The girls started painting on the rocks which inspired Nate to do a fantastic "masterpiece" on my belly.

He is one proud papa! ( I love this picture of him)

Oh and did you notice Charly's new glasses? She has another pair coming in the mail too.  Shhh, don't tell her I showed you this picture. She wanted everyone to see them in person even after I told her it would be a few months for our family in Utah.

Sorry I couldn't wait, LOL.