Success

Last Tuesday Evan came up to me and told me he needed to go potty. He has done this before, but this time he was dry and he went potty right away :) I asked him if he wanted to wear underwear and he said yes! So, to make a long story short.... he has worn underwear everyday since with very few accidents (I can think of four). He still wears diapers when we leave the house and when he sleeps.... but he did make it through a trip to the Library and a visit to a friends house last night while wearing underwear. He also went potty twice at church and he kept his pull up dry the whole time... Yeay!!

We haven't gotten rid of the diapers yet because 1. I was NOT ready for this and 2. He still hasn't gone #2 in the potty :( I've decided that I am not going to push this too hard. It was up to him and we are doing it his way for now. In a couple weeks when things have settled down around here (with Dallas' exam) I would like to say goodbye to the diapers and potty train Kiah as well. (Ha ha, I say that now! Who wants to bet I change my mind??)

On Wednesday we made this chart and by Friday Evan had part of it completed! Success!! Now we just have to work on the second part... who wants to bet how long that one will take? (Oh yeah, Evan is still waiting for his purple ice cream cone as a reward... where do you get purple ice cream??)

A bunch of randomness...

1. Even as I speak... or type... Kiah is taking her doll potty.... again. Evan is playing with Dallas' electric razor (Shhh don't tell)... and I am blogging (obviously :)). Ummmm hold on a sec... let me get my kids something to do... I am a good mom I promise :)

2. I just posted a Fall Special on my photo blog... check it out if you are in need of family portraits :)

3. Last week for Labor Day we stayed home :) but we also set up our tent in our backyard so we could camp out.... I think that was the second time I slept in that tent and Dallas bought it for me over 3 years ago. Honestly, I was a little creeped out sleeping in our backyard that is not fenced in. I swear there was some one creeping around at one point during the night. Oh well, we are alive and now safe sleeping inside :)

4. I love to eat out. It is a weakness of mine. Lucky for me I married Dallas, he keeps me in line. We did eat at Cici's pizza a week or so ago... (what happens to be a weakness for Dallas :)). There was a balloon artist there making balloons for the kids. Evan and Kiah had to get one of course... Evan's is a dog and Kiah's is a monkey climbing a tree...except her monkey popped so we used a stuffed monkey to make her happy :)

5. In a week from this Friday Bill Cosby is going to be here at Purdue and Dallas and I get to see him perform!! We are super excited! We definitely need a night out.

6. My new favorite show is White Collar. I. Love. It. You should watch it too... though you should start from the beginning if you want it to make any sense. Sadly this week (for Hulu watchers) is the summer finale. Now I have to wait until January to watch more.... I'll have to find a new show to obsess over...

7. Evan went to his first day of Joy School today... he was a little nervous (compared to last year when he wasn't so nervous). Though he did give me some smiles for a few pictures so that was good. I actually had to bribe him to let me leave. I think it was because we were at a new friend's house with kids he just started to get to know. This moving thing was sure hard on him and we only moved a few miles away. On Sunday's I always ask him who he played with in nursery and he always replies with a "no one, I played with a truck" or some other random toy. He has been acting a little shy since our move.

8. Dallas has his Exiting Exam coming up in one week... then he presents it on October 1st... which is also his birthday. He isn't excited about it and I don't blame him. The last time around wasn't the best experience for him. Hopefully things will go well so he can graduate and move on with life. He works so hard and I love him for it!

9. Last night we walked at the Celery Bog. I think I am realizing how much time we have left with this warm weather and I am wanting to get outside more and more. We had fun getting attacked by mosquitoes while Evan lead us through the woods.

10. For those of you who read about my phone troubles, all is well... for now. My phone started working a few days after I called for a replacement. They are still sending me a new phone (it was supposed to be here last Thursday) but I am supposed to return it... unless my phone dies between now and the time that the new one actually gets here. Whatever.

11. My kids have been wonderful as of late. I have been able to sleep in till about 8 everyday... ahhhh. They usually are awake before that, but they let me sleep :) They usually come into bed with me for a minute or two and then Evan says "come on Kiah, let's go play!" and they head off to their room and entertain themselves. This has been the moment I've been waiting for ever since we decided to have a second child :)

Repeat.

Sorry about the repeat... but I learned something today :) I figured out how to post a slideshow from picasa web albums.... it took me long enough. If you use picasa and you are curious on how to do this I can now help :) Anyway here are the Chicago photos again, this time with captions :) Please don't feel obligated to watch, but you certainly can if you would like.

More Blogging. Chicago.

When we got home from Utah the last thing I wanted to think about was packing up and leaving again. Unfortunately that was the plan. The following week we had a trip to Chicago planned. Dallas had a conference to go to and (a month or two ago) I decided that I should come along with the kids.

Not only was I tired and needing to be home but.... I was terrified of that big city. I really didn't want to go. The thoughts of dragging the kids around that big city by myself or worse trying to drive in that big city... um no. But I guess I was stuck.

We learned something on this trip... We aren't city people. Not. At. All. Crazy traffic, expensive parking, huge hotels, valets, bell boys, expensive food, not having a clue of where to go in that huge place... um yeah. next time I'll stay home thank you. Just joking... in the end we had a blast and I would go again if I had the chance. Now I am prepared :)

Some of the things we did on our trip:

• Stayed in an awesome hotel with a great view
• Boat tour of Chicago River and Michigan Lake
• Hid in our hotel from the big city
• Explored Memorial Park
• Hid in our hotel room and watched TV
• Ate at Giordano's
• Drove through the crazy city to get to Lincoln Park Zoo
• Explored the Zoo and loved it!
• Drove around the crazy city while waiting for Dallas to get off work
• Stayed in a much smaller (cheaper) hotel by the temple
• Visited the temple and headed home :)

And here are some pictures from the trip that I know you've all been waiting for (or maybe not :))...

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Even though we felt way out of place, and we probably stuck out like sore thumbs we had a great time! Next time I think I would like to visit the Art Institute, Navy Pier and maybe do a little shopping...

Quite the day.

I have been having ridiculous phone issues and they have got to stop. Now. My new phone up and stopped working on me two weeks ago. I was wondering how long the touch screen would last.... apparently not very long. After a week it randomly started working again. After 11 days I finally got my replacement. T-mobile told me to send in the other one still since it wasn't in perfect shape. 

Then I saved all my photos and saved my contacts to my sim card. Then I put everything on my new phone... except I forgot to save my contacts to my phone but they were still on my sim card. Then I put the sim card back into the old phone to erase all my personal settings.... including my contacts. I was dumb enough to erase not only the contacts saved to my phone but also the ones saved to my sim card. Duh. I didn't realize this until I put the sim card back into the new phone and tried to text someone.... where did all my contacts go? Duh. So I spent my evening putting in all my contacts to my new phone. grrrrr. 

Now that that was all taken care of my new phone decided to die. Seriously. the touch screen doesn't work. I am jinxed. I could use the other "broken" phone except I sealed it in the box already and I don't want it anyway. I am done with touch screens. Forever. (unless, of course, T-mobile won't let me choose a new phone.)

I would call T-mobile and tell them my troubles except MY PHONE DOESN"T WORK. Sad, sad day.

The end. 

On a happier note I finally got some glasses :) They came in handy today when I got shampoo in my eye (ouch! It hurt!) and didn't want to irritate my eye more by wearing contacts. So lucky for you (if you even care :)) I took some pictures :)

They have flowers on them and I like the green lots....

Our last day in Utah...

We got to hang out with Shalee, Eli, and Elsie on our last day in Utah. (This is Jason's family... Dallas' Brother... and they rock :)). We met up at Liberty Park and had a blast. It was a really hot day and we (myself and my kids) were really getting tired... I remember feeling like I could have just fallen asleep standing up. I really really hope we did not bore everyone with our sleepiness! Shannon and her girls came along as well as Bethany and Jillian.

Evan and Eli being silly together... they make such good friends and just love each other.

Elsie... Awww!

Sophie, you are a nut :)

The rides were fun as always... I even talked Evan into going on the Ferris Wheel with me. I think it scared me a little bit more then it did him. If he was even scared to begin with :)

And that was it... our last day. Our flight the next day went so well and the kids did great (except Kiah hated being buckled up). It was nice to get home and the kids were happy to see Dallas. Evan turned into a chatter box when we got home and I don't think he has stopped talking since. Seriously I don't think I have ever heard so much talking from Evan than I did in that night alone.

I still have more to share... I just need the photos from Bethany first (hint, hint :)). You will see what I am talking about very soon... and maybe you will be lucky enough to even see a preview (besides this one here).

Thanks everyone who helped us out while we had our visit! We loved every second and miss you all so much. The kids talk about all of you all the time. A few days ago Kiah saw an airplane outside and waved and said "Hi Grandma!" We hope we can visit again very very soon.

Cousins

Kiah was a little overwhelmed this day. We got together with my cousins and their kids... there was a lot of people all at my Grandma's house :) Kiah was not handling it very well...

I took her inside and she was fine all alone with mom. She LOVED these animals. Then kids started coming inside and she wanted to leave. This is how it went most of the time.... Kiah trying to get away from everyone. 

Ice cream totally did the trick :)

Mmmm!

Aunt Kendra and Bethany...

Cute boys! They looked so cute in the wheelbarrow... 

I wish I could claim this photo but Bethany stole my camera and snapped it for me... I really like it lots...

The whole crew :) Here are all the girls with kids and their kids on my mom's side of the family. And of course Cami, Bethany and Jillian (my sisters :)). It was fun to all be together at the same time! It was sooo good to see everyone!

The four grandkids all together and all smiling too!

Still love this...

And Demi... you are darling...

Big Blue Eyes

Totally random and off topic from all the Utah posts but darn it, this face make me want to have another baby...

This was only a little over a year ago... she IS growing up dang it. (but she is still adorable!)

P.S. Shannon, she looks so much like Demi in these photos! They were meant to be sisters :)

P.P.S As cute as she is... it's not enough to make me actually want another baby.... yet :)

Cabin

I am on a blogging kick today and I have been catching up on our Utah trip.... if you are in the mood I have posted several posts- enjoy!

One of the places I insisted on going to was the cabin. My Grandma has had a cabin ever since before I can remember. My parents later bought property right next to my Grandma and we spent so many trips there. At first we stayed in what we now call the shed... we then liked to call it our "cottage" :) I wish I would have taken a picture... it is small and had two lofts above where the kids would sleep. Later my dad got a cool obsession with teepee's and eventually bought one. It was huge and we loved to camp in it. It was vandalized which made us all so sad and we still haven't gotten it fixed (again, I wish I had a photo on hand). Now we have a cabin.... I'll have to ask my mom for a photo because.... I didn't take one of my own :( I am a space case, I know. Anyway, we got to spend a night there which was so much fun. Evan has been there once before when I was pregnant with Kiah two years ago. I am pretty sure he went up a few times as a baby as well. It was Kiah's first time there. It has been way too long.

This is chipmunk hill (in the background) as we all call it. It is a part of my Grandma's property and we can see it from our property. It is one of the places we always have to visit while at the cabin.

The clouds were amazing that day...

Jillian, you rock :)

Maybe I shouldn't post this... 

Cute girls...

I LOVE this picture... Grandma Fowler and Sophie...

You should have seen us girls this night... or maybe you shouldn't have :) We are crazy! We were having way too much fun listening to the Monkees, good times!

Cami, Shannon, myself, and Bethany.... Jillian was sleeping.

This is my Grandma's cabin :)

I still remember doing these puzzles as a kid...

Evan did not want to stop riding the four wheeler... his favorite part of the trip for sure.

Utah is sure different from Indiana... I love it though, it is so beautiful!