BFF's

These guys seriously love each other so much!

Every morning Jack gets ready for school- along with Ella. He even has his own backpack!

When we go to drop her off at school Jack tries to get out of his car seat to go to school too. But finally gives up and just says "bye Ella".

It's so sad and adorable.

When it's time to go and pick Ella up from school I ask Jack if he's ready. "YEAH!"

He hates it when she's gone and can't wait to go get here from school!

I love the last picture of them together. I think that it really shows who they are.

{OK, although I do hate any type of crocks. I reluctantly bought Jack the ones that you see in the pictures. {These were from when Mary was still here} However they are now somehow lost! I'm so mad, I finally get him the shoes he's been dying for and now lost!? I hope that I find them someday. They are probably in some drawer. Jack is good about hiding things.}

Missing Autumn

This morning we woke up to the sound of rain pouring. I LOVE that sound!

We immediately ran down to go play in it, although Jack was way too afraid and hung out with me on the porch. Ella was in heaven, singing as she splashed in every puddle. It made me miss autumn so much. That's my favorite season you know.

We don't get much of that here in Arizona.

No changing of leaves, no crisp feeling in the air. Today I was so excited, it was pretty chilly outside this morning after the rain. I got the kids into their "winter" clothes! {jeans and long sleeved shirts!} before we left to run some errands. It felt so good!

I walked through the stores and so desperately wanted to buy all of the adorable boots, sweaters and jackets. No need for anything like that here. We wear flip flops all year long.

I know, I know, someone out there is thinking that I'm crazy. Summer almost all year long, what could be wrong with that? Well, when autumn's your favorite season then it's kind of a bummer.

I just want to watch a movie with a hot cup of soup or maybe some hot cocoa! Snuggling up with Ryan in the warm blankets or taking a long walk in the cool evenings!

It will be winter here soon and then it will be gone just as fast.

By the time we got back into the car to come home this afternoon, we were all sweating hot.... AGAIN!

Autumn, we are READY for you to get here!

Jack the big boy

This is a HUGE problem.

1. he could fall off of that car steering wheel and get hurt

2. the car could move backwards and he could fall and get hurt

3. he could figure out how to unlock the deadbolt

4. he could be released into the wild alone

{later that day he DID figure out how to get the deadbolt unlocked, sheesh}

a+ for creativity!

The other night Ryan and I were enjoying watching some TV {so you think you can dance to be exact, one of our fav's} and Jack came walking in with this bag on his head. He left it on FOREVER! Ryan and I were busting up! He kept running into things, but just giggled!

{Since being weaned, I know, FINALLY, he's been really into passy's. Also I've caught him sucking his fingers several times. Ella's not being a good example. See passy above}
I have no idea why Jack isn't wearing a shirt in either set of pictures.
This week I've just been a lousy Mom I guess.

Here's a video of Jack walking around with that bag on his head.

You'll have to excuse me and Ryan laughing in the background. He had already been walking around like that for a long time, that and it was really late at night.

Whoa! He's wearing clothes, it's a miracle!

If you can believe it, this kid does slow down sometimes. Although not often or for very long.

Jack is almost two years old, however it has just been these past two weeks that I have decided that I'm going to be totally done with nursing.

{I know, he's really old. Many of your might think that it's really gross. But he loves it and he's still a baby to me!}

He really only nursed at night, so that has by far been the hardest part. All night he would pull my hair or scream because I wouldn't nurse him.

But slowly things started to get better.

Every night he falls asleep in our bed and then Ryan will carry him into his big boy bed. Then around 2am he'll climb back in with us.

However

two morning's ago I woke up at 6:50am and Jack was nowhere to be seen!

I actually kind of freaked out and had Ryan run and check on him.

He WAS still breathing.

{pictures taken that morning}

I guess he realised what's the point in pulling his blanket all the way down that hall to get in bed with Daddy, who snores sometimes and a really mean mom who wont nurse him anymore.

So at almost two years old Jack is finally totally weaned and sleeping in his own bed!

Happy Day!

Let's hope that this continues. Maybe he'll even start learning to fall asleep in his own bed too!

I'm not getting my hopes on that one anytime soon.

One step at a time.

Feeling Lonely

Well, Mary's been gone now for a couple of days.

I'm lonely.

It was so nice having her here.

I came across these today as I was editing more pictures from Wisconsin. I promise that I'll finish them soon and maybe even get to posting something on my photography blog!

Jack looks so cute to me. So carefree. Pant-less in Wisconsin. What could be better!?

We miss all you ORR's!

We want to come and visit again- because I'm pretty darn sure that I've never been lonely there!

Love and miss you all!

Swimming at the Aquatic Center

The last fun thing we did with Mary was went to the aquatic center that's near our house.

It's so nice there and cheap!
Ella is so grown up and brave!
She went down that water slide so many times!

Mary was trying to get TAN before going back to Wisconsin

Me and my kiddies!

Jack was DONE and wanted to go home by this point!
We had a fun day! It was so nice to go with another grown up person, I usually have to go alone with two little kids.

I hope that all of your friends thought that you looked very tan Mary!

Fun with Friends

While Mary was here we had some friends over TWICE!

Don't forget, we've only been in this house for a week!

So things were pretty crazy to say the least. But fun none the less. Totally worth it!

First we had a pool party with the Shumways, Riggs and Bullards!
It was a lot of fun, especially with all of us in the pool!
{Is it just me, or is it getting darker earlier!?}


All of the kids had to try jumping off the end of the slide into the pool!
{Ok, well not Ava, Jack or Kylie!}

It was a lot of fun! Thanks you guys for coming!
Anyone else want to come over for a swim!?
The waters fine!

Hey, anyone need our new address!? If so, let me know and I'll e-mail it to you!
This is a funny story, at least to me.
The whole time that Mary was here I tried to find something fun for a teenager to do- a youth dance, activity or maybe even a DATE!
The day that I took Mary to Costa Vita we also went over to our friends yogurt shop {Ocean Blue} for another cool off snack.
The boy behind the counter was very nice and helpful, not to mention cute!
{For an 18 year old. They all look like babies to me now}
This is how it all went down:
Me: Mary, you should invite him to play games with us!
Yogurt Boy: Whhhatt??
Mary: Would you like to come over and play some games with us tomorrow night?
Yogurt Boy: Yeeahhhh!!!
I know, it's kind of weird that we picked up some kid at a yogurt place for Mary.
It helped that he was reading a book about going on an LDS mission.


The Votaws, Shumways and Rigbys came over for the big event!
Of course the Rigby's kicked our trash, although Kelly made an awsome play!

Does she look like she's almost half way through a pregnancy, I think NOT!


The night had to come to an end.
{although the Shumways, Ryan and I stayed up way too late talking!}
Mary was so excited for those boys to come over, but it turned out they were kind of lame.
The dark haired boy {from the yogurt shop} turned out to be rather stuck up.
Big time bummer for Mary. No hot Arizona boy to go home thinking about.
Next time Mary, I'll get you a better yogurt boy, I promise!

Thanks for coming over guys! I had a lot of fun!
Remind me why we don't play like every other weekend!?

Mary Came to Town!

This whole last week my little sister Mary came to visit us from Wisconsin!
While I was out there this summer she and I got to hang out a bunch. I was so glad that she took up my offer to come and stay with us and she came so soon!
The first day Mary taught Ella how to play a little song on the piano! Ella loved it! I guess it's about time for piano lessons!
Jack is often times very stand-off-ish around people he doesn't see everyday. Ok, anyone other then Ryan, Ella and me. But he loved Mary from the start! Maybe he remembered her from Wisconsin?
While Mary was here I took her to in-n-out and Costa Vita {Cafe Rio knock off}
She hadn't ever been to either- so yum huh Mary!?
There were so many places that I wish I could have taken her, places she's never been.
Next time Olive Garden!
One evening while at Target we got a little crazy and bought some hair color and colored each others hair! Mary has really dark hair in the first place, but she went totally black. She looks so HOT! Can you believe that she's only 17 years old!? I went pretty dark too! Ryan thinks that I look pretty dang hot too.
Later that night Mary and I had a girls night out and went and saw the movie- 500 days of Summer. Very cute and quirky! We both loved it! It was so nice to go somewhere without the kids and have a nice girls night with my little sis!

So, since it was so super duper hot we thought we would try, what we have seen on TV so many times, cooking an egg on the sidewalk. Let's just say it did NOT work. Just made a mess everywhere. Maybe we should have tried on the black top? The picture was still cute of Ellie-Bellie and Mary!

Ok, I HAD to throw this one in! This is ALL that Mary did the whole week! Text, text, text....
I threatened to throw that dang cell phone of hers out the car window several times.
Teenagers these days. Yes, I can say that. I'm old now.

One afternoon I had to run a quick errand {To hand over the key's to our old landlord} and left Mary at home with the Jackster. This is what I came home to. SO precious! I will always cherish this photograph! I hope that you like it too Mary, you look beautiful! What a sweet Auntie to take a nap with baby Jack-Jack!

Don't you just LOVE this picture that Ella took of us before church on Sunday!?
I thought that it was pretty funny!

Mary bought the dress that I'm wearing while she was here. When we got it back to my house and she tried it on, she realsied that it was a little lose on her. The plan was that she would get it tailored back in Wisconsin.
However, I thought it was so cute, she let me wear it the one time, since I've a bit bigger then Mary, ok a LOT bigger! {I've had two babies, she's had none!}
After she left to go back home I found the dress left here with a lovely note from Mary saying that the dress was all mine!
HOW NICE IS THAT!?
Well Mary, you might just get a surprise in the mail sometime soon!
Thank you!

Mary's last day here we drove up to be with Ryan's family. Rick, Elliott and I all celebrated our birthdays! I am officially OLD.

{Ok, maybe a little weird, but I think it's super funny that Jack is pinching my boob in this picture! What the heck kid!?}

Such a sad day. Mary had to go home. I wish that she could have stayed forever!
It was so much fun having you here Mary! You are an amazing friend and sister! I missed you the second we said goodbye! Thank you for all that you did to help me with the kids and around the house! I hope that you had a good time and that you'll want to come and stay with us again sometime... SOON!
I love you!

What we have been up to

For anyone who doesn't know, we have MOVED!

Not to far from where we were, just a couple miles.

It's a house that we are helping to fix up.

We have all been putting many hours into it! It feels like that's all we've been doing for a month!

{Pictures to come... sometime.}

The new house has a pool! Ella has had so much fun swimming and has even become a better swimmer in the short time that we've already been here.

For anyone, like me, who's worried about Jack- we have an alarm, gate and two locks. So far it's been fine. Let's hope it stays that way! This kid is so naughty! We have no idea how he was able to get up on top of our dresser like that!With moving that means that we are having to say goodbye to our old house and our old ward.

I didn't think that I would be so sad to leave the other house, until I had to turn over the keys to our landlord.

We had a lot of good times there!

Ella turned 5 AND 6 there

Jack learned how to crawl, walk and run there

Jack turned 1

Ella had her first day of school

Many family and friends have come to stay with us

We love our ward and made so many new friends

Ryan and I had birthdays, Christmas, Valentines day, Halloween, Easter, anniversaries

We loved the back yard, our neighbors and the millions of kitchen cabinets!

But mostly, it was our first home here in Arizona

We are excited to make new memories here in this new house. We wont be in it too long, so the Bailey's are in for a year of many changes!
The kids were great through the move. Even when it was 118 degrees!
They watched a LOT of movies and played together while Ryan, Sandy and I worked!
Thank you to Rick and Sandy, thank you for all that you do for us!

Roller Girl

These guys decided to celebrate their birthday's together {way good idea} and had a roller skating party! {Super way good idea!} Happy Birthday Lauren and Joseph!We are SO lame. It had been a pretty busy week and with everything going on, we were never able to find a sitter. So the kids had to come. Let me say it again, we are SO lame.

What kind of friends are we, show up with our kids. Sheesh. They told us it was ok, but next time I PROMISE they will not come along!It was Ella's first time ever roller skating. She was pretty brave! Although Daddy had to help her most of the time! Jack and I didn't skate, but that was ok! We hung out and wore Joseph and Lauren's awesome light up glasses!Did you know that Ryan's an amazing Roller skater!? I bet you didn't!

He's so good. This is of him going backwards really fast. Yep, he's that good!

Ok, well, most of the time he was that good! After skating we went over to Red Robin for some dinner.

Our friend Justin has an addiction- to those claw machines with the stuffed animals in them. I guess that he can't pass one without trying.

That night it only took 4 dollars in quarters, but he got it, a little stuffed bear.

Ella loved admiring it.

Then as we were eating, Ryan and I look over to see Ella sobbing quietly to herself. At first she wouldn't tell us what was going on. But we finally she told us that she was just so sad that the bear would never be hers. Our kind waitress overheard us and just a few minutes later she came to Ella with a stuffed Rabbit! We couldn't believe it! The waitress had called her sister at home and had her bring it in! Can you believe how nice that was!? We couldn't either. Lets just say that she got a big tip! I'm sure that Ella will remember that night for a long time!

Thanks for a fun night guys!!!

Hanging with the Reeds

While in town the Reeds got some shopping done, relaxed and they even took us out to Olive Garden. Now that's my kind of house guest. They spend all their time and money to come and see us and then take US out!? Yeah, that doesn't quite work out right in my brain. Next time it's totally one us guys!One of the evenings after Ella was out of school we drove up to Ryan's parents house to have a BBQ and some swim time!
Mr. K taught Ella all kinds of new tricks! He's a perfect Uncle! One of Ella's new favorite things to do Grandma and Grandmpa's

Jack's naughty face. He knows he's been caught, again, with rocks from the fire place!

Thank you Sarah and Mr. K for coming to see us! It was a long trip for you guys, but I hope it was worth it! I love you and can't wait to see you guys again soon!