The 6 Lingards

Mmmmmmmm, Ice cream again!

2010-08-01T23:58:00.004-05:00

What is it with Adam feeding this girl ice cream?? Its no wonder she's obsessed with it. Look at her cute toes wiggling. She cracks me up! Scroll down and watch her eating it on Feb. 1st. :)

Long time no see!

2010-05-25T22:09:00.004-05:00

Oooops. Its been 3 months!! Lots has been going on here. Kids are growing, school is ending for the summer, hotter weather!

Preston is finishing up 5th grade. I can't believe my oldest is going to go to middle school in August. He is excited and I am nervous!

Maija is finishing 3rd grade. She is only about an inch shorter than Preston. She is definitely taking after me in the height department.

Maren has been attending preschool since March. That girl is in LOVE with preschool! Everyday she begs to go, but she only goes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She will be going again in the fall.

Paige is 9 months old now. She sits but does not try to crawl yet. She is content just staying where she is (mommy is too!). She now has 2 teeth! She has a huge obsession with her Daddy. If he is in the room, no one else matters, not even Mommy with the food source! Her hair is growing more. I think its going to be the same color as Preston and Maren's hair. She is super happy all the time and loves attention.

Adam and I are doing good. We survived some work on our house (roof, skylights, new front door) and have tons more projects inside and out left to do to keep us busy this summer.

Happy 6 month Birthday Paige!!

2010-02-27T21:45:00.006-06:00

Happy 6 months so my sweetest baby doll!!! This girl is so darn cute! She can sit by herself now. She is also quite noisy and her latest is to growl. We get quite a few funny looks in the stores when she is hidden in her carseat growling away. The older kids are all just in love with her and always ask to hold and play with her. My only complaint about this cutie is that she won't sleep in her bed (totally our own fault) but we are working on it. She has her official check up on Monday so I will update with her stats then.

She was wearing Maren's glasses. Cute eh?

Jumper update!

2010-02-04T21:49:00.001-06:00

The poor girl jumped herself to sleep!!

The Jumping Fool!

2010-02-04T14:21:00.002-06:00

Paige loves to jump! My arms ache from all the jumping. So, just like we did with Maren, we got this jumping fool a Jumperoo! This girl is all smiles and mommy's arms can now take a rest. (she is too short so she was jumping on a phonebook, and then a folded up sheet).

And for fun, here is Maren in her Jumperoo too!

Mmmmmm mmmmmmm good!

2010-02-01T23:18:00.001-06:00

Poor girl is going to have a tummy ache later!

Happy 9th Birthday Maija!!

2010-01-29T23:13:00.001-06:00

Maija turned 9 on January 25th. Adam and I also celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary that day. She was our little anniversary present. We had another combined birthday party. We celebrated for Maija, myself, and our cousin Ellie!

Paige is 5 months old!

2010-01-29T22:31:00.006-06:00

I can't believe she is so old now!! She is so smiley and loves to giggle. She just learned how to reach out and grab things and now everything goes straight to her mouth.

And just for a fun comparison... here is Preston at almost the same age.

Maren's new haircut

2010-01-29T22:28:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday to Maren!

2010-01-01T21:52:00.000-06:00

Maren turned 3 on December 29th! We had a combined party with her cousins Cohen and Annie. Maren and Cohen share a birthday on the 29th and Annie's birthday is on the 31st. Maren is 3, Cohen is 9 and Annie is 13. We all went out to Spaghetti works for dinner and then had cake and presents after we ate.

Christmas 09

2010-01-01T21:28:00.001-06:00

Christmas has come and gone already. I am in shock. We had a fun time with family. We had a Christmas Eve party at our house and snow kept falling and falling. Tons of food and games. Then time to open new jammies from Gramma and Grampa! Here's a slide show of some of our holiday.

Paige

2009-12-22T20:35:00.001-06:00

3.5 months old

2009-12-15T21:33:00.002-06:00

Paige is 3.5 months old now. She is up to 13.5lbs. I have been slacking on the blogging and the pictures. Paige is due for some new professional shots.

I can sit with minimal assistance now!
I make chub look good!
Legs like these take work to maintain!

Random cuteness

2009-11-18T21:57:00.001-06:00

Sleeping with daddy
11 weeks old
Paige at 1 month in her blessing gown. Sorry the photo was blown and you can't really see the dress.
Paige at 1 month old
11 weeks old

9 weeks old

2009-11-06T22:09:00.002-06:00

Paige is now 9 weeks old! At her check up on the 2nd, she was 11lbs 14oz and 22 3/4 inches long. I was surprised by her weight. She is so roly poly, I totally thought she would have weighed more. I guess she is all fluff! She's so strong. The doctor said she acts more like a 4 month old than a 2 month old.

Once again I don't know why blogger cuts the video screen off. Anyone know why? Help me!

Happy Birthday Adam!

2009-11-02T18:11:00.007-06:00

Halloween

2009-11-01T22:48:00.005-06:00

The pictures are all out of order, I'm too lazy to fix it. Sorry!

This year Preston was a ninja, Maija and Maren were matching witches and Paige was just a cute chubby baby in Halloween clothes. Mom and Dad were masquerading as parents...

We had a fun week. No school for the kids the entire week. I think we had some sort of party/activity every single day. One or two of the days, we even had 2 activities to go to. Bad me did not have the camera for most of it. I don't even have pictures of their pumpkins. Unfortunately I can't even go out and get a picture because mean people smashed them out in the street last night.

All of the pictures on here right now are from our annual family Halloween party. We were missing the Wunderlich family because they got the plague (swine flu). We had a fun night making lots of treats and eating food and playing games. We made mummy and spider hotdogs, chocolate covered oreos, chocolate dipped pretzels and cake. We played pin the face on the pumpkin too.

I also did not get pictures of trick or treating! Each kid has like 7lbs each of candy from all the activities we went to. What are we going to do with it all??

Pretty smiling girl!

2009-10-17T19:36:00.009-05:00

I can't believe its been almost a month! Oooops! Paige is just shy of 8 weeks old now. She is awake a lot more now and is starting to try to interact. She smiles and tries to talk. Its just too cute. Paige switched reflux medications for the third time and I am hoping this one is the right one. So far so good, she's much happier and comfortable. As of her last doctor appointment she was almost 11lbs so I am pretty sure she is 12lbs now. Paige also currently has her first cold. We are hoping and praying that it just stays a stuffy nose and not turn into something more serious.

The other kids are great. We just had Parent/Teacher conferences and Preston and Maija are star students. Loved by their teachers and classmates. Preston was voted by all of his peers to be the class representative for the Character Council for his school. Maija's teacher said she is the most happy and smiling student she has ever seen! Maren is talking up a storm and being a totally sassy almost 3 year old.

Here's a video of Paige smiling. I have no idea why blogger is cutting the screen off. Sorry!

3 weeks and a few days

2009-09-20T22:26:00.004-05:00

Little Miss Paige is getting so big! She's now 8lbs 5oz, up another 10oz from the week before. This girl knows how to eat! She's got some nice rolls going on now.

Paige is so strong. She has been holding her head up since birth and trying to push and roll herself off of you if you hold her on your shoulder. Last night Adam was doing tummy time with her and she would roll herself over from tummy to back each time.

2 weeks old

2009-09-10T22:57:00.002-05:00

Paige is 2 weeks old already. Time goes by so fast in a sleep deprived stupor.

She had her check up on Wednesday and she now weighs 7lb 6oz and is 20 1/4th inches long. Growing big! She is filling back out quite nicely. I love to see babies fatten up!

Blessing day

2009-09-10T22:39:00.003-05:00

Paige had her baby blessing this last Sunday, at 10 days old. I don't normally do that, but we had both sets of parents here so we went for it!

We didn't get many pictures because we took her in, blessed her, and then left right after that since she's so young. I think I will put her back in her dress this weekend and get some better pictures.

Those that stood in the circle with Adam were Blair Bench (grandpa), Paul Lingard (grandpa), Kevin Wunderlich (uncle), David Baggerly (uncle), and Bishop Matthew Hahne.

Paige was blessed and given the name Paige Olive Lingard. Olive is Adam's grandmother's middle name on his mom's side.

Introducing...

2009-09-04T20:38:00.001-05:00

PAIGE OLIVE LINGARD
Born August 27th, 2009 8:01am
7lbs 1oz 18 3/4th inches long

She's now 8 days old and looks a little different. All of these pictures are from her 1st day of life. More pics are certainly going to follow soon!

38 weeks.

2009-08-23T00:50:00.001-05:00

4 days before delivery. I think I might pop!

First day of school!

2009-08-19T15:21:00.006-05:00

Driving to school. Aren't we happy?

She's happy now, but just wait

Getting ready to walk down the dark, lonely sidewalk to school. ha ha ha

Preston is in 5th grade now!

Maija is in 3rd grade now!

Where's MY back pack??

Off we go towards school

Bye Preston! He wouldn't wave at us

Bye Maija!

Back to the car we go

I want to go to schooooooooool!

Last night's sleepover

2009-08-16T23:41:00.002-05:00

Last night the kids convinced Adam to do a sleepover with them. They piled up lots of blankets and pillows and all went to bed. Unfortunately bedtime was around midnight so it was lots of cranky kids today.

Maren's allergy testing

2009-08-11T22:09:00.001-05:00

Maren had her allergy testing done today. About 3 weeks ago she had an allergic reaction to some cashews so the pediatrician recommended we get her tested for all nuts since we have another nut allergic child in the family already.

Poor kid screamed and screamed when they did the marks on her back. She did lay still for the time they needed her to, but complained her back hurt and wanted to scratch it. Maija helped to entertain her by showing her Pokemon on the Nintendo DS and held her hand while I held her other hand and rubbed her legs and head. Afterwards they rubbed some lotion on her back to help the itching go away.

So, the results are:
Allergic to cashews, pistachios, walnuts AND peanuts.

The peanut allergy kind of surprised me, though I don't know why, since that is what Preston is allergic to. She is not allergic to eggs which is great. Preston is allergic to eggs and that makes it difficult sometimes. She doesn't really show any reaction to seasonal stuff or animals which is also great.

So now we carry 2 epi pens for my 2 nut allergic kids. She will also need to wear a Medic Alert bracelet, just like Preston.

Maija is the lucky one, with no known allergies. I pray this next baby is like Maija.

Poor puffy eyes

Ouchy reactions on her back

Afterwards she was somewhat happy to be able to play with the big kids.

36 weeks

2009-08-06T21:02:00.001-05:00

Ok, we are in the final count down. 21 days (or less hopefully) until the c/s. I am large and in charge!! Start placing your bets now! Is it a BOY? Or is it a GIRL??

Beauty pageant wannabe

2009-08-06T20:57:00.001-05:00

Maren LOVES to watch beauty pageants, especially ones that involve children (which I do not condone). She's got the walk down, dancing, head moves, you name it. She calls it her princess show.

Children's Museum outing

2009-08-05T22:20:00.001-05:00

Last week we used our free coupons from the dentist and hit up the Children's Museum. Such a fun place! It totally wears the kids out, a nice added bonus.

I think Maren's favorite parts were the stage and the water area. She would not get off the stage! Just kept walking, dancing and prancing. She loved to see herself on the monitor in the lights!

Camping out

2009-08-01T00:27:00.003-05:00

The kids got bored today and decided to build a fort in Preston's room. They have been in and out of it all day. Tonight they asked if they could sleep in it. Sure, why not, sleep on the floor! Poor Maren didn't get to join in the fun. She would not go to sleep if she were in there with them. Not a happy 2 year old did I have tonight.

Maren hung out with me downstairs and we cut out the new boppy to sew for the baby, took a shower and repaired her old boppy. She was quite happy that it was fixed and promptly fell asleep on it. So now she's asleep on the living room floor and will soon be transferred to her bed upstairs, as soon as Adam comes home. I am too fat to lift her! ;)

35 weeks

2009-07-30T22:50:00.001-05:00

35 weeks. Total Lingard baby. Can't wait to see him/her in real life!

Swinging

2009-07-12T00:56:00.002-05:00

The swing set is almost done!! I think it will get finished up tomorrow. Maren is beyond excited. She has been walking around for days saying "Daddy build my swing set".

She totally did not want to get out of her special swing (toddler swing with a back so she won't fall out) and wouldn't let the kids push her. They said they tried to teach her how to pump with her legs and sometimes she can do it.

Driveway dancing

2009-07-08T22:25:00.002-05:00

Maren was making up dances tonight. Before I got the camera out she was doing some ballet moves. She didn't want me to take pictures so she kept running away and screaming to turn off the camera.

Scooter races

2009-07-08T21:40:00.000-05:00

This is our nightly fun.

32 weeks

2009-07-06T18:28:00.001-05:00

Me in all my glory...not much longer to go

2 year old bride

2009-06-30T18:45:00.001-05:00

Maren is getting married, tonight in fact, according to her. At the end she is pointing out the window saying he's out there running. He better run, real fast. No one marries the 2 year old.

Cute 3D pictures

2009-06-18T12:53:00.002-05:00

28 weeks and 5 days.

We had another u/s today, probably the last one for a while unless something goes wrong. Preston and Maren got to come along and watch.

I think this baby has the same chin and cheeks as Maren did. We still do not know the gender. Ha ha ha!

26 weeks

2009-06-01T19:41:00.001-05:00

26 weeks now. Only 12 more to go! Weeeeeeeee!

We got a 3D picture of the baby's face but it was so wiggly so it looks a little distorted. Sort of looks like this baby has some hair!

Memorial day fun

2009-05-25T20:53:00.002-05:00

Normally people have bbqs on Memorial day, but we all went to HuHot instead! No one had to cook or clean up. Nice!

Afterwards we got the kids a pool today so we could swim. The water was cold but the kids soon got used to it. Sorry about the noise in the background of the video. Adam was mowing the lawn.

New glasses!

2009-05-16T22:09:00.004-05:00

Maren's 2nd pair of glasses finally came, ONE MONTH later!! These ones are hopefully unbreakable, unlike her other pair that had to be fixed after only 4 days. They are "nursery safe" and that makes me feel better.

Trampoline fun!

2009-05-06T20:10:00.000-05:00

We got a trampoline for the kids on Saturday. Today Adam put it together. The kids are in love. Maren calls it JUMPY!! I think tomorrow we will be getting the safety net because Maren likes to run towards the edge. OY!

Getting happy

2009-05-01T23:43:00.002-05:00

If Maren is grumpy, we tell her to put her happies on. Maija used to do the same thing, and kept hers in her pocket. Maren, apparently has no pockets (listen closely) but its very cute. She made the video for Uncle Nate.

Maren's art

2009-04-30T19:18:00.002-05:00

Today's activities included picking up sticks and lining them up in the cracks of the driveway. Then we move on to planting sticks among the plants.

Happy 10th Birthday Preston! (it was yesterday)

2009-04-29T19:11:00.001-05:00

Preston turned 10 on April 28th! I can't believe he's 10 now!! He's been a true joy and is the best big brother to his sisters.

We had a skating party for him last Saturday. I forgot the camera at the skating rink. Preston used inline skates and had a blast. After skating was the cake, ice cream and presents.

Preston got a new mountain bike. He had outgrown his other bike he got when he was 5. He also got his coveted Pokemon Platinum game for the Nintendo DS from grandma and grandpa Lingard.

I think he had a very good day!

The glasses are here!

2009-04-22T22:07:00.002-05:00

Maren's glasses are here! For her first day she did pretty well. She took them off about 5 times and each time I let her take a break and then we put them back on. I am really surprised they have lasted this long on her head!

Baby update

2009-04-20T23:03:00.002-05:00

Baby Lingard is now 20 weeks gestation! We have already passed the halfway mark, since we get to have baby 2 weeks early.

Maren kept wanting to see the hands and then the baby put its hand up to its mouth or nose, looked like it was sucking its thumb. When Maren saw the head she said "ooooo, BIG!" which made everyone laugh.

We still don't know the gender. That will be a surprise come August!

Maren has new eyes now too....

2009-04-15T00:52:00.002-05:00

Maren is following in the footsteps of her older siblings. Preston started wearing glasses at age 4. Maija started wearing glasses at age 3. Maren will now wear glasses at the ripe old age of 2! Does this mean this new baby will wear them at age 1???

Isn't she cute? She calls them Princess glasses. We should have them next week sometime.

These are her back up pair of glasses. Maybe she will like these ones more? Darn cute.

Maren also thinks that this is the proper way to wear a headband, like a hat she says. She wouldn't let me switch it and wore them that way all through Target. She would also stand in front of carts that were coming towards us and put one hand on her hip and the other hand out and yell "STOP!!". She makes for a fun shopping experience. :)

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T20:43:00.001-05:00

Maren has a new set of wheels!

2009-04-08T22:30:00.003-05:00

She kept trying to ride Maija's scooter so we figured it was time for one of her own. She was quite excited to get a princess scooter.

18 weeks

2009-04-03T00:04:00.001-05:00

I'm now 18 weeks along. Almost halfway there!! We could have found out the gender today but we didn't! Neener neener!! I get to go back every 2 weeks for the next 10 or 12 weeks because I was exposed to fifths disease. So, I get an u/s every 2 weeks! The doctor isn't concerned at all but he just wants to be on the conservative side. Lots of chances to find out the gender but I will be strong and resist! (Maren will tell you its a baby brudder though if asked, not sure where she got it from).

All the kids at 2 years old

2009-03-31T01:29:00.000-05:00

Maren's pictures, 2 years old

2009-03-31T00:04:00.001-05:00

Maren is a hard one to take pictures of. Before now, she would NEVER smile in pictures. We felt lucky that this time she did smile for some, even though they weren't huge smiles. Some are super cute, some are just dang funny. (lots of pics, 30 in all)

Just so you all can truly think we are NUTS!

2009-03-29T23:17:00.004-05:00

This is what we want to do to the house still. Ideally, I would like the majority of it done before September. Any bets on that happening??? I printed this out and put it on the fridge. Do you think Adam will like it? All of this, in my opinion, is to bring this house up to present day standards, not 1981... :)

Living room
remove wallpaper borders
fix holes in wall
paint
new wood trim above window
tile entry
new entry light
light switches and outlets
Paint front door

Family room
paint
chimney sweep
new screen on sliding door
light switches and outlets
ceiling

Dining room
remove wallpaper borders
fix walls
Paint
Light switches and outlets
ceiling

Bathroom on 1st floor
fix walls
new counter top
clean cabinets
paint
light fixture
fix fan
tile
redo caulking in shower
Light switches and outlets
towel bar
ceiling

Kitchen
Level floors
Tile floors
New counter tops
New sink, faucet, disposal
Take down tv
Clean cabinets
Fix walls
Paint
Change light fixture
light switches and outlets
Ceiling
Change drawer pulls

Hallway/Laundry
fix walls
paint
stack washer and dryer
Light switches and outlets
ceiling

Bedroom on 1st
paint
fix closet door
new blinds
Light switches and outlets
fix squeaking floors
ceiling

Maija’s room
Hang curtains
light switches and outlets
Repaint wall with writing on it
Change closet door knobs
hang shelves
ceiling

Preston’s room
Paint
Hang curtains
light switches and outlets
Change closet door knobs
hang shelves
ceiling

Maren’s closet
Fix wall
Paint
New light fixture

Bathroom 2nd floor
Move tub faucet, shower up
Install new tub/surround and new fixtures
New counter tops
New lights
Paint
Tile floor
New toilet
light switches and outlets
clean cabinets
new knobs on cabinets
towel bars
storage cabinet above toilet
ceiling

Master bedroom
Paint
New knobs on closet doors
Install light fixture/ceiling fan
Hang curtains
light switches and outlets
fix squeaking floors
ceiling

Upstairs hallway/stairs
Remove wallpaper borders
Paint
light switches and outlets
fix squeaking floors
Clean railings both sides

Basement
redo framing around bathroom
install tub, sink and toilet
new door leading outside

Outside
Cut down tree in front
Mudjack front step
landscaping bricks around other tree
Fix both gates
Chain link fence rings
stain deck
seed bare grass spots
Trim bushes
Clean out window wells, secure covers
grade dirt around foundation
level a/c unit cement
New porch lights

Piggy tails, hero big girls and dancing

2009-03-24T21:45:00.002-05:00

Maren is finally getting some hair. She usually has pig tails on the top of her head but tonight I wanted to see if I could get it all into some cute pig tails on the sides. Look how cute she is!

She is also deathly afraid of Swiper the fox from Dora. Adam, Preston and Maija were all attacked by Swiper upstairs and Maren actually went up and saved them! So now she calls herself Hero Big Girl Maren.

The older kids like to teach her interesting dances. Here's a video of her doing her stuff. She's really into "fancy moves".

Spring break

2009-03-23T10:11:00.002-05:00

The start of Spring Break was spent running outside as soon as we wake up to dig in the dirt with the new toys. Maren couldn't be bothered with putting clothes on but I did convince her to at least put some shoes on. They have all be out there digging for over an hour. Hopefully the rain stays away for a bit longer.

Some ultrasound pictures

2009-03-18T22:58:00.002-05:00

7 weeks

12 weeks (look at the cute nose!)

14 weeks, Alien!

Maija's pictures

2009-03-09T22:43:00.000-05:00

8 is Great!

2009-02-28T19:54:00.002-06:00

Maija and her cousin Kaleb were baptized today! It was a very fun day. We all had lunch and a birthday party at our house afterwards. Maija also got some professional pictures taken tonight. As soon as we get those online, we will show you!

8 grandkids and counting on the Lingard side

2009-02-15T23:18:00.002-06:00

On the Lingard side there are now 8 grandkids and one more on the way!

Can you name off all the kids on this side?

Can you group them by family? (this one should be easy, they are color coded!)

Preston, 9
Maija, 8
Andrew, 7
Brenna, 7
Katelyn, 3
Maren, 2
Seth, 1
Adeleine, 9 months
Unknown, 3 months gestation

15 grandkids and counting on the Bench side

2009-02-14T22:41:00.005-06:00

On the Bench side there are now 15 grandkids, with the 16th on its way!

Can you name them all, and put them in the right family?

I'll help you with the names and ages.

Matthew, 13
Annie, 12
Preston, 9
Avram, 9
Cohen, 8
Maija, 8
Kaleb, 8
Ethen, 5
Aubree, 4
Elianah, 4
Gaven, 3
Sabrina, 2
Abigayil, 2
Maren, 2
Dalen, 4 months
Unknown... 3 months gestation

Pinewood Derby time 2009

2009-01-31T19:53:00.003-06:00

Today was the 2009 Pinewood Derby in Nebraska. Preston and I worked hard on his car. He named it the Silver Shark. I thought it looked pretty neat-o!

Preston's car raced 12 times. He was beat 1 out of those 12 times. Do you know what that means?

Preston won the Pinewood Derby, AGAIN! He won it last year in Texas with a different car!

More pictures are coming from the actual race.

CONGRATULATIONS Preston!

Hair issues

2009-01-12T21:45:00.001-06:00

Oh, and don't fret. I will blog about Christmas and New Years. I am just being very lazy and a little green around the gills. Its coming soon!

Sink and countertops

2009-01-11T22:57:00.001-06:00

There is the counter top color and the sink. Does that change your decision any? :)

Faucets galore!

2009-01-10T23:07:00.003-06:00

The time has come to do some minor remodeling in the kitchen. New sink, new faucet and new counter tops. The sink is purchased. Its a 9 inch deep white sink with the faucet offset to the side. Counter tops are a laminate that looks like granite called Milano (its all we can afford, no real granite here folks) and then the faucet. I don't know what to pick!

Your job is to help me decide. I know there are my followers (like all 2 of you!), lurkers and creepers so come on out, say HI, and vote. Help me out here people. Just leave a comment with the name of the faucet you like best. The names are BELOW the faucet picture. 6 total.

MARIELLE

TREVISO

HANOVER (separate hot/cold and a pull down sprayer)

CADENZA

AVALON

ASHFIELD

What do you think?

2009-01-02T18:21:00.001-06:00

Happy Birthday Maren! (2 days early)

2008-12-27T23:01:00.003-06:00

Maren turns 2 on December 29th. We had her birthday party today because Adam works on Monday all day. Lots of family came. 13 children and 8 adults. Maren is obsessed with Brobee, from Yo Gabba Gabba. Its her favorite show and we watch it daily (thank you DVR). I made it my goal to make her a Brobee cake. At first I wanted to make his entire body but I figured that was a little too much for my meager decorating skills. I settled on just his head.

Watch the slide show and the video. The video is a little long but its cute. She was a very happy girl today.

Caught red-handed!

2008-12-27T22:46:00.004-06:00

Or multi-colored handed??

Last night I was mixing color into frosting to make Maren's birthday cake. She was very intrigued by what I was doing and kept trying to grab the food coloring bottles and got a spoon and was trying to poke the frosting. My mistake was leaving the box of food coloring on the table.

This morning Maren was a little too quiet in the kitchen. Adam went in there and said "OH Maren!" and she immediately put her hands behind her back and said "Hi Daddy!" He took her off the chair and sent her to me and she walked over to me with her head down and said "I naughny (naughty)"

She got the food coloring bottles out and decided they were tons of fun! She emptied the blue and the green totally and the red and yellow are both half gone. Luckily the kids had left their cereal bowls with a little bit of milk on the table and they made a lovely receptacle for the colors. It was on the table, the floor, the chair, her pjs, her hands and a little on her face. Maren had to get a shower, which to her is a punishment. Poor kid.

Of course, us being wonderful parents, had to grab the camera and document it for all to see.

Adam had to go to the store to get me more food coloring so I could finish the cake.

Maren, super star!

2008-12-14T21:50:00.001-06:00

She's learning new songs. And of course, you can't sing without a microphone. Just happens that she had the computer microphone this time. You can't sing alone either, so she called on daddy for back up!

And the stockings were hung

2008-12-13T23:34:00.007-06:00

Too much partying today for Abbie's 2nd birthday and this is where we found baby Dalen. Passed out under the tree. Man, what is in that milk he's drinking?

Poor kid under the tree

We saw Santa today at the ward party. Maija was all smiles. Preston enjoyed it too but my camera died.

Maren, well, she's afraid of everything. Lots of screaming, crying and shaking. She grabbed that bag of candy and begged to leave! She even covered her eyes and kept saying "scary! scary!"

Maybe next year she will realize that he's the man with the big fat sack full of toys.

We are lucky. We get 2 sets of stockings to fill!

Crazy cute people

2008-12-10T23:07:00.006-06:00

The title says it all!

Christmas tree

2008-12-05T23:44:00.004-06:00

Its finally up. Took us about a week to finish it. We have 2 trees. One is a kid safe tree with no glass ornaments and then a big fancy one with ornaments. Maren seems to like the fancy one better since she is constantly pulling the glass balls off and carrying them around.

More chatty Maren

2008-12-03T22:47:00.000-06:00

The search for Plex continues. Listen to her at the end. I guess she didn't want to sing a song. And yes, she still calls me Ahnah. :)

Move over Chatty Kathy...

2008-12-03T22:43:00.002-06:00

The Marenator is in town! She was very chatty tonight and actually kept talking once I turned on the camera. If you know Maren, then you know she is obsessed with Yo Gabba Gabba (google it if you don't know what it is). Plex went missing tonight. Its upstairs somewhere according to Preston. He said he had it last night but threw it somewhere in the bedroom.

Snow snow snow

2008-12-03T22:40:00.002-06:00

It snowed. I've been in denial since we moved here that it would actually snow. It did, I am not pleased. Roads were icy this morning but were clear by the afternoon. It stuck around on the grass long enough for the kids to get home and play for a bit. Watch Maren the destructor smack down the snow wall they were trying to build.

Boot camp

2008-11-26T11:34:00.001-06:00

We've begun our boot camp. Time to work those muscle-less stomachs and scrawny arms! Maren wanted to join in the fun too.

Maren's first haircut!

2008-11-12T21:44:00.002-06:00

She's a big girl now! Maren got her first haircut (more like a minor trim) tonight. She is my baldest baby at age 2. Maybe cutting her hair will make it grow more? Yo Gabba Gabba and something to hold in each hand was a great distraction. The wiggle wiggle wiggle go song probably wasn't the most appropriate for being still for a haircut though. We got it done. Its cute. Its a long video and pretty loud so beware!

Halloween, finally

2008-11-11T00:13:00.002-06:00

Ok, here it is. Halloween! We moved the day after Halloween and then my laptop got sent in for repairs so I couldn't post about it.

We had a ton of fun and have way too much candy. We went trick or treating at Adam's work, then to the Trunk or Treat at church, and then to round it all off, we went trick or treating around my parent's house. 3 TIMES THE CANDY!! Maren had a blast at Adam's work. She would grab and grab and grab the candy and every time we tried to stop her they would all say "No! Let her take the candy!" So we had to empty her pumpkin out twice since it was so full!!

Maren was a pink poodle, Maija was a Gossamer Ghost (thats what the tag said) minus the face make up and Preston was a vampire but everyone thought he was Harry Potter since he forgot his vampire teeth and didn't want any make up on.

The weather was so nice!

We also made special Mummy hot dogs and dirt cake for dinner.

Found!

2008-11-09T21:20:00.001-06:00

The elusive #1 has been found! Thanks Dad Lingard! :)

I need your help!

2008-11-06T23:27:00.003-06:00

I am desperate to find something! I need a house number that Lowes is selling. Problem is, its on clearance and places are running out fast! I need the #1. Its a 6 inch tall black metal number. I will even take the one off the display box, I'm not picky. Here is a picture of the zero for reference. I will love you forever and pay you for the number and your time and shipping too!

Happy late Birthday Adam

2008-11-06T20:33:00.005-06:00

Adam's birthday was November 2nd. He turned 34!! We had a small party at my mom's house since we had just moved into our new house the day before and nothing was unpacked.

Adam got a fun MP3 player, some money from both parents (thanks!) and tickets to the Metallica concert which he is currently at right now!

Sounds like a pretty good birthday to me! ;)

A funny little November 2nd story for you all. November 2, 1996 was our very first date. Adam asked me out a few days before his birthday. The funny part of it all was, he had thrown himself a birthday party at his grandparent's house in SLC and he left his OWN party to go on a date with me. He says they understood why he was leaving and boy was it good he did! 12 years later, here we are!

In the new house...

2008-11-02T22:05:00.000-06:00

We are here! Its lovely. We spent our first night in the new house last night. I love it.

We are still so behind on everything but at least we are here!

We still have a bunch of junk to move over from the other house. Hopefully that will be done this week.

I will get some pics up of the house with furniture in the next few days.

Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY ADAM! (he turned 34 today ;))

Only a few more days to go!

2008-10-29T01:04:00.002-05:00

We move November 1st! Its coming so soon. We are SOOOOOO behind on the new house projects. Its 1:11am on Wednesday and as I type, Adam is at the new house working on flooring, getting everything ready for the new carpet to be put in on Thursday. We have to have all of our tile down so the carpet guys can do the fancy seamless edges where the carpet meets the tile.

Adam spent most of the evening (5pm and on) pulling out all the icky NASTY carpet and padding out of the house. Then he had to remove the darn vinyl stick tiles and plywood subfloors that the previous owners put down in odd places. Its been such a pain! He then has to lay down new 1/4 inch cement board so he can lay the new REAL tile. AYE AYE AYE! I don't think Adam will be coming home tonight.

In the morning the children and I get to go back to the house and vacuum it all up and then start on the lovely task of pulling out all the staples in the floor that held down the old padding. ITS GOING TO TAKE ALL DAY! The positive side for the kids is that they get 5 cents for each staple they pull out. Each has their own bag to keep track of it all. CHA-CHING!

Projects that have been completed so far
carpet/pad removed
vinyl stick tiles removed
new lights in house (just about every light has been replaced)
new cabinet knobs in kitchen
fixed outdoor garden lighting
half of the doorknobs have been replaced (most of the old ones were broken!)
new miniblinds on entire 1st floor
fridge was scoured down, it was left very dirty :(
new pretty curtains on front window
front door weather stripping repaired
new carpet as of Thursday!!

Projects to be completed (supposed to have been done before we moved in):
paint entire 1st floor
new tile in both bathrooms, entry, back door, and kitchen
change out all light switches, outlets and covers (old yellowed and most were painted?)
new counter tops in kitchen
new hinges on kitchen cabinets
weather stripping on garage door replaced
finish switching out doorknobs
fireplace professionally cleaned
clean the stove (left all nasty, just like the fridge, grrrrrr)

There are a ton more projects to do but most we will have to slowly work on through the winter. Our main goal is to get moved in and unpacked and get the upstairs bathroom finished and working again. Tile has to go down and the new toilet installed. Luckily we have a bathroom on the first floor that has a shower so we won't be without a way to get clean! I will have to work on painting wall by wall when the kids are at school. Don't worry, I won't be getting on any ladders. I will leave all the high stuff for Adam. Our living room has a 20ft high ceiling.

Somehow in the next 3 days we need to fit in carving pumpkins, Trunk or Treat, trick or treating at Adam's work, Halloween parties, etc... and we have to pack up our little house we are currently in! Hopefully packing won't take too long since about 3/4th of our belongings are still packed away and in the basement.

Wish us luck!! We can't wait to get in the new house and spread out!!!

A little Southern boy (my nephew Dalen)

2008-10-17T20:44:00.004-05:00

I'm just a little Southern boy, borned into this world by an American mom and a real Southern dad.

I like to eat as you can see by the chins I support.

Sometimes I even do a little dance, ya know, to get the ladies. That's what real Southern men do.

And then I pass out on the floor when I am done with my drink. My daddy taught me well.

Does this make my butt look big?

Poetry

2008-10-09T15:27:00.002-05:00

There once was a girl
with an itty bitty curl
right at the back of her head

And when she was good
she was very very good!

But when she was bad
She was HORRID!

The end.

Some kids just need to go to bed

2008-10-08T23:13:00.004-05:00

Since Maren is now a big girl she has to go to sleep on her own. We are working on it. She sat down on the other couch and was watching tv and soon she was doing the bobble head. At the end I tried to grab her leg to tip her over so she would stop bobbing up and down. Those little heads are heavy!

What every good baby needs

2008-09-29T16:34:00.006-05:00

2 cups
1 good old poke to the belly button.
0 clothing

Maren's nightly routine

2008-09-23T00:25:00.001-05:00

Pull out the boppy. Climb on mommy. Ask non stop until mommy gives in. Listen closely to the beginning, its the best.

Someday

2008-09-18T21:11:00.003-05:00

Someday soon my cute little baby will have a room to rest her weary head, instead of falling asleep on a little pillow in the living room and being transferred to a pack n play on the landing to the basement. Maren Potter shall have a room of her own! (she used to sleep in the master closet in Texas) but alas, no master closets for Maren in this house! Come to think of it, no big master closet in the new house either, but a bedroom of her own will be a lovely upgrade. ;) Oh, and Preston and Maija won't be complaining either about having their own rooms again.

We found a house!

2008-09-14T23:48:00.004-05:00

5 months of looking and we finally found a house! If all goes well, we should be in our new house by the beginning of November. We are very excited.

Its 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 family rooms, eat in kitchen, formal dining room, nice big basement, rough in for another bathroom in the basement and a door that leads outside down there, 1965sq ft of space. The yard is lovely and has a super duper party deck! We even get to keep that neato entertainment center you see in the video below and the hammock out in the yard (thanks Pete!). Adam wishes the TV came with the entertainment center. Might have to get something fun to fill in the missing TV space. ;) YES, I AM BRAGGING, I AM EXCITED!

It does need some work to be done before we move in. We are going to paint the red walls in the living room a lighter color to brighten up the room and tile both of the bathrooms. The bathroom upstairs has carpet! Ewwww! We do have to make some changes to the railing on the stairs since the slats are a little too far apart and Maren can fit her head through them. Shouldn't be too hard though, I have an idea for that. Then we will take our time doing some other little updates here and there.

I forgot to tape a bunch of areas in the video, but at least you get the idea. Don't mind the mindless chatter on it either. :)

Whaddya think?

How BLUE are you?

2008-09-02T16:25:00.005-05:00

Stay tuned to see how BLUE we are!

First day of school!

2008-08-20T14:17:00.002-05:00

Such happy children...
Maija actually was excited to go
Preston, not so much
Ready to walk to school!
Maren tried to follow them
Go back home Maren!
She was NOT happy
Wait for me guys!
Hugs and kiss and go back home Maren!

Bye guys, have fun!

Bedtime is fun

2008-08-19T23:40:00.001-05:00

As long as its not your own bed and you don't really go to sleep...

Maija's new glasses

2008-08-14T21:09:00.001-05:00

Too cute!

Big shoes to fill!

2008-08-14T20:11:00.002-05:00

Maren is a true woman. She loves shoes! Doesn't matter who's shoes they are, male or female, she loves them all. She has figured out that she can put them on and try to walk around the house. Today she chose daddy's shoes!

House ramblings from the other side

2008-08-12T23:31:00.002-05:00

Its been 4 months and we still can't find a house to buy or build. Very frustrating! Perhaps we are not meant to have a house here? (wink wink Rachel)

We have all the time in the world to find a house I suppose. I think I have set my goals too high and the houses here are nothing like the houses in Texas.

We stay busy looking at one meeeellion homes on open house Sundays. We visit a few with our realtor (hi Pete!) and he probably thinks we are nuts who will never buy a house.

The Olympics rock and school starts next week!

I've been lacking on my photo taking lately. I need to take some pictures again.

Find me a house please?

Late night pillow jumping

2008-07-21T00:24:00.001-05:00

Maren decided that jumping off the carseat onto pillows was fun! Listen to her talk. Just too cute!

pillow jumping from Ahnah Lingard on Vimeo.

Maija's new hair

2008-07-17T12:42:00.001-05:00

We got Maija's hair cut. I swear I will never take her to a hair cutter again. NO ONE can cut it right. I should just pay myself since I have to recut it anyways. And yes, I do straighten her hair. I think its darling.

4th of July, a little late

2008-07-13T22:54:00.002-05:00

We had a busy day. We went swimming at the Seward public pool, which totally rocks. Then we had a barbeque at Sarah and Kevin's house. Next was the parade! After that we all trekked over to MomMom's house to do fireworks. The weather was so nice this year. Mid 80's and a nice breeze.

Preston's teeth

2008-07-09T01:12:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the delay! Preston got his braces off July 3rd. He's been doing his Phase One orthodontic treatment since April 2007. They started out with the upper jaw expansion and then braces on the front four teeth to close the gaps. He will wear a retainer until he gets the rest of his adult teeth in and then get full braces on top and bottom. OY!

A fun new (old) toy!

2008-07-01T22:03:00.003-05:00

Maren got a new (old) toy yesterday. Its a little swingset, slide, climber combo thingy that Preston actually received for his first birthday. We had it for a few years, gave it away and somehow its made its way back to us. Maren is quite happy with it and slides down it all day and night. Even the baby dolls get to go down the slide.

And about Preston's braces. He was supposed to get them off yesterday but one of his teeth shifted and that meant the retainer would not fit, so a new power chain was put on and we'll go back on Thursday to get his braces off. Poor kid was so excited to get them off.

Swingset from Ahnah Lingard on Vimeo.