Check-ups and Smiles!

Is there anything as sweet as these pictures? Grace loves to dress up in a "Pincess dress". She loves the tiara, and has little glass slippers. Some times (understatement...) she likes to act like a princess and is extremely particular and bossy. My sister has started calling her Cinderella.


Could this child be any cuter? Max has the biggest brown eyes, and reminds me of my dad and my brothers.

We took the kids for well checks and shots yesterday Grace weighs in at just under 24lbs (fully dressed) and was right at 25 percentile for both height and weight. She is doing all the things a two years old should be doing and got an A+ for her speaking skills.... Max weighs in at just over 22 lbs (dressed) and was 75 percentile for weight and 95 percentile for height. Which explains why my 9 month old is in 18 month clothes.

Funnies from the checkups - Grace insisted on wearing her Santa hat and Frosty the snowman jacket that lights up. So she was an instant hit with the nurses and receptionist. She kept saying she wanted to see the doctor for a check-up.

Dr. Hibbard asked if Max was a good eater, and I told her he is if it is something he likes, and I proceeded to tell her he won't eat peas or beans, or chicken & rice, turkey & rice, chicken noodle etc. I said he loves carrots, sweet potatoes, squash and the doctor chuckled, she said my baby has a sweet tooth. (hmm, where could he get that from?) I also said the only meat he would eat was apples & chicken or pineapple glazed ham, pretty much confirming the sweet tooth. (I mean, I never touch sweets so I have no idea why Max would be that way!)

After the shots both my kids were blood curdling screaming and the nurses brought in balloons, Max immediately stopped, not to cry again for the rest of the night. Grace was not to be won over, and cried the whole way home. She cried until we got her a happy meal with her very own Sprite. They both slept great and this had to be the easiest round of shots yet! Yeah!!!

Visiting Teaching

Have you read the Relief society visiting teaching message this month? I'm sure you are all way better than me at getting this done, and don't procrastinate until the 28th...but I really liked it this month...

It talks about Standing strong and being Immovable in Faith.

Julie B. Beck, Relief Society general president: "Latter-day Saint women must be strong and immovable in their faith. They can and should excel in living and sharing their testimonies of the Lord Jesus Christ and His restored gospel. We do this as we:

Make and keep covenants with Him.
Are worthy and worship in His temples.
Study His doctrine in the scriptures and the words of prophets.
Qualify for, recognize, and follow the Holy Ghost.
Share and defend His gospel.
Participate in sincere personal and family prayer.
Have family home evening.
Live principles of self-reliance and provident living.

I love that is says these are essential things that must be done before nonessential things and that no one can do them for us. We must do these things for ourselves. I'm sure this is a great reminder for all of us, how easy is it to put the nonessential things first? I do it every single day - "I'll just start one load of laundry before I read my scriptures." "I'll clean my house first, then read." "Let's watch this TV show, then have family scripture study and prayer." And more often than not, it doesn't happen. Satan is so powerful and wants us to put aside the essential things!

:) Got to go visiting teaching now.... :)

Tribute Tuesday

So, yesterday I posted a completly true version of events from the past week in Not me Monday. Today I have been invited to participate in a Tuesday Tribute created by this guy - http://pudmud.blogspot.com/ Wayne.

With gladness -

My tribute today won't ever read this. My dear sweet brother Patch. I mean Elder McBride.

He is my hero - I am so grateful he is serving a mission. I'm grateful for the example he is setting for my youngest brother, my nieces and nephews and his friends. Elder McBride put his life on hold for two years, so you can tell others about something that is so important. I know the words he is teaching are true. I know if the people who are taught will read the Book of Mormon, with prayer, seeking it's truthfulness, they will be answered.

He is so excited to teach people - and he is so loving! Patch - here's to you!

Not Me! Monday!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by McKMama. You can head over to her blog at http://www.mycharmingkids.net/ to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did not try to put Grace to bed for three hours last night. I did not give in and let her stay up with some friends way past her bedtime. I did not give her sugary ice cream after said bedtime. I did not laugh hysterically when she came into the kitchen at 11pm and stated that she had a good nap. I am not sitting here posting this at work today. And on Friday, I did not spend at least 3 hours figuring out how to post a collage of pictures on my brothers blog, at work, because I wouldn't blog at work.

I did not watch the original Star Wars trilogy over the weekend, instead of cleaning, dusting and doing laundry. I did not go to church yesterday and forget wet wipes for my two diaper wearing children..... hmm.... I did not pack gold fish crackers that Grace may or may not have spilled all over the chapel floor, and I most certainly did not smirk and chuckle slightly as my husband, whom I love and adore, was on his hands and knees in the middle of the isle picking up said fishes...

I did not let Grace parade through the Wal-mart, Super Target and Albertson's in a "pincess" dress and a Santa hat this week. As she wished people "A Happy to me."

While playing cards with some friends I did not read Jacks as Jackus, Sounding more like Jack@**. We did not laugh for 1 hour and 12 minutes every time someone in the group said Jackus.

I did not originally spell Monday incorrectly in this post and have to come back in and edit it.

Nope, not me! Monday!

The light at the end of the virus!

I give up! I have been trying to post a collage on my brothers blog for 3 hours now and I keep getting an error message..... Swear words!!!!

So - I'll just post something else :)

How bout' Max - yes lets talk a little about Max today.

So the last time I talked about Max you may remember he was sick. (His mommy thinks this is a gross understatement.) Well, he is still sick. He finished his antibiotic Last Thursday, and by Saturday (Grace's bday party day...) we were back up at the hospital where they gave him another shot of steroids for croup again. (If you are keeping a tally that is 3 ear infections, 2 rounds of croup and 2 months worth of runny nose since Thanksgiving...) Sunday was worse, Monday was worse and Tuesday was the worst. Well, obviously the steroids were not working, so we tied an alcohol wrap around his neck - (which he was allergic too...of course....)

During the night the humidifier broke - probably because it has been running every night for 2 months.... and Wednesday morning when I went to get him out of his crib he was smiling - I have not seen him smile like that for weeks - and he isn't coughing every minute, and I only wiped his nose like 5 times yesterday, instead of 55 times. Oh, my boy is getting better!!!! :) :) :)

See!!! He will even get down and play!!!!

"Laugher Lives Tuesday!".

This post is part of "Laughter Lives! Tuesday" on the Riggs Family Blog. Check our their blog to read everyone else's "Laughter Lives!" posts.


Grace has started wanted "kisses better" when she gets hurt. She gets really serious and says "It happened" and then wants a kiss in return. In most cases, a kiss is magical, and heals all. Brilliant!

Friday I went to pick up Grace from Grandma Ruth's and shortly after I got there she came crying to Grandma and said, with a very serious whine, "It happened Grandma."

"What happened?"

Sticking her rear out as far as a two year old can - "Kiss my butt."

We laughed and laughed and laughed.

2 months

The terrible two's are official at the Tyler home! We had three days of birthday fun this past week and Grace got spoiled so much!

To start the festivities we had a family dinner at Grandma Kates for Patch's 19th (on the 15th), Bracken's 9th (on the 17th) and Grace's 2nd (on the 18th.) We had yummy meatball subs and shared the evening with family.

Saturday we had a Finding Nemo party with Mikes family and my sister Cassie. Grace loves Nemo - so we had a Nemo cake, I colored a Nemo picture - (for 4 hours the night before.....it was huge....).


We had pizza, opened presents and had cake and ice cream. Grace had such a fun time - She got some dang cute dresses, some ice cream for her kitchen, a puppy that barks and walks (but does not pee or poop... :) and a bouncy, spinning horse.




Grace must have spun for hours on the horse, everyone else was sick watching her, but she loves it!









The cake turned Grace's lips, chin, and tongue blue. And let me just say this, we had Girl scout ice cream with it, and it was yummy!




I'm so thankful for the last two years. I can't believe how fast they have gone! Even when Grace is sick, and drives me crazy - I love her!







I had to throw this picture in for good measure - it looks like she is trying to guess the present through osmosis...





Notice my nephew Tylor at the very end of the video... helping....



And finally - Grace's official birthday arrives and Grandma & Grandpa McBride, Patch and Cassie came for lunch at Red Robin, and spoiled Grace some more. She got some very darling outfits and a princess tea set - which her and Max love....

Oh - and I almost forgot the 2 months thing.... She I've been trying to teach Grace for the past week that she is two, well now when we ask her how old she is she tells everyone "2 months...." so cute!

Thanks everyone for sharing our special week! And Happy Birthday my little love -