The last couple of weeks

Ally is becoming my little helper.  I was sorting laundry this week, and needed to take a load downstairs to get it started.  She's been quite attached and doesn't like being in a room alone, so I wanted to distract her so I could get the clothes down the stairs and the door closed before she followed me.  There was a pile of whites on the floor, and her small hamper from her room next to it.  I grabbed a couple of socks, said "Ally, put the clothes in here!" and dropped the socks in.  She got the idea of the game pretty quickly.  I ran out of the room while she was putting t-shirts and assorted other things in the hamper.  I was downstairs all of 2 minutes and back upstairs, wondering why I hadn't either heard her cry or bang on the basement door calling "Mama!" (she does this when I'm in the bathroom too).  It was suspiciously quiet, and I didn't see her in the bedroom anywhere.  I called her name, and her head popped up on the other side of the bed.  She came carting back around the bed carrying a tshirt and socks that I had missed.  She had taken nearly all of the white clothes and put them in the hamper, and had continued to find more.  That's my girl!  I'm sure it was just a coincidence, but the clothes she was bringing around were even white!

One of my dear friends, Alacia, came to visit us for a few days while she was passing through the area.  We had a great time hanging out with her.  She and I hadn't been together for more than a couple of hours since before Ernest and I got married.  Ally just loved her.  While Alacia was here, we all took a trip to Adam-ondi-ahman.  I hadn't been there in several years and it was Ernest's first trip.  Here are a few pictures from Alacia's visit as well as our trip to Daviess County. 

The Valley

We found a caterpillar.  Ally was quite intrigued.

I love these guys!

Ally putting off bedtime by playing with Alacia's shoes. 

Ally loves her Daddy.

She also loves her Daddy's shoes.

She likes to build a "nest" when it's bedtime.  This one happened to be in my lap.  I'm starting to notice it being harder to keep her, the pillow, and all of the blankets in my lap now that my tummy is growing.  Tonight we tried it, and I could feel the baby kicking.  I'm guessing s/he was feeling a bit squished!

Here she is moving her nest to the kitchen floor while I was making dinner.

The Halloween costume that we bought for Ally last year to wear this year.  We got 24 months thinking that would be plenty big (she'd be 20-ish months).  Little did we know about how kids grow...  This little girl started out at 6 lbs 9 oz and is now 30 lbs and outgrowing her 24 months clothes.  We decided that we should try it on her before she totally outgrew it!  It's a warm outfit, so Ally got tired of it rather quickly.  I like to think that she is growling in the picture, but actually she is letting us know it's getting hot and she wanted it off. 

And that's about it for what I have pictures for.  Some other fun things that I haven't caught on camera yet.  First, Ally has discovered how to pick her nose.  Welcome to the glamorous world of kid-hood.  Last night Ernest and I got to go on a well-overdue date.  We saw Despicable Me (and remembered again why going to the theater is way overrated for the amount of money it costs!), and then went to Barnes and Noble.  I bought "The Baby Whisperer" and a bedtime book for Allyson.  Ernest got one of his beloved fantasy/sci-fi novels.  My sister, JoAnn, watched Allyson for us so we could get some adult time.  It was so nice!  We ended the evening by playing a few games with JoAnn, Martha, Hawk, and Kathy.  They had been watching a DVD, and when it finished the screensaver came on.  In this case it was the word "APEX" bouncing around on the TV.  It caught Ally's attention and she went to stand in front of the TV. Then she surprised us all by trying to catch the word on the screen.  It was like watching a cat chase a shadow.  I have no idea what she was thinking, but it was pretty funny to watch.  JoAnn caught it on video, and I'll have to get a copy.

In all, we've had some fun times lately, which is a good counter-pointe to the stress I've been feeling about dealing with the future.  Things are balancing out and my sense of optimism is returning.  I am so grateful for my family and the friends that we have around us.  They really are blessings!

A More Serious (at least to Shannon) Post

We are having a dilemma at our house.  Every since Ally was born, off and on Ernest and I have discussed the possibility of me staying at home full or part time.  Each time we've discussed it, we've come back to me continuing to work.  Part of this is because we enjoy what we are able to have in life.  We have been so blessed and I thank my Heavenly Father every day for the home, jobs, car, etc. that we have.  I know so many people that are challenged financially, often through no fault of their own.  We don't have it easy, but we certainly don't have it hard!  Anyway, the other reason that we've left things as they are is that Jane, one of my sister-in-laws, watches Ally for us.  Another way we are so blessed, to have family able to watch our little girl for us.  So, we'll talk about it, throw some numbers and scenarios around, and so far have decided to stay where we are.

Now that we have number 2 on the way (18 weeks along), it is coming back stronger and stronger to me that I need to be here for my family.  It's probably a normal thing for moms to go through, but I feel like I can't keep up with my family in addition to working full time, and trying to fill my calling at church, and everything else that life throws at you.  I feel like there is always something that I'm not doing well enough or neglecting completely.  Personally, I LOVE the idea of staying home (at least part time) and taking care of my family more.  My mom was fortunate enough to be able to stay at home with us most of the time and I loved it.  I don't know if it's because my mom was there for me or what, but I am having the hardest time accepting that I am working full time.  Ernest is so supportive and tries not to put a lot of pressure on me either way.

So, pregnancy induced, the Spirit talking to me, or just Shannon over-reacting, but I am desperately feeling like we have to address this again.  To the point that we are looking at all aspects of our budget to see what we can change.  Selling my car, turning off home phone, complete coupon clipper, you name it, we've probably discussed it.  Funny how hindsight is so much better than foresight.  When we bought our house and my car we were thinking ahead (just not well, apparently).  We love our house, the neighborhood, the area schools, the proximity to our friends and a good chunk of our family, and especially our ward.  We specifically looked for a house in the Hickory Hills ward because we enjoyed visiting it so much before we moved in.  Bishop Hedrick even performed our marriage ceremony.

So, this brings me to our biggest discussion.  We're looking at downsizing our mortgage.  Scary!  That would be the single item that would make the most difference in our budget.  One problem is we are 4 1/2 months pregnant, so we're on a bit of a time crunch to find something suitable, get it ready for move in, finish our current house, and then sell it.  We're looking at homes all over the KC metro area that would be a better fit in our budget.  At least, our projected budget if I worked part time or not at all.  We've seen some interesting things, but every time we come home to our house we remember again why we picked this house.  It's got is faults and quirks, but we love it.  And we're nearly done with a kitchen remodel and adding a bathroom.  What were we thinking?!?!

So, I am obsessing a bit with trying to solve all of our financial challenges that come with either 1) haveing two kids in daycare (how do people do this?) or 2) reducing the number of hours that work.  More than anything I want to be able to put my family first and take care of them the way they deserve to be taken care of.  I pray for answers to this dilemma every day, and am trying to be accepting if the answer is "keep working."  I hope it isn't, but we will see.  I remember at Stake Women's Conference a few months ago we got to hear from Kris Belcher.  She is an amazing woman, and I recommend attending any of her presentations.  I keep re-reading my notes that I took during her talk.  I put them in my journal.  I'll include them here too.

Making Hard Times Holy Places



Remember that Heavenly Father will give you answers.

The foundataion of any Holy Place is Jesus Christ. Heavenly Father knows the end from the beginning.

Turn to Heavenly Father. Be honest in prayer - tell your fears, heartaches, and complaints - ask for help. Pray about your actions, then consecrate them to Heavenly Father. Running away from a problem doesn't solve it. It leaves you still angry and bitter. It's not always "happily ever after" in this life - but it will be in the next. Instaed of asking "why?" ask "Why not?" Why not suffer? Difficulties come to us by 2 places. 1) Our own choices and their consequences or 2) because we are mortal. "Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid." The knowledge that you have doesn't always ease the pain - and that's okay. Heavenly Father gives us things that we can't do on our own, because why else would we need a Saviour? We can do all things with Christ's help.

If I have to work, consecrate that to Him. Doing dishes, cleaning, anything - consecrate it. The Lord knows me by name and knows my difficulties.


Hope. Ether 12:4  Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God


What I got out of this was the consecration. I have to work. That's just the way it is right now. I still need to turn to Heavenly Father and pray that someday I won't have to. In the mean time, HOPE, and then consecrate my actions to him. Work and do my best and do it for the Lord. I am still having a hard time and feeling like a bad mom for having to take time away from Ernest and Allyson to work, but it makes it a little easier to swallow thinking that I am doing it for them, and consecrating my actions to the Lord. I need to look up more how to do that, but it's a start.


At the time, that was my answer.  I'm still trying to find out if it is still my answer and I am just over-reacting, or if it is time to make some serious changes.

17 Months Old!

17 months.  That is a long time.  Until I think of Allyson, and it still seems like just yesterday that we brought her home from the hospital.  She was 17 months old yesterday.  It's incredible to think of all that she has learned and how her personality has changed in this almost-a-year-and-a-half.

She'll eat almost anything (at least once).  And tries to feed herself.

She loves to sit on anything that is above the floor, and wants to do it herself.

She loves to color and draw.  You have to watch her though.  She hasn't tried coloring or drawing on walls yet, but she will color on the floor or the table.

She loves stickers and can almost say the word too.  Her favorite places to put stickers?  On her tummy or arms, or on Mommy and Daddy.  We have stickers all over our house now.

She loves to hide under pillows and blankets, especially when she's getting tired.

She likes to help clean up.  She is especially helpful when cleaning her high chair or when I am doing dishes.

Ally likes to play hide-n-seek and to squeeze herself into little spots while we look for her.  Luckily she giggles the whole time, so we haven't lost her yet.

She wants to be in the middle of anything you are doing, and tries to help.  She is especially good at "Take this to Mommy" or "Go find Daddy," providing hours of fun for us.

She's getting to be very good at mimicking.

In all, life is never boring at our house.  Allyson keeps us on our toes and is a constant source of entertainment.  She's gone from being this little baby that would cry, poo, and sleep, to a little girl who hates to sleep because she's afraid she'll miss something. She'll run up and give you a hug and kiss just because you walked into a room.  She still smiles and calls Ernest "Mama" even though she will finally call him "Dada" on occasion.  She wants to be doing anything that you are doing, whether it is typing on the computer, cleaning, or cuddling on the couch.  She evens begs me for lemon juice when I am sipping some.  We love our little girl and are looking forward to see how she continues to grow and enhance our family.

The City of Joseph

After months of discussing, some of my family decided to go to Nauvoo together and watch the pageant. My brother Trebor, his wife Liz, and their three kids Nicholann, Aleana, and Trinity, as well as my sister JoAnn and her (our) friend Martha, my brother Rob, his wife Jane, and three of their kids Jessica, Lucy, and Sophie joined Ernest, Ally, and myself in Nauvoo this weekend. We all headed up at various times on Friday. Ally did a much better job in the car than I thought she would, playing and singing most of the way. We arrived at the house we rented in Nauvoo (The Gatehouse) first, and JoAnn & Martha showed up a little bit later bringing Casey’s pizza.
**side note: I remember Casey’s pizza was a huge treat growing up and I loved it. Practically every little town we drove through from Kansas City to Nauvoo had a Casey’s General Store, and every one made me want their pizza. I mentioned it to JoAnn, and they brought the pizza for us – and it was just as good as I remember. I will be looking up the nearest Casey’s General Store so that we can get their pizza on occasion – so good! **

The plan was to go to the pageant Friday night. Ally wasn’t cooperating (she was tired since she only slept for an hour in the car) so she and I stayed at the house while everyone else went to the pageant. We turned on Pirates of the Caribbean and I let her play with pillows on the couch until she fell asleep. Well, that was the goal. She wasn’t slowing down, so I put her in her playpen with a couple of the pillows and her blanket. I fell asleep on the couch around 9:30, and when I woke up, she was crashed out in the playpen. The house we stayed in is right off the Mississippi River, and the sunset over the river was gorgeous. My camera was downstairs and Ally wouldn’t let me leave the room, so I didn’t get a picture. We ended up with a giant slumber party. JoAnn and Martha crashed on the sleeper sofas on the main floor, and the rest of us were upstairs in beds, air mattresses, the sleeper sofa, and on the floor. Quite interesting, and rather loud at times! So, Ally and I missed the pageant but everyone else said it was great. I’ve been to Nauvoo several times now, but have never seen the pageant. Oh well, maybe next year.

Saturday morning Jess, Jane, Rob, Trebor, Liz, Ernest, and myself went to do a session at the temple. Martha and JoAnn were angels and hung out with all of the kiddos at the house. The session was fabulous. I was feeling pretty frustrated because I hadn’t slept well the night before. Ally woke up crying at 1:00 and didn’t settle back down completely until 3. I’m sure she woke other people up too. I don’t know how other mothers do it, but when I don’t get enough sleep, oh my goodness. Though, when I’m not pregnant I don’t think it so bad. Anyway. I was frustrated Saturday morning and ready to just skip the temple, and just go on a walk with Ernest. But, we went. As soon as I walked in the temple – there is nothing like it. They were quite busy, so we got to go up to the 4th floor to change, then back down to the 2nd floor, then up to the 3rd floor. It was so fun to walk around and see the architecture inside. Gorgeous! And so peaceful. One of my favorite parts of the endowment session is getting to be in the Celestial Room – and it is so much sweeter when my family is there with me. I love looking around and seeing the sweet faces of my family. It truly is heaven on earth. (by the way, the photo in the attached link is used by permission of the church and was taken before it was dedicated - no cameras are allowed inside now.  There is also a great article that goes along with the photo and shows many other pictures of rooms in the temple). 

After the temple we stopped by Zion’s Mercantile (a lot of breakables inside, so better done without the kiddos) and then Ernest and I ran to the Fudge Shoppe. I have not had better fudge anywhere. And I try fudge everywhere I go. This time we got German Chocolate and Chocolate Walnut (my personal favorite). We met everyone back at the house, and thankfully everyone survived. Ally, again, was cranky because she hadn’t taken a nap yet and hadn’t slept well the night before. I put her down for a nap and took one too – we slept for a glorious 3 hours. I also didn’t mind so much because it was 95 degrees outside and 90% humidity. Summer in the Midwest. Martha, JoAnn, and Ernest hung out downstairs watching movies and I think playing games. Everyone else went back into Nauvoo to walk around and try not to melt in the sun. We ended up all meeting at the Visitor’s Center to see “High Hopes and Riverboats” performed by the young missionaries. It was so good! I don’t know what it is about Nauvoo, but there is such a special spirit there. I love walking through the town and just feeling the place. Watching the performance, I cried several times. Some were happy tears for what the Saints gained and learned, some were sad tears for what the Saints lost and what they went through.

Ally was getting sleep again (funny how my life is ran by a 1 year old now, and I don’t mind all that much) so we went back to the house for dinner. We had lasagna (yummy, Liz!) and then watched a movie and played until I put Ally to bed again. Just before Ally went to sleep, she played the piano for us (sitting on Auntie JoAnn's lap) and sang for us.  We have a budding pianist!  That night after everyone was back there were a lot of games going on, and some pillow fights, until Big Brother Rob was trying to sleep and told everyone to go to bed.  They didn't, they just got a bit quieter about their playing :)   

The next morning, we all packed up and prepared to head back home.  Ernest, Ally, and I headed back into downtown Nauvoo and took a slow walk around the temple gardens.  Allyson loved looking at all of the flowers and pointing at everything.  She also likes to walk in between Mommy and Daddy, holding both of our hands.  We then headed back to Kansas City, thinking that we need to go back to Nauvoo for another family weekend, but next time maybe in April or October when it's a bit cooler and less humid out!

Ally did really well on the ride home too.  We played in the car a bit before she finally gave in and took a 3 hour nap.  Here are some pictures from the car.

Cheezing it up

Yum!  Eating a burger for lunch.

Really Mom, more pictures?

And that's my girl

Random Pregnancy Thoughts

15 weeks and 5 days along.  And no morning sickness yet today!  I forgot how good it feels.  Of course, since I didn’t feel sick I ate too much for lunch, so am now a bit uncomfortable.  But not sick!  To top it off, I started feeling the baby kick this week.  Just a few little flutters, but they are getting more distinctive.  I’m beginning to get into the part of pregnancy that I enjoy.  I love feeling the baby move, and really missed that after Allyson was born.  I’m still too small for maternity clothes, but the lower tummy has definitely “popped” and you can tell if you know to see it.  And, some of my jeans are now only wearable with a hair tie wrapped around the button.  Long shirts, here I come!

I was watching a recorded show last night, “Pizza Wars” talking about whether Chicago style or New York style pizza was better.  BAD idea.  Pregnant ladies should not be allowed to 1) go grocery shopping alone (my cart was filled to the brim on Saturday) and 2) watch shows about food.  Especially food they already like and crave.  Oh, I was craving pizza so badly.  And not just frozen pizza, which I am normally perfectly happy with.  But GOOD pizza.  Problem is, I don’t know of very many good pizza places around here.  Gambino’s is a current favorite (their Mobster is amazing) but that’s about it.  I’m tired of Papa John’s and Pizza Hut, and I’m too chicken to try other places.  Hmm..must branch out more.  Anyway, I craved pizza for the rest of the night.  I did go to Gambino’s at lunch today (thus the eating too much) and am pretty sure I will be skipping dinner since I’m playing  double header volleyball games tonight.

Now if only the morning sickness will stay away.  Things are going to be fun!