Framing our basement!

My brother-in-law Jevan works for a construction company and came down from Logan to help us frame our basement (because Troy and I were at a loss for how to do it). Here is some of the progress... Kailey and I watched them work while my sister and her baby were trying to sleep up stairs.

Troy and Jevan. LOL! You look dang sexy in those glasses honey! Thanks for being safe though.
These guys worked hard and finished it in 2 DAYS!

Grandma and Grandpa Brandley stopped by on their way to Salt Lake. Kailey LOVED jumping on the mattress with grandpa!

Family Home Evening Swim

We have been trying to do better at having Family Home Evening, so we invited some friends to go swimming with us. We went to the Clearfield Aquatic Center and had a blast. The water was a little bit too cold for McCall (she turned purple after just a few minutes). Kailey loved swimming and playing with the other kids. It made me REALLY excited for warm weather though.

Update on my girls

Up Date on Kailey

Kailey is talking a lot better. Some of her favorite words are "CALL" (McCall), Mine!, Yesh (yes), no, My daddy, mama, watty (water), please, candy, Bye, Help please, again, bed, Matt and Heidi (my younger brother and sister), grandma and grandpa, boots, hat, coat, shirt, pants, shoes, belt, Belle (when she wants to watch Beauty and the Beast), and the latest one is Potty. She has also started counting. Usually it sounds something like this...Two, one, tree or go!

One of her favorite things to do is burp McCall. She will run up to me pat her shoulder and say "Call". I will hold McCall up to her and she will pat her back. It is very sweet. Kailey is very busy and has usually run me ragged by the end of the day. When she gets in trouble she goes to time out for 1 minute (and she actually stays there the whole time!) After the timer goes off she will give me a hug and say "sawy" (sorry). She learns so quickly and often surprises Troy and I at how much she knows. For example, the other day Troy was asking her what sound different animals make, he then asked what sound mommy makes and she said "No, No, NO" (with one hand on her hip while the other shook her finger at him). LOL! I NEVER do that ;)

One of her newest achievements is getting up in the high chair...

and doing up her "seat belt"All by herself. She was so proud the first time she did it.This is just a shot of the first time I braided her hair. She is really good at holding still (while she watches "Belle").

Up Date on McCall

McCall had her 2 month check up (a month ago). She weighed 12.8 lbs (82%). She was 22 3/4 inches tall (55%) and her head circumference was in the 98%! She also had to get more shots this time (which I think I hate more than she does). There is nothing worse than having to hold her down while she is screaming. Next time I might ask another nurse to do it.

She is such a happy baby and for the most part is sleeping through the night. She loves to smile and coo at anyone (especially her big sister Kailey). She takes really good naps in her crib but has started flinching in her sleep when she hears Kailey's voice.

Little Buddies!

I am so glad that Kailey likes McCall. Every time I tell her we are going to take a bath she runs and grabs two towels and says "Call!" (McCall).

McCall loves the bath tub and doesn't mind getting splashed by Kailey.

Biggest Loser!

One of my favorite shows is "Biggest Loser" (which I usually sit on the couch and watch while eating a bowl of ice cream). Troy and I have been wanting to lose some weight so what better way to do it than in a "Biggest Loser" competition of our own. Those of you who know me know that I am SLIGHTLY competitive, so this should be interesting. The rules are as follows...

Who ever loses the highest percentage of weight wins!

Starting Date: Monday Jan. 19th
Ending Date: Monday May 4th (the day before our Puerto Vallarta trip)

Troy's Starting weight: 198 lbs
Sarah's Starting weight: 149 lbs

Troy's Goal: 180 lbs
Sarah's Goal: 135 lbs

Troy's Prize: Take an Advanced Fly fishing course (which has four fishing trips this summer)
Sarah's Prize: Laser Hair Removal

Disclaimer: If injuries or pregnancy occur all bets are off (last time we tried this I got pregnant...we are NOT, I repeat, NOT trying to get pregnant but I thought I would add this clause just in case God decides to punish me ;)

Dinosaur Museum

We decided to spend some family time at the Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Point. It was really interesting for Troy and I, and they had lots of hands on exhibits for the Kailey. We even watched a 3D movie (which was really cool)!

McCall was good and slept most of the time.

This picture puts things perspective (this is a dinosaur's leg)I thought I was scared of Jaws...but this baby blows it out of the water! The sign said they found a 7 inch tooth! It also said that for every inch of tooth they calculate 10 feet in length. So this shark could have been around 70 feet long! I always thought about dinosaurs being big on land...but I never thought about the ocean. That thing could almost attack a cruise ship!

2009 New Years Resolutions

Sarah's Resolutions:
Lose 20 lbs
Make more meals (be more daring with new recipes)
Catch up on scrapbooks
Go to temple at least 4 times (baptisms, initiatory, endowments, and sealings).
Be more positive

Family Resolutions:
Finish Basement
Go camping at least 4 times
Date night twice a month
Run a 10K
Read "Power of Positive Parenting" together

A moment of warm weather

There were a few moments of warm weather last week, so Troy decided to wash all of the cars. Kailey and I have been suffering from CABIN FEVER being cooped up in the house all winter. McCall was sleeping so we set out the monitor and went outside to get some sun.Kailey decided to get on her bike and go down the street.Kailey LOVED being free!She even wanted to stop by her friend Avery's house to say Hello. We can't wait for spring!!!

James' Birthday / Lazer Tag

My nephew James turned 5 today! His is getting so big and such a sweetheart. Kailey loves to play with him. Our family got together to celebrate his birthday. We had a yummy dinner, cupcakes and Oreos (Kailey's first time eating them).This is the result of her OREO overload! (sorry I can't figure out how to turn the video)

McCall loved sitting on Grandma's lap (or anyone else who would pay attention to her) she has gotten to be so much fun. She will coo and smile at anyone who makes eye contact with her.

After dinner we played Lazer Tag!!! It was so much fun! Watch out for me and my sisters we are coming to get you!We also played with a bunch of Nerf guns. We had such a great time. Thanks for having a birthday James!

McCall's blessing day

We had such a wonderful day. Luckily McCall was happy for her blessing and the party afterwards. She looked so beautiful in her blessing dress (that grandma Parkin helped me make for her). Speaking of Grandma Parkin...she missed out on part of a trip to Hawaii to make it to the blessing!!! We didn't find out about her change in plans until I saw her in the chapel right before the blessing. It was such a great surprise. My older sister Emily is an amazing photographer and took some great pictures to help me document the day.
Great Grandma Brandley got a turn holding McCall.

Then it was time for Grandma and Grandpa Brandley (my parents)My parents got 4 new grandchildren this year! Jade, McCall, Josh and EthanThe boys!The girls!

Kailey absolutely LOVED all the extra attention she was getting. She showed off her ball in the middle of the room so everyone could see.By the end of the day McCall was wiped out.The ribbon looks blue in this picture...but it is really periwinkle.What a beautiful girl!

Thanks to everyone who came to support us! We are so thankful for our little girl and all that she adds to our family.