First Steps

I have to hurry and write this down so I have a record of it and don't forget it...Taylor took her first steps today! She will take two steps towards me!!! She also JUMPS on Katelyn's trampoline...no joke! I have to get it on video. She holds onto the bar and jumps! And I can't keep her away from the stairs...annoying! Anyways, we are packing up and getting ready to head to Utah for the weekend for a reunion. First plane trip with kids....and I am freaking out a little bit! I have every snack imaginable, new toys for them to play with, portable DVD player and some more tricks up my sleeve. Wish us luck!

Bathtime Giggles

Tonight the girls were laughing so hard in the bath. It started with Taylor going crazy with the splashing and then Katelyn joined in! I am glad I got in on video!

Earlier this week I took Katelyn to Supercuts to get her FIRST "real haircut". I have "trimmed like and 1/8 of an inch before on some parts to even it out, but this is the first cut...she took off about an inch to even it out. It was hard to watch, since I have desperately been waiting for Katelyn's hair to grow since she was born!

Before, During and After

Wall Decals

I am so excited! I just ordered this for Katelyn's room...It's a removable wall sticker and it's a chalkboard! The website is wallcandyarts.com, and they have the cutest wall decals for kids rooms...check it out!

Super Katelyn!

Marci and Julio ordered this cape for Katelyn for her birthday. It has a big "K" on the back and she loves it! She really believes that she can't run fast without it and can run around in circles with it on for about a half an hour! (I don't know where all the energy comes from!) The best part is listening to her giggle and laugh as she runs around pretending to fly...

Katelyn loves to pick Taylor up and carry her around. Every time I say "Come here Taylor", Katelyn stops what she is doing and runs over, picks Taylor up and brings her to me. Such a happy helper! I tell her that Taylor can crawl to me on her own, but Katelyn takes any opportunity she can to pick up her sister.

Out with one bad habit...

And in with a new! So, it was a huge hurdle to get Katelyn off the binky...and now she sucks her thumb! WHY!? At least she only sucks it to put herself to sleep, and it's never in her mouth during the day, but now I have to get her to stop doing that! She has to be sucking on something in order to fall asleep...great. Katelyn has been a lot better lately...It seems like every 6 months we have a couple weeks of chaos and then she mellows out. "Mellow" for Katelyn is pretty crazy and she still drives me crazy, but it's somewhat manageable. And now she has her cute moments which make up for everything else. Her vocabulary continues to explode and she says the funniest things! Just today I asked her to do something and she said, "Hold the phone mom!" It was cute.She loves to just lay out on the concrete after playing in the sun!

Taylor Bean has been making huge strides and is moving out of the baby stage into the toddler stage. She gives kisses and growls like a lion (It have tried to get this on video for a week now and have just wasted a lot of film!). She is also starting to realize that she wants every toy that is in Katelyn's hand...oh the joy of sibling rivalry is about to begin! Soon she will be walking and it will be fun to watch her run with Katelyn!I could just eat her!

SYTYCD

I LOVE this show and have watched every season! This is one of my favorites...enjoy!


Also, on a side note...if you have a Mervyns card, they are giving an extra 20% off through July 30th (usually it's just 15% for events)...good for back to school shopping!

Byron

Byron has been down to visit for the past week and we have had so much fun together (I have REALLY enjoyed all of his help with the girls). Katelyn adores Byron and is more attached to him than anyone I have seen. She wants him by her side every minute of the day...I don't know what she will do when he leaves tomorrow...or when he gets married! Byron is engaged to the lovely Hayley Singley and they are getting married next month. I am very happy for the two if them and excited to welcome Hayley into our family!Katelyn loves to watch Byron play the guitar and tries to play along...for her birthday he bought her her own ukilale (sp?) and she loves it! I love these pictures because they show how much she adores him!

After church Katelyn decided to wear my shoes for a while...she sure is cute!

Here are the two girls this past week...I love how well they play and giggle together. What I love the most is watching Taylor observe and study Katelyn, and wanting to be just like her. I love that they have eachother

Remember me?

I stole this from my friends blogs cuz it's a cute idea.

Directions: Leave a comment on my blog about a memory of you and I together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, just whatever you remember.Then repost this on your blog to see who leaves comments for you!

Could be fun, right?

What's Your Style?

The reason why some people have a hard time decorating their home is because they don't know where to start and get overwhelmed. Also, they don't really know what they like or what their "style"is. This gives you a starting point and gives you ideas that appeal to you. When you know what style you prefer it's much easier to narrow down what you want to do with your space. But it's also important to not just buy everything you see that fits that style and matches perfectly.
The best advice is to buy pieces that speak to you, not to buy pieces that match! This way you are comfortable in your home and it is an eclectic collection of you!

Here is a great link of a style quiz to find out what style you are! It also gives great definitions of each style

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/pac_ctnt_988/text/0,,HGTV_22056_33320,00.html

One more tip...want to change room, but have a budget? PAINT! It's the cheapest and fastest way to completely change a room

Someday...

I will have a kitchen that looks something like this!

Happy Birthday Jordan!

Saturday was Jordan's 2nd Birthday, and we headed to the beach to celebrate! We all had a blast! I was especially glad that I talked my dad into wearing shorts and actually getting into the water! He loved it! He said, "Do you know how long it has been since I last put my feet into the ocean?" Seeing him play in the water with Katelyn for about an hour was priceless!
I love this group shot...it's Jordan's birthday and he is giving the best pout ever!

Taylor has about an inch of hair in the back and it's starting to flip...will she have curly hair? We shall see! This past week Taylor has become a VERY active and crazy little girl (isn't it amazing how your baby will just be going along, not seeming to make progress or hitting any milestones, and then all of a sudden they go through this amazing transformation and seem to change overnight!?) She grabs Katelyn, pulls her down to the ground and wrestles with her! She is now climbing the stairs! I have to watch her all the time now because she is into everything! She growls like a lion and mimics all of my sounds. Oh, and she stands on her own for a long time now.

Happy 4th of July!

Every year for the 4th of July, we actually celebrate on the 3rd in Moorpark. It beats any other celebration we have been to...you aren't fighting the crowds, there's tons of space, lots of games for the kids and you lay right under the fireworks! Plus it's a lot cooler there!

Here are the girls in their outfits! Thanks Laurel for the adorable bows!
I love My Girls!
I
Katelyn with her two cousins Emily and Jordan!

Katelyn was making Taylor crack up with that toy! It was adorable! And Katelyn loved getting her tattoo on her cheek
Grandpa & Grandma with the Grandkids (except Kara, who is having a blast in Oregon!)

Taylor found these cheese puffs and had a hay day! This is one of the very few times Katelyn has laid on my lap and snuggled...had to get it on film!

Watching the fireworks with Grandma and Grandpa...Katelyn was scared of the sound at first and as soon as I took her hands off her eyes she couldn't believe it! Every firework she would scream "Look! It's a firework!" Taylor was nervous but couldn't stop looking (I was surprised she was awake for them!)

Interior Design

I have really been missing Interior Design lately, and doing it as a profession. I am hooked on a show called Design Star on HGTV, and it gets me really pumped up and gets my creative juices flowing.
Being a single mom, and realizing that soon I am going to have to work full time, I have been debating what field to go into. I thought of getting my credential and working as a teacher because of the hours, but it's just not me. I have always had a passion for Psychology, and have thought about going back and getting a degree in it, but I can't afford school right now...maybe when the girls are in school.
If I were to do Interior Design for real, I would have to get a license number and take some more classes...but I have been thinking about doing Interior Decorating. The only difference is designers can make structural changes and decorators can't. Decorators basically make a room look good and focus on the aesthetics of a room, which is the stuff I love! So, I think I am going to go in this direction. It will be a long road, building up clientele, but in the long run I can do this from home. When I am ready to take the plunge I will have to do work for free in order to get material for a portfolio...so I will keep you posted...and maybe I can help you decorate a room!
I have also decided that I am going to put posts on here of design stuff, things I like and things that inspire me. I think it will be good for me, and good to focus a little bit on myself.
To start...here is the bed I am creating for my bedroom...I have the duvet cover, but am buying other pieces one at a time, since I am on a VERY strict budget! Nate Berkus is one of my favorite designers and this comes from his collection...