Honey Do Projects

Like many projects on a honey do list, they get started with good intentions of finishing within a couple of weeks, and instead a couple of months go by. Zane tries hard to get done with everything, but he is just too busy sometimes (Sometimes? Most of the time!). We had some water damage on our outside wall. Zane and my dad started working on it in September and then Zane started helping a neighbor rebuild a roof along with other men from our church. The roofing project took longer than they thought, and all of sudden it's October and our back wall project was still unfinished. I am sure most families can relate to this. I don't know where our Saturdays go, but Zane rarely worked on the project on Saturdays. Instead to get it done, he did most of the work after coming home from work during the week starting around 8:30-9:00 and working until late. By the middle of November Zane was done with everything and it looks great! He figured out what to do as he went along (with a couple of mistakes). Zane is a perfectionist, so he just keeps working until he is satisfied. Thanks Zane for all your hard work. It looks fantastic!

Grandpa and Dallin working together

Fixing the outside first

Tearing out the base boards and part of the wall

Dad's best helper

All Done!

Within three months, Zane has learned the following skills: replacing shingles on a house, replacing sheetrock, and texturing sheetrock. He also replaced the baseboards and the boards around the door.

First Girlfriend

My friend Mikkyn and I have been trading babysitting for the last few weeks. It has been great for Dallin to have friends besides his cousins and to be left without me for a little. He is really struggling in nursery and cries every time I leave him. Each time I drop him off at Mikkyn's house, the crying gets less and less. Hopefully soon he will be running into her house ready to play instead of clinging to my leg. He always has a great time and loves his new friends Ruby and Tate.

While at my house we decided to go on a wagon ride. As soon as I put Dallin in next to Ruby, he immediately put his arm around her! During the walk, he would periodically kiss her on the head. This picture though I told them to kiss. They were more then willing!

Dinosaur in one hand and a girl in the other! Should I be worried?

Fun in the Mud

During October we had a lot of rain. Whenever it wasn't raining, Dallin and I were outside getting my flower gardens winter ready. Normally I can do about 45 minutes of yard work before Dallin is done, but because of all the mud, we spent two hours outside one day. As long as Dallin could dig in the mud, he was happy. He is a great helper digging holes and pulling out weeds or dead flowers. We spent so much time though pulling things out, he had a hard time remembering not to pull out the new flowers we just put in! Although we were a mess, our hard work is paying off now as everything is growing nicely.

Part of living here is dealing with fire ants. As I was cleaning out beds, I stepped in an ant pile. I threw off my gardening shoes and socks as quick as I could. If you have ever had a fire ant bite you know how painful they are. The only other shoes I had left to wear that I was ok getting muddy were my flip flops. Luckily I stayed away from any other ants.

One of the problems with Dallin helping is his attraction to bees. My Mexican Heather (in picture below) attract bees and so Dallin pushes his way through the bushes trying to touch them. I'm constantly pulling Dallin back away from the bees. Luckily the bees like Dallin because he has never been stung. They don't seem to mind him trampling through the flowers (I do though.) Dallin now calls bees "ouchie".

Man's Best Friend

One of Dallin's favorite places to visit is the "doggy house." We have friends in our neighborhood who have three dogs, one for each of their boys. Dallin loves going over and chasing the dogs. One of the dogs just had adorable puppies and if you ask Dallin if he wants a dog, he gives a resounding yes. This is a tough one for me. I'm not the biggest dog person mostly because I like things clean and I don't liked to be licked. On the other hand, when you know how happy it will make a little boy...well you see how tough it is.

Pictures!

My friend Carla took our header picture, and all the pictures on the side (check them out.) Not only is Carla a good photographer, but she is amazing with Photoshop (thank goodness for us!) I had such a hard time narrowing down the ones I liked, so she edited a lot for us. The only problem with our picture day was trying to get all three of us to smile, look at the camera, and look good all at the same time. With a two year old, it was nearly impossible. We have plenty of pictures though of Dallin making funny faces. His faces got even funnier when food started hanging out. Carla figured out the trick to get Dallin to smile and be patient through a long photo shoot was to give him Smarties. Towards the end, he had a Smarty in his mouth for every picture. It made for cute faces though!

If your interested in using Carla for a photo shoot, email me. (This is totally free advertising. She has no idea I'm doing this.)

Changed For Good

"It well may be that we will never meet again in this lifetime.

So let me say before we part

So much of me is made of what I learned from you.

You'll be with me like a hand print on my heart

And now whatever way our stories end

I know you have re-written mine by being my friend.

Who can say if I've been changed for the better?

I do believe that I have been changed for the better.

And because I knew you...I have been changed for good."

"For Good" from the musical Wicked

Dallin's birthmom passed away on the 31st. I'm not sure if anyone, besides those on the adoption path, can understand a relationship between a birth mom and an adoptive mom. He is never just my baby. Yes Dallin is meant to be in our family and is sealed to us, but he has two moms who will impact his life. I feel like I have an extra responsibility to be the best mom because someone else entrusted me with the care of her baby. Dallin's birth mom gave him the precious gift of life and now Zane and I are giving him a life with an eternal family. I didn't understand true sacrifice until that moment when she placed Dallin in our arms. Not a day goes by when I don't look at my son and say a prayer thanking Heavenly Father for bringing Dallin's birth mom to our lives and for her sacrifice. She is our angel, our hero.

At placement

Dallin at 14 months on our Las Vegas trip

The Pirates Life For Me

What a fun Halloween! Last year Dallin was too young to understand. This year, he got it! Zane and I decided last minute to throw together pirate costumes to match Dallin. Friday night was our church carnival. Dallin got to stay up later and eat some candy, which meant he was pretty hyper. By the end of the night we were exhausted from running after him. Dallin tried to play a couple of games, but he found it easier just to take a piece of candy instead of working for it...tricky pirate. Every time he would dash off without me, I would find him with a new treat. I think he just smiles at people and they give him what he wants. Amazing powers of persuasion.

Dallin wanted his face painted. He held still while the girl painted the spider's body, but then he was done. He walked around with a big black spot on his face.

On Saturday we went to a friend's party for dinner and activities before heading out trick or treating. Here is Zane and Dallin in their matching costumes.

Dallin loved trick or treating. At first he would knock on the door and then run back to me. After a few doors though, you could see his mind finally getting it. Knock on the door, get free candy, say thank you...HEAVEN!!! Dallin went out trick or treating with his cousins Drew and Caleb. Zane pulled an empty wagon all night until right at the end when Caleb and Dallin climbed on in weary from all the hard work. Their bags were getting pretty heavy but neither one would let mommies hold it for them.

I think this is Dallin's favorite holiday...well until Santa comes.