Poor, Poor Dixie Take Two

Poor Dixie had to go in for surgery on her ear again because the hematoma filled back up. I took her to the vet yesterday. He was going to try and just drain it but decided it was going to be too painful so they ended up putting her under. It was just a couple hours surgery and we got to bring her back home yesterday. But, as you can see, the poor dog has to have the cone back on. We are all trying to adjust to her having it on again. This time the vet wants to wait three weeks before taking the stitches out and she has to wear the cone as long as she has the stitches. I feel so bad for the poor dog who just doesn't understand why we keep doing this to her. I really, really hope this is the last time. It's just too heartbreaking for me to see her like this especially when she looks at me with sad eyes like she did yesterday when I had to put the cone back on her. She is just too sweet and doesn't deserve this.

A Very Special Big Brother

The other night I was trying to hurry and get a few things done so I asked Andrew to entertain Vanessa for a little bit. I could hear him talking to her but didn't pay too much attention to what he was saying. Let's face it, I was just happy she was happy and not crying wanting to be held for a few minutes. I walked by the front room where they were and this is what I found...



It's hard to tell from the picture but he is reading to her. He came up with the idea all on his own and it really worked. He read probably 15-20 books to her that night. It was the sweetest thing!

She Really Should be a Model

Ally loves having her picture taken. It doesn't matter what we are doing, where we are, or who we are with, if she sees the camera she wants her picture taken. The other day she was talking and playing with Vanessa who was just smiling at her. I of course had to get pictures of that because you could see how much Vanessa loves Ally.



That led to Ally wanting more pictures taken of just her. She had me laughing so hard. She kept going from one pose to the next.



She really came up with all of her poses by herself. I just sat there and snapped the picture when she told me to. She had to view each and every one after it was taken to give me her approval. It was a lot of fun! I really hope she keeps the personality she has and doesn't one day become afraid of the camera like her mom.

Okay, so I got the disc of the pictures last week from my photo shoot of Vanessa but have not had time to post so here they are. Emily is the greatest!! She captured not only Vanessa, but the other kids so well too. I feel like I can really see their personalities in the pictures. I am soooo excited to get to do Vanessa's birth announcements and make prints for her room, family, etc. Now it's just deciding which one(s) to use.








Emily is such a great photographer and was so patient with my kids, even Ally who wanted to be involved in every picture. Well, here is proof...


Emily took Andrew and Ally outside while I was giving Vanessa a bottle to get her back to sleep for more pictures.



When Ally saw Vanessa in the basket she went and got her baby and put her in a basket.

12 Years Of Marriage

Friday Jim and I celebrated our twelfth anniversary. It was a great day!! We decided to head to Park City for lunch and lots and lots of shopping. We love the outlets there. My wonderful mom watched Ally and Vanessa so we could spend the day just the two of us. That night we went to our friends' cabin for pizza and games. It's so fun to get together with these couples and their families. We always have a great time just hanging out, talking and playing games. The added bonus...all the kids get along really well too! On Saturday Andrew decided he didn't want to go to the BYU game so Jim's fabulous Mom and sister watched the kids so I could go with Jim to the game (I didn't think I'd get to go to any games this year). It too was a lot of fun. It was so nice to get some time just me and Jim which hasn't happened since we added Vanessa to our family.

It's hard for me to believe that it has already been 12 years since I married the best guy in the whole world!!! It has gone so fast but I really can't remember my life without him. Jim is such an amazing husband and father. He is my perfect other half. He knows how to calm me down when I am getting crazy, emotional, dramatic and extreme (he only makes fun of me a little bit while doing it). He is patient with me even when he has put up with a lot of emotions, etc. He truly is my best friend. I am so grateful to have him in my life and I can't wait for the many, many, many more years we have together.

Gotta Love New Furniture

I love new furniture! It's amazing how getting new furniture can change a room. While finishing our basement a year and a half ago Jim created a 'Man Cave.' No, we don't have a family room downstairs, it's the man cave, the kids even call it that. It really is pretty much his room. He designed it. The only thing I did was pick the tile and paint color. Last December he got his TV and surround sound but we didn't have couches; we were sitting on camping chairs. Needless to say the room didn't get used all that often. We finally got our couches last week. It is so nice to have the couches and to be able to sit down there comfortably. And the good news is that the man cave is now complete, well other than the soda machine Jim wants. Oh, and end tables, wall decorations, fridge, etc, etc. Are things ever really complete??



And, because we got such a great deal, I got to replace my upstairs couches at the same time. Like I said, I love new furniture!!



Yes, the cat pretty much lives on that spot of the couch.

Andrew Soccer, Ally Dance

Andrew is playing fall soccer and LOVING it!! It's amazing to me how much he and his team have improved since spring and how much he loves it and looks forward to playing each game. He takes after his dad and has gotten extremely competitive and gets upset when they lose.



Ally has started dancing at a local dance studio and she loves it!! She asks me every morning if it's dance day. It's fun to watch her dance and see how much she enjoys it. Watching her dance reminds me of when I was young and danced. Last time they danced with scarves which I remember doing when I was little. Ally cracked me up because the other girls just grabbed the scarf that was on top but she had to dig through the basket and find the specific one she wanted. It's a good thing her teachers are very, very patient.



Having the kids in these things keeps us busy but it's fun to do. It's a good thing Vanessa likes her car seat 'cause there are days she is in it for hours.