It's kind of a big deal.

I'm a wishy-washy potty trainer. I understand the benefits of going cold turkey, but my sanity and my family couldn't have handled that. So we have eased into it. But after only a couple of months, Emma is really close. She still has moments and even days where we both get frustrated, but she is pretty good at staying dry and telling me she needs to go. Last Sunday she stayed dry for all of church!

But our roadblock has been #2. Honestly, she has never gone #2 in the toilet. She knows eventually my wishy-washiness will result in a diaper and she'll be able to relieve herself. But tonight she did it!! And you would have thought we won the lottery at our house. We cheered and danced and partied it up, because you know what? I'm a mom and I love celebrating those little successes.

The newest addition to our family!!

(This is obviously not our actual van, ours will never be that clean again- but it's the right color, style, etc. so you can see what it is like)

We traded in our truck for a van!! It is a Dodge Grand Caravan. So now I drive that and Jared drives the Corolla. I got the Corolla in high school, and it is about ten years old. So comparing the van to the Corolla, I'm feeling very spoiled. Cruise, automatic locks, automatic windows, power seats, power mirrors built in carseats, stow-n-go, and keyless entry are my favorite features the van has that the Corolla doesn't. The biggest benefit of the van over the truck is the gas mileage. HUGE difference. We get double the gas mileage!

Best of all, we have some much needed extra space to make room for the new baby due September 26th! :)

Looking for the Good

"Have you ever noticed that people can usually find whatever they are looking for? Look hard enough, and you can discover both good and bad in almost anyone and anything." (Dieter F. Uchtdorf)

I've been thinking about my attitude a lot lately, and how my attitude affects my day and my family. I really think it is key to having a happy home, and it is something I'm working on everyday, every hour, and sometimes every minute. :)

Dress Up Day

I've been promising Emma all week I would let her wear my necklaces later this week. But instead of just necklaces, they totally dressed up. Emma got a lot of dress up stuff for her birthday, so it was fun! Check out how RED Madelyn's hair is getting!! It is so beautiful!

Grateful

Today I am overwhelmed with gratitude. Do you ever have days like that? The last couple of weeks I have been really trying to think everyday how I have seen the Lord's hand in my life or in the lives of my family. Today I feel like there are so many!
-Our health.
-Jared's job. They laid off 3 employees last week, and it was really hard on everyone(it is a really small firm, so 1/4 of the company in one day)
-My friends. Sometimes I am just blown away by how amazing they are and how lucky I am to associate with so many amazing, inspiring people.
-Emma. I love her dance moves and her big grin. They are both contagious and we end up doing silly dance moves and laughing all day.
-Madelyn. She has been super cuddly lately(in between crawling and cruising everywhere) and I'm loving it. It's like she knows I'm not ready for her to be so independent so she cuddles to let me know she is still my baby.
-Jared. I'm in love. He's makes me a better person and treats me so well.
-Scriptures. Honestly, I always thought it was a little cliche when people said their day just goes better when they read their scriptures first. Seriously, I can't go throughout my day without them!
-My Calling. I learn and grow so much through it. I have sharing time all month and have really enjoyed preparing for it.
-Our Home. Watching everything on the news this morning about the earthquakes and tsunamis has really gotten me thinking. I'm so glad I have somewhere to go.
-Family. I love that I can call any of my siblings, Jared's siblings or our parents when I need something and they would do it in a second. I'm really realizing how amazing our families are and how blessed we are to be a part of them.
-The little things. There was a robin in my yard this morning. I woke up before my girls and was able to get lots done before they woke, mainly mentally. The sun is shining through my window. It feels like spring. My girls are giggling in the bath tub right now. I'm so blessed!

Is it too much?

I've been thinking a lot about the goals that I set for myself and for my family. Sometimes I wonder if I set them a little too high or put too much pressure on myself. I worry that I'll fail and be disappointed.

Last night I was having a conversation with someone much wiser than myself, and she told me that if a goal doesn't make you scared then it isn't worth your time. I'll be honest, when she said that I thought, "That's not a way to live your life. I want to be happy, not scared."

But I've thought about it since then and realized how much that makes sense. What decisions or goals have you made in your life that really intimidated you? Getting married? Having a baby? Having 2 babies 14 months apart? A new church calling? A new job? Moving to a new town? Going to school?

Those are all things that I remember being nervous about, to different degrees. But good has come from all of them, and I wouldn't take away any of the experiences that I have had.

And everytime we decide to sleep train a baby or wean them from a pacifier, potty train, etc. I'm nervous. And sometimes I wonder if it will be worth it or if I'm going through a lot of work for a small reward. Sleeping all night long? Isn't that irreplacable?

And I trained for the half marathon completely terrified of the actual race, wondering if I could actually do it. But guess what? I did it! And I consider it one of my greatest accomplishments, probably because I worked so hard for it.

So the next time you are setting a goal, think about what would be the easiest attainable level of your goal, and go a step further. Even if you don't hit that higher level, you're still better off than where you would have been. So why not?

Just a sweetheart

Madelyn is now 10 months old! This picture captures her exactly. She is loving her newfound waving, clapping and standing skills. She also really loves dolls. When she gets her hands on one, she hugs it tight with the biggest grin on her face. She is so much more content lately, and loves getting into and discovering new things. Nothing makes her happier than Emma, and they just giggle uncontrollably together, especially at bedtime. Love this cutie!