The Lenahan Clan

Just because...

2010-11-20T20:20:00.000-08:00

Looking through pictures to post, I came across these. Random, and in no particular order. Like my life. Every day. And I love it. A lot.

Dancing Queen

2010-11-20T20:12:00.000-08:00

It's true. Aubrey started her first dance class back in Sept and while she's had a few classes where dancing was NOT an option, she is loving it, and I love just watching her. She has her first recital on Dec 18th, and I'll be there on the front row with my video camera charged and ready to go!

I don't know if Eva will dance or not, she may prove to be our gymnast (if you know her you know what I mean).

Sweet little Nora

2010-09-22T06:28:00.000-07:00

I suppose it's fair to say that each child comes into this world in their own way and with their own individual personatity. Nora was no exception. For those interested, this is her "story".

We were supposed to be at the hospital monday morning at 7 to be induced. Needless to say I demanded breakfast so we stopped by St Louis Bread Co for some breakfast. We didn't get there until 7:40. They hooked us up to the pitocin around 8:30ish and set it to a 2 (the lowest possible setting I think). We had a plan. That plan included another natural childbirth. The doctor checked me and said we were a 2. Still. Around 9:30 my doctor came in to break my water. She checked me first and said we were at a 5. I suppose the pitocin was working. She broke my water -- which did not happen easily. The contractions weren't bad at all. I pulled out my book (Cathing Fire) and continued reading. I took a break to hop in the jacuzzi tub. Got out and sat on the birthing ball. Kept reading my book. Just after 1 Tammy, my awesome nurse, came in to see how we were doing. The contractions still weren't too bad. She asked if I wanted to be checked and I said, "why not". She checked me and we were a 9! Getting there. Then all of a sudden while checking me she says "Oh, shoot". Only she didn't say shoot. I freaked out. All she did was grab her cell phone (with one hand still inside me) and call my doctor. She said something about the cord and doing an emergency c-section. She yelled for other nurses and before I knew what was happening they were wheeling me down the hall to the operating room (bum fully in the air). I'm sure the people in the waiting room were a bit confused. In the two minutes it took them to get me to the operating room my doctor was there. Fortunately her office is across the parking lot from the hospital so she literally ran right over. She held my hand and told me everything was going to be ok. As scared and nervous as I was, I believed her and totally felt calm. But with no epidural and a hand still shoved inside me, I was in pain. They got me onto the operating table and my doctor wanted to check me again to see if I was far enough along to push. I pushed a few times but with the cord right there trying to come out and only being a 9, the pushes weren't going to help. Within minutes I was being strapped to the table and was out cold. Poor Ryan. This entire time he was in our hospital room just waiting for some kind of explanation/answer. Nora a born at 1:38, so all of this happened in less than half an hour. I am so thankful for amazing doctors and nurses who stayed calm and knew what they were doing. I have no doubt that the blessing Ryan gave me the night before was exactly what I needed.

So why the c-section? Well, Dr Reining (my OB) checked me when I was a 5 and noticed that Nora's hand was up by her face and over her head. She was literally grabbing her hand while she was checking me. Cute. She informed me that this wasn't a problem and that delivering like that might cause some bruising, but wouldn't cause any permanent damage. Well, when the nurse checked and I was a 9 not only was Nora's hand still above her head, but the umbilical cord had slipped between her head and arm and was trying to come out first. This was cutting off circulation/oxygen. They tried to push it back in (that part did not feel good at all :), but no success.

With a rough start in this world, Nora has done amazing. She is an incredible eater/nurser and her coloring is better than my other girls was. She weighed 8 lb 5 oz (same as Aubrey) and was 20 inches long with a 14 in head. And lots of hair. She is just beautiful, and we couldn't be happier to finally have her with us and be able to hold her and give her kisses. She gets lots of those.

Thank you everyone for your prayers, they helped. Dr Reining has already told us that next time around we won't have any problems having a VBAC which we were grateful for. We are happy. Happy with the Drs, happy with the way things worked out, and happy with Nora. If I don't make sense or if I'm rambling I apologize, I am still on some drugs. Good drugs.

We are still working on a middle name, but here is our little Nora. Our Angel. Our stinker, who had her own plan for coming into this world.

More pictures to come soon!

Our baby is 2

2010-08-24T19:15:00.000-07:00

Wow, time sure does fly. I guess I'm trying to catch up on some blogging because before I know it this baby will be making her debut. Just another testament to how quickly time really can fly by.

Eva turned 2 on July 20, and we celebrated with friends, food, and Elmo. I special thank you to Tracey Gonthier for putting so much of this together. The cake was PERFECT, and the games were a hit.

Happy birthday monkey...we love you more than you know.

June VA trip

2010-08-24T18:34:00.000-07:00

Ryan has been studying like crazy for his series 7 exam, and was planning on taking hte week long course to prepare. That meant we weren't going to see him for the entire week. The girls and I decided it would be a great time to head back to VA for a good old fashioned visit. So we did. The girls were amazing for the entire trip, and we were able to knock off an entire hour of driving time. This may not sound like much, but when you're 6 months pregnant with a 3 and 1 year old strapped in carseats, an hour is big. Here are a few highlights from our trip.

Lunch and ice cream with great grandpa (Lacey's grandpa who is 92). He spoils the girls, and after about 5 minutes of warming up, they LOVE him. They especially love to "feel his whiskers".

A day trip to Charlottesville to spend the day with Aunt Jamie and cousins Lucy and Bennett. We went to this awesome kids place, and lame me didn't charge the camera battery. At least I got one. Eva loved painting on the walls. Thanks Jamie for a fun afternoon!

Sunday dinner with Hyrum, Melissa, Rod, and Jamie, and all of their kids (7 cousins). The girls were in heaven and talked about is for weeks after being home. Seriously. Weeks.

Swimming with grandma. The pool was perfect for little kids, and grandma was the perfect swimming buddy. Thanks Grandma!

Finally, our last night we headed up to Blacksburg to spend the night with Hyrum, Melissa, and all 5 cousins. We had a great FHE, and a spectacular performance from the kids. Aubrey was in heaven with her cousins and loved playing dressup. I even got to stay up late to play Rummikub. Good times.

Thanks to everyone who made this visit a memorable one. We missed our daddy, but if anyone is still reading this, and wants to know, he PASSED his series 7 and we couldn't be happier!

This one's for daddy...

2010-05-24T17:46:00.000-07:00

Ryan left this morning for Charlotte and will be gone until friday. By lunchtime monday we realized we really missed him. Thanks daddy for always working so hard so we can do things like this:

And for keeping smiles on our faces like this:

Oh how we love, and miss like crazy, our daddy. Hurry up friday...you can't come soon enough :)

Girls...all we really want are girls

2010-05-02T18:43:00.000-07:00

And we're getting them. This past week we found out that come september we can expect yet another baby girl. We are so excited, but baffeled when it comes to choosing names. I'll post another poll as soon as we can narrow it down to some that we like.

Aside from that, not too much has been happening at the Lenahan house this past month. Ryan has been studying a lot for his series 7 exam and is gone some nights as a result. I guess the only upside to that (if there is an upside) is that I don't have to "cook" dinner. One night I asked the girls what they wanted and in true Aubrey fashion she asked for pancakes. We spiced it up a bit and the girls loved it!

We also spent saturday morning/afternoon at the O'fallon, MO founders day. The girls loved the games and activites, but the highlight was Aubrey's first pony ride. Thanks Freckles for the ride!

Easter

2010-04-06T12:20:00.000-07:00

We were so busy having fun that I forgot to bring the camera just about everywhere we went this Easter weekend. We did manage to get a few pictures of the girls in their dresses, but due to some serious wind (and two very anti camera girls), we got what we got. Here are a few of our favorites (and really the only few that turned out decent).

Sweet little Hailey

2010-04-06T12:07:00.000-07:00

I was going through some pictures to update our blog when I came across this angelic little face. Hailey Hunter. It was nearly a month ago that she left this earth for a greater purpose. Though she is sorely missed and numerous hearts ache to see her smiling face and hold her in their arms, she is in the best of company and, I'm convinced, very happy. Our hearts go out to Billy and Crystal whose lives have been forever changed because of this sweet little girl and whose relationship with their Savior has no doubt reached new heights and understanding. You are a strength to us, and I just wanted to say thank you for sharing your sweet angel with us. Even though she slept the entire time she was here, our home will forever be a better place because of her. We love you Billy and Crystal, and we love you Hailey.

Gas

2010-03-25T21:16:00.000-07:00

I have always said that I need to get better at recording the cute, and absolutely hilarious, things our kids say. Here's one from today:

We were walking out the door and Aubrey looked at me and said, "Mom, I passed gas in my mouth". After a quick laugh I said, "you mean you burped?" to which she replied, "yeah, mom, I burped".

Funny girl. She gets the gas from her daddy ;)

Sport Princess

2010-03-05T05:26:00.000-08:00

I see all my friends with their new businesses and great ideas, and am on the search for an idea all my own. Wish I would have thought of this one. My friend Bethany (aka: beefcakes) has started a new blog called Sport Princess. It's actually an entire line of books and dolls that are making their big debut in June. The first book comes out in June and, in honor of the World Cup in Africa this year, she is launching her first book Josephina "Jo" the Soccer Princess. What a great way to mix the glitz and mud :). So put your glittery football stripes under your, and your little princess's, eyes and check out her new blog. Totally exciting!

Happy Birthday to our baby girl!

2010-03-03T10:35:00.000-08:00

I realized I didn't post once in the month of february (boo me) and a lot happened. All I really want to talk about was the fact that Aubrey, my baby girl, turned 3 on the 23rd. Seriously, 3 already? Ryan's parents, more affectionately known as Papa and GG, came in to celebrate with us. Unfortunately Ryan had to work on tuesday, but the girls and I headed over to Papa and GG's hotel for some good old fashioned swim time. It was a huge hit with the girls.

We couldn't just not celebrate on her birthday so, while the festivities were scheduled for the following day, we did do some that night. We made some cupcakes and opened presents. She was in heaven.
Our sweet Aubrey, 100% girl.

Aubrey decorated her own cupcake, as if you couldn't tell :)

Our little Eva monkey, 100% mess :)

I wish the pictures of her opening her presents, and dressing up in her new tinkerbell fairy garb were showing up. Your loss ;)

The next day Ryan took the day off and we head in for our long overdue dentist's appointments, took a little nap, and then headed off to Aubrey's favorite place -- quite possibly in her little world -- Monkey Joes (see the post from Aubrey's birthday a year ago) for some fun. We hadn't been in quite awhile so this was Eva's first time actually playing. She was terrified at first, but once she realized that everything bounces and slides she jumped on the bandwagon. Confession: Our camera had magically disappeared prior to the birthday festivities and I am pulling pictures off an email from GG, and some of them aren't showing up, so no pictures at MJ's. But the fun did not stop there. We headed to McDonald's (probably Aubrey's second favorite place in the world) for some dinner and more playtime. Again, no pictures.

We have started a slight birthday tradition for Aubrey here in STL. Aubrey and one of her best friends, Jonathan, have the same birthday. Same day, same year. As a result, and because they're still young enough for us to get away with it, we celebrate together. They joined us at MJ's and McD's, and then we headed back to their house for some cake and ice cream (thanks for taking care of that this year Steph). Unfortunately, no pictures there either.

We had a fun-filled day with our little birthday princess, and can't imagine our little family without Aubrey (how cliche am I :), our little drama creating diva.

A MILLION HUGS AND KISSES FOR YOU, AUBREY!

Merry (belated) Christmas

2010-01-28T11:45:00.000-08:00

We had a funfilled Christmas/New Years which consisted of 3 different states and lots of food, fun, and family. We left St Louis on Christmas Eve and made the 12+ hour drive to Buena Vista, VA to spend Christmas with my family. It was quite the houseful with mom, dad, georgi, hyrum, melissa, lauren, hailey, logan, spencer, landon, aaron, mary, little georgi, hannah, ryan, me, aubrey, and eva. I don't think there is anyone I forgot, but after 15 I start to lose count ;). We even got to talk to Elder Smith in New Mexico, and that was one of the highlights of the entire trip. I made sure to pack the video camera and the regular digital to fully document out adventures. Turns out I didn't. I was just having to much fun. Instead I'll include some pictures of our family christmas in STL (we didn't feel like hauling all those wrapped presents just to bring them back home).

But no, the fun didn't stop there. Ryan's sister Christina (we love you Kiki) booked the entire Lenahan family a three day/three night stay at the most amazing cabin on the TN/GA border. It was absolutely wonderful. We ate, played games, kicked it in the hot tub, made smores over the fire, and of course -- in true Lenahan fashion -- watched plenty of football. It was a blast. And of coarse I was having so much fun to forgot to document it. So, a big thanks to GG and Kiki for taking some pictures and sending them to me (and letting me steal them from FB :).

In case you were still wondering, the fun most definitely did not end there. Scotty, Ryan's brother booked us an amazing night away at an amazing hotel in downtown Atlanta. I have to admit that in nearly 3 years of motherhood, that was the first night I have EVER spent away from the girls, and it was long overdue. Ryan and I stayed up late watching a move, took a midnight trip to Ihop (per Lacey's request :), and had a nice made to order breakfast and workout the next morning. Then after a little shopping (and discovering my new favorite store, The Container Store) we headed back to our sweet little girls. Thanks again Bubba, I can't tell you how perfect that gift was! Unfortuntaely, we also had too much fun that I forgot to take any pictures. What a slacker!

One last thought before I wrap up this chapter in a long novel of blog catch up. Happy Anniversary to my wonderful husband. Ryan, you have made the past 4 years educational ones, but mostly just wonderful. Two sweet girls later (with more to come) and I am the happiest I've ever been. I love you. A lot. *Muah*

More pictures from our trips (not sure why some are big and some small -- sorry)!

More catchup

2009-12-14T05:27:00.000-08:00

This past month has been a crazy one. I know I use that excuse every month, but it doesn't change the fact that it's the truth. This might be a little on the longs side, so brace yourself!

We'll start with Thanksgiving. We had some dear friends of ours, the Giddens, come and stay the weekend from Atlanta. They came in Wed, and I had to work wed night. Thursday I spent all day in the kitchen. This is our first time ever "hosting" thanksgiving, and I think it might be a few years before I do that again -- it was exhausting! So, if anyone is looking for visitors next thanksgiving, count us in :). And mom, I have yet another newfound appreciation for you. I worked friday morning (yes, black friday) and got off at 2. We then got in the car and drove off to Nauvoo, IL. For those of you who aren't familiar with Nauvoo, it is a city that was founded by early memebers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and contains a lot of history of our church. They recently "rebuilt" the temple that was burned down long ago. So we spent the night in Nauvoo -- thanks Motel Nauvoo for the warm welcome -- and did some sight seeing the next day. I had to work that night so I left early and left Ryan and the girls with the Giddens and they had a blast with more sight seeing! Here are just a few pictures from the weekend (unfortunately we only have pics from our trip to Nauvoo, but since the food was subpar that was the highlight of the weekend).

Making rope

Making horse shoes

Making wagon wheels

Making candles

This last one is my favorite of the whole trip. I can't tell you enough how much I LOVE to see my girls love on eachother, and this one of them holding hands melts my heart everytime I look at it. How did I ever get so lucky?! The view with the Missipssippi River in the backround isn't too bad either.

These next pictures are from decorating the tree. Aubrey insisted on wearing her hat.

One lucky branch got spoiled (I think they got 12 on there before they started falling off).

If you could see our tree now you'd see a pretty bare bottom third. After close to half a dozen broken ornaments we moved them out of Eva's reach. She doesn't quite understand that you shouldn't warm up your throwing arm with ornaments from the tree.

My final topic of today. Craigslist. I am addicted. I buy. I sell. I browse. I thought about having a yard sale but decided it was too much work so I have been selling like crazy. This past month we've sold
wooden storage chest: $50
wedding cloak: $100
punching bag and gloves: $50
bunk beds (parts missing): $75
tires: $125
double jogging stroller: $180
I know there's more but at the moment they escape my mind (I'm busy wondering what finds I will see today)
This past month we've bought:
Ariel vanity (all pieces still included) for $15
Step 2 car (like little tikes cozy coupe) in awesome condition: $20
And lastly, my favorite...we had one of these growing up and I have been looking EVERYWHERE for an inexpensive one. I found this little gem (with minor sunfading and a little dirt) for only $50. And my girls are in heaven, which means I'm in heaven, which means Ryan is in heaven.

Craigslist, I love you. Thanks for making my life easier, and my girls happier.

I know I said that was it, but one more thing. Yesterday Ryan was making me dinner for my birthday and burned his hand. Bad. We're talking blistering 2nd degree burns. He went to Urgent care last night and they gave him some special ointment, vicatin, and lots and lots of gauze (he has to wrap his entire hand for at least a week I think). What a sweetheart. Dinner was fabulous, and I just hate that he had to leave town this morning. I love you Ryan. You make my life better. You make me better.

Back with a bang...

2009-11-13T10:48:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, I'm due for some some severe reprimanding as it's been over 4 months since I've posted anything. Not that we haven't had anything worth posting about, but rather we've had too much going on, a broken computer, and a missing camera. Now that I've found our camera and bought a new computer, I have no excuse for not posting. Playing catch up on the past 4 months seems overwhelming, so I'll just start from now (and catch up later if I'm lucky).

So today was a big morning for us. Aubrey will be 3 in February, and has never had a haircut. Not even a trim. I was always afraid that if I cut her hair the curls would disappear forever. Well, her hair grew. And grew. AND GREW. Until it was a disaster to comb after a bath and caused more trouble than anything. We knew it was long enough to donate for locks of love, but I was waiting until after Halloween because Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz needs those long pigtails. Then Halloween came and went and I just kept putting it off. Well, no longer. I am proud to announce that my little baby is no longer a baby but looks like such a little lady. Here is a step by step of the momentous occasion.

We took her to the Hairy Elephant.

It is kiddo haircut heaven. She got to pick between a car, a train, a jeep, and an airplane and she chose this vintage cherry red airplane. Then she got to pick what cartoon she wanted to watch (she chose Elmo).

Here is a shot of her long locks pre-chop.

Bring on the scissors.

After the initial cutting, she got her hair washed by this elephant. Nice elephant. They had this cart with like 12 different colors of shampoo and Aubrey got to pick out what color shampoo they used (she chose pink and yellow) and said it smelled like a cupcake.

Here is the finished product. SHE LOVED IT (and so did mom)!

Here is the back/side. The tire of the jeep behind her makes it look funny, so just ignore that.

Her picture with Amy, who did a TOP NOTCH job, especially considering how wiggly Aubrey was (you can see the shampoo cart behind her).

Long story short, Hairy Elephant is a parents dream come true for kids haircuts. And just for fun, I'll throw in a picture of Eva who insisted on riding in the jeep right next to Aubrey. I love these girls!

Finally, to my sweet little Aubrey. You were such a trooper. You sat still (well, still enough), and looked down (and up, and then back down) when Amy asked you to, and even let them wash your hair. I am so proud of you, and just want you to know that you look ADORABLE (although from the way you were smiling at yourself in the mirror I think you already know that). I can't believe how quickly you are growing up. I love you Aubrey!

Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-21T05:19:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to my own wonderful father, and of coarse to Ryan's dad as well. I have been blessed to have such wonderful father's who have taught me, and Ryan, about everything important in life. They set amazing examples for us and then sat back and enjoyed, probably even laughed at on a few occasions, as we tried to figure things out. We love you guys for giving of yourselves to your children completely. WE LOVE YOU!

Father's Day wouldn't be complete if I neglected to say thank you to the most important father in my life right now -- the father of my own two beautiful girls. Ryan, you have worked so hard to take care of us so that I can stay home with Aubrey and Eva, and it means so much to us. Not only are you extremely good looking (there's no way I could have such beautiful children based on my good looks alone ;), but you know what it means to have a good time, and the girls ADORE you. I admit that sometimes when I'm up with Aubrey at 5:30 am and she starts asking for you over and over I get a little jelous. But only slightly, and only for a second because there's no one I'd rather have her adore, and look up to, than you. Thank you for another year as the world's #1 daddy! WE LOVE YOU!

Happy Mother's Day, and Happy Birthday!

2009-05-10T06:04:00.000-07:00

I wanted to take a minute and tell a few of my favorite mom's how much they mean to me. First...

My own dear mother. I hardly know what to say, or where to begin. I struggle to manage two darling little children (and keep the house clean -- which, let's face it, I have a lot of room for improvement), so I have no idea how she managed to do it all with EIGHT kids. Not just any eight kids, but the eight of US. What's even more impressive, is that she did it with a smile. Mom, you have been one of my greatest examples of sacrifice. You always put your kids needs and wants above your own, and never complained. NEVER. I tried really hard to recall a time when you raised your voice with us, but couldn't think of a single time. So mom, for your sweet kindness and unconditional love, I thank you. From the bottom of my heart. I know it doesn't do what you have done for me justice, but I love you. A lot.

Next, I have to take a minute and brag on the world's greatest mother-in-law, whom I consider just another mom to me. I didn't have the opportunity to grow up with you as a mother, but Ryan has shared with me all of the good you did as a mother for your own dear three children. Kudos to you on the work you did with Ryan. He is who he is today in large part to you. You laid the foundation for his testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the greatest gift any mother can give a child. For the past 3 1/2 years of our marriage you have been our full time "researcher" on anything and everything and have probably saved us hundreds of dollars :). I can tell that you spend your time thinking about your children and what you can do to help them in whatever situation they may be in. Most importantly, I can tell you love your children, and I know that you love me. Thank you for raising such a wonderful man to be the love of my life and father to our beautiful children. What a strong and loving woman you are! Thank you! I love you too. A lot.

And to all you other moms out there...keep up the good work, for it truly is the greatest, and most important, work in the world! HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

And of course, how could I post on my mother's today and not wish my own dear father a happy birthday, because TODAY is indeed your birthday. Dad, you also had a wonderful mother who has helped to turn you into the man you are today. So thank you grandma for giving me a wonderful father. Dad, I just wanted to tell you how much I love you for who you are and how you have helped me to become who I am. I have so many fond memories with you, but I'll just list a few.
1. Christmas shopping for mom's gift every year. Remember the one year the sensors went off at the bookstore when we were leaving? I do :).
2. I remember you taking me to store to buy ice cream one night, only to discover that your real reason for going was to give someone a pass-a-long card. That was one of the greatest preparations for my mission.
3. I remember you stopping by the hospital after Eva was born. No one else was there, it was just the three of us. It was so nice to spend some time with just you there.
So dad, on your birthday, just know that I love you just as much as I do mom. A lot!

Who says a 2 year old doesn't have style

2009-05-03T18:52:00.000-07:00

Aubrey loves to go out in the backyard and play, but the rule is she has to have weather appropriate clothes on. She asked to go play outside the other day and I told her she had to put clothes on (she would live in her pajamas 24/7 if she could). This is how she came back.

The shirt is for comfort (it is a pj top inside out and backwards -- apparantly the only real way to wear a shirt. We'll see if it catches on.) The shorts are for functionality -- lots of room to run and jump. The sandles are good for airing out the feet, and let's just face it -- the hat is just for cuteness factor. All in all, Aubrey has her own sense of style and we let her fly with it.

More easter

2009-05-03T18:13:00.000-07:00

Step aside easter bunny, my easter babies are here! Thanks Grandma for the beautiful dresses...they looked adorable. Across the street from our house (we live on a cul de sac) is a small lake/pond with a fountain and ducks. We headed over to take a few easter pictures. Mind you, I am by no means a professional photographer, but with models like these two little girls it's always fun. They may not be smiling in these pictures, but you can guarantee that I had a smile the size of Texas (a quick shout out to all our family in the great Lone Star state :). So sit back, relax, and smile.

March of Dimes

2009-05-03T17:11:00.000-07:00

Mike, Tracy, and Izzy (some friends of ours here in MO) have been through what no parent should have to when they lost their little Brooklyn last year. She was born around 28 weeks, and fought hard for 11 days, but was called back home for some reason we can't begin to imagine. There is something extra special about those little ones who are called home so early. Nonetheless, it must be difficult. March of Dimes is one of those organizations that works to help those who truly can't help themselves -- those babies who are born early and fight so hard for their time here on this earth. What an inspiration. As a mother, I literally can't (nor do I want to) imagine what it must be like for the parents of those most precious babies. Long story short, Mike an Tracy invited us to walk with them in the March of Dimes walk a few weeks ago. We gladly accepted and it was a perfect day. The sun was shining and the turnout was amazing. It took us forever to walk the three miles because there were so many people in front of, and behind us, that we could hardly move. The thing that impressed me most was that most of the people had been through the unimaginable and had lost their babies prematurely, yet they were positive and upbeat. They enjoyed themselves and realized that they were better, and stronger, people -- and parents --for having been through that. They were smiling. It touched my heart like few things can, and made me proud to be part of such a great cause. We also got to see our friends from VA, the Wright's (minus Paul who was at a track meet). We had a great time and can't wait for next year's march! Count us in Mike and Tracy!

Our little snoozer. She slept for the last half of the walk and just chilled in the stroller. She is her father's daughter :)

I highly recommend any, and all, of you get involved in March of Dimes.

Playing catch up

2009-04-26T07:47:00.001-07:00

I have been known to be somewhat of a slacker (this is the part where NO ONE mentions my senior paper :), but there is a reason I havn't updated the blog in over a month. My computer broke. Well, it didn't break so much as I got a nasty virus on April 1. Anyways...our computer situation is still funny, but I now have the means to update our blog. This will be done in spurts, no doubt, as this past month has been a fun one.

We'll start with Easter. I will not post the pictures of the girls in their Easter dresses now, but I will put them up later. Here are some pictures from an easter egg hunt they went to at a friend's house. Thanks Sam, for letting us invade...you really know how to throw a "party" :).

This is Aubrey with her friend McKenzie searcing for eggs. Kenzie was a great "older" guide to Aubrey and pointed out where every egg could be found :)

Not only can Sam throw an awesome party, but she is a killer cake maker. Check out her skills with this easter cake she made. And is tasted YUMMY!

Here is daddy with Eva and some friends from the ward. Nothing melts my heart like seeing daddy's with their babies.

I LOVE this last picture of Aubrey. I wish I could take the credit, but I have to thank Becca for taking, and sending me, this darling picture of my sweet little girl. Thanks Becca!

We had a few nice days before a week of rain, and we took advantage of it by playing in the backyard. Aubrey picked flower after flower (all of which turned out to be dandelions) and made us all smell them. We're excited for the nice weather to come and stay!

Aubrey had to let Eva smell the "flower"...

but Eva had another idea. We think she has a promising career as a taste tester.

Our sweet little Evalyn

Our vivacious Aubrey

Check back soon...more to follow (and I know you're just dying to see more :)

The faces of Wachovia Securities

2009-03-02T13:37:00.000-08:00

The month of February was an exciting one for Ryan at work. They had the AG Edwards/Wachovia Securities conversion going on (I don't pretend to know anything about it -- it is way over my sleepy head), which means longer hours for Ryan. It also meant a beard growing contest with some of the other guys in the office. Ryan has only grown a beard once before since we've been together, and there's a good reason for that (I don't like it :). Well, they took these pictures the last day (after they all shaved it into something...shall we say...interesting). I will admit, with no offense intended (as I know there are a few of them occasionally visit the blog), that some of them look kinda creepy -- for lack of a better word. Ryan probably most of all :). Without further ado, I present to you the faces of Wachovia Securites!

And of coarse I'll save the best for last...

These are all very nice guys, and Ryan loves working with them. I guess it's nice that they can do things like these together and laugh about it, but I'll be the first to say...I'M GLAD TO HAVE MY CLEAN SHAVEN HUSBAND BACK!!! Oh, and just for kicks and giggles, which one do you think should win the award for best facial hair do?

One year older, and wiser too...

2009-02-24T12:20:00.000-08:00

Well, it's offical. Yesterday, without even knowing it, Aubrey turned 2 years old. We had quite the day with Grandma in town. Grandma watched the girls (even gave them a bath :) while I ran some errands. It's amazing how much quicker errnads can be run when it's just you. Anyway, we had a great day. We went to Monkey Joe's (the best place in the world for kids to play), McDonald's for dinner (Monday night is family night and her birthday happened to fall on a monday), and then home for cake, ice cream, and presents. All in all, a pretty exciting day. It was even more fun because Aubrey's friend Jonathan shares her birthday and also turned 2 yesterday so they joined us in the festivities.

I'm amazed at how quickly the past two years have gone by, and how much Aubrey has learned, and grown, in such a short time. We are so proud of her, and blessed to have her as part of our family. I just want to share a few things that make our little Aubrey so special, and easy to love.

1. Her smile is to die for. Thank heaven for dimples!
2. The way she grabs both cheeks when giving us kisses.
3. The way she loves her little sister, and Eva in turn adores her big sis.
4. Aubrey loves to dance. But what I really love is that she loves to dance with mommy and daddy.
5. Aubrey is such a nurterer. She will make a much better mother than me someday.
6. That hair! I had a lady at the store guess she was 4. She has as much hair as a 4 year old, and I think it is just gorgeous (I LOVE those little curls).
7. I love her independent spirit (most of the time). She will make a great missionary some day :)
8. Aubrey is so social and can make anyone smile. Anyone.
9. I appreciate, and enjoy, music. Aubrey LOVES music.
10. I love (and am a bit jelous of) how Aubrey loves her daddy. No one can take his place...not even mommy. And that little girl knows she carries her daddy's heart in her tiny hands.
11. I love the way she looks at me when lying in bed and says "I love you mommy" (she does the same thing with Ryan too).

I could go on and on, but this has gotten long enough. We love you Aubrey, and couldn't think of a better way to spend forever, than with you! And just in case anyone was wondering, her 2 year stats are: 35 1/4 in (90%) 27 1/2 lb (50-75%) We'll see how long she can stay in the 90% for her height -- I'm guessing not too long :)

2 going on 16

2009-02-18T11:15:00.001-08:00

She did it! Our little girl is growing up more each day. She is now "potty trained" at home (I'm not brave enough to try in public yet), and hasn't had an accident for at least a couple of days. I now rarely have to remind her. It's the funniest thing to watch her drop her "big girls" around her knees in the living room and try to run to the potty. She has even gone poopoo TWICE in the potty, which is huge for us! I can't believe our baby girl will be 2 on monday...where has the time gone?

On another note, Aubrey is such our little girl. Her obsessions have transferred from Blue's Clue's and The Little Mermaid, to dresses and shoes. I go get her in the morning to discover she has gotten into her closet and picked out a pair of shoes and put them on her feet. I walked into my room the other day to find 7 pairs of my shoes all around the floor. She lovingly tried each pair on until she found the ones she wanted to wear. She wears dresses nearly everyday, and the worst punishment we give her is taking her dress away. Talk about motivation. We love our little diva!

Come one, come all...

2009-02-12T13:41:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Jess for this great idea! I'm really at a loss for what on earth I'll make, but if you're daring enough to find out be one of the...um...lucky(?) 5!

The first five people to comment on this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It'll be done this year (hopefully sooner than later.)
4. You will have no clue what it is going to be.
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.
The catch? Oh the catch is that you must re-post this on your blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me you did will win a marvelous homemade gift by me!

Let the games begin!!

Snow days!

2009-01-29T09:02:00.000-08:00

The past few days we've had a winter weather advisory. There has been snow and ice for two days. It took Ryan an hour and a half to get home the other day (but he did make it safe in one piece :). Eva has had a cold (yet another one), so I didn't want to take her out in it, but Aubrey kept begging. It just so happened that yesterday was gorgeous. The sun was out and the wind was NOT blowing, so while Eva slept, Aubrey and I braved the outdoors. Clarification: I braved the outdoors (I dont' do well in the cold), and Aubrey LOVED the snow. I couldn't find one of her mittens so we improvised and put on one of daddy's gloves -- which she also loved! She just about walked the entire perimeter of the yard and even played on our little climber/slide. She kept falling down in the snow like that kid from The Christmas Story, and had the hardest time getting back up! Anyway, we had a lot of fun, and the only thing that got her inside was the promise of hot chocolate -- which she loved just as much as the snow :). Anyway, we had a blast and figure if it's going to be cold it might as well be beautiful too! And it was. The only thing missing was daddy!

From this...

2009-01-26T15:06:00.000-08:00

to this, in just 6 months!

Eva started crawling a week before she turned 6 months. Too soon. Way too soon. But it's cute, and she wants nothing more than to keep up with her big sis. Let's just keep our fingers crossed that she waits a little longer to try out those feet! At 6 months, our little smiley baby is 16 lb 15 oz and 25 inches long. She's growing so fast...I already miss my little baby girl! Eva, we love you and are so blessed that you have joined our family!

Who knew...

2009-01-21T13:03:00.000-08:00

McDonalds was such a supporter FHE. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with FHE, our church recommends setting aside each monday night for a "Family Home Evening" (aka FHE) where the whole family gets together for a lesson and usually an activity. Basically, it's a time each week for the whole family to just be together...and I love it. We're terrible at being consistent with two little kids who won't sit still for longer than 5.2 seconds --on a good day-- but we try. Ryan had the day off on monday for MLK day so we decided to do something fun (and cheap). It had been way too long since I had taken the girls to the library, so off we went. We had a great time, but realized Aubrey had too much energy to burn so off we went to McDonalds. The one closest to our home has a fantastic playplace that Aubrey loves to play in. We got there only to discover that monday nights are Family Night at our local McD's. What does this mean you might ask? It means $1 off happy meals, free ice cream cones for the whole family (mom and dad included :), and a balloon artist who visits every table and makes the most amazing balloon figurines I've ever seen (have you ever seen a spiderman or Little Mermaid made out of balloons?). I won't tell you what he made the girls because I want to see if you can guess...but I have no doubts you'll find it as obvious as I think you will. Needless to say, we had a GREAT time together, and now I'm more motivated to actually try a little harder for FHE come monday nights -- wish me luck!

We need our papa!

2008-12-18T16:08:00.000-08:00

Last year we were in GA for Christmas and were able to get our pictures taken with Santa -- mind you the Santa in the picture was Ryan's dad, aka Papa who is a professional Santa Claus. This year we won't be getting down to GA for Christmas :( so we had to settle for another Santa. I thought Aubrey would do just fine sitting on Santa's lap because she's used to Papa's white beard, but boy was I wrong (at least she didn't scream like the kid in front of us). I guess there's just no replacing the real thing...we love you Papa! Needless to say, Eva, our happy-go-lucky child, smiled the entire time! Aubrey is our little drama queen, but definitely keeps things interesting :)! We're excited for our trek out to BV (that's Buena Vista, VA folks), but will definitely miss getting to see Papa, GG, Aunt Kiki, and Uncle Bubba. We love you guys!

P.S. Thanks for the cute dresses GG, the girls looked adorable!

TIS THE SEASON...

2008-12-11T12:52:00.000-08:00

FOR HOMEMADE COOKIES...
Aubrey sat on the counter and helped mommy make the dough every step of the way. I wish you could have seen her with the egg. She insisted on doing it all herself and then just squeezed the egg in her two hands until it broke. Mommy's job was to remove all the eggshells :)!

(I turned my back for 3 seconds, 3 SECONDS, and this is what I find -- teeth marks in our cookie dough. Those darn cookie dough fairies must be back ;). In case anyone was wondering, those holes were not picked out with fingers. Aubrey actually put her face up to the dough and took bites. What a goober! She gets it all from her daddy -- love you sweetie!

SPOONS ON NOSES...
Oh, come on, I know this is a Christmas tradition in most of your homes. Ok, so maybe not, and technically it isn't in our home either. However, we often worry as parents if we are teaching our kids what is important, and if they will grow up to be stalwart young men and women. It is times like these that I realize...yeah, I'm teaching them what they need to know ;). If nothing else, it was quality family time (Eva did have a little help, but Aubrey managed all on her own).

AND A CHRISTMAS TREE...
Disclaimer: The battery in our camera died as I went to take a picture of the tree up and decorated. Maybe we'll post one up later, but don't count on it the way my days have been the past week or so.

Daddy's job was to pick out the tree while mommy ran around after Aubrey through a maze of trees. Who knew there were so many different TYPES of Christmas trees! We finally settled on one (with a little help from the boy scouts selling them).

And of coarse we loaded it on top of our gas saving micro machine of a car...gotta love it! And we do, but I dream of the day when we get a bigger car!

In case we don't get the chance to post again before Christmas...MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone! We hope you enjoy your holiday season with family and friends, and don't forget the reason behind all the celebrating and the greatest gift of all! We love you!

Happy Happy Birthday Daddy Dear...

2008-11-24T08:48:00.001-08:00

This one is just to show that our daddy did have hair once upon a time :)

And this one is to show that we think he is much more handsome without his hair!

Happy 28th birthday to our favortite guy! We love you Ryan!

Husband of the year :)

2008-11-20T15:20:00.000-08:00

I found this on a friends blog, who had received it in an email, from a brother. So essentially, I got it from an old roomates brother (starting to sound like Ferris Bueller :)! Thought it was funny, so I "borrowed" it from her blog. Thanks Sarah!

The honorable mention goes to
The United Kingdom

...followed closely by The United States of America

and then Poland

3rd Place must go to Greece

It was very very close but the runner up prize was awarded to Serbia

But the winner of the husband/partner of the year is Ireland

Husband of the year awards
Ya gotta love the Irish.

The Irish are true romantics. Look, he's even holding her hand.

Woman has Man in it;
Mrs. has Mr . in it;
Female has Male in it;
She has He in it;
Madam has Adam in it;

I never looked at it this way before:
Ever notice how all of women's problems start with MEN?

MEN tal illness
MEN strual cramps
MEN tal breakdown
MEN opause
GUY necologist
AND ...
When we have REAL trouble, it's a
HISterectomy.

Up for debate...

2008-11-19T06:29:00.000-08:00

There are some who think Aubrey and Eva look identical, and then there are some who think they look nothing alike. What do you think? Can you tell which baby is which?

I'm trying to find some older pictures of the girls that are comprable, and will post them when, and if, I find them!

A major posting update

2008-11-14T08:51:00.000-08:00

Make sure you scroll down to see all the new posts (there are at least three today). I have been without a computer for almost a week now, and FINALLY found the cord to connect my camera to the computer. Now that our lives are back in order, and up and running, I am getting caught up. Which means an overdose of our lives for you! I'll start with some Halloween fun. Ryan had the day off (thanks Wachovia for giving my husband a free paid day off for mental health :) on Halloween so we started early. Cornbread, a local morning radio host, travels to different local restaurants every friday morning and gives out 100 free breakfasts to the first 100 guests. He broadcasts on site and is absolutely hilarious. It just so happened that the restaurant he was at on Halloween was literally like 3 minutes from our house, so we had to go. We figured since the girls are up early anyway, we might as well go. Plus they were doing some Halloween festivites for the kiddos. We ended up getting there at the end of the broadcast (he starts at 6 am), but had a good time and a good breakfast (that I didn't have to make :)!

The cornbread morning crew

The firefighters were there with their truck handing out candy. Aubrey was oblivous.

There was a limo that was decorated on the inside that kids got to walk through and trick-or-treat in. This just scared Aubrey.

Mommy, Aubrey, and Cornbread

We ran some errands and went home so the girls could nap before trick-or-treating. We decided that since Aubrey goes to bed around 7, we'd take her to downtown St. Charles to trick-or-treat around the shops (from 3-5) so she could get to bed on time (and so we wouldn't have to deal with a grumpy girl the next day :). It was much nicer. It wasn't dark, the shops were close together, and there were TONS of people! We stopped by Little Caesers for some dinner (love the $5 large) and went home and passed out candy! A very laid back day, but lots of fun. We were just grateful daddy got to spend it with us! Here are our little stinkers in their costumes!

Aubrey was our little witch

Eva pretty much just hung out with daddy. I know I must be the world's worst mom for not dressing her up when we went trick-or-treating, but she was so content without the costume on that we bagged it. Just to show you that we do love her, and did have a costume for her, I took some pictures at home. She was a sock monkey and a ladybug. We couldn't decide so we tried them both on and they were both so darn cute!

A little bit of KC -- not be be confused with KFC (which we did eat)

2008-11-14T08:26:00.000-08:00

Back in October Ryan had to travel to Conneticut for work, and the girls and I get bored without Ryan here (especially for 4 days). Fortunately, Kansas City is only 3 hours away, which means Heber, Mandy and "the boys" :) are only 3 hours away. We hopped in the car and had a blast in KC! Mostly we just hung out, but I'm a homebody and was in heaven. Ethan and I played some Mario Kart, and I must say...that kid is GOOD! We watched movies and ate homemade blueberry pie and homemade mac and cheese, both courtesy of chef Mandy -- YUMM! Anyway, we had a blast, and can't wait to get together again soon. I know Mandy posted pictures of our trip, but couldn't help but do the same. And just for the record Mandy, Eva puts her hands in her mouth EVERY time she smiles, so don't think it's just you :)...she's quirky!

Eva and Aunt Mandy

Ethan and Eva (he was such a good helper with Eva)

Owen and Eva

Dallin and Eva

Owen and Eva (AKA Tarzan and Jane) had a blast together! Aubrey did quite well in keeping up with him. Thanks Mandy for letting them tear your house (or at least your couches) to shreds :)

This picture cracks me up. Has anyone else seen that Seinfeld episode? You know which one I'm talking about. With George. On the couch.

2008-11-14T08:24:00.000-08:00

In case anyone was wondering who will appear on next seasons Dancing with the Stars, here you go. It should be an interesting season ;)!

Isn't she cute?!

2008-10-27T19:42:00.000-07:00

Eva's been such a good baby that we have decided we're ready for #3. Ok, so that is definitely not true (the part about being ready for #3 -- Eva really is a good baby), but we thought we'd give you a preview of what our #3 might actually look like. The funny thing is that our kids are actually born with about this much hair! So here's our new addition!

Thanks Mandy for introducing us to this! Feel free to try it for yourself and then let me know how it goes! To give it a whirl, go to VW Baby Maker

Four weddings and a funeral...

2008-10-26T13:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, so there really weren't four weddings on our trip down to Atlanta, but there were three. Ok, so only really one because you can't count the Fiyero/Glinda wedding, or the Fiyero/Elphaba wedding because they never actually took place. But Ryan's friend Kris from high school did actually get married and we got to be there to support them. Once again, I can't post my pictures because of that runaway cord, but I do have some pictures from the wedding. Aubrey stayed home (since the wedding didn't start until 7 and her bedtime is 7:30), but we brought Eva with us and she was the hit of the night. It seems everytime I turned around someone different was holding her and I didn't even know half of them! There was one woman, I don't know who she was either, who never stopped taking pictures of Eva. Which I guess ends up nicely for us because she emailed them to Ryan's mom who forwarded them onto us. So here are some pictures from the reception. And Maryn, per your request, here are more pictures of our little Eva. I swear I take pictures of her, and we do love her just as much as Aubrey, even if I do neglect to post pictures of her. She's already over three months and is getting bigger and stronger everyday!

We have no idea who these people were, other than the girl was dating one of the groomsmen or someone.

Ok, so these two ladies we know!

Know this one too!

Of course we know these two (we were at their wedding last April)!

This woman just loved Eva and held her for awhile. No idea who she is, but she sure had fun with our little munchkin!

As for the funeral...well, that would be Elphaba's funeral. Which wasn't really a funeral, but I don't want to spoil the story if you havn't had the chance to see Wicked yet. Ryan's mom and dad bought us tickets while we were down there,and Ryan and I LOVED it! We have been listening to the music from it since before we were married and it has been a big dream of ours to actually go and see it. So, thanks Terry and Georgia for making that dream a reality! We love you!

A new milestone!

2008-10-25T11:12:00.000-07:00

We have reached yet another milestone here in the Lenahan household. Aubrey slept in her big girl bed for the first time last night! We have been meaning to switch her over so Eva could sleep in her crib in her own room (I was having the darndest time sleeping with her moving and rolling all night --she's a noisy sleeper). We finally finished with our traveling for the time being and thought it would be a good time to try. I had on my battle gear and was ready for WWIII, but yet again, she surprised me. After only a 5 minute struggle she was in her bed and on her way to dreamland. We are so proud of our "big" girl and feel so blessed to have such a trooper in our family! She's growing so fast, and I'm not sure I'm ready for it all, but what choice do I have? We love you Aubrey!

A quick sidenote:
A new bed also means a new room. It is a work in progress so don't judge me as a parent on how uncute her room looks -- we're working on it. I want to thank Ryan's mom and dad for donating the bunk beds (we'll put the top bunk up later). It looked so boyish so I HAD to "girlify" it. As a result we found this pink canopy at Tuesday Morning and it helps a little bit. Ryan says Aubrey doesn't care about all her girly pricess things, and that I'm doing this for me, and I suppose he's right. But I just smile and tell him that in another year or two Aubrey will be grateful her mommy went to such great lengths ;)! We'll see!

My mind is not the only thing I've lost...

2008-10-24T10:43:00.000-07:00

it seems I've also "misplanced" (goodness knows I would never LOSE anything) our cable that connects our camera to our computer. That means I can't upload the pictures to my computer, which is too bad because I have some great ones from our trips to Atlanta and Kansas City! I guess it will just give you something to look forward to, because I WILL find where that darn cable is hiding! Until then, here are some shots of Aubrey that were too cute not to post!

Out of wack...like my life :)

2008-10-07T07:45:00.001-07:00

My posts got a little out of order. There is a new post if you just scroll down. They include time with grandma and our trip to the butterfly house...well worth your time! Sorry about the confusion!

My amazing family!

2008-10-06T08:09:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let everyone know how absolutely amazing, and talented my family is. Anyone who knows me knows how uncreative and artsy I am, especially when it comes to decorating. That is just ONE (of many) reasons I think the world of my sister-in-law Melissa. She is the queen of yardsale finds and can turn any persons junk into her own personal treasure, that I of course covet ;)! Anyway, she has started her own blog for various home makeover projects, and it is definitely worth looking at. She is even having a cute giveaway right now, so I suggest you check it out at 320 Sycamore. Just wanted to give a shout out to my Marth Stewart of a sister-in-law and share her talents with the rest of us artsy fartsy challenged! Love ya Melissa!

A week with grandma!

2008-10-05T18:35:00.000-07:00

After Eva's blessing last weekend my mom stayed an extra week to visit. For those of you who don't know my mom, I'm sorry. She is the most patient and loving woman I have EVER met (she had to be to put up with us eight kids :)! She spoiled us pretty good, and we just loved having her around. We had a blast with her here...just reading books, and hanging out. I really appreciated her making dinner everynight too (except for her birthday of coarse)! Thanks mom, we already miss you!

She also treated us with a trip to the butterfly house, and introduced Aubrey to the carousel (which took some warmig up to). Here are some pics from the week.

This is not a good picture of the four of us girls, but it was dang hot in there and the only one we were able to get. I'm sure I'll look back in 10 years and not care how we looked, we're just grateful for the memory!

The butterfly house was awesome! They had an atrium that housed over 80 species of butterflies that just fly all around you! It was beautiful! We were hoping one would land on Aubrey's shoulder, but once we saw how excited she got and actually picked one up by it's wings (a big no-no in the butterfly house) we decided it was better for Aubrey to just observe. Oh yeah, don't ask me any of these species names. I could look them up, but who has that kind of time ;)

This last one is atually a moth. A HUGE moth! It's amazing that they only live for 5 short days...all part of a bigger plan I suppose.

Aubrey loved having grandma here to read so many books to! Thanks to grandma Aubrey now knows all about "choo choos" and can say scissors (lets just hope she doesn't get her hands on any anytime soon)! Thanks grandma for being such a great teacher!

Check out the cheese on this one. Random sidenote: Aubrey loves to take the camera and hold it up to her face like she's taking a picture and say 'SMILE' (and I think it is the cutest thing ever). Maybe she'll be a photographer. Goodness knows she could never be a model the way she refuses to look at the camera to get a picture!

This is how Aubrey feels about grandma leaving...come back soon Grandma -- WE LOVE AND MISS YOU (and bring grandpa back with you :)!

Thank Heaven for Little Girls!

2008-10-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

WOW...what a weekend! First let me start off by saying how blessed we are to have Eva in our family. Aubrey was always such a good baby, but Eva is such a HAPPY baby. She is always smiling and cooing, and it melts my heart everytime. With that said, we had her baby blessing this past Sunday and were blessed to have some family (and that includes Drew and Lynn who are practically family anyway) come and visit! I won't go into too much detail, but I just want the world to know that I love my little girls. It's amazing how much joy two little girls can bring to one family, especially when they don't even really talk. Nonetheless, they bring so much joy and laughter to our family and, at the risk of sounding cliche, I can't imagine my life without them! Here are some pictures from the festivities! We had a special triple birthday party for Ryan's mom, my mom, and my nephew Owen...HAPPY BIRTHDAY! We also played game after game (I still think that game of sequence was rigged), and brought the bull out for Aubrey's first ride! Thanks GG for making such beautiful dresses for the girls...they made them that much more adorable! We have the greatest family possible! We love y'all!

2008-10-01T06:25:00.000-07:00

No one knows better than my husband about my fetish for handbags. I would much rather shop for handbags than clothing...weird, I know. But true. So when Shannon (thanks Shannon :) emailed me this link I got all excited. If you are at all like me, with an undying love for handbags, visit handbag planet and see all the amazing handbags they have, and even enter to win a free one! LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT

Nana's Memorial Weekend

2008-09-23T07:08:00.000-07:00

Ryan's Nana (grandma) passed away last week so we made the 8 hour drive up to Toledo, OH for the memorial service. It was a great time to remember Nana and celebrate her life. It was also a great time to get together with family. I finally got to meet all of (well, most of) Ryan's cousins on his mom's side of the family (the Greek side). Thanks to Margie for letting us stay at your house, and Uncle Mike and Aunt Peggy for letting us all get together and trash your house :)! It is unfortunate the reason, but it was great to get together with family and enjoy one another's company! Here are some pictures from the weekend!

All of Nana's children

The cousins

Aubrey and Harley (she followed that dog around all weekend at Margie's house)

I know this is random, but I couldn't resist. We drove by the biggest cross I have ever seen! Anyone feeling it...

GG and Aunt Dee

Me and Ryan's cousin Andrea

Aunt Dee, and Ryan's cousin Kim and her thee ADORABLE kids. They were so sweet to Eva this weekend and showered her with love and gifts (literally -- they gave her a stuffed monkey that makes noise, and a book). These gifts were some of their own personal toys that they gave up so Eva would be happy. It was so sweet! Krista even sang Eva lullabies until she fell asleep, including her own version of Twinkle Twinkle.

GG, Uncle Al, Aunt Peggy, and Aunt Dee

Finally...the Lenahan Clan (minus Bubba who wasn't able to make it up)! What a good looking bunch ;)

Tour of Missouri

2008-09-17T06:31:00.000-07:00

We LOVE living in St. Louis! There are always fun things to do on the weekends, and the best part is you can always find something free (from the zoo to the science museum, and so much more). This past weekend we got a call from a friend who told us about stage 6 of the tour of missouri that was finishing in downtown St. Charles. Let me explain because I had absolutely no idea what that meant. Everyone has heard of the Tour de France (whether you're a cycling fan or not), well there are other "tours"--one of them being the Tour of Missouri. It was broken down into 7 stages (or days). The stage 6 finish and awards ceremony was in our town of St. Charles, so we decided to head downtown (and by downtown I mean quaint historic town with cobblestone streets and quirky shops) for the event. I also didn't realize, until we got there, how big of an event this was. I figured it was people from MO participating in a fun race. Apparantly I was wrong. It almost seemed as though there were more international cycling teams than domestic ones. Anyway...we had a lot of fun watching them cross the finish line for stage 6 and receive their various awards. We brought our camera, but the darn battery died on us before we got any pictures of the cyclists or the awards. Feel free to visit www.tourofmissourifanzone.com for some great photos and videos. Why am I posting this, you ask, if I don't have pictures to post? Well, I do...just not of the race. I have a few of the girls and then some of, well...you'll just have to scroll down to see what else (but be warned, it might make you quesy).

So you might say to yourself, "Self, what is wrong with some lady with really long, fake, manicured toenails?". Then I would respond by saying, "Sure, there may be nothing wrong with a woman with toes like these, but this is no woman". You heard correctly, these fabulously (and ridiculously) manicured toes, which Ryan and I are convinced were fakes, belonged to a man!

Our blue eyed beauty

I am one in 305,149,345...literally!

2008-09-15T06:53:00.000-07:00

Here are the results for Lacey Lenahan...

HowManyOfMe.com

There are
1
or fewer people with my name in the U.S.A.

http://howmanyofme.com">How many have your name?

And now for Lacey Smith...

HowManyOfMe.com

There are
276
people with my name in the U.S.A.

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Ryan Lenahan...

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3
people with my name in the U.S.A.

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Aubrey Lenahan...

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Evalyn Lenahan...

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All in all, we're a pretty unique family (and I'm not just talking about our names)!

Our baby girls!

2008-09-11T08:08:00.000-07:00

I can't believe how big Aubrey has gotten. She isn't a baby anymore...she's a little girl! And Eva is smiling like crazy (mostly at her daddy--another daddy's girl) and grows a new roll in her neck, arms, or legs just about everyday! Don't just take my word...see for yourself!

We were eating chocolate chip pancakes the other day and we thought this video of Aubrey eating was too funny! She's a chocoholic, just like her mama :). Does this remind anyone else of those "how to eat a resees peanut butter cup" commercials.

Bus driver...MOVE THAT BUS!!!

2008-09-10T18:46:00.000-07:00

Confession time. Those of you who know me know what a sucker I am for Extreme Home Makeover (not to mention Ty Penington :). And those of you who really know me know that I cry just about everytime I watch an episode. So when I dropped Ryan off at the Metro station this morning and heard that the big reveal in St. Louis was happening TODAY, and was open to the public, I went home, showered, and loaded the girls in the car. The girls could had no earthly idea why there crazy mom was dragging them to some strange place with hundreds of strangers only to roast in the hot sun, but I knew. They said the "move the bus" reveal was supposed to take place between 11 and 1 so we got there just before 11. If there is ever a reveal in your area, and you plan on attending, don't go when they say. Wait and go three hours later. Here's the short version of a very long 4 hours. We parked and took the shuttle (a big green school bus which scared Aubrey to death), to the house. We stood across the street (on an extremely steep hill). Aubrey kept slipping down the hill and running into people, and my toes were sliding down in my tennis shoes and really started to hurt. We were there for maybe 10 mintues when Ty came around the side of the house. After another hour or so (and appearances made by Paige, Eduardo, and Ed) nothing much had happened. Then the Ashley Furniture truck pulled up to unload furniture. Only the furniture was already in the house so this was purely for filming purposes (they unloaded and then reloaded the furniture into the truck and drove off). After about another hour, and two snacks and juice boxes later, still nothing. Then the bus came! And it drove off. And backed up. And drove off. And backed up...are you starting to get the picture? All for filming purposes. Then the limo pulled up behind the bus and a family got out of the limo. Only it wasn't the family who lived there. It was a "stage" family solely for filming purposes. It was at this point (and about 2:30 p.m. by now) that Aubrey made it quite clear that it was time for a nap. So after 4 hours of "sunbathing" in some strangers front lawn, waiting for a bus to drive off, we went home without accomplishing our primary goal (being part of the move the bus reveal). Was it worth it? As an avid fan of the show...YES! Would I do it again? Yes, only this time I wouldn't show up until an hour or two after they say the reveal will be. So tune into ABC in november for the STL reveal and look for me and the girls...we still might make it with as many film shots they took! And join in the "move that bus" chorus!

Me and my girls!

Isn't she just squeezable?!

Aubrey made a new friend who helped mommy out by holding and playing with Aubrey during our 4 hour stint.

The house...it was beautiful!

MOVE THAT BUS!!!

Hre is Ty running out to welcome home the family shot (the lady stood up right in the middle of my video :()

Here is the "family" driving up in the limo.

This was GREAT! We were waiting for the shuttle back to the parking lot and found this police officer dircting traffic. He is quite the dancer, though this video doesn' t show his greatest moves. Gotta love STL finest at their best :)

Advice desperately needed

2008-09-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

We are attempting to begin a new chapter in our lives of parenting. The past few days Aubrey has taken her diaper and then proceeded to go to the bathroom. Today she thought she would be especially cute and take her diaper off during naptime. When I came to get her out of her room she pointed out (in her birthday suit) that there was poop in her crib, on her blanket, and yes--even on the floor! After talking with my mom, I have decided to try potty training. I know she is only 18 months, but she thinks she is 3 and I am tired of cleaning up pee pee and poo poo from all over the house. Which brings me to my point of this post. Seeing as how this is my first child, I know very little (ok, pretty much nothing) about potty training and could really use help. Maryn, I know you just went through potty training Luke, and Mandy I know you're working with Owen. I know many others have won the potty training battle with their kids. I would appreciate any, and I do mean ANY, advice or techniques that you have found to be successful. IHopefully in the near future will have some battle success of our own. I, and our carpet, appreciate your help!

Life would be dull if it weren't for campaigning!

2008-09-03T14:08:00.001-07:00

It seems I can't go anywhere or do anything without hearing some political banter. How about you tell me why i should vote for you rather than why I shouldn't vote for the other candidate. I guess I just get sick of the negative nature of campaigning these days, that this video offered me a little comic relief amid all the uppercuts and right hooks of the political boxing ring. ENJOY! (Thanks Kara for passing this my way)!

Time for Some Campaignin' | Funny Jokes at JibJab

Our 18 month old is an addict...should we be worried?

2008-08-31T17:55:00.000-07:00

I am trying my best to get some pictures of Eva to post, but the silly girl has her days and nights completely mixed up and I can't keep her awake long enough to eat during the day, let alone to show off for a camera. I did my best, but this was all we got for today.

This was taken on the way to church, and needless to say, she fell asleep in the car on the way. Someone needs to inform her that the days are much more fun to be awake during ;)!

Aubrey's favorite thing in the world right now just happens to be Blue's Clues. I know we shouldn't condone TV watching, but hey, if it postpones getting her a real puppy, then bring on the Blue' Clues!

We're back!

2008-08-30T18:44:00.000-07:00

After what seemed like an eternity we are back up and running with internet service. We closed on our new house in St. Charles, MO two weeks ago and love it here! We took the girls to the St. Louis Science Museum today and Aubrey had a blast! Eva slept in her sling the entire time, so I'm sure she enjoyed it as well. As far as pictures...they will be coming soon. We have been so busy with the unpacking and sleepless nights that I admit I have been neglecting my camera since we moved here. I will put on some pictures from our outing today, but there arent' any of Eva since she was all snuggled up and you couldn't even see her sweet face. I will take pictures tomorrow and upload them so you can see how much our little Eva has changed. Once I get things situated around the house we will put up some pictures so you can see our new living arrangements! We have so much to be thankful for, and are so grateful for this time in our lives. We got our house in VA on the market and the first person to look at it made an offer. Granted, it wasn't what we were hoping for, but with the way the market is we were able to negotiate a price that we were both comfortable with and look forward to closing on Sept 26 (*fingers crossed*)! Both our girls are growing so fast. Aubrey had her 18 month check up and is weighing in at a whopping 22 lb 15 oz (25th percentile). She is in the 95th perentile for her height, so we have a tall slender one on our hands (we have no idea where she gets that from)! Eva had her one month check up and is also gaining weight. She came in at an astounding 9 lb 10 oz, which means she is gaining roughly a pound a week! Her arms and legs are chunky and her double chin grows every day :)! All in all, life is great, and we're grateful for such wonderful family and friends to share it with!

This was the shoe from the tallest man in the world. He as almost 9 feet tall and wore a size 34 she by the time he was 16!
Playing in the teepee

A special thanks to Maryn for the dress Aubrey is wearing. I know you sent it for Eva to wear next summer, but I thought it was TOO adorable to keep in a closet for a year, and it fit Aubrey perfectly (and looked so dang cute on her)! Thanks for keeping our girls stylish :) Maryn!

Introducing to society...Evalyn Marie Lenahan

2008-07-29T18:54:00.000-07:00

I know everyone is DYING to see pictures of our newest addition, so without further adue we would like to introduce you to Evalyn Marie Lenahan. She was born on Sunday, July 20 at 5:30 p.m. Ryan flew into town Saturday night and we went to bed at 12:30. I woke him up at 5:30 to get ready to go to the hospital. We arried at the hospital at 7 am with contractions every 5 minutes apart and dilated to a 3. They got to 3-4 minutes and then at 11:30 all but stopped! They were ready to send us home, to come back the next day for our scheduled inducement. However, someone forgot to actually schedule it with the hospital and they weren't able to get us in until wed or thursday (and Ryan had to fly back on sunday). That would only give Ryan 2 days at home with us before leaving again, and that was not ok with me. Needless to say, they let us stay in the hospital and started me on pitocin around 12:45. I don't remember exactly what time it was, but once I hit 6 cm they broke my water. They asked when I wanted my epidural, and up to that point my contractions were completely bearable so I told them I would wait a little longer. I spent the entire time out of bed walking around and mostly just chilling on the birthing ball while Ryan massaged my back and put wet washcloths on my forehead. They decided to check me again, and as soon as I crawled back into bed the contractions felt much much worse. Needless to say, I was now ready for the epidural. Only problem was that by this point I was dilated to 9.5 and nearly ready to push. So much for the epidural! I started pushing and she was out in no time at all. Long story short...I was grateful for the natural experience, but I'll be honest...I missed my epidural. But the result was priceless...and here she is!

Who says prearranged marriages are no good?

2008-07-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

Well, we think we may have found the one for Aubrey. As parents we seem to know what's best for our kids, and we're happy to announce that Gabe could quite possibly be "the one". He invited Aubrey over for a swim the other day and they loved it! They loved it so much that he invited her back the very next day and they swam again. To show her appreciation, Aubrey smothered Gabe with kisses! Here are some of my favs from the day!

Look at those faces...what a riot!

One of many kisses of the day!

Gabe got Aubrey first...

but Aubrey quickly retaliated!

Those curls kill me...I just love 'em (thanks daddy for passing them onto our daughter)

more kisses...

Who says you can't mix business with pleasure ;)!

Thanks Jenny for sending us copies of these pictures. I will be sure to post more pictures from our trip to St. Louis and Texas as soon as I find the cable to connect my camera to the computer! Until then...enjoy and we'll post again after this baby comes on MONDAY!

Our crazy lives...

2008-06-25T08:55:00.000-07:00

We have been in St. Louis for the past week and a half and have fallen in love with the area! There is so much to do (and the best part is that most everything is free). We went to the zoo last weekend (free) and had a blast. Unfortunately, in our quick departure, I left our cable that uploads our pictures to the computer in BV. I found some cute older ones that I will post, but I will give an update, as a lot has happened in the past week and a half. Aubrey and I made a new best friend named Angela. She is our realtor here and we spent a good three days with her last week looking at homes. The good news is that we have found one, and have a contract on it! It is a 4 BR, 2 BA split level in Saint Charles, MO with a HUGE backyard (which means we will get a dog soon). We fell in love with the house the minute we walked through it and are excited to close on August 4th. Aubrey also made another friend, this one a doctor. Aubrey got pink eye and an ear infection our first week here, but the medicine has helped and she is doing much better!

Aubrey and I fly down to Dallas tonight for a Smith family reunion, and Ryan will join us Friday evening. Ryan will fly back to STL while Aubrey and mommy drive back to VA with Grandma and Grandpa Smith, and Charlie where we will stay until the baby is born. Then in August we will fly to STL permanently and move into our new home! July and August will be months of big change for us!

Ryan is really enjoying his new job and even got invited by some big shot in corporate to a spin class. So Ryan got up bright and early this morning for a 5:30 a.m. spin class. I can just picure him on a stationary bike :)! He's doing really well and learning a lot. He took a practice test for his series 7 (or maybe it was his 63) liscence yesterday, and his boss said he shouldn't have any trouble passing. We'll keep our fingers crossed and our knees bent (as my dad would say), but know the Lord will continute to bless our quickly growing family.
Well, that is more than enough reading for one sitting (if anyone is still reading by this point), so until we get that darn cable back...enjoy these old pics of Aubrey from the library in Lexington!

Uncle Charlie's graduation

I know this video is sideways, but it was too cute not to post! Our little helper. She loves to observe people and mimicks just about everything she sees.

Memorial Day bliss!

2008-05-28T11:50:00.001-07:00

We had a blast on Memorial day with Grandma and Grandpa Smith. They took the three of us to the Virginia Safari Park and it was quite the experience! Aubrey absolutely loved the animals and got excited everytime one came up to the car. She would take one piece of grain from the bucket and hold it out for the animals to come and eat. Unfortunately, mommy is a bit overprotective and made sure the animals mouths never came close to her tiny fingers. The animals loved eating out of the buckets, and one animal even stole the bucket of feed out of Ryan's hands. One bucket down, three left. Then, the same animal went up to my mom and stole the bucket of feed out of her hands too. Another bucket down. Needless to say, we laughed until our sides hurt, and made lots of new "friends". We will certainly miss Buena Vista, and living so close to family! Enjoy some pictures from our trip to the park and then scroll to the end for the update on our job search -- we've finally made up our minds (don't skip to the end :)!

Yes, Aubrey is out of her car seat, but that is kosher at the safari park. It just wouldn't have been the same sitting in a car seat while the animals walked around outside the car. She loved it!

I've never seen a zebra this close up before! It was neat for Aubrey to see some of the animals we read about in her books up close and personal.
An ostrich...this was another first for me.
Watoosee catle...never even heard of one until I saw it at the park. They were pretty intimidating and one of them tried to attack my mom and get her food. It was funny to watch my mom pull back and roll up her window as fast as she did!
This llama looked like it had a glass eye, so naturally we had to take a picture and document it :)!
Here is a video of mom feeding one of the ostriches. They were a riot to watch eat!

Ok, so the promised update. Ryan interviewed in Atlanta, Roanoke, and St. Louis. St. Louis was our number one choice, for a number of reasons, and we had already heard back from the other two (they both wanted him). Wachovia Securities flew him out to St. Louis on a Wed. and they called him on Friday to offer him the position. The official offer wasn't available until after he passed his drug/fingerprint test and backround check (we were really nervous about that ;). Well, they finally came back with the official offer (numbers and dates and all) today and was actually considerably more than we were expecting. Ryan starts his new job with Wachovia Securities on June 16 (only two weeks away). Aubrey and I will stay here in VA (for insurance purposes) until the baby is born in July. We will really miss Ryan, but are so proud of him and how hard he has worked to provide for our growing family! So, if anyone is ever in the St. Louis area...you have some friends to visit and a place to stay :)!

A month's worth of life in a single post...I am good!

2008-05-21T13:07:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I know it's been forever since we've posted anything, but it has been an exciting, and eventful, month for the Lenahan clan. We took a trip down to Atlanta for one of Ryan's high school best friend's wedding...CONGRATS Kent and Holly! Ryan had job interviews in Atlanta, Roanoke, and St. Louis. I'll bet you're just dying to know which job we are taking (my amazing husband was offered all 3 jobs -- no surprise to me), but you'll have to check back later for an updated post about all of that. We got our tax return and thought we'd buy Aubrey a pool to play in since it is definitely warming up around these parts. Aaron, Mary, Georgi, and Hannah visited and Georgi was baptized...CONGRATS Georgi. We had a combined birthday party for Grandpa and Georgi and just enjoyed spending time with family. That has been our month in a nutshell, so scroll down for the proof of it all!

RANDOM PICS OF AUBREY...she is growing so fast and is SO much fun, and quite creative!

Aubrey is such a girl. She found one of my slips so Ryan turned it into a dress for her. Then she had to have the heels and necklace to go with it all. Our little fashonista (although we don't expect to see people walking around in a slip dress in public...what you people do in your own homes is your business ;)

Aubrey loves pens (she drew on the wall for the first time this month) so we're trying to teach her to write on paper and not the wall.

We just loved this picture...it really shows off her gorgeous eyes and dimple.

Aubrey loves to play the "where's Aubrey game" and believe it or not that is what she is doing here. She looks mad, but really is a happy little girl.

Aubrey and her friend Alexys found a box to play in and it occupied them for quite some time!

Ryan comes home from working out in the morning and makes a protein shake. Aubrey LOVES to sit down with him and share a shake with her daddy! Got milk anyone?

Aubrey's new position...she squats for everything!

SWIMMING FUN!

She spent the ENTIRE time climbing in and out, and very little time actually "swimming", but they had a blast!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GEORGI!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!
I had to put this picture up because it reminded me of the time that Will bought Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure for dad for Christmas (because Will really liked it). My mom gave my dad Enchanted as one of his gifts becasue she really liked it. The truth is that dad really liked it as well, so it ended up being a hit!

KENT AND HOLLY'S WEDDING!

Ryan and "the boys" from high school.

While we were in Atlanta, Scotty brought his dog Bentley with him and Aubrey just went nuts! He is the sweetest dog you will ever meet and the only damage done was when Bentley got excited and accidently knocked Aubrey over with his tail! She just followed him around and gave him kisses (yes, sloppy kisses). One of these days we'll get a dog.

Aubrey learned how to climb up on the table and thought she was such big stuff!

Aubrey was obsessed with the way her dress twirled when she spun around. She may have been the only one dancing at the time, but she sure entertained herself!

Aubrey discovered that Bentley likes her animal crackers just as much as she does!

Here is Aubrey and daddy sharing a protein shake in the morning. She is talking more and it is so fun to watch and hear!

Life in all it's random beauty...

2008-04-18T12:13:00.000-07:00

I just love this one. My two favorite people in the world. Aubrey loves her daddy, and daddy loves when she is calm enough to snuggle (which is rare -- she's a mover and shaker)!

I went to get Aubrey out of bed the other morning and this is what I found. She had tried to take her pajamas off, but somehow only manaed to get her head free. She then proceeded to take off her pants. I guess she hates the confining nature of clothes. We'll just hope it's a phase, and a quick passing one at that :)!

Thanks Heavenly Father for those eyes...they make us smile everyday!

Aubrey expereienced her first oreo during saturday morning session of conference. Needless to say, she LOVED it. She made this huge mess with only one oreo. Now that's talent!

I don't know what to say, other than...no, I just don't know what to say. She's so entertaining!

Popsicles and a high school play

2008-04-11T08:14:00.001-07:00

I have tried for the past two days to upload the video I took of Charlie in his play, but to no avail. I have given up and will post the pictures that I do have. Before the play my mom and dad came over for a quick BBQ...and what good is a cookout without popsicles. Aubrey LOVED her first popsicle, but couldn't quite grasp the idea of holding onto the stick. She just held onto the popsicle while her hands froze, but she didn't care. Then we went to Charlie's play, "Dinner and a Murder" and thoroughly enjoyed it. Charlie seems to excel in whatever he does (he is the goalie on the Varsity soccer team and punted the ball across the field and scored...yes scored from one end of the field all the way to the other). We're so proud of Charlie, his athleticism, acting talent, dance talent (he joined Aubrey for a dance party the other night), and his academic abilities (the kid is a genius). Anyway, we love you Charlie and thought we would take this time to tell you how proud we are of you and how much we love living near you (especially Aubrey)!

Charlie played the manager at a restaurant who hosts a murder night. One of the guests will really die, and an investigator is brought in to solve the murder and take the murderer to jail. It was very entertaining and Charlie was so much fun to watch!

Cherry Blossom Bliss!

2008-04-03T11:27:00.001-07:00

We have decided that we live too close to too many wonderful things, and that we need to take advantage of all the opportunities around us. Fortunately, Ryan's job allows him to take time off to make things like our trip to Washington D.C. possible. Every year in March/April there is a Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C. where there are thousands of Cherry Blossom trees in bloom. Not only is it gorgeous, it is a lot of fun with various activities and such. Unfortuntately, with two 1 year olds (Aubrey brought her friend Alexys with her), there is only so much time. Here is what we managed in half a day in the nation's capital.

We had to make a visit to the Museum of Natural History. There were lots of exibits, but we only made it to two of them. Here is the mammal exhibit. Aubrey and Alexys were amazed by all the animals in the room!

This one is my favorite. We went into the skeleton exhibit and here are the girls in front of a big fish skeleton making their very own fish faces (they love making fish faces)!
In the insect exhibit there was a tunnel to crawl through and all kinds of live insects. They even brought out live cockroaches and other creepy crawly things for the kids to hold. Needless to say the girls weren't intersted (or maybe it was mommy who wasn't interested, but they didn't know the difference :). They had fun just running around.
They loved looking in all the cases and seeing the different bugs and such. This is the neatest place for kids!
By the end of the day, they were both so tired that they fell asleep on the walk back to the car. There were a few moments, but overall, they were both angels the entire day!

The Jefferson Monument in all it's blossomed glory!
Break time on the mall. This was probably what the girls loved most -- getting to be outside at the mall running around. We had a picnic lunch and just had fun!

We parked and took the free shuttle into the city. It dropped us off at the Jefferson Monument which had this huge blossom tree out front. The girls just playing in all the petals on the ground until we took them away to see some sights. It was absolutely gorgeous everywhere!

Climbing the steps at the Jefferson Monument. That was a hike in and of itself but Aubrey was up for the task.
Our growing family. Aubrey was more interested in the rotunda of the Jeffeson Monument than the camera, but I suppose that's expected from a 1 year old!
We had a GREAT time and highly reccomend it to anyone in town during the season!

Who needs a car wash when you have a husband and a 1 year old?!

2008-04-03T10:56:00.000-07:00

We had such wonderful weather last weekend that Ryan ventured outside to go and wash our micro machine of a car. I should have known that wherever daddy goes, Aubrey must also go. So we joined him outside and it wasn't long before Aubrey was in on the action. She loved helping daddy and felt like such a big girl!

She did take a break to go and play with the ipod on the deck. She loves Michael Buble and at one point started conducting the music. Then she danced, but you can see that in a video later on in the post!
Car washing buddies
Aubrey dancing to Michael Buble. She loves music, and will dance anytime, and everytime, she hears any. She manages to take a break and give daddy a kiss, but only a brief break.

Here is Aubrey getting her hands wet. We can't wait for it to really warm up so she can go out and run in the sprinkler!

Naturally 7 and Michael Buble...OOO LA LA!

2008-03-24T11:18:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I rarely get a real date night. All that waiting really paid off...thanks to a good friend! We are both big fans of the acapella group Naturally 7, who happens to be touring with Michael Buble right now! We've had the opportunity to meet Naturally 7 in the past and are always excited to get to see them in concert. Well, when Kurt Walker (he's the man) offered us tickets to their concert with Michael Buble in Charlottesville, we jumped at the chance! Georgi, our HERO, offered to watch Aubrey while she slept so we could go out for the night. We had to pick up our tickets by 7:30 in Charlottesville (and hour and a half away) and were in such a hurry because we were running late that I forgot my camera!!! I reminded myself multiple times throughout the day not to forget my camera, but my memory failed me yet again. Thanks to Jenny and Google for providing the pictures (sorry about the size issue). Anyway, we went up with the Eldredge's and the Himes' and had a great time! We got to will call to pick up our tickets and found out that Ryan and I were not sitting with the other four. It all worked out because we had the most AMAZING seats! We were center stage (on the end of the row) nine rows, yes NINE rows, back! It was, for lack of a better word, AMAZING! Here are some pictures, although they don't do the experience any justice.

Here we are after the concert hanging out with Naturally 7. Their bus actually caught on fire the week before our concert, and they literally lost everything on the bus (including a few passports)! We're just glad they were all ok. They are so talented and I recommend that everyone visit You Tube and look up some of their videos!

Here is the story behind the glasses. Michael Buble, and just about his entire band, were wearing sunglasses the entire concert. Apparantly a spider bit Michael near his eye the night before while he was sleeping on the bus.
At one point he took his glasses off, but wouldn't uncover his other eye to show off the bite. It didn't matter much, he still sounded incredible!
What a stud...glasses and all!
One quick experience from the show. There was a little four year old girl (Cassie) sitting in the row right in front of us. She and her mom are both HUGE Michael Buble fans, and Cassie knew the words to literally EVERY song! It was impressive. The entire time Cassie was standing on her seat, waving at him, trying to get his attention. It paid off because at some point during the show he jumped off the stage and ran back the eight rows to her, picked her up, and gave her a kiss. We were literally two feet from him! It was quite the experience all around, so thanks again to Kurt for making it happen!

Froggy Invasion!

2008-03-11T16:48:00.000-07:00

Our house has been invaded by a frog that won't stop 'ribbiting' (if that is even a word), but we don't mind because this is the cutest frog we have ever seen!

Laughter...the best medicine!

2008-03-11T16:36:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder if we're crazy to be having another baby so soon after Aubrey. I realize that I am crazy, but all those sleepless nights and messy house seem to be numbed by moments like these. Aubrey was a riot the other night. She was laughing so hard and had us both laughing until our sides hurt. This, my friends, is what life is really about!

Sunny days and PB&J...the good, and somewhat sticky, life!

2008-03-06T17:04:00.000-08:00

So I have a small, and somewhat embarassing confession to make. Aubrey's friend Alexys comes over everyday, and this afternoon was so nice that we took some time to go outside. Last year we cut down a huge pine tree in our yard and havn't yet had the stump removed. The girls wanted to play on the stump, so I checked to see if there was any sap on it. It was bone dry so I let them play on it. They sat for a few pictures (they wouldn't look at the camera at the same time), and then when Alexys tried to get up her rear was stuck to the stump. She finally got herself unstuck, but her tush was covered in sap. Yeah, sticky sticky sap. After some quick research, and a little olive oil, and a round in the washing maching, the sap came off. Also take note of Aubrey's one mitten. She brought it to me and wanted to put it on (but just one) and wouldn't take it off. Our little Michael Jackson impersonator! Just another day in paradise!

Aubrey's new favorite food is PB&J. She chowed down at lunch the other day, and just looked so cute while doing it, messy/sticky face and all!

What a surprise!

2008-03-04T12:22:00.000-08:00

Everyone (at least Ryan, his mom, my mom, and myself) were sure baby #2 was a boy. We went in for our ultrasound today, and this is what popped up on the screen!

We are very excited to have another girl and I must admit I am a bit relieved to know that two children only 17 months apart will be able to play with doll/barbies, etc. together. Aubrey is sucha girly girl that I wonder if this one will follow in her big sister's footsteps. I have some girl names leftover from my pregnancy with Aubrey, but I don't think Ryan is convinced--YET ;)! Here is our little stinker's profile. She wouldn't stop moving through the entire ultrasound and it looked like she was dancing. If you know how to "see" ultrasounds, you can see her hand(s) above her belly as she "danced" through her big debut as a girl! My favorite part of our ultrasounds are always seening the baby's fingers and toes. Here is the top of her head and one of her feet/set of toes. Aubrey has gotten so big that I have forgotten how tiny these little ones come (and for that I am GRATEFUL)!
This one is probably my favorite picture from our visit. The little baby told me one day that she was bored all by herself in there so I swallowed a balloon animal and here she is playing with it. I think it might have been a giraffe!

Well, this is the latest news on our newest addition. We feel so very blessed to be having another beautiful (I just know she will be :) baby girl, and are grateful just to see how healthy she is! Noting beats being a parent...NOTHING!!!

The morning after

2008-02-25T06:53:00.000-08:00

Here is our little princess the morning after all the festivies. Being the girl she is, her favorite present was this baby carrier from Midge and Cory. She carries it all around the house and rocks the baby in it. It is the first thing she goes for when she wakes up in the morning! Thanks Cory and Midge (Cory actually picked it out -- way to go) for the great gift!

Three generations (Ryan, Aubrey, and Aubrey's baby who remains unnamed until she is old enough to pick one out herself)!

She had her cake and ate it too (well, picked at it)!

2008-02-25T06:14:00.000-08:00

I must confess, I was hoping that Aubrey would make more of a mess with her cake, but I am realizing more and more what a girly girl she is. Not only does she love cell phones, jewelry, clothes (strange, but she really does have a fetish for clothes), and makeup (she loves to sit in front of the mirror with my makeup brushes and "put it on"), but she loves to take baths and apparantly hates getting her hands messy. The first video is Aubrey at her first attempt at her cake. Even with coaxing from mommy, she still refused to dig in...until we gave her a fork (video 2) and then she started to eat it. We have quite the little girl on our hands, but what a sweetheart!

Somebody turned 1, and we partied hard!!!

2008-02-24T18:02:00.000-08:00

Ok...so I realize this is our first child, and it was her first birthday, but I couldn't help but go overboard with pictures of her big day. Ryan took control of the camera while I tried to make sure everything ran smoothly (which it did)! Aubrey takes after her dad when it comes to her sociality, because she is the queen of social butterflies! We invited just about every friend she had and everyone seemed to have a great time (we really missed all our family and friends who weren't with us, and hope Hannah's party was lots of fun too)! Here are some pictures from her big day! We actually had to wake her up from her nap a little early when her friends started coming (hence the bed head hair), but she fared well! Enjoy this way too long stream of pictures!

Aubrey is such a girl...she loves lip gloss and cell phones (among many others), as demonstrated in this picture.

Charlie and Ryan's dad just hanging out!

Aubrey with GG (Ryan's mom)!

Let me explain. I am a stay at home mom with no car. I have nothing but time on my hands while Aubrey is sleeping so I decided to have a little fun with her birthday cake. I am not the artist in my family so you will notice many imperfections with the cake (i.e. crooked door and flowers...etc.), but I had a lot of fun making it and it tasted yummy (what birthday cake doesn't?)! Then I realized we probably wouldn't have enough cake for all the guests so I made another cake (way too much free time), this one was a bathtub. Needless to say, the cakes took a back seat to the birthday girl, but that's the way it should be.

The Gabester pushing the baby in her stroller!

We had a slight princess theme at the party (I found this Cinderella Halloween costume for a great deal and just had to buy it), so Aubrey got to dress up in her pretty costume. I'm hopeless I know, but she was just so darn cute in it :)!

This was just the cutest picture I've ever seen, thanks to Ana Julia! What a sweetheart! Aubrey is blessed with so many wonderful friends!

Our little buddy Trae. He is so adorable and it was nice to have a little more testosterone to the party...thanks Trae!

This is the part of the pictures where we take a minute to thank so many wonderful friends for coming and supporting Aubrey! Thanks everyone...you really are the greatest!

Midge and Cory Sullivan

Paul, Nikki, and Alexys Tobias (foget the shirt...GO HEELS)!

The Grawrocks (minus Matt who was at practice).

The Eldredge Family

Good old Jordan (he's single ladies :)

The Jolley Family

Little Kira Jolley (not pictured with her family above) who impressed us all by sleeping through most of the noise!

The Mason family

Marian and Ben Griffin

Sara and Pete Hansen

Steve, Renee, and Moana

Charlie and Hang Tao

The Adams Family

Andrea Stuart (our #1 babysitter)

Last, but certainly not least, Nicki and Amber Hadfield with their beautiful girls Zara and Ana Julia (Marc and Matt couldn't make it)!

We have all been blessed with such wonderful friends here in Buena Vista!

A day at the soccer field

2008-02-18T07:20:00.000-08:00

Saturday was such a nice day that Ryan went and played soccer with Charlie, Georgi, and some of their friends. Aubrey and I tagged along, but had our fun. Here are some of the classic Aubrey faces...she's such a riot!

Aubrey managed to sneak into Uncle Charlie's bag and took out his water bottle. She's such a determined little girl -- when she wants something, she just takes it (we're working on the sharing thing but she's taking her time grasping that concept).
Once she had enough water she kept digging through his bag to try and find somethig else worth while, but only managed to find some dirty shin guards. Better luck next time Aubrey!

Per Jamie and Maryn's request

2008-02-18T07:10:00.000-08:00

I will preface this with the warning that it is not a pretty sight. It has proven all too true that you get bigger faster with baby #2, and so I have. We are 17 weeks today and I am already sporting a pretty descent sized belly bump (much bigger than the same time during my last pregnancy). With Aubrey I refused to take pregnant pictures, and now I regret it. One of my goals with this pregnancy is to put that stubborn "Smith pride" aside and succumb to the camera. Here is the result...thanks Jamie and Maryn for your request (it made me take the pictures)!

Happy Valentines Day Daddy!

2008-02-14T08:42:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day Daddy! We just wanted to let you know we were thinking of you and can't wait until you get home from work! Hugs and kisses from your two favorite girls!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNT KIKI!!!

2008-02-13T09:52:00.000-08:00

Today is a special day because it is Christina's (Ryan's sister) birthday! Aubrey was so excited she wanted to do something special for the birthday girl. Since we couldn't fly up to NYC and visit, Aubrey thought this was the next best idea. We miss and love you Chrisina, and hope you have a WONDERFL birthday! We will be thinking of you!

She's actually waving in this picture but I managed to cut off the top of her hand on accident (another reason I will never make it as a professional photographer)!

This is the onsie that Christina designed/made for Aubrey for Christmas. It says Little Lenahan and is so stinking cute! Thanks again Aunt Kiki!

Those are Aubrey's handprints that we traced and cut out to put on the sign! She is growing so much, and so quickly!

We love you Aunt Kiki!

She's walking!

2008-02-11T07:03:00.000-08:00

Ok, so she's only starting to walk, but she's picked it up fast! She will take up to 10+ steps at at time (when she's not tired), and is growing so fast! She is so much fun and I just love getting to be at home with her all day and just watching her as she learns new things. I can't believe that she is going to be 1 year old in less than two weeks! Where does the time go?! It's hard to think that I can love another baby as much as I do her, but I know that when this little one comes it will just happen (or so I hear)! We find out the sex of baby #2 on March 4 and will keep everyone updated. Here is a video of her walking the other day...she's such a riot!

"One word says it all...'beautiful'"

2008-02-02T17:16:00.000-08:00

This is how I will always remember President Hinckley -- laughing and enjoying life with his dear companion Marjorie Pay Hinckley. What a beautiful couple, and inspiration to us all...and yes, beautiful!

We had the wonderful opportunity this afternoon to watch the funeral services for our dear Prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley. He left a legacy that will not, and could not, be forgotten. I marveled as I watched the service at how much good one person can have on the entire world. The truly amazing part is that, despite the millions of lives he touched, each person felt it personally (at least I did). I was moved at the memories and stories shared about him and his goodness during his life of church service and dedication to his family, and began to reflect on the impact he has had on my life personally. Feel free to read on or skip right over, but I felt such gratitude that I wanted to share these precious memories (with a disclaimer that some of these experiences show my definite imperfections and knowing that I have since repented).

1. As a freshman at BYU I remember attending a fireside at the Marriott Center where President Hinckley spoke. Everyone remembers, I'm sure that talk on piercings, tatoos, and raves. I had at the time multiple piercings and admit that my initial reaction was that President Hinckley was an old fashioned man. I was keeping the standards of the church and saw no need to remove my extra earrings -- so I didn't. I remember reading my scriptures one evening and came across the verse in 1 Nephi 3:6 that talks about how Nephi didn't murmur against his father. The foot note for not murmuring says "Sustaining Church Leaders". I was overcome with emotion as I realized my error. I loved President Hinckley and had a testimony of his divine call. However, I realized that I had raised my hand to sustain him, and yet my actions were contrary to that. Amid tears, I remember taking earrings out and finally realizing what it meant to sustain a prophet. My testimony of President Hinckley as the Prophet called of God for that time was strengthened and I will forever be grateful for the chastising hand of a loving Father in Heaven.

2. This next experience took place on my mission. I asked to meet with my mission president with the hopes of being able to extend my missionary service an extra transfer. President Crouch, a wonderful and inspired man, sat me down and I asked for an extension. I distinctly remember our conversation, which went something like this:

"Sister Smith, who signed your mission call?"

"President Hickley did."

"Who called President Hinckley as the Prophet?"

"The Lord did."

"So in essence, who is it that really called you?"

"The Lord."

"Do you really want to second guess the timing of the Lord Sister Smith?"

Needless to say, I returned home on my original scheduled date, but my testimony of prophets, and President Hinckley, was taken to a new level that day. I realized more fully that the prophet truly is called to speak on behalf of the Lord, literally. What a blessing to have a living mouthpiece for the Lord on the earth, and what a tragedy that more people don't have that knowledge. I guess the pressure is on us more than ever now to share it with the world.

3. This was a story about President Hinckley I learned while serving my mission on Temple Square. I was serving in the Beehive house and in Brigham Young's bedroom is a can and hat. I think there were actually multiple canes but I can't remember for sure. Anyway, when it came time for President Hinckley to start using a cane, he had one specially made. During the time it was being crafted, he asked to use Brigham Young's cane, saying that "if it was good enough for him it will be good enough for me." What a sweet and humble man who never put himself above others and always treated everyone with equal love and respect!

The list could go on and on, but I fear I have lost all readers by now so I will wrap up my thoughts with this line from one of the songs sung at his funeral (written by President Hinckley). It says, "Let hope and faith transcendent bloom". That was President Hinckley's wish for each one of us and I will do my best to follow his counsel, and the counsel of all the worthy men God calls to lead us in these last days.

Aubrey's First Piano Recital

2008-01-29T18:16:00.000-08:00

For as long as I can remember Aubrey has loved music. She loves to dance and even "sings" along with music in the car sometimes. We went to an open house for Ryan's office the other day and they had Elizabeth Bouchelle and Nate Pence provide some entertainment. Aubrey kept going back to the room with the keyboard and Elizabeth picked her up and sat her on her lap. Aubrey jumped right in and started playing the paino and changing the tempo/settings on the keyboard! She did a great job and was the hit of the party (she always is :)!

Fun with friends!

2008-01-29T17:57:00.000-08:00

Aubrey has had the opportunity lately to get together with lots of friends. Gabe came over to play and Aubrey just loves to follow him around and bombards him with hugs and kisses to the point that he just wants to get away. Our little flirt!

Aunt Georgi comes over every once in awhile and Aubrey loves getting to play with her. She loved the hood to Georgi's jacket and I loved how it brings out the blue in her eyes!

Drew and Lynn came through for a visit and stayed on the air matress at our house. Alexys and Aubrey had a blast playing all over it! They have a blast doing just about anything together!

Drew, Lynn, and Aubrey! We loved getting to spend some time with them!

Quite the pair these two! It is so fun just to watch them when they get together!

The up-and-coming Mormon Missionary Band

2008-01-14T12:44:00.000-08:00

We had the missionaries over for dinner the other night, and -- no surprise to us -- Aubrey was the center of attention. She crawled all over the table (yes, we let her) and, together with the missionaries, proved her musical talents. Now, for your entertainment...put your hands together for Aubrey and the missionaries!

"It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood..."

2008-01-14T12:31:00.000-08:00

We went to the park with Nikki and Alexys, and Aubrey had a great time! It was hard for her not being able to walk around (which she is getting closer to), so she LOVED the tunnel.

She also enjoyed the swing, but that took a little more coaxing. Here are Aubrey and Alexys on the swings! Two of the cutest girls you will ever see...EVER :) !

Our little angel...from all angles!

2008-01-14T12:18:00.000-08:00

Don't let her small size fool you...our little girl LOVES to eat (and loves making a mess while doing it)! Growing a beard I suppose. She really wants to be like her daddy!

Grandpa and GG gave this car thing to Aubrey for Christmas and she loves to play in it. It makes all kinds of noises and she loves that! However, her favortite present of all was this baby doll. She loves to hold it, pat its back, and read books to it. She is all ready to be a big sister!

Her next favorite thing...talking on the phone (which she also gets from her dad)!

Sleeping. She will fall asleep anywhere so don't turn your back for a second. This she also gets from her dad. Here she is sleeping in her highchair.

Christmas in ATL!

2008-01-14T11:47:00.000-08:00

We had a great time in Atlanta for Christmas! We got to spend time with family and meet up with old (and new friends). Juliana was a joy to meet and is such a cute little girl! Aubrey couldn't get enough of her and is going to be such a good big sister come July! It was also good to see Will and Natalie :)!

Aubrey loves bananas, but we aren't sure if she's trying to eat it or blow some kind of horn and call everyone to breakfast. Either way, she loves bananas!

Aubrey also got to play with Berkley. She just followed him around the house as he tried to escape her overbearing sociality. It's so fun to watch her interact with other children! It was also great to see Christine and Mark!

She loves climbing. Bananas and climbing...sounds like a monkey to me. At least monkey business!

Aubrey loves her Grandpa Lenahan, who shows a striking resemblance to a well-known holiday celebrity. Scroll down to see who...

Our baby blue eyes! She just makes our hearts melt!

GG, Aubrey and mommy at the mall on our visit to Santa! She was so tired that she wouldn't even sit on Santa's lap, and he's her grandpa! She only seemed to want daddy. What can I say, we have a regular daddy's girl on our hands.

Opening presents Christmas morning. Needless to say she wasn't interested in the slightest in opening presents. Daddy ended up opening them all for her, but she loved all her new toys!

Our little pig-tailed princess!

Then Lenahan Clan in its entirety (I have no idea how to spell it, and no desire to look it up :), including Kelly and Tracy! We had a blast visiting with them!

GG and "Santa" (better known to us as Grandpa)! He played Santa at a mall in Macon and all those kids over a month's time really wore him out. We were glad to get him back though on Christmas Eve!

The Lenahan Elves

2007-12-04T06:42:00.000-08:00

This is absolutely worth your time...but only if you're ready to laugh your head off! Thanks Melissa for letting us know about this!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1159810470

Thanksgiving...Texas style!

2007-11-27T08:35:00.000-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving dinner at Travis' house, thanks to all you wonderful domesticated women in our family who made such wonderful dishes! Aubrey didn't get to eat turkey with us, but she did get to eat applesauce and carrots, and even got a few bites of grandma's yams, which she LOVED!

We did our Smith family Christmas gift exchange after dinner. Aubrey had Hannah and bought her this Hannah Montana guitar/ear set. Needless to say, Hannah Montana has nothing on Hannah Wilson!
A little post turkey nap...ZZZZ
They quickly dropped like flies
Even grandpa Smith joined in!
The happy couple responsible for all the craziness (without them none of us would be here)!

Me and Dallin...what a cutie!
Whose face is sillier? They both look like they have some Smith blood in them!
Just having fun!
The girls loading their plates!

Hyrum soon followed.
The "kids" table...(I think we're missing a few -- Will, Hyrum, Heber, Ryan...)
Spencer got to eat some jello and LOVED it!
Loved it so much he kept on eating!
Lauren and Georgi on the trampoline! Two cuter seven year olds just don't exist!

The turkey bowl boys!
The "old" guys played the "young" guys and all were feeling it after the game! They had a great time and then went inside to the garage theater room Travis set up and watched the Cowboys woop up on the Jets (we were in Dallas)!
Lauren and Georgi jumping around!

I have posted tons of pictures this morning so you may have to view some older posts because I don't think they all fit on the first page!

More partying...

2007-11-27T08:16:00.000-08:00

Is Travis cutting the cake or eating whatever is leftover? You tell me!

Lauren, Hannah, and Logan enjoying the yummy cake.
A future food critic? I definitely see some potential :)!
Mommy and Aubrey blowing kisses to our birthday boy (we love you Ryan)!
Aubrey and Brooke. Brooke did a great job playing mommy and was very careful when picking her up (which she loved doing the entire weekend)!
I don't think this picture needs any explanation...Spencer is just too cute for words!
The cousins! What a good looking family :)
Little Hailey...what a sweetheart!

Happy Birthday...Texas style

2007-11-27T07:20:00.000-08:00

While in Texas we celebrated Luke, Ryan, and Hyrum's birthdays! They all turned 2 ;)!

Here are the birthday boys!

Luke was obsessed with the balloons (mostly at his dad's urging)...

and actually managed to get one off! Pure sugar...MMMM!

It was great to watch Luke eat the balloon. He is such a good little kid and just nibbled at it while most two year olds would have shoved the entire thing in their mouth!

Here is a video of Luke and the balloon. You will hear Will in the backround egging him on.

Here is the video of the wonderful Smith vocal talents (or lack thereof). Pure entertainment!

Deep in the heart of Texas...

2007-11-27T07:11:00.000-08:00

We flew down to Dallas, TX for a Thanksgiving family get together. Before all the Thanksgiving day festivities we had to experience Texas, Texas style. So we headed down to the Fort Worth Stockyard for some Riscky's BBQ! Talk about tasty pork ribs...MMM...MMM...MMM (don't believe me? Look at the next picture)!

I won't even begin to explain this one...just look and feel your mouth salivate!

Aubrey took her first ride in a saddle, and was a pro. It looks like we have a first rate cowgirl on our hands! And what good is a trip to the stockyards without a horse drawn buggy ride. Aubrey took it like a champ, and I can hear her voice in my head asking for a pony for Christmas. Good luck Aubrey, I asked for pony year after year and still don't have one!

A little bathtime fun!

2007-11-14T07:20:00.000-08:00

Aubrey LOVES to get in the bathtub. I take her into the bathroom and start running the water and she kicks her feet and tries to jump in the tub with her clothes on. Her hair, while strait when dry, looks more like this when wet...curls galore! I am smitten with Aubrey's eyes, and that seems to be the first thing people notice about our little rascal! Just wanted to share some cute pictures with everyone!

I love this one because you can see her two teeth if you look close enough!