Mama's Little Helper

Tony just couldn't resist taking a picture when he saw his little angel go sit at the table to help Mommy sew some burp cloths for a baby shower. Acacia loves sitting at this table, and she really enjoys trying to help Mommy with any project. Unfortunately, Mommy isn't sure that Acacia is actually helping. Nonetheless, I love her company and I hope I can teach her a few things here and there.

Here Comes Santa Claus

Christmas 2008

Luca and Acacia got to sit on Santa's lap at the Ward Christmas party. Wow, they've grown up a lot since last year's photo. Thank goodness Santa didn't have his "naughty or nice" list because our little Luca would have been devastated to hear he was getting a lump o' coal for Christmas! Luca is a little maniac, a complete handful and despite all his craziness, we love him immensely.

Christmas 2007

THIS GIRL CAN EAT!!

OKAY, this little girl is somewhat serious about her food! This is her typical first breakfast of the day, minus the handful of cheerios that I didn't put on her tray yet. Her typical breakfast consists of: 2 eggs, a banana, and cheerios. Or, a bowl of oatmeal, banana and cheerios. She eats this about 7:45- 8:00 before Jazzercise, and then requires a snack of cheerios/fruit/or crackers about 9:00 just after arriving to Jazzercise. I'm telling you, she never stops eating! For those of you who know me very well, please note that the food on Acacia's tray are both foods that I despise for myself. I cannot stand bananas or eggs (unless they are hard-boiled). I have made a very wise choice to feed my children everything I don't like. I'm very grateful for that choice because both Luca and Acacia love everything I hate. Eggs, bananas, oranges and raisins.

There are a few rules that all should know about Acacia's feeding time:

1. When she's hungry, give it to her now! (or you'll be sorry)

2. Don't mess with her food!

3. If you're eating, you better be prepared to share with this little piggy or you'll never hear the end of it.

4. She doesn't want the foo foo food at mealtime anymore. It better be real food or else!

5. There must be a snack available at all times. To be unprepared with a snack could create a dramatic/traumatic tantrum.

6. Beware. This little girl EATS all the time!!

I don't think Acacia's belly is ever full. Thank goodness for a fast Varga metabolism.

Hiking the Forest Falls

We went for a fun little family hike to Forest Falls. We all had fun and there was only one little mishap (note last picture).

Acacia was thrilled to ride on Uncle Kenny's shoulders. Kenny originally put Luca on his shoulders and was running around with him making him laugh hysterically. Acacia thought it looked like so much fun that she followed Kenny around anxiously waiting a turn. She was ecstatic when it was her turn. What an awesome uncle. What an even awesomer (I'll make up a new word) brother!!

Daddy's little girl loved the hike. She didn't want to be held too much. She begged and pleaded every time we picked her up to be let down. It didn't seem like such a bad idea to let her roam around a little bit, but we were wrong. (Again, note the last picture).

Luca loved chasing around Uncle Kenny. Kenny is a lot of fun for my children.

This tree is hollowed out because it's been struck by lightning. It was an awesome tree, so we couldn't pass up the opportunity for a quick photo shoot. They are actually standing inside the trunk of the tree.

Look closely at the third eye in the middle of Acacia's forehead. She face planted right into a nice big rock. It broke my heart. She only screamed for about a minute and then wanted right back down to start exploring again. She loved collecting rocks. Actually it was holding a rock that calmed her down after her little mishap. The rock made everything all better. She's such an outdoors little girl. I guess she was born into the right family.

Cousin Bonding Time

There's never a dull moment when the cousins are around!! Kirsten, Keith (my older bro), Eliot and Quincy came down for a visit over Thanksgiving break. We love it when family visits--even though it can be a bit exciting and dramatic when there are a lot of people in our quaint little home.

Acacia and Quincy are exactly 6 weeks apart. They had fun playing together, but I don't think Quincy ever got used to Acacia's desire to poke, prod and hug her. Acacia loves other children and babies. I am always reminding her to be "SOFT". She gets really excited by other children, and Quincy seemed to be someone who really sparked Acacia's interest. One day these little angels will be the best of friends!

Here's my little Indian and Eliot the turkey. We had a lot of fun with Eliot. She is one of the smartest little ladies I know. Luca loves Eliot and is very protective of her. It's really special to watch their interaction. She is really good with Acacia too. My children absolutely love their cousins!

Bright Red Hair and Big Blue Eyes. Can you get any cuter?

Growing Up With Jazzercise

I started with this great form of exercise back in 2004. Luca was almost 5 months old and I had a few more prego pounds to loose, so I said "what the heck" and went with a friend who invited me. I didn't think there was a chance I'd enjoy group exercise, but I guess 4 and a half years later I can safely assume I was wrong. I love Jazzercise. Luca grew has grown up going and knows it's part of Mommy's regular routine. Acacia has been going since she was about 3 weeks old. I think one of the greatest things about taking my children with me is that they see the importance of exercise--and that it can be fun. Acacia has been dancing since she was a tiny infant and she has always responded to music. I blame that on the fact that I was dancing my way though my entire pregnancy with her. She loves Jazzzercise and it's common routine for her to always come out of the nursery after class and go straight for my water bottle and my Jazzercise bag. Luca and Acacia have bonded with all my Jazzercise buddies and it's like their second home. The awesome thing about Jazzercise is that even though I've been doing it for a long time now, it still kicks my BUTT!!

This Blog Has Been Invaded!!

Hello everyone this is Tony!
Janice has been doing a wonderful job with her blog, but I thought I would take a moment to invade it. I have read on another blog, yes yours Dana, that most people think blogs are used by mothers to brag about their children. We have two wonderful children and there is a lot to brag about with them, but that is not why I am invading. All bragging aside, I wanted to take up some space to let everyone know how great my children's mother is. She asked me the question a while ago "why do you love me?". The thoughts started going through my head a million miles an hour "...for every reason that there is...", "...because you are a wonderful person...", "...because you are a great mother...", but I could not put together words that expressed my true love, only generic sounding phrases that made her give me that look. I stumbled across the following and thought yea, thats it! Janice I love you, please enjoy.

Does Love need a Reason......?
Once a lady when having a conversation with her lover, asked:
Lady : Why do you like me..? Why do you love me?
Man : I can't tell the reason.. but I really like you..
Lady : You can't even tell me the reason... how can you say you like me? How can you say you love me?
Man : I really don't know the reason, but I can prove that I love you.
Lady : Proof? No! I want you to tell me the reason. My friend's boyfriend can tell her why he loves her but not you!
Man : Ok..ok!!! Erm... because you are beautiful,
because your voice is sweet,
because you are caring,
because you are loving,
because you are thoughtful,
because of your smile,
because of your every movements.
The lady felt very satisfied with the man's answer.
Unfortunately, a few days later, the Lady met with an accident and went in comma.
The Guy then placed a letter by her side, and here is the content:
Darling,
Because of your sweet voice that I love you...
Now can you talk? No! Therefore I cannot love you.
Because of your care and concern that I like you..
Now that you cannot show them, therefore I cannot love you.
Because of your smile,
because of your every movements that I love you..
Now can you smile? Now can you move?
No, therefore I cannot love you...
If love needs a reason, like now,
There is no reason for me to love you anymore.
Does love need a reason? NO!
Therefore, I still love you...and will always love you....

When The Park Calls. . .We Come Running

Since there is a small park across the street from our house, we find that it beckons to our children--a lot. Luca is always asking to go ride his bike at the park, and Acacia has gotten to where she begs to go outside.

Luca is a speed demon on his bike. He loves to show off and ride really fast. What a stud!

Acacia loves the swing. It brings lots of grins and giggles.

Luca has gotten to be quite good at riding his scooter. It used to make me nervous when he'd ride it, but now he just has a blast, and zips around the corners at super speed. He's such a boy.

This is one of Acacia's newest things. She loves to push herself on this little tricycle. She's obviously way too small for it, but it doesn't keep her from trying to ride it. She loves her helmet and will sit on the bike and scoot herself forward. Nothing makes her happier than being outside playing with Luca on the bikes and his truck.

There she goes--kind of.

So Long Soccer

Luca's soccer season ended last weekend. Luca was kind of bummed, but was ecstatic when he got his soccer medal from his coach. He had a little party the day of his last game. The team had a great time, ate a lot of pizza and then went and kicked some tooshie in their last game. Luca played really well and the team one their final game. Yeah!!

We are so proud of our little rugrat. He's awesome. I love you Stinker Bug!

OOOH LA LA!!

Okay, this little lady is seriously out of control. One morning I came out of the shower and found that my lovely, darling, sweet, innocent daughter had gotten into one of my drawers and pulled out a pair of flamed g-string underwear and put it over her head. The first thing I did, after laughing of course, was grab the camera. So, here is my sweet precious darling with a g-string around her neck. Silly girl!

Thanksgiving for Tiny Tots

The Thanksgiving party

at Luca's preschool was

loads of fun for all the

tiny tots. There was

a lot of yummy food and

cool art projects. Luca

and I made turkey

cupcakes to share.

(Thanks Alice!) Luca

really enjoyed making

a beaded necklace and

his Indian hat. His

Indian name was

Stinker Bug. I made

a hat for Acacia too and

she loved it. She was

my little Stinker Beetle.

She wore the hat a lot

and boy was she

adorable. Luca and his

friends made shakers

out of old water bottles

and they made music

with them. Acacia

thought that was fun

too, and she got a

shaker of her own to

play with. These

two children are so

adorable together.

I love the way they

interact and how much

fun they have together.

Our Superstar

Luca is our little go getter. He's nearing the end of his first soccer season and even though he knows it's ending, it is going to be a tough day for him when he realizes there are no more practices or games for a while.

He loves soccer. He

isn't nearly as

aggressive as I would

have imagined him

to be, but he sure

does enjoy playing,

and he has a lot of fun

with his teammates.

Luca has really

improved over the

season. He has

become quite an

awesome little

defender. He is the

first to volunteer to be

on defense. He has

become pretty good

at keeping the ball

out of the goal when

he's playing defense.

At this young age,

there is only one

defender and it's usually

Luca.

Luca enjoys sharing his half time snack with Acacia. Today they had grapes, and Luca tore off half of each of his grapes to give them to his baby sister. Luca really is such an awesome big brother.

HEAD ON!

Seriously, Acacia puts everything she can on her head. It's quite hilarious sometimes, but most of all it is so dang cute and brings a smile to our faces all the time.

This morning when Luca got dressed he left his pj's on the floor. Acacia quickly picked up his pj shorts and put them on her head. She does this anytime Luca leaves things on the floor. She's even done it with his underwear. After she puts it on her head, she proceeds to playing with her toys and her brother. It doesn't seem to bother her one bit that something is on her head. I think she's got a strange head thing goin' on.

Acacia got so excited about putting this hat on her head that she started dancing and singing. This is one of the cutest parts of her personality. She dances a lot and she's always trying to tell us something.

When Luca came home from soccer practice one cold night this week, he threw his beanie on the floor and Acacia scooped it up, put it on her head and went to scrounging around the bathroom cupboards. Cute. Cute. Cute.

Acacia loves to put Luca's hats on. She usually puts them on backwards and then walks and crawls around the house smiling and singing. Maybe she thinks she's a hat model or something, because she sure does get excited to have hats on her head. (Yes, if you haven't noticed, my daughter drools a lot. She's had a super leaky mouth since the day she was born. The perpetual drooling ruins a lot of outfits!)

Water Rat

Luca has been going to swimming lessons for a few months now. He takes lessons at the YMCA. We absolutely love the YMCA, it's a great family place and his teacher is awesome. Luca is becoming very comfortable in the water and has a lot of fun when it's time for swimming. He loves the water and has turned into quite the little water rat. He is pretty much always the first to volunteer for everything. Right now they are working on freestyle and the back stroke. He is getting a lot better at holding his breath and now loves to dive to the bottom of the pool. I'm so glad that Luca enjoys swimming; it really isn't work for him at all, it's playtime.

My Soap Box (you may not like this)

All these protests and rallies against the passing of California's Prop 8 has really impacted my tiny little mind. I have had a difficult time with this issue since it was first brought up in a Sacrament Meeting months and months ago. I was confused to why the church leadership would get involved politically when my understanding was that the church didn't get involved with political issues. Since that time, there has been clarity as to why the church leadership made the decision to encourage church members in California to dig into their pockets and contribute money and of course oodles of time in behalf of Prop 8. As a member of a very active and motivated ward/stake, I saw hundreds of people, including many friends and even my own husband donate time money and a lot of energy into the passing of this bill. All the while, I was struggling with my own thoughts about the rights and/or privileges we are entitled to as citizens of this great nation. Tony and I had countless discussions because I was trying desperately to understand why this was such a huge issue. I guess I have always felt that people have the right to choose what they will, and then they will be subject to the consequences of those decisions. I read the articles put out by the first presidency, listened to many talks, had countless conversations and received countless emails regarding the subject of same sex marriage, but I still felt confused.
One Sunday a friend of ours, who happens to be a high council speaker, spoke about this subject and finally shed a different light and perspective on the issue. Basically, in short he was talking about how we may not understand all the reasons or consequences of this proposition at this time, but we must trust the Lord and His Prophets--that they would never lead us astray. Okay, that means we need to be obedient--that I get.
Bear with me for a moment while I expand on a particular weakness/strength (I'm not sure which one it is at this time) I have. I have this drive toward tolerance of views, beliefs and opinions. This is not to be mistaken for a tolerance of unruly, disruptive and violent behavior. We live in a wicked world where morals and virtue are not held in high standard. We also live in a very diverse country where people are entitled to their own ideas and opinions--about everything. I am a very opinionated person--who knew--but agree or disagree, I respect the right of others to have opinions as well. I respect and thrive on differences. I respect that people have their own ideas of what marriage, morals, faithfulness, etc. is. It doesn't bother me in the least that people are passionate about what they believe. My faith is unbreakable. I know what is right and I know the Holy Ghost is my companion and that He gives me strength when I am weak. Even though I do not doubt what I know to be true, I have this strange sense of walking the fence sometimes because I have such a compassion that compels me to be empathetic with those who believe differently than I do. It makes for difficult times for me because there is so much of a clash between what the Lord and the world says is appropriate behavior. I understand the worldly view all to well. Maybe it's because I lived in the world for a while, or maybe it's because the Lord has blessed me with a keen sense of understanding. Like I said, I don't know if it's a strength or a weakness.
My thoughts on the passage of Prop 8: I think it's absolutely amazing, incredible and somewhat shocking that the state of California voted to restore the morality of marriage. I never thought I'd see the day. I think the Lords will pour out abundant blessings on those who worked so diligently in their efforts to restore the sanctity of marriage. My personal opinion is that marriage is defined by God. There are many laws of God that are not upheld in the laws of man. Regardless of how man, or the human law defines marriage, morals or life, we are held to a higher degree of standard by our Heavenly Father. He does not live by the laws of the people, but by His own laws, which in the end is what we are compelled to live by for our eternal well being. Ultimately, I believe this issue boils down to one thing: Is marriage a RIGHT, or is it a PRIVILEGE? Who decides? In the laws of our Heavenly Father, marriage is indeed a privilege that we regard in the most sacred manner. However, in America--the land of free speech, choice and the American Dream, I feel it will inevitably be deemed a human right--entitled to all men. As for now, at least the sanctity of marriage has been defended--even if it is for a short time. My hope and prayer is that those who are in despair regarding their "rights" being taken away, will find a more effective and less harmful way of conveying their opinions, anger and outrage without causing such distress to others. I do believe with all my heart that people need to fight for what they believe to be right. Prop 8 was a tough battle for both sides, but we put this issue to a vote of the people and the verdict is in. Can we really put our faith in the American way and the justice system, but then rebel when things don't work out our way. After all folks, this is America, and even if you don't agree with it, "We the People. . ." have spoken.

Three's A Crowd

I think as Acacia gets older we may end up with some problems when it comes to Hercules, the cat. Hercules has always been Luca's "buddy" and has kept him company since he was a newborn. We have three cats, and Hercules was the only one that didn't go into hiding when Luca was born. The other cats were afraid of baby Luca, but Hercules was always right there. Well, now Hercules has taken to Acacia.















Acacia has been chasing the cats around since she became mobile. She would even play with the cats as she was nursing, if one of them happened to hop on my lap. Luca has been pretty good about not getting jealous with Acacia, but that might change if Hercules becomes her buddy and not his.

Baby Blues

Okay, seriously, my baby with blue eyes? I would have never imagined I'd have a child with the brightest blue eyes. The day Acacia was born I remember just staring at her for a really long time. I told my mom there was something about her that reminded me of my Grandma (dad's mom). My mom didn't see it, and I think she thought I was crazy. It wasn't until a few days later that I figured it out. She has my Grandma's eyes. Actually, Acacia looks a lot like my Grandma. I love it that there are times when I look at her and am reminded of my Grandma. What a special little girl. People comment all the time about her eyes and then they look at me and ask if my husband has blue eyes. When I say "no" they look at me a bit funny. Only in Montana do they actually have the guts to accuse me of mating with the mail/milk man. It's amazing some people actually believe two brown eyed people cannot possibly have a blue eyed child. I guess if I was with the mail/milk man it must not have been that great, because I certainly don't remember it!

Where Is It. . .There it is!

We have a fun new game to play with Acacia.

(I love this stage of life. It's so cute!)

Where's your lips?

She actively takes her finger and strums her lips to make a fun noise.

Where's Luca's ears?

Where's Luca's hair?

Where's Acacia's hair?

Where's Luca's nose?

This one is her favorite. She loves to grab peoples' noses!

Where's Acacia's nose?

This will at times involve her sticking her finger in her nose.

She thinks it's hilarious when she does it.

Where's Luca's belly button?

Acacia loves to find our belly buttons,

but she doesn't like us to find hers. Go figure.