The Wilson Family Journal

2011-07-22T12:34:00.000-07:00

Darin took the girls on their first "Daddy Daughter" dance at church.

There was a time when we wondered if the day would ever come to have kids and

get to do the traditional things like this. It was a western theme but we don't have

cowboy get-up, so we dressed them up in patriotic outfits instead. I thought they

looked just darling, with the cute braids as a finishing touch!

They were very excited to go to the dance with daddy and had a dandy of a time!

Christmas Hats

2011-03-10T10:59:00.000-08:00

For Christmas, the girls were given homemade hats from their

friend/ babysitter, Sydney. They LOVE their hats and insisted

on wearing them home. Aren't they adorable!

Snow Day

2011-03-10T10:44:00.000-08:00

One perk of moving to Reno is that the girls get SNOW DAYS!!

They were so excited to play in the snow. They had a snowball fight,

made snow angels, and just ran from place to place. They even

helped me scrape the driveway. If this keeps up, we'll have to

buy appropriate snow gear!

They were so happy!

Red Rock

2011-01-07T10:50:00.000-08:00

In between moves we were able to stay with Darin's parents instead of in a boring hotel. The girls had lots of fun playing with nearby cousins and aunts and uncle. And they LOVED spending time with Mimi and Grandpa Ernie... and the dogs! The in-laws live in St. George, Utah, which is a beautiful place with lots of red rock and lava rock. I took the girls up to "Dixie Hill", I think they call it, and we explored and took lots of pics.

Halloween Garb

2010-12-18T15:17:00.000-08:00

This year for Halloween, since I still get to decide what they are going to be, I chose an Angel and a Devil. And it was pretty fitting for their personalities at the time I purchased them, but I did wish I had switched them a couple of times:) They both loved their costumes and Avery really got in to the part quickly, as you can see in the photos. When we went trick-or-treating, they girls heard a motorcycle as soon as we opened the door (they are terrified of motorcycles) and after spending so much time on their make-up, I pretty much had to force them to go door to door. Thus the photo of Ava crying. Avery is too, her head is just turned:)

Lil' Pumpkins

2010-12-18T15:11:00.000-08:00

Took the girls to the pumkin patch a little late this year. But we got some good pics! We were in a rush and didn't get to do all the activities they have. We didn't even get any pumpkins. It was more of a photo op!

Happy Birthday to Me

2010-12-18T15:04:00.000-08:00

By the time my birthday came around, Darin had already accepted a new job in Reno, NV and was living there. He was able to fly home for my birthday and he and the girls took me to my favorite restaurant, Olive Garden, for my birthday lunch. The next day we had to take him back ot the airport and so I persuaded him to stop at the Vasquez Rocks, unique rock formations just outside of our town. I had always been interested in seeing them, and since we would be moving, I thought this was my chance. They were very interesting and the girls loved playing in the dirt!

Celebrations in Phoenix

2010-12-18T14:52:00.000-08:00

We took a very long road trip with two potty training toddlers from Palmdale, CA to Phoenix, AZ. It was a good 6 hours, with several stops on the side of the road. We went to be a part of our neice, the girls' cousin, Amanda's baptism. All of Darin's family were there and we had a good time. Amanda is such a sweet, loving girl and is eager to learn! We also took the time, while we were all together, celebrate my mother-in-law's upcoming 60th birthday. We planned an Italian themed surprise party for her (it's easy to plan a surprise party when you are a month early!) It was a lot of fun to plan and everyone had a great time. The girls love spending time with their cousins and had a ball. They especially liked that Aunt Jen brought her new pug puppy, Max.

First Day of Preschool

2010-09-14T20:20:00.000-07:00

I knew the first day of school would be hard for Avery because she clings to me everywhere. So I tried to get them used to the idea of going to school by driving over there and letting them walk around and see the playground. They were also excited about getting a backpack, like the song on Dora the Explorer. It seemed to work because Ava wasn't scared at all. Avery let me kiss her goodbye, but later told me that she cried. They survived their first day and I had a much needed day off. Can't wait for many more!

Avery is all smiles...

Ava is ready to go...

They are going to Noah's Ark Preschool, at a Christian Church called Quartzhill Foursquare. I believe it is Penecostal. We are not Pentacostal, but a lot of ladies in my mom's group had good things to say about this preschool, so I trusted them and here we are.

The girls with their teacher, Miss Faith.

Seeing the Sights

2010-09-14T10:23:00.000-07:00

This slideshow generated with Smilebox

Griffith Park

2010-09-14T10:03:00.000-07:00

We started the day by picking up Grandpa Bob (Caroline's grandpa) and taking him for a belated 93rd birthday lunch. It just so happened to be one of the hottest days of the year!

The next stop was Griffith Park to let the girls ride on the miniature train. The girls both sat stoic for most of the ride. When the last whistle blew, Avery lost it.

Next we headed to the merry-go-round. The girls enjoyed it at Disneyland, so I thought it would be fun. However, when it started, it went WAY too fast and the horses went up and down too fast, which led to screaming and mayhem. We spent the remainder of the ride in the sleigh!

Oh well, maybe next year!

The Crown Fire ~ Too Close to Home

2010-09-14T09:35:00.001-07:00

Create a free photo slideshow

Trouble

2010-09-13T22:22:00.000-07:00

I don't think this needs much explanation, but I'll go ahead anyway. My husband refused to put the baby locks on the bathroom drawers and I attempted and couldn't do it, so my make-up was always at the mercy of the girls. On more than one occasion I have cleaned my foundation off the floor. These pics are actually of two different times. The make-up on the floor pic shows some pink lipstick (which does not come out!) The pics of the girls occurred just hours after the carpet cleaner left. They got into the mascara and painted their faces with it. Ava gave me a few good poses, but Avery was clearly upset by my reaction. Luckily for me, the carpet guy was coming back the next day to cut out and repair a spot on the carpet from the nail polish they had spilled. He was nice enough to clean the make up spot again for me at no charge.

Independence Day

2010-09-13T22:11:00.000-07:00

For the Independence Day celebration this year we went down the road to the local amphitheatre and paid $5 to see a performance from Lonestar followed by the best fireworks I have ever seen. They shot them right over us. My neighbor said it was like the scene in star wars flying through the stars at warp speed. It was pretty fabulous. And I LOVED Lonestar. The girls however, thought it was all too loud! Oh well, can't please everyone:)

Birthday Girls

2010-09-13T21:51:00.000-07:00

For the girls' birthday we went to Chuck E Cheese with their playgroup.

They love that place and eat extremely well! Avery has a thing for the

Chuck E statue and will spend most of her tokens on this ride!

Ava and her pal, Charles, liked the roller coaster simulator.
Ava spent a majority of her tokens here.

They were spoiled again. But it is so fun to give them presents
because they play with ALL of their toys. Which does make
it hard to pare down.

They LOVE cupcakes and so we decided to go that route.

And of course it is chocolate! They are still getting used to

the concept of blowing out candles.

How old are you Ava?

Happy 3rd Birthday Girls!

Summer Lovin'

2010-09-13T21:34:00.001-07:00

I tried to put these photos into a slide show, but the slide show website hates me. I always do it three or four times, this time I had it so cute, but it wouldn't save! So this is what we get. I got a lot of random pics of our summer and thought I'd throw them in. We had fun swimming, going to the beach, enjoying popscicles, bugs, the garbage truck, sidewalk chalk, hot dogs and just plain fun!

Fairytales Can Come True...

2010-06-12T13:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day

2010-06-08T20:25:00.000-07:00

For Mother's Day, Darin brought me some flowers (one of those rare occasions). We celebrated the previous day with a trip to Leo Carillo State Beach. We were on the road with the rest of Southern California...

The beach was beautiful with large rocks, tide pools and caves, but it was VERY windy.
We weren't so smart, sitting right out in the open. Others congregated near the caves for a wind break.

Us girls painted our toes for the occasion. When we got home Ava asked me to paint her fingernails, which I did...

She later decided to paint Avery's fingernails and this is the result... Happy Mother's Day to me!

Easter Revisited

2010-06-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

I don't get much time to do this blogging hobby of mine, so I get a bit behind from time to time. I am just now getting my Easter pics up. We are still deciding what traditions to give our children. At the last minute I decided to give in to hiding the baskets, but didn't give in to putting candy in the eggs for the hunt. Maybe when they are older, but right now candy has become an obsession of theirs (thanks to Halloween) and I don't want them to associate all holidays with candy:) We were in Vegas on Easter morning, where we hid the baskets and later did an egg hunt. We did another hunt when we got home, as they loved it sooo much!

California Poppies

2010-05-05T19:12:00.000-07:00

I know it must sound silly obsessing over flowers, but when you see acres filled with them, it is a sight to see! And the photographer in me wants to get a great shot with my beautiful girls. Too bad these beautiful girls have other plans. I tried on three different occasions to get a good shot, but they would not cooperate. Once I thought I heard a rattler and high-tailed it out of there!

The poppies weren't in full bloom in this picture, but I thought this was the best because I got true smiles.

Fancy That

2010-03-25T19:45:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-25T19:37:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patty's Day!!

I didn't have anything green for the girls to wear, but didn't think it mattered, until I realized we had a playgroup to attend that day, so we went out and found these little headbands, to keep my poor girls from getting pinched. They did a good job of keeping them on, at least until I pulled the camera out! I had to bargain with them to keep them on for these pics! But they sure turned out cute! I think this picture of Avery is the best I've taken of her.

The Shoe Parade

2010-03-25T19:28:00.000-07:00

My little Avery is a bit OCD (Obsessive Compulive) She likes to have things just so. She won't wear a bib at mealtime if it is the slightest bit dirty. Every once in awhile I will find her arranging the shoes. This time she had quite the job! I can just see her little mind working, seeing that she was running out of room and having to compensate by putting them on an angle. That's my girl!

Quirky Girlies

2010-03-05T19:52:00.000-08:00

These girls do the craziest things that make me laugh and grab the camera! Sometimes I miss the shot, or they see the camera and want it, but occasionally I get a shot of their spunk. Avery likes to have her hands behind her head. She does it when she sleeps, and when she is just kicking back. Here she is finished with breakfast, and is watching TV, but chose not to get down from her chair.

Here, Avery wanted stickers and this was all I could find in my scrapbooking stash that I could forfiet. She then wanted them on her belly. This is her showing them off. Rut Row!

My little critters are always getting into something. This time it was my eye liner. They wrote all over the bathroom mirror, and themselves (or each other, hard to tell!). I scrubbed and scrubbed to no avail, until it dawned on me to use make up remover. Sometimes I'm a little slow!

Snow Daze

2010-02-01T15:36:00.001-08:00

This was the girls' first snow. Of course they were born in Utah and we had tons of snow, and even last year it snowed here in California. But this is the first year they had enough gear to go out and play in it. The snow only lasted a couple of hours, but they loved it!! They quickly learned that you can eat snow and they were scraping it off of each other's jackets to eat it.

Here Comes Trouble!

2010-02-01T15:30:00.001-08:00

These two little girls get into the most trouble. If they aren't fighting, they are usually up to no good. In these moments they are working as a team to conspire against me to destroy the house. This day was no exception. I heard them giggling, and was happy they weren't fighting. When I came to my senses, I ran in to find this...

Happy New Year 2010

2010-01-06T09:35:00.000-08:00

So we finally made it to 2010. This is my first time writing (typing) it and it is just so weird. We are looking forward to a great year. One where the girls are potty trained and sleeping through the night, and possibly in preschool. We have a lot of work ahead of us. They are learning so much, so fast. They have mastered counting to 10, so we are on to counting to 12. They know the basic colors and are starting to sing along to the alphabet song. They sing letters here and there. They know most animals and what they say ( have known this for about a year, but we keep adding new ones). They have started singing along with songs, especially Ava. She loves to sing. They loved swimming over the summer and frequently take out their suits and swim diapers and ask to go swimming. Yesterday they even went so far as to take their clothes and diapers off in an attempt to get their suits on. **sigh**

They are still getting into anything and everything that they shouldn't. The other day I found them in my bathroom up on my sink with their feet in the sink with the water running, rummaging through my make-up bag. **sigh**

For awhile there they were taking off their diapers any chance they could, whether they were wet or dirty. That was a lot of fun. I thought I was going to lose my mind! Luckily with family coming for the holidays they didn't have a second to do it and have since forgotten. Let's hope they don't remember again!

Last year I had taken such a cute picture of the girls kissing on New Year's Eve, that I thought I would try to re-create the scene, but by the time the red eye reduction and flash went off, the scene was gone. These were pretty cute, the best I could get. Hope everyone has a great new year ahead of them!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-29T16:06:00.000-08:00

My festive little girls!
For Christmas, we hosted our families this year. My parents were able to come as well as Darin's parents and sister. There were sooo many presents under the tree. About half ended up being for the girls. We are going to be donating their old ones SOON. We were blessed this year, as always. Ava and Avery loved their bikes from Santa and ran right to them. Avery even tried out the table, but the bikes were the hit.

The girls enjoyed opening gifts this year, unless it was clothes. Then they would just drop it right there and move on. They loved playing with all the things they opened. Avery even took off her pajamas so she could try on her new play shoes. They became so good at walking in these plastic heels that they could run in them.

Ava loved her camera that she got from her cousin, Jonathon. (Can't remember now if it was for her, but if not, she has taken it over)

All in all, we had a great Christmas, minus lots of family! Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a great New Year to come!

Descanso Gardens

2009-12-29T15:49:00.001-08:00

Descanso Gardens is located in LaCanada, CA and I thought it would be beautiful backdrop for holiday pictures of the girls. I tried to get some good pics together, but it is difficult with two-year-olds. Here are some shots of our experience.

Holiday Cheer

2009-12-29T15:36:00.001-08:00

The girls really are starting to learn who Santa is this year. Avery was able to recognize pictures and when you ask what Santa says, they say, "ho, ho, ho". So when at a church party, Santa was there, they could hardly contain themselves. We ended up being at the end of a long line of kids. I had to hold Avery to keep her from running up to the front of the line. When we finally got to Santa, Darin put them on his lap and they started screaming! This is the only picture I was able to get. After this experience, needless to say, I decided to scrap the idea of going to see Santa at the mall.

To get into the Christmas spirit, we were invited to make a gingerbread house with our friends Steve and Isabelle and their son, Charles. The kids had a lot of fun snacking, but once they got into it, they enjoyed putting the candy on the house instead of their mouths. I had never made a gingerbread house before, and so it was fun for me too!

Deck the Halls

2009-12-29T15:28:00.001-08:00

The girls loved helping to decorate this year, as each new decoration taken out of the box was a new toy to play with. They especially loved the big snowman decoration. Ava talked to him and asked if he wanted to watch Strawberry Shortcake. He must have said "yes" because she then sat him down in front of the TV.

Thankful

2009-12-29T10:17:00.000-08:00

We weren't sure if we would be able to go to St. George for Thanksgiving until the last minute, due to labor negotiations at work, but finally were able to. Darin wasn't excited about driving with the rest of the world and with a bad back, but I came up with a brilliant idea to stop half way at a hotel. Halfway was Primm, a gambling town outside of Vegas. The night before Thanksgiving was only $15!! However, on the way, Darin's back started swelling and by the next morning, he was in bad shape. We arrived shortly before dinner and after dinner, Darin took some muscle relaxers and slept 12 hours! The girls had a great time visiting with cousins and grandparents and the rest of the family (and the dogs!). We were thankful to have been able to go.

Halloween

2009-12-29T09:47:00.000-08:00

This Halloween was so much fun because they were just starting to get excited about wearing costumes. I had Avery try the bee costume on in the store and she refused to take it off. She buzzed all over the store. Ava ended up being the bee, and Avery was the lady bug. Unfortunately, this is the year that they learned about candy. Now when I ask Avery what she wants for lunch, she says "candy" or "chocolate". We only ended up going to 3 houses. At the first house, after getting candy, they just stood there staring.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-12-01T18:51:00.000-08:00

This year was the first time the girls attended a pumpkin patch. We invited Auntie Di to come join in the fun and to help me. Avery had a new found love of pumpkins, so to have Auntie Di and pumpkins in the same place was heaven for her! They were both in awe of the amount of pumpkins that were there (as was I). I took about 100 pics and only a handful turned out. Oh well. Thank goodness for the invention of digital cameras! After seeing all the animals available to pet, and the train ride through the sunflowers, the girls were each able to pick out one small pumpkin to take home. Avery took this responsibility seriously and changed her mind several times before settling on the perfect pumpkin. Wonder where she gets that from!

Meet Jack

2009-12-01T18:40:00.000-08:00

This is the first year since having the girls that I have decorated for Halloween. Avery, especially, LOVED the plastic jack o' lantern. She carried it around with her everywhere. She would hug and kiss it. Of course, she doesn't hold still long enough to get the good shots. Ava, the ham, however, offered some GREAT shots!

Pretty Girls

2009-12-01T11:42:00.000-08:00

They are growing up and finally starting to grow some hair! Avery's hair can ALMOST get tucked behind her ear. Happy day when that happens. Getting a photo with Avery smiling is hard to do, so when I got these, I had to share.

Apple Picking

2009-09-28T17:15:00.000-07:00

We went apple picking up in Tehachapi this past weekend with a few friends. It was lots of fun to see the girls get excited about apples. The first farm we went to, we weren't allowed to pick them, so this is a photo of Avery "loving' the apples.

These are our friends, the Morin's, with their cute little boy, Charles. They are French Canadian and Steve works with Darin.

We also went with the Palmquist's and their son Isaac. The girls just love these boys and are always asking for them. Here, Isaac is showing off his share of the harvest.

Feeding the Ducks

2009-09-28T16:58:00.000-07:00

I have learned to be leary of geese as they can nip at you. So when we go to the duck park, I usually stay clear of them, but my mom was visiting and we brought bread to feed the ducks, so I thought we'd see what happened. We started throwing bread and the geese swarmed. Before I knew it they were closing in and we were surrounded by them. One goose took bread right out of Avery's hand. The girls loved it! Finally the geese backed down when we ran out of bread.

Ventura Beach- End of Summer

2009-09-28T16:39:00.000-07:00

Darin has come to love Ventura Beach because there is never a crowd and it is somewhat close to us. We went on a Wednesday, after the Labor Day holiday and there was no one there. The girls haven't been enough to get used to the sand right away. They don't like the feel of it between their toes, but quickly dig right in.

Ventura is not like the Florida beaches I am used to. It is the Pacific, so the water is always too cold, it is very rocky, and there are mountains in the background, usually topped with palm trees. My favorite part is the drive on the 126. It is lined with orchards, vineyards and nurseries. These nurseries are where they grow the plants and trees to be shipped to other nurseries. So the scenery isn't obstructed with a lot of buildings. It is just beautiful. All in all we had a great time at the beach!

Caroline's Parents Visit

2009-09-28T15:44:00.000-07:00

My parents came to visit at the beginning of Sept. This was the first time my dad had seen the girls since they were 2 months old. They absolutely LOVED him. We went to the Air Park Museum and saw the airplanes. This is my dad's forte and he gave us a very indepth guided tour, sharing his knowledge of airplanes from his Navy days.
We also cooled off in the pool, as the temps were in the 90's - 100's.

What won the girls over though, was my dad playing with them on the play yard in the backyard. He even got up in it with them. Avery loves to be outside, so having someone to play with out there made her day.

We left the kids and Darin at home and went to see Tehachapi and the famous train loop. Unfortunately, I locked my keys in the car and we had to call AAA. So we were able to see three trains go through the loop. This is a photo of the train. If you look just to the right of the tree that is in front of the engine, you can see the end of the train going through a tunnel.

The girls had a great time with the grandparents and continue to ask, "where is grandpa?" or "where is grandma?" Lucky for us, they will be coming back for Christmas!

A Hero

2009-09-24T13:16:00.000-07:00

Arnaldo "Arnie" Quinones is one of the two firefighters that was killed in the Station Fire on August 30, 2009. I don't want to go into the story of how it happened, as they still don't know if all the information is accurate. Here is a link to a story about it.

http://witnessla.com/fire/2009/admin/firefighters-arnie-quinones-ted-hall-a-hero-story/
Basically he was a hero, saving the inmates that he trained to be wild land firefighters, before plunging 800 feet in his truck off an embankment. He was also my next door neighbor and the nicest person I have ever met. Most people say that when tragedy strikes, but I honestly mean it. He left behind a pregnant wife. The night of the accident, Sheriff's deputies and firefighters were posted at her home. They were there to keep out the "vultures". The police stayed until the memorial was over, but the firefighters are still posted outside her home. They said they will stay until they are no longer needed. They are there to protect her and help her with anything she may need.

This fire station is jus t down the street from us and is where Arnie worked for some time, before working at Camp 16 in the Angeles Forest. The night of the accident, they rushed to his home to mourn with and support Arnie's wife. It has been shown to me that Firefighters are a close knit bunch who are more like family and do whatever is necessary to support one another. My heart goes out to Arnie's wife and I hope that she can find comfort and peace.

Station Wildfire Aug/ Sep 2009

2009-09-24T09:50:00.001-07:00

The wildfires this year started early with the Station Fire. This fire originated near La Canada, CA, near where my grandpa lives. This fire was unusual because it quickly spread without any wind. This area hadn't burned in 60 years or so, so there was plenty of fuel to allow it to spread. It was amazing how fast it was. Though it was about 40 minutes away, the smoke filled the air in our town. Ash began to fall and it was very eerie outside. The sun was obscured by the smoke which gave a yellowy tinge to everything.

It was interesting to see the smoke patterns. These hills are across the street from our home and you can see where the sky was very blue, and the smoke was slowly moving our way. They used old bombers to assist in putting out the fire and these planes would fly directly over our house as they were coming back to refuel. This fire spread in both directions from La Canada and started coming our way to Acton, but were finally contained before spreading further. It definately made this fire seem more real than just watching it on television. We somehow felt apart of the action/tragedy.

On August 30th we could actually see the glow of the fire in Acton over our hills across the street. I couldn't get it to show up on film, but it was very scary how easily it could be us. While I was out trying to get a picture, there was a knock at my door, and over the next hour or so, we got the tragic news.

Carefree

2009-08-14T09:55:00.000-07:00

This is my all-time favorite picture of the girls! They were holding hands and running around the house laughing. Such joy in their faces.

Learning to Swim

2009-08-14T09:40:00.000-07:00

Since we have a pool, we have been swimming quite a bit, which has been good for the girls because they have been learning to swim. Ava was first. She can float by herself (with the water wings). She can spin herself around, she can lay on her back, and she can kick to get where she needs to go. I think it is so cute that they are so little and can motor around like they do.

Avery was a little more timid about swimming. She can jump into the pool to us with no fear, but once in the pool she wouldn't let us let go. Then one day, she gave it a shot and is now a pro. She does have trouble keeping her mouth shut and doesn't like to be on her own for long. Hopefully swimming is like riding a bike and we won't have to re-teach them next year!

Keeping Cool

2009-08-14T09:27:00.000-07:00

With the temperatures in the 100's for over a week at a time, July proved to be a hot one!

The girls love to go outside, so we found a way to keep them cool in the heat. The first time I turned this sprinkler flower on, they ran away screaming because it flips all over the place. We now just leave it on and let them carry it around. This works Ok, but as you can see in this picture, Avery usually gains control and poor Ava gets soaked!

Avery getting a drink. How do they know to do this?

Ava, also getting a drink.

Patriotic Beauties

2009-08-12T11:29:00.000-07:00

I was gone for the 4th of July, but had bought these shirts for the girls to wear. But because I had them hanging in the closet, not in the drawer (where dad looked) they wore brown shirts for the 4th. So when I got home I had to take these pics.

Oldies but Goodies

2009-08-12T08:50:00.001-07:00

While in Tennessee I changed some of my parents slides to digital. Here are some of the great finds! This is my dad in 1974. He was quite the fisherman.

This is me and Rob, must be summer.

Here's me and Rob in Orange Park, FL. Very colorful:)

This is a nice pic of my parents in Hawaii in 1973 or 1974.

This is me with Rob behind me.

Aw, baby Caroline. I am excited about this photo because there aren't many baby pics of me.

A Birthday Fit for Princesses

2009-08-09T19:06:00.001-07:00

For the girls' 2nd birthday we went with the princess theme. Darin's parents, sister, brother and our nephew Jonathon were able to come celebrate this momentus occasion with us. The girls had a good time playing with family, but didn't really get the concept of the cake. Ava tried to blow out the candle and succeeded with help. We re-lit the candle for Avery, but she was a bit afraid and we had to do it for her. They got lots of fun gifts. They are good girls and actually play with ALL of their toys.

Tennessee Trip

2009-08-06T16:31:00.000-07:00

A few years back my mother told me that she had given a baby girl up for adoption before she met and married my dad. She told me this because this person has now contacted her. My mom went out and met her, and kept in contact through emails. I would send holiday cards and when I got on Facebook, I was able to chat with her. We decided to meet in Tennessee for the 4th of July weekend. My parents live there and my brother goes there every year for the 4th, so we thought that would be fun. So after the girls' birthday, I got on a plane Tennessee bound. While in Tennessee I was able to meet my sister Deb, and her family...

went white water rafting...

(Me, Rob, & Deb)

( Rob & Tammy)

(Deb & Keith)

got to visit with my mom and dad, changed my parents' old slides into digital images (very time consuming),

hit a Chattanooga Lookouts baseball game with fireworks and heard from Tommy Lasorda, who was at the game because Chattanooga Lookouts are a farm team for the Dodgers...

visited with my old childhood friend Kim, (grew up next door to her since 3rd grade)...

...and last but not least I was able to sleep in everyday! Did I mention that I went by myself. Darin stayed at home with the kiddies so I could have a vacation from sleep-interrupted nights and whining 2 year olds. It was a great trip and I already want another vacation!

Buddies

2009-08-06T09:56:00.001-07:00

The girls are fighting now more than ever. But when they play together nicely, they are the best of friends. I took Avery to the store one day and left Ava with Darin, and Avery literally asked the entire time, "where's sissy?"

Little Critters

2009-08-06T09:49:00.000-07:00

Avery getting a kiss from the llama

Avery getting a lick from mama pig

For something to do, we called a friend to go to a petting zoo with us. I tried to find out when it opened but it wasn't on the website and they didn't return my call, so we just went. When we got there, we found out that it is open when the lady wakes up. Nice. So we just saw the animals in the cages near the parking spot. We saw a mama pig and her babies, chickens, a turkey and a llama. The llama was a favorite. Very gentle and interested in us too. Avery wanted to touch the animals and got a lick from the pig (yuck) and the llama. Ava wasn't too interested and would rather play in the dirt.

Potty Time

2009-08-06T09:46:00.000-07:00

I forgot to mention that on Father's Day, when we got back from the park, we went swimming. When we were done, I stripped the girls and sent them in to sit on their new potty chair. It is a cute princess chair and when they go in it, it plays music. Well, Ava went in the potty chair, but they had been taking the chairs apart and they turned the switch off, so I didn't know until a minute later that she had gone. I had to praise her heavily for it. She didn't know what she was doing, but we were still excited. She is getting it. She was 9 days shy of her 2nd birthday. She has gone two more times since then. Avery resists, of course. Sorry if the pictures offend:)

Avery's a Goer

2009-08-06T09:31:00.000-07:00

Avery doesn't like to stay in the house all day, and usually by 10 am she is saying "bye, bye". If it is too hot to go to the park, and we have nowhere else to go, we will just drive around for a little bit. It breaks up the day and they can't reach each other to fight while in their car seats!

1st Haircut

2009-08-06T09:28:00.001-07:00

Poor Avery has my hair and it just falls in her face. She refuses to keep barettes in her hair for very long, and if she were to forget about it, her sister is quick to point it out. So for their 2 year pictures, I decided to take them in for a trim. It really didn't seem to help much. Ava lasted for the picture and then she had to sit in my lap to finish the cut. I didn't even try to put Avery on the booster. I just put her in the chair for the pic and then put her in my lap.

Father's Day

2009-08-06T08:25:00.000-07:00

Father's Day this year fell on our 13th Anniversary. We went to dinner with the girls the night before, to celebrate. We took the girls to the park after church. I guess we are kind of boring.

Summertime Fun

2009-08-06T08:11:00.000-07:00

The family

Ava, stylin for the pool

Mama and Ava ready for a dip in the pool

This summer was full of fun. The girls like to go to the park that has a dog park connected. That way they can play on the playground and see puppies! It gets really hot out here in the desert, so we have had to limit the excursions. We have a pool, so we have been swimming a lot! They are slowly getting the hang of it.

Grandpa Comes To Visit

2009-08-06T08:04:00.000-07:00

My grandpa also lives about an hour away. He just turned 92 this year and still lives by himself and is very healthy. After about a year after my grandma passed away, he was reunited with his very first date, Wilma. They have been dating for several years now. She lives in Indiana and they decided not to move to be close to each other, so a few times a year one will fly to the other and they talk every night. They make it work. It is very cute. He came to visit in May and brought her with him so I could meet her. She is lovely and they had a good time with the girls.

Auntie Di

2009-08-06T07:56:00.000-07:00

My Aunt Dianne lives about an hour away and when I had surgery in January, she came to help me with the girls. She fell in love with the girls and now likes to come regularly to visit with us. She is a big help and the girls just love her. They ask for her and when she comes to the door they get so excited that they run around the house screaming with glee. We love Auntie Di!

My Little Book Worm

2009-08-06T07:52:00.000-07:00

Ava has a love for books. If she's not eating them, she's reading them. We will find her sitting somewhere thumbing through her books all by herself. She also likes to read them in the car. Her vocabulary is really benefitting from it. She knows so many words and will repeat anything you say.

Mother's Day

2009-08-06T07:45:00.000-07:00

I had to pick a time period to start from and so I picked Mother's Day. We took some cute pics. We went to church and during the last class, the men had prepared snacks and juices and sang us a song. It was very nice. They also gave us CHOCOLATE.

2009-08-05T12:23:00.000-07:00

Welcome to our blog!

2009-08-04T22:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Wilson Family Journal. I have resisted starting one of these due to the time it takes to keep it going, but I like the idea of sharing information with our friends and family so I'll give it a shot. The first few posts will be older information, to get you up to speed. A synopsis of our family: Darin and I met in Logan, UT in 1995 and were married a year later. We lived there 2 years and then moved to Roy, UT before settling in Syracuse, UT. Darin worked in HR for a few companies and I worked for the State of Utah at the Division of Child and Family Services. We struggled getting pregnant and after many, many years and several different fertility treatments we attempted In Vitro and were blessed with twin girls in June 2007. After a brief stay in Herriman, UT, we decided to start over in California. Darin works for Rio Tinto and is currently at the Boron Mine in the Mojave Desert. Since there isn't much out there, we live in Palmdale, CA and he commutes an hour each way, everyday. Luckily he carpools to save on gas, and his sanity. Being a stay-at-home-mom is much more challenging than I thought. I don't know if it is because I am a mother of twins, but it will be a happy day when they stop whining and fighting. They are definately in their terrible two's stage and are wearing me out! It is fun to see them learn. Ava learns new words and does new things everyday. Both girls are now able to float in the pool with water wings on, all by themselves! Ava is talking up a storm. Avery took longer to start talking but is slowly catching up.