One last Trip Home

This is the house I grew up in. My family moved there when I was 6 years old and have lived there for 24 years. It was in this house that I spent my childhood days and grew from a girl to a woman. I love this place because it holds so many wonderful memories of my family and childhood. I climbed those trees, and rode my bike up and down that street, and so much more.

My father just got a new job in Arizona. We always joked that my parents would never move, though they talked about it for years, but all of a sudden it is real. They will be selling my dear childhood home soon. It’s kinda sad, so we had to go back one last time. Though they won’t remember I wanted my girls to see the house I grew up in. My siblings also told me I had to go back because I lived the closest and I had to unbury the time capsule that my siblings and I buried as kids .:)

It was a fun visit. My dad worked hard cleaning up around the house and Anna worked hard playing in the front yard all week. Kent and I also helped weed and replant the front planter. Elise got to sleep in a dresser drawer for a bed.

We had to head out to the beach one day! Anna was afraid of the waves but loved the sand box that never ended. Anna pointed out all the airplanes that flew by and even helped bury her dad. Kent and I caught some marvelous waves with our boogie boards.

I had kept Elise under the umbrella or cover the whole time but when we got home I noticed Elise’s face had gotten sun burnt! I felt like a horrible mother, poor little thing. Beware people out there who plan to take little kids to the beach, the sun reflects off the sand!

We got to visit with some friends and just have a relaxing week with my parents. It was a nice trip and so very nice to have extra hands in helping me take care of the tiny ones. I am sure excited to have my parents live close.

 

Fosson Family Time Capsule

A long time ago, in a place far, far away. There were four young kids that decided that it would be fun to create and bury a time capsule. The agreement was that the time capsule was not to be unearthed until the family moved. Well, the last of the Fosson family is now moving from Rancho Cuchamonga, so we decided to dig up the time capsule while we were in California this last week. Here is the video of Dayna opening the time capsule. What treasures will we find???

The treasures included:

• A finger monster
• a lump of fools gold
• a pretty polished rock
• three plastic beads
• a penny with a hole in the middle
• another unrecognizable coin
• a heavily rusted drummer boy quarter
• a CTR ring

One Month Old

Elise is one month old now. It has been one of the longest and shortest months of my life. Like a friend of mine told me 1 kid plus 1 kids does not equal 2 kids but rather a whole new level of craziness. It has been an exhausting, crazy month but a wonderful month also in which our family has been able to draw closer together as we relied on each other. We have gotten to know better and love this little beautiful stranger that has come into our home. We are grateful to have her sweetness as part of our family.

And in commemoration of Father's Day I would like to add that I am so grateful for a husband who will pace the floors late in the night trying to comfort a colicky baby, who will wake up early to care for a toddler so his wife can have a few hours of extra sleep, who will read books and play with his children, who is always there to support me and right by my side during this challenging new born stage. What a dad!

You know you live in Arizona when…

You know you live in Arizona when… people plant fake flowers in their flower beds.

Real flowers don’t survive. This is what the heat did to my poor petunias. It is so sad.

You know you live in Arizona when… people paint the rocks in their front yard green, pretending it is grass .

You gotta love Arizona, the weird things Kent and I see always make us laugh. Arizona is a different culture in itself.

Sisters

Right when they first met at the hospital, I think Anna thought this little bundle shown to her was just a cute, squishy faced doll. The cutest thing was when we were leaving the hospital and we put Elise in her car seat next to Anna. Anna looked over with a big smile and kept pointing at Elise over and over, and kept babbling something to us in an excited voice as if to say, “Look mom and dad, look, she is riding next to me in the car! I have a back seat playmate!”

When Elise sneezes, cries, or makes any funny noises Anna squeals in delight that this little doll we brought home actually does something. She loves to come over and give baby sister kisses, but usually she wants to kiss Elise a little too much or too hard and almost smothers her in love. We are glad that Anna is too young to be jealous though.

We have been teaching Anna not to touch Elise’s face or poke her eyes out. We have tried to help Anna understand she can't lay on top of Elise, step on her, roll over her, or pat her too hard. Basically Anna is Elise’s biggest fan and most dangerous Enemy.

When ever Elise cries, Anna is the first to run to her, and point out to us that she is crying. Anna sometimes will point to Elise’s diapers wanting to make sure I get her diaper changed. Anna will try to climb up the pack and play so she can see her little sister asleep inside.

We love our girls and glad they will have each other as sisters and friends forever.

Kisses

Three Weeks Out

It has been three weeks now since Elise was born and we basically trying to survive the newborn stage with lots of night time awakenings, little sleep, lots of blow outs, diapers, and laundry. We are constantly trying to keep a 14 month old from loving to death/ squishing her beloved little sister. Trying to squeeze in meals, showers and naps in when we can and enjoying our new life with all the adventures that go with a young family. Here are some noteworthy events that have happened in the last few weeks.

Blessing: When Elise was 5 days old Kent blessed her in church while everyone was in town. Brigham, her Papa, Granddad, Uncle Brian, and Brady were all there to help in that blessing. She wore the beautiful blessing dress her grandma made. It was a special blessing. We are so grateful for our little Elise. Her middle name Margaret is after my mother and great grandmother, two special people; and the name has skipped a generation every time.

Family family family: Lots of family came into town when Elise was born. Grandma Slack made Elise a birthday cake when she arrive home from the hospital. Nana was here to help me birth her. Both of our dad’s also came in to town. Shayla, Brigham and Elizabeth came down from Utah, and even the Uncle Chris came in for the weekend to play. Shayla took lots of pics. Anna would take Chris’s finger and walk him around the house. It was great seeing everyone and having the extra help. With all the tiredness and craziness I forgot to get a picture of either grandfather! Dang!

Number 100: My grandmother, LaDawn Powell, has been counting all the people who enter her family, whether by birth or marriage, and assigns each a number. Granddad is #1, she is #2, when I was born I entered the family as #25, Kent entered as #89, Anna as #95, not that she thinks of us as numbers, but anyway... when grandma was approaching her 100th member of the family she got excited and decided to give that individual a 100 dollar bill as a prize for being 100. For about a year people were speculating as to who it might be. Well Elise won, she was born as the 100th member of the Powell family and received her reward.

Pickin them Peaches: While Kent’s brother Chris was in town we went peach picking in Queen Creek. Fresh peaches and cream is our favorite thing ever, ever, ever!