Easter Fun!

We had tons and tons of fun Easter weekend! Friday night we had our neighbors Becky and Greg over to dye eggs with us and play some Wii, I think we had the most fun dying eggs though there were some pretty creative ones! We even let Elizabeth draw on the egg with the special crayon but after one she was convinced it was a ball and had to throw it so she only got to do one, maybe next year she'll be able to have more fun with it!






Saturday known in this family as "Bunny Day" the day when a Springtime Bunny brings fun toys for the coming summer, and some goodies too, you see I've never liked the Easter Bunny thing a bunny bringing toys and junk food has no relevance to our Saviors resurrection and I feel just takes away from the importance of that, so the Saturday before is when the bunny comes to celebrate Spring and warmer weather. So while Elizabeth was down for her nap we set out her gifts and basket which I can't believe we actually found a purple one WITH a butterfly! I am so stoked! She Loves her table and chairs and moves them all over and occasionally gets lunch at her little table. If it will stop snowing we'll go out front and spruce up the little area and put it out there! She of course totally LOVED her bunny dog, and her Biscuit doggie book, all in all it was a great day to be Elizabeth!







Easter Sunday we went over in the morning to Ketty's house for creamed eggs, which Elizabeth actually seemed to like so she shared her dad's! I had a waffle! Elizabeth had such a good time there she came with two pony tails and bows and left with barley one of each! She sure loves her cousins!! Then we came home and in the evening my parents stopped by to visit a bit on there way home from Wendover, to see Elizabeth in her gorgeous Easter dress. Then we had dinner and headed over to Tony's parents to let them see her in her pretty dress and wish them a Happy Easter, then we came home and made cookies! I found spring cookie cutters at Target and there was even a butterfly one so of course we had to get it! They turned out really good and Elizabeth had a good time making a huge mess putting sprinkles on them but even more fun and bigger mess eating some!!








So as you can see it was a great holiday!

Potty

I honestly truly can't believe I'm typing this I never in a million years thought I would but my 18 month old has decided she wants to go potty! I really should have seen it coming as she's loved sitting on the potty since she was one! I'd sit her on the potty while her bath was filling but she'd never do anything just sit there all proud of herself, and on occasion when we saw the pooping signs while she was sitting in the tub we'd pull her out real fast and she'd poop in the potty, but I really thought nothing of it until last week. Elizabeth opened the laundry room door then the powder room door I followed her in and she pointed to the the potty, so I told her that's the potty where big girls pee-pee and poop, and then I thought what the hey I'll put her on the potty, so I did and she just sat there as she always did before, but then I took her back a while later and to my total surprise and disbelief she peed! I clapped and jumped for joy and we had mini party in the powder room! She had a the biggest grin on her face! She flushed and washed and I gave her a cracker(that's the best thing I could find) That's when it dawned on me my 18 month old is ready to potty train. Now I've worked with at least a hundred 2 year olds at the daycare and potty trained most of them, but I didn't have the faintest clue what to do with my one and a half year old!! She couldn't even say potty! So I started by teaching her the sign for potty; and today she used it! Then I went on the internet for advice as I knew I wasn't the only one to ever have an early potty trainer, and got alot of good information. That first day she went pee in the potty 4 times!! I only had to change her diaper twice once after naptime and once after she pooped, so that night we went and bought pull ups a 2nd potty seat(one for upstairs and one for downstairs) 2 step stools, and most importantly potty treats in my research they advised to get a treat that either they've never had or don't get often...well Elizabeth has never really got fruit snacks so that's what we got. The next day I only had to change her diaper(well pull-up, which is really just a fancy diaper that goes up and down) once after naptime as she even pooped in the potty, the next day she kept a dry diaper through naptime but then pooped in her diaper. And the fourth day was bad. And not just potty wise she had a very bad morning it was pretty much one long meltdown, and after naptime her diaper was as full as it had ever been that week, but she did do much better after her nap. Then on Friday was the real test I needed to go to the mall to look for a birthday present for a certain wonderful husband, and I thought for sure she was just going to go in her diaper so much so that I didn't even bring any treats(that and I just plum forgot) well of course she went in the potty...twice while we were there! Luckily they had a candy barrel shop that sold quarter candies, they were super reward candies as going in the potty while out and about is a real accomplishment! Then there was Saturday and I really debated on just having Tony put her in a regular diaper, but then I told myself no I have to stay consistent no need to ruin a good thing now. But once again really didn't think she'd do so well cause I wasn't sure we'd be able to get her to the potty in time, and we didn't get her to a potty for a long while! But yet again surprisingly her diaper was dry and she went in the potty at the restaurant! Of course I once again forgot potty treats, so I praised her up and down and like crazy and let her flush the toilet like three times(this is a reward to her she LOVES to flush!) and I even let her splash a little while washing her hands, then she went again at Target where I picked up some fruit snacks to keep in the diaper bag so we had to do something we hate to do and that's open something we haven't yet paid for but we had to give her a potty treat she'd done so well and still had a dry diaper! In fact she had a dry diaper that entire day!!(except after naptime which I don't really count right now) And on Sunday she showed off her potty skills at the Nester's while we were there for a fantastic Eater breakfast, and visit. She peed AND pooped in the potty while we were there!! And again pretty much kept her diaper dry that entire day, it was a little wet when we took it off that night but just barely. So in the last week we went from using 4 to 5 diapers a day to 2 pull ups a day! And like I mentioned before, today she even signed potty so now I just have to instill upon her the proper usage for that sign and we'll be buying panties and pinning the heck out of them! (hopefully in the next month or two)
I find my little independent girl so funny...you see she took herself off bottles at 7 months old...took herself off the binky(during the day at least) just a few months ago, and is now fully taking herself out of diapers. I still am in shock with it...I really can't believe my little baby is going potty! Don't get me wrong I'm so very very proud of her! Out of diapers before two! It's a very lucky position, and Tony and I realized we'll even get a break from diapers before the next one comes which unfortunately won't be for while as we're still trusting in the Lord's timing. But not alot of parents get that break! We're so proud of our big girl!! I'd post a picture but I don't have on eof her on the potty so I guess I'll have to get on that.

100th post! And a great two weeks

WARNING LONG POST!(but there will be lots of cute pics!!)

So In my defense to what is sure to be a very long post it has been two weeks since my last post, and we've had lots of fun since then so...

We'll start a couple weekends ago, Saturday we did some shopping in the morning, our 2nd to last stop was the funniest and oh say ironic one. We went to RC Willey to pay off our credit on the dishwasher, but then Tony mentioned looking at their chest freezers as we've been throwing around the idea of getting one(our freezer is stuffed to the gills) well of course they had a great one and it was of course on sale, and Tony's buddy who works there in the end sold it to us, but it has been so nice to have! So we went in to pay off a dishwasher and came out with a freezer, but we didn't have to put it on credit, so I guess it's a step up. Sunday we had a St. Patty's dinner/party with Tony's family which was fun, it's always nice to get together. Then Wednesday a week ago we had our niece Melina over for the first time again since Lizabeth's surgery and they had such a great time! And Alicia and I had a good visit as well. Here are some fun pics of the girls playing.








Then last Friday Tony took the day off and spent some time doing some last minute studying for his big 8 hour test that was on Saturday, but he did take a break in the morning and we took Elizabeth to The Aquarium, she had such a good time! She loved seeing all the fish swimming in the water, as usual she liked it much more than I thought she would, we had a really really good time! Her favorite part was the little boat thing...go figure!


















That evening we headed up to my parents house to spend the night as Tony's test was up at Weber early Saturday morning. My parent's got a nice little toddler bed to replace the crib she's now outgrown :( She did really well being in a true toddler bed that to boot was not in her room! I was proud of her. Tony took his test in about 6 1/2 hours and I know he did great as he was very prepared, and is such a natural genius when it comes to construction stuff. My parents took my brother Liz and me to Farr Ice cream where they were celebrating 90 years so they had really cheap ice cream. By the time we got back Tony was already there. I had picked up some plastic eggs from the dollar store and filled them with Elizabeth's treats (goldfish, animal crackers and such) and put them out in their front yard for her own little "egg find" I only filled 12 eggs thinking she wouldn't really care for it but boy was I wrong! Afterward I wish I'd put out all 16 eggs, she loved it she did so good and was so happy and proud of herself! Maybe we'll do it again this Saturday?! Then my parents brought out her Bunny Day gift from them(as both Tony's paernts and my parents will be gone this weekend, together actually!) They got her the nicest wagon ever! And a fun learning bear with buttons, zipper, Velcro and such, oh and a great touch and feel Peter Rabbit book! Thanks mom and dad so much she really really LOVES her gifts!! I got a super nice sterling silver watch, that I can't wait to get sized so I can wear a watch again it's been so long, and Tony got a funny singing construction monkey which he and Lizabeth both enjoy! It was a great pre-Bunny Day!! (sorry all the pictures are in reverse order and I'm too lazy to move them all around)
















Last night I had the great opportunity to go with our presidency to the Relief Society General Auxiliary Meeting, it was amazing! I love Sister Beck she is so inspired, but I have to say that I really connect with Sister Thompson, I love listening to her I just relate so well to all her talks, with all the recent changes to the Relief Society(and more are coming) it was great to hear direction directly from them. They truly are amazing women!

I'll end with a picture that I'm sure will put a smile on your face as I can't look at it without laughing!