Kitty and Baby Playtime

We watched Daniel's coworker, Tom's, kitty again. Callie. We had her for a few months at the beginning of the year, and they asked us to take her again (only for a week this time, thank goodness) while they went out of town. I was happy to do it for them (and happy it wasn't for so long this time). And it wasn't bad having her around again, for the most part. What I really loved about having her here was that she and Camille had this kind of curiosity about each other. Sometimes when Brooke was napping or down for the night and Camille wouldn't sleep, I would take her into my bedroom, where Callie always hid. And Callie would come out from hiding to see what all the fuss was with this baby. She would walk slowly around Camille and come close to her and sniff her head, sometimes giving her a lick or two. Then Camille would turn her body so that she could look at and touch Callie. But once she reached her little hands out to grab the cat, Callie would hop away. Inevitably, however, she would come round again to sniff at Camille, and they'd do that little dance for a while. Every so often, Callie would walk a little ways away from us and just sit and look at Camille. And Camille would lay there and look over at Callie, and then try to crawl her little body over to touch her, and Callie would scamper off again. At one point, Camille got a hold of Callie's toy (a long wand with a really long strip of fabric on the end) and started hitting it around. Callie got excited about that, that someone was actually playing with her, and she chased that thing around while Camille swung it around. It was pretty fun and cute to watch them.

Callie left about a week and a half ago. So we are cat-less again. I'm not complaining. I got my downstairs bathroom back. :)

Not much has been going on in the past couple of weeks. Daniel and I have had some at-home dates, which are always fun. We started letting Camille cry-it-out a couple of weeks ago, our 3rd attempt. I was slightly anxious about doing it, yet again, and I kept postponing the inevitability of letting her learn to fall asleep on her own. I was afraid that we'd have another failed attempt. But, it was becoming more and more apparent that she was ready. She was resisting falling asleep more, even though I kept doing those things that usually made her fall asleep. And she has been more upset lately being swaddled. We figured it was time. Well, actually, Daniel has always thought it was time. It was basically all me there. It went pretty well. She cried for 2 nights when I left her, but never longer than about a half hour. And the 3rd night, she fussed a little as I was putting her down; but when I walked out, she stopped fussing and went to sleep! Success! Finally! She does what Brooke does now -- sometimes she'll lay in her crib for a little while and just babble and talk to herself before falling asleep. But never for as long as Brooke does; usually just for about 15 or 20 minutes. Now it's time for me to start sleep-training her for naptime. But, again I am putting it off because ... well, I love the cuddle time that I get with Camille after I nurse her to sleep for her naps. I slip the pacifier in (in place of my breast), and just hold her and rock her while she sleeps. And it's pure bliss! I love every second. And I will miss out on that once I start sleep-training her for naps. (sad face)

Speaking of that delicious baby, she just woke up early from her nap (stinker) and interrupted my little mid-day break. It's a good thing she's so cute. :)

Daniel has been working, as ever, on trying to get a new job. Moss Adams came back to him with a counter-offer -- higher position, higher pay. But, it's unlikely that he'll accept it. He still feels better about staying in Southern California for a little while longer. And, although I haven't really felt it's necessary to stay here, exactly, I feel like moving to Medford is not the right thing ... for right now. So we'll be here, it seems. Ernst and Young basically said they aren't going to take him, even though they basically said they would 6 months ago. I'm quite bitter. EY has done something like this to us before. It's lame. I think Daniel is disappointed, but he seems fine. He reached out again to Grant Thornton (who offered him a job back in December) and it seems likely thus far that they will give him another offer, possibly higher pay ... but we'll have to wait and see what happens.

I've been really struggling with our ward the past few weeks, and praying earnestly that I'll change my attitude. I don't know why it's been so hard for me, and frankly, I'm a little embarrassed about it, even though the only ones who really know are me, Daniel and God. It's just such a little thing to be so worked up about, and I wish it was a big deal. So, I pray often that Heavenly Father will change my heart, that He'll help me to not care so much, and that I'll be able to love people despite perceived slights and rejections. And I actually think that He has helped me a lot these past couple of weeks. I have been able to remove myself a little and not care so much what people think about me. I have been more relaxed and confident in social situations, which usually helps the whole thing anyway. And I have been focusing more on really listening to people rather than try so hard to be heard. It doesn't really matter what I think or know, anyway. :) It's more important to be kind and to listen when someone needs listening.

Last Tuesday there was a Relief Society activity that was so fun. It was our Summer Garden Party, and the theme was "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade". Allison Leishman, who is talented and amazing, made this cute lemonade stand where different lemonades and drinks were sitting. And there were lemons everywhere. And she made lemon lip balm! It was so fun! And then on Saturday, there was an Elder's Quorum bbq at the Halladay's Mansion, families invited. We went in between naps for about an hour and had a fun time. Not many people were there, which is just the kind of party I like, quite honestly. Fewer people, more time to spend on each person, less pressure, less stress. Perfect.

A few weeks ago, we had a family, the Delhoyos, over for FHE and Dinner. Daniel built a fire in our firepit out back and we roasted dogs and mallows. Daniel prepared a quick 5-10 minute lesson for us all, which was great, and then we all visited and ate. It was pretty fun. Heather, the mom, had seen me running a few days before and asked if she could come running with me sometime. We started running together later that week, and it's been a few weeks that we've been running buddies. I was a little hesitant at first, because I don't want to slow anyone down, I like to take things at my own pace, and I just thought it wouldn't work well. She's fairly tall, so I figured she would be a lot faster than me, even though she told me she doesn't run fast. Well, it turned out that that first time we went together, I was sort of feeling like I could've done a little better and gone a little faster. It was kind of surprising to me, and a bit encouraging as well. And I was surprised to learn that, after a few times running together, I kind of ... like having someone to run with. We help push each other; it's easier not to make excuses for skipping out on a run when you know someone is waiting for you; and it helps distract you from the hard parts of running.

And I'm getting better and stronger every day! On Saturday, I did a 20 minute run, up Circle J Ranch hill and back, without stopping to walk. Hooray! And that was a hard one, because it was hilly. And today, I went on a 25 minute run out on the trail near our house, and again, didn't stop to walk, but ran the whole thing. What's even cooler about today's run was that it was not all that hard. I mean, it was hard, but certainly doable and I didn't feel like I was dying. Not even once. :) I even, kind of, enjoyed it!

My main preoccupation the past couple of weeks has been to catch up on my sewing projects. I had a number of garments needing alterations and two simple projects (making pillow shams for our bed and making Brooke and myself little kimono cardigans). I sewed every spare moment I had, and finally am almost finished with them all. The pillow shams I did in just a few hours a couple of Saturdays ago. They were easy-peasy, and turned out so cute! Also that Saturday, while Daniel and Camille were napping, Brooke and I went on a little outing to Lowe's to get some paints and then to McDonald's for a little treat. Daniel and I are doing up our bedroom (hence the pillow shams), and we ended up painting our nightstands the same color as our pillows -- bright, robin's egg blue. And it's so fun! We have a long ways to go before we are done decorating. But it already looks so much better. We love it!

The last project that needs finishing is an old pair of jeans that I converted from bootcut to skinny, and now I'm distressing them. It's been kind of an interesting experiment in upcycling. But I'm having fun with it. I am quite interested to see how they will turn out.

Little stinky is being so funny as I'm trying to finish my entry here. I let her talk to herself for a little while up in her crib; but after I realized she wasn't going to fall asleep, I went up to get her and brought her downstairs to crawl around while I write. She made quite a mess during lunch today. Brooke had requested waffles for lunch, and I didn't see any good reason why we shouldn't have waffles, so that's what we did. What was especially perfect about waffles for lunch was that I could break up some waffles for Camille and let her feed herself. It seemed like a pretty good plan. But the waffles turned out particularly crumbly today for some reason, and so, Camille made a horrendous mess of herself and the area all around her. It was adorable, and she loved the waffles. Although, I must say that I sometimes wonder why I bother getting her dressed in the morning. I end up changing her clothes at least once in a day. Back to the present -- I put her down to crawl and play with toys while I write, and she crawled over to her high chair and is eating bits of waffle from off the floor, because ... I  mean, why not? She is such a happy baby! So easy and self-entertaining. As long as she has gotten enough sleep, that is. She didn't sleep well last night, and woke up early this morning, so she was NOT a happy camper this morning before her first nap. Very fussy and crying a lot and needing to be held. But normally, she's like she is now: happy to crawl and explore and chew on random things. I seriously love her so much! I thank God every day, at least once, sometimes multiple times, that He sent her to me.

Last week, she had her 9 month check up (that actually happened to be a couple days before she was 8 months ... so, whatever works, I suppose). She is the tiniest little peanut! My petite princess! Here are her stats:

Camille at 8 Months - 

Height -- 25 in.

Weight -- 13 lbs. 2 oz.

They didn't give me any percentages. So, I assume she isn't on the charts anymore. Last time we went in, she was in the 1st percentile. And she hasn't grown all that much in 2 months. She's too tiny for their newfangled charts! The doctor is only semi-concerned about it. "Well, she is growing," she said, "She's just not growing as fast as I would like." The way I see it, Camille comes from 2 fairly petite parents, and one of those parents comes from a long line of petites on both sides. So, she just got all of that petite. :) Plus, she's growing; and she seems to be hitting developmental milestones just fine. I'm not all that worried. But I did pray last night that she would grow a little bit quicker (as much as I love that she is so little), just to be sure, and to please the doc a bit.

And now, for some pictures:

 *Sometimes, what works best when I have to get something done downstairs is putting Camille in her highchair and giving her some cereal to work on, in this picture, Rice Krispies. This particular day, Brooke requested some Rice Krispies, too. So I put a pile on Camille's tray, she pulled up a chair, and together they ate Rice Krispies. And listened to the song, "Sisters, Sisters" over and over again. *

*My petite princess. She's not tall or big enough for her highchair. We had to safety pin the straps down, and she can hardly reach the food that's on her tray. I love it. *

*The morning after laundry day, there was still a pile of rags on the couch needing to be folded and put away. While I was doing something in the kitchen, Brooke just sat down on the couch and started folding the rags. And she did a pretty fantastic job, too, for one so young and so untrained in such things! That girl is one special little being. And I was one proud and pleased mamma!*

*Brooke wanted to put stickers on my face. And I just let her.*

*I am loving these little girl braids! A few weeks ago, I decided to try doing braids in Brooke's hair, and it pretty much worked. We now do braids a few times a week. I think she loves them as much as I do. She requested braids for her hair on Sunday.*

"I've Got Sunshine..."

• Brooke was playing and pretending with her stuffed animals, pretending that they were saying their prayers. She was folding their little arms and saying the words and everything.
• I was singing just a little part of one of the songs ("in the belly of a tic-toc Croc!") from Jake and the Neverland Pirates, and Brooke suddenly yells out, "Save Me, Smee!"
• Brooke and I were hanging out in my room while Camille napped, and she was reading a book to herself. At one point she absentmindedly reached her hand into a box of toys and pulls out Dolly, saying, "Oh, there's Dolly! She's back!"
• Brooke comes up to me randomly and gives me a hug, and says, "Thank you. You're a good girl." Little mommy.
• Brooke says, "Dadda, do you have an owie?" and Daniel says that, yes, he does. And Brooke responds, "Aw, are you the poor Dadda?"
• Brooke, while we are talking about preparing for our trip to Medford: "We are going to package our bags."
• On the way to Medford, "Is Kaikoo coming to see me?" She loves her cousin!
• One night at dinner, we were having rolls for dinner, and Brooke asks us, "Wanna see my casserole?" When we say, "Yes", she opens her mouth to display her chewed up food: "Aaaaaah!"
• When Camille starts crying, "I'm coming, Camille! It's okay! I'm coming, baby!"
• Camille loves looking at herself in the mirror these days. I sit her in front of the mirror, and she immediately starts giggling and squealing at herself. It's really hilarious. Lately, she will crawl to the mirror and laugh at herself, and then start banging her head against the mirror. I have no idea what she's doing. But it's pretty funny!

May Pictures

 *This is how I spend my time all day every day. I LOVE being a mom! And I SUPER LOVE my little girls! I think they are wonderful!*

 *Everyone's favorite picture of Camille. We 3 girls went on a little run in our new-used double jogger. We stopped at the park on the way home and I snapped this. She is the smiliest, happiest baby, and oh, so cute!*

 *My cute little girls, just hanging out after they woke up from naps.*

 *This girl loves to chew on and play with Brooke's beaded necklaces. And she was just looking too cute not to take a picture.*

*Brooke placed, oh, so carefully on Camille's head, a wipe.*

April Pictures

 *Finger painting with a naked Brooke outside.*

 *I was taking a shower and had put Camille in her bouncy chair so she could sort of be with me while I cleaned up. I turned around to look at her towards the end of my shower and found her rolling over in her chair. I hastened to get out of the shower so she wouldn't roll right out of it onto the floor! It looked very awkward. We have since buckled her into those chairs.*

 *My favorite part of the day: cuddle-time with my girls!*

 *I don't know why, but Brooke reminds me of a smurf in this picture.*

 *A wet rainy day at the zoo. We got thoroughly soaked, unexpectedly, but it was still a fun time.*

 *Brooke's first time at the dentist. She did such a wonderful job! They brought us into an office to meet with the dentist, and she told us what she was going to do so that Brooke would feel more comfortable. The hygienist took Brooke to the chair, put on some Sesame Street for her and put headphones on her so that she could hear it, gave her some sunglasses to wear, and started cleaning her teeth. Brooke was so good! She opened her mouth and followed directions well. If she was nervous or anxious, she really didn't show it at all. I was a proud Mamma!*

*I had to document this one. I rarely get good snuggles from this girl. She's just not much of a snuggler. But for some reason, this day she wanted to cuddle. "I wanna cuddle, Mom." -- well, okay. If I must. I turned on a show for us to watch, and she curled up with me to watch. We were like this for a good several minutes. I loved every minute!*

Last Weekend

Daniel called Moss Adams in Medford on Friday to let them know he wasn't taking the job. So, that afternoon, we were both bummed. He, for turning down another job offer; me, because I want to move to Medford. Daniel found a babysitter for that night, and we drowned our sorrows in a fun night out.

Julie and Mark had given Daniel a gift card to Mimi's Cafe for doing their tax return this year. We went to Mimi's to use the gift card. And then we went to see Tomorrowland at the theater. It was a really good movie, all about hope and never giving up and dreaming big. We really liked it. It was a fun date!

Saturday was a bit busy. Daniel went on a bike ride in the morning and got home just in time for me to go to Caitlin Baker's baby shower. She and her husband live right across from us and are in our ward. And I'm her visiting teacher. You'd expect us to be pals ... but, we're not. Really. We like each other well enough, but we've made great effort to get to know them and invite them over, and ... well, they're always too busy. Or so it seems. Anyway, regardless, I went to the shower and took her a gift. It was quite a fancy shower. Both of their parents seem to be loaded, so I guess that's how they do. What's funny is that Mimi's Cafe catered for it ... and we had just gone there for dinner the night before! Good thing they have delicious muffins! :)

I went home around naptime to help put the girls down; and then once they were asleep, I went shopping. Daniel and I are both wanting to do our bedroom up, and I've needed a place to start. I went to Joann to look at fabric for some throw pillows. And also to Walmart for some much needed supplies for date night. And also to Buy Buy Baby for gifts and swim diapers.

When I got home, Daniel was getting the girls ready to go swimming. We went to the pool as a family, first time of the season! And Camille's first time being in a pool! She really loved it. She was kicking her legs and splashing with her hands and squealing like a baby. It was so cute! And Brooke, as ever, loved the pool. She seems to be doing better this year than last year, with manoeuvring through the water and floating in a ring. We had a fun time.

After the girls went to bed, Daniel and I had an at-home date. Pirate themed! I bought some pirate booty (a little snack ... thing) and other snacks and some "pirate rum" (mostly just fancily bottled rootbeer). We rented Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides from Amazon Instant Play. And after watching that whole, long movie (we probably shouldn't have), I sent Daniel on a treasure hunt to look for gold dubloons. He needed to collect as many dubloons as he could so that he could purchase some fun treats: 2 dubloons for a snuggle session; 5 dubloons for a makeout session; etc. It was a good date night!

 *This is as good as we could get of all 3 of us girls.*

Here's What's Up with Me

So. How have I been spending my time lately?

Well, I take care of delicious cherubs. That's my favorite part of life. I love sitting and watching them. They're so beautiful and sweet and smart and precious, and I can't seem to get enough of them. I have even caught myself over the past couple of weeks missing them after they go to bed for the night. Camille has started really sleeping through the night, meaning she hasn't been waking up at all after we put her down. She's gotten pretty good at the whole sleep thing. Now, if we could just get her on a good schedule ... . I digress. It's interesting, because quite often, since Camille was born and since she started sleeping a bit better at nights (so for a few months now, at least), I catch myself thinking about her at night, after she's in bed, and I get this weird feeling. I used to think that it was a feeling of foreboding, and I would worry myself into tears, sometimes. But then, one day fairly recently, I realized that I was probably just ... missing her. It struck me as funny. Why had I worried so much? And why hadn't I realized sooner that I simply love my baby (perhaps a little too much? that's an entirely different matter) and was kind of missing being with her? Silly Mamma.

I feel a bit of a different connection with Camille; deeper, I think, than what I have with Brooke. I hesitate to write that, and I resisted that thought for a while, because I'm not even sure if it's really true. But I do feel a strong, strong connection with Camille that is somehow different than what I have with Brooke. It may be that I love my babies when they are ... babies. Or it could be that Brooke is kind of going through one of those hard to handle phases (that is not to say, of course, that Brooke is really that hard to handle. She is the best little girl in the world. She just has her moments. And ... don't we all?). Or maybe it really is that, for some reason, Camille and I are closer. We're more alike? I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I mean, she is still only a little, tiny baby. Things certainly change over time, don't they?

The main thing that I love so much about Camille is how happy she is. She is so quick to smile, showing those oh, so cute dimples. She makes me feel so good, because she is generally really happy to see me. And that does make a Mamma feel good! She's so easy-going. Sometimes, I'll get her up from her nap and put her in the loft with Brooke to play, and a little while later, I think to myself, "Did I ... feed the baby?" She hardly ever fusses and cries, so it's hard to remember that she has needs, too. Isn't that funny?

She started on solid foods about a month ago, and, after a rocky start for a few days, she decided she really likes to eat solid food. I mix her veggies in with her cereal, and she's doing pretty well with that. She also loves bananas, just like her big sister. And the other day, while I was making dinner, I sat her in her highchair and gave her a tortilla to gnaw on. Although, I am not so sure how she felt about that one.

 *Butterfly sticker in her hair ... I wonder how it got there ... *

*Not so sure about solid food*

Also, she started doing a little army crawling while we were in Medford (like about the 21st of May?). And now she's a champ at getting around and moving her little self. Pretty soon, I'm sure, she'll be crawling around on hands and knees. Sometimes she pulls her knees under her body and starts rocking. It's coming!

Brooke continues to be her cute, sweet self. She's normally so obedient and helpful. She really loves playing in the loft with her little sister, even though Camille can't do much with her. And I've been making a real effort to spend more time playing with them. Brooke's imagination is taking off, and she really likes to interact when we play now. It's really fun. And also tiring sometimes. In the last couple of weeks, or so, she's been getting a little naughty, too. She does things that I've asked her not to do, and I can tell that she knows she's doing wrong. She watches me for my reaction to whatever she's doing, and to see if she's going to get in trouble. The other day, she drew on the walls with crayons (which I have yet to try and clean off). It was a long time out she got for that one. And when she was done, I kept her in her crib while we went through drills: "Do we draw on the walls?" "Yes." "No. We do not draw on the walls. Do we draw on the walls?" "Yes." "No, we do not draw on the walls. Do we draw on the walls?" "NO!" "That's right. We don't draw on the walls. Do we draw in the books?" Etc., Etc., Etc. Hopefully that worked.

Aside from my girls, I finally this week got back into housekeeping mode. I was off for a little bit, busy with things, our trip to Medford and relaxing a bit. But now I'm back! BOOM, BABY! Also, I started training for my half marathon. That means that I still walk a little bit when I go on my runs. But I get stronger everyday. And I'm still intermixing my runs with other workouts, so I'm enjoying myself. Now, if I could get my eating under control again ... . I've been trying to read more and watch tv less, too. I'm currently reading Tarzan of the Apes, which I'm really enjoying. I've made it a goal for June to read 2 books. We'll see how it goes. I don't have a super-lot of time to read. Daniel and I have been watching movies together over the past weeks. Some that we've been wanting to see, and it's been nice to relax a bit together. We like each other, and all that.

Well, I better go see what my family is up to. And it's probably about time to start on some dinner.

Disneyland Part II/Medford

It's hard to believe that the year is nearly half over already! Where does the time go? Honestly!

I've been completely remiss. Writing in my journal has been hard to do for some reason. I'm busy enough ... but not that busy. Honestly!

So. Here's a bit of a catch up:

May became kind of an unexpected month filled with fun and family. Daniel took me and the girls to Disneyland once, just us. And then we went to Disneyland one time more with Bekah and Chris and Gramma Holbrook when they came. They went for 5 full days and stayed in a hotel near Disneyland, but we just went up for one of the days they were there. We had a grand old time with them! Especially Brooke. She LOVED playing with her cousins, and she and Brooklyn seemed to get on especially well. It was really fun to watch them and oh, so cute. It seemed really busy on the day we went with them; more so than the day we went by ourselves. But I'd checked the weather, and it was supposed to rain that day. I was hoping the rain would drive people out of the park. Well, it did rain. A lot, and hard. I was surprised. I was expecting a little sprinkling for maybe a short time. But no. We got really wet, and we were not fully prepared. But ... it did drive some of the crowd out of the park. And it was still a really fun day. Camille did better with missing sleep this time around, so I think she had a better time (which meant I had a better time, too). We stayed until closing, pretty late into the night and had a blast.

Daniel had a job interview in Medford with a firm called Moss Adams towards the end of May. He didn't want his coworkers and bosses to know about it, or to know that he is, again, looking for employment elsewhere. We devised a plan to conceal the real purpose of his going. He took all of us to Medford with him, for a "visit with the family". I mean, obviously, we did go to visit the family. But the trip was dual-purposed.

We left after he was done with work on Tuesday, May 19th, and stopped for the night at David and Kira's house. They were good enough to let us crash there for a quick stop before we drove the rest of the way on Wednesday. It was a hard drive, especially for Camille. She got tired quickly of spending so much time in her car seat, and though she did nap often, for short periods of time, she was still sleep deprived. And likely bored. But we made it alright.

It was a short trip to see the family. Daniel's interview went very well; they offered him a job the same afternoon that he interviewed with them. It was all very exciting. All the family was getting excited about the possibility of us moving to Medford. And I must confess, I was getting my hopes up a little bit too. At the same time, though, even while we were still there, it didn't feel right, the idea of us moving to Medford. I couldn't place a finger on it, but I just knew it wasn't right.

Daniel didn't take the job. He called just a few days ago to turn it down. And I was sad.

We did have some good fun with the family, though. Dad took a couple of days off while we were there to hang out with us. We played games, ate good food, the girls (mom, Diane, Mary) and I went on a little Girls Only Date (shopping, lunch, and whatnot), we watched movies and just spent some good time together. Brooke loved playing the Grampa and Uncle Scott. She really had a ball getting all that attention and playtime with someone other than ... well, me. Mom even planned for one night to roast hotdogs and marshmallows out at their firepit for Brooke. That was a fun night too. We all dreamed about how awesome it would be for us to move there and be so close. Maybe someday it'll happen. :)

* Camille and Owen playing together. Cute little cousins!*

*Our 6th anniversary happened while we were in Medford. We took advantage of some great, free babysitting to do a fun anniversary date. We did a little shopping beforehand. Daniel hadn't bought me an anniversary gift, and we were on the hunt for something good. Which we never did find ... . Then we drove out to Jacksonville for dinner at a fun Thai restaurant, which, of course, I loved, loved, loved! We walked around Jacksonville for a while after dinner, looking at all of the old buildings and stopping to read the plaques telling about the history of Jacksonville. And we topped it all off with a drive outside of town to a secluded spot for a little stargazing. It was the perfect evening!*

On the way home from Medford, we stopped halfway through the drive at Michael and Michelle's house. It's so nice that we have people all along the way, that we can stop and visit and break up that long drive! We had a nice time visiting with them, and the girls did surprisingly well with sleeping there (unlike at David and Kira's; it's always changing with those girls; you never know what to expect as far as sleeping goes).

The last week of May was uneventful. But, that's just the way I like it. :) Especially after long trips like we had. It was a great month!

Disneyland ... Twice!

May has flown by, so far. And it has become a month full of fun, surprisingly. We seem to have had things going every weekend, and most days or nights this month!

We've had the missionaries to dinner twice (two different sets of elders). I've had meetings and visits to do for Relief Society, which is always good. Our new Relief Society Presidency had its first funeral to organize and carry out about a week and a half ago. I was asked to play the organ for the service, which was really nice and turned out really well, I thought. I had asked Denae Garrison to watch Brooke for the hour and a half that I would be playing for the funeral; and I asked the sisters who were preparing the luncheon to help me with Camille. As I prepared a musical number for the funeral and then played for the service, I saw Camille being held and taken care of by 3 different women. And I thought of what a beautiful thing it is: the gospel produces people who love to serve each other. It's not a revelation to me; I watch this sort of thing happen all the time. But that day, I saw the whole thing come full circle, and it was really cool.I had a number of women serve me that day so that I could serve another family. 

A couple of Fridays ago, Brooke and Daniel went to a ward fundraiser for the Young Men/Young Women programs. Camille and I stayed home because Camille hadn't slept well that day, and I couldn't justify going to the activity with a baby who needed to sleep. But I'm sure Brooke loved having a little Daddy-Daughter date with her favorite. And I, of course, don't mind hanging out with and taking care of my precious little doll. :)

I finished my spring training challenge with Lindsey Brin at the beginning of the month. I thought the whole thing was great, and just the sort of thing I felt like I needed to get my workout routine back on track. I've kept working out this month, and I've even started running a bit in my routine. The first Saturday of the month was the Annual Holbrook Family 5K. Daniel and I both did it that day. It was a hot day, even early when we did it. Because of girls naps and such, we couldn't do it together; Daniel went first, bringing in a time of just over 25 minutes, and then I went, coming in at about 38 minutes. I hadn't really been running all that much before the 5K; so I walked and ran it. I ran as much as I could and walked the hills and when I had to. I came back tired and very red in the face, but proud that I did it in under 40. The whole thing kind of motivated me to start training for my half. So I've been trying to throw in some walk/runs into my workout routine. Trying to mix it up a bit. And, I've lost a few more pounds and inches! I have 5 more pounds to lose before I'm at my pre-Camille weight, 10 more pounds before I'm within my desired range/pre-Brooke weight, and 15 more pounds before I'm at my target/pre-marriage weight. It's all very exciting. It took me over a year to get to my pre-Brooke weight, I was working really hard to lose my baby weight, and then I got pregnant with Camille right when it happened. This time it seems to be happening more quickly.

The past few weeks, whenever the girls decide they both want to nap at the same time for a couple of hours together, I've been making cards. I put on a show or movie, take out a basket with a few stamping supplies, and start making 1 card design, a few times over. I usually only get out 5-8 cards within the one or two hours that they are both sleeping. But it's been fun to get a little creative. I haven't done something like that in a long while.

Daniel and I took the girls to Disneyland on Wednesday, the 6th. He took the day off work, we packed a bunch of snacks and drove down. It was such a fun day! The weather was perfect. It was overcast and cloudy for most of the day, cool and delightful. It was fairly crowded, but not too badly. We didn't have to wait in any lines longer than 20 minutes. Except for maybe when Daniel and Brooke went on the Dumbo ride together.

Camille did not handle the no-napping thing very well. We put her down for a several naps, but only one of them was at least an hour; all the rest were shorter. She struggled, and she was fussy a lot, especially right before she fell asleep. Poor thing! I hope she had at least a little fun. I think she really enjoyed the Small World ride. That was Brooke's favorite ride when she was Camille's age.

Brooke, of course, had a grand old time! She couldn't seem to get enough! She loved the Carousel, Small World, Dumbo, Winnie the Pooh. She met some fun characters. Before we went into Disneyland, she said she wanted to see Ariel. We weren't especially hopeful, because Ariel's rides and things seem to all be over in California Adventure. But then, when we were waiting in line for Casey Junior's Train, who comes jaunting up behind the Dumbo ride, but Ariel! And because she was kind of hidden behind rides, not many people saw her and there was no line! It was pretty fun for Brooke to talk to her. Daniel took Brooke on the little roller coaster in Toon Town. Brooke met the height requirement for that ride by a hair, so they went together. Daniel took the funniest video of her on the roller coaster: super excited as they are sitting in the ride and anticipating it, then we see her face drop as the ride gets going, and she is so scared. It's funny! But then when we ask her if she liked the roller coaster ride, she always says yes, even if with some hesitation.

It was so much fun taking the girls to Disneyland that day. I like when we go by ourselves, with just our little family. We get to take it easy if we need to, we get to go on the rides we think are important, or the ones that we thing the girls will like (multiple times in a row, if we want!). We had to stop and nurse the baby or put her to sleep several times throughout the day. So we had a more relaxing day at Disneyland that day.

Then, last Sunday, Mother's Day, Bekah, Chris, and Mom Holbrook came down with the little girls. Bekah and Chris had planned a Disneyland vacation for their family, and we were their pit stop on the way down. We had dinner with them (Daniel had made dinner for me that day, since it was Mother's Day. So sweet! He cleaned up and cooked while I played with the girls up in the loft. It was the best day ever) and visited for a short bit before they went off to bed.

Tuesday, the 12th, I took the girls to the zoo and met up with some friends from the ward, Allison Leishman (and Lucy, Brooke's little friend) and Brynn Candell and her son, Jude. Camille, again, struggled with missing naps. She was quite fussy, and finally took a short nap in her stroller after I nursed her. It was a bit hard, too, because the double stroller won't fit in our car, so Brooke had to walk the whole day. I could only stroll one girl. And Brooke is an awfully slow walker. We were always lagging behind the group. It was a nice cool day, perfect to be at the zoo. But it was just a bit stressful for me, what with Camille being so fussy and not sleeping, and Brooke being so slow and tired from all the walking.

My Girls Are Growing Up So Fast

• Lately Camille has been rolling around like a champ! For the longest time, she could roll from back to belly, but then she couldn't roll back. But for the past couple of week, she has learned to really roll. Not just back and forth, but she can really move across the room rolling. It's amazing to watch her learn and progress. She can generally get to the things that interest her. I put toys all around her, in front of her, on the sides of her, etc.; and she can roll, and even scoot her body up and down to get what she wants. She's started reaching for things and grabbing things to chew on and play with. I think she has even been trying to pull her knees up underneath her; prepping for crawling. :) I love watching her!
• The past couple of days, Camille has adopted this funny little whimper. It's not so much that she's upset; but she does this little whimper all the time, and it sounds like she isn't happy about something.
• I think it's funny how Camille always has a leg in the air; and also how much she kicks her little legs, especially when she's excited about something. She also loves to have something in her mouth. She is always trying to put something in that mouth: a toy, her hands and feet, my fingers, ... anything.
• Brooke actually asked for tomatoes today! She goes back and forth between wanting to eat vegetables and not. And lately, it's been a no veggie phase. But today, she wanted tomatoes for a snack! I don't think she ate too many of what I chopped for her, but still. I call that progress. :)
• Brooke sat down at the piano and started playing and singing, "Jesus loves me everyday!" at the top of her lungs.
• Brooke: "I'm not a person, I'm Brookie!"
• Brooke sees me warming up to workout, asks me if I want the yoga mat, and then proceeds to pull it out of the dresser drawer for me. Sweet girl!
• One day, Brooke was incessantly asking me for fruit snacks, and I kept saying no. I got tired of her asking me, so I told her to go up to her room until she was done asking for fruit snacks. She says, "Okay." all sad, and then walks up the stairs. It pretty much broke my heart.
• Daniel sits down at the dinner table one evening, and Brooke says, "So, how was your day today, Dad?"
• Brooke: "I want to snicker." (I think what she meant was "snitch". :) )
• One Saturday when Daniel was out in the back working in the yard, he invited Brooke to go outside with him while he worked. At one point, she started talking and digging, and Daniel was having a hard time understanding what she was doing. After a bit, he realized she was pretending to dig up a treasure chest, opening it up and finding gold dubloons. 
• A few days ago, Camille was so attentive when I was doing finger play with her and doing our sign routine. Most of the time, she is a little distracted and I can't keep her attention for very long doing these activities. But this one day, she was watching me so intently. It was adorable.
• This one is hard for me to describe. One day, while Brooke was napping, I was hanging out with Camille. I picked her up and held her close to me, and she looked out our bedroom windows to watch the cars going by. She just looked so beautiful and sweet, looking out the window. I wish I had a picture of her face that day. I was so happy and so sad all at once, enjoying the moment, but realizing how fast she is going to grow up. I wish she could stay a sweet, cute, fun baby forever. But I also know it will be so fun and rewarding to watch her grow and learn.
• Brooke loves "Jake and the Neverland Pirates", as we well know. She's learned parts of the theme song, and she often sings it at the top of her lungs, especially that last word: "Jake and the Neverland Pirates ... and NEEEEE!" (which is really supposed to be "ME").