"More pickle please?"

... said Nya after eating a bowl of pasta and 4 baby dills. And what happened next? ... up she blows. Nasty. Yes, I should have trusted my better judgment after day #4 of barfing and diarrhea, BUT the fact she even had an appetite made me want to give her whatever she was asking for (which happened to be noodles and pickles).
Some of you have called to check on us and see how we're all doing and we appreciate your thoughtfulness! So the update is ~ two girls still running at both ends, two parents feeling a bit queezy (possibly the same flu, or possibly just tired of cleaning up puke and poop). 11 loads of laundry in 3 days (typical for some families, not for us!), bed-sheets changed 5 times, 1 queen sz comforter going to the dry-cleaners, 1 freshly bleached kitchen floor, & steam-cleaner has become a permanent fixture in the living room... oh and 1 sleep-deprived mommy still in her bathrobe and glasses. I am radiant I tell you.... in that special kind of beauty that only mommy's possess ~ super models aint got nottin on us.
I'm so thankful Ty will be done working at 5pm tonight and a friend is stepping in to lead worship at the last minute so I don't have to. What a blessing! Thanks for checking in on us :)

Nya & Mommy slipped out of the house for some library time and got a new stash of books.

Elli's not handling the sickness quite as good as Nya, poor thing.

Nya helping to mop after another "spitting" incident (that's what she calls her puking). And in case you're thinking we're cruel parents that make our 2-yr-olds mop up their own puke, we're not ... she did this on her own :)

Nya getting cleaned up after her most recent episode. If you look closely you can see the pickle/noodle barf on the tray in the sink ... also notice the candle burning to try and hide the smell (not working as well as I'd like).
Nya enjoying her "special treat" afterwards.

Which Is Grosser?

.... barf or diarrhea? ... or how bout both mixed? Ya, I know. Disgusting. That's what I got to clean up in Nya's high chair after finally getting both girls to bed tonight (a tiny miracle in itself). My poor babies are both sick so my day started out with cleaning up puke and ended in the same way :) Nya can't seem to keep anything down and if it's not coming out one end it's the other (if you're confused just read opening line again). She's been such a trooper all day though, quite snuggly and loving ~ and patient when Elli needed my care more than herself. It's so hard to see your little ones sick, makes me sad. I know that any mom reading this is totally relating. So, I guess I don't really have much more to say ... and you'll just have to forgive me if once again I've broken blogging etiquette. I think I'm going to apply for that show "America's Dirtiest Job's" now ~ Mom.

I guess Elmo isn't quite as exciting when you're sick.

"Did you toot?"

Nya loves to "help" cook... "Nya do it."

Are words really necessary...?

"Wadup homey."

Is it Worth It?

As an Alaskan mom I often ask myself this question when it comes to winter activities.  On average it takes about 20 minutes to get both the girls and myself ready to go play outside in the winter.  And how long do we actually spend outside?... hmmm... on a good day, maybe 25 minutes.  Then it's back inside, and another 10 minutes of undressing and cleaning up.  So, I ask myself, is it worth it?  On the day I got this video clip I was definitely asking myself that question because Elli had been crying through the entire dressing process and then on and off throughout our time outside, but I reallllly wanted to shovel the steps... so I got desperate and drug this toy outside...

Watch in High Quality
So the answer is, YES!,  it's worth it! Always. Ok maybe just most of the time.  Ok sometimes I question why we live here.

Who Made The Moon & Stars?

So it turns out I get a lot of praise from the hubby for blogging, which in turn motivates me to do it more! I think I get way more "atta-girls" for blogging than doing the laundry or cooking so I've decided I'll let those things go and spend that extra time blogging every day... he won't mind right?
Anyways, some of you may have noticed the incredibly gorgeous full moon the past few mornings and will know what I'm talking about as I describe this moment. Two mornings ago I felt prompted to get out of bed much earlier than I needed to... and will never regret doing so. Nya and I had one of my favorite moments together so far in her sweet little 2 years on Earth. I had been up reading and praying when I noticed the full moon sitting low on the horizon out our dining room window. So I turned off all the lights, grabbed a blanket, and sat at the table with my coffee and just marveled at what I was looking at. The moon was glorious... yellow... haunting with some clouds gently encasing it's glow. There's such a feeling of "it's just me and God" when I'm either up super late or super early. I love those moments. After about 20 min. I heard Nya calling from her bedroom so I quietly went & scooped her into my arms w/out turning on any lights. I quietly wispered "Let mommy show you something". So we went to the window and I pointed to the moon. She giggled and exclaimed "Moon! Oh wow!" For the next 15 or so minutes the two of us sat in the dark staring at the stars, moon, and clouds. Nya was as captivated as I was. Something about being snuggled together on one chair, under one blanket, looking at one gigantic moon made me care less what the rest of the day was going to be like. I knew all too soon she'd snap back into her typical two-yr-old behavior. But for those precious minutes she was my best friend and fellow worshiper. ... but... when asked who made the moon and stars she confidently replied "daddy." :)

This One's For the Grandparents

Grandma Great

Nana

Papa

Grandma

Papa Pastor

Jolie

Nya's 1st Ice Cream w/ Grandma & Grandpa Great

This blog post is in honor of our favorite babysitters ~ oops I mean grandparents! This morning I had the opportunity to go have coffee with some friends (thanks to my mom watching the girls) and the joke came up about how the word "babysitter" could easily be substituted for "grandparent". And boy are we blessed because of it! Since both Ty and I have our immediate families here, we don't lack for grandparents close by! So this post is a tribute to the wonderful love, care, and free babysitting that comes from those dearest to us.