Lovely Holiday!

This Christmas has been awesome! We spent it with my brothers and sisters in Salt Lake city and had a grand old time! Having all our kids together was fantastic. Kaitlynn loved it too. This picture is showing what Simon does best....wind kids up to wind them down. Ha. He was doing the music man song and they absolutely LOVED it!!!! What better way to get kids tired on Christmas Eve than dance around doing silly songs. :) Simon really enjoyed it, and I am sure it may become a tradition when it is the Maughan year for Christmas. :)

Kaitlynn, as I said, LOVES being around all her cousins....especially Jae, Leah's little boy. They are about a year apart and just love being with each other! Two peas in a pod. Simon got this picture and it just cracked me up, being mischeivous I am sure at the top of the stairs near the bathroom. I am sure it will only get worse as they get older. :)
And here is a picture of me with Kaitlynn, my not so little girl anymore, and Elizabeth, my brother Ben's oldest. She also loves Kaitlynn and only wants to play with her when we get together. It really has been so good to see the family this weekend. Especially considering my brother only just got Christmas day off since he is one of the newest resident doctors at the hospital. :)
Christmas morning was a BIG shock for Kaitlynn. She loves being around kids, but when it gets crazy and noisy she doesn't know what to do. Even at church in the nursery, she backs off completely when it gets too crazy. This is her shocked look while all the kids are yelling and full of excitment opening their presents. She, on the other hand, refused to even open hers, whereas last year she loved it. Uncle Jesse had to open them for her, and she didn't even get interested in the presents until later in the afternoon when all the kids had calmed down. LOL What a funny girl. I think she has been around too many adults. It will be a good thing when the newest McCarthy comes along. :)
And, as part of our family traditions, I decided to make us matching pajamas....I have been teaching myself how to sew...so this was kind of fun for me. I didn't get Kaitlynn's top done or the hoodies that I was going to make, but it was fun having the pajamas. Simon of course got green ones, it would have been silly for the man of the house to be parading in pink turtle flannel pj's!. LOL mine of course match Kaitlynn's.

And on Christmas day we all met up at Temple Square to see the amazing lights that they display every year. Of course Kaitlynn loved it. All season long when we pass a house with Christmas lights she gets really excited and points them out. So, this was just amazing for her, and Simon loved sharing the moment with her. :) He is such a good dad and takes every care to be involved in what this little girl LOVES. ;)
This is a picture Simon caught, the nativity that was placed on the reflection pool on Temple Square. I thought it was gorgeous, especially with the floating lights. This image is what I think Christmas really is. :)
Me being artsy fartsy capturing the lights. I love how they twinkle. :0) Christmas is so fun!!!

And another of the temple with the fountain and some lights in front. It was just a beautiful night and I am really glad I captured a few serene moments.

These next few pictures are just without explanation. But I have to explain anyway. Kaitlynn absolutely loves her cousin Elise, and these I caught while Elise was just being super silly with her, and Kaitlynn, being the happy girl that she is was just laughing histerically about Elise throwing herself around on the floor. Lately, my little girl has been getting really into laughing (not that she never was into laughing). But, most recently she throws her head back and does the funniest laugh I have ever heard. These too are also the best part of Christmas (as well as the other family pics). Family is so important and I am forever grateful for the family that I have. (my own little clan and my siblings and parents...what a blessing they are to me). I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I sure did!

Thankful

I know Christmas is around the corner, and I guess its kind of crazy.....this year has gone by soooooo fast! Not to mention that this pregnancy that I am currently in is almost over! Where did 9 months go?! Crazy! (well okay, nine months is not over...but close enough). Anyway, thinking about becoming the parent of two kids has been an overwhelming thought in my mind lately. But I have to admit that I am blessed with the first little person that I DO have. Kaitlynn is such a sweet little girl. Even when she has been testing her limits lately, when I get really stern with her and she knows she has done something wrong she will lean forward, kiss me and then stop doing what she is doing, as if to say, "sorry mommy, I didn't mean to make you upset". How can I keep feeling upset at that?! I know she is going to be a great big sister. Even her physical therapist has said how special a girl she is. He is always amazed at how calm and serene and stubborn she is all at the same time. He is used to working with children that just freak out and throw fits, but Kaitlynn doesn't do that. When she is upset she just sits quietly and doesn't continue doing what you want her to do. I know that her quiet determination is going to work out to be a great quality for her in the future, but its hard to deal with it sometimes. LOL

On a funny note, she has figured out that I take pictures of her on my phone and when she has been playing with it she has tried to re-enact doing it by holding the phone out in front of her. LOL She has also enjoyed the camera as well. So, the other day we sat on the stairs for twenty minutes while she got excited about picture taking. These are just a few of the pics that me and my budding...whatever she is going to be....took. LOL She is growing up so fast I can't believe it. I know she gets her good looks from somewhere, but isn't she beautiful?!!! Anyway, I just had to tell everyone how thankful I am for my little family that is growing so fast. Being a mom of two is a little overwhelming, but I am looking forward to it. And thankfully I have a wonderful hubby that is a super supportive dad. I love how he gets involved in raising our little one. And I know this is kind of a lame post, but I had to post it.

Christmas time.....is here!

Kaitlynn is such a funny girl. Just had to post these two things. We just went to our church Christmas party on Saturday and we thought we would make sure that we were there in time for her to meet Santa. Well, we did arrive on time, however, by the time we go up to meet him, Kaitlynn would not sit on his lap. She kept burying her face in Daddy's shirt and trying to get as far away from the guy with the white beard as possible! I was kind of surprised. LOL But she did take a candy cane, of course. LOL It was so cute. And as well, mom caught her playing with one of her presents for Christmas...a BIG stuffed dog. She really loves dogs. You even pretend to bark like a dog and she will start laughing hysterically! So, I was going to put up a video of her playing with it because its hilarious, however, it wouldn't upload. Lame! However, I an't help but smile when you have a little person so excited about something so simple as a stuffed animal right? I love this little girl. Such a stubborn, happy, gentle little thing. She makes me smile everyday! I am so blessed with my little family! So, instead of the video, here are some pictures of her being really excited about some Christmas lights my dad hung over the doll house (just to see her reaction). Her face is worth a million words. LOL

walls up.....

We have been building homes in the wonderful December weather; that is extremely cold days and well....SNOW! We definitely get to dress up, or pile up, one of the two! :) It is very exciting, though, to see how things are progressing on the building site. Our group just got the first set of walls up this last saturday and I think it lifted everyone's spirits alot. Although we have TONS of work ahead of us, our foreman is still pretty happy with how well we are working and how quickly things are progressing! yeah!!! Simon and I will be more excited when our walls go up, but first we have to deal with getting the basement floor poured. It has been too cold for the sub-contractor to accomplish that, so what has to happen is the bearing walls have to be built first, then the upper floor and then the floor will be poured through the basement window wells. Should be interesting to say the least!

It is quite an exciting thing though to take part in the building of homes. We are learning a lot of things about building (not only houses, but about team work and of course getting along with others). I know, sounds so elementary doesn't it?! But its true!!! We are making some good friends though too, I think. We get along with so many of our building buddies....good too since we are going to be neighbors huh?! To say the least, we are definitely looking forward to the time when we can move in. But not jumping ahead, we are enjoying/stressing with the process. (its hard to get the 30 hours required a week, especially now since i am about ready to pop with baby number two!!!). However, I think Simon is feeling very manly with the opportunity to build and do the things that men do to feel so, you know lifting, pounding and all that such stuff. HA. He is so funny, and such a good hubby. Takes care of me all the time. Love him!

Gotta join the club!

Well, yesterday was Thanksgiving and I suppose that perhaps I wanted to share some of the things that I am most thankful for, as this wonderful holiday implies.

Yesterday Simon and I were not able to be with the rest of my family due to treacherous road conditions (and the fact that I am 8 months pregnant and didn't want to risk having something happen and me go into labor early . LOL). So, we had our own little Thanksgiving meal, with our little family. And you know what....as I was sat across from Simon eating turkey and watching Kaitlynn scarf down her mashed potatoes I realized that I am a very blessed woman. (not only because I was eating a most delicious meal..... but because I have a wonderful little family). I have been thinking a lot today, amidst my emotional roller coaster, and come to know that there are so many things that I have in my life that I take for granted. Although there are things in my life that frustrate me and cause me to feel overwhelmed, I have more blessings than I ever could ask for. I have a wonderful husband who works hard to take care of us. I have a beautiful daughter that makes me smile and laugh almost everyday. I have a fantastic family that support and encourage me in my endeavors; my parents not only are letting us live with them, but constantly help us to achieve the goals that we have set out to achieve and my brothers and sisters are constantly supportive of things we do, and we always have a good time together. I finished my college education, I am soon expecting another little person to join our clan and I have little miracles that happen daily that help me to continue forward when i feel I have no more steam. All I have to say is that the big man upstairs is constantly watching out for me and those whom I love. And today I realized that more than I have in a while and I just wanted to share that with everyone. Its really nice to have days when we can sit and contemplate the blessings we have been given. For me there are far too many to count and I hope that I may continue to recognize them, mostly though, I hope that I might be able to continue striving to help those around me find those wonderful blessings and be a source of support and friendship just as those I love are to me.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.....make it last all year!

Yellowstone pics for Caz

yummy the bears around here taste Great, as for the Monkeys they just make good Hats. Whahahaha
Here they come, who's first on the menu???
the weary travelers eat, what could be for the last time, if the bears come out tonight.
hey Dad i have left you a gift in my Diaper and i'll give you a clue, it's not a toaster!
old pictures found and added this first one was of the trip to Yellowstone National park good time especially to see Andrew and family and not forgetting Ben and family too

Progress....we have progress!

So, our little muffin is finally starting to get the hang of walking! Not only is her confidence up but her muscles are finally getting strong enough for her!!! Yeah! We actually started to take her to physical therapy last week to help build her hip muscles (they have been a little weak). And I think it was a great decision, especially now that she is FINALLY feeling more confident! One hurdle out of the way.....the only way is...well.....up.....and busy. I kept praying for her to feel more confident and just do it, and now i am thinking "holy crap, that is going to make life alot busier than it already is!" But that is okay. As long as she was walking before baby number two was here, I was/am very happy! And here is our best footage of her walking.....she is doing so well. Little blessings everyday...so thankful for them, they get me through all the rest of the rubbish. :)

SNOW!!!!!!

We have had a HUGE downpour of snow the last two days and I LOVE it.......so does Kaitlynn. We went out in it today just before the sun was completely down and I couldn't have made her any happier. The snow was so deep that it was up to her knees but she loved trudging through the cold white stuff! And of course, when she sat down in it, the first thing she did was of course, eat the snow. ;) She was also so enamored with it that she kept looking up into the sky to watch it fall and even though she kept getting flakes in her eyes the smiles never stopped.

I have always loved that the snow would come in the winter time, and with my vivid imagination it made my yard a place of wonder. And I think Kaitlynn will also love the snow. To be sure, winter is a magical time.

However, all this moisture is going to make house building go very slowly. Yesterday we were only able to work two hours because of the downfall. I am anxiously awaiting to see how the next few months bring. But on a lighter note, I couldn't wait to share these cute pictures of our little muffin REALLY enjoying her first snowfall.

So many blessings

Okay, So I suppose that this post is going to be super long, but pictures speak a thousand words. So, mostly, we are sharing those rather than me blathering on. However, explanation of such pictures are kind of important. :) The last few weeks we have had a lot of fun things and just little happy moments that were worth documenting. Most recently was just a two days ago. Mom and I were frantically raking up the last of the autumn leaves since a BIG storm was forecast for our area. If we didn't do it that day then, well, the leaves would have been stuck under and everlasting freeze. So, the pregnant woman and the older woman with a bad back raked up leaves for more than five hours and the little person sat and watched. I think it tired her out alot, she fell fast asleep after a little while and stayed so for almost two hours. She was cosy of course in her newish coat and the cute hat and scarf that I made for her. :)
Mom and I, of course were completely worn out by the time we were done. My back was killing me and I went to bed that night before nine. Terrible, i know but man slept well that night!

And on a fun note, we had to celebrate Bonfire night! It was alot of fun actually. When Simon made his Guy Fawkes, Kaitlynn couldn't stop staring at it. I am sure she was wondering "why the heck did you stuff wonderful paper in daddy's clothes?" It was so funny to watch her. She just sat there
shocked or just blown away by this thing. And then of course, when the fire was lit she couldn't get enough of it. The ashes that kept flying up into the sky were a huge hit for her. She kept pointing and saying ,"Whas that?" It was very exciting for her. And then of course she had to try and get close to the fire to touch it. Yeah, that obviously did not go so well with me. ;) After a while I actually had to bring her inside becuase she was getting so moody. (it was after all past her bedtime, but Si and I were both super excited to share the holiday with her). It is becoming so much fun with her. Her little personality is in full swing and watching her take everything in is wonderful. She is learning all the time and it just makes me more aware of what I am doing....or not doing for that matter. LOL However, I know that this little girl is going to be a great big sister for our newest addition. The last few weeks I have been telling her about the baby in my belly and she completely understands. She has leaned down a few times and kissed my belly just to show her love (becuase she is totally enamored with babies. Everytime she sees a baby all she wants to do is kiss and love and hug the poor little thing). In fact, she couldn't get enough of kissing my belly the other day. I said something about the baby in my belly and asked her if she wanted to give the baby a kiss. I then lifted up my shirt and she immediately buried her face in my huge belly! And at that point the baby kicked really hard, she lifted her head up in surprise, and a huge smile spread across her face. Then she started to squeeze and tap my belly to, what i assume, make the baby move again (since she has seen me do the same). She even put her face up to my belly and started talking to the little one. It was so cute. And it's moments like that that make me even more grateful for the little girl that we have been so blessed to have in our little family. Her heart is so full of love and happiness. She loves to give loves and kisses to Grandma and Papa and especially Daddy. Its difficult for me to get upset at her sometimes, becuase not a moment later she will lean in, give me a kiss and smile, as if to say "sorry mommy, I didn't mean to make you mad." Being a parent is so difficult, but I am thankful everyday for our little muffin. ;)

Speaking on that note, she LOVES to be outside. And the other day we were all outside doing odd jobs. She decided that she wanted to help mom and I clear out the dead flowers from the flower bed. My goodness she couldn't get enough of it. Playing in the dirt and "pulling out" the weeds and flowers, she was in heaven. I even captured this moment when we was totally excited about waving around a big ol' flower stem. Everything that is new to her is exciting, and it makes me realize how much i tend to take for granted. However, I wonder if her excitment for helping out around the house is going to last for very long....well, I know it will last until she is at least a pre-teen. LOL

Concerning our building project, I think we are making really good headway as a group. (Although this isn't the most updated photo) We have framed two basements and then put the main floor on those basements, so they are covered. We won't have to be digging at least those two basements out when we get more snow! On the whole I think our group is working fairly well together. We do have a few that sit back and watch more than they should, but i think if we keep our spirits positive and continue to encourage each other we will continue to make good headway. I am really getting excited about the prospects in the future of having our own home though! Finally, a place to call our own. :) I think anyone would be pleased with that. We have so many things to truly be grateful for. We do get frustrated with things sometimes, you know, the daily grind crap, but on the whole there is so much we need to be happy about. I really shouldn't complain. Waking up each morning next to the wonderful husband that I have and having the sweet little girl that we do, and even the new little leech....even though it keeps me awake at night and never lets me have a moment of comfort becuase its moving around so much! :)

Okay, I am going to end this long post, especially since the stupid internet is acting up and keeps kicking me off and then screwing with the outlay of my post. Everything looks a mess but I am sure that the info will be expressed anyway. Enjoy.

The Build

This is actually one of our Neighbors, the Landans to be correct, but they do have the same design as us. Directly opposite the camera will be the deck (if you look close you can see a Childrens swing and Slide) the Corner of the concrete where it juts-in will be squared off with Decking.

There are window wells in the basement that you can see to the right of the picture and also directly infront.

To the right and all along that wall will be a total of three (windows) and opposite there will be two. as you can see within the walls there is no concrete; at the time of this picture they had not poured, that infact has been done and there is no gravel to be seen now, just clean,green concrete.

Life as we know it

Well, this is going to be shorter than expected becuase I just wrote a whole entry and then lost it! stupid me! I am tired and well, really uncomfortable. But I just wanted to update everyone (those who actually read this....) . Things are going really well in our little family. We just enjoyed a fun Halloween holiday weekend. Simon and I have always enjoyed dressing up and being silly, as all can see he was the king of silly this year! To my great pleasure I put together his entire costume and he looked amazing. In fact I put all of our costumes together. :) I am awesome!

LOL

Kaitlynn loved trick or treating (well trunk or treating). She couldn't get enough of all the other kids and was so excited the whole time. She was screaming with enjoyment. :) What a funny girl.

We have also finally begun construction on our house and Simon and I are so excited. We worked on saturday and felt so excited about the prospect of finally having our house on the way. Its going to be a long (possible 12 months) but one that we are really going to feel accomplished about. In fact, I think that Simon is really going to be proud of the fact that he built our home with his own hands. And over the next few months i think that will be alot of work for him since with my growing belly I won't be able to help as much as I had planned. Speaking of which, we only have ten weeks until our newest addition will be able to join our family and I am kind of freaking out a bit. But Simon is a huge help and encouragement with everything that we face. He is such a great husband to have and I am so glad that I caught him for myself!!!! He takes care of us and works so hard to make sure that we have what we need. I am so grateful daily for his efforts to make our family more comfortable. And speaking of him, he just applied for school and is really looking forward to getting started. I am so proud of him too for going back. What a good bloke. Things are really going well and I am also very grateful for my parents letting us stay with them. We have so much to be grateful for and I can't wait for our next adventure! :)

Just things....

Well, life has been carrying on as usual. Simon going to work and being the wonderful hubby and dad that he is, and me taking care of the house and Kaitlynn and the new growing bump. :) This newest addition never seems to stop moving and I am afraid my joys while having a little girl that is content to play by herself and having quite time is over. I feel that the next little person in our family is going to be completely opposite to the little angel we have been blessed with the last fifteen months. And speaking of the bump, I am already 21 weeks! Its insane how quickly time flies! My goodness, I have already hit the half-way mark in this pregnancy and only have a few more months before we get to meet this little person. I am so glad, however, that the last portion of this pregnancy is going to take place during the winter; I won't have to worry about over heating and feeling too puffy...i hope. I will have my own personalized heater!!

On a different note, our Cystic Fibrosis scare has turned out fine. Simon is not a carrier so the baby will, at most, have the gene. We will have a healthy baby-as far as we see now-so that is good news. Both Simon and I were feeling more calm after the initial wave of "holy crap" and I know its becuase we were comforted by Heavenly Father to let us know everything would be fine. Its going to be super wierd to have two kids; every time I venture to a new horizon in my life I think, "how strange, I never thought I would be at this point in my life". However, every new horizon crossed has only made my life more fulfilling and joyful!

We also signed the papers for our house on monday! We are officially home owners, although our home at the moment is just a plot of land. But in just a few short days the ground will be broken and we will begin construction on our house! We are all very excited. Living with my parents for the next year is going to be quite an adventure. But thankfully my parents are not hard to live with, in fact they are wonderful and I am so grateful for thier love and support. Life is exciting, and I am happy to have all the blessings that I do.

So......whats up doc?

Well, just to address the post that I had shared about my positive CF test, we are probably not going to have Simon tested right now...it costs alot and his deductible is not met yet, so it would have come out of our pockets. We are thus going to be finding out about possibly getting the kids tested if that is at all better. But really we have come to realize that what happens happens. And ultimately at this point, there is nothing we could do about the baby's genes anyway. So, we are being positive about the future and just looking forward to meeting our newest little person.

On a different note. The summer has been flying by so very quickly. Kaitlynn is already almost 15 months old! I cannot believe that she is nearer being two than a baby! when did that happen?! My goodness! She is steadily becoming more confident on her feet and I am hoping and praying that she is walking in a few months. Plus, she gets to go to nursery in just over three months! That is going to be sooooo fun for her, and a nice break for me. :) She loves to bounce in her little bouncing swing and can't get enough of being outside. And most recently she has learned how to drink with a straw. (well i say most recently its probably been a month, but i am still getting used to journaling online for everyone ot see). lol Simon and I are also getting ready to move out of the house we have been living in the past year (thanks to the wonderful Kieme family-my brother's in-laws) and move in with my parents for the next year of our lives! Its going to be quite an adventure! So, enjoy the pictures and the video's of the little moments with our little family.

Oatmeal BABY!!!!

So, considering that I have been feeling a little stressed (and somewhat tired) this morning was well worth the mess! I am a little OCD when it comes to mess and with Kaitlynn its even worse. I have a hard time letting her just try new feeding techniques becuase i hate the clean-up later. However, this morning i decided to try and let her use a spoon again. (its been a while since last time). She loved that she was using the spoon, but when there was no more on it she would just fling it half way across the room. ugh....oatmeal flying everywhere! I tried to show her to fill it up in the bowl, but alas, she only liked the-shoveling-into-her-mouth part. Oh well, that fact that she liked it was success enough. And to be fair, it really made me laugh how excited she got about it. So, I decided to shar it. What better way to start the day than to appreciate your sweet little girl and the HUGE mess that she can make!!

OH my.....thank goodness for a wonderful hubby.

I don't know why i am feeling so stressed about this, but today i got a call from my doctor's office with results from some blood work that was done. The Cystic Fibrosis test came back positive, which most likely means i am a carrier, however, if Simon is a carrier our new baby has a 1 in 4 chance of having the disease. I know there are worse things, but just the idea is stressing me out a little bit and makes me wonder if i could handle the mental stress of knowing for the next five months that my baby could be very sick. Regardless, i suppose the Lord prepares us to be able to deal with what we are given. Never meaning of course that things are easy but that we can deal. :) On a lighter note however, we are still going to get started building our house in the first week of September which is a huge blessing. i can't wait for that project to get under way. We have been working on this for over nine months and I am just totally ready for it. Its going to be stressful, but wonderful in the end! To finally have our own home is going to be amazing!!!!! I really am so blessed to have all that I have, mostly the wonderful husband that I do have. He supports me non-stop and helps me to see that things are okay, even when i am totally freaking out (like right now). Regardless of what we find out in the next couple of weeks, we are going to be so blessed to have this next little person in our family.

So happy!

Simon and I are soooo happy that he is now working the day shift instead of the nasty, wierd, crappy night shift! It's really nice to be able to eat dinner together in a REAL way instead of him coming home for twenty minutes to scarf down the meal that I worked hard on. :) Also, its was really fun at the beginning of the month to take Kaitlynn to her first Fourth of July parade. She really enjoyed it, especially considering she was given a little American flag that she could wave around. It was great! In fact, on that note its been so much fun to see our baby growing up so quickly. Although she is now 14 months she is really starting to make progress on walking by herself. She got really nervous about walking alone after getting dropped on her face a month ago, but is now getting her adventurous little spirit back. She lets me walk with her holding only ONE hand instead of both. Yes, i will soon be able to just let her walk with me. hurray. how fun. OH, yes, and I must not forget that my friend Norma and I took her to the nature park down the road to feed the ducks, my goodness did she love that. Watching all the birds she was in amazment. So, on the whole, life is good and we are all so happy.