Nola turns 2!

Halloween 2011

Thoughts

I have had so much on my mind lately that I feel like my blog is a great place to unload some of it. I find myself being afraid to talk about my struggles. Afraid to appear weak. Afraid to appear like I can't handle the things that are mine to handle like potty training and sick kids up all night coughing.Why you ask am I afraid? Well to act like you are not afraid would just be proving my next point. I was watching a reality TV show against my better judgement the other day really to just have some background noise and I found myself getting so disturbed at these catty women who talk nice to each others faces and then go behind each others backs to exploit the struggles of the other women as if they themselves had perfect lives. Well here is the reality that they need in their TV show. WE ALL HAVE CRAPPY MOMENTS. We all get knocked on our knees.We all have heart aches and trials. Why as women do we not love each other more and ourselves for Pete sakes? If we know how it feels to feel in secure about our appearance or our talents or our marriages or whatever it may be why do not empathize more instead of criticize? I find myself trying to hide my struggles instead of letting them air out in the wind because of the way I myself have criticized and heard criticism from other women. I am thankful that I watched that dumb show which I will never waste my time watching again because I have turned over a new leaf. I am vowing to be less critical of you and myself. I hope that as a woman I can look at someone else who bugs me, get's under my skin, doesn't' do things they way I like or the way I think it should get done, or has hurt me, and think you have struggles as well. There is something that troubles you. Maybe not today, but it may come up tomorrow. I hope that I can teach my two girls that true beauty is what we place in our hearts and allow to make a home there. True beauty is what we let slip of our tongues to other people. True beauty is letting other people have weaknesses and not talking about them as if you have none. True beauty is owning up to our own weaknesses and not be afraid of what others may say. Thanks for letting me vent a little. Man that stupid show got me all sorts of worked up.

Tiana Photo shoot

Photo shoot with Tiana. She is amazing. Check her out at tsimpsonphotography.blogspot.com.

My girls at 3 months

So I get all the time your girls
look so much alike. What do you think? Nola on the left and Myla on the right.

Searle Family 9-2011

My sibs. Love em

Searle Family
We took advantage of everyone coming to town for the blessing we snapped some pictures for my mom.

Myla's Blessing September 4th 2011

Full length view of the dress. We had just enough material from my wedding dress to make Myla's blessing dress. Now each of my girls have a dress made from my wedding dress thanks to my Mom-in-law. Now what to do if I have any more girls.

Myla

Family picture after church.

Update

The Simpson family blog is way over due for an update and I am only put on half the pictures I want to of what we have been up to since Myla was born. Well the day after I was released from the hospital we closed and moved into our home. We had so much help from my family and Devin's family to get the house cleaned and painted and ready for us. I was so grateful to them that week for all they did to help. We love our home. It's a work in progress. The basement is only half finished and the yard needs to be landscaped, but we love it. Nola has enjoyed having her little room to play and have her own space. She has adjusted so well considering she got a new house and sister in the same week. She loves Myla almost to death sometimes. She is already such a good little helper and cannot stand to here Myla cry. She is already proving to be a great sister. I am today unpacked and put together. It has taken me the rest of the summer , but it is mostly done. I am not ready for it to turn cold as I feel like the summer just started. I have been making jam and freezing fruit and vegetables to get us ready for the winter months these past few weeks. I still have so much jam to make. Good thing it doesn't take to long. We blessed Mylas last weekend and had most of our families in town which was way fun. I will post pictures of that later. Devin has started hunting season with a couple geese and and Antelope he shot yesterday which Nola has been calling a cantaloupe. Close enough. Any who we are alive and well. Here are some of the things we have been up to this summer. More to come!

Photo shoot with T

Almost due with Myla.

Needless to say she came just a few days after this pic was taken.

Devin sister once again did not disappoint. Check her out at tsimpsonphotography.blogspot.com or tianasimpson.com

Nola and Myla

Myla sound asleep.

Myla's first day at church.

Lincoln County Fair

Nola and mom riding the carousel.

Cars with Bo and Quinn. Two of her favorite men.

Seeing the lambs with dad.

Pig ole pigs.

The county fair was the first week in August and it is
a big deal here in Star valley. Lot's of family activities all week long.
We managed to make it out to a few.

Bear World

Little bear cub behind Nola

My little Bear cub

The petting zoo

In mid August we went with the Simpson's to Bear world just outside of Rexburg. Nola had a blast seeing the Bears and petting the animals at the petting zoo.

Myla Ann Simpson

Myla has arrived. I went into labor around 4 p.m. yesterday on my own and at a lovely 2:34 am she arrived. She weighed 6 pounds 8 ounces. I am tired but doing well as is Myla.

Our 4th of July and update on Baby #2.

I was looking forward to a small town 4Th this year and Thayne did not disappoint. We started our day off with the town breakfast and flag ceremony at 7 am. Then the boys went and chopped wood and stacked wood at Darnell's while we got ready for the parade to start. Nola got just as much candy at the parade as she did for Halloween. After the parade and lunch, thank heavens, Grandpa decided the chickens were ready to be made into meat. I know........ Simpson men do not have Holiday in their vocabulary. So out we went to kill the chickens. After a little nap in the afternoon we headed off to Darnell's for his birthday. The night ended with my mom's home made ice cream and fireworks until I could no longer stay awake. Nola had so much fun she slept in until almost 7am the next morning which was heaven for me. I saw the doctor yesterday and I am 4cm. I am still clinging to the hope that we make Camille's wedding this Saturday and our closing appointment on Tuesday. However, Myla will come when she is ready and we are anxious to meet her. So stay tuned. She could come anytime.

All at once

I guess one cannot be fussy about how Heavenly Father answers prayers so I am trying not to stress about my next week and half schedule. I went to the doctor today and I am 3 cm dialated. Tomorrw I will be 38 weeks. Next Saturday July 9th Camille ( Dev's baby sis) is getting married. We are closing on our house the 12th. I am scheduled to be induced on the 13th if she isn't here before then. Devin would like to be in Portland the 16th and 17th for a CCSP conference. Let's not even think about moving, cleaning the house, painting the house and shopping for the few appliances we need. I am so excited for us to be in a home I cannot stand it. I am also excited to meet my baby girl. I just wish it wasn't all happening in the same second.

Blessings

It would take paragraphs to describe the emotions, frustration, disappointments that Dev and I have had to endure over this past several weeks, but our prayers have been answered and we have had an offer accepted on a house. A house that is well under our price range and has almost everything we needed and wanted in a home. I say wanted only because we all too often forget how heavenly father blesses us temporally. He knew in my little heart all the little things I wanted. I don't need them I want them and this house has several of those wants for Devin and I. We now must endure the bank long process. We are keeping our fingers crossed that our faith will carry over and things will continue to go speedy with this house that we will be able to bring our little girl home to our new home. My cup runeth over today.

19 month Nola

10 months of country life has taught me.........

Trucks need two parking spots.

Home made bread is always going to be better.

Everyone knows everyone........At least you should.

Sunny days are working days. Holiday or no holiday. Weekend or no weekend.

I don't need to use my turn signal cause everyone should know where I am going.

Canning is just something you do.

Three cars in a row is considered a lot of traffic.

My week......... Tears, Laughter, and joy!

A week ago Monday I got a call from the Doctors office saying my routine glucose was abnormal and that I needed to to follow up for a 3 hour. So this last Monday I got a call saying that was abnormal as well. SIGH! Ok I can deal with this. Well late Monday night Nola started to not act herself. So we watched her. After a few hours she was up playing with cousins and ate dinner so I figured what ever was bugging her had passed. Tuesday morning I was out running errands with Nola. At my first stop she started crying and nothing I did consoled her. So I grabbed the 2 things I needed and drove home. On the way home she started screaming and I knew I needed to get her to the Doctors ASAP! They got us in about 45 minutes later. Her Dr. looked her over and couldn't find anything wrong, but also noticed she was acting funny. So he offered running a bunch of tests not really knowing where to start or said let's watch her for 24 hours and call me if there is change. Devin and I decided to do the later. Well a few hours later we had blood in her diaper and Nola vomited up what also appeared to be blood all night every 20- 30 minutes starting at six on Tuesday. I spoke with her Doctor late Tuesday night and we agreed to wait out the night and take her to him in the morning along with the bloody diaper. After testing it in his office to confirm the blood he came in very somber to tell me I needed to get my baby to Primary Children's ASAP. By this time she had kept some liquid down, but the blood and vomit was very concerning to him. So Devin and I packed up and drove straight to Salt Lake. By the time we got there she was acting better. Blood tests came back negative and an Ultrasound of her gastrointestinal tract was also negative. So basically they said we don't know whats wrong, but watch her and bring her back if she doesn't improve. Well she has imporved and I am very grateful. We have a follow up with her Doctor here on Tuesday so we will see, but my Nola is back as far as being an 18 month old monster! The odd thing is we were planning on being in SLC this weekend anyway because my little sis graduated with her Bachelor degree in Elementary Education from the U of U. YAY Schmell! Also these past two weeks we have had two little nieces come into our lives. One a week ago and the other as Kelli was walking across the stage to get her diploma. I am grateful we were home to see Preslee and on our way home from Utah we stopped to see Lella. Devin and I had our fifth wedding Anniversary amongst the craziness. So to hopefully round everything up I get to have 2 doctors appointments tomorrow and Nola has one on Tuesday. Hopefully this will end our drama for a while. I had my turn. It's someone else 's. Thanks to everyone who prayed for my Nola. I felt the prayers. I cried, but over all I was very comforted and knew everything would be ok. The staff at the hospital was awesome and knew just how to put a mom at ease while her baby was screaming on the table. Nola's local Doctor has been great to to follow up with me and express his concern and relief. SIGH again. I am very tired, but life always brings a little good with the bad if we choose to see it.

Easter 2011

Nola's First Ever Pony!

My little girl is getting so big.