I rallied the troops and we made one big doctor's visit today. Everett got two shots and Miss J got four. Here she is with her battle wounds:
But thankfully, Lydia came by to give Juliana some moral support (And if you notice, Juliana's letting you know EXACTLY how old she is!)
Can someone confirm or deny this?(Please deny, please deny, please deny)
The crime scene:
The weapon:
The Perp:
Today at approximately 12:34 pm EST, a blonde haired, brown eyed, quarter Mexican, almost 2 year old male was seen at Chipotle with a dime sized dried grape (otherwise known as a raisin) lodged in his right nasal cavity. How his supervisors (otherwise known as his mom and grandmother) let this unfortunate accident occur is still up to the authorities. Breathing through the nasal cavity became strained as snot and other mucus were subsequently smeared across the perp's nose. (yuck!)
At approximately 1:45 pm EST, a female pediatrician unlodged said raisin and breathing resumed as normal. The lollipop successfully aided in the breathing process.
No charges were filed.
emember all the rules and to really "get" how to play and win, but after I got going, man is it a fun game to play! Basically, the point of the game is to get to 10 points. You earn points by building settlements, cities and roads, plus there are special cards you can buy to earn even more points. There are resource cards (wheat, wood, brick and ore) that you use to purchase the aforementioned things that earn you points. Cities and Knights takes it to the next level and in addition to resources, you can also use commodities (paper, wool and cloth) to buy even more point-earning things.
holy cow, it was great!
Since some of these puppies cost more than $20, I was thinking I could simply make one (I know, I know, it's like I'm glutton for punishment). Problem is, I haven't the foggiest as to where/how to start.
That's right, a doubly fun blessing day!!
Now that we're in different wards, we had twice as much fun blessing the girls. Paula and LD, along with Miss Lydia and Logan's parents, came to our ward in the morning and we repeated the favor to their ward in the afternoon. In between was a scrumptious brunch prepared by the girls' Mexican grandmother. No, we didn't dine on tortilla espanola or churros. Incredibly there was nary a tortilla in sight. It seems their Mexican blood is running thinner by the minute. Muchas gracias abuela!
Of course, after each meeting we had to take the requisite pictures. Juliana did awesome and her dad didn't do too shabby either.
Will gave Juliana a beautiful blessing. I'm so grateful for Will and his wonderful spirit. Among other things, he blessed Juliana with a sense of humor, which I think is awesome!
Both Juliana and Lydia had the same blessing dress and in an ironic twist, Lydia was actually asleep during these pictures, while Juliana was wide-eyed and awake. Definitely outside the norm and only goes to show that these two lovely ladies are constantly keeping everyone on their toes. One wonders if they didn't plan this out ahead of time. 
Our little angel
We were so glad so much family could come to Juliana's blessing, but we definitely missed those who didn't make it! A special thanks goes to Grandmama Lynn, David, Paul and Autumn for watching Everett while we went to Lydia's blessing. It was so nice to let Everett get in his full nap and it made him a much happier camper for the remainder of the day.
Everett and his friend, Tyler, got together last week for a little playdate. These two have lots in common including:
It's always good to get these boys together because we know if one is crying, it's not because they're hurt or in pain, but rather, they're just in shock that someone else is beating up on them. Is that a combination for a solid friendship or what?
She still has blue eyes, which is totally exciting for me. I've wanted a blue-eyed child for as long as I can remember. And the fact that they seem to be getting lighter is absolutely thrilling! And no, contrary to popular belief, not ALL babies are born with blue eyes. I was born with brown eyes, as were all of my siblings. Everett's stayed blue for about a minute, so Juliana's really going for the gold with these puppies. Let's keep our fingers crossed! 
As for who she's looking like I keep thinking Will, although after taking these pictures, she seems to be looking more like me. Hmm...
So take comfort in knowing that even though you're not around to bug me about dressing up and having "theme" days, it looks like I won't be getting off the hook that easily. 
We traveled up to Ellijay last weekend for the Georgia Apple Festival. It was super fun and there was loads of apple-inspired food. I had a delicious apple dumpling that was to die for. Seriously, it was one of the main reasons I wanted to go. It was a beautiful fall day and the highlight for Everett being the horse/pony/donkey ride. He put up a pretty big fight when the ride was over.
And for those of you who have more apples than you know what to do with, may I suggest the following recipe. I've made it several times, always to rave reviews. Perfect with apple cider or a cold glass of milk. Happy baking!
Doing what she does best
Everett is a funny little guy. LOVES his sister a lot. His first word in the morning when I go to get him out of his crib is, "Baby?" He has to know where she is at all times and chances are, when he finds out where she is, he has to go and mess with her. He loves to give her kisses on the cheek and "hold" her in his lap. Heck, I've even caught him laying next to her just babbling away (while she's asleep). Lest you think Juliana has an angel for an older brother, I've also caught Everett rolling over her head, pulling her hair, and pinching her arm (With chubby arms like hers, I admit, it's hard to resist).
His latest attempt to be with Juliana ALL the time comes in the form of not for one second letting her enjoy the vibrating chair all by herself. No sir-ee. If she's in it, he's right there beside her, showing her the finer points of hanging farm animals. He's attempted on several occasions to climb in the chair with her, which usually results in me taking her out and him jumping right in.
Paula mentioned today that she thinks Juliana's looking more and more like me. I think the picture below is a good indicator why:
Seriously, if I were Juliana, I'd be irritated that I never had a moment's peace in this chair!
Juliana, irritated:
And here you have it. Not two seconds after I figured Juliana had had enough and who decides now is the perfect time to play in a chair he hasn't had a thing to do with in over a year??
As for the title of the post, there was a time not so many months ago when I was growing a tad worried over Everett's, um, lack of vocabulary. I know boys' verbal skills usually develop slower than girls, but like any mom, I wondered if he'd ever start communicating with actual words. Well folks, we're proud to say that Everett can say at least 66 words/phrases! Among our favorites are:
