This past weekend, my mom's friend from work invited Azilyn to her 1 year old daughter's birthday party. Weird. Well, I went with my mom and Azilyn and it turned out to be pretty fun, and not so weird after all. Quite comfortable actually.
Anyway, we have this book that Azilyn likes that teaches cause and effect. One of the pages says, "if you put candles on a cake..." then it has a little window you open and it says, "you can celebrate, your birthday!" She loves this page because she has discovered she likes cake, and she loves to sing "patty-cake" when read it, and she likes the balloons and party scene.
So, after reading this page, I always say, "Happy Birthday". Sometimes she tries to say it, but recently she's been getting a lot better at it.
Well, the night before the party, we were reading this book and she said 'happy birthday' pretty clearly! We practiced on the way to the party and when we got there, she totally performed! Yeah!! It was awesome.
Unfortunately, I can't figure out how to get the sound bit on the blog. Man, I really thought I was computer savvy, but it's all just passing me right up. Must be a sign I'm getting old!

No naps and no shower make Mommy...something something

Sooo, Azilyn is driving me super CRAZY!!!
I don't really know what's going on, but I think she's trying to bump the AM nap. Noooo!!! I most certainly do not approve.
I usually put her in her crib after reading a few stories and cuddling for a few minutes. She will often lay in my arms or on my shoulder, rub her eyes and begin to dose. Then I put her down and she goes to sleep.
The past week she's been restless in my arms, doesn't want me to put her in the crib, cries like I broke her little heart, truly devastated. I'm telling ya, it's all an act!
The past two days, she played in her crib for an hour and a half! No nap. Grrr!
Then, ornery.
Nap number two - 45 minutes, tops (she usually does 1 1/2 - 2 hrs).
Then, you guessed it, more ornery.
AHHH! I really need those little breaks. Please tell me this is just a phase. Probably those darn molars.
Darn molars!!!

Blueberries, a blessing and a curse

Blueberries:
Very high antioxidant
Anti-aging
Memory aid
Vision aid
Helps with urinary tract health
Anti-inflammatory
Delicious
Fun to eat
Notorious for STAINS!

Azilyn got blueberries on one of her cutest outfits. And, this is a big deal, because most of her clothes are just boring onesies. Anyway, I tried many "laundry secrets" suggested by everyone I know. Oxiclean, Spray n Wash, Biz, peroxide, baking soda and vinegar, various combinations, along with many I knew of, Tide stain release, fels-naptha soap, plain water, dish soap, hand soap, and lots of elbow grease.
Well, I am here to report... NOTHING works! Nothing. I think I just suck at laundry. Bleach works, but not so well on colored clothes. The thing that worked the best was soaking it in cold water and scrubbing it with hand soap.
But, now that I have the whole laundry isle, I can keep on trying until I find the best remedy on those blasted stains.
Another one I can't figure out, tomato products.

Yeah for life!

Well, Danny started school. Yeah! He's really excited for this semester. A couple of great miracles came about this semester. Well, first, it's a miracle he passed his marketing class over the summer. He really hated that class. It looked like it might be another hard semester this Fall when he was signed up for another marketing class he had to take. Luckily, the one he took over the summer counted for the one he was signed up for this semester. Halleluia! (And thank you Hilary) Double bonus!! The second miracle was that we got some unexpected grants! It wasn't a lot, but free money is always welcome. Hooray for not having to take out loans!

Another exciting thing this semester is that Danny is planning on competing in the National Home Builders Association competition in Las Vegas this February! He signed up to be in a group at school this past week. That's a start! I'm so proud of him. This is an awesome opportunity because there is great potential for recruiters to look at him and his work if his group does well! Yeah for opportunity! His group will have to put together a project developing a new subdivision, or something. Sounds exciting!
Now is also the time he will start looking for an internship for next summer, so if anyone knows of anything construction related, please let us know. Yeah for a light at the end of the tunnel. I'm beginning to see it.

And, Danny started work last week. Yeah for work! I think he is glad to be at it again. He is working for his old boss, doing pest control. It's a pretty good job for now. It's nice that he's working again, doing something fairly consistent and it pays well. Although winter is the down time in that industry; he also plans to snowplow again this winter. I hate having to drive in snow and being cold and everything, but let's all pray for a good season this year. Don't be selfish this year Ogden, please send some our way.

Well, I am hopeful to find something for work too. Although I would really rather stay home, it would be great to better position ourselves for the future. Debt sucks, ya know!

Azilyn has been especially onerey this week. I don't know what the deal is. She's sleeping poorly, probably cuz she's eating poorly. I just dont know what to do! It's very stressful. Here is a picture of her first ponytail! Yeah for growing hair! Maybe she won't be called a boy now, when she wears this yellow shirt with a bow and puffy sleeves! I just don't get it.

Exam results :-o

Ok, I've left you hanging long enough.

I PASSED!!

I am officially Ashley M Hall, ATC!! (Certified Athletic Trainer)

For those who don't know, an Athletic Trainer is not a personal trainer.

Athletic trainers are health care professionals who specialize in the prevention, assessment, treatment and rehabilitation of injury and illness, especially those which are musculoskeletal in nature.

Athletic trainers are commonly know for taping ankles, "rub-downs", and on-field emergency response during a football game, but we are much more than that. Football, and other traditional sports are a familiar setting for Athletic Trainers, but they can also be found employed in Military, Physical Therapist offices, performing arts, occupational settings, professional rodeo, and other extreme sports. The industry is really expanding! It's very exciting.

Athletic trainers are educated in injury/illness prevention, first aid and emergency care, assessment of injury/illness, human anatomy and physiology, therapeutic modalities, and nutrition. A bachelors degree in Athletic Training is required, along with current emergency response certification, a national certification and various state requirements (in Utah, one must be licensed). However, 70% of Athletic Trainers have a Master's degree or higher! Once certified, one must complete CEU's - continuing education units to remain up-to-date.

I really love being a stay-at-home mom, but if I have to work, I would really love to be at the High School level. I would really like to get more experience in the rehabilitaion aspect of athletic training, so I may try to find something at a PT office to start out. We shall see!!

Anticipation of results

The past two weeks or so have been crazy. After I studied like crazy, I took my AT cert. test, then the next week Danny had finals for his Summer semester. So he was working like crazy to finish up his classes. This week, we are in Cedar City. Danny is helping our friend frame their new house (and getting paid, Yea!). We have been staying with them while we're here. It's good for Azilyn to have some playmates, but there is a reason God only gives us one child at a time. They have three kids, ages 6, 4, and 18 months. It's enough to make you crazy! I have found that things really are different when you have your own kids and I'm glad for that. Azilyn really is such a good girl!

So, among all that craziness, I find out that Danny is going to fail one of his summer classes. But of course, lucky Danny gets an email from his professor, on the day grades are due, saying, 'you can still turn in all the assignments which you never attempted this whole dang semester. I will accept them, minus 10%!' ARE YOU KIDDING ME!??? Only Danny gets so lucky. So, in order to not have to pay all our financial aid back and get probation for Fall semester, my friend and I go to work to do something to attempt to pass this class. We get almost all his homework done in 5 hours and turn it in at 3pm! I was sick with worry, hoping she would get the email before she had to turn in grades.

So, like my test, we have to wait for results. Two to four weeks for my test results and just days before grades come our for Dan. Ahhhh!

So, I have just been trying to get some sewing projects done for my (step) sister before she has her baby, anytime now. I am about half way done with some car seat blankets and still need to make a hooter hider! I just need to find some fabric I think she might like. And, that's impossible! It's always hard doing stuff like this for someone else. I hope she likes it! :-s

So, just before bed the other day, I checked emails, mine and Danny's. Danny received an email from his professor saying, 'I got your assignments and applied them to your grade.' LUKCY!! I got an email saying 'exam scores are posted.' Ahhh! My nerves. So, I log in and I'm frantically clicking on every link trying to find where my results are posted. Can you believe they don't even tell you where exactly to look!? Unbelievable! Well, I finally find it, and it reads...

...wait for it...

Did I mention we need family pictures?

...oh, were you waiting for something? I'm oh so forgetful these days...

...speaking of pictures, we were suppose to get family pictures with Danny's family, and it has been rescheduled like 3 times, and ultimately canceled.

Anyone know of a good, but inexpensive way to get some family picts?...

One last Exam - *fingers crossed*

My Athletic Training certification exam is this Saturday! Ahhh! I'm so nervous. Everyone pray that I pass. Please!!! I'm totally cramming this week.

Time for a new Title

Okay. So, now that I'm back in the blogging mode, it's time to re-name my blog.
Any suggestions??

Family reunion

This past weekend was the Robertson family reunion (my mom's side). My grandpa rented a couple of cabins up at Brianhead. It was sooo much fun! Danny didn't come because he was attempting to get caught up on the online classes he's taking this summer. Crazy! I think he made progress while we were gone.

Anyway, it was so great to see everyone and spend a fun-filled weekend with them. My cousin, Rachel, has a son who is just a month older than Azilyn, so it was really fun to see him (McKay) and to see he and Azilyn play together. Well, I guess there wasn't much of them playing together. You see, even though McKay is older, he is a chicken and hasn't started walking by himself, though I think he is fully capable. Rachel said he takes steps alone until he realizes what he's done and sits right down. So we'd sit them down to play and McKay would zoom away crawling or Azilyn would just jump up and walk away. It was fun none the less.

Everyone was surprised to see that Azilyn is walking, and talking. I didn't realize how many things she says until I started to tell my aunt all her words. She says Mama and Papa (more of papa), nanana, apple, cracker, thank you. Those are the words she says most clearly. She signs more and please. She also says truck, duck, ball (more like ba), up, shoes, bath (also ba). I know there are more, but I can't think. She also tries to repeat anything you say. While we were at the reunion, she learned, "don't touch that." It's pretty clear too! She surprises me every day.

Anyway, the highlights of our reunion include, yummy food, board/card games, billiards, hiking, watermelon seed spitting, karaoke, family skits - very funny!, ancestral spotlights, and an awesome testimony meeting! I love my family!! Here's a picture of most of us. I think my mom, Azilyn and McKay are missing.

Oh, my grandma made these great shirts with our family tree on the front. Hence, all wearing yellow t-shirts!

One year ago

I was just thinking, Sunday was Azilyn's first birthday. We have yet to officially celebrate it since Azilyn and I were at a family reunion this past weekend, and Danny just left to do some "handy-Dan" work with a friend.
We brought her home from the hospital one year ago today! It's crazy to think that just a year ago she was so tiny and helpless. Now she is walking, talking, and sooo independent.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Sweet Girl!

There's no place like home

Well, after a long, arduous adventure, we are home again. Danny decided he was not doing well enough at sales to continue in Oklahoma, so we've come home. Of course, I supported him in this decision as I have all the rest. Neither of us regret our decision to go do sales, or to come home. We both learned some valuable and needed lessons.
Danny thought that he would try his hand in the call center at APX; outbound calling to potential customers who have previously expressed interest in an alarm. I would think this would be an easier sale and less intimidating than the door-to-door business. To my surprise, Danny thinks the phone guys are worse than the door-to-door guys. I think he termed them, the "ultimate bottom-feeders". (Can you tell he's a fisherman??)
So, that only lasted a week before his anxiety got the best of him. I can't say that I'm disappointed in him, just disappointed that it didn't work. He would have been getting paid hourly, plus commission, again, with potential for greatness (fiscally and otherwise). I know Danny could be a great salesman if he could get past the anxiety of the call. I can't say I blame him, though. I hated being on in-bound calls. It definitely made me a more cynical person, bitter toward humanity in general, for a time.
Sales can be great, but I don't care what kind of sales you're doing, it's tough! So, the search for work is on, again. Danny mentioned that his previous boss, doing pest control, is hiring again. Have we just come full circle???

Cheesecake Factory!!!

Just imagine...
Your exhausted. You've had a tiring, thought-it-would-never-end, hair-pulling, cross-eyed crazy day. Really, you checked out at noon. All you want now is to let the madness end! fall into bed like downed timber and sleep like a bump on one of those darn logs. Nothing would be better, right!?
Well, I was there. Saturday. Danny goes to work at about 8:45am and doesnt get home til after dark. Blah! Makes for a super long day, especially when Azilyn is the Energizer Bunny and ornery on top of it.
So, I planned to go to bed early. 9 or 9:30. This would make for a good 10hour night, or less. Azilyn thinks she needs to wake up with the sun at 6:30 every morning, give or take. It's killin' me. Well, somehow it didn't happen. I was up, staring at the computer screen when Danny got home, just before 10pm.
Soon after he got home we get a phone call. "We're all going to Cheesecake Factory for dinner." Well, I already had dinner ready, which we could have just saved for the next day, but can we go?? NO. We can't just leave the baby. Bummed on top of exhausted.
So, I'm getting ready for bed and I get a text. "What do you want from CF?" WHAT?
Well, I'm full from dinner right? So...Dessert?? Of course, who would pass up THE Cheesecake Factory CHEESECAKE! Not me! So after much negotiation, we figure out that we can have 5 pieces of cheesecake. Yea!!! Mouth is watering for like 20 minutes trying to decide which flavors we want. Finally we placed our order.
About midnight, a knock at the door. Though I'm ready to pass out, I ecstatically answer the door to a giant bag!
Raspberry white chocolate cheesecake, Keylime, cheesecake, Turtle Cheesecake, Cocoanut Cheesecake, Heaven-in-your-mouth cheesecake!!!!!!!
It was divine.

Bioluminescent bugs!?

So, lightning bugs are sooo cool!! Kudos to God for creating such an awesome insect (though I still couldn't bring myself to catch them. I hate bugs!) I didn't get very good pictures, but they seriously look like random Christmas lights in the bushes. So cool. When I first saw them them all blinking in the grassy field, my eyes lite up, they started watering (I was nearly crying with joy), and I squealed like a schoolgirl! They are fantastic!!
They are slender beetles and the glow part is on their butt, just on the under side, so if they're on a leaf or something they're kind hard to see. Good thing they fly! Lightning bugs glow to attract a mate. I learned that different species emit different sequences of flashes, like their own special Morse code!
We went out to Sunday to make our very own lightning-bug-in-a-jar lantern, but we could only catch 3 of them. They are faster than we've been told, and it was too dark. Our first one was in the grass just beaming away. Danny snatched the next one right out of the air! And the last one was on a leaf. We had them in a jar and poked holes in the top so they could breath. Then we brought them home to save for Azilyn to see the next day.
Well, come to find out, they only glow at night. We put them in a dark room to simulate night, but nope, just at night. So, Danny stuck em outside (so they wouldn't crawl through their air holes?? I dont know why), and, well just imagine being inside a 100 degree glass oven! Yep, they died. Well, they were mostly dead. So, being the little live saver that I am, I put a few drops of water in the jar in attempts to revive them. One of them, definitely dead. Another, went straight for the water. The third was just too weak. She tried and struggled, but there was just no hope. She faintly gave her last glow. I let them go their ways of all the earth yesterday. Only the strong survived.

Bad day turned good

Today was great. Well, the later half anyway. I have been really stressed out lately because I don't feel like we are making as much money as we should/need. Then after reading scriptures this morning and totally not understanding them, I was pretty bummed. The day looked like it was going to be a doozie.
But, it turned out pretty great. Azilyn, my friend Ally, and I went to the pool and it was great. The day was prefect to be in the water and Azilyn is getting more brave. She loves to 'jump' off the side of the pool and she'll even turn around and reach for the edge again. Sometimes she'll kick - with both legs together, like a frog. I'm afraid that wouldn't get her very far if she ever fell in. And, she tries with all her might to climb out of the pool. Ally said she was really straining today to get up, it looked like she was pooping, and that she was grabbing at the brick trying to pull herself. Then, she tried to bite the brick to get some advantage. HA! What a character.
No pictures again. At least not by my camera. There were, however, some oriental girls at the pool who, I'm pretty sure, got some of her! I'll have to recruit a camera man. Maybe Danny can come with us in the morning next week.
Well, Danny is due home anytime and we're going to go for a walk to look for lightning bugs (not fireflies, say the locals. It's like So UT and Hurricane; big no no)!

More, please

We made it to Oklahoma! And, our new apartment is great! Two bed/bath and a large living room for Azilyn to do laps, while pushing the exercise ball. It's great. Our apt is minimally furnished and no tv. I havent really been watching much anyway. Chasing Azilyn around is a full time job. Not much time for anything else. I do actually get dinner made, but it's usually been after she goes to bed. That's one nice thing about having Danny out working late.

So, we got to OK on Friday and Danny had to finish up his licensing. He's already done state licensing, but he had to get a separate one for OK city with a picture, signature, and mini print affidavit right on it. I'm telling ya, OK is the most regulated state. Their parking meters are even regulated by city ordinance and it tells you the ordinance after you put in the money! Strange. Anyway, the picture lady left work early for a dr’s appt and no one else could press a little button, so Danny had to wait until today to get everything done. That means he missed work on Saturday. Which sucks because Sat’s a big selling day. While I was glad to have the day with him, I really didn’t have him because he was catching up on his homework. Did I mention he’s taking online classes??
What a crazy summer! Crazy for him, really. I’m having a pretty good time actually.
We did get to go swimming together as a family though.

Yesterday we went to my Aunt Aleen’s house (my Dad’s sister) for dinner. She only lives 45 min to an hour from us. It was sooo great to see her and meet all of her family. I mean I’ve met them before, but I don’t really know them. Since they live so far from UT, it’s a rare occasion to see them. We just talked and ate a fantastic roast and potatoes, etc., ate cake, played in her beautiful, very kid friendly yard, jumped on the tramp. It really felt like being home. My Uncle Bert (Aleen’s husband) just LOVED Azilyn. She was being such a riot too. Skwaking and talking and mimicking people. There was this big antique grape decoration on the coffee table (you know the ones only old people have). Azilyn wanted to touch it so bad, but we’d tell her no and she’d pull her hand back just before touching it and do a little antsy dance. I wish I had got it on camera, but I was too busy disciplining (and laughing)! It was so funny.

It seems like Azilyn does something new every day. A few days ago I showed her the sign (sign language) for please and more. She caught on to please almost right away (rubbing more of her side than her chest – hilarious!), but more is a little harder. So, before dinner yesterday, I snitched a roll and gave her a little bit. She was glad; she clapped her hands. So, I put her down and let her run around. I went in the other room. The next thing I know, she’s doing the sign for more. I couldn’t believe she was really doing it, and I really didn’t think she knew what she was doing. I pick her up and she points toward the kitchen, so I took her over to the rolls and she leans over to grab one! SHE WANTED MORE ROLL! Crazy!! I’m still a little stunned.

Well, Danny is working today. Yeah! Azilyn is sleeping right now. Super yeah! And, I got a shower today. All really is well. We live a simple life. And I’m grateful.

(I was going to include some pictures, but I cant find the cords to my camera. Sorry)

Finally

Well, I’m taking a break from packing. Yep, we’re off to OK city, finally! I hope things go better there. I am convinced that Danny is a good salesman, and Wichita just sucks! Yesterday, the team got a total of 14 sales. That is horrible; less than half of their usual. It’s because of the negative media they’ve been getting. One sale of Danny’s, however, called him personally to tell him that after his neighbor told him about the news, he wasn’t going to cancel because he checked out APX, knew Danny was honest and that the new was full of crap! Yeah for Danny!! If only more people would stop believing everything they hear and start thinking for themselves!

Oh, and last night I sent someone to the hospital. Don’t worry, I didn’t hurt anyone. Quite the opposite. I had the opportunity to use my Athletic Training skills! Someone one the team got a concussion after work when they wrecked on their bike. He exhibited symptoms of a moderate concussion, but as to not take the risk of DEATH, or worse, I advised him to go to the hospital. He did. He’s okay – that is, he’s not going to die. Pat pat on the back. Job well done! ☺

Stupid local news

Two weeks ago there was a complaint filed against APX (Danny’s company), here in Wichita, because some lady felt like she was “strong-armed” into getting a system. (Strong-armed, honestly!? They’re just good salesmen!!) So, the police were stopping the salesmen and telling them not to sell and giving them all sorts of trouble, even though they have licenses and are perfectly fine to sell. Well, come to find out, the technicians, who install the systems were not properly licensed because there was a delay in their paperwork, minor details, really. There was an investigation and everything.
Anyway, everyone had to go get licensed and fingerprinted for other cities around Wichita, so they could continue to sell while Wichita got worked out (and we’re still working on OK city). Long story short, bad publicity. That sucks! Ironically, ever since they left Wichita, Danny has done better! I hope that means good things for OK city, if we ever get there.

So, Tuesday Danny got home early because of this whole mess and we got to go to the movies. Yea! Without Azilyn. Double yea! Seriously, it was our first “date” we’ve had in forever. We went to this theater with cush seat where you can order dinner and eat it while you watch your movie. Awesome! The food was over priced, but nothing like theater concessions. It tasted pretty good too.

I guess getting home early was a good break for Danny because he got sales the rest of the week!

Friday Azilyn and I went swimming for her first time. She has the cutest swimming suit. The water was cold, but pretty good for May. I had to ease into it and since she was on my hip, she didn’t hit the water until I was in up to my waste. Once her little toe hit the water, she jerked it right back out again. Then, once she got use to the water temp, she wouldn’t stop kickin’! She tried to blow bubbles, then drank the water, then inhaled the water and started coughing. It was so fun! She wanted me to let go of her. She liked to step off the edge of the pool into my arms, but didn’t like being on her back so much.
I couldn't get a picture at the pool, so this is the best I could do. Not the best picture. It's hard to get a good picture of her. She's either right in the camera or not interested at all. At least you can kinda see her cute swim suit; that's what I was goin' for. It's surfer girl style.

Stupid cleaning lady!

We had a hit and run today. Our car got scraped as someone was backing out of the stall next to us. That sucks. I know it's not that bad, but no one wants a broken car. Even if it's just aesthetics.

Keeper of the Plains

Tonight I got to spend some time with Danny! Yea. He went to work early and got home early cuz it was a holiday. We took a walk on the river walkway to a big metal Native American statue called "Keeper of the Plains". They burn big firepits every night so we went to see them, but Danny doddled too long and we missed it. It has a really cool bridge on either side of it, which span the Little and Big Arkansas Rivers. And, there's a little indian display there. It's pretty cool. We took the baby in the stroller, thinking she'd fall asleep on the way, but she didn't. We got home about 10pm, then she crashed. I hope that means she sleep longer tomorrow morning!

Week 4, I think

Well, we’ve been in Wichita a month now. Danny’s working hard and continuing to make little improvements with his sales pitch. That means only good things to come, right!? I’m not really sure when we’ll get to Oklahoma City. We started off in Wichita so all the salesmen and installation technicians could pass all the licensing tests they have to take for OK, but apparently, not everyone has passed them, and it seems like they may never. Darn technicians.

Anyway, today we had a relaxing Sabbath. We bbq’d and played games with our neighbors. Azilyn wanted to play cards and was pretty upset when we wouldn’t let her. So she waddled off pouting. When it became quiet, I looked over to see her sneaking up the stairs! She made it up two or three before I rushed over and startled her. Don’t worry, she didn’t fall down, she just began laughing her head off!! It was so funny. She was laughing so hard she even pooped her pants! HaHaHa. She made my gut hurt, I was laughing so much! Oh, what a joy. Azilyn is walking everywhere now. She does really well. She even walks down the stairs, with help of course, but she doesnt want to try and crawl down backwards like I've taught her. She'll go one or two steps, stand up, turn around and grab me. Then she steps down like a big girl. It's so funny, but she does pretty well. She is pretty obedient too, but I still have to watch her like a hawk to make sure she doesnt attempt them on her own.

Yesterday was my birthday. Danny had to work all day. That sucked, but my day was great. I did nothing – that was the great part. I had dishes and laundry and other stuff, and I gave myself the day off. I just chilled out at home with Azilyn. Did like one row of crochet, fed Azilyn some pepperoni pizza. It was hilarious. She got it everywhere. Anyone know how to get pizza sauce, or any tomato product out of clothes? Nothing is working!

I also picked up some dry cleaning yesterday. While I was there, this weirdo guy commented on my sandals cuz he’s wearing some like mine. His were the name brand. I got mine at Payless. So he’s asking me about them – how much were they? Are they comfy? What size do I wear? So I take one off to look at the size and he asks, “Can I try it on?” WHAT!? I don’t want some weirdo stranger trying on my shoe. What if I get a fungus? So, you’d think I’d say, ‘NO, you weirdo!’ But do I? I already had it off, so I felt obligated or something. Reluctantly, I gave him my shoe. Woohoo, they fit him. I really thought he was going to mug me for the other one, but he gave it back saying something about how he doesn’t have any diseases. I didn’t really hear him cuz I was so grossed out and trying not to show it. Even more reluctantly, I put the shoe back on and limped out the door, trying not to press my precious foot into his nasty foot sweat. When I got to the car, I cleaned everything off with a baby wipe, but couldn’t find any sanitizer. Ewww! Seriously, Wichita is a weird town.

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

Last night I booked a plane ticket home for the end of June. Well, kinda. I mean I did book a flight, but I’m coming back to go to Yellowstone with my dad. I’m so excited to spend time with him, just me and Azilyn! She loves her Grandpa. I love my daddy!

Maybe I shouldn't be a blogger

So, I decided after looking at others' blogs that I suck at this. I know I dont have to write these super long entries, but somehow I feel like I should. Anyway.
Azilyn IS WALKING!! Maybe some day I'll figure out how get my videos from my camcorder to my computer, but so far, no luck. It's cuz we have a mac. I love it, but not everything is compatible. That sucks.
We had an awesome time at RiverFest last week. Even though we only went 3-4 days out of the 9. I bought Danny a hemp bracelet at the flee market they had, and he loves it. He's tried to make one before and it always breaks just before he's done. It's kinda funny.
Well, the mosquitoes are out in full force again. Danny is getting eaten alive. Mostly because he refuses to use bug spray. He doesn't like the smell, or feel. I've gotten one. The iching drives me Mad!

NaNaNa

We went to the RiverFest again today. My friend Ally came with us. Azilyn had a good time in the Cessna Kid’s Korner. It was a country theme today, so she had fun making some rope with Ally, workin’ the skid loader, and riding the steer of straw with mom. There was also a petting zoo, which she wasn’t too sure about. She kept pulling her hand away and giving the animals funny looks. We all shared a funnel cake. Azilyn just wanted to play in the powdered sugar. Yeah, it got all over, but only cuz the wind blew the plate over. We were going to get Azilyn’s face painted, but I didn’t think she’d hold still for very long. There were several things we just didn’t do because Azilyn is just too small, like a pony ride. After her reaction to the small animals, I’m not sure how she would have faired on a big one.

Well, Danny is just workin away. He is up to four sales now. Some guys get that or more in a day, but that’s okay. He’s still learning and I’m proud of him. He has had lots of people who were interested, but they didn’t pass a credit check. They do that to make sure people can actually pay their bills. Otherwise it wouldn’t really be a sale cuz they have to stick. There are some really nice people here, but I’m shocked at how many are so rude. They treat these salesman like they’re not human. Slamming doors, using vulgarity, throwing things, threatening them, leaving them out in severe weather!! Please be nice to salesmen and telemarketers. They are people too. You can be assertive without being rude.

So, I feel safe to say that Azilyn is walking!! She will walk along the couch, without holding on, goes short distance and attempts longer ones all the time. She even stands up on her own and goes. She’s not even 10 months old yet! Crazy. I have attempted to film her, but she’s a little camera shy. I’ve gotten a few shots though. The bad news is, apparently my camcorder doesn’t work with my computer after all. So, my friend is going to let me use her computer to burn a disc. Then I can try to get some video up for ya.

Here are some pictures of Azilyn and her baNaNa! She LOVES them!!

Squawk n walk

I think this week Azilyn will start walking. I’m not really sure I’m excited about this, however, she already gets in to everything. It is so fun to see her try to walk though, and sad. It’s sad because she falls a lot, but fun because it’s a new and exciting milestone.

She took her first steps before Easter and yesterday, Mother’s Day, was the first time she made many consecutive attempts at it. She randomly just stood up from sitting on the floor and took, like, 5-6 steps before falling!

I got a camcorder for my birthday (early present from my mom) and I had it right next to me and didn’t get it. Doh! I’m just not use to having it yet. I will have to figure out how to download from the camera. We have some really fun clips of her. She is so entertaining.

Everywhere we go people comment about how happy Azilyn is. She’s always squawkin and screamin. She love to stare at people (especially black people). Maybe cuz they’re all staring at her. She is very social. In fact, she does better when we’re around people than when we just play at home all day. She’ll often begin to cry when we walk in the door after being out and about.

Well, it’s the rainy season here in Kansas. I think it’s rained more than half the days since we’ve been here. It’s strange to see so much moisture. They had to cancel some of the activities at RiverFest, like paddle boats and a land/water team competition that’s kinda like a triathalon, because the river was too high and swift. They have awesome bridges with staircases down to the river, a walkway and benches by the river, most of which was covered because it’s rained so much. (Pictures later, sorry)

Week Two

It doesn’t seem like there’s much of anything worth reporting until BAM!!! tons of little, or big things happen, and by the time I get around to writing them down, well, I forget. Darn bad memory and procrastination.

This week I have just been busy taking care of Azilyn, running errands, doing dishes, laundry, etc. Pretty boring. We did move Azilyn out of our “room” (loft area) down into the other “room” (curtain drawn space) because everytime she would wake up, she wouldn’t go back to sleep cuz she could see us! What a drag. We wanted to avoid stumbling down the steep staircase in the middle of the night. Anyway, we moved her. Now she sleeps better, and so do we.

It has been harder to get Azilyn to take good naps since we’ve been here. She wakes up at 7:00 (6am Utah time, grrr). Poor Danny. At home, for nap time, I could just rock her for a few minutes, put her in bed and she’d go to sleep on her own, generally with minimal crying. Now she will not go down without a fuss, and lots, and lots of coaxing, cradling, suckling, swaying, bouncing, stroking, etc. It’s quite frustrating. Mostly because I know she just needs a good sleep so she’s not so cranky! I think her pack’n’play crib may be partly to blame. It really can’t be comfortable sleeping on cardboard! My search for a Portacrib mattress has been futile.

Well, today finishes up Danny’s second week of selling. In some ways it seems like we’ve been here longer. The first week Danny was super miserable knocking doors. Rejected and dejected. He really didn’t show it or tell me though, so I thought he was doing okay. I have just been really supportive. I have never felt disappointed in him, only so proud because I know he is working soo hard. He told me that this week was much better. He has been driving to his selling area with a super awesome salesman who’s really helped him have a positive outlook.

Friday began the local RiverFest on the Arkansas river (pronounced R – Kansas) just a few blocks from us. It is a festival with lots of fun activities, carnival rides, river rides, competitions, etc. We watched the opening “Sundown Parade” last night and Azilyn LOVED it! She was waving at everyone, and she didn’t even mind all the loud noises. She just didn’t like it when I tried to cover her ears for some of them. We left early so Azilyn could go to bed and it proved a difficult task trying to navigate our beast of a stroller through crowds of parade onlookers. I don’t think they were very happy with us.

More fun RiverFest adventures to come.

First Week in Wichita

I can't believe we've been here a week already! Time flies. I'm a few days behind on posting what's been going on because I've been so busy unpacking, trying to get the baby back on schedule and trying to keep my milk in. The last two things really conflict with each other, and take a lot of attention.
Well, Danny's first day of selling was Monday. AND...he did awesome!! He got his first sale, and the only sale on his team, besides his manager, who's been selling for like 6-7 years. YEAH for Danny! We are so proud of him. I think Danny is glad to be out here, since now his wife takes better care of him. I have had something for dinner every night this week! I keep things picked up, except the baby toys, and the maid helps with the cleaning once a week! Yea for a maid. We are currently staying in an extended-stay place, kind like Marriott's Residence Inn. Furnished, a select few dishes, dishwasher, AC, continental breakfast, free laundromat. It works well.
Azilyn has had fun exploring her new surroundings. We have stairs which go up to a loft bedroom and she loves to climb them, with me right behind, of course. Though, she tries to attempt them without me plenty. She is also learning to climb other things. Yesterday she climbed up on the couch for the first time! Of course, that was without a cushion on it. We use that to block the stairway. And, every time I open the fridge, she turbo crawls over and climbs up the shelves inside. Oh, and she finally discovered she can climb on the open dishwasher door. Great! Now she can really reach the knives in the silverware basket. Darn baby! She is the cutest lil stinker though. Who can resist, honestly?
Here are some of the fun new things about Azilyn:
she has four teeth (sometimes not so fun actually), she waves goodbye (more like flapping her whole arm - SO cute!), she surprised us with peekaboo today after climbing on the couch, she's trying to say uh-oh but only gets the uh part, and she loves tags of all varieties. I had to deter her from one that was on the flexi-pipe on the toilet. Yea, gross! My favorite is the one on the underside of her highchair, but hers is the one on her bib. I dont understand why she wants it in her mouth, even when it's full already?? I might as well not put it on because if she sees the tag, that's the end of her clean clothes.

Danny's new dream job - Stormchaser

Okay, so let me tell you about our first full day in Kansas -
Sunday. It was a stormy day. We have church at 11:15. By the time we got out of church it was super dark and rainy. When we got home we turned on the news to find we had a tornado warning in our county! Ahhh. This is when you're supposed to go hide in the dark, windowless bathroom (since we don't have a basement). Well, we didn't. We were so dang tired, we just took a nap on the couch. Don't worry, the tornado had already past us. By the time we woke up from our nap it was time to go to dinner; we were invited by a family in our new ward! So we check the news again and we had another tornado warning. This time, it was relatively close and heading right for us, or rather, right for where we were going. I was nervous to go. The tornado, which touched down briefly, was only 15 miles west of us. We called our new friends and they said we should be okay, so we went. CRAZY!!!
As we got closer to their house, the sky became increasingly darker. A giant black wall was bulldozing toward us, as we drove toward it. I was praying, hard. The fifteen minute drive seemed like forever, but we finally made it. We pulled into the driveway and we jumped out of the car just as the cascade was liberated from heaven. It was like slow motion. I saw every droplet just before turning away to be drenched over every inch of my backside. The tornado was wrapped in rain. Very dangerous, and unpredictable, even for professional Stormchasers (there really is such a job)!
We were soaked the rest of the night, even as the rain and wind continued to whip the house. I was scared to go home. It wasn't letting up, but we had to get home before the streets got flooded. So again we braved the storm. Gutters were overflowing. The streets were flooding. We were driving through inches, maybe a foot of water. Stopped at a stoplight – the whole road was moving. Going again. The car next to us hits her breaks as gallons of water wake onto our car. It’s getting worse as we go. On the freeway, cops block parts of the flooded road to prevent cars from hydroplaning. Finally we make it home, flip on the news. They had just closed the road we were on due to 2 feet of pooling water. We drove through it!!
So, is it a miracle we survived our first day in Kansas?? I should think so. Next day – reported rain total for Wichita…5.61 inches! Wow.
http://affiliate.kickapps.com/_20090426170846mpg/video/626080/33096.html
Here is a link to a video of our tornado that someone sent in to the local news station. Sorry I couldn't upload it to the blog.

New Adventue

Well, I have put off blogging long enough. I decided to give in, in order to document our new adventure. For those of you who don't know, Danny will be selling home security systems this summer, in Kansas and Oklahoma! Last week was super crazy with all the preparations to head out there (ie - trying to pack half our house into our little car), but things are settling down now that we're here!
We left Wednesday night for Denver, about 10pm, after a day full of packing and lots of last minute goodbyes. We thought Azilyn would do better on the long drive if she were sleeping. Well, the 8 hour trip to Denver took like 10+ hours! She woke up 2-3 times, the load on our roof was shifting, we were exhausted! It was a very long night. But, we made it and slept all day Thursday. We went downtown Denver on Friday with our friends, who's house we crashed at, and headed on the road again Saturday morning.
The drive across Kansas was long too. We got sick of I-70, so we got off on a little highway that cut down to Wichita, where we'll be staying for 5-6 weeks. This was the best choice. It was much more relaxed and scenic than the flat farmlands we'd seen the past several hours. On the country highway, we saw horse and buggy crossing signs. It was hilarious! The weather had forecast rain as we neared Wichita, but we only got a few sprinkles. There was quite a bit of lightning though - very beautiful.
Interesting things about our Kansas drive: You could tell where people live - amid the flatness, there would be a house/farm with a hedge of thick evergreens around it. I'm guessing this was either a wind or tornado break. Every town we passed had a cool four-legged water tower with the city name on it. Farmers here grow mostly wheat. Many don't use irrigation! It's amazing, some places actually get moisture, unlike Utah!