Pictures

Here are some of my favourite recent pictures of the girls.

She falls asleep like this all the time....I think it's the cutest

Santa Coco

Watching Dora on 'Mommy's little computer' with cousin Sophie.

She let me braid her hair. It looked so cute.

Colouring with Daddy. Notice how Maggie has her sunglasses on her head just like Dave. She puts them up there all the time.

When things are too quiet at my house. Thank goodness for washable markers.

Our First E.R. Visit

Maggie swallowed an eye-screw and we survived our first official visit to the E.R.

We moved into a new apartment last month and 2 weeks ago I decided that it was time to get the place decorated. I have a tray with different nails and screws in it that I had sitting on the table. Of course Maggie wanted to 'help'. She got a little eye-screw and was pretending it was a key, going around to all the doors and 'unlocking' them. I figured this was fairly innocent and safe, so I let her play with it....little did I know.
As I was hanging a picture I looked over and saw Maggie put the 'key' in her mouth. Just as I said 'Maggie, spit that out', there was a little choke and it was gone....oh great. Since we had just moved recently we still had no phone set up and since I have a frugal husband we don't have a cell phone. I ran upstairs and asked the upstairs neighbor if I could use her phone. I called my Dr.'s office hoping that they would say 'ahhh, no big deal, it will pass,' but instead I got, 'take her to the E.R. NOW.'....oh great.
Of course it was a Thursday and Dave has the car in Salt Lake ALL day on Thursdays (we're talking 7am - 8pm). My head was spinning trying to figure out how to get to the hospital with no car and no car seats. My neighbor had to leave so she couldn't help, but asked if I could just take Maggie to Utah Valley Hospital. In my flustered state I forgot that we had moved only about 4 blocks from the hospital....yes, yes, I could walk over there....duh. I loaded up the girls in the stroller and off we went.
Everyone in the E.R. was so nice and helpful. They even gave my girls little dollies to have and entertain them. We were there for about 3 hours and both of the girls were so good. Chloe had been grumpy and miserable all morning with 6 teeth coming in all at once, but she was an absolute angel. I know I was being blessed and watched over.
They did an x-ray of Maggie's abdomen to make sure that the screw had made it into her stomach and hadn't gotten caught up anywhere on the way. Sure enough it was sitting at the bottom of her stomach right where they wanted it to be. They sent me home with instructions to come back in 2 days for another x-ray to make sure it had passed, but the next day I spotted a little gold in her diaper. I washed it up so she can keep her souvenir.

Hanging out in the waiting room.

I grabbed the DVD player on the way out the door...so glad I did.

Waiting for x-rays with her new dolly.

Such a good girl. She spent most of the time just sitting in the stroller.

Getting sleepy. It was a long afternoon.

Hospital bands and eye-screws....so much fun.

I didn't really know if Maggie understood much of what was going on, but the other day we were watching Bolt and at the end of the movie they have to take Bolt and Penny to the hospital. Maggie said 'has to go to the hospital....go see the fishies', (I had totally forgotten they they had an aquarium in the waiting room)...then she looked at me really sheepishly and said 'I swawoed da key'....I guess it did make an impression.

Life After Graduation

Here's just a quick little update of our life. Dave is working a few different jobs right now. He put his name in at a 'temp agency' and they got him a job working full time for a costume company. He is doing costumer service, answering phones and taking orders. It's their busy season, so they hire a bunch of extra help for the next couple of month. Not the most exciting job, and not using his degree at all, but it's paying the bills for the next little while.

The most exciting thing that he is doing right now is teaching a class at Salt Lake Community College. He is teaching a Human Biology course Tuesdays and Thursdays evenings. We are thrilled with this opportunity to get a foot in the door with the college. Teaching his 'own' class will be great on a resume, and he is using his degree. He is also going to be subbing a few times at the BYU Salt Lake Center, teaching General Biology (another foot in a door), and he got approved to work part-time at BYU with on of his Professors. He has been a busy boy and we miss him around here.

The girls and I just hang out at home most of the time. They are crazy, fun and smart little stinkers. They definitely keep me busy and for the most part I'm maintaining my sanity.

Chloe is BUSY, BUSY, BUSY...it's unreal how many things she can get into in one day. I thought that my house was fairly child proof, she is proving me wrong. She climbs and wriggles her way into places I would have never thought she could get to. Maggie seems to be getting a little easier these days, but maybe Chloe is just so hard right now that it makes Maggie seem better (just kidding). Maggie is growing up quickly, she blows me away with the things she says and what she remembers. Both the girls have fun little personalities....I kind of like 'em.

Here are a few recent pictures of the girls for your viewing pleasure.

Bath time is a favourite time in our house. The girls LOVE it and I love that they are easy to contain while they are in the tub.

She loves corn, she ate 2 1/2 cobs that day. Being from Taber, this makes me very proud :)

(I'm missing Cornfest this weekend...sniff, sniff)

PIGGIES

It's hard for me to get her to sit still for very long, so I was exciting to get her hair done.

It lasted a little while, until she decided to pull them out.

Maggie calls Oreos 'black cookies'...Chloe calls them 'delicious'! (I call them messy)

I just took this picture a minute ago, it's so funny.

Chloe has not been good at going to sleep on her own, I still have to rock her to sleep most of the time. She is finally starting to get better at it.

After I put her down I could hear her playing in her crib for a while, when things were quiet I peeked in to check on her....this is what I found.

I guess I can't put her down without something over her diaper anymore.

I'm just mostly proud of her for going to sleep on her own :)

We are all happy and healthy. We're hoping that Dave will be able to find something full-time and permanent, but we are headed in the right direction.

BYU GRADUATION 2010

This week was a big one for our little family. Dave officially graduated with his Master's Degree and we are so excited. We were able to have both set of parents attend the graduation. It was so wonderful to have them with us. My Mom and Dad got here Tuesday and we have had so much fun playing with them. It's always hard to say goodbye.

I'm am so proud of my Husband. He has worked so hard and this is a huge accomplishment. I got a little emotional when I heard the music playing for the processional at Commencement. I spotted Dave quickly even though we were sitting way far up at the Marriott Center and Dave was down on the floor.

We took a lot of pictures, I'm am posting some of my favourites. My Dad brought his fancy new camera with a telephoto lens, so we were able to get some pictures of Dave even though he was really far away.

Thursday, August 12

BYU Commencement

Walking to the Marriott Center (I love this picture)

The Graduate

Dave and his girls

Our Family.

It's hard to get a good picture with a 1 year old and a 2 year old.

Our support group.

Our parents have done so much to help us get through school. We can't thank them enough.

Dave hasn't quite found us yet, but it didn't take him very long to find us, with me standing and waving my arms like a lunatic.

All the Grads:

The Doctorate and Master's Students are on the floor to the left.

Faculty are on the floor to the right.

Undergrad are on the first sections of the stands.

Dave is fifth from the end.

My Mom did a great job entertaining the girls when they needed a break from sitting in the stands.

Photography by Grandpa E :)

We just happened to be by the doors that the Master's students came out of.

Maggie was excited to greet her Daddy.

Posing at the waterfall on campus.

This is such a great picture of Chloe. I love her facial expressions.

Maggie's turn with the Hat.

Friday, August 13

College Convocation

This time Dave knew where to look :)

Dave got to be front and center at his Convocation.

The 4 graduate before him are Doctorates, he was the first Master's student for the College of Life Sciences.

Waiting for his name to be called. Dave and the three graduates that follow all had the same academic advisor.

Being greeted by the Dean as part of the Presentation of the Diplomas.

The Master :)

Greeted again by Mags.

Grandma and Grandpa Betts with Chloe

This is the main reason I wanted Dave to walk. I wanted to have this picture.

Dave has been in School for most of our marriage. We have 2 BYU babies and this has been our life so far. I know that it will be a small portion of our life together, but it's been a exciting, challenging, wonderful, hectic, crazy few years.

My Graduate :)

I LOVE this picture.

Dave got to wear fancy 'hood' along with what Maggie called 'Daddy's Dress'

Dave with his Parents.

Isn't this the sweetest picture ever. Chloe loves her Grandpa.

Dave's Building.

The Widtsoe Building is where he has had his office and lab for the past few years; his home away from home.

Congratulations Babe, you did it!