Grass is Green

May is so beautiful in Utah. We had perfect weather for lots of picnics and countless walks to the park. Maddie was in heaven playing outside--on grass, no less--and with tons of cousins and friends.



Maddie and Kiera were fast friends. Kiera was so sweet and motherly--I hardly had to worry about Maddie getting in to trouble!

Ella liked to hang out with Uncle Lynn.

Maddie was playing with the camera and I think she captured a good shot of our typical family gatherings. Adults sit and talk, kids run around, and Grandma Andrews looks on happily at her posterity.

I was able to meet up with two of my best friends and old roommates, Joanna and Erin. We met up at the Noni gardens (where I worked for two years) for another picnic.

What is this green stuff?

It was gratifying to see my little girl enjoying a place that means so much to me. I know every nook and cranny of those gardens, having cared for them day in and day out. It was so fun to watch her explore and enjoy them!

The kids loved the wading pool! The only way we got them to leave was to promise they could play in the pool back at Erin's house.

We didn't have swimsuits for the girls, so they all ended up in boy suits. Pretty cute if you ask me (red neck or not). We wouldn't mind many more play dates with these fun friends!

La La Land

1. A place renowned for its frivolous activity.
2. A state of mind characterized by a lack of seriousness.

Turns out there is such a place because I have been a resident for the past two weeks! We took a spur of the moment trip to Utah for some interviews and ended up staying over Memorial Day weekend to play! Mike spent three days driving all over the Salt Lake area to wow prospective employers, but other than that we just had lots of fun.

There are many pictures to sort, but for now enjoy this precious moment of Maddie holding Ella's hand in the car. They are such sweet sisters!

Yay for Ella!

I can't believe how big my baby is already!!! Tonight we tried rice cereal for the first time! It's still a little early, but we were feeling experimental and she seemed to enjoy it.

She is sitting up like a champ! She still topples easily but is getting stronger. I love how this picture shows the difference in their skin tone--Maddie is tan instantly (even with sunscreen on) and Ella is my little porcelain doll!

Also, just a few pics of me and my girls... I'm not sure why Maddie was praying but it's cute. And I love chubby little girls in swimmers!!!

Eye of the Storm

The news swept over us like a hurricane... laid off? Us? Really? We had thought we were the lucky ones, making it through six rounds of layoffs and being one of the last standing. Well, lesson learned: nobody in this economy is invincible. Especially in the construction capital of the U.S.A.

It's been 3 weeks now, and we're actually feeling pretty good. The blues have left, and now we are full of hope for the future and enjoying having the man of the house around a bit more! He's still working at fever pitch to find his dream job, but he gets to eat oatmeal with us in the morning and ride his road bike whenever he wants to! We are learning there are things we can quite easily live without, and other things we were missing out on. When I'm not thinking about the fact that our savings is seeping through our fingers, I acutally kinda like this set-up.

The calm eye of the storm won't stay forever--eventually we may have to pick up our comfy lives here and re-arrange everything somewhere else. But I find strength in the thought that everything that really matters to me can't be taken away.

On a lighter note, tune in to Extreme Makeover tomorrow night, 8/7 central, to see the house that Mike helped with when he still worked for Wright Engineers! He spent some good volunteer hours at this site, making sure that everything was built according to plan. He's even got the neon green souvenier shirt to prove it! :)

Heat wave!

I have so much to blog about lately! The smell of sunscreen, drippy swinsuits, and tan lines tell me summer is right around the corner...

Why the long face?

Maddie and Daddy practiced levitating...

A was our letter of the week:

And Ella worked on her ABC's too! This little baby is growing up so fast. She is rolling quite a bit and learning to blow the cutest raspberries and bubbles.

That's all for this edition of the Andrew's news!

Today means...

6 years since I married this guy... and never a dull moment.

I'm A Big Girl Now!

Well, it's kinda funny... Maddie decided it was time to potty train and dragged me into it. I'll spare you the details, but just imagine an attempted #2 in the potty without supervision and a nakee bum where the diaper should have been. (If you are having mental images, make sure it's a really cute nakee bum.) Needless to say, it was time for a trip to Target to buy some big girl underwear! After 4 successful hours the first night, we decided to go all out and have an...

Elmo Potty Party, of course!!! Steamers, hats, and the Elmo Potty Time video set the scene. After every successful try, Maddie got to have a sucker.

High 5 Elmo!

He had to take a turn too... and he often helps on the flushing.

He even got a pair of underwear! I have to say, even though I wasn't ready for this, it has been less painful than I imagined. I need to give Maddie more credit sometimes... she is one smart cookie. Let's hope the success continues!

Celebrity of the week!

If you want to be a celebrity in Maddie's world, all you have to do is visit! She will talk about you non-stop! This week, it was Aunt Rebecca. Even though she left two days ago, Maddie still prayed for her tonight and talks about what we did while she was here.

She was a good sport and read lots of books!

We checked out the Bellagio...

...and then M&M World. Maddie chose green--ahhhh!

I (Lauren) also loved having Rebecca here. She cooked a delicious dinner for us one night, and besides the breast cancer 5K we also went shopping together, so I had a nice break from my everyday routine!

Who wants to be the next celebrity?

Still seeing pink!

Rebecca (Mike's sister) came to town with some girl friends to Race for the Cure! She stayed with us and when we found out her team "Victorious Secret" had an extra bib, I decided to join the fun.

Our Hero capes

By the main stage on Freemont Street... right before Marie Osmond spoke! She joked she was still in her 7 pm make-up from her show the night before and hadn't slept yet.

We walked the 5K together. Rebecca is recovering from a major elbow injury and I am not much of a runner! I am, however, halfway through a training program to able to run 30 minutes straight. I hear the beginning is the hardest, and once you can do that much you can do anything. I have been running 4 mornings a week before my kids wake up, and even though it is soooo hard to leave my cozy bed, I love the cool morning air!

Here's more of the team. It was nice to get away for a morning and join a worthy cause! More of the visit from Aunt Rebecca to come...

Bloomin' Desert

'Tis the season to visit Las Vegas! It is a beautiful time of year here. We had the pleasure this week of entertaining my roomie and good friend Joanna and her two girls while Doug attended a conference. We explored some sights away from the Strip and discovered some beautiful places!

Our first field trip was to Red Rock Canyon to take the kids on the Children's Discovery trail. The trail is a loop that turns around at a little waterfall. When we did this hike about a month ago, the "waterfall" was pretty wimpy, but this time it was only a tiny trickle. (I guess the winter runoff is run off.) The shallow pool under the waterfall did provide for this beautiful blooming tree--I wish I knew what it was because I love it!

Maddie and Sophie "discovering"...

Mike like to teach Maddie new things... like climbing sheer rock faces and standing on tall ledges. Nice. She's already a dare devil!

A rare family picture! Thanks Jo for being our photographer!

All aboard! The second day Jo and I decided to check out the Springs Preserve. They have a fun play area for the kids.

Our girls seemed to enjoy each other. I was telling Jo... it's funny because when Sophia was born I was pining for a baby and it seemed like it would never happen for me. Maddie did finally come along about a year and a half later... and now that they are getting older and play together, it's funny to think I was so worried about it. Everything works out in the end.

Ella hung out in the shade. Such a tough life!

I have to say, the gardens gave me hope that I can have a pretty yard in Las Vegas. Even though it doesn't compare to the Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point (that my mom & sister sent pictures from last weekend!), the Springs Preserve was quite beautiful. This rose arbor was my favorite.

This promanade behind me was more desert-type landscaping, but even that was really pretty! Many cacti were in bloom and I acutally liked them!

Penstemons are my favorite. All of these below are different types and colors.

Thanks, Jo & Doug, for stopping in! We love visitors!