We are outta here!

Well, we did it! Our home in Clarkston is now just a house. It is completely empty and all we have left now are the memories. It was the fastest move in history thanks to the dozen guys that helped move our stuff, to those that helped clean, those who watched my kiddo and those who fed me when I was short on food! We really felt loved and appreciated all the help. Walking out of the house on Sunday was pretty emotional for me. It was our first home and we have so many memories to take with us. I really am going to miss Clarkston. I remember 4 years ago when I moved there people told me "Don't worry, you will like it here in about a year". I remember thinking stubbornly "I don't WANT to like it here". hahaha! That town made me soft!

I took Kelsi outside to play before we left and reflected on the time that we spent there. I remember John hugging me while I cried in the backyard as we looked at our view. I had just moved there and going from West Los Angeles to Clarkston, WA was such a dramatic change. John would say, "but look at our view!" I replied by saying "View of what?". Fast forward 4 years and I was spinning my beautiful daughter around in that same yard and thinking, "I am really going to miss this view". I am so thankful for the person that Clarkston helped me become.

I am so thankful for the friends that I have made that I know will be life-long friends. They truly became my family since I was so far away from my own. Even when I was away on vacation I would look forward to returning to see my friends again.

I am ready to bloom where I am planted and forget about the hard parts about change and remember all the good that can come from it. John and I have seen the Lord's hand in our lives time and time again and we are excited for this new adventure and the trials and blessings that will come from it.

Good-bye Clarkston!!! I have nothing but love in my heart for you and HELLO to North Idaho, get ready for this branch of the CALDERWOODS!!!

This is a little late, but I have completely lost track of my days. Here are the top 10 reasons (there are many more, but I told her she had to keep it to a minimum) why Kelsi thinks John is the best daddy ever.

1. He can't go to bed at night until he has re-tucked me in and watched me sleep for a while.

2. He is the best dance partner around.

3. He loves to let me try new things and get dirty as much as I want.

4. He reads to me everyday

5. He is the funniest tickle monster in the world

6. He has about 136,938 pet names for me

7. He makes up the funniest songs

8. He works all day long so that I can eat yummy food and sleep in a warm bed.

9. He really loves my mommy

10. He loves me.

18 months

(scrunchie face)

Kelsi bringing me her shoes so that she could go outside.

Kelsi had her wellness check up earlier this week and here are her stats:

Weight: 26 lbs. 2 oz. (76%)

Height: 34 in. (97% -atta girl!)

Head: 49 cm. (99% - this is from my mom's side of the family)

She has her own little language that I have to constantly translate for John. Her newest word is "low". As in "flower". I asked the doctor if it was OK that she only says parts of whole words and she said it was fine and that in the next 6 months her vocab should just explode. She is a sweetie, even though she has been super cranky lately. I also found out that she has a double ear infection. OUCH! Who knew? She hasn't been sick or anything...just extra cranky. She has been on her antibiotics for 3 days and they are killing her. I hate to see her in so much pain. :( I have had such a short fuse with her lately and then I feel so guilty when she runs to me with open arms because she hurts.

She still LOVES books and would have me read to her ALL day if I would. She likes to dance. She is still afraid of most things. I have recently added packing tape and elevators to the list. Silly girl.

Nothing special about this unless you love pure cuteness. The video will turn right side up in a couple seconds. This is just Kelsi taking her sweet time (with her walking stick).

Memorial Day weekend

We had a great Memorial Day weekend. We went on a little walk through the English Point Trail system. Kelsi was really slow. She is afraid of vegetation...that's right...scared of it. So for the most part she stayed in the middle of the trail and would stop and point at things and then start walking backwards. We would have to pick her up and catch up with our group. As you can see, she even carried around a walking stick!

When we were leaving, Kelsi got to pet a pretty horse, or a "Dah" (dog) as she calls any animal.

Kelsi has also mastered the art of going up and down the stairs. FINALLY!!! We had a great BBQ and fun time lounging on the deck and playing games with friends.

First swim of the season

Kelsi likes the pool much more than she did last year. She loved to "lounge" in the water (just like her mom). She was so content.

I also tried to teach her how to jump in to me. She caught on quick and started raising her arms up in the air when I counted to three, and by the end of the afternoon she started to lean towards me as I counted. A couple more times and I am sure she will be jumping into my arms. She LOVED it.

Further proof that I am an incompetent mother

Yesterday, when I went to get Kelsi out of daycare at the gym, she looked a little different than when I dropped her off. One of the babysitters had given her hair a french braid! What a cutie! I was so excited and then dumbfounded on how she managed to sit still and let her do that? Kelsi hates it when I just brush her hair, let alone put pigtails in it, which is the extent of my hair knowledge.

She has such beautiful THICK hair. There are so many possibilities, and I only do 3. Pig tails, ponytail or ponytail on the side with a clip. Anyone willing to help be become a better mother by teaching me how to french braid??

Springtime on Hayden Lake

We hope everyone enjoyed their Mother's Day. (shout out to my mom and mother-in-law for being so great). We decided to send Debbie a little belated mother's day gift...pictures from her front door!

Tree in the driveway....finally bloomed! It is so pretty!

Your daffodills! (The tulips should open up this week sometime)

Your backyard...

Here are a couple gifts for the both of you...pics of us with your favorite granddaughter!

P.S. I cut my hair...
A not-so-dramatic A-line bob. If John likes it, I may go shorter...he was leary...we'll see what he thinks when he gets home tomorrow night!

Randoms for the grandparents!

Kelsi's hair is so long...it is almost to her shoulder blades when it is wet. I pulled it up in a ponytail before church today. She hates having her hair done, she whines the whole time.

Kelsi has recently started to want to climb on everything....




including daddy.....

I should have got a side view of this...but I told her to give Lucky a kiss...and she did! She also loves to put her head on their backs and rest. They are so gentle with her. John let them in the house this weekend, and Kelsi took her blanket and went and laid next to them on the rug that they were laying on (sick and cute at the same time)...she loves her "daws".

What is sweeter than a newborn baby?

Kelsi and I went to a baby shower this week for my friends Lacey and Leslie. Leslie had her beautiful baby girl last week. Lacey is due with a little boy next month.

This is a pic of Leslie with her daughter Ava Grace. Only Leslie can look THAT beautiful just one week after giving birth. What two beautiful ladies these two are!

I just can't wait to meet Lacey's little guy. It's one of the top reasons that I am sticking around in Clarkston. She was prego 4 years ago when I moved here and she is prego when I am leaving. Isn't she radiant??

I don't know who invited this little devil to the party. She wanted every balloon in sight. Poor Jenny went to so much work and Kelsi destroyed it all. Thanks for indulging her Jen!

See those balloons up on the ceiling....but the end of the day ALL the balloons were up the ceiling with Kelsi demanding that we get them down for her one by one. Kelsi's mind: "no, I don't want THAT pink one, I want THAT pink one. No, I want the BLUE ONE!!!!!!!! Why can't you read my mind? Don't you know I can't articulate my feelings yet? ARGH!!!!"

FAVOR TO ASK

Lakeside Eyecare has started a website. It is still a rough draft with many changes to come, but we would like to ask all of our readers (pretty please with a cherry on top) that if you have a blog that you add a link to the Lakeside Eye website on your own blog. This will enable Lakeside to come up earlier on the list in a internet search for Optometrist's in Coeur d'Alene.

The website is http://www.lakesideeyecare.org/

We would really appreciate your help. Thanks a million!

Happy Easter!

We hope that everyone enjoyed their Easter Sunday. We are so thankful for our Savior, Jesus Christ, and his atonement and sacrifice for us.

Kelsi enjoyed the visit from the Easter Bunny. She got the cutest little dress from Shabby Apple (and necklace...I can't wear jewelry without Kelsi wanting to wear it). She is such a doll.

She went on an Easter egg hunt and found a bunch of eggs.

She woke up this morning and came out into the living room and INSTANTLY realized a new fixture in the room....

A BALLOON!

She LOVES to hug her balloon and take it all over the house. Every time we go to the grocery store she goes crazy over the balloons, but I never buy her one because I don't want her to expect one every time we go....so I knew she would love this surprise (thanks Grandma & Grandpa M!)

Easter Prep

John made it home on Saturday and he was a great egg dipper.
Kelsi went to bed before the egg dipping festivities began....but she did help me boil the eggs. She found my apron and loved wearing it. She wanted it on until she went to bed.

For the birds

I noticed a few times this week that when I was out in the garage that a bird or two seemed to fly in and out scaring me half to death. I hate birds.....no....I think birds can be pretty and majestic...from a distance. I don't like anything with wings, I feel like they always dive bomb me. Anyway...when I was leaving one day I noticed the garage door opener making a funny sound, I looked up to see a stick that seemed to be caught in the chain. I made my way around the car and looked up and saw the above birds nest! Those little rascals had the audacity to move in to our garage! I felt bad for the possible eggs that may have been inside so I decided to wait until John came home to inspect it. John took it out and now the birds seem to be chirping angrily this morning......anyone else watched the movie "The Birds"? Then I think I made my point.

Family withdrawl....

I miss my family. Although I miss all of them with every fiber of my being, I must admit that I miss her the most....

This is my big sis Tamar. She lives across the country in Philly with her fun family. Even though I talk to her about every other day on the phone, I haven't actually seen her in person for 2 years. So sad. Let me tell you all about this wonderful lady for those that may not know her very well. She pretty much rocks.

She LOVES the beach and the sun in general, she has natural olive toned skin which I am so envious of. She is pretty much a super model, tall, skinny and beautiful. But could you hate her? NO WAY! She is so super nice and helpful. She gives great advice, puts me in my place when she needs to, she's a great mom (despite what she thinks sometimes). She was pretty much born a 35 year old. She is so responsible and EXTREMELY SMART. She started school at BYU planning to do pre-med but switched to nursing when she realized that she couldn't be the best doctor AND the best mom in the world, so she chose the most important of the two. She never says a bad thing about anyone, but you can tell if she isn't happy because she CANNOT hide her feelings, it is SO clear what she thinks from looking at her face. HAHA! She loves her husband and her cute kids and also loves the Lord. She has always been such an example to me. Even though our personalities are a little different, I get along with her more than anyone else I know. I remember going to sleep one night when I was 14 or 15 and she said "Karina, I don't think you realize how lucky we are to have our family". I told her that I did know how lucky we were and she then said "NO, you don't". She was right!!! I told you she was so mature, it took me longer to realize what I took for granted so long. I never want my family to think that I don't know how amazing they are and how much I love and appreciate them.

I LOVE YOU MAR! See you this summer!!!!

*note to Shays...I may do more of these...I would update your blog before I do or I can't promise that I will only say nice things. heehee

Where's the beach?

I took out last years sunglasses for Kelsi the other day and realized that they were a little too small. She loves them though and wants to wear them ALL the time now that they are back in circulation. She wanted them on first thing after breakfast! Silly girl.

Let Spring officially begin!

The weather has been flirting with 80 degrees. Kelsi has a yucky cold, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get out of the house and enjoy the sunshine!

We are business owners!

April 1st marked our first day as owners of Lakeside Eyecare in CDA! John had a very busy week with getting things situated at Lakeside, filling in other places and de-winterizing his parents home, and getting his parents truck running again. Kelsi and I spent most of the week up in CDA with John. Kelsi got sick in the middle of our trip and we may have to get our car detailed because it reeks. We were seriously just a mile away from home, but she couldn't hold it in. Too bad I don't have leather seats...much easier to clean.

I was a total slacker and forgot to take the camera with me so we didn't get pictures of John's big day, but stay tuned for pictures to come! He loved all of his patients and was so giddy. It was really cute. I am so proud of you honey! John drove home with me and Kelsi since he is working down here this weekend and will be taking the wood truck back up next week.

In other news, my Dad has been asking how our dogs have been doing. BAD. While I was gone for 3.5 days they decided to go on a scavenger hunt around the neighborhood for any scraps of food they could find. Our friends that fed them had to go on a witch hunt trying to find them. It's a horrible feeling to have your friends search for your misbehaving dogs and take the time out of their day to try to make sure they don't get into too much trouble. The electric fence was still working, but they didn't seem to care. We replaced the batteries just in case today. When we got back last night they weren't here but we found them curled on our front lawn early this morning, bloated and VERY lethargic. They were scared to death of John even though he wasn't showing any anger towards them. They didn't want to go near him, I had to go outside and help to coax Lucky to come with us. They brought this on themselves, but I still feel really bad for them. There you go Dad - there's your update. John is ready to let you have them if you want. I may put up a fight though.