Emma Loves to Dress Up!

One of my favorite things in the last couple of months has been to watch Emma's imagination develop.  She loves to play pretend, especially as a Princess or Queen.  Everyone gets Princess, Queen or Prince attached to their name, like Mommy Princess or Emma Queen.  She is also fighting me more and more on choosing what she wants to wear.  If I know we are staying home that day, I don't care.  I let her pick but if we are going out in public, it has to match, fit, and be appropriate.  She doesn't like that part.  This is what happens when I let her choose!  lol

 This is her playing pretend.  She is "cutting" Tigger's hair.  She  means combing but says cutting for all hair related things.  Imagine the heart attack the first time I asked her what she was doing and she called back, "I'm in the bathroom cutting my hair!" 

The Fence is done! (For now)

We decided to work on getting our fence in this Fall.  We were hoping to start over Labor Day weekend but things kept getting pushed back until mid October.  You can see from the first pictures that the leaves were still green and the weather good.  I didn't get a picture of the concrete pallet, which was almost as big as the pickets palate, or the amount of screws.  But you can see from the pics that we were in over our heads, but determined to still do it ourselves.  Luckily we are only putting up the back fence right now and will do the West fence next Spring.  

 

 This is basically week 1 and week 2's work.  Drilling the holes, even with a water drill and a post hole digger, had us constantly asking ourselves if Home Depot's installation price would be worth it!  Thanks to some good ward help and Cale's brother-in-law Curtis, we got the posts in.  Our property butts up to a wash and our fence is up on the berm which was made with pond stones 1 foot in diameter or more.  At least I feel safe from a flood, but oh so hard to get out of our holes. 

 Week 3 consisted of getting the rails put up for half the length of the fence while we had some great help.  Then Cale and I were able to put up fencing on our own Week 4.  It was slow progress....

 ...until our previous Bishop, Bishop Peterson, showed up to help!  We cranked out this half of the fence in one day!  (Yes, that is half of the fence.)

Week 5 was the weekend before Thanksgiving and Cale and I were able to finish cutting rails and put them up on the remaining half.  But then cold weather set in.  Which would have been workable but the 50+ winds that came with it were not.  So we waited until Thanksgiving Day!  Cale and his brother-in-law were able to crank out almost all of the remaining fencing.  I helped Cale finish putting up the boards the next day and then Cale went back and finished screwing in the remaining screws!!  Yeah Cale.  It was cold!  Look at the trees compared to the first of the project.  Did I mention it snowed Thanksgiving Day morning!

The best part.....Both cars fit in the garage again just in time for the snow to come!

Potty Trained! (I think so)

I'm not sure at what point you say your child is potty trained.  If you waited until they go 1 week, 1 month or 1 year without an accident then I think we could be waiting a long time.  We started trying to see if Emma was ready to do this in April.  We gave up after a couple of days.  Not ready.  We tried again in May.  Not ready.  Stopped trying really until August when I went back to work on a long term substitute job for 2 weeks.  To get back into her day care, they only had room in the potty training class...so we did it!  She's been really good since then, with accidents here and there.  She started waking up dry each night in late September so I'm going to say she was potty trained as of September 29, 2010.  31 months old!  If you don't count a wet diaper at night then 30 months!  The point: I haven't changed a diaper for over a month!                    

Halloween!

We grew our own pumpkins this year thanks to them spontaneously growing in our front yard.  At one point we had 9 pumpkins.  Some of the little ones rotted a way. 

 

 

 We went to the library's story time dress up day!  Emma loved getting in her costume early, especially the tights!  She is a Ballerina Bat in case you are not sure! 

We had a lot of fun this year but trick or treating was definitely easier last year.  Emma was so excited!  We carved our pumpkins a week early and Emma wanted her pumpkin to have all of our faces on it, including Kinzers of course. 

Then the night of, we went to a ward party where Cale won best dressed adult male - he was Tony Romo complete with the broken clavicle and arm in a sling! 
Next we were off to get candy.  We went to the first house...Emma came running back exclaiming "I go so much candy!...and this was only the first hosue!"  We went to 10-15 houses and then went to our friends house for a bit.  We had one tired little girl and because we were gone all night, we didn't get a single trick or treater.  Unlike last year where we ran out of candy! 
Halloween is my favorite holiday and I wasn't looking forward to it being the first without Kinzers.  It didn't hit me till Sunday so I guess that's good.  We had a great Saturday. 

Bye Bye Hermana Young

My little sister, now 22, decided to go on a mission! And her MTC date in Provo was October 6th, three days before her 22nd birthday! I was trying to find a way to get to Texas to say good-bye but knew it was just too expensive when the thought came to drive up to Utah, much closer and cheaper! So I packed Emma and I up (Cale really wanted to come too but had to coach football)! It was great to spend a couple days with her and then a couple more with my parents and Doug and Kim and family. I brought back 8 boxes of peaches too! Yummy Utah peaches!

Anyway, I'm so proud of Krista. Emma calls her a "murshanary" and loves to tell people that her Kickus is a "murshanary." For those of you who haven't taken a missionary into the MTC for awhile, they no longer have the whole parent program; it's just a curbside drop like at the airport. I prefer it - short goodbyes! So we pulled up, got her luggage out, gave quick hugs and they wisked her away! She is loving it. For info see her blog link. My mom is updating her blog with her letters while she is out. (Good job Mom!) We love Kickus and miss her. Only 17 more months!

Dear Kinzers,
We sure miss you but are glad we have all these really fun pictures to look at. You would be 9 months old today. Hard to believe that it's been 3 1/2 months. I used to think of heaven as above us but have come to find that it is right around us.
Brigham Young said, "But where is the spirit world? It is here...Do spirits go beyond the boundaries of the organized Earth? No, they do not. They are brought forth upon this earth, for the express purpose of inhabiting it to all eternity...If the Lord would permit it, and it was His will that it should be done, you could see the spirits that have departed from the world, as plainly as you now see bodies with your natural eyes."
Thus, Emma teaches me again. Right after Kinzie died, for weeks she would say "Mom, it's ok. Kinzie be back." I'd say not for a long time thinking of the millenium but then stopped saying that because I began to realize that I didn't want to teach what I didn't know. I know spirits can visit people in this world, usually in dreams, and didn't want to tell my daughter that was not or could not happen to her...especially if it was happening. I know children see much better than we do and maybe the veil between heaven and earth is much thinner for them. Maybe. I love both my girls as they teach me daily.
Daddy and Emma miss you too sweetie and think of you all the time!
Love, mom

Canning

I have been keeping busy by canning. My neighbors grow a huge, beautiful garden and are more than willing to share. Thus, I have bottled tomatoes and salsa from their tomatoes and peppers and onions. In addition, many neighbors have apple trees that they aren't harvesting and after asking around was able to pick to my heart's content. I canned applesauce and apple pie filling and have been making pies! I then decided to buy pears and peaches from Utah and can them too. They were the only thing I had to buy! I was so excited. I'm getting ready to do the last batch of salsa again as it's now finally getting cold and the tomatoes are done. I just had to boast for a second I guess because I was amazed at what first began as busy work to distract my thoughts turned into some great food storage! Here is my list:

16 quarts of Tomatoes

35 pints Salsa

24 quarts of Applesauce

30 quarts Apple Pie Filling

50 quarts of Pears

5 pints of Pearsauce

50 quarts of Peaches

My neighbor and I were talking about how much we miss having a DI around us and that I wanted to get Emma a big wheel or bike. She ended up going to Utah shortly after to visit her daughter who just happened to be giving this bike to the DI. She gave it to us instead! They brought it all the way back from Utah just for Emma! And Emma loves it.

Annual Taylor Sweet Corn Festival!

We love the sweet corn festival and have gone every year so far. This year it was over Labor Day weekend and we decided to splurge the ridiculous $5 and let Emma ride the pony. We wondered if she would get scared and not want to do it but she LOVED it! We had to wait in line for an hour and endure parents, yes parents, butting in line for their children. Poor Emma just cried and cried saying "I been good. I waited my turn." Finally it was her turn and she was in Heaven. Her pony's name was Thatcher but she called him "Skatcher!" She didn't even throw a fit to do it again when it was done. Just said goodbye to Skatcher and got back in her stroller.

(Yes Brittany, those are purses in the background. Bet you wish you'd come again this year!)

Coming Home

We came home at the end of August so that Cale could start back to work. My wonderful sister Jamie and her daughter Summer came with us for a week and a half (thanks James)! I had been dreading coming home to the empty house. We had already put all of the baby stuff away but I knew we'd find things here and there and plus I left the crib up even though she had just barely started using it during our nap time. Once my sister offered to come with us it didn't seem so hard. I was kept busy with two kids and all their noise in the house and with my sister for company. Soon after she left I took a 2 week sub job at the high school I taught at last year and declined again an offer to come back and work. I just need to be with my Emma. She needs me and I need her. I'll start work again at BYU Idaho teaching online courses in math on my own time! It will keep me busy, provide some extra income and keep me home with Emma.

These two little girls love each other. They were so sad to be separated again. They held hands like this in the car and on stroller walks in separate strollers.

We left with a volunteer squash plant and flower in our yard and came home to 3 pumpkins!

Emma is adjusting well but I found her here in Kinzie's crib shortly after Jamie and Summer left.

My beautiful little girl is back to smiling and entertaining herself....for seconds at a time anyway. She loves dress-ups and enjoyed her presents from Grandma Young and mommy and daddy.

A letter home:  Dear Kinzers, you would have turned 7 months yesterday.  I know your work up there is very important so I won't keep you long, but wanted to let you know we think of you every minute!  :-)  We planted some pink flowers at your grave.  You looked pretty darn cute in pink...and purple...and red....ok, you looked good in anything.  Your siser was dancing around the house with your picture the other day and even turned the music up so that "Kinz could hear."  Love you always, mommy, daddy, and Emma

Too Hot!

Although not ready to come home yet, we definitely miss the dry Arizona heat vs. the muggy Houston heat.  After my parents tried to get some yard work done at 2 in the afternoon, my mother decided to let Emma cool off Grandpa.  She was thrilled to oblige! 

Very excited to use a squirt gun and....

...very efficient!

Of course she did have this example

to learn from!

It all ended with a yummy treat in the
"shade" where its not any cooler at all! 

Trip to Blue Bell

We have been staying busy here in Houston.  We took a trip to Brenham to the Blue Bell Ice Cream Factory and took a tour.  It was the perfect length for Emma.  She rode in teh stroller so patiently in the hallways between windows and was so eager to push her nose up to the glass in the rooms.  She loved watching them dump in giant buckets of strawberries!  At the end she of course got her free scoop and wanted Chocolate until she saw the "yellow" one.  It was so sweet.  Even Emma couldn't finish it!

A letter home

Our sweet sweet Kinzie.  I can not accurately express how much we miss you and what a void your passing left in our home.  But as we try to see past the void, the hurts subsides for just a minute and the light of memories from your short life shines through.  Tomorrow the hurt might subside for 2 minutes and so we press on.  We miss you, love you, and await our reunion.  Say hi to the family up there and drop us a note from time to time. 

Love your mommy, daddy, and big sis Emma!

Our Little Angel

Kinzie Danielle Allen

January 22, 2010 – July 3, 2010

Snowflake, Arizona

Our little ‘Kinzers’ came to us for a short time. Her mission was simple. She came to teach love and strengthen those who knew her. During her short 23 weeks with us, Kinzie endured many hardships but still learned to smile and laugh. Kinzie was a snuggler and everyone that knew her couldn’t help but love her. Her fight began during a blizzard. She was quickly transferred to Phoenix and became a fast favorite among the nurses and doctors at Phoenix Children’s Hospital during her 53 day stay. Her coping mechanism was faking out the doctors by feigning sleep…complete with a peek to check if they were gone. Her few months at home were filled with happiness despite numerous complications. Her sweet spirit and personality brought happiness to us all. She is sealed to her parents and sister and we know we will be reunited with her in time. We will miss our cuddle bug but know that she is in her loving Heavenly parents’ arms.

Kinzie is survived by her parents Cale and Kara Allen of Snowflake, sister Emma Allen of Snowflake, grandparents David and Lora Allen of Joseph City, and Scott and Rozanne Young of Spring, Texas. She is also survived by numerous aunts, uncles, and cousins.

A viewing will be held at Owens Livingston Mortuary on Thursday July 8, 2010 from 6-8 P.M.  Funeral services will be held Friday July 9, 2010 at 10 A.M. in the Snowflake Main Street Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints located at 1st North and Main Street in Snowflake. In lieu of flowers, donations are being accepted in Kinzie’s behalf.

My Girls!

I wish I could say that Emma is always looking out for Kinzie's best interests but almost always would be pretty accurate. When we are in the car and Kinzie gags or cries, Emma always leans way over from her side and says, "Baby Ok Mom" or "Baby throwing up Mom, StoP!" She loves to hold her and every now and then still tries to pick her up when I'm not looking. She loves to lay on the floor by Kinzie and be "snuggle buddies." Today though was the best. It melted my heart. I was replacing the tape on Kinzie's face and Emma took the spare pieces and "wanted to be like Kinzie." I told Emma today that she is going to get to teach Kinzie everything she knows. Emma started to sing the ABCs very out of order, but very cute.

My Creative Emma

We get VERY bored being cooped up inside unable to get out much and without a yard yet to play in we have to get creative. Emma decided today to make a play-dough swimming pool with lawn chairs and she invited Granny, Papa, Daddy, Mommy, Kinzie, and Mr. Scratchy Face. She also made them some beach balls to play with. I of course helped but she concentrated so hard.

We also love water. Emma loves to play out in her pool but with all the wind we have been having it makes it too cold, believe it or not. So we often take swims in the tub. This was an actual bath but same thing. She is a very caring little girl. Look at the care she took to give each bear a pillow and blanket...and the butterfly too.

We also take every opportunity to get outside. So we took the girls to the ward campout. It is out at a place with a big cabin, a zip line (emma too small), swings and the Mega Swing! Emma loved the Mega swing adn the chocolate icecream. The combination did eventually cause her to throw up multiple times the next day but that didn't stop her. We actually had to pack up camp at 2 am to get to the hospital to see Cale's mom and left Emma with some friends who took her back to the camp and Mega Swing!