Willis Family Adventures

Posts tagged Hazel

deep breaths

March 18th, 2011 | |

Imagine this lasting for a week.

…and this is my life. We found out earlier this week that she has pink eye….and she is also getting all four molars at once. Let’s just say that she’s not handling it well. And when Raven was crying and complaining about me making her go to the bathroom, I asked her why she was complaining. Apparently she is getting her molars too. Not really…that happened years ago, Raven. It is noisy over here.
I am just sitting here during naptime taking deep breaths. The goal is to keep my sanity. I am praising the Lord that today is Friday…and I am heading for the hills this weekend! So thankful for my Mother-in-law for coming this weekend to help with the girls. So thankful for my husband who works so hard for our family. So thankful for the women’s retreat this weekend. Deep breath. Just a few more hours until Matt comes home.

 

sledding

March 14th, 2011 | | | | |

we definitely have spring fever over here since our trip to mexico…but we decided to take our first and likely last trip to the snow this season. (matt and i went skiing on new years day, but this is the first time we took the girls out to the snow with us) we didn’t last long…that just seems to be how things go with two little ones…but it was lots of fun! we don’t have a sled, so used a swim floaty mattress thingy…it worked pretty well! brought back lots of childhood memories for me, and i’m so glad to be doing these things with my family :)



 

toys

March 14th, 2011 | |

hazel found a new toy…the harmonica! …and we love it! a musician in the making!

 

today is the day…

March 3rd, 2011 | |

for this!!!

lots of this!!

 

SUCCESS!

March 2nd, 2011 | | | | | | | | |

Leading up to our trip, I honestly thought we might not be going on our much anticipated trip to our beloved Sayulita. Hazel had a ear infection a week before leaving. Raven had pneumonia two days before leaving. The power of prayer (and powerful antibiotics) got her feeling well enough to fly….and although we were all sick before, during, and still have runny noses and coughs after…we had a great time!
Raven had been talking about Mexico for weeks (“Is Mexico over there?” pointing left), and we loved the build up of excitedment! (This is the way I typed it and I decided to leave it this way…it just seems appropriate :))

Day 1. at the beach!

sand chairs made by daddy!


Day 2. at the beach!

…and swimming with the daddys! (the water was too cold for the mommys)

swim lessons for the big girls

daddy swim for the little girl


Day 3. more fun in the sun! …and carnival!

jumping on the trampoline!





Day ?. The rest of the days are blurred together…all I know is that is went way too fast. Here are other highlights from the week…

family photo


group photo


the Daddys with the kids


…and there were a few peaceful moments like this…


It’s sad that we will not be going back again next year, but Sayulita will always be a special place in our hearts (we love the beach and the food and the sea glass and the smoothies!)…and we will be back again someday!

 

V Day

February 15th, 2011 | | | | | |


Well, I had big plans for Valentines day this year…none of which came to fruition. Actually, that’s not totally true, I did make the crayon hearts. I was planning on also making a bunch of valentines with Raven to send to family and friends so they know how much we love them and think about them…it just didn’t happen. Instead, we have been taking turns being sick for the last 2 weeks. Poor Hazel has had it the worst…first a stomach bug, then a cold, then an ear infection…and she lets the whole house know when she’s not feeling well.

making Valentine's cookies

this sums up Hazel's mood over the last 2 weeks


And then there is Potty Training. This has been so challenging for me! Some days are great with no accidents, and other days are just awful. Just the other morning I was in the shower and I heard Raven yell, “Accident!” So I peaked out only to see Hazel sitting in a puddle of pee holding a ball of poo. yuck. We just keep praying Raven can get these things in the toilet…and I know someday she will.

Just try not to get this song stuck in your head.

“>

 

walking!

February 6th, 2011 | |

After a loooong night with a stomach bug, Hazel just took TWO steps today! (without holding on to anything!!!) I am so ready for her to walk…she is getting heavy. We are so tired, but excited for progress!

 

walk much?

February 3rd, 2011 | | |

she can totally walk and run…but refuses to do it without the walker/stroller/chair/or holding on to something else. silly girl.

 

love is in the air!

February 3rd, 2011 | | |

These pictures are horrible…but here we are! The girls have been keeping me so busy…but not too busy to make crayon hearts! (hanging above the girls) We also pulled out the sunglasses for our 2 sunny days we had this week. We are also getting ready for our trip to Mexico…yes, we are crazy! We are going to try this one more time! It will probably be the last time because its getting more and more expensive as the girls get older and we need to buy more tickets….anyways…pray with us for great flights…sunny days on the beach…and happy obedient little girls!

Oh, I almost forgot…we have been potty training for close to a month. This is the big reason why I haven’t added new posts lately…I have been cleaning messes and doing a ton of laundry! Its a bit of a battle, and we still have accidents, but we are making progress.

Moving on, I’m looking forward to spring and sunshine and warm weather and playing outside, aren’t you?


 

january snow

February 3rd, 2011 | | | |

We had one day of wet snow several weeks ago…so I bundled the girls up and plopped them in the snow quickly…and by the afternoon it was all melted. Raven LOVED it…Hazel was just glad to be outside! We really need to get out to the snow more…maybe skis are in our future?
By the way, I think they just look so funny all bundled up and puffy…’A Christmas Story’ comes to mind :)

 

photo book 2010

January 5th, 2011 | | | | |

Click here to view this photo book larger

 

haircut!

January 3rd, 2011 | | |

After 2 years and 7 months…we finally got Raven a haircut. It took lots of bribes, but in the end I think she liked it!


 

wooo!! hooo!!

January 3rd, 2011 | | |

 

holidays

January 3rd, 2011 | | | | |

this year’s holiday activities have definitely kept us busy!
Christmas Eve Raven sang in the children’s choir at our church service! It was her first time!


(raven is on the left)
Christmas day we celebrated as a family! Here are a couple cute pics…

The day after Christmas we had the Willis families over for a huge celebration! It was a lot of fun having everyone over! Raven had a blast with her cousins! She keeps saying to me, “Today my cousins are coming over again! Doesn’t that sound fun?”

Matt and I also had a great NYE out on our own and skiing the next day! Great start to a great new year!

 

Chicago Christmas

December 15th, 2010 | | | | | | | | | | |

Well, we made it to the Chicago Christmas parties! Raven was so excited and had so much fun that she couldn’t even sleep (even at night when everyone was sleeping and the house was quite…she was wandering around! …Lord, help me with this child!)
We started by spending the day with Uncle J! Then the Woltjer family joined us and we took the L (red line) a few blocks from J’s house. One of the major highlights of the trip! I think Raven laughed the entire way! She liked the jerking of the starting and stopping…silly girl!

Uncle J was pretty excited to have us all there :)


We stopped at the old traditional downtown Chicago Marshall Fields (I mean Macy’s) windows. Although the stories in the windows when I was a kid were much better…and they didn’t mention ‘The Sun’ in every window. Raven was still pretty mesmerized with the story and the moving characters. A very precious moment for me.


Then we went to see the Christmas tree in Daley Center. Also a bit underwhelming when remembering “when I was a kid, the tree was much taller.” But it really was taller when I was a kid. Really, it was! And there wasn’t a Santa’s village surrounding it with a bunch of vendors everywhere. Raven loved the lights and her cousins….and this was all totally worth it. We remembered our old family memories, and we are making new ones.


Our new favorite pizza place that I can't remember the name of. The place where Nick saved our lives from the flaming napkin (which someone with a name that starts with M accidentally left directly over the candle...)

Party time!

Cousins! (all looking at the other camera...but this is the best shot)

Raven snuggling the nutcracker (and a glimpse at the chaos behind the camera)

Party time, again!

Hazel with Great-Grandma T

Hazel in her favorite spot



we are very spoiled.