UPDATES!!!!

Ya' right....sorry! I just wanted to let you all know that I am indeed still here! It's no secret that life took a turn here and to be totally honest...I just plain don't feel like doing anything! I am getting there.....slowly....I promise I will update the blog soon! I have been taking pictures this entire time.....nothing will stop me from putting my camera away! We are still living our lives....as changed as they are....still taking photos....and yes....I am still crying! I have not yet made it a day without crying, but in time I am sure that will change....at least I hope it will!
There is one thing for certain....I have some of the most AMAZING family and friends that have been so incredibly helpful!! I have been truly blessed in life and for this I am so grateful! Losing my Mom has definitely been the most difficult thing in my life....she was SO VERY SPECIAL to me!! I MISS her EVERY day!!! I promise I will update soon and please know I think about doing it every night....then I am just totally drained from the day and just can't do it yet!
Thanks for understanding.....I love all of you so much!
Love, Heather

The Easter Bunny stopped at Grandma's house too!

Check it out.....he stopped here too! YIPPEE!!! Grandma always decorates so cute for the holidays! This year she apparently had a little help too! Looks adorable Auntie Kaleigh and "Amy"!

This is the extent of my excitement this year......yucky sicky feeling this Easter.....I don't even look like myself!

Egg Hunt at Grandma's

After we ate candy all morning, we drove over to Grandma and Grandpa's house for an Easter Egg hunt! This was my first time getting to "help" find eggs.....last year I was not a big girl like I am now! UMMM......did this chicken just "lay" this egg? Just askin' cause I'm gonna pick it up anyway! Check out this huge egg I found.....I'm not as excited about it as I normally would be....I should probably be home in bed because I'm just not myself today either!

But when you open it up and find a lamb inside.....it will make you feel a little better!

It's kind of nice to have a friend to carry around and help you find eggs!

Daddy....get over here with my bag will ya'? Can't you see how hard I am working?

Look Lauren....I found a big egg too.....and mine has a lamb in it also! Love it!

Look Daddy.....I found a lamb in a big egg! Feel how soft it is!

I don't think we even opened up any of our eggs this year! We simply put them in the bag....and headed home for some much needed rest! This was just the beginning of us getting sick! Lauren was first....she had it for over a week! She was probably the worst of all of us....she ended up with a temperature of 102.8 one night and Mommy was feeling pretty sorry for her! She was able to get her temperature down but could still feel the heat radiating off her! She did get to sleep on Mommy and Daddy's bed though! Once Daddy came home, then Mommy got it and was in bed for almost 2 days.....then Daddy had to go back to work so she had to get up and take care of us! Lauren was still sick....Mommy was sick...and then I got it too! When Daddy was driving home from work, he ended up having to pull off the interstate and get a hotel because he was so sick he could not make it home! UGGHH!!! And to think we have a ton of work to do to get out of our house in just weeks!!! It has been over 3 weeks and none of us are quite back to ourselves.....we are getting there though!

Decorationg Easter Eggs...

Even though I was under the weather....we still went over to Grandma's to decorate just a few eggs...neither my sister or myself were too in to it! Daddy....what are you doing??

You seem to be having some trouble here.....I'll get it out for you!

Great idea Miley....who needs a spoon anyway??

We headed home early and nestled into bed hoping that we would be feeling better in the morning!

Breakfast with the Easter Bunny....(well the other kids did anyway...)

Mommy and Daddy took us to the Youth Pavillion to have Breakfast with the Easter Bunny! We sat at the tables and colored as he came around to each table to greet us! I spotted him from a distance and told Mommy "The Easter Bunny scares me Mommy!" Mommy said she understood so when it came time for him to visit our table....she showed me just how gentle the Easter Bunny was....she was petting him and telling him how I was a little apprehensive....what a nice Bunny! He totally understood and just waved at me and patted my sister on the head! I was OK with that but if you think for one second you are going to scroll down and see a picture of me posing with him....you are SO wrong! Not gonna happen! We ditched the Easter Bunny and his little parade of kids and opted to climb up and down these stairs.....so much more fun!

While the other kids made crafts with the Easter Bunny, we had a free for all at the Youth Pavillion since nobody was around.....Mommy watched me remodel the entire stage area! I moved every single chair to a much better place! Mommy was thinking that I might be a big help when it comes time to move, but then one of the employees pointed out that I may possibly be a future interior designer! Hmmmm......never thought of that! This would come in handy at our new house, because Mommy's sense of decorating is ranked right up there with her sense of style in clothes......I ended up moving over 12 chairs!

We didn't stay long because I was just starting to get sick!

High Standards.....

Ahh......let me see here......looks like this window passes my inspection! Now off to check out the other ones......

This one fails....I can barely see out of it! Good thing it really was too high and had to be lowered! Thanks for catching that Daddy! A girls gotta be able to look out the window and watch for friends to play with!

Queen of the mountain!!! Ok....Daddy you can get down now! This is MY mountain and I would appreciate it if you told them to leave it right here!

Hello over there.....my name is Lauren and I REALLY like your swing set! I see myself playing on it real soon.....hope you don't mind!

Hey Daddy.....can we get dirt bikes too!

Next step.......siding!

Let the siding begin.......and then get damaged by Hail! OOPIES!!!

Once the siding was up.....(except for a small portion by the front door.....) A major hail storm hit!! These pictures don't really do justice when you can stand back and see holes like this all over the house! It is crazy to see! It was reported that there was hail 4 inches in diameter and our entire neighborhood and several surrounding ones had damage just like this!

Needless to say......we will be getting another new roof and siding!

and we have paint.....

For those of you that know our Daddy very well, you know that he could not possibly let someone "else" paint our house! He painted his way through flying lessons "back in the day!" His best friend owns a painting business and together they would paint side by side....Daddy would day dream about flying as he watched the planes take off and land. He told his friend that he was certain he could land a plane......so his friend said that he was tired of hearing him talk about it....he literally told Daddy to grab his stuff and he drove Daddy to an FBO that gave flying lessons! The rest is history.....kinda cool because as a child he would lie on the diving board at home and pretend that the sky was the ocean and he was flying....That very same best friend still has his painting business in California and when Daddy was furloughed from his job after 9-11, he went back to California and painted houses! Mommy was then the one commuting back and forth to Los Angeles to see Daddy! (just a little tid-bit in case we get to read this when we are older) this is the view from our front door area....

Below we have the walk-in closet on the far left....just as you come in from the garage....right across from it (not visible) is the mini-office that was supposed to be the laundry room. Where you see the bucket in the corner, that is where our refrigerator will go...next to the obvious pantry....and then the cupboards will start. The half wall on the left is leading to the basement, and the other half wall is the island.

Looking into our rooms.....

Mommy and Daddy's room.....

Getting closer!!!

I'm 18 mo. old!!!

Yes it is true! I am getting to be such a big girl!!! I am now 18 mo. old and Mommy still can't believe it! I am really starting to talk a lot too! It is especially obvious when I am alone with my Mommy! We like to spend Thursdays together where we go to music class.....it is kind of just "Mommy and Miley" time! My sister goes to Grandma and Grandpa's house or she hangs out with Daddy if he is home. Mommy and I sometimes go out to eat afterwards....she finds it incredibly easy to take just one of us on a little outing! (not to mislead those of you with just one little one.....only comparing her personal experience with taking both of us anywhere at the same time!) When Mommy takes the two of us shopping....she is sure she is on candid camera sometimes! We like to RUN in opposite directions and watch her try to figure out which one to chase first! It's awesome!

When I am without my sidekick Lauren....I am such an angel....usually! But you must know that when I feel the need for attention when she is around....I have my way of getting it! I sometimes have to whip out my Irish temper to get what I want! It usually works! When we go to Grandma's house....I like to play "Mommy's girl".....I put on a show....as does my sister.....for Grandma because she gives the BEST sympathy for anything! If we fall down.....she's right there....if we don't like what we have to eat....she keeps hunting for anything to make us happy.........if we don't want to mind Mommy.....we go right to Grandma! You get the picture!

Mommy thinks I have the most amazing profile! She loves to stare at my eyelashes and my tiny button nose! This is one of the perks of being stuck in my parents room! My Mommy LOVES to watch me sleep and play with my toys before I turn in for the evening! I love to play with my babies....I kiss them and feed them with their play bottle. I am also really great with puzzles!

I seem to have a good sense of humor too! If I think something is funny....you are going to know it! I have a great laugh! My sister can really get me laughing sometimes! She is my best friend! I love to play with her and I especially love how EVERY night before she goes to bed, she comes in to give me a kiss good-night! She gathers toys for me and puts them in my crib! She is always looking out for me and makes sure I have what I need. Mommy loves this and hopes that we always look out for each other. My sister also likes to greet me after our nap! She wakes up from her nap.....tells Mommy, "I had a good nap Mommy" and comes to check on me to see if I had a good nap too! If I am just waking up, she tells Mommy, "Miley had a good nap too Mommy"! I love when she interprets things for me!

I love to giggle and often cover my mouth when I laugh! Grandma taught me that.....it's cute! I am putting 2 words together and have been for quite a while......my favorite...."Where's Dada?" I say it with such questioning in my tone! Apparently my favorite color is white.....my sister declared that for me!
I love stuffed animals and love to snuggle with them!

My recent greatest accomplishment......I love to undress myself! I find it quite entertaining especially during nap time! I like to unzip my PJ's and take them completely off! Recently....on two occasions.....I have also helped my Mommy out with taking my own dirty diaper off! Isn't that nice of me? I was very curious what all of that "stuff" was in my diaper......I had it between every finger....every fingernail.....and between every bar of my crib! It is possible that I will be an amazing finger painter someday! You should have seen the work I did! I was quite proud of myself! Too bad Daddy always misses out on the fun stuff! That's what Mommy was mumbling anyway when she was cleaning up all of my hard work! Needless to say, I now have to wear a onesie under my pj's.....just wait though....I'll figure that out too!

It's really no secret that I am a total Daddy's Girl! Don't get me wrong.....I do love my Mommy but when Daddy is home....Mommy doesn't stand a chance! Daddy is the fun one because Mommy gets to do all of the discipline work! We can get away with so much when it is just Daddy!

I totally have a mind of my own! When we all go to the park.....I want to go the opposite way that everyone else does.....I like to take my own path! I want to be the leader of my own pack! When my parents are "on to me" and come after me.....I think it is so funny! I run as fast as I can....turn my head to see how close they are, giggle as loud as I can.....and fall over from laughing! Then when they try to get me to go "their" way.....I cry and get really mad!
I seem to LOVE animals too! Especially dogs! I love to be outdoors and play as hard as I can! I am far too brave according to Mommy.....I have no concept of getting hurt yet!
My Mommy thinks I am quite the little girl! She thinks she is the luckiest Mom ever! (well except when she was cleaning up my "finger paint" artwork!)

Just Lookin' for trains!

Whenever I get the chance to spend a little of my free time on the computer, I do.....(not really but I do like to pretend!) Mommy was busy taking a picture of a squirrel eating Jelly Beans in our front yard.....she looked back at me and this is what she found......she asked me what I was doing....my response...."Just lookin' for trains!" I was pretty serious too! Daddy and I like to research trains on the computer together!

"My Feet" as seen by Mommy......

Mommy had this great idea of a photo shoot she wanted to do with us for practice......she had our pretty dresses.....boa's.....ice cream bowls....etc. She really had a vision that totally FAILED! too bad for her! She was just trying to practice with a particular lens and was hoping to capture an image for herself to keep. Here is the only one of me as she" sees" me..... Yep.....my feet!
Part of the reason for this is simply.....this photo was going to be totally out of character for us! We don't really "do" dresses.....well our Mommy doesn't.....we don't really "do" all of that frilly stuff.......well our Mommy doesn't......but this photo shoot was such an eye-opener for her! She realized she only really does enjoy candid shots.....something she was sure of but totally confirmed this weekend! So, she decided to stop trying to get a photo of Miley and I having a little ice-cream party.....step back.....regroup....and capture "ME"......just being "ME"......that is how I look the cutest to her......and here you have it.....my cute little feet!
This is just one step closer to focusing on how she wants her business to be.....still trying to "get" her camera and find her niche.....her passion for photography is all about "Life"......as we are living it.....

Story time with Lauren....

"Come here Miley....sit on Lauren's lap".....this is what I told my sister when I wanted to read a book to her! This is how Mommy and Daddy do it too......I have even designated "Lauren's lap and Miley's lap" on Mommy! (I'm always on the left and Miley is always on the right....sometimes I ask Mommy if I can sit on Miley's lap when she is already sleeping!) I wanted to read my favorite bedtime story to her......"Griffin's busy day"

Oh Mommy.....I think she likes it too!

Yep....I do!

Miley....right here the book is asking if you can help find the lady bug.....do you see the ladybug Miley???

"Rite der"......yep! Good job Miley! You found the lady bug!

Ok....sissy....I'm out of here! You know I can't possibly sit through an entire book....no matter how fun you make it seem! LATER!!!!

My sister just doesn't appreciate a good book like I do! I am going to continue reading it because quite frankly....I love this book!

Well not enough to pass up this brownie Grandma sent home and a glass of milk! YUMMY!!! Thanks for sharing Miley and for bringing it to me!

Have you thought about what you are going to do with the CRAZY HAIR of yours?? I might suggest a "pretty".....it could do wonders for you!

Whatever.....I like my crazy hair and besides....I'm heading to bed! Nitey-Nite everyone!