My sister, Ashley

Ashley and I aren't even 2 years apart...and growing up we didn't exactly...see eye to eye, haha! Don't get me wrong, I have fond 'growing up memories' with her, but I think because we were so close in age and have such different personalities we argued a lot. My mom would always tell me, "Some day when you guys are grown up and don't live by each other you are going to miss each other and wish you were nicer to each other!"

Well, turns out my mother was right.

As Ash and I got older we realized that we actually quite liked each other and...even had fun with each other, gasp!!! ;)

When I was going through my divorce it was a really hard time for me. Ashley lived here in Utah at the time, but I remeber she was always there for me. She would even come home to Idaho on the weekends and stay with me. She helped me through some really difficult times. Through all of this Ash and I became really close. She is not only my sister, but she became my confident and best friend.

Now, I live in Utah...and I live with Ashley. I know it can't be easy for her to live with me and my little girl. Ashley really is like a second mom to Alyvia. Ash watches/sleeps with Livie when I work nights. Ash also plays with Livie and gives me a breather when she knows I am getting stressed or just 'having one of those days.' I know Ash has had to sacrifice some things for Livie and me.

I just want my sister to know how much I appreciate her. I really could not do it without her help.
Livie loves 'her Ashely.' And I don't even think Ash realizes what an impact she is having on Livie's life. Or mine. Thank you, Ashely!!! Thank you for being a good example and for all you do for us!!
So here's to my sister and my best friend, I love you, oyster!!! :)

Our first day of school: first and second grade

Haha, all I can say is wow, check out that hair!!

Ashley as a blondie!!

2006 (haha, no we do not have perms, our hair is just naturally curly..aka fro-y!! ;)

Ashley visiting us in B-town

Summer time 2006

4/08 I got to go on a cruise with my sister, it was an awesome experience!! As you can tell by my face, I am scared to death and Ash was just laughing her head off, she LOVES heights!!!

We went to Mexico, it was beautiful!!

09, some LV action. Ash's feet were hurting so I did what any big sis would do and gave her a lift ;)

5/09 Livie's 4th B-day!!

Running the 5K together for Brain Injury...and yes, we did actually finish :)

Summer time playtime!! 09

Halloween!!

Livie loves 'Her Ashley' and wanted to dress just like her

Some sisterly love going on here :)

I'm pretty dang lucky I have Ash for a sis!!!

Christmas Eve 09

Most recent "fam picture" Jan-2010 Getting in on some bowling fun for FHE


haha, sorry for the pic overload!!

'Ketchup'...

Just trying to get caught up from the holidays!
We went home to Idaho for Christmas and it was soooo nice!! I definitely miss home sometimes. It was so good to see the fam and just hang out, eat delicious food and spend time with each other. This really was one of my most favorite Christmas' because it was simple, but so good to be home with each other.
Family really is everything!! I am so thankful I have such an amazing, loving family that always has fun just being together :)

(I lost my camera so I don't have any pics of Liv opening presents Christmas morning :( or of the boys dirt bike riding in Mesquite...but I think I got everything else in between...)





Phillips Christmas eve partay...Little miss Livie Bug and her Gramma and Pappa

Us girls in our matching jammies on Christmas eve

The whole fam bam...minus Logan who's serving a mission, but he'll be home next year!...in our matching pj's!


Mesquite!!!!! We were able to take a small family trip to Mesquite right after Christmas to go dirt bike riding...it was sooo much fun!! I used to always say how dangerous dirt bikes are, but now that I've gone riding a few times its so much fun...and addicting, haha!! We all had a really good time. It is still dangerous, though...my poor momma had a little incident and came home with a walker... however, she wasn't on a dirt bike and did happen to be on flat ground...what a wild woman!! ;) Glad you're okay, Mom!!

*SisterS* in our matching Christmas attire.. ;)

The girls!! Getting down and dirty dirt bike riding during the day...and then getting dressed up at night... :)

My beautiful Momma-cita. Thanks for all your hard work in making the holidays such a wonderful time, we appreciate ALL you do for us!!! The house definitely could not run with out you! Love you, mom!!

These were the cutest little boys ever!!!

There were 4 boys in all...I think Livie had finally met her match!! ;)

We were able to go and stay at a cabin in Bear Lake...loved it!!

Livie Bug and her best little buddy making a gingerbread house

More Christmas festivities with my Bug

Thanksgiving...we were giving our famous "stink eye!!" haha

And last, but not least...all us girls went to see the much buzzed about film, Twilight!!!!

Adoption

I'm trying to get caught up on some of my posting, theres a few new posts before this one and I've been meaning to post this for a while now...
I personally have never been in this postion, and can only imagine how hard and trying it must be, but I've seen how infertility has affected some of my close friends.

I've also seen the miracle of adoption, I was able to see my best friend from home and her husband finally be able to start their own eternal family through adoption :)

I am hoping that by posting this on my blog maybe the word will get out and be passed along and who knows, maybe the right person will hear about it...

Kendall and Katy are looking to adopt and add to their little family. They really are amazing people with an adorable little girl who really wants to be a big sister some day. If you have a minute, please check out their blog here
and please pass the word along :)

2 years....

and tumor free!!!! Yay Livie!! :)
Alyvia just had her MRI the day before Thanksgiving...I was sickly nervous, it is out of my hands, but I always worry, its always in the back of my mind, what if...what if the tumor comes back? However, her MRI looked great!! What a great reminder especially around Thanksgiving time of just how much I have to be thankful for. Most of all my healthy little girl :)

There is a little girl in Livie's preschool class whom we have gotten to know. Her name is Maryn, she is 4 years old as and she has a tumor in the same place Livie's was- the brain stem.
This little girl's tumor is not operable. Most tumors in the brain stem are inoperable...radiation does not kill these fast growing tumors, it can only buy her a little more time here on Earth. Maryn is getting sicker and weaker each day. It breaks my heart to watch her slowly dying from this brain tumor. Maryn's mom is not giving up hope yet, though. You can visit Maryn's blog here
Since this touches so close to home for me I can't help but wonder why... Why Livie is still here, especially when the odds were not in her favor at all. She beat all the odds, though, and she really is a miracle. I am SO SO grateful and thankful to my Father in Heaven that she is still here, that she is healthy and doing well.
I don't know what the future holds for Livie, for Maryn, for anyone, but I know we have to have faith and find the simple joy in every day life. Because life is crazy and you just never know what will happen.

I am so glad that I've gotten to spend as much time with Livie that I have, I've been very blessed in that I get to bring her to work with me and then I work some graveyard shifts so I can still be home with Livie during the day. The mother/daughter bond we have is amazing and I just love this little girl's spunk, she definitely tests my patience at times, she is quite the little fireball, but I sure do love you, Livie bug!!! Thanks for being my girl :)
.......................................................................................................
RECAP of Halloween:
(better late than never, right ;)

Carving/painting pumpkins (Livie was totally grossed out by the pumpkin guts so we decided to paint one instead)

Haha love her face!

Finished product

Feeding the geese

Halloween!! Livie was a fairy princess...and yes, she pulls these faces and throws up a peace sign for every picture...

Ha, look at that face...




My sweet little fairy

At preschool with Livie

Livie talk

Livie says the dangest things. I'm not even sure where she gets some of the stuff she says...
I love listening to her talk. She's always been very talkative and good at communicating. I still like it when she pronounces things wrong, like Christmas Eve is "Christmas Steve" and she still uses the phrase, "I'm are," haha, love it. And she still calls me mommy. I super love that.

Alyvia also starts so many of her sentences with "The thing is..."
"The thing is I don't really want to eat that for dinner mommy..."
Haha, she sounds so grown up, I swear she is 4 going on 14!

So the other day Livie got a new baby doll, when I asked her what her baby's name was, she replied, "Peach Hole."
Wow, that just sounds bad, haha and I have no idea how she came up with this. I have since tried to get her to change the name to something else...anything else, but Peach Hole it is.

Livie is also really using her imagination lately, she has an imaginary pet puppy, actually 2 pet puppies and 1 pet kitty. The other day as we were getting in the car to leave Livie starts SCREAMING, I'm thinking she's shut her finger in the door or rolled a body part up in the window, something horrible to cause that kind of screaming...no, we just forget to bring the pets with us...that's right, the imaginary pets. So we have to get out of the car, hike up the 3 flights of stairs to our condo, unlock the door and grab Livie's pets.
Now every time we leave I make sure not to forget the imaginary pets.

Then today, as Livie and I were in the bath tub bathing, I felt something warm trickling down my back, I turn around to see my child standing up peeing on me.
Me- Livie, Oh my gosh, you just peed all over me!!!!
Livie- No, mom, I just peed SOME over you.

(Guess she's much more critical with her words than I am. Whatever, she still PEED on me!!!)

Then the other day I couldn't find Livie, I was calling for her throughout the house and I started to get panicky when I still couldn't find her. She finally steps in from being out on the balcony.
Livie- Mom, I'm just right here.
Me- I couldn't find you, I was started to get worried, Livie.
Livie- Oh, well don't worry, the wind didn't blow me away, I'm still here.
(Haha, like the wind could blow her away ;) Silly girl

And then of course you have to love kids for their honesty.
Like when we were at Walmart in the exchange/return line and Livie pointed to a lady there and said, "Look mom, that lady has a baby in her tummy." And because Livie kept saying this pretty loudly, that 'pregnant' lady informed us that she did NOT have a baby in her tummy, but was just fat. So Livie agrees and says, "Yeah, you are fat."
Talk about mortification. My bright red face and I turned around and left Walmart as fast as we could!!

Or...when I ask my child if she thinks I'm the prettiest mommy ever and she replies, "Well, not today mommy." Haha, thanks Livie, that was not the answer I was looking for, though ;)

I sure love my wild, little Livie bug. She can definitely be a stinker, but she also makes me smile every day!! :)