Happy half-birthday, kiddo!

Today is kiddo's Half-birthday. I can't believe she's 2 and a half already! She's getting so big! She's learning new words every day and starting to put more words together. She got a bike a couple of weeks ago. We're still working on teaching her how to pedal, though. All of her teeth have popped thru. She has a dentist appointment on 8/25th...a "Happy visit." Hopefully she likes Dr. Ulmer better then the dentist she saw last year (I sure do). Next year, though, she gets xrays and a full exam. I have an appointment the same day right after her's. She should be able to watch them clean mine. Mom's planning on going with, too. Lilith has gotten really good at I Spy. Aunt Heidi bought her a book on Monday and she found everything by the time we got home. I finally got the last couple of things today to make her an I Spy bag and will get that made this weekend. Lilith loves to dance and sing. One of her favorites now is Mama, Mia! (Or Me Ma as she calls it.) Today, she managed to copy the dance they did on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. (And also, now Heidi and I have the song stuck in our heads). New favorites also include Hello Kitty and Word World. We;re still working on counting and ABC's, but she'll get it...one thing at a time.

The biggest news...Lilith is officially day time potty trained! And I think night time will be soon. This week, we've gone out several times without a cover over her panties and have not had an accident in over a week (even when we went to the movies!). We still need to work on pooping in the potty, but it'll happen soon. I also bought things to make her some new covers for bed time. Her eczema has been flaring up on her tushie and I think the covers we use are causing it. She got a package of Hello Kitty panties to celebrate today. All her Gerber training panties are going to be put away and used to nap/bed time.

In other news...Kevin and I are doing well. We have just over 100 days until we head to Disney World. I have been busy sewing baby things for Kevin's cousin, Sweetwater, and a friend of ours. Both are having baby girls. I have lots of things for myself and a few things for kiddo. There's also things for Pieces of Me to be made. Kevin's been busy with work and school. It's been an interesting couple of weeks at work for him...his manager was told to step down or take the severance package. He took the severance. The other manager that he has been working with him (and is his current manager) doesn't understand why Kevin is still where he is and is going to work on getting him his promotion. Kevin is on break between terms at the moment. He's still waiting on his grades and starts his next term on Wednesday. He also found out that he is receiving the Pell Grant and is also able to get an extra $1700 from FAFSA.

OK, it's time for kiddo to head to bed. I will try to write again soon.


4th of July


She woke up really early that day and fell asleep at 10am on the couch watching Cars


Playing in the bottom of the box from our new TV


Her new bike

Pictures updated

For those of you who do check this, I just wanted to give a heads up that I got flickr updated today. Flickr
A new blog entry coming soon.

Hello! My name is Dawn, and I'm a geek.

Thanks to my neighbor and friend, Tamara, I've been clipping coupons again. I'm also working on a price book. The price book is going to take a while to get it all done. Target alone took over an hour (maybe 2) to write down sizes and prices of everything we use. And I didn't even get everything. I did get everything written down that we use so it's a little easier getting things filled out. I signed up for the Oregonian's Free FOODday Edition, but haven't gotten it, yet. And over the past week of just getting started, I've gotten free or REALLY cheap chocolate, cheese, Ritz, Wheat Thins, and some other things. I have more coupons for free chocolate from Target, too. Good thing it's free because I would not spend $.99 for a candy bar! (It's for the Hershey's Bliss.) I'm sure Kevin thinks I'm crazy, but he said as long as it decreases our spending, he doesn't care.

We went to Joann's last night and saved almost $400! Simplicity pattern's were on sale 5 for $5 with a limit of 10, so we both got 10 (20 total). I also got some lining that I needed, ribbons, a new seam ripper (I actually broke my other one), and fabric & things for a dress. I got to use a 10% off everything coupon. And the best thing, Kevin got me a dress form and was able to use the 40% off coupon! He's been wanting to get me one and is very supportive of all the sewing I've been doing and is very impressed. (Everyone's been impressed with my sewing.) I have so much that I want to work on right now...3 tops, 2 skirts, a dress, jammies for kiddo, chalk bags for Shawn and Veronica, and Heidi got some fabrics for a top and skirt.

Other then all of that, things are going well. Kiddo's getting big. I discovered that tooth number 18 came through sometime this week. Now, she just has her top 2 molars left. She and I both go to the dentist on August 25th. I have a cleaning and x-rays. Her's is just the "How many teeth do you have? Can you show them to me? Oh, how pretty!" type of appointment. Next year, though, she gets a full cleaning and x-rays. She'll also be able to take a dance class and soccer next year. Lilith is trying to put words together. And she's been talking about the beach for a week now...it just doesn't sound like beach. I keep telling her that we will go to the beach in a couple of weeks. Kevin has the second week in June off and we're planning on going to Seaside for a day.

Ok, dinner's here so I need to get going. I'll write again soon.
<3 The Kelley's

Here are a couple of pics from the past couple of weeks.

Headaches, again

Once again, I've been having headaches. This past week, I've had 2 migraines and several other headaches. Thankfully, the Excedrin Migraine has helped the migraines. So, I've found a notebook to keep a daily report of everything I've eaten, taken, done, even the weather so that we can figure out why I'm getting them. If nothing else, I'll have a nice journal to hand a doctor so they can figure it out. Starting tomorrow, I'm going to not take any kind of pain pills and get all of that out of my system again. Kev thinks they might be blood-pressure related. Who knows, but we'll figure it out sooner or later.

Other then that, we're all doing well. Today has been a day of layoffs for ADP. Wednesday, too. Kevin is safe, but his department is down to his manager, him, and 1 other guy. He said that he will be asking to work from home permanently soon. He is still waiting for his final grades, but has A+'s in both classes and has 2 weeks off before his next classes start. He decided to take a term off later this year so that he can enjoy our Disney vacation and not worry about school.

Lilith is her usual 2 year old, self. Getting into everything, playing, being happy, and being cute. Tooth number 17 is officially in (bottom, left, second molar). Only 3 more to go. It's made her a bit fussy and snugly the past week. Since the sun has been out more, we've been going to the park more. And I'm planning on taking her out even more as it gets nicer. We even brought home her Cozy Coupe from Grams'. Sunday, we took her to the Children's Fairy Festival. It was a bit unimpressive, but she seemed to have fun. We got some really cute pictures and I'll post them later this week.

I have been busy sewing. Currently, I'm working on a skirt for myself. It should be done in a few hours. May even get another one cut out and going today. I have a couple of things to make for Lilith. And I've figured out how to make reusable sandwich/snack bags and sandwich wraps. I made Veronica a whole lunch set out of UofO fabric. She loves it and showed it off to everyone. I'm planning on making some to sell on Etsy or the Farmer's Market. Shawn and Veronica also want me to figure out how to make chalk bags for climbing. So, once I get that figured out, I'll try selling those, too. Kevin keeps trying to get me to make things for myself and not everyone else. LOL I know, I need to and I want to. I just have sewing ADD sometimes. LOL

I should get going. I promised Lilith I would put in the next Lilo and Stitch movie. More to come soon, and pics.




November 8, 2009 (Give or take a day)

Easter 2009

Just thought I'd write real quick and post a couple Easter pictures.

The week before Easter, Lilith had 3 different egg hunts (the MOMS Club Easter party, the egg hunt in Villebois--our area--, and Wilsonville's egg hunt). I think she got about 5 eggs at each one. All the kids kinda freaked her out and were quicker then her. And it didn't take her long to find out that they had candy in them. LOL

We spent Easter at mom and dad's. Shawn and Veronica, Aunt Monica and Chris, and Grandma Barnes were all there. Dad made his usual Brisket and Grandma made her potato salad (really need to get her recipe) for dinner (and it was so good, like normal). Mom and dad had hidden eggs for Lilith that morning. It didn't take her long to figure out how to "hunt" for eggs. And she wanted to do it all day...just like her mama! LOL (She even asked Papa to hide them for her this last weekend while we were there.) She had way too much candy and it took us a day or so to get her to forget about it.

All in all, we had a good Easter. Lilith got lots of goodies, even some handmade ones from mama that turned out very cute! I was happy to see her enjoy Easter this year. Last year, she was still too little to understand and hated being in the grass.

I'll write another update later this week, but for now, it's someone's bedtime and boy does she need it!


At the MOMS Club Easter Party 4/6/2009


After the MOMS Club Party 4/6/2009


Wilsonville's Egg Hunt 4/11/2009


On the way home from Wilsonville's Egg Hunt 4/11/2009


An arm full of eggs! 4/12/2009


The Kelley's 4/12/2009

Easter pics

Just wanted to share that there are Easter pics from the Villebois Easter Egg Hunt up on Flickr. I did not take them, the area photographer did. Here's the link to their pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/29822340@N08/

The past month

Just wanted to share some of my favorite pictures from the last month. Another entry coming soon!