The Good, the Bad, and Not Ugly

The Good:

We have lots to be thankful for at our house.  We all are relatively healthy, (Josh and Elliott have had a small lingering cough and cold) the weather is getting more Spring-like, which means playing outside, bike rides, and the time change, AND Josh and I are headed to Mexico in 3 weeks from today!  We are very excited!  Elliott gets to spend 8 days with Grandma, which they will both love, since Grandma has been gone for a week visiting family in Houston.  We missed her! 

The Bad:

Sounds like Josh is going to get Furloughed.  This has to do with the Sequestration Congress has put in place (or whatever, Google it).  We are not very happy about it, as is most of the country, but unfortunately, there is not much we can do about it.  What this means for us, is Josh has to give up 22 paid days.  Department of Defense has had budget cuts this year, so by every employee giving up 22 paid days, the Government saves some Billions amount of dollars (again, Google it).  They are proposing every employee work a 4 day work week, and take a 20% pay cut for 5 months (April - Sept).  This is do-able, but we are taking a cut in pay, which is never desirable. :)  I have asked my company, if I can come back to a 5 day work week, to supplement until things get back to normal.  Could the timing be any worse?.  Why couldn't we have done this in the winter, when there is nothing to do, and no money to be spent spending precious time outdoors?? Alas, we will be fine, and I am sure this will just be a little bump in our road.

The Not Ugly:

How can I not include a few pics of this little girl??  She is pretty dang cute, and brings a lot of joy to our house.  Most of the time. :)  She is growing up, and is talking A TON.  She learns new things everyday, and loves to go to Preschool with Miss Annette.  She loves to play "Checkup" with her dolls and mom and dad.  She especially likes the Stethoscope, which she calls her "Heart".  Future Dr. Quincy in the making, maybe?

Aquarium 2013

We decided to get out a few weeks ago, and take Elliott to see the "fishies" at the Aquarium.  She really liked the idea of it, but was a little apprehensive when we got there.  She didn't like to get too close to the glass.  In fact, she wanted whomever (mom, dad, grandma) was standing the farthest away from the glass to hold her.  She now talks about the "fishies" like it was the greatest experience of her life, though.

Happy 2nd Birthday Elliott!

January 9, 2013 was Elliott's 2nd Birthday!  I can't believe she is two!  If you ask, sometimes she will say, I'm 2, but only if you are lucky. :)  She can't do two fingers on one hand yet, so we just use both pointer fingers to show 2.  We are working on it.

Wednesday was her birthday, and was also a Grandma day, so Elliott got to spend her real birthday with Grandma again! I let her open one gift before we left, and it was an Elmo Potty Seat.  She had to take it in the car with us, she was so thrilled.  In fact, she mostly thought it was a hat, until we put it on the potty. 

Once she got home from Grandma's we had a quick dinner and McKinley, Elliott's BFF came by for a visit.  Her and Elliott had to try out Elliott's new slide and basketball hoop.  They both loved it!  Dad had to leave for YM, so E and I hung out and played with her new dollhouse.


Sunday was the Quincy/Noorda Birthday celebration and we had so much fun!  Grandma Chris knows Elliott so well.  She got her a Buzz and Woody, and Elliott hasn't stopped carrying them around since.  She LOVES them!  Good job Grandma!

Josh took Elliott to the Dr on Friday for her 2 year check up.  She is 23 pounds and is in the 60% in height.  Still trending well, so no worries.  When the Dr checked her ears, he noticed they were infected.  What??  She hasn't acted sick at all!  A runny nose here and there, but no fever.  So, we
are on the pink antibiotics, hoping it clears up soon. 

It has been so cold and snowy here!  Thursday night we got close to 14 inches of snow!  We couldn't believe it!  Since it has been cold and miserable, and I hate it! :) 

Elliott's "Titchen", 4 Years and Josh, the Tile Slayer

The Quincy's had a wonderful Christmas.  Especially Elliott.  Santa brought her a Kitchen and all sorts of food.  He was hoping this would help with her eating habits.  He is so smart. 

Grandma and Grandpa Quincy and Jon came up bright and early Christmas morning to witness the chaos.  It was so fun to have them!  I love being so close to family!  Elliott was very wary about all the pictures and hoopla, until she saw her "Titchen".  She was wide awake and totally fine with the world after that.  She was so much fun this year.  She loved everything.  I could have given her dirty socks, and she would have loved it. 

She is growing so big!  She is learning so quickly as well.  Everyday she comes up with something new, and keeps Josh and I laughing.  She really enjoys coloring, and takes it very seriously.  She loves Toy Story and to play on moms phone.  She knows which apps she likes, and she can switch between them.  Crazy.

Josh and I celebrated our 4th Wedding Anniversary.  It is crazy we have been married 4 years, and had Elliott for almost half our married life.  I love Josh so much, and am so thankful for all he does for me and our family.

We have been keeping him very busy.  He is finishing the bathroom in the basement and has been laying tile.  I am so thankful to have a husband who is so handy.  He also does a great job, even though he doesn't think so. We also got a new bed, well, let me clarify, a new mattress.  Our old landlord, back in the SLC days, is the owner of Serta Mattress.  He hooked us up with a King Mattress, but was out of box springs.  So, we have been camped out on the floor until we can go pick up our new bed.  Elliott loves it, and thinks its a great place to hang out.  In the covers and all!

Some Family Photos

We had plans to have some family pictures done, but there was a little miscommunication, so they didn't happen.  We were literally all dressed up with no place to go, and if you know Josh, this NEVER happens! :)  So, we made a quick phone call to a good friend, and Missy was here in a jiff with her trusty camera.  We totally owe Missy, she even had to get dressed to come over. 

We had picked a really cool place but because we were running out of time and daylight, we headed to the River in Riverdale. 

I am very happy with what came of them, how could they not look good, look who is in them, right? :)  We (ok, me) were freezing, so we did a quick photo shoot, and back in the car we went. 

These will look familiar to you come Christmas Card time, just with a little UMPH.  Thanks to another great friend at work, we got a little touch up in photo shop. 

 

 

 

 

My Sick Little Monkey

 Elliott with her "nana (banana) purse", as she called it.

 

Man, crappy timing for Elliott this year.  She started coughing a couple days before Halloween, and on the big night she was not a happy camper.  Poor girl.  She wanted to go outside with all the kids so bad, so we dressed her up, loaded her with Tylenol and went to a couple neighbors houses.  The weather was so nice, we couldn't pass it up.  She tried so hard to get into the Trick or Treating thing, but just didn't have the energy.  Next year. 






 Josh and I outdid ourselves again this year with our pumpkins.  Problem was, we carved them Monday night, and by Wednesday night they had shriveled up like old men.  That's ok, you still got the point.  Here they are at their finest:

Josh did Jack from "Nightmare Before Christmas"

My Masterpiece.  Elliott was thrilled. 

Moab and my silly Elliott

Josh and I headed to Moab a couple weeks ago with some friends of his from work.  Josh recently bought a new Mountain Bike, so we wanted to do some riding, but we also went down to hike the Blue John Slot Canyon.  Made infamous by Aron Ralston when his arm was wedged between a rock and after a few days he cut it off with a pocket knife.  Thankfully, we didn't see any severed limbs on our expedition, in fact, we never made it to the actual site.  After a 3.5 mile trek to the slot canyon, we were losing daylight and warm temps fast, so at the 40 ft Rappel, known also as the Point of No Return, we turned back, and did our own 40 ft Rappel back in to the canyon at the start point.  Thankfully, it had rained cats and dogs the day before, so the canyon was full of water and standing pools.  Needless to say, we didn't stay dry for long.  Within the first 5 minutes, my shoes were soaked, and then the bottoms of my pants, and then my knees and so forth, until we were up to our chests in FREEZING cold water.   Overall, it was a fantastic trip, and I can't wait to go back.  I don't know what it is about Moab, but I freaking love that place. :)

 

 

The boys, minus Ray

 

After the Adventure

 

 

 

 

 

My Silly Elliott is getting bigger and bigger.  In a couple weeks she will be 22 months!  I can't believe we have made it this long. :)  Time really does go fast.  She is so funny, and makes us laugh everyday.  She is talking more and more each day, and tries to mimic us, except for "Love You", which ticks her dad right off.  He tries every night before she goes to bed, and she just waves bye to him.  We think she is doing it on purpose. :)

She loves her baby, which was supposed to be a Christmas present, but I am a sucker.  She carries it around, and even put her in her crib yesterday for a nap.  Then tells me "SHHH" and we walk out of the room, not without turning on the humidifier first though.  She is eating pretty well, and has decided the things she likes best.  She is a girl of my own heart, as she will choose a piece of bread or a roll over just about anything else.  She also likes, Gummy Worms, Sticks of Butter (which if she can get her grubby hands on one, there is a fight to get it away from her!) Oreos (who doesn't?) and many other Not So Good For Her items.  Ah, she will survive, I'm sure.