1.5 Years...

Kalina. 18 months. What a ride!

Kalina, eighteen months already... what a beautiful little girl, and such a sweetheart. I remember when I was pregnant with her, I worried that I wouldn't have enough love to share between the two... how silly I was! I can not believe how much my heart swells when I think of either them, when I look at them, when I catch a small act of kindness between the two. We are so blessed to have two beautiful, healthy girls...

Kalina at 18 months is so cute, yet, such a stinker! She has that look... you know the one... the "I'm an angel" look... that behind those beautiful blue eyes, you can see the wheels turning as she plans her next move. She also has that smile... you know... the, "you know you want to just smile back even though I am purposely dumping chocolate syrup all over the carpet" smile. (She hasn't done that.... yet.... but you know that smile... and I'm sure she will do that sometime)

She keeps us on our toes, but definitely brings us smiles everyday! She is talking up a storm, and repeating everything we say. Her favorite words are- Frog, dog, duck, quack, Mom, Daddy, Sis, Tay, Look, Here, POCK(y)... she says many more, but those seem to be her favorite and this moment in time. She loves to dance, and when we listen to Sugarland while eating breakfast/lunch... she is often caught dancing... along with her big sister and mom! It's so amazing watching her learn about the world around her. And it amazes me how much she takes in and understands. I love this stage. She is so fun, and can actually follow directions. (take your shoes off at the front door) Favorite foods... steamed carrots, cucumbers, yogurt (prefers the drinking kind), milk (bilk), strawberries, bananas, muffins, anything else that may be on mom's plate or in mom's bowl (of cereal) or in dad's hands. :) She's a mooch! :)

Nicknames... well, I often refer to her as my Cling-on... for obvious reasons... but a very fitting nickname given by Lola & Pocky- Rocket... and a rocket she certainly is. She often falls because she gets moving too fast for herself... and takes some dives... but she's a runner! Runs everywhere... usually away from Mom & Dad around bedtime! And she's usually laughing while moving too fast!

Ahhhh, good times. Life is great. I love my toddler. Even when I catch her sitting in the middle of the table playing with an apple (healthy choice at least, right?)... Even when I can't find my shoe because she wore it around the house and it is hiding under some toy. Even when I go to get her after her nap... and she is laying there on her back, arms straight in front of her, a look of horror on her face while there is poop all over her hand, her bed, her bedding, her in general... Even when she needs me in the middle of the night, when I have just fallen asleep...

I love my toddler. Life is great.

Our little BIG girl is FOUR!!!

Okay, so a little late in posting, but here is Tatum's four year blog... :)

Words can not describe how I feel about my little girl... my little BIG girl. I look at her and wonder... when did you get so big? Legs and arms so long, feet and hands so big, ideas so big, interests so varied, opinions so big.... I remember vividly, struggling to hold her still as I attempt to clip her nails hoping she does not jerk and I clip her finger instead of her nail... now, I just let her know what I am doing and she sits with not problem at all! I love this girl so much... she is so sweet and funny and smart... she does not have one mean bone in her body, and is always concerned about everyone else. She is so smart- she has an answer for everything... if you tell her something can not be done, she will find a way so it CAN happen... "so, maybe if.... or what if we..." she could be very successful as a lawyer or in politics- she knows the right questions to ask to stump you! She loves puzzles, and painting, and water! She loves to help... with anything... even cleaning! :) She is such a happy girl, it's hard to find something that she does NOT like. But, here is a list of some of Tatum's Favorite Things...

1. Kalina

2. Movie: Cars

3. Lightening McQueen & *Red* (from Cars)

4. Music: Sugarland- Stuck Like Glue and Want To ... and every other Sugarland Song :); Fire in the Sky (Knee Deep) by Zac Brown Band; Honey Bee- Blake Shelton

5. Color: Pink and Purple have the edge right now, although, she loves all of her colors

6. Food- PIZZA- let me be more specific... Black Olive Pizza :)

7. Dancing and saving her animals

8. Playing with Play-doh, painting, doing puzzles, coloring, using her easel, crafts...

9. Dogs- even though she's allergic

10. Reading- this girl LOVES LOVES LOVES books, and enjoys every book she has in front of her -kind of like her Momma :)

T can write all of her letters, knows how to spell (and write) her name, Mommy, Daddy... knows all of the letter sounds... can count to twenty... loves to help with anything and everything! Enjoys playing hide and seek, and has figured out how to not say "HERE I AM!!!" when we play :) LOVES to help with her little sister... and is all around just a happy sweet girl.

I love her.

Easter 2011

What a fun weekend! We colored eggs, made Easter cookies, went to a local Easter Egg Hunt, had a wonderful Easter dinner at the Thompson's (Patti's sister's family), and the Easter Bunny came to our house and hid our eggs!!! Can it get better than that? Here are some 'highlights'... although I'm sure there are going to be too many ;)

Talking Strategy :)

Sharing her 'bounty' with her little sister :)

Chilling... on a very important phone call telling whoever it is, probably her frog, how awesome she did at the Fishers Easter Egg Hunt :)

Want some cookie with those sprinkles?

Looking for the last egg... he he :) Can you see it?

Things we do...

Here are a some 'fun' pictures from April. I love taking pictures of my girls, and picking just a few... well, that's pretty much impossible. I started this post with the intentions of just posting a few... well, it turned into a few more than that! Enjoy!This picture can NEVER become lost. Tatum BEGGED me to let her wash the dishes (as she has a few times since this day)... Oh Tatum, I hope you never lose your love to wash dishes! (because, quite frankly, I have never found my love for dish washing... I do however, love the dishwasher)

A mountain? in our living room??? (playing hide-and-seek)

Listening to them just laughing at each other... LOVE their excitement

Cuddles.... How can you not smile at this?

Checking on her flowers that she grew from seeds

T and her Grandpa :)

She LOVES the zoo!!! She was trying to call the animals to her... I believe she was looking at the Rhinos here :)

Checking out the dolphins :)

She loves to sit in a chair (or in a bucket, or in a box, or....) and read... on her own time

My princesses
(did I just write that??? Uh oh)

Princesses and the frog

The girls were helping me wash the walls... :)

Rest in Peace, Little Brother

After years of fighting, Doug passed away Sunday, March 20.

I love you, Doug. I miss you. Tatum talks about you all the time. She looks up at the sky and talks to you, sends you pictures through the air, and blows you kisses. I know you are getting all of them, and are loving every single one. We miss you, and it still does not feel like you are really gone... but we know that you are in a better place. I've missed you so much these past years, and it was so hard to see you and accept the way things were. Oh, brother... I love you... I miss you... we will meet again.

Ending one chapter... Beginning another...

Hi-Ho... Hi-Ho... It's off to Indiana we go....

(Okay, well we moved over a month ago, but I am finally getting to our blog!)

Yes, once again, this Carrington family has moved... back across country, home to Indiana. It was a bittersweet move for us. We absolutely loved living in Colorful Colorado, love what that beautiful state has to offer, but the one thing it was lacking, was family. And family wins over anything else. Not just the family that remained in IN while we moved around, but our core family as well.

After living in AZ for about a year and a half, we never did get to visit the Grand Canyon... we will visit it at some point in the future, but I can not believe that we were unable to go... so, as family visited us in CO, or as Matt found a day off, I had no problem with packing up the car and heading out on an adventure in Colorado... to learn why it is called "Colorful Colorado", and I am so glad we did! We took every chance we were given to hang out in the mountains, and we left with no regrets! We met great friends and had fun!

So here we go, the next chapter in our lives. Who knows what this next chapter will hold for us, but as each page turns, I'm sure we will live it up and find new adventures in Indiana... with each other :)

So long for now, Colorado, I'm sure we will see you soon!

P.S. If you notice in the photo above, the sun is in our rear view mirror... that is where it has remained... out west.... :( So, if you live out west, and are reading this, please feel free to send the sun this direction and let us borrow it for a while!