ASHLEE OR TAYLOR?

I never really realized how much our girls look alike until I ran across these pictures today. I better label them before I forget which one is which! Can you guess which is which?

Ashlee is the first of each set of pictures and Taylor is the second.

PRESCHOOL!!

I can't believe that Ashlee is old enough to go to school. She is really growing up so fast. She was so excited to start school. Randomly throughout the summer she would ask me when school was starting.

She is actually going to school four days a week and we both LOVE it!! She loves the school and the teachers. On the first day she was a little nervous but excited. She must have had a wonderful time because when I came to pick her up she didn't want to leave. The facility is great. They have a wide variety of materials and toys. The program is very well structured and the teachers are great. They also use some students teachers from the university to help.

On the first day of class she was supposed to bring a poster that was all about her and things she loved. Of course she had to include the Disney Princesses, unicorns, Oreo's and flowers. There are also pictures of dressing up, painting fingernails, coloring, swimming, ice cream, riding her bike and her sister. Here is what it ended up like.

LAKE POWELL

Ashlee and Karen

Last week we got to go with my side of the family to one of my favorite places, Lake Powell. We had such a great time. The girls and I went by ourselves because Nate had to work, and boy did he miss out!! We drove down Sunday morning and spent the afternoon setting up camp.

Camp

The next morning we got on the lake. We all had so much fun!!

Jenessa, Joshua and Ashlee

Ashlee was a little fish and loved swimming around. She was quite the adventurer. She LOVED the water weenie and she even knee boarded!! She also rode the wave runners back to the dock with me. It was quite a bumpy ride, but she held on tight and we made it!

Ashlee knee boarding

Ashlee and Zach on the water weenie

Taylor like swimming around and relaxing. She is not a big fan of being dirty, so she didn't really play in the sand much. She did like to ride on the wave runners though.

Taylor trying to decide if she wants to get dirty or not

Taylor enjoying the water

Taylor and Karen

Each night we would go back to the camp grounds and have dinner. We always go into Page at least one night and have ice cream at the Big Dipper. This part of the trip is always a highlight.

I was even pretty brave and did a little skiing and wakeborading!

We spent three long but great days on the lake. Thursday we packed up and headed home. (I think I am still trying to recover!) It was a great trip and we can't wait to go back next year!

OUR BRAVE GIRL!

On Thursday we took Ashlee in to get her tonsils and adenoids removed. She was amazing!!

Waiting for the surgery!

We got to the hospital at 6:45am. Poor Ashlee was so nervous. She quitely cried all the way to the hospital telling us that she wasn't brave enough. After we got checked in we were taken to her room. She sat on my lap and wouldn't look at or talk to any of the nurses or doctors. We watched TV until they were ready for us. At about 8:00 they came to get Ashlee. She got on the bed and they wheeled her away. She was trying so hard to be brave. She looked super nervous though. She just kept saying that she didn't want any shots.

Nate and I just waited for her in her room. About 8:20 the doctor poked his head in the room and said that the surgery was complete and she did great! It was a fast surgery. The doctor said that everything went well. He said that her tonsils were big but her adenoids were HUGE! He also said that they had a hard time getting her to fall asleep with the gas because her adenoids were so big she couldn't get enough gas into her system. She did fall asleep with the gas eventually it just took a little longer. He said that even with the swelling we would be able to see a huge improvement with her.

We are so proud of our little girl! She was so brave!

When they brought Ashlee back to us she was still very sleepy. She tried to sit up as they brought her into the room and asked, "Did I get my tonsils out?" She slept for a little longer and then tried to eat a popsicle. The nurse then came and took her for a little walk to see if she would get nauseous. We then got her IV out and we got to go home. We were home by 10:30am. I was surprised at how quick the whole process was.

Trying to wake up

After we got home and she was a little more awake, I asked her what she remembered about the whole experience. She told me that she remembered going for a ride on the bed and that the hospital has magic doors that open all by themselves. I then asked her what else happened and she had no idea!


After the surgery!

She can breath so much better now. She sleeps more soundly. She even slept through the night last night!!!

Recovering at home.

I would also like to give a HUGE thank you to my parents who came for the surgery. They have helped out a lot. they stayed home with Taylor while we went to the hospital, and have been very helpful in entertaining Ashlee since she has been home. Thank You mom and dad!