Merry Christmas!

I'm finally making my own meals and doing my own laundry again. Since I'm a little behind on just about everything, everone is getting a "digital" Christmas card this year.

We are adjusting to the new little change in our lives and doing pretty well!

Aubrie is a pretty good little baby. We've even had a few nights of decent sleep! She LOVES to eat... all. day. long. She giggles - I kid you not- in her sleep. She seems to like being smoothered by her big sister. She loves being cuddled, bundled and warm. She is well loved!

Marlie seems to be filling in her role as big sister just fine. Although I've decided that the 'threes' are worse than the 'terrible twos'. But we are all adapting. Marlie loves to sing out loud - I mean really belt it out. She loves crafty projects, helping in almost any way, and just being a kid. She still loves food as much as life itself, especially fruits, veggies, and Halloween candy. She is very sweet and caring, but has a real sassy side too. We love her lots!

Chris and I seem to stay pretty busy with the day to day grind. Chris is now back at his old job in Denver, but has the privlege of working from home. It has been very nice to have him home again! He also stays busy doing odd side jobs. He has recently taken up bow hunting and has really enjoyed doing that with his dad this hunting season.
I have enjoyed spending my "free time" sewing and improving my photography skills. I'm loving motherhood, most days, and I'm so happy to have such great, funny, and beautiful girls.

We wish you and your families a wonderful Christmas!

Meet Peewee!

Hello World!

Meet the newest addition to the Giesey family...

 Aubrie Mae

 Born December 2nd

6 lbs 13 oz, 19 inches long

We have loved getting to know her the past couple days in the hospital and are more than excited to take her home on Sunday!

More pictures to come- promise!

Peewee Talk

With less than a week left until our new baby arrives, there has been a lot of talk about "Peewee" lately. Marlie has said some of the sweetest things about her that I just had to share.

• (Marlie and I are walking through a parking lot and it's drizzling outside)
  Marlie: "Come on Peewee, lets run!"
  Me: "Ok, lets run."
  Marlie: "No mom. I was just talking to Peewee."
• "When Peewee is born, I will teach her not to swallow quarters."
• (We were headed to Babies R Us/ Toys R Us and Chris told Marlie that she could look at the toys)"I'm gonna buy Peewee a Christmas present with my own money!"
• (We were talking about how many days were left until Peewee is born at dinner recently)
  "One week left until Peewee is born! I'm so excited!!! I miss her." :(
• (I was washing every sheet, blanket, towel, bib and burp cloth in sight... Marlie saw the bibs and burp cloths that I had when she was a baby. She picks a little pink one up out of the laundry basket...)
  "Awwwww. It's so cute and tiny!" - head cocked to the side and all.

At this point, if you don't want it put in the washing machine or thrown out, keep all your valuables away from my house! Nesting at it's finest. My poor washing machine will be happy once this baby is born, I'm sure. And it's not the only one!

Two Weeks!

I have just two weeks from today left til "Peewee" is born. (Still no name other than Peewee. Hope you like it!) I have a c-section scheduled for Friday December 2nd. We are all very excited, but I am most ready to be done. I find it quite... well, funny is not the best word, ironic maybe - that when the "nesting" instinct is the strongest it is also when a 9 month pregnant woman has the LEAST amount of energy and physical ability to "nest". Sigh. I have a To-Do list that is a mile long that I wanted done by the end of next week and I just don't feel like I can do it. I can't stand on my feet too long or even do the simple things I'm used to doing every day without feeling like I'm carrying a 20 pound bowling ball between my legs. The sad thing is, most of my list is Christmas gifts and things that I just have to do myself. (just venting- sorry)The best part is, after Dec 2nd (in theory) I won't have to worry about Christmas shopping or nesting or painting or sewing or anything other than my new baby!  Nice thought huh.

Stay tuned for pictures of the girls matching Christmas dresses to come in a couple weeks! He, he. I'm pretty excited about that! Wish me luck...

Trials of Our Lives

Sorry that sounds a bit like a soap opera title.


If you are like me, you desperately wish you could see the grand picture that God has painted of our lives. I wish I knew why we experience the things that we do. Chris and I were just talking the other night (you know, one of those late night talks when you should be in bed asleep, but instead it's midnight and you're curled up on the couch just thinking out loud...), talking about how it seems sometimes that we have life relatively good. His thinking went to the "calm before the storm". I was reminded of something I learned just a week before at the Time Out For Women conference I attended in Kansas City. (A very awesome trip. Spiritually fed, and had a blast of a time with some awesome girl friends. Maybe I'll share pictures sometime...) Anyway, this one particular talk or presentation keeps coming back to me. The presenter was Anthony Sweat, a motivational speaker from our church. He talked all about trials and basically how we should view them. Here are some of my notes from this presentation:

• God is fair - sometimes LIFE is not fair.
• God tests each of us Uniquely & Equally
• Will we remember God during the easy times too?
• "To be fair, don't compare". You don't know what you agreed to in heaven. Maybe you told Heavenly Father that you would willingly do/endure _________________!
• To be fair, sometimes you cannot be equal.
• The Atonement of Jesus Christ is the equalizer of all injustices.

He also talked about the different types of trials we all endure. Sometimes we have trials of death, trials of divorce, trials of poverty, and even trials of prosperity (interesting). Sometimes our trials are NOT having trials! Very interesting.


Well, having this in the back of my mind (just waiting for a good trial to apply it to), I had one of those weeks where I wanted to lock Marlie outside, curl up on my bed with the door closed and not come out for a couple days. I may take some chocolate in with me. For the most part there wasn't even anything huge. A majority of it probably has something to do with my mass consumption of sugar lately (a life long trial!). Another chunk of troubles stems from my lack of understanding how to discipline a three-year old (heaven help us all!). I just had to laugh this morning when we woke up to a phone announcing that "our storm had hit"! Yeah for trials!


The other very interesting thing that I just can't fathom is how the Lord can take one instance and make it a growing and learning experience for several people in their own ways! How intricate is the Lords plan! Gosh I wish I could see how it all works and how it all pans out!!! But the good news is I know that He has a plan. That He is molding and shaping both me and my family into who He needs us to be. Funny, I just realized the theme for the Time Out conference was "Choose to Become". By accepting these times of our lives and rolling with the punches I am choosing to become who He wants me to be. As Marlie would tell me, "it's ok mommy. Take a deep breath." Sigh.


And yet, despite the week I had and how worn out I feel, today I feel more rejuvenated and spiritually uplifted than I have for a while. Heavenly Father was able to apply the words I learned from Anthony Sweat so I could have one of those "Ah-ha" moments. So thinking and stewing about this at the breakfast table this morning, I sat contemplating how so many people are having hard trials right now. It then occurs to me that God is ripening and preparing His people - all of us- for whatever is coming in the future. Does that scare me? Uh, yes. A little. But I know that I will be prepared. I know I will be strengthen and protected. As a wife and mother, my job is to make sure that my family is prepared. Marlie knows about the gospel of Jesus Christ. She has been taught right from wrong - although we are still working on that. We try to live good wholesome values like giving to others and being kind and Christ like. I'm not trying to say that I'm perfect and ready to take on the world, but in our efforts to do good we will make it.


We will make it. (Keep telling yourself that Candie...)


I have a quiet house to myself today. Probably something I needed to help me reflect on these things (and to prepare for another coming week in paradise). I think I'll take a long, hot bath and let it all soak in...

Creamy Blackbean Soup

I've invented a new yumminess for Fall: Creamy Black Bean Soup. It's so easy I thought I'd share it. I'm always looking for something new for dinner.
*Note: I'm a very approximate kind of cook. If you like exact recipes, you won't like mine, but I tried!

Creamy Black Bean Soup
1-2 Tbsp butter
approx. 1/4 c flour
approx. 1 c milk
2-3 Tbsp dried onion (or use fresh)
1 can black beans (or cooked dry beans)
3/4 c Frozen corn
Rice, cooked (white or brown)
1/2 can green chilies (or your choice of fresh)
1 shredded chicken breast (optional!)
1 c chicken broth or equivelent boullion
spices: onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chili powder (optional)
Toppings: tortilla chips, cheese, sour cream...

I started by making a rue. Melt butter in medium saucepan, add flour to make a paste. Add milk a little at a time stirring well to keep from forming lumps. Add the dried onion and spices, and broth. Add beans, corn, cooked rice, green chilies, and shredded chicken if desired. Cook until warmed through or simmer on low for a while to let flavors mingle. Top with cheese (pepper jack would be good), tortilla chips, and sour cream if desired.

Side notes:
*This makes enough for our family of 3. Use recipe accordingly.
*We like our soup really thick and hardy - more like stew. Add more broth or milk if you like more liquidy soup.
*The rue is a great way to make any creamy soup including creamy veggie soup (tried it and loved it!).

Sorry I don't have a picture. I meant to take one, but was so excited to dig in I forgot! Oops. Hope you enjoy it!

"What BIG eyes you have Briea..."

Little Red Riding Hood & her Big Bad Wolf

Marlie and Briea both had a good time trick-or-treating on Halloween. We went to the Outlet mall again this year. It is just an easy, safe and quick way to go trick-or-treating and Briea is welcome to come along.

..."all the better to beg for candy!"  Look what I got Mom!!!

 Isn't she just the cutest little girl you ever saw?! That face was precious. I'm pretty sure she was telling someone that those were her treats, not theirs! Silly.

NOT a flattering picture of me, but a good one of Peewee's costume! I had a lot of fun and got lots of comments on my belly! Marlie loved the visual of the baby. She kept stroking it and talking all sweet to it.

We also went to the PAT (parents as teachers- the playgroup we attend) "Fall Festival" at the school, and to our ward Trunk-or-Treat. Her Grandma Giesey also asked us to come show off at the office and get a treat there. Marlie seriously has enough candy to last her until Easter! Some people wondered why her basket was so small... DUH! Mommy gave her a small basket because it hold less candy! We kindly declined the offers for bigger bags while we were trick-or-treating! LOL

Did I mention we had beautiful weather! It was something like 60 degrees out when we went trick-or-treating on Monday! Of course it was fairly early, but we weren't all bundled up! Gotta love that.

Happy Fall

I usually cry when summer is over... but I'm actually a little excited about the change in seasons.
We had so much fun when we were in Colorado!!! We took a little day trip up to the Rocky Mountians while we were there. You can see them pretty well from my parents house (although they are still about an hour away), and I would tell Marlie that is where we were going. She had this idea in her mind that she would be standing at the top of the peak of the mountains. She asked me if I would hold onto her so she wouldn't "fall off". It took a little convincing once we got there that this was the mountains. I understand we got there a week too late for the best of the leaves, but it was still beautiful. And even if there weren't any leaves, we still would have had a great time - Chris and I miss the mountains SO much!

 We were driving from the place we stopped to picnic to a trail head just down a dirt road. She felt like such a big kid!

 Marlie riding on Papa's shoulders (my dad).

 ('Please don't fall in Marlie... I don't have dry clothes for you!')

I LOVE dry grasses! I don't know what it is... beautiful sunlight or something.

Infact... while in Colorado, I had my favorite photographer friend do some maternity photos for me. I asked her if she could take us to a place that had nice tall dried grasses like this. He, he, I'm so excited to get them in the mail - any day now. I promise to post some soon. If you want a sneak peak, visit her website here!

The Halloween Duo 2011

The 2011 Halloween Duo sneak-peak...

Drum Roll please...

Can you guess what the theme is? (Isn't she just cute?! Makes me chuckle every time!)

Last clue: "Why Briea, what big eyes you have."

More pictures to come. Ya, ya, I said that about our trip to the mountains too, huh. Those are coming too. Lots and lots of pictures. You know me!

Trick or Treat!

Go fly a kite...

We are really enjoying our visit back home. We made one last trip before the baby is born. Marlie is living it up with Grandma & Grandpa. Yet again, we'll have to re-train her when we get home. We've been blessed with Beautiful weather the past few days and we are so excited for a trip up to the mountains tomorrow! (pictures to follow - I promise!) Here's what we've been up to...

 "Grandma, this girl needs legs. Right here Grandma!"

 So pleased with herself... Love, love that smile!

 Sure hope it doesn't rain anytime soon. Marlie was so concerned that her "big Marlie" that she and Grandma drew on the driveway would wash away!

 This is Marlie's first time flying a kite. She was so fun to watch! She kept trying to run forward with it while it was doing just fine up in the air. She got so excited at one point that she just let go. Oops - "run Marlie, run!"

 This afternoon was just gorgeous! We read some new library books outside and Marlie was having such a good time running around on the grass with Briea that I let her play for an hour before making her come inside for a nap. She almost didn't get a nap... but I needed some quiet time. :)

I'd like to dedicate this post to all those places in the country that have real grass. I mean REAL, soft, lush, squeeze your toes into grass. You can't roll around on the stuff we have at home. Not to mention, we've got chiggers in Missouri. Here... you can roll down hills, walk barefoot, take a nap or just run around like a care-free little girl. I never thought I'd miss good grass so much! So I'm gonna lay in it while I can. (watch out for dog poop!)

Kids Say the Darndest Things!

You know your daughter has been watching Tangled too much when you get a response like the following:

(I'm trying to get Marlie ready for some quiet time. She is all over the place doing her own little thing and talking about 'packing to go to Colorado'. We aren't leaving for another week and a half!)

Marlie: (almost yelling) "I'm just trying to go to Colorado! I've been waiting my entire life! Haven't you ever had a dream?!"

I'm laughing at her. She's not laughing.

If you haven't seen Disney's "Tangled" yet, you should. The scene above will be even funnier than it already is.

Baby Names...

How do you come up with baby names? Some people have baby names picked out before they even know they are expecting, some babies don't get names until after they are a couple days old. Some people use family names, others just search the books.

We have always had a hard time with girl names for some reason. With Marlie, we resorted to refrigerator ABC magnets! We would spell a name we like, switch letters around, play with spellings and think on it for a few days. If we didn't like it, we'd scratch it and make a new one. In the time it took to wait for a glass of water to fill we could easily come up with a new name. It was a fun game for Chris and I. I liked the name "Carlie". Chris didn't like it - particularly because that was also our neighbors name. So we took off the 'C' and substituted an 'M'. Ta-Da! MARLIE. But I wasn't sold on the name until I saw her. I knew that there was one particular name that would be just right for her. Look at this face... what else would you call her?!

Once again, we are having a hard time with girl names. We've decided that she will have my middle name, LaRae (also my mom's middle name). Marlie gave us one suggestion. It was actually a good one. I'm not sure where it came from, but it's "on the list". (It shall remain unknown to the general public for the time being) But the more I think about it, the more I'm not sure I love it.

So I'm curious, what qualifications do you have when picking out baby names?

Somethings we think about:

• It has to be something you can yell. (You're gonna use their full name when they get in trouble, right?!)
• Has to sound good with 'Giesey'. That can be difficult, but not impossible.
• Can't be Marlie. Marlie the 1st says that 'Marlie Anndra' is a good name for the new baby. Can you imagine the craziness and confusion?!
• It has to easily be abbreviated. We like nick names.
• Although Peewee is cute and will probably stick for a while, we'll need something she won't be ridiculed for the rest of her life!
• And lastly, Chris has to like it. That seems to be the kicker. Most that I like get instantly rejected.

So, let me hear it. What is your method. What are your suggestions?

"Peewee"

This pregnancy has gone relatively well. All appointments have shown a healthy wonderful baby. Chris about fell out of his chair when he saw my belly bulging and morphing the other night - we've got a mover and a shaker!

I'm happy to announce that after a grueling 28 weeks, we FINALLY know that our baby is a...

GIRL!

Finally all the "arguing" is over. Marlie insisted for weeks now that she was getting a sister. Chris always argued that it was a boy. Back and forth... everyday. We can all sleep in peace tonight. Except me. I'll be the one who is up at least twice to pee and at least once with leg cramps.

I must admit I am suddenly realizing that I will have two daughters. For some odd reason, that didn't really kick in till now. Hmmm. Two Marlie's. That part makes me so happy... and feeling a little crazy too. Now, to start scheming about the nursery (mmm... I love decorating and painting!), making cute little hair bows and booties and shopping! (Yes, I already have oodles of girl clothes... but one can never be too sure!) Can you say "Retail Therapy"?!

The Birthday Party

Marlie's birthday party was last Saturday and we had a "colorful" time! We had beautiful weather - thanks to prayers and faith! - thank goodness because we had it at the park! The kids played on the playground and had a good 'ol time.

The theme: Fruit with a Rainbow Twist
(as if it wasn't too obvious)

Lots of yummy snacks... watermelon, rainbow jello, and rainbow Twizzlers! Marlie's got the right idea, food in each hand!

This is my good friend Brittany (Ben's mommy!) modeling the rainbow jello. In the dish the jello more or less looked black, but it was pretty in the light!

I have never made a pinata before now. Turns out it's more time consuming than hard. I think this strawberry turned out pretty good considering it was my first attempt.  I didn't like the idea of giving a bunch of 3 year olds a bat to swing around so I used an idea Brittany found to pull it open with strings. Every kid got to hold their own string (and they actually waited until I counted to 3 to pull). Worked beautifully and they didn't have to destroy my hard work! Marlie wasn't quite sure what to do with all the treats on the ground. That's why she's just standing there! "Hurry Marlie! Get the treats!"

Present time! Call her sheltered, but I'm not positive Marlie knew that she would be getting presents for her birthday. We didn't talk much about it before the party. She was thrilled for present time! Not to mention spoiled! Lucky, lucky girl!

CAKE! I was excited about this cake. I feel like she got jipped last year (but she was the one who wanted rice crispy treats!). So, she got a huge Rainbow Cake! She was pretty excited too. The day before the party, before I frosted the cake, she saw it on the counter and gave it a big hug (no worries, it was wrapped well).

Not the prettiest frosting job ever, but the inside made up for it. We've got lots of left over cake and cupcakes... come on over if you want some!!!

Happy Birthday Marlie!

It's BIRTHDAY time for a cute little girl... do you think I wouldn't take her out for a photo shoot?! She is getting so... grown up/ independent, silly, cute, and lovable. Gotta love the lolly pop. She sure did! 

 Remember Marlie's best friend Ben? Isn't he cute? I'd still be happy to call him son-in-law (wink, wink). His birthday is just a couple weeks after Marlie's so we did our photo shoot together.

In all fairness to all the grandparents who haven't received their annual birthday update in the mail yet (ahem... sorry about that!) I'll post the "Marlie update" at a later time. Today it's all about Marlie!