First Day of School

I know I am a little behind in my posts but I wanted to share anyways. My girls are both in school this year. I have them both in groups of moms that just teach on our own. Ashtyn is in a group with six kids and we rotate which mom teaches. And have occasional fieldtrips. And then Hailey is in a group with four kids. I didn't think she would be in a group till next year but a couple of the moms that also are in Ashtyn group have kids that are Hailey's age and they wanted to do just a one day a week simple version of it will mostly play but a little lesson and craft and snack. Hailey is absolutely thrilled to be doing it too. Last year she cried for the first two months every time we dropped off Ashtyn because she felt so left out. So they both have school on Tuesdays mornings and then Ashtyn also has school on Friday. It is great and they love it. The best part about it is the interaction we get with the other families. All but one of them are in our ward and it is just great for my kids to have these new little friends that they see at church and school. And it is good for me too, to meet other moms and make new friends.

A Brand New Position!

So Sam now has a brand new position at work!! Back in August he heard about other departments that were going to be hiring at the Veterans Hospital (where he has currently been working) and he was interested. His plan all along has been to do nursing in the ICU for about two years and then move on, to get more experience in other areas, to learn new things, to continue to challenge himself. Well, it has been two years this September, so he started looking and trying to think about what he wanted to do next. Well, he heard about this department in Infection Control and was kind of interested. So he got to know the lady there and tried to find out more about what she does. She told him that a new position was going to be coming up but she wasn't for sure when. The more Sam found out the more interested he was. And so we began praying to know about what he should apply for. And as we prayed we felt good about this and in an amazing way, the topic of infection and things like that came up in random conversations with people talking to Sam at church and just in daily life, and we really felt that it was because this was something he is supposed to do. Well, as soon as the lady in Infection Control knew there was an opening she let him know and he decided to go for it. So he applied and was called in after a couple of weeks for an interview. They interviewed four people. And guess who came out on top. The talented, young Samuel McComas. I say talented and young because his boss and him had a conversation one day and he was just talking about how he felt so young because at all of the meetings he goes to and out of all the people he meets, he is one of the youngest in the bunch and she said it's because talent rises to the top (referring to Sam). I thought that was such a nice compliment to Sam.

His official start to this job started with his trip to Pittsburgh to the MRSA convention. And after he got back, the following Monday he started in his new office, which was Monday September 17. Wow, I can't believe it has already been a month. He now has his own desk and he has to dress in nice slacks and button up shirts (no tie, but nice). As Ashtyn said, "Daddy, how come you don't wear your pajamas to work anymore??" And he even has his own business card. Isn't that neat. I am excited for him. Officially his title is MRSA Prevention Coordinator, and he is in the Infection Control Department. He is specifically starting a new program to help reduce MRSA in the hospital which stands for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Whew, say that five times fast. Here is a website that will tell you more about what he does and what he is trying to prevent.

http://health.msn.com/general/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100171996&GT1=10514

Fun Trips Away!

Sam and I have both had a fun trip that we got to go on. First my sister and I decided to have a girls weekend. We thought about her coming here to Spokane or me going there to Eagle Mountain and staying in a hotel and doing fun stuff around town. Well, then we let our imaginations run wild and we decided to dream big. I love Celine Dion and have wanted to see her in concert and she has been in Las Vegas for a while and I really wanted to go. Soooooo, Sam decided that would be a great birthday gift.....a little bit more than we usually spend, hee hee, but he wanted me to go before it wasn't in Vegas anymore. So I just needed to find someone to go with. Well, I asked my sis Wendy and we figured out how much it would cost and we decided to go for it. So we both flew out on Thursday evening, from our separate towns, to Las Vegas, we found each other in the airport and got a ride to where we stayed. Then we spent all day Friday on the strip. That was definitely a new experience, but it was a blast. There was lots to see, and we ran around trying to see as much as we could, without getting too hot. It was 107 the day we spent on the strip. Crazy Hot!! Then that night was the big night. We went to the Celine Dion concert and it was amazing. She is fabulous. I love her. She has the purest, expressive voice that just can create so many emotions for me. I loved every second. I am such a sap....as I sat there right before it began I was so excited and then she walked out singing and I just started to cry because I couldn't believe I was there sitting there listening to her sing to me. I guess that is what happens for me with music. Music stirs my soul. I love it. I love to hear it, I love to play it, I love to sing it, I love to just be in the middle of it and soak it all up and that is what I did and it was worth every penny. Besides her amazing voice there were amazing dancers performing nonstop entertainment around her. I am so glad I got to go. Then on Friday we shopped, checked out the Ethel M Factory(where they make fancy chocolates),ate out at In and Out Burger(yum), and then that night we went to the Fremont Street Experience and got to see the cool light show and jam to the live music of the Tony Marques Band that was playing. After the show we got our picture taken with Tony Marques. How fun! Maybe someday he will be big. Then Sunday morning we woke up and got ready and said our goodbyes and headed home. It was an awesome girls weekend. Hope we think of something fun for next year. When I got home I was so excited to see my family. My family was so excited to see me too. They had even bought me the most beautiful bunch of flowers. Can you believe how amazing they are?

Then a couple of weeks later Sam got to go to Pittsburgh for work. He went to a MRSA Convention. It was hard because he didn't know anyone from here that was going. But off he went. He flew out on a Wednesday morning and got settled in late afternoon. The time is three hours ahead of our usual time and so he missed a big chunk of day. Then he did a little sightseeing close to the hotel and then went to bed. The next day was a big day. He had his convention from 7-4:30 with only a few short breaks. Part of it was fun because he got to meet people from all over. The funnest were the southerners, because of their fun personalities and their accents. Then at the end of the conference that day he got to go on a Just Ducky Tour. He got to see lots of fun sights. Heinz Field, The Carnegie Science Center, PNC Park and the city skyline from the river, just to name a few. It was also funny to see how into the Pittsburgh Steelers everyone is there. There is Steelers memorabilia everywhere and almost everyone was wearing something that said Pittsburgh Steelers on it. Then after the tour he found a good place to eat and saw some of the night life that was going on. It was so lively at night, so many people just hanging out. Then the next day was more convention until late afternoon and then he headed back home. One of the funnest parts was the ride from the hotel to the airport. They had booked a shuttle bus, but it was full. So in order to make his flight, him and some other people leaving the convention ended up getting to ride in a Lincoln Navigator Limousine, SWEET, and it was actually cheaper than the shuttle. Can you believe that?? Then he was supposed to arrive at the Spokane airport at 9:50, but after four delays in Chicago (don't ever have a layover in Chicago) he made it home sometime just before midnight. Ridiculous. We were just glad that he got home. Whewwww!

We both enjoyed our trips a lot but we were glad to just be home together again.

Summer in a Nutshell

Well, I have taken a big break from blogging and now there is a ton I want to share. Our summer was great. It started with our awesome vacation to the coast. We went to Seattle for a day and saw the sites there. And of course we went swimming at the hotel, the kids love that part!! And then we stopped by the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium on our way to Pacific Beach. The kids loved all the animals. And then we stayed in Pacific Beach. It was amazing. We went to the beach the second we got there, before we even unloaded. We had to see it and hear and smell it. If you look at Hailey she has her ears covered.....she thought it was just so loud. So for the first twenty minutes we were there looking and freezing in our summer clothes and Hailey was just covering those precious little ears. It is amazing how refreshing the ocean can be, how it can just calm and rejuvenate you. It was a much needed vacation that was perfect. Looking at the pictures makes us want to go back right NOW!! This is the girls loving the beach...I think all kids love to play in the sand...me too. And the whole gang having a fire on the beach. And then the hole that Daddy dug and then put the kids in. They thought that was so fun. We are definitely going back.

Oh I almost forgot, another awesome thing that we got to go to while we were there was the sand and sawdust festival. It was amazing. Professionals were creating stuff from sand and wood. Here is just a couple of works of art. It was amazing how creative people are.

After that we had a fun McComas Family Reunion. It was so much fun to see everyone and all be there together. We missed Cody like crazy. But we did lots of fun things and made some good memories.

Some of our favorite things that we did this summer were just enjoying the outdoors. We went camping a couple of times. We found a great swimming spot that we went to a bunch. We went on walks and bike rides.

And of course we went fishing too. The girls get so excited to go fishing it is great. After we catch a fish they just play with it and play with it and play with it. It is funny.
We also went to a local bakery and got a fun tour with some fun free stuff.
Our favorite free thing was a little mini loaf. The girls just want to eat it whole like a roll.....no slices, no butter, no jelly, just big roll straight from plate to mouth. It was fun to watch them eat. There was also an exciting girl that was here visiting Spokane. We took the girls to go visit her and they loved it. So can you guess what she is?? That's right she is a dinosaur. A tyrannosaurus rex to be exact. And her name is Sue. Isn't she neat?? The girls sure loved her. Of course we made it to the fair too. Ashtyn loved the horses, especially Rose, and Hailey loved Annie.
One of our favorite things that we bought was a wheat grinder. We really wanted one to add to our food storage. So we spent a couple of months looking to try and find a good one that we liked. We also wanted it to be one that was a hand crank, rather than electric. Well, we found a good one and we have enjoyed using it. So far we have made biscuits and bread. Yummy.... there is nothing like warm fresh baked bread.





This is the girls by the garden. These are the sunflowers that they planted. And these are the birdhouses that they made with Daddy.
The summer was a blast. It just went to fast. But it always does. Hope the next one is just as good!!

(This is one of my most recent favorites of the girls. Aren't they cute??)

My Best Friend!

I just had to take a minute and tell you about my best friend. Today was his birthday. And it just made me think about how lucky I am to have him as my best friend. My best friend is loving and caring and sensitive. He takes such good care of his family. He is wonderful with girls......good thing!! I have told him before that the reason we have two little girls is because he is such a good man and little girls need someone who will be good to them and so God knew that he could trust these two precious angels to him. He is such a hard worker, at home and at work and at church. He is just a hard worker. He is creative. He is always making new fun things out of old used things such as wood and silverware. He is amazing. He has a strong testimony and isn't afraid to share it. He has taught me and is still teaching me how to be a better person. He is so giving and selfless and even tempered. He loves nature in every way and loves to be a part of it in any way he can. He is a great son, brother, uncle, husband, and father. He also happens to be very good looking. And the best part is: HE IS MY BEST FRIEND. We talk, share, laugh, and cry about everything together. I am the luckiest woman in the world to have Sam McComas!! Thank you, to ALL of his family for helping to shape who he is, because he is my perfect fit! I love you Sam. Happy Birthday!

Summer is Here!!

Summer is here! I can tell because suddenly there are a mazillion things going on. Places to go, people to see. It just has not slowed down. We are already to July. Where did my June go?

First off Sam and I got to go on our first minimoon since we have been married. Just a little 24 hour getaway without the kids. It only took us six years to do that. It was fabulous. We will definitely to that again. It was just good to not have any interruptions for a couple of hours. It makes us better parents to get a little time away.

Then we got to go to this fun Artfest down town. There were tons of booths with art that people had created that you could look at and buy if you wanted to. Jewelry, paintings, photography, and then some other unique booths. It was just fun to see all the neat things. Then they had a little section where the kids could buy tickets and then pick some crafts they wanted to do. Our kids wanted to paint so that is what they did. It was fun to get out and the kids loved making their own art.

We went on another little campout with some friends in our ward. We went to Round Lake. We love Round Lake. It is just a small campground, with good bathrooms and a little lake that cannot have any motorized boats on it. So it stays quiet and you can fish there or just play on the sandy beach that they keep all cleaned up for the kids. It really was a great trip. It is good for our kids too.

We had family in town and we were out site seeing. We went to some gardens, and downtown to see the falls and they rode the Gondola that goes out across the river by the falls and so we took the girls on the Carousel since it was right there. They love, love, love the carousel.

We also had our little "CARLOS" a.k.a "The bouncy car" die on Sam's way to work. Bummer! But the Lord had his hand in it because it was only a couple of blocks from Sam's work that it died. So he was able to walk the couple of blocks and make it to work on time. Then I tired to figure out how to retrieve it and get it to the mechanics all day long. We figured it out and it has been at the mechanics for two and a half weeks. They finally figured out what was wrong, but then the guy couldn't find the part here so we got online and found it somewhere but had to wait till it got shipped here and then we took it to him last week and now we are just waiting to here back. Car trouble is the best, isn't it?? Good thing we have one dependable car.

We also took a week long vacation and enjoyed every second and now we are getting ready to go to a family reunion. Whew!! I am sure the list will continue as the summer hurries by. We will have an update on our awesome family vacation and our reunion coming up. WE can't wait. We are having a great summer! Hope you are too!!

Stove Canyon

This was our first camp out of the season. We went to a place nicknamed "Stove Canyon," so named by Grandpa Rick because of an old wood stove that was left near the camp site. We just stayed one night and we loved every minute. As we drove down in we saw deer and cows along the way. The girls were bounding in the car, saying “bump, bump.” We spent part of the first day with Grandpa Rick. We built a fire and had hot dogs for lunch. Then we just enjoyed being together: sitting in the shade by the creek, watching the bugs, throwing sticks and pinecones in the creek, watching the fire, digging in the dirt, and just enjoying nature! Hailey and Ashtyn even found a spot of soft dirt that they played in for at least an hour. When they were done Hailey was covered from head to toe in dirt. Check out her hair!! We had a blast and can't wait to go camping again.

My Birthday Girls!!

Well, now that both of our girls have had their birthdays and I have finally figured out how to download the pictures of our new camera on to the computer I can finally share some fun with you. First we celebrated Ashtyn's birthday at the end of March. She is four now and a princess in every way. This year we were brave enough to throw her a princess party. There were eight little princesses total. Brinley, Kathlyn(kat), Ashtyn, Katelyn, Kylee, (top row left to right) Ashlyn, Hailey and Brynnley (bottom row left to right). (Isn't it funny how the names are so similar!) All were to come dressed in their best dress up and then we would provide the fun. We had crowns that I made for each of them and then we played fit the shoe on Cinderella (like pin the tail on the donkey), we put on makeup and painted fingernails, and took pictures, and played find the lost slipper, and had cupcakes. I was a little worried if I could handle all the girls together at once and it actually went very well and I think they all had a great time, especially our little Ashtyn! Then on her birthday we took her downtown to ride the Carousel and then we went to a movie at the cheap theater. Later that night we celebrated with the family and I surprised Ashtyn with a Princess cake......she requested she have a Cinderella 3 cake so I made her Cinderella. She helped me get some of the stuff ready but she didn't see the cake till it was finished and the look on her face was so cute. It was fun and she loved it so much that it made it truly worth it. Then our little Hailey May just had her birthday on the 5th. She is 2! We still can't believe it. We had a little combined birthday bash for Hailey and Grandma Arlene on the 4th so Cody could come. Arlene's request for dessert was a warm chocolate cookie....the first day it is baked, so we whipped up some cookies and put them in just before dessert time. And Hailey just said over and over she wanted a pink cake and she loves Teddy Bears so that is what she got, a pink "teh, teh"(teddy). She loved it and she just keeps saying twoo! Then on Hailey's birthday we spent the morning with Carson's family, love them, we shared breakfast and a truck ride for the kids. They even made tickets so they could get a special ride in Sam's truck. Then we went out to eat, Golden Corral, there is something there that everyone will like right?!? Then we came home and tried to fly a kite but there just wasn't enough wind. Hailey's favorite present was a new kitty. She has a little one that she adores, but when I saw this other one I couldn't help myself, she had to have it. She is adorable and we love her. We had lots of fun with our birthday girls!!

Luandry!!

I had to just show off my huge pile of laundry. We had our week long flu and then came the laundry. I think I washed three sets of sheets, every towel and blanket, not to mention the clothes plus all the regular use. After I got it all washed I said "Okay, tonight we are having a folding laundry party!" The kids were so excited to be having a party. They mostly just enjoyed the pile BEFORE it was folded. They were using it as their jumping pile. Then came the folding and that only lasted for a few minutes and then they just watched Sam and I fold the rest. It was fun though. Glad to be done with the flu, and all that came with it.