We're Back!

Hello everyone who reads my blog! Get ready to scroll!! Have you missed us? Have you wondered why I have been such a slacker for the past six months? Did you give up on me? Take me off your blog list maybe? Yes, it's been a long, long while since I've posted anything.

It all started with the kitchen remodel. That threw our life into a tailspin for a while. And well, it takes me a while to recover from such chaos. I don't do well when things are in disarray. And our house was out of it's normal order for quite some time. At least three months. It really threw me for a loop. So it took me another three months to get back to normal again I guess. Whatever normal is! 

So, here goes. An attempt to bring you up to speed on what we have been up to for the last six months! This is a condensed version of course because I don't have 24 hours to blog. But at least it will be an attempt at getting my poor, neglected blog up to date. So sorry blog. 

First, the kitchen. All I can really say is that Jeff did most all the work and did an AMAZING job. He is so talented. I painted the cabinets, which was a big job too. Oh and painted our countertops too. That's a whole story in itself. Not easy! It was sort of an experiment in an effort to save money and save Jeff from doing one more project. But Jeff did the floors, the backsplash, the wainscoting, the new hardware, moulding, under cabinet lighting and built a new butcher block! Love this guy!

BEFORE

AFTER

And here are a few pics of the progress along the way...

The Girls...

Lizette is a busy girl this summer. She has a goal to read 100 books so that she can earn an American Girl doll. So far she has read 78. The incentive has been good for her as reading is not her favorite thing to do. At least when there is a choice between playing or reading.  :)  She should be good and ready for first grade after this summer though so I'm glad we did it. I think she has settled on Kit as her choice of doll after spending time with her cousin Hannah this summer. Hannah also had Kit when she was younger so Lizette decided Kit is a pretty good choice. 

Since I last blogged Lizette has lost two teeth! Jeff yanked them both out with dental floss. I almost passed out and had to leave the room. Can't handle those moments very well! Lizette screamed for about five seconds but then was very excited and glad he did it. Her only concern was that she wanted to keep her tooth so she left a note for the Tooth Fairy to ask her if she could please keep it. Cute. 

Lexi is doing great. I think I mentioned six months ago that she is potty trained. Well, we had a little issue with the #2 for a while. She would tell me when she had to go, but would insist on going in her pull up. Not really my idea of being potty trained. But finally, a couple of months ago, she got it! Lizette offered her a popsicle if she would go and she just went in and did it. She's been going ever since. I had offered her every bribe in the book up to that point. Had I known all she wanted was a popsicle, I would have bought her boxes of them. 

Lexi has also shown an interest in reading now wants to read with Lizette and I whenever it is reading time. Not just be read to, but read herself. She will pick up a book and ask me to tell her what every word is so that she can repeat it back. I wish she would do it with the short books, but somehow she always seems to pick up these long books and it takes forever to get through them! Glad she's showing an interest though. :) 

Lexi is the comedian of the house. She is always throwing out cute one liners and making us all laugh. The other day she said "Well that was awkward." So funny. She'll say things like "That is just adorable!" and it sounds so cute coming from her. I posted this on Facebook, but when our power went out the other night I said, "Oh the power went out." She ran into the other room and said "Mom! Maybe the power went into the playroom!" The thing with Lexi is that everything she says or does is at full speed so it seems so funny. Most people never see that side of her because she is so shy, but with us she is full speed all the time and it's hilarious. And she also wears me out!

She will start preschool at Lake Hazel Montessori this Fall and I am super excited for her. I think preschool will be great for her. Friends and fun and learning new things! I just hope preschool is ready for her! 

Springtime fun...

In March we went to Soda Springs for Jeff's Dad's 70th birthday party! It was so fun and a great party! That guy has lived quite the life. Jeff has a bunch of pics from that weekend that he has yet to get processed, so standby. In the mean time, I will share two pics from that weekend of an event that came about on a whim. We decided to visit the Museum of Clean. I thought that sounded like a place I would like to visit. :)  So Jeff humored me and we stopped in. I had no idea that Don Aslett himself would be there to personally give us a tour! Are you asking yourself "Who is Don Aslett?" :) Well, he just happens to be a leader in the cleaning and organizing industry. One of my heroes. I told him that it was my dream to become a professional organizer and he gave me a bunch of his books and dvd's! It was a special moment for me. Don't laugh...I'm totally being serious. 

I turned 40!!

In May I celebrated my 40th birthday and did it in style! My family spoiled me rotten with lots of fun surprises and gifts. Lizette planned a "surprise" party for me with a pinata and all. It was very fun. My sisters both flew in for it! I felt very loved. Jeff spent way too much money on me, but I let him. :) Thank you to everyone who made it so special. I loved being reminded of how many people love me! 

Cousin time...

This summer we have been lucky enough to have lots of fun with our cousins. Hilary and her kids came to town, we went to Utah and spent some time with Hannah from Tennessee! We also saw Hailey in Utah for one day and will get to see her again this week. And of course our Widman and Rigby cousins here in town. The girls love their cousins! 

At Eagle Island with Hilary and kids. So fun! Love Eagle Island. 

Making cookies with Hannah! They are the best cookies EVER too! 

We had lots of fun in Ogden, Utah at a place called the Treehouse Museum. If you are ever there, check it out! Inexpensive and lots of fun for kids! 

Fourth of July...

Went to the parade in Melba. Hot day! But fun parade.

Trip to Utah...

The girls and I went to Utah to spend the week with Abby and cousin Hannah over the 24th of July. We had so much fun! Went shopping, went to the 24th of July Pioneer Day parade, went to the Great Salt Lake. Had lots of fun cousin and Aunt time! Great week! 

President Uchdorf, from the 1st Presidency of our Church

Lexi and I at Temple Square. She's a little hot and tired.

And she's asleep. Thankfully Abby was there to help carry her the few blocks back to the hotel. I couldn't do it. 

At the fun Treehouse Museum for kids.

Milking a pretend cow at the Treehouse Museum. This was a big hit with the kiddos.

At the Great Salt Lake

Insanity...

For the past two months, Jeff and I have taken on a challenge to get more healthy. He has lost almost 18 pounds. I've lost 4.  :)  We've changed our eating habits and began to exercise regularly. We've supported each other through the process and couldn't do it without each other.  Prior to this, I had not exercised for well over a year! I don't know why I had gotten out of the habit. I guess why anyone does. Busy, not motivated, better things to do...excuses, excuses. So, we started out doing the Jillian Michaels "Ripped in 30" DVDs. It was so hard for me at first! I could barely do the modified exercises. But with each week it got a little easier and it felt good to feel stronger and like I was getting a little energy back. Plus, the workouts were pretty short. Only 20 minutes plus the warm up and cool down so it was doable for us. 

Then we decided it was time to ramp it up a bit. Jeff's brother and family had done the Insanity workouts and said they were good. When Hilary was here visiting she encouraged us to give them a try. So the three of us started Insanity together. I was scared! Here I had barely been able to do the Jillian workouts before. How was I going to be able to do Insanity? But I figured I would just do my best. 

I've been doing Insanity for two weeks now and so far so good! It's sort of comical to watch myself because it's as if I'm doing some of the stuff in slow motion compared to the people in the video. But, I still feel like it's effective. And I am dying by the end so I think it's a good workout for me even if it is in slow motion. Oh well, you gotta start somewhere, right? 

I decided to be brave and post a before and after pic on here! Yikes!! I'm doing this for a couple of reasons I guess. One is that I by no means have the perfect body. It's not like my after pic is some amazing transformation like you see on TV. But I was amazed at the difference a couple of months working out made. I love to eat and I will never be super skinny. That's just the way it is. I love my snacks. :) But at least I can make healthier choices and have a little more balance in my life. And at least exercise can help give me more energy and help my shape look a little less droopy! I'm hoping after a couple of more months, I will be even more fit! 

I'm really glad we are doing this. Jeff and I both feel healthier and better overall. Jeff's blood pressure is down which is a GREAT thing. (Heart issues run in his family and it scares me to death for him). It's funny how as you get a little older, losing weight is not just about looking better. It's more about health and feeling better too. We want to live longer lives, have energy to do fun things with our kids, feel good and have a great life. I hope we are on the right track to do all of that! 

Okay, I think I've pretty much brought you up to speed on what we've been up to. I will try to do better at posting regularly from now on! I just lost my rhythm there for a while is all. However, I was asked to plan the school carnival at Lizette's school this fall so that could throw a kink into whatever plans I had for a while... 

We have a lot to talk about!

Before I say anything else, here is the news of the day. Or maybe the year! Lexi is potty trained!! And she basically potty trained herself. Last week, she decided she wanted to start wearing panties and that was it. Every time she needs to go, she tells me. She's only had one accident and that was only after drinking a ton of pop on a Saturday outing. Mommy forgot all about the pop and sure enough she didn't make it in time. She tried though. So, overall she is doing great! She's been a little nervous about going #2 in the potty. She wouldn't do it for me, but the other night while we were at the church getting ready for the scouts' blue and gold banquet, she and Lizette went to the bathroom together. Sure enough, Lizette got her to go #2 for the first time at the church! :) I was sorry that I missed it but proud of both of them. Lizette is a great big sister and was so happy to have helped her.

Lexi is growing up in other ways too. She is less inclined to make trouble with Lizette these days and more inclined to want to play with her. She follows her around everywhere and wants to be just like her. She calls her "Sissy" and she thinks "Sissy" is just about perfect.

Here they are playing in the snow in January:

The first part of this year has been good. I've been volunteering in Lizette's classroom each Monday and I love it. Kindergartener's are so cute! And I still love her school. :)  She comes home singing all the time and they have created so many fun art projects. Every day when I pick her up she still says "Mom this was the best day ever!" She has made some great friends and is really thriving there. I think we've also reached a milestone where her teacher has now surpassed me as the coolest person in the world.

I've had so much fun watching Lizette's personality develop as she makes friends. She is so tenderhearted. The other day one of her classmates had a toothache and she came home wanting to write him a get well note. Another friend had a bad day at recess and Lizette felt really bad for her. She wrote her a note telling her that she was sorry she had a bad day and that she loved her so much. When one little boy lost his cookies after the Christmas party, Lizette wrote him a note the next day too.  :) Almost every note she writes to her friends includes some sort of I love you message. It's funny that as shy as she is, she expresses so many feelings in these notes.

We had a treat later in January when Diane and Phil came to visit! We celebrated Hailey's birthday while they were here and we all had a blast. Spent most of one day at Wahooz and the girls loved that. The rest of the time we pretty much just chilled out and visited which was great. The girls played and it was so nice to spend some time with Diane and Phil. It's fun to have them close!

Lizette and Hailey having fun dressing up as Lalaloopsies. Hailey just turned 7 and they have a great time together. 

If you've been on Facebook, you've seen that we are redecorating our kitchen! I could not be more excited. I love home projects. I love decorating. I love everything about it and this transformation has me over the moon excited! We decided to treat ourselves for our 10 year anniversary this year and instead of going on a trip or something, we thought we would re-do our kitchen. We are doing all the work ourselves. Well, I am painting the cabinets and Jeff is doing everything else. Lawrence, being the great father in law he is, came and helped us with the floors this week. Aren't they beautiful so far?!! I smile every time I look at them. I think I get overly excited about these things. I couldn't even sleep the other night.

And here they are hard at work!

The girls and I went to a Valentine's Dance at our church on Saturday. Daddy missed out because he was working on our floor. Lizette boogied all night! And Lexi joined in too. When "Call Me Maybe" came on, Lizette freaked out and said "Mom! This is my favorite song! We have to dance!" So funny. She made Valentines for two boys in her Primary class. She says that she loves one of them and he is her boyfriend. I didn't realize she was so up on the boyfriend stuff yet.

If I've been bad at keeping up my blog recently, I can only imagine it will get worse with our kitchen remodel going on! But I will try to post progress and other happenings along the way! 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Year end wrap up...a little late!

Oh blog, how I have neglected you! I'm so sorry. I just can't seem to get motivated to get on here lately. I apologize to all of you have been dying to hear what the Rigby's have been up to! This must have been difficult for you to wait all this time.  :)

Well, the end of 2012 was very fun. We took off to Utah in early December to go see Abby, Diane and Phil and Hailey, as well as Emma and Andrea! It was super fun. I was hoping to get to see Kim too but they were in Park City celebrating birthdays. Darn them. Of course we did lots of shopping. :) Ikea. I love that place. Diane and I hit a great sale at Downeast and I love that place too. We also found a fantastic new outlet mall that was having a great sale at Banana Republic. I love that place too. It was fun to see Diane and Phil. They live in the cutest neighborhood in South Jordan called Daybreak. Love it! It was fun to hang out with them and visit for the weekend. It will be fun to have them closer! Then Abby hosted a family gathering at her place and we got to see Andrea and her little cutie, Kelsie as well as Emma who goes to BYU. They are all so cute and it was so fun to get to see them. Love my nieces! It was soooo cold that weekend and Jeff and I were the only ones brave/dumb enough to go downtown and see the lights at Temple Square. I begged to go and then once we got there I really wanted back in the car. He was getting into taking pictures and I was like "LETS GO! Enough with the pictures!" Anyway, it was fun. ;)

Above at Diane's house with Diane and Hailey making a gingerbread house. Lexi loves Diane and tells me so all the time. "Mom, I love Diane." It's so cute. :)

Here are the girls with Kelsie just before the Choir broadcast at Temple Square. Kelsie is the cutest little girl. So much personality! Glad she lives closer now too.

And here are Mr. Rigby and I in the freezing cold at Temple Square. Whose bright idea was that anyway?!!  Of course it was worth it because the lights are amazing but it was soooo cold!

The lump...

After we got back from Utah I wasn't feeling so well. Thought I might be coming down with something and it did turn out that I had strep throat. Well in the midst of this, I discovered a lump under my arm. A lump! I wondered if it might be related to my cold somehow. Like my lymph glands being all out of whack or something. But then I learned that when it comes to lumps, I am a complete hypochondriac. I immediately jumped to thinking cancer and then jumped right ahead to who was going to take care of the girls when I go to chemo and the whole bit. I was just sure that I had lymphoma or something. I'm so silly. I guess with my family history it's sort of hard not to be. Anyway, I went in to have it checked and it turned out to just be an abscess that they had to drain. You know what? NOT FUN! They had to give me a shot in my arm pit and then drain the thing. You would think that I was undergoing a major operation because I almost passed out right there. The nurse had to stay with me for quite a while to make sure I didn't. My family better pray that I never do get anything serious. It won't be pretty.

Christmas...

Christmas was great as it always is. The girls had so much fun this year. They are at the cutest ages right now and it is so fun to experience the wonder of Christmas with them. Lizette wanted a sleeping bag and a cash register this year. Lexi didn't really ask for anything but she loves, loves babies so we guessed that would be a hit. And it was! We found a baby that looks like an actual newborn and she loves it. They had both received 18" dolls for their birthdays. Not the real deal American Girl dolls but cute alternatives. ;) I asked Abby if she would make them some clothes for them for part of their Christmas too. I should have known that Abby would take this assignment and go all out! She made them soooo many cute clothes! These dolls have a better wardrobe than I do. They are so cute too. I want a doll now too just so I can play with them and dress them up. Seriously! The girls love them and are having so much fun with them. I love that they play with them. They play with them together and it just seems like such fun and such a great thing to do as sisters. Love it! It was funny because Lizette has caught on to the fact that her doll is not the real American Girl doll and we told her if she wanted one she could earn one by reading 100 books. She thought about it and then told us that she would rather just earn the money. She said she likes her doll just fine. I thought that was funny. I guess if she's happy with it I won't argue.

Christmas Eve...opening our pajamas, the girls special gifts and some family games. Jeff got some awesome Avengers PJs this year. A big hit! 

Oh, and the girls special gifts are a tradition where we give them something to remind them of the true meaning of Christmas or something to remind them of Jesus. This year I found some really sweet pictures of Jesus with little girls that reminded me of them and I framed them and that was their gift. My mom used to do a similar tradition for me and I like to carry it on with my girls. 

Lizette sporting the adorable scarf that Grandma Rigby made for her. Lexi got one too. Love them! And Lexi with her treasure box from Grandma and Grandpa Rigby, full of fun things. The girls loved them! Aunt Abby gave Lexi a full on Doctor uniform. Lexi loves playing doctor so this was a big hit!

This is Rosie, Lizette's doll. Rosie is wearing the Christmas dress that Aunt Abby made for her. Yes, they even have their own Christmas dresses!  

And Lexi with her sweet little baby. Isn't it almost kind of scary how real she looks? :) 

This was my Christmas breakfast creation. A french toast recipe from the Pioneer Woman. Yum! I even made buttermilk syrup to go with it. Double Yum! 

Alright, next post I will try to catch up on what we've been up to since the beginning of the year!