Surprise!

Surprise! I figured it was time I actually posted something on my blog to document the fact that I am expecting. I know some of you already know or have guessed, because I am getting chubby, but it is official. I am due in August, and as you can see from the shirt Payton is wearing (and wants to wear often) she is excited to be a big sister. She went to my doctor’s appointment with me today and she was great. She stopped coloring and came and stood right beside me so she could hear the baby’s heartbeat (it was really cute).

We find out in two weeks what we are having so if you want to make your guesses you will have to do it soon. I have felt sicker with this pregnancy then I was with Payton, so I do not know if that means it might be a boy, or if it is just due to the fact that I already have a kid that needs attention and does not want me to sleep during the day.

I have started to feel a little bit better that past week or so, due to some great medicine from my doctor, so I am started to feel more like myself. I am excited that we will soon have a new little one and have tried to start preparing Payton, for the fact that she is going to have to share her toys and be a big girl. Payton keeps saying that she wants a baby sister (like her cousin Abby), but you never know, I think she will be happy with a baby brother also.

As for me I just want a healthy baby, and I would like to find out if it is a boy or girl soon, so I can start looking for good deal on cloths and so I can figure out what color to paint the nursery if we end up moving back into our old house.

Just Cute!

So every night we say family prayers and then Reddin puts Payton in her new big girl bed and reads her a story. She usually falls right to sleep, because she no longer takes a nap, but she knows the routine, because the other day I asked her if she wanted to go put her dolls in her bed so they could take a nap. She said, "Yes" and ran off to her room I went to check on her a few minutes later and this is what I found. I thought it was so cute I had to take a picture. She had covered her two dolls up with a blanket and then she got the little flash light that Reddin uses every night and she sat on the ground and pretended to read them a story.

Over the past few months Payton has really grown up. Right after she turned two we took her pacifier away and she did pretty good. Then we moved her to my brother’s house and the transition did not even seem to bother her. Then she decided to give up naps (I was not too happy about this at first, but she is so tired by the end of the day that she falls right to sleep at 8:00 pm and sleeps until about 8:30 am so I think not having a nap is worth it, because she sleeps so good at night). Lastly a few weeks ago we moved her into a big girl toddler bed and she loves it. She doesn’t try to get out until I come get her in the morning. We have had a few tough months with the sale of our house falling through, but Payton has been great with all the new transition. The next thing on my list is Potty training. I think she is getting ready, so I hoping to start that in the next month or so. Wish me luck.

I guess it was not meant to be!

So I found out a few hours ago that our buyer has officially backed out. He says he no longer wants to buy a new house. We have learned a lot of this experience, I know everything happens for a reason, but I am having a hard time figuring out the reason at this moment.

Are we suppose to put it back on the market and we are going to have a great buyer make us an offer in then next few weeks. Or is our family suppose to live in South Phoenix right now?

Anyways I have spent the last hour trying to get power, water, and phone service turned back on at our house (no too happy about all the fees, but what can you do). I figure we cannot move back in for a few weeks anyway, so we are going to try and sell it vacant and see what happens, so I am asking for your help. If anyone knows someone that is looking for a great deal on a 4 bedroom house please send them our way.

Things I have learned for the next time we sell our house.

- The earnest deposit needs to be at least 1% of the sales price so you know the buyer really wants the house
-If the house has not closed within a few weeks of when it was suppose to it probably is not going to happen
-Try not to move out until after close of escrow if possible.
-Trust in Heavenly Father, because he has a plan but you may not know it yet.

Saturday Fun!

(What the boys and kids did while the girls quilted)

Last saturday my mom invited my mother-in-law and sister-in-laws over to her house to make a T-shirt quilt. We had a great time and got a lot done, thanks mom for all you help. This is going to be the second quilt I have ever made, which I could not have done without my mom's help. I do not have pictures, because Reddin had the camara, but I think my quilt will help me remember the day. (Reddin and Payton at that top of the moutain)

Anyways while we spend the whole day quilting the boys took all the kids to Papago Park to play. This was Payton's first hiking trip and she loved it. Reddin said she did great she fell once and got a few scraps, but she is still talking about how her dad took her hiking.

(Payton and Ruth climbing down from hole in the rock)

What a great week.

Payton has been such and angel the past week, which has made my life a lot easier. I feel like I have been able to get so much stuff done and we have been able to do a lot of fun things without a lot of effort.

-We went to swimming lessons, she did great and has not really cried the past two weeks
-We went over to my mom's to hang out with family and friends (I am so grateful that my aunt and uncle love her so much)
-We went to mall with some great friends, and she eat good, played good and went home without crying.
-We went to Reddin's parent to celebrate birthdays and to say goodbye to Aubrey (she left for her mission on Wednesday)
-We went shopping (I got a new quilt for my bed) and I got the house cleaned that day, because even though she does not want to take naps most days she will read books in her bed.
-Reddin got to go hiking with his friends and I survived the whole day and night with no problems (most weeks I cannot wait until Reddin gets home, so I can have some time to myself)
-We went to lunch, returned shoes, and even made it to the Zoo for a spur of the moment trip.
-We went to dinner with my family and she was great.

I cannot even remember everything we did, but it has been a great week, I cannot believe how much Payton is talking and how much she understands.

On another note, we still have not closed on our house, but our title company did get all the paperwork they need so all our buyer has to do is go and sign, so we are hoping that happens today.

Vacation Recap

(Us at the Animal Kingdom in front of the Tree of Life)

Well we have been back from our vacation to Orlando for a little over a week, so I figured it was time to post some pictures now that I have recovered from our trip. We had a great time and Payton keeps thinking we can go back at any time. We where gone for 11 days, and everyday was busy but fun. We went to Disney World for 7 days, Sea World once, and stayed at the house to swim and shop on the other days. Payton did great on the plane ride, because she knew we were going to see the Princesses, which was probably the highlight of the trip for her. We went to Epcot on our first day and she got to see Alice, Belle, Jasmine, and Sleeping Beauty. As soon as it was her turn she would run right up to the characters and give them a hug and have them sign her book. By the time the trip was over I think we saw almost every character there was to see.

(A day at Epcot)

One day we decided to take a day off of Disney and that is when we went to Sea World. It was fun to see penguins and polar bears (something you will never see in Arizona), and Sea World had a great roller coaster and a really fun kids area.
(Uncle Brian and Payton at Sea World in a huge net jungle gym)


Overall the trip was great. It was fun to go on a long family vacation with my parents and brother. I think the last time we did that was about 9 months before Payton was born. I think we all came back from this trip a little tired and Payton was having major Disney withdraws, but life seems to be back to normal, and we are doing great.
(Grandpa and Payton with Winnie-the-Pooh)

(Payton and Mom with Safari Mickey)

On a different note, we are hopeful that we will close on the sale of our house this week, so we can start looking for a new house to live in, so wish us luck.

(Payton with Snow White and Dopey on our last day)

Evans Family Update

It has been along time since I have posted anything, but I want everyone to know that we are still alive and we are doing well. We had a great Christmas and so far the new year has been great. We are currently in DisneyWorld and we are having a blast. We have been to all the Disney parks and Payton as got to meet almost every Disney princess, along with mickey, minnie, goofy, and several others. I will post more after we return, but here are some picturs for now.