hi.

hi! I figured out my computer!! I had 6,000 pictures in my iphoto trash that I figured out how to empty so now all the pictures waiting on my camera will get to be shared.  Get ready for alot of posts. In the mean time, the readers digest version of our life for the past months.

Well Winnie had surgery on her fingers, finally!!  Everything went amazing and things are healing so well!  She has some pretty cool scars that we're instructed to massage for 5 minutes four times a day. But Wins is turning into an outspoken and extremely wiggly one year old sooooo if you're wondering how the massaging is going, just guess.  But we're trying and I feel like I'm not doing enough but, I do TRY.  Her pinky's have never been able to bend we're hoping just because they were webbed with her ring finger but we start phyiscal therapy this next week to get them mobile!  Her surgeon said the nerves and ligaments look good so we'll see!  It is SO strange to see her fingers unwebbed and no extra pinky's!  Dayton was saying the other day "When I see other baby's fingers who's pinky's don't stand straight up when their other fingers bend I think it looks weird".  Our new normal is webbed fingers and extra pinky's.  Never thought I'd say that.  :)

We met with her other general surgeon (Doc 1) too while we were there for her hand and feet surgery and he said she'll still need some matinence surgery so those unfortunately still aren't over but we got the go ahead to stop dilations.  We were up to doing them two times a week but I have never been so happy to stop that. Dayton is more happy than me for sure.  He hated doing them and would try and put it off as long as possible.  When we brought it up to him that it is really hard on the whole family emotionally to do them so much he completely agreed and we figured out a plan to cut them out completely.  He is so understanding and willing to work with our needs and most importantly Winsley's well being. LOVE HIM.

Charlcie and Chance moved up here for the summer.  I've said this before but can I say again how amazing it is that Dayton and I's best friends married one another?!  I love having them here!  And I'm hoping Brittney and Haleigh will be coming to visit in August.  I'm SO EXCITED. Summer is already going by too quickly though!

The summer's in Washington are a complete DREAM. We get warm 75 degree weather days for a week straight and then juuuuuust as it's starting to get a little stuffy, it rains and I'm wearing boots and a sweater.  Arizona summer's never let up.  Not until October so I'm soaking this up 100%.  There's this beach park right off of Lake Washington Winnie that Winnie and I always go to that has the most beautiful view you'll ever see.  And we just went to the Aquatic center that has heated pools!  Heated!  Warm water and 75 when you get out to dry off.  If you're not sold on moving to Washington yet I could keep going on and on.  And yes, I know I know come winter I'll probably be complaining about the rain but until then I'm on my high horse letting the breeze come in through the windows of my house!  Dayton and I whisper every now and again while we're driving through the tree lined streets "I never want to move"  I think we whisper to not give any chance of our Mom's hearing us :)

I got a new calling that I'm so excited about! I think I'm actually doing a good job at fooling people that I'm super organized, on top of checking my e-mail, and not a complete mess.  I truly love our Ward though.  Even more than that first Sunday.  We're trying to get more involved in activities and socialize!  My latest attempt at socializing went so wrong. Dayton and I call embarassing moments that are so terrible you want to crawl in a hole and never come out, PAM moments (long story).  I have those too often, unfortunately.  So today, one of the missionaries asked me to go introduce myself to one of the investigators that was at church.  I thought I knew who he was when he described him so I went to tell Dayton that we need to say Hi.  After sacrament I was too excited to meet him so I hurried over and confidently asked this man sitting in the back if he was Jerry.  Yeah, he wasn't.  The guy in front of him was like "Oh no! This is Brother So and so".  Making it clear this man had been in the ward forever.  I chalked my mistake up to being brand new, made a lame joke, and walked away hoping no one other than Dayton saw me.  I looked at Dayton in the corner dying of embarassment. hahaha WHY ME. Lesson learned. SIGHHHH The other week though, we hired our first ever babysitter from our ward! WHAT. How grown up of us! We also bought our first kitchen table!  In the 2 and a half years of marriage we've never had a table.  No more eating dinner on the couch!  And we're finally able to have people over for dinner without having them put their plates in their laps and cups on the coffee table.

I signed up for a Ragnar in July with one of my favorite room mates from BYU-I.  I can't wait!  It's forced me to finally start working out again.  I'm really nervous for all the hills and my leg is a total of 15 miles over two days.  It's going to be harder than I'm anticipating but I'm excited to slumber party in the van with one of my favorite people!  Long chats with Kelsey are the best!

Winnie is getting big yet staying so small.  She has always been petite and at her one year check up she was barely 15 pounds but she's getting so smart.  I love watching her learn.  She finally got some teeth a week before her birthday and now has all four top and two bottom coming in.  Dayton has been on a mission to get her to walk. He practices every morning with her.  She took one baby step on June 20 and is now more brave to just stand alone with a couch ledge close by.  She used to do animal sounds when we would asked but suddenly stopped.  She likes to lean back in her high chair or fall back on our bed, sigh, and say "ahhhhh".  She does that when she drinks from a cup and Dayton gets so proud everytime.  He taught her that one!  She is my little buddy and follows me everywhere.  She does this thing where she points and makes sort of a fake gun sign with her hand.  But she does it with her left hand which pinky sticks straight out so it constantly looks like shhe is signing 'i love you'.  She loves seeing other kids play and always barks at dogs.  She started saying Daddy and Mama when we mention eachother!  We thought she copied us saying na night but I'm not sure.  We finally have her sleeping in her crib at night! Yay!  Everytime we sit in bed though we talk about how much we miss her and want her to cuddle in bed with us.

Dayton's job has been pretty great.  It keeps him gone alot or on phone calls and sometimes he doesn't get home until 9:30pm or 10:00pm, or like the other day, midnight.  Dinner at midnight is not something I really recommend but sometimes you do it!  He really loves what he does and he manages to come home so positive every night!

The latest thing we've been dealing with is changing Winnie's doctors.  Only until a few days ago we were going to stick with our crazy expensive insurance and keep traveling back to Arizona for her surgeries but we caught a major break.  I had been stressed out how traveling was going to work.  When she gets surgery we have to stay for at least two weeks to be there for post ops which is great for visinting family but terrible because we miss Dayton.  I've sat on my bed countless times crying because I didn't see the way to do it and I hate not being at home.  One miracle has led to another and we've decided to keep everything here.  It is the best thing for Winnie and for our family to have everything within a 45 minute drive but switching doctors is awful.  Her first surgeon from our first visit to the ER is going to be the one we miss most. He who was there to give us answers at the scarriest time in our lives.  So reassuring, empathetic, and gentle.  My mom and Dayton's Mom love him just as much.  Every time we leave an appointment we all just gush how incredible he is.  No one can be as good as him?! We're waiting on referrals from both of her surgeons but have done a bit of research ourselves and I think we found at least one replacement!  When we got this new insurance I about died.  How do we catch all these breaks?  I really really really don't believe we deserve it.   I bet Heavenly Father see's me crying on my bed and just wishes he could say "Hold on just a little longer.  Things will get better.  I'm in charge." I've seen so many miracles in this past year and had so many answers to prayers yet somehow I like to zone in on my immediate needs and not remember the bigger picture.   I really need to work on that.

Living away from family is tough.  What would we do without FaceTime?! Literally I Facetime every single day.  And now, I'm not sure the next time we'll be back because we don't need to go back for surgeries anymore.  Being on our own out weighs the bad times always and even though I wish on rainy days I could pop over to my Mom's and watch shows or meet Rondalee for lunch it's been so good to rely on one another completely.  Love these little monkeys.