Happy Valentine's Day

 I felt strongly that I needed to post today, I don't know why exactly but maybe it is for me. I forget things easily, memories, moments and just everything! I don't have a sponge brain like Grant ( I think it's a McClendon thing!) They remember everything! Anyway, I felt this week an overwhelming sense of love for Grant, Claire, family and friends. I always feel like I have not been blessed with "gifts" which is horrible I know. I have a list of things that I don't have or I can't easily do but I do have the gift of love. I know for some love does not come easily but I love most everyone and the people I do love, I LOVE THEM CRAZY! I looked at Claire yesterday and I held her close to me, I squeezed her. I had this thought, that one day she will be big and she will not want me to hold her like this anymore and what a sad day that will be for me because I love her so much I just have to attack her! This "attacking" feeling I first felt with my Brothers and Alysse, then with some of my cute cousins. When I married in to the McClendon family I was blessed to be an Aunt and my goodness I love, love, love my Nieces and Nephews! Attacking material!!!!!

These are some people I love, especially that tall guy I'm standing next to and that sweet Girl in between us!

Hello Again!!!

 I almost forgot my password, it has been so long! (which has happened before...) Well it is bright and early! Claire is asleep, she has been sleeping from like 8 or 9 pm to 9 am.... she is almost getting easy! I shouldn't even write that! Bad Luck!!! Well speaking of Claire, I thought I need to get some pictures up and talk a little about this sweet girl!!! So we have been experiencing some minor differences in the way she has been lately.....OH IT'S CALLED TODDLER YEARS! This is weird to me because she is so little to me still but yet getting such a big personality!  She is just what I call "spirited, strong willed, busy or crazy!" A little bit of everything! Oh and lets talk about being so smart!!!! She is on a kick lately repeating everything I say like "so what?"oh and like on Modern Family "my pen!" she has been on a "it's mine!" kick. She has her own language too, she will get mad at me and say "bababa shshhqdh kjsdfgifhoifywt!" and then she tops it off with a loud "ahhhhhhhhh!"(then she will hit her head, which sadly she got from me!) I didn't know we would start the "follow the leader" phase so quickly! ha

trying to work off some LBS

sneaky

personal favorite look!

 Anyway on a good note, she says her own prayers! She whispers them and bows her head and ends it of course with a proud "Amen!" She also gives a lot of kisses and hugs. She loves, I mean loves babies alive or fake babies! ha She threw her baby off her bed the other day and ran over to pick her up she said " shhhh, shhhh it's okay, it's okay!" haha Oh and my cousin Brittany has a cute little guy named Lincoln and man Claire just plants it on him!!! He does too but they have a lot of love going! Claire sings now and has become very coordinated with her dance moves! She has also been saying everything with an "A" like "a baby!" or "a pig!" Also "it's" and "the" she will say "it's a blanket!" and "the cookies!" It is so cute!!! She says "1234!" and "ABCD!" that is as far as we go! Anyway she is straight sassy right now but I love her! I still feel tired from 2 years ago when we had her and so I have just decided I will be this way until we are done having kids.....yes I said it kids! We will have others....just a little later! I would just like to say although my life is a little more wild than it used to be this is truly my best so far time in life. The blessing I have of tucking that little girl into bed and seeing her in the morning, bright eyed and bushy tailed then looking over at Grant, as we both roll our eyes or smile, is the greatest thing ever!

tickets

trying new looks

ahhh the running!

standing like her dad!

trying to be big!

 Grant and I have been super busy with school, yes me too! I feel so proud of myself! Let's just say high school for me was more about boys and wearing the cutest outfit! I had a grand time but man I wasted a lot of time! ha Well anyway just saying school makes me shutter like in the movie, The Lion King when the hienas are talking about "Mufasa!" haha (disney is on the brain thanks to my sweet baby!) Anyway always thought school was scary and something I couldn't do!!! Well whatever I can do it and with a kid! I am excellent in multitasking!  Anyway going to school for my love of Real Estate! I love people interaction and seriously love the attire of a real estate agent! ha True but I love homes.....I love what you get out of a home and what you can put into! It gives me hope and make me dream of what a sweet life would be in a new place! So I am stoked! Also someday......long down the road Grant and I would love to own property! Lots of it! I am just getting excited! Anyway here is what we have been up to......

kissin

more kissin

Tangled watching!

Big Girl bed and panties! ha

beach time

lookin cute

serious

music baby

                                               and some days we dance move.........

Elder Francis # 2

I don't have a lot of time but seriously I have another Brother going on a mission!!! I can't wait.....for him to go and come home!!! ha But Derek is going to be one great missionary! You should hear the testimony this Brother of mine has! Derek is number 3 in our family, he is really wild! He always had been though. One time when I was in middle school waiting for my Mom to pick me up, Derek was in the car and  noticed some boys looking at me and he didn't like it! He was like 5 at the time, he opened the Astro Van sliding door ha (didn't every family have one of those?)anyway he opens the door and yells out "stop looking at my Sister that way!" Then he slammed the door. Totally embarrassing, those guys were super cool at the time! ha so cute though. We laugh about it all the time. The best part is that he had a lisp and a gap between his front teeth. Total cuteness! I love him. I have special connection with him. He is one of my favorite people! He leaves August 30th! Reporting to the Argentina MTC. He will be speaking the Spanish language in the Uruguay, Montevideo Mission!!!!! Go Uncle D!!!!

Look at that kid, this was around the age he yelled at the boys!

Lookin' good!

Claire loves him!

Best Moment!!!

The Donation

Seriously I never thought I would be brave enough to cut my hair! I know that is totally weird but I just thought that would be the wildest thing to cut my hair! Grant and figured out that I have had my hair long for 20 years! Anyway, so ya it is a BIG deal! I don't do good with BIG change, but last week I was thinking about my sweet Claire. I thought if she were ever sick (like really bad), I would be devastated. I thought about all the adults and children that are not healthy in the world. It breaks my heart, I hate it. I was feeling like Grant and I are not in a place to be helping others financially or anything but I would love to do something good for someone! I thought about things I could I do. I was playing with my hair at the moment! ha Then it hit me, hello I have not cut my hair for six months!!!! SIX MONTHS! It was super long, I thought I could totally donate my hair! So I said out loud "Grant I want to donate my hair." He is always down with my plans, so I searched it out a bit. I found out what I needed to do and from that point it was all smiles! I did however get a little anxious before I went to the salon. I of course prayed about it.....I pray about everything. So when you donate your hair it needs to be in a ponytail. So when (Brent) the hairstylist guy cut that off, that was wild. I kind of freaked out but it was fun! Ok so then it was done I had short hair, Grant and I were in the car I said to him " Grant I just cut my hair, I really just cut my hair!" I got a little teary but then I thought about a certain lady that I love that had cancer, she lost her hair. It was so awful, she is lovely and feminine, it was a big deal to not have her hair. It would be for anyone. She is doing great now, she is a total rock! I thought about another lady in my parents ward that has cancer, she has lost her hair. I love her, it makes me sad to know that she is suffering. I can't imagine what she is going through. Then I stopped feeling bad about my new cute hair! Come on Aubrye! I am so happy that I can give someone something. I was feeling the need to help, I wanted to do something good! So that is the end of the story, totally sad how selfish I was to not have done it before but I did it! Best thing ever!

Sassy all the way!

Update on Claire as always she is rocking my world! Our world! She is talking a lot, dancing a lot, throwing fits a lot and driving me crazy a lot!!!

In the words of Claire:
"NOOOOO!"
"Go Away!"
"No way"
"okay"
"stop it"
"Oh sweet"
"Minnie!"
"Oh baby"
"Oh cool!"
"It's okay!"
"Mine!"
"Ya!"
"Chips"
"Car"
"Belly"
"Ginger (my parents dog)!"
"Eyes"
"Nose"
"let's go!"
"Bye!"
"Hello, hi!"
"Sasen" (Uncle Sasen)
"Deee"( for Uncle Derek)
"JAAAAKE"( Uncle Jake because we always yell at him! ha)
oh and our family favorite.....Aubrye!
and she sings "na, na, na, na, na" to that song by Fun "Tonight"
and "oh baby, baby, baby ba ba ba BABY."
Crazy girl!
OUR very favorite is that we ask her where Heavenly Father lives and she points up to the sky!!! Sweetest moments so far!!! We love us some crazy Claire!

I forgot Easter!!!!!

Here we go Easter....... it was low key but lots of fun!!!

Claire has a lot of people that love her!!!

so sassy!

watch out!

Let's Celebrate

Grant finished his first year!!!!! ahhh I am so proud! He did great, but he won't tell anyone that.... he always says " I totally failed" and he will end up having an A! Killing me Grantly! I don't even get stressed anymore when he says that, because it is a weekly occurrence at our house! He is crazy! He has worked so hard this year! Long days, horribly long days I am so grateful that he is willing to put in the work and time for his family!! So we celebrated and Grant had a Birthday I asked him what he wanted to do in his life before he hits the BIG 30...so we will do some grand things before then! haha

We I grow up and I get married I'm livin alone!!! J/k that is what Grant and I say when we find a sweet house! Done living here!!!