The Dougherty Family

July 2012

2011-12-29T10:06:00.001-07:00

Spelling champ

2011-11-15T10:51:00.003-07:00

In the past week we discovered that Allison, who is 3, knows how to read and spell. Of course, she can only do words that are spelled phonetically. But, she learned it on her own and surprised us with her thinking skills. She loves to watch her sister do homework, and she has always loved books. She pays endless attention when someone is reading to her.

Click on the video to see Allison's quiz. She has been spelling our family members' names for a long time, and we had previously quizzed her on the words "yes," "no" and "cat." All remaining words are ones she is being asked to spell for the first time. She just figures it out.

Spiders, ghosts and skeletons

2011-11-02T09:39:00.002-06:00

Our Halloween fun started at the beginning of the month as we made these massive spiders for our house.

We came up with the idea on a whim and went for it. We designed our own way of making them and found supplies along the way: aluminum roasting pans, foam pipe insulators, multipurpose wire. We hand-sewed faux fur over every inch of the darn things. It was a truly frightening process. I think we might have been possessed to even think of it. Our family room was completely coated in shedding fur. It was all worth it, though, when we saw the excitement on all the neighborhood kids' faces.

My girls love to be scary, so they didn't have a problem posing when Daddy pulled out the Hipstamatic app on his phone.

As always, the girls had fun at the neighborhood trunk-or-treat.

One of their favorite parts of this year's Halloween was handing out candy to the other kids.

We went home for a spooky dinner after the trunk-or-treat. The girls squealed with excitement every time the doorbell rang. They took turns handing out the treats.

After dinner, we all went out for some old-fashioned trick-or-treating.

School pictures

2011-10-27T14:10:00.002-06:00

Olivia's first-grade picture just arrived. She looks so grown-up to me! If you want to see how much she's grown since kindergarten, click here.

Now that's love

2011-10-16T18:02:00.000-06:00

My youngest sister and her husband bought an old house and are working on remodeling it. They've pretty much gutted the place and are living with my mom in the meantime. Unfortunately, my brother-in-law badly hurt his knee and had to have surgery. He will be out of commission for at least a month! He limps around on crutches and can't bend his knee. He was personally doing most of the remodeling, so the house has been put on hold. It is so frustrating for the poor guy.

Joe and my mom and I took pity on him and spent time last weekend loading a truck full of construction debris and taking it to the dump. It was a labor of true love, because that dump was enveloped in a grossly disturbing stench. Plus we were surrounded by thousands of crazed sea gulls. It was actually kind of scary! We couldn't help but think of a certain movie...

True Aggies

2011-10-15T14:39:00.000-06:00

At the end of September, we took the girls to our old stomping grounds. Joe and I both graduated from Utah State University, home of the Aggies (hence the A on the building). It's where we met -- where the magic began. :)

Joe was in Logan most of the week for work, so the girls and I joined him for a little bit. The girls loved running up and down Old Main Hill.

After we had gone home, Joe visited the Logan temple and took this beautiful picture at dusk. We have such fond memories of Logan and USU. They will always have a special place in our hearts.

Baby people and baby pigs

2011-10-14T14:14:00.003-06:00

In September, the girls got to meet their new cousins for the first time. They were so excited. Olivia got to hold both at once, and Allison wanted to hold Victoria first.

Afterward, we took big brother Kade off his parents' hands and went to the state fair. Joe had scored free tickets, so we invited my other sister and brother-in-law to join us.

We took this pig picture for my sister Laura, so she would feel better about having to nurse ONLY two babies.

The state fair had a sea lion show that was really neat. The sea lions were seriously talented, and they kept our full attention.

The stars and stripes

2011-09-18T09:00:00.000-06:00

This summer our little city got a new skyline. The new grocery store, Macey's, put a massive American flag in the parking lot. Every time we drive down the street we love to look at that flag. It is beautiful against the backdrop of the Wasatch mountains. It stirs so many feelings of patriotism and gratitude. Thanks, Macey's!

Twins

2011-09-16T09:00:00.001-06:00

I got a new niece and nephew all at once this week!

Meet Victoria and Cohen.

This was my first time ever holding two brand-new babies at the same time. It was sublime.

They love to be together. It was a blessing from heaven that my sister carried them full-term and that they are big and healthy.

A camping family

2011-09-14T09:00:00.001-06:00

For summer's last hurrah, we went on our first camping trip with just our little family. It was Sept. 2. The campground was at Lower Meadows, in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest.

We had a fun time cooking dinner in the fire pit. Our foil-packet roasted veggies and Dutch-oven bacon and potatoes were a success!

The kids -- all three of them -- loved playing and fishing in the Ogden River. The water was freezing.

The sunny, 80-degree day in the mountains became a distant memory when the sun went down. Boy did the temperature change, so the best place to be was right by the fire, eating s'mores. We knew it was going to be in the low 40s that night, so we took winter coats and extra blankets. The next morning, there was frost on our tent.

We heated our breakfast burritos in the campfire and snuggled close to the fire in the crisp morning air.

Before cleaning up the campground, we couldn't resist one last round of s'mores. I got distracted and left mine near the fire until it turned into a melty mess. That didn't stop me from eating it, though. We don't recommend the new massive marshmallows the stores are selling. We will always buy the regular size from now on.

We decided we want to be a camping family! We had a lot of fun, and our girls did a great job. I hardly slept, but that's normal for me when I'm away from my own bed. I somehow didn't mind the exhaustion, because it was so wonderful to be with the family I love, enjoying the beautiful world I love.

About a week after our camping trip, the girls decided to relive the experience at home. They used raisins for the coals. They put mini marshmallows on the ends of bamboo sticks, and they proceeded to make miniature s'mores. They broke graham crackers into eighths and spread Nutella on them. They did all this completely on their own. I love these girls!

First grade

2011-09-06T21:07:00.002-06:00

Olivia has had a great start to first grade. On Day 1, Allison and I walked Olivia to school and into her class. She sat down at her desk and got started right away. I stood around like a fool for a minute and then left.

In all my nerdy glory, I went back to visit at lunchtime. The kids had gotten to the lunchroom early and were all seated, with no space for me. Liv was sweet and happy to see me, so I stood there chatting until it was painfully obvious I didn't need to be there. It was great to get a picture of Olivia with her teacher, though. She did a fantastic job on her own, and then ran out to recess without a glance behind her.

After her first day of first grade, Olivia came right home and colored fake chicken pox all over her sister and herself.

The next morning, I sent my fiercely independent, intelligent, crazy, wonderful daughter off to school with only her friends and NO MOTHER tagging along. Everyone has been happy ever since.

Why?

2011-08-26T15:31:00.002-06:00

Why did I have to get out of the shower and find my kitchen table overturned onto my family room floor?

Maybe the better question is "How?" How THE HECK did a 3-year-old and a 6-year-old move an extremely heavy, solid wood table that is 4 feet in diameter?

Fun at the fair

2011-08-22T21:55:00.002-06:00

Every year we go to the county fair, and every year the girls hold the tarantulas and scorpions.

This year, Joe got in on the action for the first time.

The girls love this clown. Olivia remembered that last year he had all his colors mixed up, so this year she paid close attention to what he said to the kids ahead of us in line. She realized he kept calling the purple balloons tan and the blue balloons yellow, etc. When it was her turn, she asked for a tan sword and a yellow holster. She got exactly what she wanted. :)

Allison asked for a hippo.

The traveling show brought in this year was a rattlesnake show.

The girls also rode the ponies, but our camera battery died before we could capture that. We wrapped up our night at the fair by watching the Dueling Pianos show. Lots of fun!

A family favorite

2011-08-21T22:05:00.004-06:00

The girls begged us to go to Lagoon this year. Last summer, we had season passes and went just about every week. They loved every minute. We don't want to spoil them by getting passes every year, but we did agree to go once this summer with some discount tickets from our church.

You'll see the pictures below from this year's outing, but first, we have the unveiling of last year's Lagoon season video. Joe worked on it in the fall but never finished it until this year. It's fun to see how much the girls have grown.

Lagoon 2010 -- A Summer of Fun

For our 2011 outing, Olivia was tall enough to kick it up a notch by riding the big rollercoasters. She loved Colossus the Fire Dragon with all her heart. She and I went on it three times together, and she giggled with joy the whole way.

After Colossus, the kiddie rides didn't have quite the same charm. Below, you'll see Olivia reading her map while riding the helicopters.

Poor Allison had to start from scratch at getting used to the rides. She did so well last year, but she was afraid of everything this year. We had to break her in nice and slow.

Below is Lagoon's newest ride, Bombora, a family rollercoaster, which is so cute and fun. Cousin Kade, who is only 2, did a fantastic job.

Goodbye for this year, Lagoon!

Blood

2011-08-08T15:27:00.002-06:00

My 6-year-old had her blood drawn three times in one week. This picture marks the last time, the conclusion to a very scary, but short-lived, experience.

Here's how the story goes:

A couple of weekends ago, we started noticing that Olivia was getting an inordinate number of bruises on her body. We kept asking her what happened and how she got them, but she never knew. Then we noticed a funny little mark -- almost like a hickey or broken capillaries -- on her collar bone. She had no explanation for it.

When more little patches of broken capillaries started appearing on various parts of her body, I looked online and realized they are called petechiae. I am not someone who rushes to the doctor for anything, yet I had the distinct impression I needed to call him right away. Bruising and petechiae are signs of low blood platelet count, which is a symptom of many different diagnoses, including leukemia.

Before we ever received the results, I knew without a doubt Olivia's platelet count was low. What I didn't know, however, was whether her white blood cell count would be low as well. That would mean cancer. I was so relieved to find out her white count was normal. Then we turned to the platelets.

Olivia's platelet count was 16,000. Normal is anywhere from 150,000 to 400,000. The platelets are the cells that help blood clot, so she didn't have enough to keep her from bruising and bleeding under her skin. If she were 10,000 or lower, she would be at a great risk of gastrointestinal or intracranial bleeding.

The doctor said her diagnosis would probably be ITP, immune thrombocytopenic purpura, which is an autoimmune disorder in which the body attacks its own platelets. That is almost always the diagnosis in cases where the person is otherwise healthy. The good news was that in children, the disease often goes away on its own within six months. Often, doctors prescribe steroid treatments. It's difficult, though, because the children must refrain from riding their bikes or playing sports or doing anything that could cause an injury and allow them to bleed into their brain.

The doctor called the pediatric hematology/oncology department at Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake for guidance. One of the doctors there agreed with the initial diagnosis and recommended we immediately start Olivia on steroids. We made an appointment to go there the next day.

I didn't feel good about starting the steroids, which are a very serious treatment. Once they are started they can't be stopped without tapering off, and they can have serious side effects over time. I talked it through with Olivia's doctor, who was very respectful of my feelings, and decided I would wait until the next day, when the hematologists could see Olivia for themselves.

That night, Olivia came down with a fever of 102 degrees. I had already spent three hours on the internet researching ITP and knew that fever was not one of the symptoms. It could be a coincidence, or it could be something crazy, such as lupus. I spent about two more hours online.

I didn't sleep that night. There was a dull sense of nausea churning deep inside me. As she slept, I sat on the floor by Olivia's bed and stroked her arm, her cheek, then back to her arm. I thanked my Father in Heaven with all the fervency of my heart for sending this child to my life and prayed that, if it was his will for us to go down a difficult path, he would bless us with his spirit to give us strength and courage. I also prayed that, if it was his will, he would heal her.

The next day, we went to Primary Children's. We were there almost four hours. Olivia still had her fever and did not feel good at all, but she was so brave and good. I had explained all about platelets to her with pictures and charts from the internet. As the day progressed, I felt peace.

When we arrived, they assumed we had started her on the steroids, but I told them I hadn't felt good about it. A different doctor met with us this time and was very supportive and knowledgeable. She said they would draw Olivia's blood again and personally analyze it under a microscope. In the meantime, she explained all about the different diseases and their symptoms and prognoses. I felt so validated, because I already knew every single thing she talked about. We were on the same page.

When the results finally came back, I almost shouted for joy. Olivia's platelet count had jumped up to 50,000 overnight. Her white blood cell count was slightly elevated, indicating she was fighting an infection. They analyzed her cells under the microscope and decided fairly definitively that either a viral or bacterial infection had caused the sharp drop in her platelet count. Nothing else.

They tested Olivia for strep, which was negative. So, they figured it was a crazy virus. They even let us all look at Olivia's blood under the microscope. They expected her to heal completely over the next few days. I have never been so happy in my life to hear that my child had an infection. Olivia said, "Now I feel like I got my blood drawn for no reason."

Multiple doctors and nurses congratulated me on ignoring the orders to start steroids. That would have been the completely wrong thing to do, they said, considering the new diagnosis. When the specialists left the room, we gave thanks to Heavenly Father for his mercy and protection.

We had to be careful not to do anything that could cause injury until we knew for certain that Olivia's platelet count had come up the rest of the way. A week later, she was at 388,000. I came away from the experience with an absurd amount of information about blood platelets, and with this testimony:

I know with my whole heart that there is a loving and all-knowing Father of all mankind who has a plan for us. If we follow his plan and dedicate our lives to him, he will direct us. Through our faithfulness and obedience, he will send his spirit to comfort and inform us. Sometimes he will let us experiences trials so we can learn, and other times he will lovingly and compassionately lift our burdens if we ask. He will always bless a devoted and in-tune mother with power beyond any earthly skill to raise the precious souls he sent to her. I love him so much.

The great outdoors

2011-08-03T22:54:00.002-06:00

The girls are old enough now to do a great job sleeping in a tent. We had a lot of fun at our church camp-out last weekend at Pineview Reservoir. When we arrived Friday evening, Olivia couldn't wait to get her swimsuit on. She just got right in the lake.

The girls did a great job through the night. Mom and Dad didn't sleep well, though. Our air mattress kept deflating. I have a hard time sleeping in places other than my own bed anyway. But you know what? We still had fun, and we'd do it again.

We all woke up at 5:45 a.m. Below is a shot of the girls warming their hands by the fire as the sun came up.

Dave did us proud with his yummy breakfast.

Olivia had to get in one last swim before we went home to take a nap.

Heaven on earth

2011-07-18T15:22:00.006-06:00

It was about time. It had been more than a decade since I had been to Lake Powell. Joe and the girls had never been. You just can't live like that.

We were blessed to be invited by my sister Jackie's new family, the Woods. We had a wonderful time with wonderful people.

Here is the chronological photo story of our trip, starting with the traditional stop in Hanksville, about an hour outside of Lake Powell.

Once we arrived, it took a long time to get everything loaded and ready.

We were excited to get out on the lake. Olivia took her turn as captain of the houseboat.

Our destination was a shady cove in Knowles Canyon, where we anchored for the week. Below, the girls take their first dip off the houseboat.

This is the view looking up from the top deck, where we all slept every night under the stars.

I couldn't wait to get out in the water. I make the goofiest faces when I ski. This is my elation at being able to get up after having skied only once in the past 10 years.

Olivia was a little adventurer during our trip. I was so proud of her. She wanted to get out and try the kneeboard, and she did a fantastic job.

Below is my brother-in-law Brian getting warmed up on the wakeboard.

Olivia and her new friend Kyla loved the freedom they got from their life jackets.

Allison loved the water trampoline, but only when she had it to herself. She cried when the older kids got on, because she was afraid of being bounced.

Our group was full of engineers and mechanics, perfect for fixing a houseboat engine.

Below, you'll see a waterfall pouring down over our cove. A flash storm came up, and within about two minutes, the water came rushing overhead. We were nestled safely under the overhang, but boy was the wind and water powerful. The mist of water swirling around us was freezing, so we couldn't stay out long to take pictures. The storm only lasted about 20 minutes.

The best way to kneeboard is with a friend. Olivia watched Carter and tried to copy him. I don't think she loved it when he sprayed her, though.

The new thing during this trip was the surfboard. Below you'll see Brian, close to the rear of the speedboat, riding the wake. When you get comfortable, you let go of the rope and somehow stay right behind the boat. It's amazing.

One of my goals was to get Joe out behind a boat. He hasn't ever done this kind of thing, so he was a little unsure of himself. It was a lot of fun to see him succeed at the kneeboard.

Joe and Brian got out there together and had a blast.

Below, you'll see Brian splash Joe, who gets revenge by stealing Brian's rope.

Allison was willing to do anything as long as her daddy was with her. Multiple people commented during the week on how Allison seemed like a little puppy following Joe around. She loved her first try on the kneeboard. The funny face below is a happy one.

One night, Joe and Allison went rowing around the cove and out into the channel for at least an hour -- maybe two.

Allison fell off the tube. It scared her to death, but her daddy immediately dove off the tube to be by her side. She would only consent to go on a slow tube ride after that.

Below is my sister Jackie on the kneeboard.

One afternoon we took a little trip to Moki Canyon and played in the sand.

I pushed myself -- skiing, wakeboarding, kneeboarding -- until I had exerted every last ounce of energy in my muscles. I was in severe pain when we got home Saturday night and had to pound the ibuprofen. :)

Below, Jackie catches some air.

Brian's brother Kevin was really good on the air chair. It was a lot of fun to watch.

Joe got his fill of fishing. He brought the perfect bait for catfish, and I think he and all the kids caught 14. The bait was a dough of chicken liver and blood. It reeked.

My dear new brother wasn't satisfied with regular water sports. He had to try his hand at riding a cooler behind the boat.

This was the result.

He was not to be deterred, however. How about riding a life jacket on a cooler on a surfboard?

Yep. That'll do it. He went all around the cove like that.

Next up: How about being pulled on a Little Tykes slide?

Mmm. Maybe not.

But a slide strapped to a kneeboard? We have a winner.

Two brothers on a surfboard. Now that's a thought.

The antics weren't enough to keep an exhausted Olivia awake.

Success! A brother riding a brother riding a surfboard. There you have it!

One of my favorite parts of the trip was when Kami and I got out on the kneeboards together. We had so much fun. We switched ropes. We tried double 360s.

In the end, they swung us back in to the houseboat.

Our last morning, as the houseboat headed back to the marina, Brian had to get in one more romp on the wakeboard.

And then we floated off into the sunrise.

Allison's first wasp sting

2011-07-18T15:17:00.003-06:00

She cried, but only for a minute. She was very brave. Then she wanted to tell us how it happened. She was sitting in the playhouse when the wasp started flying toward her "like this" (she motioned with her hand and made it land on her wrist).

Freedom to eat taffy for breakfast

2011-07-05T15:50:00.005-06:00

Monday morning we awoke from the dead after a busy weekend and made it just in time to the Clearfield parade, where I fed my children a nice taffy breakfast. The girls loved the parade, although Allison didn't like the loud sound the firetrucks made.

In case you're wondering, the grandma in the picture toward the end was ravenously chasing after candy through the whole parade. Also, notice that Olivia lost her first tooth.

Later, we were entertained by Layton City -- the philharmonic symphony and fireworks. We hope you enjoyed the Fourth as much as we did!

How old is my child?

2011-06-30T15:44:00.000-06:00

The other day, Olivia got herself and her sister all dressed up like this and asked to have their picture taken. Liv posed without being prompted. When she looked at the camera, she said, "This picture rocks." Wait a minute. Isn't my child only 6?

Father's Day

2011-06-28T15:29:00.000-06:00

The graduate

2011-06-20T15:19:00.003-06:00

Here's a taste of Olivia's kindergarten graduation. She was so excited. The kids performed songs they had learned throughout the year. At the end, each student got to stand by the teacher while his or her "All About Me" page was read aloud.

Olivia loved kindergarten so much.

The surprise "All About Me" paper Olivia filled out:

My favorite color is pink.
My favorite food is Ramen noodles.
My favorite thing to do at school is be with Mrs. Phillips.
My favorite thing to do with my mom is make chocolate chip cookies.
My favorite thing to do with my dad is go on walks and play at the park.
My favorite story is "Pinkalicious."
I don't like garbage.
When I grow up I want to be a superstar or a ballerina.

Below is a picture of Olivia with her teacher, Mrs. Phillips, who did a fantastic job. Olivia loves her very much.

Generations

2011-06-07T09:04:00.003-06:00

On Memorial Day, we went on a family history tour in Cache Valley. The weather was on a roller coaster, but we rolled with it. It was a long day, but a really nice one. We saw all kinds of graves, including three sets of my great-great-great-great-grandparents, all buried in the Clarkston Cemetery. I love family history! Here are some highlights....

Below, Olivia visits a grave in the Hyde Park Cemetery.

Below, my grandma stands in front of the house in Hyde Park where she was born in 1934. It was red-brick back then, and it was owned by her great-grandmother Kirsten, a midwife from Denmark, who helped deliver her.

Below, we are at the Clarkston Cemetery, where the wind picked up and about blew us away. Olivia got very frustrated with her umbrella. I was so happy to be there, though, because Clarkston has some of my richest family history.

Clarkston is a small country town that hasn't changed much, so many of the homes where my ancestors lived are still standing.

Below is my great-great-great-grandma Christena's home. They called her Grandma Steenie. She died in this home in 1938. My great-uncle, who lived across the street from this house when he was little, took us on our tour. He told how Grandma Steenie's false teeth fell out when she died. His dad had to put them back in for her.

Clarkston is beautiful and green. It's nestled at the base of a little mountain. The roads below got lost in the mist. This little house, formerly owned by my great-great-grandparents Thompson, sits in front of acres and acres of empty green farmland.

The girls loved it when we stopped in Trenton to see the family farm. My great-grandpa Griffin owned and worked this dairy farm, and I used to visit it when I was little. My dad worked there during his summers as a youth. My great-uncle now owns it, and he and his family gave us a great tour.

Below, Allison is peeking into the vat of milk pumped from the cows. It was heating and churning. The girls were fascinated by it.

Here is the house just up the street where my great-grandparents lived. I remember visiting my great-grandma Pearl there when I was young. The house was light green then. She lived until I was 9. I never knew my great-grandpa, who died of a heart attack two years before I was born.

I've always wished I had a time machine and could visit parts of history. I want it to never be forgotten.

Allison's first haircut

2011-06-01T01:00:00.003-06:00

Our 3-year-old did a fantastic job holding still while her grandma cut her hair. When her bangs were being cut, Allison said, "That feels good." At the end, we told her she looked SO cute and she said, "I know."

No training wheels

2011-05-31T23:59:00.000-06:00

P.S. Just don't look at Joe's pants. He has been wearing them to do yard work. They might disappear one day soon and end up in a landfill. I wouldn't know anything about that, though.

Sweet girls

2011-05-30T23:59:00.000-06:00

Last week I caught the girls in this position as they watched the "scary part" of a movie called "The Seventh Brother." It's a virtually unknown animated movie with a creepy name.

Zoo shmoo

2011-05-27T21:40:00.002-06:00

These pictures of Olivia's end-of-school zoo trip don't tell the real story. Oh, sure, you can see that it was a rainy day. But you can't see the torrents that poured down on us. And sure, you can see happy, smiling faces on my sweet poncho-clad girls. But those aren't the girls I remember. I went to the zoo with rotten, tantrum-throwing girls.

For some reason, I stayed calm and patient for most of the trip. I think I was in denial. As the day wore on, though, I could feel the insanity stirring within. Joe was out of town on business. This is the text I sent him:

Worst kids. Worst zoo trip.

Above is Mrs. Phillips, Olivia's WONDERFUL kindergarten teacher.

My day

2011-05-11T09:51:00.000-06:00

Motherhood is a divine calling. There's no doubt about that. In his infinite wisdom and love, Heavenly Father put families -- and mothers -- at the center of his sacred plan for this life. I know he watches over me and helps me in this essential role. I am grateful to be a mother! Who wouldn't love these beautiful girls by my side?

First mow of the year

2011-05-05T16:39:00.002-06:00

Daddy's sidekick is dressed in her usual footie getup.

All about Easter

2011-05-02T08:00:00.001-06:00

Easter weekend was a whirlwind of festivities for us. Saturday contained Easter eggs galore. We had two egg hunts in the morning. The first was through the city, and the second was with family and friends. We hoped Allison would fare better than last year, and although she actually did pick up some eggs, the stress seemed to be a bit much for her. In the end, she was happy to have candy.

After a long morning of egg hunts, we settled down to color some eggs as a family. We ended up making most of them into deviled eggs later that night.

Below is Joe's shout-out for his job.

The rest of Joe's eggs:

Below are Olivia's eggs. Can you guess what color scheme she prefers?

Allison's eggs:

Marie's eggs:

Saturday night, we had a wonderful presentation about Christ's resurrection using empty-tomb rolls. The first batch of rolls was great, and I think we had a sweet moment with the kids. After that, though, we were in a hurry and put the rest of the rolls on a cookie sheet to bake. Mind you, they are supposed to go in muffin tins.

Here was the result. We laughed so hard, we were almost crying.

The next morning, we got ready for church, and the girls searched for their Easter baskets. Poor angry Allison. We promise she comes from a happy home. Don't let her disdain for the camera fool you, though. She was a happy girl that morning.

Half a dozen

2011-04-30T22:06:00.002-06:00

Olivia is 6 years old! She is so grown-up. She had a wonderful birthday, with two days of celebrations. She requested a yummy breakfast of eggs Benedict. Then, after opening a few presents, she donned the dress of her choice and went to school, where she received more attention.

Later that afternoon, we met up with auntie Laura and cousin Kade for a fun time at the Discovery Gateway, a children's museum in Salt Lake City.

In keeping with tradition, we ate dinner at Panda Express. Below is the birthday girl, chowing down on orange chicken.

Here is the result of a fun-filled birthday.

The next day, Saturday, we prepared for a second round of celebrations. Olivia had a luau-style family party.

The Ogzewallas, our wonderful friends, joined us for the shindig. Of course, Allison refused to wear island attire and insisted on footies. She is obsessed with footies.

Happy birthday, big girl!

The secret lives of the Doughertys

2011-03-16T15:00:00.000-06:00

This first picture shows Allison's maniacal bed head, which we have grown accustomed to seeing in the mornings. I love it. I have a weird fondness for ragamuffin children. They make me happy.

We have had way too much sickness this winter. We were hit hard over the past couple of weeks. We are ready for spring!

Below, you'll see some tired girls who fell asleep watching TV -- one in a laundry basket. Only sickness is strong enough to make my children take naps.

Happy birthday, Allison!

2011-03-14T13:38:00.002-06:00

There's a 3-year-old in the house! We celebrated sweet Allison's birthday a few weeks ago. She started the day off with balloons, streamers and Mickey Mouse pancakes.

She opened lots of fun presents from great people who love her.

She insisted on a "Harold and the Purple Crayon" cake. It's an obscure show that she absolutely loves. Harold uses his imagination and draws with his purple crayon. Whatever he draws comes to life. As Olivia says, "I think Allison is in love with Harold."

Below is the best I could do to make such a cake. The frosting really is purple, even though the lighting makes it look gray. :)

Our wonderful next-door neighbors came over to eat cake with us.

Watch the video below to see Allison's reaction to the trick candles she requested. The video is kind of long, but if you make it to the end, you'll see our fearful Allison.

We went swimming with some family the weekend after Allison's birthday. She was so excited!

Below is a picture of Olivia's air-dried hair after swimming. For some reason, chlorine turns her hair into even more pronounced ringlets.

Exciting news

2011-01-18T21:25:00.002-07:00

It's here! The latest brainchild of my brother-in-law Beau has been born.

We're proud to introduce...The Deal Pickle! [Pause for standing ovation.]

Click on the link and enjoy yourself. The site allows you to buy gift certificates to all kinds of companies at half the price. The gift certificates are fancy instead of some ugly printout, so they make great presents. Or just buy them for yourself.

If you're thinking Valentine's Day, you might be interested in a hot-air balloon ride. Or you might like a night out to the Off Broadway Theatre. Your lovely wife or girlfriend might enjoy a day at the spa. There's Mrs. Cavanaugh's, CutsieCakes and lots of restaurants. EVERYTHING IS HALF PRICE!

We want everyone to know that a massive amount of time and effort went into making this site user-friendly and secure. Congratulations to Beau and company on a job well done!

Christmas week

2011-01-04T14:54:00.003-07:00

The week of Christmas was a "hit."

Allison started off the week with her first shiner. From what we could tell -- we were sitting there when it happened -- she got a flying elbow to the face from her sister. Yes, it was an accident. :)

The result was very festive -- her cheek and eye were red and green just in time for Christmas.

Midweek, we had a Christmas party with the Griffin side of our extended family. It was so much fun. Uncle Reed and Aunt Susan did a wonderful job planning the party, which was held at their church.

We played "Minute to Win It" games. Game #1: Balance pencils on the back of your hand, and then toss them in the air and catch them -- all with only the one hand. Quite a few of us were able to do this one. Joe was the most impressive, though, considering his ability to do it with 18 pencils.

Game #2: Bounce a pencil on its eraser until it flips into a glass. Get four in the glass within a minute. I think you can see who won this one. I was so shocked. I thought I would never be able to do it. Actually, I have to admit, my sister Laura ended up getting all hers in the glass, too.

Game #3: Toss three balloons in the air and keep them from touching the ground. It's really hard. Joe and Beau, our resident jugglers did the best at this game, but in the end, Beau was the master.

Our grandparents have a tradition of saving up all their coins during the year and putting them in a Christmas sock for the kids. One by one, the kids get to reach into the sock and pull out as much money as they can hold in one hand.

The last event of the night was a pinata -- Allison's first. Actually, it could be Olivia's first, but she claims it's not. None of us can remember any other time, though.

On Christmas morning, the girls were overjoyed to find Pillow Pets near their stockings. I think Allison's shyness over all the excitement manifested itself as weirdness, because every time we asked her to smile for the camera, this is what we got.

My dad, Bryant, Jackie and Brian came over for brunch on Christmas morning. We had eggs Benedict, which is divine.

Then, we went to my mom's to hang out with her before heading to St. George, where we stayed with Grandma and Grandpa on our way to California. It was an extremely busy Christmas Day for us!

Oh! There's my pretty girl!

A night at the mansion

2010-12-18T19:15:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night we went to the Governor's Mansion for the annual holiday open house. Last year, we got to go because Joe was in the media. This year, we got to go because Joe is a state employee. The poor governor looked tired.

All is merry and bright

2010-12-16T10:09:00.004-07:00

When we showed up at Santa's house at the Christmas Village this week, the girls were prepared. They knew exactly what to say to the Jolly Old Elf.

"What do you want for Christmas?" Santa asked Olivia.

"A unicorn Pillow Pet," she replied quietly, but confidently.

"Oh. Anything else?" he said.

[Whispering.]

Olivia wished Mr. Claus a merry Christmas and jumped down.

She later told us she asked for makeup and perfume.

When we told Allison it was her turn, she jumped up and started talking before Santa could get a word out.

"I want a bumble bee Pillow Pet," she announced.

"Oh," Santa chuckled. "Anything else?"

"Yah," Allison finished matter-of-factly. Then there was silence.

That was it. She smiled big for her picture, and then hopped down.

We spent about a half-hour looking in the cottages at the Ogden Christmas Village before heading to a neighboring city's Christmas display to meet Laura and Beau. We had a marathon night of Christmas lights!

Here is the start of our pictures at the Layton Christmas lights. We met up with some family to walk around the park, which is full of all kinds of fun decorations.

Click on the video below to watch a cute and clever lights display where a frog jumps into a pond.

Days of Halloween

2010-11-02T10:17:00.003-06:00

We celebrated Halloween many times over. First was a party at Olivia's karate studio. Olivia's costume wasn't ready yet, so she wore last year's witch outfit. She won first prize in the costume competition, because no one recognized her!

Another day, we went to Cherry Hill park -- dubbed "Scary Hill" during October. We played miniature golf, took a tractor ride, wandered through a straw maze and more. Allison loved the ball pit.

The rest of us tried the rock wall, where we received a rude awakening about how old and out of shape we are. We could only finish Level 1. It takes more forearm and wrist strength than I remember.

Olivia wanted to try, but she got nervous and gave up.

Then came the real Halloween festivities.

Olivia's costume was finally ready -- a black widow spider. A month before, she had said, "Mom, most girls want to be princesses and brides and stuff. But I don't want to be something girly. I want to be something scary!"

Allison was Baby Bop, from the show "Barney and Friends."

Our neighborhood does a trunk-or-treat because there are so many little kids. It's a safe way for them to get a decent amount of candy, and they love it. This year, it rained on us! I wore Joe's coat as I passed out candy at our car, and Joe took the girls around to the other cars.

We had dinner with Laura and Beau and their family, then wrapped up the night with a little old-fashioned trick-or-treating -- only about five houses this year.

School pictures

2010-10-29T12:54:00.000-06:00

Here is Olivia's kindergarten picture. Everyone says she is looking so grown-up nowadays. The most prolific comment is about how long her hair has gotten. So, the other day we straightened her hair to show everyone just how long it really is.

Hayrides and halftimes

2010-10-28T11:30:00.002-06:00

We have had some busy weekends recently. A couple of weeks ago, we took a hayride to pick pumpkins from a patch, and we went to the Special Olympics at the University of Utah. My brother was on a gold-winning basketball team called the South Davis Warriors. During the breaks, the kids had fun at the Special Olympics fair on campus. There was face painting and cotton candy. My sister Jackie was there with her fiance, Brian, along with our cousin Colter.

Bryant has loved basketball since he was a little boy. He really does a great job, and he makes a lot of baskets for his team each year during Special Olympics. Below, we were listed as the "away" team.

Dougherty takes new job

2010-10-20T22:46:00.000-06:00

It wasn't easy to leave. Well, that's a lie. The actual walking out the door was easy.

It was the decision to leave that wasn't easy.

But, after seven and a half years as a reporter (here's my last earth-shattering story), I've followed the time-honored tradition of journalists leaving the news business for public relations.

In this case, I'm now the public information officer (PIO) for the Utah Division of Homeland Security. Thanks to those of you who helped me pass my background check.

It's the state agency that is tasked with coordinating a state response to major disasters in Utah. Fortunately, those disasters don't happen too often. So, while we wait for those disasters to happen, we study, train and practice.

The new job is sweet. Here's a photo snapshot of my first week, which I spent at a conference in St. George for PIOs from around the state. Let's just say the first week was really easy, except for one part.

It turns out there's a thing in my car called a bypass, or something, for the upper hose. It's all related to the car's cooling system. If you're on your way to St. George and that part breaks, coolant goes spewing all over your engine and your previously well-running car's temperature goes pretty high.

Then, you pull into a parking lot in Rose Park

and call your future brother-in-law (read mechanical genius) who gets you back on the road in no time and sends you off with a smile.

Then, you're welcomed by Marie's grandparents, the most gracious of hosts.
Marie and the girls played while I got my conference on.

Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa! See you next time.

Just peachy

2010-10-11T22:51:00.002-06:00

We have finally entered the world of canning! It is quite the adventure. At the end of September, we canned peaches with Laura and Beau. We were really excited to learn. And I have to say, with such good company, it was a lot of fun. We took home 10 quart jars, which is perfect for first-timers.

Introducing the class of 2023

2010-09-02T23:16:00.004-06:00

This week was the beginning of a whole new phase of life in our family. Olivia started school! On the first day, all morning, she asked how much longer. It had been raining for hours, but when the time finally came to go, the rain cleared, so we set out on foot. The school is only two blocks away. It started pouring again after only one block.

Olivia arrived at the school in time to go through the doors with some good friends.

After making sure Olivia got settled in, Allison and I left to brave the rain on the walk home. I only teared up a little, and only out of happiness for what a neat milestone this is in my daughter's life. Truly, I'm as excited as she is, because I always loved school.

By the end of the school day, the rain had passed, so we walked back to meet our new little kindergartner. We arrived in time to see her class following the teacher out to the flagpole, where the kids wait to be picked up.

I asked Olivia how her first day went. "I had a lot of fun, but I didn't learn anything," she said.

West coast visitors

2010-08-28T17:32:00.002-06:00

We recently had some special visitors from California. Joe's dad helped us do some little projects around the house, while his mom and aunt went to Park City to do family history with their cousin. We relaxed and played, and one of the days we were all together, we went to the county fair. Thanks to Barbara and Pat for taking lots of pictures. It's in their blood. Their dad loved to take pictures, and he worked on movie sets in Hollywood. Cool, huh?

Below, Grandpa Mike is teaching Allison a hand trick. These two were best buddies that week.

The rest of the photos are of the Davis County Fair. The girls had fun on the carnival rides.

Below, some lovely ladies are watching the girls go around and around.

One of our favorite events at the fair is Creature Encounters. Behold, the Chilean rose-haired tarantula and the emperor scorpion.

This is part of my arachnophobia therapy. Actually, I would say I no longer have a phobia. Hallelujah!

I was really proud of Barbara for being such a good sport. I don't know if I could have gone this far.

Aunt Pat got the double whammy.

Olivia wasn't sure about this clown. Every time she asked him for a specific color, he would get it wrong. I had to explain that clowns are supposed to be goofy.

Below is my too-cool husband, rocking the red balloon tied to his pants.

Allison's favorite animal at the petting zoo was this emu. She analyzed its neck for quite some time.

The girls finished off the fair by running amok on the inflatable slides. Olivia was hurling herself off the top to catch as much air as possible. She's my little daredevil.

Thanks to our family for a fun-filled week!

Face tainting...er...painting

2010-08-26T20:00:00.001-06:00

We always participate in our library's summer reading programs. The girls LOVE books, and they enjoy going to all the activities. This year's final activity was a party that included face painting. They had volunteers doing the painting. The girls sat perfectly still. The lady who did Olivia's face did a cute job, but the one who did Allison's -- bless her heart -- was a little sketchy with her design. The flower used to have a yellow stem, so I asked her to paint it green, just so Allison would recognize it.

The great outdoors

2010-08-25T22:15:00.002-06:00

For some reason, we were excited to go on our church camp-out this summer, even though we got no sleep at last year's camp-out. And for some reason, we had fun and want to go again, even though we got no sleep this time either. I guess we can't help but enjoy ourselves in the great outdoors. Here we are at the campground near Pineview Reservoir a few weeks ago:

Joe and Olivia went down by the glassy water at about 6 a.m. Heck, we were all awake anyway. I just wish I had had a boat and some skies.

The activities committee did a nice job with all the food. We appreciate all their efforts. It's no easy feat to feed a mass of hungry campers.

What a sweet little 2-year-old, drinking her hot chocolate. You would never know she had run around our tent like a mad woman for two hours the night before. Joe finally had to strap her in her car seat and drive around the campgrounds so she would sleep. It makes no sense, but we're excited to go camping again sometime!

Well, whaddaya know...

2010-08-23T23:38:00.001-06:00

We cut this out of the Standard-Examiner last week.

Wildcat reunion

2010-08-10T23:24:00.003-06:00

A full decade has now passed since I walked the halls of Woods Cross High School as a student. It sounds like a long time, but you know what? It feels like it has flown by. I've accomplished a lot in that decade, and so have many of my classmates. I saw a bunch of them at our 10-year reunion last weekend.

We had dinner and a presentation at the University of Utah. Everyone looked pretty much the same as they did in high school.

Thanks to our senior class presidency (below), who worked so hard to make it a special night. They made a slide show honoring classmates who have served in the military and classmates who have died. There were a good half-dozen who had died, which makes me sad.

I was one of only three people who would admit to remembering the school fight song. Therefore, I was one of only three people who sang it to the audience. "We're the Woods Cross Wildcats, fighting for our school..."

There was a yummy chocolate fountain that night. I took two trips to it. Joe took five.

Right as Joe stuffed a mass of chocolate-covered sweets into his mouth, we were called up to participate in a husbands-against-wives version of Family Feud. The questions had to do with current cartoons. See, a ton of us are now parents. I rocked the first question -- sorry, Joe -- which was about shows airing on PBS. Our next one ended up being about a cable cartoon. We don't have cable, as you can see by our confusion.

The class leaders had planned other funny little games for the evening. Below are two of my favorite girls, duking it out.

Joe had more fun than you might expect a husband to have at his wife's reunion. He knew some of the other husbands, so he chilled with them. He also spent an inordinate amount of time creating a bouquet of chocolate-dipped cinnamon bear marshmallow creatures. He named them CinnaSin ("The only legal sin!") and tried to sell them for $10 apiece.

Thanks for a great night, everyone! I loved high school, and it feels good to know I made friendships there that would last a lifetime.

Our own Mother Goose

2010-06-30T15:22:00.000-06:00

Allison loves nursery rhymes. She has about a dozen memorized. Here are a couple of her favorites. She has been reciting these for months now.

First: "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary"

Next: "Georgie Porgie"

Catch of the day

2010-06-29T14:58:00.000-06:00

On June 5, Joe and Olivia took advantage of the state's annual free fishing day, meaning they weren't required to have a license. Olivia caught her first fish -- one of six little bluegills they caught that day. She was very excited, then immediately bummed when she found out she couldn't take them home. One of these days, we'll have to do the real thing: catch, clean, cook, eat.

History lesson

2010-06-28T14:19:00.002-06:00

Ah. It's such a relief to be blogging again. For the second time this year, I have been tangled up with computer problems. My woes began before Memorial Day, so that's where I'll start my catch-up.

We spent Memorial Day with my mom's parents, who took us on a lovely family history tour. We saw gravesites dating as far back as my great-great-great-grandparents. It was a blessing to have my grandparents there to tell stories. I took a notebook and wrote down everything they said.

Below, we are at the graves of my grandma's parents. Their last name was Allison. Now you know why we chose that name for our little one. Our Allison recognizes her written name, so she was very interested to find it on a bunch of stones. The girls loved gallivanting around the various cemeteries we visited.

Below are my mom and grandparents at my grandpa's parents' graves.

We made a nostalgic stop at Farr's in Ogden, which my grandparents have frequented since their youth. For years, they have ordered the same thing: burnt almond fudge for her, caramel cashew for him.

Below, my grandma is standing in front of the exact apartment where she lived during her elementary school years in the late 1930s and early 40s. It was in the street out front that a boy threw a cat at my grandma when she was a girl. It scratched her face, and she has been terrified of cats ever since.

Our last drive-by was my grandpa's first medical office, which he opened in the 1950s. I'm glad it's still there.

Blast from the past

2010-04-20T15:00:00.002-06:00

The beautiful weather over the weekend was perfect for our trip to Lagoon. We saved up and got season passes this year, so this trip was the first of many. This was Allison's first time going on rides. She did a pretty good job. Only one or two scary moments.

These photos of my girls reminded me of the ones my parents took of my first trip to Lagoon in May of 1984.

Notice how much the decor has changed over the years. I'm proud of the Lagoon officials for realizing that colorful boats floating in bright blue water are more appealing than washed-out boats floating in brown water. Below, I'm the little girl on the right sporting the receding hairline/mullet (just like Allison!). I'm riding with some random boy. Notice the man in gray in the top left corner. I'm loving the short shorts and tall socks. People-watching is one of the fun parts of going to Lagoon.

Next up is Allison in the fighter planes.

Below, I'm making a face that reminds me so much of Allison. She often has angry eyebrows.

Unfortunately, poor Allison didn't find the ride as exciting as we had hoped. We felt so helpless and cruel just standing there when she needed us. OK, and we laughed a little. Luckily, there were plenty of rides she did like!

Half a decade

2010-04-18T22:30:00.003-06:00

Say hello to our new 5-year-old. What a milestone! She will be going into kindergarten in the fall, which is an exciting new step for our whole family. Olivia started her big day by opening presents. She got a bike helmet, clothes, a soccer ball, books, dress-up stuff and more. Lucky girl.

Olivia got to spend her birthday at the Dinosaur Park. My sisters joined us, along with our wonderful family friend Brighton and her cute girls.

Below, Olivia and Lola are being as fancy as possible for their favorite pink dinosaur.

Allison's favorite thing at the Dinosaur Park was this woolly rhino. She called it "the fluffy one."

Below, the girls are sitting with a Tyrannosaurus footprint.

Olivia requested Panda Express for her birthday dinner. She is a fan of their orange chicken. She made the same request for last year's birthday, so I wonder if this is going to become a tradition. We really don't go out to eat very often, so it's funny that she thought of it in the first place.

Happy birthday, beautiful girl!

A beautiful spring day in Utah

2010-04-06T10:28:00.000-06:00

Easter weekend

2010-04-04T22:14:00.003-06:00

On Saturday, we went to our city's Easter egg hunt, as we've done for the past few years. We only have one camera, so this year was Allison's turn to be documented. It's her first year being old enough to care about picking up eggs ... or so we thought.

Allison takes everything very seriously. She doesn't like attention, and she is easily overwhelmed. Daddy eventually had to pick up the eggs and hand them to her.

Click on the image below for my favorite Easter video of all time.

Allison was happy as a clam once she got her candy. She joined her big sister in the car (out of the freezing wind!) and chowed down.

Later that day, the girls made a mess coloring hard-boiled eggs. Everyone in the family got in on the fun. You'll see our works of art below.

Mommy's eggs:

Olivia's eggs:

Daddy's eggs:

Allison's eggs:

On Easter morning, the girls found their Easter baskets, which were filled with surprises. Then we had a fun and spiritual breakfast of "empty tomb" cinnamon rolls. As we assembled the rolls, we told the story of Jesus Christ's death and burial, using the ingredients as symbols. The rolls start off with a marshmallow inside, and when they are cooked, the marshmallow melts, leaving a hollow roll -- an empty tomb.

"He is not here, but is risen." --Luke 24:6

Olivia was so interested in our object lesson. She asked me to tell the story of Jesus again and again. It was the perfect opportunity for me to express that I know Jesus is real. He died for us, and then he rose again, proving that death is not the end. Jesus Christ lives, and we, too, will live again after we die. I know that's true.

Mad bowling skills

2010-03-24T21:12:00.003-06:00

My dear old husband recently celebrated his 31st birthday. To mark the occasion, we went bowling. We hadn't been since his last birthday, and it showed! If you'd like something to mock -- other than Joe's age, of course -- then please scroll down for our scores.

First up: the talented Olivia, who scored an 83. It must be noted that she only used this metal contraption half the time.

Next, we have the loser of the evening: Marie, with a shameful 79.

Next up: Laura, with an almost-as-shameful 81. Have you realized yet that Olivia beat us both?

Beau came next with a solid 110, which is actually terrible for him.

We all paved the way for the birthday boy to take the cake! Joe won with 118.

Below are the babies, who just sat around looking cute. Kade loved all the balls.

And, of course, Allison resented any attention she got. Or maybe she was just disappointed in us.

Happy birthday to my best friend and other half. Your girls love you, Joe!

Going green

2010-03-22T18:22:00.003-06:00

A couple of leprechauns visited our house during the wee hours of St. Patrick's Day and left little surprises. When the girls woke up that morning, they followed the tiny green footprints, which also led to the toilets. I guess when you've gotta go, you've gotta go, even if you're a leprechaun.

Olivia ensured that everyone in the family was wearing green at all times that day. She pinched anyone who wasn't, such as her sleeping mother, who didn't have green pajamas.

We topped off the holiday with a fun St. Patrick's Day dinner -- corned beef and cabbage and some yummy green sides. Cheers to our Irish heritage!

The gargler

2010-03-18T17:46:00.002-06:00

This is one of Allison's favorite pastimes.

Heading into cowboy country

2010-03-15T16:00:00.008-06:00

Y'all interested in a recap of our trip to Texas?

In February, we flew to the Lone Star State to visit our family there. It was Allison's first plane ride and Olivia's second, although it's the first one she remembers. Both girls' eyes were riveted on the windows during take-off.

Our first stop was Dallas to visit Paul and Colleen. They treated us to a great time, Texas-style!

We visited the national historic site at Dealey Plaza. John F. Kennedy was shot while traveling down the street behind Cassidee and Olivia in the picture below.

We visited Wild Bill's Western Store, where Paul works part time. Even though he was off, he immediately started selling a pair of boots to a lady.

The girls absolutely adored Paul and Colleen's dogs, Cookie and Raven. They followed them around everywhere.

Our other sightseeing adventure was at the Dallas World Aquarium, which is so much more than an aquarium. I would say it's also an aviary and a zoo. We loved it!

One of our favorite attractions was the otters. They kept swimming up to the window and touching Allison's hand through it. The workers gave them catfish and tilapia while we were there. Click on the video to see an otter eating. It's so interesting to watch.

One of my favorite aquatic creatures is the manatee, shown below. I've loved them since I first saw one in Florida when I was in second grade. They are the goofiest-looking blobs. I just love them.

We loved all the food we ate in Texas -- brisket, hush puppies, fried catfish, okra. It was delicious, and it was a fun change from the usual. Below was a yummy little place called Sonny Bryan's. Allison had a blast flinging her applesauce all over my face.

The restaurant was nearly empty when we were there, so the girls kept running around and exploring. Below, you'll see how we found them praying in the lobby. I asked Olivia why they were doing that, and she said it was Allison's idea and that they weren't praying for anything in particular.

After a couple of days in Dallas, everyone drove down to Houston to visit Jeff and Amy.

The girls ran with their cousins all weekend and loved every minute.

Uncle Jeff looked beautiful in this Snuggie.

After a great time in Houston, we drove back up to Dallas to finish off our last couple of days. We went to Chuck E. Cheese's so the girls could release some energy. It was surprisingly cold in Dallas. Not much of an escape from our Utah winter!

Cassidee made dinner for us on our last night there. We got to meet her "friend" Mason.

The picture below sums it up. We talked and played until we were all exhausted!

We had a blast, and we made a lot of memories, but there's nothing like home sweet home.

Big girl

2010-03-08T21:21:00.003-07:00

After a rash of computer problems, we are rising from our blogging slump, thanks to our technologically masterful brother-in-law, Beau.

First up, Allison's second birthday. She spent her big day flying home to Utah from our trip to Texas, so she got parties in both states. She loved hearing the birthday song, except for the part when her name was mentioned, at which time she would scream. You'll see it in the video below with her Texas cousins. She was very excited to open presents. She immediately took to telling people her new age. We love our little 2-year-old!

Stay tuned for pictures from our trip to Texas.

In case you're wondering, yes, Alli's name is misspelled on her cake. That's OK!

How do you solve a problem like Olivia?

2010-02-10T15:29:00.005-07:00

My four-year-old has a little demon inside her. Sometimes she enjoys being naughty, even when she knows it's wrong. This is about the sixth time she has made a powder mess. The fifth time was two days ago in the spare bedroom at my mom's house. This time, however, she didn't stop with the bedroom. She coated her sister in it, too. I could smell powder all the way downstairs; that's what tipped me off.

We've talked to her, we've made her clean up her mess, we've taken away privileges. She just likes to be naughty.

Poofy princess dancers

2010-02-06T19:16:00.002-07:00

I have to catch these sweet moments as quickly as possible, because as soon as Allison notices the camera, it's all over.

The fallen

2010-01-16T15:22:00.004-07:00

Back when Joe's parents and brother were in town, everyone built a family of snow princesses. The big one had a hand-carved crown, made by the talented Uncle John. The creations graced our front yard for only about a week before the leader's tragic demise. It happened between midnight and 7 a.m. one night. We kindly threw around ideas of weather, gravity, top-heaviness and such before placing our bets on teenage riffraff.

This is what our front yard has looked like for the past couple of weeks:

Our little mermaid

2010-01-10T23:29:00.002-07:00

Indoor swimming is the perfect wintertime sport. Olivia was adamant that she take lessons again this year. She was born to be in the water. She likes her new teacher, who brings water toys for the kids to play with while they await their turn.

Because the lessons are during the evening, our whole family went on the first day. I knew Allison would want to get in, too. She broke our hearts! "Alli swimming?" she asked. Poor kid! She settled for wandering around, and we decided to try to keep her home from now on.

Ringing in 2010, Dougherty-style

2010-01-04T10:36:00.003-07:00

We jump-started our New Year's celebrations with a little sledding trip. (I'm so hilarious, huh? Actually, my car needs a new battery.) Joe's parents, Mike and Barbara, and his baby brother, John, were in town for the festivities. It was Olivia and Allison's first-ever sledding experience.

Click on the videos below to see Olivia and Allison going down for the first time. I couldn't believe Joe just stuck Allison in a sled with her sister and sent her down. They loved it!

Click below to watch the group going down together. As the camerawoman, I had to run away screaming before they took me out.

Click below to watch Allison and Mommy going down the hill. Notice the kid who has to dive out of our way.

Our sledding extravaganza was a success! Later that afternoon, some of the crazier people in the family followed John in a rendition of "The Ab Ripper X" -- as if sledding hadn't been enough of a workout.

We rang in the new year with games and yummy food. Below, you'll see our first order of business for 2010 was to be as dorky as possible. Our goal was to get everyone off the ground in the picture. (I promise we don't drink alcohol.) Now that's a celebration!

Happy New Year, everyone!

A Christmas for teaching gratitude

2010-01-01T12:50:00.003-07:00

It all started on Dec. 23 at the Christmas party with my dad's side of the family. My dad gave Allison a globe that features spinning lights and catchy music. Olivia's gift was next. She happily opened the package, expecting the same globe. But that's not what she got.

First, she stared silently. Then came the tears. "I hate this!" she cried. "I thought it would be one of those!"

We had a talk about gratitude and people's feelings. She seemed to regret her actions and thanked her grandpa for thinking of her. The party went on.

The girls participated in their great-grandpa's "money sock" tradition. They got to reach in and pull out some handfuls of change. Olivia hauled off with $9.77. The picture doesn't show, but she was very happy about it.

Come Christmas morning, we were back to teaching gratitude. Olivia reached in her stocking and pulled out a princess water bottle. "I asked for makeup!" she pouted. Joe and I looked at each other. Visions of "No presents for you!" were dancing in our heads. But we patiently explained giving and gratitude yet again.

When she finally pulled out makeup, the realization hit her. Our Christmas morning was much better after that.

Allison thought Christmas morning was nice, but she was mostly interested in drinking juice.

Joe was surprised to find tickets to a Big Bad Voodoo Daddy concert in his stocking. Tricky Santa.

One of Allison's favorite gifts was baby powder. She squealed with delight when she opened it, then carried it around the house afterward.

We had Christmas dinner at my mom's house, where the girls were once again showered with gifts, including a doll house. Below is my mom with her grandkids.

My sister Laura made these cute tutus you see below.

We got an extended Christmas when Joe's parents and brother came to visit for New Year's. We opened presents with them, and Olivia had one last gratitude lesson after she commented that she had only received two gifts. This is her first year sporting an attitude, and we're hoping she kicks it sometime in the next decade.

Below is Joe's mom in the picture with our family.

The jolly old elf

2009-12-23T15:23:00.003-07:00

For the past couple of Christmases, our family has visited Santa Claus at the Christmas Village in Ogden. Click here for 2008. Click here for 2007.

We have loved watching Olivia hop up onto the big guy's lap -- always rearing to go -- and tell him what she wants for Christmas. This year, we got to see Allison in action for the first time.

Alli has been very interested in Santa this year. She squeals with excitement when she sees pictures or decorations sporting his likeness. We wondered what she would do with the real thing, since she is our cautious child. I'd say she was star-struck. She was happy to go to him, but she was a little shy. At our request, she quietly told him, "Merry Christmas." And that was that. She doesn't really understand the whole "What do you want for Christmas?" thing.

Olivia, on the other hand, understands it perfectly. She politely rattled off her list of requests: makeup, perfume and princess things. Got that, Mr. C?

Reflections

2009-12-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

The other day, I overheard Allison saying, "Hi, Allison! Hi, Allison!" Upon investigation, I found her talking to her reflection in a saucepan. What a cute, observant little girl.

Evening, Guv'nuh

2009-12-14T12:25:00.003-07:00

Because my husband is a member of the media, we were invited to a holiday open house at the governor's mansion last week. It was fun to see the place. I love old buildings, and this one was built in 1902. To see photos of the mansion, click here.

We met the governor and lieutenant governor and their wives. Servers brought around appetizer trays while we waited in the receiving line. Then we went upstairs for more food, such as little sandwiches and chocolate fountains. Yes, fountains. There were both milk chocolate and white. It was a nice evening.

Our favorite hideout

2009-11-25T13:40:00.002-07:00

"I love to eat candy in the cupboard with my baby sister," says Olivia. "But sometimes my mom tells us not to. We like the cupboard because it's fun, and it's like a little car. We just love it in there."

The enablers

2009-11-20T18:46:00.001-07:00

Allison is addicted. She can't sleep without her pacifier. She uses it at naptime and bedtime. But lately, she has refused to take many of her naps. Instead she messes around in her crib, often spinning and bonking into the rails, then giggling. She also spends time yanking on her pacifiers while gnawing on them. This is the fourth one she's ruined in the past two months. I don't know how much longer we can support her habit.

Invisible ink

2009-11-19T18:31:00.002-07:00

The other night, Olivia and I read a mystery book in which the characters used invisible ink. She was very interested and asked a lot of questions. I told Joe all about it, and being the wonderful father that he is, he knew right what to do. The next morning, he directed Olivia to a "blank" piece of paper on the counter. She immediately wondered if it had a secret message and told us we needed heat to reveal it -- just like in the book. Joe ran a lighter across the back of the paper, and Olivia squealed with delight as the words appeared.

To make a secret message, use a toothpick to write with lemon juice. Let it dry, then carefully run a flame across the back of the paper to make it appear. Don't hold the flame in one place for too long or you'll light the paper on fire. Our second time around, we found it was easier to use a candle and to move the paper instead of the flame.

You look like a monkey, and you smell like one too!

2009-11-16T15:00:00.000-07:00

Back before the snow hit, my sister Laura and I were lucky enough to take a free trip to Hogle Zoo with the kids. It was a nice day, although a little windy. My other sister, Jackie, joined us halfway through, but somehow she eluded all the photos.

Olivia and Allison loved the animals. Olivia says her favorites were the baby elephant and baby giraffe. Doesn't everyone love babies? Allison was interested in everything, particularly any water features she spotted: "Oh! Water! Penguin's water!" and "Oh! Water! Elephant's water!"

First real snow day

2009-11-14T12:21:00.002-07:00

Once Upon a Dream

2009-11-12T12:13:00.003-07:00

Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel, Mulan, Jasmine, Snow White and Belle all in the same room -- it's almost too much excitement to bear.

We surprised Olivia with tickets to Disney on Ice Princess Classics. She dressed herself as she saw fit. The first adventure of the night was taking TRAX to the Energy Solutions Arena.

Then we took our seats in the lower bowl -- Row 19.

The show was really cute, and Olivia watch the whole thing intently. We can't say as much for Allison, but she did do a lot of clapping.

At the end of the show, Olivia wanted to get closer to the ice. We went down to the two-foot barrier, which you'll see below. She sat there looking glum, because the guard wouldn't allow her to touch the ice.

The gloom faded quickly, though, and Olivia now has this to say about her experience: "I loved the show, and I want to see it a trillion times!"

Ballerinas

2009-11-11T15:20:00.000-07:00

I can't get this video to turn upright, even though it is saved upright on my computer. So weird. Anyway, tilt your head, because this is cute.

Joe and Marie

2009-11-10T14:35:00.004-07:00

Six years ago, God gave us a gift -- each other. We still look at our marriage that way. I can't imagine that two people have ever been more perfect for each other. We feel so blessed, so we take good care of our gift.

To celebrate our anniversary, we went to Logan, where we met while attending Utah State University. First, we visited the temple there, and then we went to dinner at The Bluebird, which is where we used to eat when we were dating. My grandparents had their wedding luncheon there back in 1954. Joe ordered an Ironport soft drink from the old soda fountain to add to the ambiance.

After we had our fill of Bluebird chicken, we went dancing at Elite Hall, in Hyrum, which is also a little piece of history. People have been dancing there since the early 1900s. Joe took me swing dancing at Elite Hall on our second date, and we have been dancing together ever since.

We're a little out of shape, but just as in love as ever. I will never stop thanking my Father in Heaven for my other half. When I'm with him, I feel valued and secure and validated. He is never critical and always supportive. This guy is my biggest fan, and I hope he knows that I am his.

Here's to eternity.

Where is your father?

2009-11-05T09:10:00.002-07:00

A couple of Sundays ago, we were enjoying a relaxing afternoon. I was making dinner, and Allison headed upstairs to play with her daddy. About 20 minutes later, she came back down looking like the beauty you see above. Mascara. "Where is your father?" I asked. I was afraid to visit the scene of the crime. We marched up the stairs and into the bedroom, finding clues along the way: black streaks on the walls, eyeshadow ground into the carpet. And there he was. His feet were dangling from the bed. His face was wrapped in a pillow. Daddy was fast asleep.

Tricks and treats

2009-11-01T22:59:00.002-07:00

We got in the Halloween spirit this year with a little pumpkin carving. We got bolder than ever before with a couple of new techniques -- power drilling and shaving. You'll see the results below. You'll also see that Olivia chose Ariel for her pumpkin. Allison just made our lives more difficult by throwing goop around the kitchen and dancing in it, then by insisting on putting her feet in the pumpkins.

The girls loved their costumes this year. They were especially excited about the makeup -- even Allison, who would gaze at herself in the mirror again and again.

We went to our neighborhood's annual trunk-or-treat, where Allison got a lot of practice with all her new Halloween lingo. Click on the videos for some cute action.

We rounded out the evening with the good old-fashioned door-to-door thing. Both girls had ultimate endurance to hit up house after house. Allison was a little hesitant at first, but soon started walking right in to people's houses. One family had done an awesome haunted house across their entire front yard. Olivia went through it twice and loved it, despite the eerie ambiance and scary people popping out everywhere. That girl has some serious guts for a 4-year-old. Happy Halloween to my beautiful girls. I had so much fun experiencing Halloween through them.

Going for a walk

2009-10-28T12:45:00.001-06:00

Last week we went to Syracuse's annual pumpkin walk. It's our third year going. We love looking at the hundreds of carved pumpkins and picking out our favorites. Here are just a few that caught our attention. Notice the picture of the pumpkin with Allison's hand on it. She gave it a hug.

The first snow

2009-10-27T12:10:00.002-06:00

We woke up this morning to find our neighborhood dusted with snow -- just a hint of what's to come. Now, at noon, it is gone.

Uncle John's black car

2009-10-20T15:08:00.001-06:00

During Uncle John's visit from California, the girls were obsessed with his Honda Element. We can't count how many times Allison said, "Uncle John's black car!" (She's a great little talker.)

One morning Olivia asked for a ride around the block. When they got back, Allison went out to join them, and that led to at least an hour of fun -- climbing on seats, opening doors, and looking through compartments. Allison somehow rounded up four different chapsticks and quickly became very possessive of her newly found treasures. John is a very patient and sharing uncle.

Pumpkin patch kids

2009-10-19T14:06:00.002-06:00

Last week we had a surprise visit from Joe's younger brother John, who came here from California. Our first adventure was a tractor ride to the pumpkin patch at J&J's. The kids came away with some great carving pumpkins, and Uncle John found a rather interesting one for himself.

A peek at my past

2009-10-10T21:21:00.004-06:00

I used to be able to do a nice toe-touch. Now, I'm really good at changing diapers and eating chocolate. It's been 10 years -- a decade, you know -- since I donned that frightening little skirt. That's right, I was a cheerleader. I'm proud to say I did more yelling back then than I do now.

"ALL RIGHT, WOODS CROSS!"
"GO, WILDCATS!"

Are you feeling it?

My sqaud, or as many as could make it, got together for a little reunion this weekend. We all agreed that we felt old. It was fun to see the girls and catch up. Here's a little peek at the now and then.

Produce production

2009-10-05T10:45:00.008-06:00

The Sweet Sixteen apple:

"Crisp and juicy with an exotic yellow flesh and a very sweet, unusual sugar cane or spicy cherry candy flavor."

That's the description offered by the apple's inventors, the University of Minnesota, and we agree with it. We have been loving our Sweet Sixteen tree. It has the most unique apples we have ever tasted, and they are huge.

We took one of our Sweet Sixteens to the Extension program's apple and cheese tasting event, and the hosts were very impressed. It's a fun event, and it's free. They provide everything. This was our second year attending. Click here for pictures from last year. If you're feeling jealous right now, don't despair. There's another event this Friday, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Ogden Botanical Gardens. Enjoy!

Now, take a look at some of our bounty this season.

Aside from the apricots and apples, we harvested tomatoes, bell peppers, red cherry peppers, basil, spaghetti squash, butternut squash, acorn squash, yellow summer squash and zucchini. We also grew cantaloupe and orange-fleshed watermelon, which you will see below.

The fountain of youth

2009-09-20T20:40:00.003-06:00

Today we went to a big church meeting (stake conference) in Ogden. Our meeting was in the building next to the Ogden temple, so we went a little early and took our camera for some shots on the pretty temple grounds.

Everything was going just swimmingly ... until Allison decided to go for a swim.

Actually, what happened was that Allison was sick of Olivia holding on to her, so she started to bite Olivia's arm. Olivia tried to yank her arm away, and in the mayhem, Allison lost her balance.

Before we knew it, she was submerged. Joe ran and fished her out. I stood gaping like a fool, with my hands over my mouth. Once the shock wore off, though, we couldn't stop laughing.

Joe took Allison home for the first half of the meeting. Then they slipped in and joined us for the second half. I'm sure people just figured he was out in the hall with a fussy child. :) Little did they know.

Pretty in pink

2009-09-11T09:33:00.003-06:00

Here is Olivia before her first soccer game.

Below, Olivia is at her second soccer game, where she had her first try at being the goalie. This game was extra fun, because she played against the neighborhood boys. The boys won, 1-0.

To be honest, Olivia doesn't seem to care about soccer. She likes being the goalie, but when it comes to running around the field and chasing the ball, she doesn't get into it. She mostly shuffles around leisurely, waving to people or picking up litter. We even caught her picking her nose.

Click on the video below to watch Olivia's inaction -- er, I mean Olivia in action.

Below are Olivia and her friend Brandon after the game.

Here is Olivia with her friend Jack.

Below, we have Boston, Brandon and Olivia.

Good game, kiddies! Go Pink Flamingos AND Black Knights!

Tub time

2009-09-08T16:37:00.003-06:00

Allison, 18 months, and her cousin Kade, 5 months, clean up after dinner.

Soccer girl

2009-09-04T10:13:00.004-06:00

Go Pink Flamingos! That's the name of Olivia's all-girl soccer team. Here are a few shots of their practices. The games start next week.

Click on the video below to watch Olivia at her very first practice. This is all new for her, but she's doing a great job.

Stung

2009-09-01T11:23:00.004-06:00

Olivia was in the back yard playing in her kiddie pool last weekend. She came in and headed to the bathroom, then ran right back out to me, screaming, "It feels like there's a thorn on my bum!" We took off her swimsuit, and a wasp crawled out of it. Poor girl! Her first sting -- right on the derriere. There were a few tears, but mostly after she saw the wasp, so I think it was sheer horror more than pain. She's a tough kid. Plus, a little Benadryl fixed her right up.

Fun at the museum

2009-08-30T21:34:00.004-06:00

Last week we went to the Discovery Gateway with my sisters. It's a children's museum, and my children gave it their seal of approval.

Below is Allison at her favorite spot in the whole place -- the water feature. It was creatively designed, with pipes and mini waterfalls and bowls and tubs. She would have stayed there all day.

Below, Olivia is in the doghouse.

Next, you'll see Olivia in her favorite area of the museum -- the play house. There was also a little grocery store.

Allison loved spinning the gears on the giant magnet board.

There were towers to build, magnets to move and paper cups to fly. There was a little earthquake simulator to knock down your creations.

Below are the cousins: Olivia, Allison and Kade.

Laura needed a shot with her little one.

Below is Jackie the news anchor. The museum had computers for older kids to create their own news show, complete with a green screen for the weather.

There was a little stage for the kids to put on a play. Olivia found a unicorn pullover, and Allison is in some sort of Shrek get-up.

Our last adventure was to climb inside a real helicopter on display at the museum. It's an old Life Flight copter.

A house of God

2009-08-28T13:25:00.000-06:00

Our family visited the new Oquirrh Mountain temple during its open house. It is now the 130th temple in operation worldwide for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is beautiful and peaceful there. To learn more about our church's temples, click here.

Our good friend Roy G. Biv

2009-08-27T14:01:00.000-06:00

Behold the rainbow we saw Sunday evening. It was a full arch, and Olivia thought it was beautiful.

*Note: Modern scientists no longer recognize indigo as a color on the spectrum (no one ever really knew what it was anyway, right?), so our friend is technically Roy G. Bv. Doesn't quite have the same ring, does it?

Out of town

2009-08-26T14:53:00.000-06:00

We went on a church camp-out last weekend. The people in charge did a great job, and we had a lot of fun. It was Allison's first time sleeping in a tent. The girls did OK, but I froze my tail off. I hardly slept a wink. For me, sleeping in a tent is like having babies: No matter how terrible the experience, I somehow look back with fondness and eventually want to do it again.

Below is Olivia with her friend Aspen. They loved playing in the tent.

Below, Joe is having breakfast by the fire.

Cousins

2009-08-25T14:24:00.000-06:00

The three beauties standing with me are my girl cousins on my mom's side. Their baby brother just got married (congrats, Blake!), so I made sure to get a photo with them on the big day. We have had a lot of fun over the years.

From left to right are Kristy, Marie, Sara and Amy.

Rewind more than two decades.

From left to right are Sara, Kristy, Amy and Marie, circa 1987.

I love you, girls!

A fair to remember

2009-08-24T11:45:00.007-06:00

The theme of this year's county fair was "Go Wild," so we did our best to oblige. We got down with the farm animals and befriended the creepy-crawlers. The county did a good job this year. Everything we did was free of charge. We came away with the validation that our girls were born to be wild.

Below are Marie's two sisters and nephew.

Below is Olivia with a Brahma bull.

Below are my sister and mom with the girls.

What are you staring at? Is there something on my face?

Below is Olivia brushing an animal's back.

Below, everyone puckers up for the zebu.

Olivia took a liking to the little donkey.

Below is Allison in a pen with a tortoise.

Olivia held very still while she held this Chilean tarantula. It didn't seem to faze her a bit.

She got a stamp on her hand to prove she had held it.

Next, she held an emperor scorpion, which is the least poisonous. The guy said its sting would be comparable to a mosquito bite.

Below, I am holding a Trinidad cockroach.

Olivia loved the water experiments in the science tent.

Allison was interested in the Burmese python, but hesitant at first.

Then she reached out.

One of the main events at the fair was an alligator show. The team is from Florida and travels around the country.

Below is Allison petting a 3-year-old alligator. She also tried to squeeze it.

Below is Allison on her first pony ride. She took it very seriously, but we think she liked it.

Click on the video below to watch little Alli go around.

Splash

2009-08-05T13:56:00.002-06:00

For a fun, free way to beat the heat, Olivia recommends South Ogden's splash pad.

Thanks to the pioneers!

2009-07-26T22:46:00.002-06:00

Friday was Pioneer Day here in Utah. It's the day we celebrate the Mormon pioneers' arrival here back in 1847, basically the beginning of Utah as we know it. We marked the occasion by attending the 75th annual parade in Ogden.

All the kids ran out into the street when a truck carrying a big foam machine went by. I was caught up watching them and forgot to grab my camera for the good shots. Both my girls got a nice dose of foam, but it evaporated quickly.

Below is the guy who was sitting by us. He talked on his phone through most of the parade.

I loved the part in the parade when a crowd of LDS missionaries came down the street, singing "Called to Serve."

I'm grateful for the many sacrifices made by the courageous pioneers. I'm glad to be a Utahn!

Birds 12, Humans 90 (and counting)

2009-07-22T21:21:00.008-06:00

The harvest is on. We came back from California to find our apricot tree full of ripe 'cots.

Our 'cots are juicy and orange and there are so, so many of them. Every day, in the cool of the summer morning, I venture out to pluck pure sweetness from our tree.

Take this one, for example. After I took this picture, I plucked. But I'll eat it tomorrow, though I can hardly wait. These are the ripest apricots I've ever eaten.

I'm not the only one who can't wait. There's a stealthy creature who wants to get its 'cot on. I think it's a bird. Who else, besides a bird brain, would leave this hanging on a tree?