Never a dull moment!

Raiders Fan

2012-01-18T11:18:00.000-08:00

We start em young around here. Daddy is very proud. Above is Max.
Here is Alyssa at a few days old.

And Jamison:

And Alexi:

And Ella:

Max at about a week

2012-01-08T17:53:00.001-08:00

Baby Max about 1 week old. Man is he a great snuggler! He sleeps awesome as long as he is on someone. He sleeps about 4 hours and then 3 more at night, but I have yet to get him to sleep in his bassinet. So we snuggle all night long. I must have 10pillows all around me at night to keep him safe. I can't imagine how I got on without him!!!! My mother and father in law have been here for 10 days and leave on Wednesday the same day Jeff goes back to work. Wish me luck!!!

Baby Max is here!

2012-01-01T17:47:00.000-08:00

Baby Max arrived on Thursday, December 29, 2011 at 4:35 am. He was 8 lbs .08 oz and 21 inches long. He is a very sweet litte guy!

Chsirtmas fun!

2011-12-26T14:25:00.000-08:00

Santa found us this year and the kids must have been good. I have to say it was nice going to church and having such an uplifting musical Sacrament. And best of all I made it through without going into labor!!!! 4 more days..........

Snow!!!

2011-12-24T08:49:00.000-08:00

Lovin all the snow this year!!!!

I so want this!!!!!!

2011-12-07T16:01:00.000-08:00

Snow Day!!!

2011-12-05T09:39:00.000-08:00

It's our first weekend of snow!!!! The kids were so excited for the day off to play in it. I am planning some holiday baking. Yeah for the snow!!!!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-27T19:11:00.000-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving week. Alyssa was home for 9 days! My sister Sally and her family came for a few days and we cooked, ate, watched movies and played. The kids enjoyed their daily trips to Starbucks for hot chocolate. I enjoyed Sally cooking the turkey and stuffing!!! And loved learning how to make a Pumpkin Cheesecake. YUM!!!! The food was fantastic and the company even better. We have most of the Christmas decorations up and the lights on the house. Next weekend- the tree! We even made it to 2 movies, Jack and Jill and The Muppets. Yeah for family and Jeff having time off. Hope yours was just as good.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-09T16:29:00.000-08:00

We had a ton of fun this Halloween. There were so many parties and the kids dressed up different for each one. Alyssa was Corpse Bride at her school party and Herimine at our Trunk of Treat. Jamison was Iron Man and then Anikin. Alexi was Katara from Last Airbender and Jasmine. Ella was Alice in Wonderland, Dorthy and Tangled. We decorated pumpkins and roasted pumpkin seeds. There is still enough candy in our house to last till Easter. I doubt it will though.......

Almost as cute, but mine glows in the dark!

2011-10-28T19:53:00.000-07:00

A friend suggested making my own shirt since I couldn't order one in time. It turned out pretty cute. The only problem was the ribs kept coming off!!! But it did glow in the dark!

Music Makers party

2011-10-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

We had our Music Makers Halloween party on Wednesday. It was great fun. I am bummed the Halloween songs are done! They are the best songs of the whole year! Notice the red Dracula Teeth we use for "Looking for Dracula". It was so funny watching the kids try to wear them while singing.

Find me this shirt by Halloween and I'll let you name the baby!

2011-10-22T08:08:00.003-07:00

Ok maybe not, but it would be soooo cool!

Too late! I found it on Ebay and a few other places. I guess I get to name the baby! There is one for the Father too with fast food in the belly!!!

Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

2011-10-14T17:25:00.000-07:00

This week we went to the Pumpkin Patch for Preschool. It was so much fun. We have 7 kids in our preschool and they are so great! The kids had a blast racing duckies, going through the corn maze, decorating Mr. Pumpkin with potato head pieces, racing tractors and eating lunch. I love this preschool!!!

Another unwelcome friend

2011-10-12T18:26:00.001-07:00

Today we found an unwelcome friend in the front yard. Guess we are the ones to blame for killing the State Insect. Uh can we be fined for that?????

Our Little Friend

2011-10-11T14:41:00.000-07:00

We found this little friend in our backyard a few weeks ago. It was a seriously freaky spider. Here are some cool facts about it. And yesterday one of our neighbors found a tarantula in their yard. Maybe we shouldn't have killed it.........

A tarantula hawk is a spider wasp which hunts tarantulas as food for its larvae.

The stinger of a female tarantula hawk can be up to 7 mm (1/3 inch) long, and the sting is considered among the most painful insect stings in the world.

The female tarantula hawk captures, stings, and paralyzes the spider, then either drags her prey back into her own burrow or transports it to a specially prepared nest, where a single egg is laid on the spider’s body, and the entrance is covered. When the wasp larva hatches, it rips a small hole in the spider's abdomen, then plunges into the spider's belly and feeds voraciously, avoiding vital organs for as long as possible to keep it fresh. After several weeks, the larva pupates. Finally, the wasp becomes an adult, and tears open the spider's belly to get out.

The U.S. state of New Mexico chose the insect in 1989 to become its official state insect.

What's a Ziggurat???

2011-09-28T18:28:00.000-07:00

Here is Jamison's first junior high project. It's a Ziggurat. You know from Mesopotamian times??? He got more than 100% on it because he turned it in early. Whoohoo! Here's to getting straight A's in junior high. A mom can dream can't she???

Too funny!

2011-09-20T07:14:00.000-07:00

This blog that I follow for couponing has a new deal on a really cool tshirt. I don't know if I can pull it off. Can you???

If you really want to order one, go here.

Ella's first day of preschool

2011-08-25T16:15:00.001-07:00

Ella started preschool on Tuesday and was so excited! She was dressed and in her shoes by 6:30. Mind you I was still in bed. She had a blast this week learning about rocks and volcanoes and can't wait for next week.

First Day of School

2011-08-18T16:37:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was the first day of school. Alexi loves it. Jamison not so much. Junior high comes with all kinds of stress and craziness. I did not get a picture of Alyssa. She left on Monday and has been very happy at school so far. Ella can't wait for preschool to start next week.

It's a Boy!!!

2011-08-08T17:42:00.000-07:00

We had our ultrasound today. They were VERY thorough and did a complete Genetics work-up. After 2+ hours we found out we were having a baby boy!!! One that seems healthy in every way! PHEW! Jamison is one very excited brother. Now we just need some names.

Huntington Lake

2011-08-05T09:05:00.000-07:00

Condo!!!

2011-08-05T09:03:00.000-07:00

The next stop on our trip was to my Dad's condo above Fresno at Huntington Lake. We celebrated Birthdays and hung out.

More beach and trampoline

2011-08-05T08:42:00.000-07:00

Uncle Tyler bouncing the kid on the trampoline was a hit.

More beach

2011-08-05T08:38:00.000-07:00

Of course the men were fishing.

Spa and beach

2011-08-05T08:26:00.000-07:00

Paper Dresses

2011-08-05T08:21:00.000-07:00

Our first stop on our trip to California was Jeff's parents in Newbury Park. We played with cousins, went to the beach and Disneyland. Here their cousin Kenna made them all paper dresses. They loved them. Unfortunately Alyssa's didn't last until I took pictures.

Sunshine Generations

2011-08-05T08:10:00.000-07:00

My friend Andrea teaches a sing/ dancing class that the 3 younger kids did in July. Ella had a solo on the song Never Smile at a Crocodile. If I could ever figure out how to load videos longer than 5 seconds I would post it!

Swimming

2011-08-05T08:03:00.000-07:00

Back in June we did 2 weeks of swimming lessons. We stayed after lessons almost everyday for free swim. The kids love the water and usually never want to leave. They had great teachers and Ella is so close to being able to swim alone. In the picture of Alexi doing pushups, she was showing her class how so they could do them on the bottom of the pool. No, she wasn't in trouble....

Disneyland!!!

2011-07-20T16:33:00.000-07:00

I took Jamison and Alyssa to Disneyland yesterday with my good friend Alisa and 3 of her kids. Despite the extreme heat we had a great time. I guess I should explain that I take one child at a time to Disneyland and Alyssa chose to bring Jamison to ride with her since I can't go on the rollercoasters.

Fun with Aunt Stephie and Mahkala

2011-07-13T17:22:00.000-07:00

My sister Steph and her daughter Mahkala came for a visit last week and we had a blast. After picking them up from the airport we went straight to Chick A Fila for their free food if you wore a costume day. Saturday we went to see the new movie Zookeeper. That night Steph and I went out to a Creperie in town and saw the movie Larry Crowne. Sunday we had Steph's friend Sara and her family over for dinner. Monday night Jeff and I got to go out to dinner and we saw the movie Transformers 3 in 3D. It was such a fun and busy weekend. I don't think I've seen that many movies in the past 6 months. I miss my sister and wish we lived closer. Summer would be a totally different experience if she were here! Come back!!!!!!! Plus Ella told her she wants her to me her mommy. I guess she likes Stephie too.

A lost tooth, an ambulance ride, and a new car

2011-07-07T14:02:00.000-07:00

This has been a busy week. Today Alexi lost her other front tooth which was barely hanging on. So now she has a huge gap in the front. I think she looks quite cute!

Yesterday Alyssa had a seizure, her first ever. Not so fun for mom and little sister to witness. Alyssa and I took a ride in the ambulance to the hospital where all the tests came back fine, so now we wait for an specialized MRI. She was a little freaked out when she woke up and was told we were going in an ambulance, but after we got there she said, "This is kinda fun." Thankfully we have great friends that watched the kids.

About 2 weeks ago we bought a Suburban, lets just say I am hoping I'll like it. I loved my minivan and am not sure about giving up power sliding doors, and so many features that I love. We had to wait for the title to get here to sell the van, but we got it Tuesday and it was sold the first day to the first caller from Craig's list. Phew! I didn't want that hanging over our heads.

Jamison has been at a basketball camp all week and loving it. Ella is needing the kids to go back to school, she has been a little ornery and bossy. I think she misses her quiet house all day. Her mom might too.... I am tired. For those of you who don't know, I am pregnant and due Dec 30th. I am 15 weeks and very glad that the nauseous phase is done, but just seem so dang tired!!! I guess I am getting old. Here's to having a quiet calm next week. One can hope right???

Chicken Courdon Blue/Bleu

2011-06-29T06:27:00.000-07:00

Not sure about the proper spelling but here is the recipe.

Chicken Cordon Bleu
Pound 4 chicken breasts flat
Place a slice of ham and swiss cheese on each one
Roll up and secure with 2 toothpicks
Dust with flour, roll in beaten egg and roll in this mixture:
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tbsp parsley
1/4 cup parm cheese
1/2 packet of Good Seasons dry garlic cheese dressing: kinda like a ranch packet, however they no longer make these that I can find, so we just added a few dashes of garlic salt.

Put in a glass baking dish, cover, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

An hour before serving fry breasts in oil till lightly browned on each side. Put back in baking dish remove toothpicks and bake for 30-40 min at 325.

Sauce:
1 can cream of mushroom soup and 1/2 cup sour cream. Mix till warm and serve on the top.

When we make this I slice each breast in half lengthwise and make 8 thin breasts.

If you are at the Paradise Pool.......

2011-06-27T15:10:00.001-07:00

If you are at the Paradise Pool, please keep a watch out for Alexi's tooth! It finally fell out when she was bumped while swimming. Thanks!!!!

And I will post the Courdon Blue recipe soon.....

Father's Day

2011-06-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

For Father's Day Jeff wanted Chicken Courdon Blue. Oh course an easy request! It is just about the most delicious meal ever. I think it's about the only thing I could make before I left for college. That and mashed potatoes. So we had Chicken Courdon Blue with Lillie's rice, creamed spinach and ice cream for dessert. We made him orange rolls for breakfast and CPK frozen pizza for lunch. What a spoiled Dad. He does deserve it though. He is the best Dad ever!!!!

Alexi's tooth

2011-06-24T08:51:00.000-07:00

Why won't that thing just fall out already??? It' been months since it's been loose and barely hanging on for more than a week.

What do you do in the summer time????

2011-06-24T08:46:00.000-07:00

My kids get to do chores. They make the mess, why should I scrub it up???? Then they took the opportunity of having the kitchen table in family room to make a fort! Hours of fun.

Mandarin Orange Almond Salad

2011-06-10T15:39:00.000-07:00

I went to a salad party today and we are supposed to post our recipes. Here goes:

Mandarin Orange Almond Salad

3/4 head lettuce
1 cup chopped celery (personally I leave out the celery)
2 cans mandarin oranges, drained
1/3 cup sugar
1 head romaine lettuce
1 bunch green onions
1 cup sliced almonds toasted
To toast almonds: Put almonds and sugar into a pan and stir on low heat until sugar is dissolved and coats almonds. It takes a really long time.

Dressing:
6 Tbsp. vinegar
1 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. sugar
3/4 cup oil

To make it a meal add chicken.

Alexi's bday party!

2011-06-02T07:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Alexi had her 7th bday party here at our house. She had a music theme and played games like freeze dance and pop the balloon. They also made bead bracelets and fairy pictures. Alexi has been planning this for weeks. I think they had a great time.

Complete opposites

2011-05-27T10:18:00.000-07:00

Jamison and Alexi are complete opposites when it comes to school. Jamison never wants to go. Alexi wants to go even when she is sick. Sunday when Jamison started acting sick I assumed he was faking it because school was the next day. He ended up with a fever and stayed home 2 days. Alexi came down with the same fever Wednesday after school but tried to hide it. She didn't want to miss the last 2 days of school. Last year I found throw up on her floor about 1:00 and she had gone to school at 8:30. I hoped maybe it was the dogs, and asked her about it after school. She said it was her but she didn't want to stay home. Sorry Mrs. Weaver's kindergarten class! Funny kids!

San Fransisco with sisters

2011-05-18T14:30:00.000-07:00

My sisters and I had a fabulous time in San Fransisco. We shopped, ate, shopped, slept and ate some more. One night we had Italian, the next Peruvian food. My favorite was Dim Sum for lunch,it's the one pictured. YUMMY! We also went to Sears for breakfast, they have the best Swedish pancakes. Delish! I love my sisters. We are all very different, but have the best time together. One thing about San Fransisco though. It is a crazy town. Busy, crowded, loud. We even saw a fight in a shoe store over a spot in line! It didn't help that we were in town the weekend of the Bay to Breakers marathon where tens of thousands of people run from the Bay to the Ocean, most in costume and some in nothing at all. So there were more people than usual. Next time I hope we go somewhere a little less crowded, but either way it will be fun! And doesn't Stephanie rock that hat??? Love you Steph, Kim and Sally!

Visit to Bamas

2011-05-16T14:28:00.000-07:00

Last week I flew to Sacramento to visit my Grandmother who is 94 and still living alone and driving! She has always been one of my favorite people. Her house was the one to visit when we were younger. She has a swimming pool with a slide, a player piano, toy room, doll house, rock waterfall that empties into a little pond with these tiny mosquito fish that we would catch and let go over and over again, and a full size tennis court. Plus she spoiled us. I stayed for 2 days and we went to Red Lobster, Great Harvest, and Barnes and Noble. We watched TV and played and sang on the player piano. It was a fun trip. And on my way to visit her I stopped at my Aunt Joanie's library and had a nice long visit with her. Man I just live too far away from family.

Our New Railing

2011-05-10T08:24:00.000-07:00

Jeff's parents came for a visit last month and his Dad suggested putting up a new railing. I have hated our railing since the moment we moved in this house. At first his Dad suggested taking down the wall and making a banister but we had to shoot that down due to lack of funding. So, he and Jeff went out a picked a gorgeous wood piece and made a railing. It took most of their week long visit to accomplish this, but it was sooooo worth it! I love it!

*** Can you guess which is the new and which is the old railing???

Ella's bday

2011-05-05T09:04:00.000-07:00

Ella's birthday was a blast! She had a Tangled theme. The kids made Pascal blowers, played pin the frying pan on Flynn Rider, watched Tangled, played in bubbles, jumped on the trampoline, ate root beer popsicles and basically just ran wild. Ella was in heaven and is already counting the days till her next birthday!

Flower Gleam and Glow

2011-04-27T18:24:00.000-07:00

Ella has been singing this non stop since we downloaded the Tangled soundtrack. If you don't believe me, ask everyone at the grocery store.......

Easter

2011-04-26T08:14:00.000-07:00

Here are the pictures of our Egg hunt. The kids had a great time. The Easter bunny went a little overboard hiding over 200 eggs. And the wind was not cooperating so they were blowing off things and cracking open. But hey chocolate is chocolate dirty or not. Now it is my job to inspect=eat all the good stuff, leaving the jelly beans behind. ;-)

Ella, Ella, let down your hair!

2011-04-25T14:32:00.001-07:00

Ella is going to have a Tangled Birthday party this week and for a few minutes I was thinking about making this cute yarn hair for each girl. After I made 2 of them I decided that was not to be. But Ella has had alot of fun playing in hers.

Puppet Club

2011-04-25T14:01:00.000-07:00

Alexi just finished Puppet Club and had a very cute show. Sorry the video is sideways, but I don't know how to fix it.

Curly hair

2011-04-25T02:30:00.000-07:00

Ella had a braid that we took out this morning. I love it when it leaves her hair curly. So cute!!!!!

Take me out to the ball game......

2011-04-07T14:16:00.000-07:00

This year Jamison is a Yankee. He had his first game last Saturday and another game Tuesday. A parent takes a ton of photos so I can watch the game instead of trying to get the perfect shot. Thank you parent I don't know for emailing these! Go Yankees!!!! (Don't tell Jeff I said that- he's a Dodgers fan....)

Disneyland!!!!

2011-03-26T13:05:00.000-07:00

Ella's first trip to Disneyland. She wanted to ride the carousels more than anything. She loved the Toon Town Roller Coaster. She also loved the Brother Bear play area. We skipped all long lines and waiting for autographs. I didn't think this 3 year old would enjoy 90 minute waits. She took about a 2 hour nap mid day. She also loved the tea cups and the tour of Sleeping Beauty's castle. Thanks to Alisa and her kids for coming along. Her older 3 and Jamison and sometimes Alexi hit all the big rides. On the way home Ella said that It's a Small World was her favorite.

More pics from the Pier

2011-03-25T15:50:00.001-07:00

The kids loved their ice cream and the "pony rides" were free!

Going to Grandma's House!

2011-03-25T15:43:00.001-07:00

The first day of Spring Break we headed to Grandma's house in Newbury Park. Jamison and Ella spent a lot of time sleeping. Alexi does not sleep in the car, so she played, drew and watched movies. Jamison gets car sick and sleeping for him is best. Ella was really good until nap time and then she kicked Jamison's chair until he was really mad, then she fell asleep! The next day we went to the Pier and had lunch, rode the carousel and had ice cream. The kids had a blast feeding the birds, until we saw the really old sign that asked you not to. Oops! Alyssa did not come because she has a different Spring Break than Albuquerque does. I felt really bad leaving her and Jeff behind- he had to work- but now I get to spend all week with just Alyssa and it has been a lot of fun.

Albuquerque Indoor Karting

2011-03-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

Jamison got a gift card to go to Albuquerque Undoor Karting for Christmas. We took forever to use it. Finally before Spring Break I took him. We had a blast. I think it really scared him because they are really fast and they have these strict rules about hitting other cars and the sides of the track. They have you watch a video before you can go with all the rules and what the flags mean. He was really concerned about the flags and the one that means you have broken a rule and have to leave the track. After the first race we were going to do another one, but he said he was ready to leave. Then after 5 minutes in the car he asked when we could go again. Oh and the delicious sandwich you see is from Einsteins Bros Bagels. I didn't know they had one by the 40. I absolutely love their sandwiches and was so glad that we stumbled on it on the way home!

Our last Blue and Gold Banquet

2011-02-24T12:16:00.000-08:00

Last night Jamison went to his last Blue and Gold Banquet. When you procrastinate like we have you find yourself doing nothing but Scouts for 2 months before they turn 11. Then they get a tons of awards! Jamison got his Webelos, Arrow of Light, a bunch of belt loops and pins and some stuff I don't even know we did! Off we go to Boy Scouts. And yes, Jamison has a chronic lip licking problem as shown here by his incredibly chapped face.

Alyssa Skiing

2011-02-24T11:29:00.000-08:00

Alyssa started skiing in January at Ski Apache in Ruidoso. She has had so much fun. I am so glad that she can have these experiences. They have their last day next week and are going to have a race! Wish I could go, but 4 hours each way may a bit much for a school day. Isn't she so cute in my purple snow suit? It really frightens me that she can wear my clothes. By next year she'll be taller than me for sure!

More baby JJ

2011-02-17T08:18:00.000-08:00

Ok who's going to tell my why I can only load 5 picture per post?????

Happy Birthday Jamison!!!!

2011-02-17T08:15:00.001-08:00

It's official, Jamison is now 11 years old!!!! He is a Boy Scout! He passed the final 4 things last night at Scouts so he can get his Webelos and Arrow of Light! Man I am so proud of myself, I mean him. Happy Birthday JJ!!!!!

Jamison's Birthday

2011-02-16T12:26:00.001-08:00

We celebrated Jamison's 11th birthday on Saturday, even though his real birthday is tomorrow. He invited some friends to come to the 3D showing of Megamind and then come over for a pinata and pudding pie. That night we had his family birthday party. 2 of his favorite gifts were his huge trampoline ball and a new rim for his trampoline basketball hoop that had been broken for 3 years!!!! Tomorrow we will have a special breakfast and hopefully I'll put up his baby pics!

Snow Days

2011-02-11T12:36:00.000-08:00

Last week was a crazy week. We had school Monday. Normal. Average day. Nothing special. Then Tuesday it was pretty cold and was supposed to snow all day, so they cancelled school. The kids loved it and had a blast in the little bit of snow we had. Wednesday, it was supposed to snow again and was even colder, so they cancelled school again. Kids once again had a blast, playing Jamison did alot of studying for a Social Studies test, completely against his will. I took the neighborhood kids and Alexi's friend to McDonald's about 4 just to leave the house. Thursday morning was the coldest reaching negative 8 in the night and only 7 for the high. Jeff mentioned checking the heater about 9 and sure enough, it was only 57 degrees. COLD! Apparently many houses were having this problem so we unplugged it and plugged it back in and left the house. I went out and bought some heaters, like everyone else in the city, and when I got home, the heat was working again, but the kitchen sink had no cold water. That lasted for 2 days. So we had our friends the Rhineers over to play and we decided to copy a blog idea that my friend Heidi writes and see how long it would take for a wet shirt to freeze outside. It was about 18 degrees when we tried this. It only took about 8 minutes. Man am I glad that I don't sleep outside! We also went to Megamind, made homemade granola, bread, and cookies. Friday we learned that our school had burst pipes and a few flooded classrooms. Also, the buses were not starting because of the temperatures. So no school again! Alyssa came home early since they hadn't been having school most of the week. They were trapped in the dorms for 3 days watching movies and playing Twister. Alamogordo got more snow than we did. Anyway, long post, no real point, just glad that we have heat, electricity, plenty of things to entertain us on these unusual snow days!!!

Happy Birthday Jeff!!!

2011-01-31T17:28:00.000-08:00

My wonderful hubby's birthday is today!!! He took the day off so we could play. My awesome friend Stef watched Ella so we could go to PF Chang's for lunch and then go see the movie The Dilemma. I hope you have had a great birthday Jeff!!!

Pinewood Derby #3!

2011-01-28T21:00:00.000-08:00

Jamison had his 3rd and final Pinewood Derby last night! He made a green wedge shape car and named it the Stinky Cheese. Get it, green wedge? moldy cheese? Anyway, he took third in his age group and was very happy! Go Stinky Cheese!!!!!

Why I coupon shop.

2011-01-28T13:34:00.000-08:00

This has been a busy week for coupon shopping. The mail has been full of fun stuff like coupons for free bags of dog food, 10 off 50$ at Lowes, free yogurt and chips coupons, etc. I just love it! But today was the crowning jewel when I went to JCPenny's to see if they had marked their clearance down yet, and they had! All kids clearance items were $2.97! Snowsuits, jackets, socks, underwear, PJs, dresses, etc. I had a blast! I spent $80, and saved $944! I bought some things for other people, so I only actually spent about 50$. Ella got a snowbib, jacket, hat and gloves for $2.52 after my 15% off- from doing a survey the last time I shopped there. I have to admit couponing and searching for deals takes alot of my time, but when the payback is this big, it makes it all worth while.

Alyssa's a Teenager!!!!

2011-01-16T15:58:00.000-08:00

Alyssa had her 13th birthday on Saturday. We surprised her with a party Friday night with some of her friends from church. They had fun playing Apples to Apples, karaoke, eating her favorite dinner and then ice cream cake. On her real bday we did presents in the morning and she and I went to the mall and had lunch. She said it was her best birthday ever! I am so glad it was on the weekend so we could spend it with her. Love you Alyssa!

Christmas

2011-01-12T13:20:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of our favorite Christmas gifts:
Ella: Barbies, Tangled dress up and her Pillow Pet unicorn-It's so FLUFFY!!!
Alexi: Her American Girl Doll Julie and her craft stuff.
Jamison: Skateboard, scooter and Legos.
Alyssa: Her American Girl Doll Laney and Apples to Apples Disney.
Mommy: Sweats and a bread maker.
Jeff: Xbox games and his new Nikes.

American Girl

2011-01-12T12:59:00.000-08:00

When we were in California over Christmas we went to the American Girl store in Los Angeles. It was soooooooooo crowded. Luckily we took Grandma Turner to help us out. We buddied up and wandered around. On the ground floor they have every book from American Girl and a few clothing items. They also have a salon where your doll can get all done up. They will give your doll a facial, pierce her ears and do her hair. Upstairs they have all a Bitty Baby room for all of the Bitty Baby dolls, a room for each doll with all of their clothes and accessories and then a huge place in the middle with tons of clothes, pets, glasses, shoes, etc. There is even a cafe where you can have lunch with your doll. They bring your doll a chair that attaches to the table and bring her food when yours comes. Very cute, but very pricey. Alyssa and I did it when she was about 7. Somewhere they have a theatre where they show their movies, but we didn't even make it there. The girls each had saved their money to pick something out. Alexi chose a car seat for her doll. Alyssa chose a swimsuit for her doll and a new dog. Luckily Ella is too young to even care. We had a good time.

Alyssa's School

2011-01-12T12:51:00.000-08:00

Alyssa's school just posted a ton of pictures they have taken from this year. Here are a few.

Parents Weekend at Alyssa'a School.

2011-01-12T12:35:00.000-08:00

Thia weekend we had parents weekend at Alyssa school. It was great to meet all of her teachers and be assured that have her in the right place. She has computers with one other child. Braille with one other child. Math one on one with her teacher. And Life Skills one on one. Never could we get even close to this in her home school. She was required to take all the classes everyone else takes, which is a waste of time if what you really need is to learn Braille!!! Jeff and I were able to do some cane training and actually crossed an intersection blindfolded. Jeff did great. I on the other hand got the guy in the truck that pulls up in the intersection and yells get out of the road, even though we were on the side walk. Then the 18 wheeler comes to turn and the instructor yells, get back get back! Not so sure I want to do that again. Alyssa is so loved at this school and they all doted over her. It is good to know that she is loved and cared for by her "second family". She starts snow skiing next week. The opportunities there are amazing.

Off to Grandma's!

2010-12-31T15:24:00.000-08:00

Off we went to Grandma's house 2 days after Christmas. We have had a ton of fun here. Lots of movies, massages, and shopping. I am in heaven. Jeff fished all today today. They left the house at 4:30 for a chartered fishing trip. They hit their limit by 1:00. The girls went to the American Girl Store Tuesday. The kids have played lots of games and dress up, putting on performances,Barbies, and Jamison and the boys hit the skate park. Looking forward to New Years tonight with lots of yummy food!

Alexi braves her bike

2010-12-24T13:16:00.000-08:00

We have been trying to get Alexi to attempt her bike without training wheels for over a year now. Finally the other day she said she would try. Within a few minutes she was riding by herself, with a starting push from Dad. A little bit later she was starting by herself. She has begged to go ride her bike every day since. Now she is a pro. Her poor left leg has some serious battle wounds from her many falls the first day, but she doesn't complain.

More Snow!!!!

2010-12-18T12:34:00.000-08:00

The kids were dressed and outside by 7:30 am the morning after all the snow. It kept snowing all night and on our balcony ledge there was at least 6 inches of snow. Our driveway makes a great place to sled. School was delayed for 2 hours. The perfect amount of time to play in the snow, have crepes, come in and take a bath and get off to school. If only every Friday started off like that!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!!!!

2010-12-16T15:46:00.000-08:00

I love the snow!!!! For our first snow of the year, we are doing very well!!!!!

Visit to Santa

2010-12-13T16:06:00.000-08:00

We went to our Ward Christmas Party last Friday and the kids got to see Santa! So fun. Then the next morning we went to the mall for the breakfast with Santa. The kids got to eat breakfast, play games, write letters to Santa, Santa read a story, they all got prizes and Alexi was chosen to do a Stocking Race and won!

Picking the Perfect Tree

2010-12-13T15:56:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday we went to the Christmas Tree lot to get our perfect tree. The kids love running around the lot and playing in the gingerbread house, and riding the tractors, while Jeff and I pick the tree. We found a great tree and were so shocked that when we got home and set it all up it was still perfect! It has to be our best tree yet! The kids think the best part are the presents already under it from Grandpa, Kathi and Uncle Kent. May the Christmas celebrations begin!

Thanksgiving Cont.

2010-12-13T15:44:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving....a little late.

2010-12-13T15:34:00.000-08:00

We had a blast at Thanksgiving with my family. We played, ate, shopped, ate, went to the movies, ate, and I whooped everyone at Nertz!!!! Alexi and Ella danced and danced in the grand entryway at my dad's house. He has a grand piano that plays by itself and they asked everyday for the Disney songs. Jeff and I went to Los Osos to get away for a night. My Sister graciously offered to keep the kids. Jamison spent lots of time practicing on his scooter. The food was amazing!!!! I didn't really brave the Black Friday shopping, but I did a little online and went to CVS and Walgreens, does that count??? It was so fun to have the whole family together again!

I am so Thankful for my Dad!!!

2010-12-06T11:56:00.000-08:00

I am so thankful for my dad. This is the last thankful post, I promise. I couldn't be done without one to my awesome Dad. We spent the whole week of Thanksgiving at his home. We only broke one lamp and one ornament. Not to bad for a glass house and 4 kids. Technically the dog broke the lamp, but my son was chasing him. This was such a fun week with my dad because he was home the whole time!!! He is quite the work-a-holic, so usually when we visit we barely see him. I found him playing games with Alexi and Alyssa several times before I even woke up! I think my kids take after their Grandpa Maxwell when it comes to waking up at 6:30 everyday. He watched Alexi and Ella when we went to Harry Potter. He and his new wife Kathi made an amazing Thanksgiving dinner. Pictures in next post. We had such a relaxing time with them. I truly have a great Father!

I am Thankful for Vacations!

2010-11-19T16:34:00.000-08:00

So since we leave for vacation tomorrow, I guess I am done with the thankful posts. I was going to be soooooo on the ball and set a few posts to last till Thanksgiving, but alas that is not meant to be. I do love vacations! I love being together with the whole family. I don't really even mind the 13 hour drive. I don't love it- but it's usually not that bad! We have lots of snacks, movies, and now that I even have Internet in the car, well it's not much different than being at home. So I wish you all a fabulous Thanksgiving. May you enjoy Harry Potter, Turkey, Stuffing and playing Nertz with your Sisters as much as I will!!!!! I am Thankful for you all!

I am Thankful for my Backyard!

2010-11-18T14:08:00.000-08:00

I love our backyard. Not because it's huge. Not because it has a swimming pool or a hot tub. Not because of a fountain that makes relaxing sounds. We have none of those. It is because my kids spend alot of time out there. Kids should be outside. It's healthy for them. And it's healthy for me- for them to be outside. Esp. in the summer time when they are home ALLLLLLL DAAYYYYYYY. I am thankful for my backyard!

PS The picture is not recent. No snow for us yet.......

I am Thankful for CHOCOLATE!!!

2010-11-17T15:58:00.000-08:00

I am so thankful for chocolate. It has gotten me through some really tough times. It's always there when I need it. It comes in sooooo many forms. Fancy from Sees. Simple like Reses Peanut Butter cups or Hershey's Kisses. Heck just grab a handful of Chocolate chips from the freezer. Anything will do. It makes a cookie delightful. For some reason it seems to help me digest my food. TMI? Sorry. It gets rid of migraines. It makes your kids do just about whatever chores you need done. I think you get the point. I so love CHOCOLATE!!!

I am Thankful that I Love to cook!

2010-11-16T18:00:00.001-08:00

Like it or not, if you're a mom you are going to be expected to feed your kids. It doesn't have to be gourmet, but it has to be 3 times a day FOREVER!!!! Sure you can get away with eating out every once and a while, but even if you eat out once a week there are still 20 other meals you will have to serve. Now breakfast is easy. At least Monday -Friday it is around here. Cereal or oatmeal, or Eggo's. Yes, I feed my kids Eggo's. And lunch isn't really all that hard either. A sandwich, soup, chicken nuggets, or Mac N Cheese. But dinner. It needs to be good and with some fruits or veggies. That's where this post comes in. I actually like to cook. I would even say I love it. I like to try new recipes. I like to browse through cookbooks, online and watch cooling shows. Someday I would LOVE to go to cooking school like my sister. But until then Jeff and the kids get to eat all of my experiments. I would say they are about 75% good, ones that I would make again. And 25% --throw that recipe in the trash right now. I can't say that I like to clean. Or do dishes. But I do like....love to cook.

PS The picture is not of something that I have made. It's courtesy of PF Chang's.

I am Thankful for Ella!

2010-11-15T18:14:00.000-08:00

Ella Belle, she makes me laugh all day. She is a talker! She is also a hider in stores like Target and CVS. Not so fun. She loves Barbies and Princesses. We may be in trouble one day when she realizes that she is not actually a princess. She loves Orange Juice, fruit snacks, and pretzels at the mall. I love to take naps with her. She makes up songs all the time. She has every Barbie movie song memorized, and will sing them full volume at whatever store I happen to be in. I don't think I can bear the thought of her ever going away to kindergarten........Can you home school just one??? Would that be favoritism?

PS The weird brown stuff she is eating is cookie dough. Just one more piece of evidence that she is definitely my daughter!

I am Thankful for Alexi!

2010-11-14T17:35:00.000-08:00

Alexi was another great baby! She was a great sleeper. A happy baby. Loved all the attention from Alyssa and Jamison. She is such a helpful girl now. She loves to play with her sisters. She is so great in school. She loves to play games. She loves crafts like Alyssa. She and I went to Disneyland for her birthday in June and she fell asleep by 4:00. She loved it but it wore her out! She loves to help me cook. I am so thankful for Alexi!!!!!

I am Thankful for my Son.

2010-11-13T19:24:00.000-08:00

I am so thankful for Jamison. He was the cutest little guy ever. He was an easy baby, a great toddler and now, well, he's pretty cute now. A little attitude, but whatcha gonna do? He was the 2 or 3 year old that everyone said, wow how did you get such a mellow boy??? I guess we were just lucky! I mean look at the that smile! I love you Jamison!!!!

I am Thankful for my first baby.....

2010-11-11T19:31:00.000-08:00

I am so thankful for Alyssa. She will always be my baby. She was the sweetest newborn and just got sweeter. About 4 is when she got a little stubborn, but nobody can be perfect I suppose..... She loves everyone. She has always loved new things, like the first day of school. She will try just about anything. She loves roller coasters, swimming, movies, crafts, etc. She is such a giving girl. She usually spends her allowance on someone else. I can't wait to see what she will become as an adult!

Picture- She was the angel in the Primary Program just before she turned 5.

I am Thankful for my Matress Pad.

2010-11-10T11:57:00.001-08:00

I am sooooo thankful for my mattress pad. No I didn't have an accident. Jeff didn't either. It's actually a heated mattress pad with dual controls. How cool is that??? I think I got is last year for my birthday. And since last night it was about 21 degrees when I went to bed, I was really thankful for it. We got it at Costco and man the thing is awesome. I can put my side at a 10 and Jeff's can be off, or I can be at a 3 and Jeff at a 10. It just really depends on my mood. I love it. No more climbing into sheets with those cold spots. Oh no, turn that puppy on about 30 minutes before you want to go to bed and Presto! It's amazing. Warm, toasty, I almost don't need my feety jammies anymore.

I am Thankful for Great Friends!

2010-11-09T13:56:00.000-08:00

I have great friends. If ever I want to see a movie, go to lunch, go shopping, or just chat on the phone, I have plenty of great friends that will accompany me. My husband is by far my best friend. However women need other women to talk to, to spend time with, to share coupons and deals with. For some reason my husband does not care how much I saved today at Target or Walgreen's. But my true friends will squeal along with me at my savings! They will look at my mile long receipt that says I saved $2,400 this year alone at CVS and be impressed. That is a true number by the way. If they go out of business, it WILL be my fault. Oh and they will bring me soup when I am sick or watch my kids when I need "me" time. Good friends are indispensable and I am so glad that everywhere I have lived, I have some. You know who you are. Now comment and tell me what a good friend I am.......

I am Thankful for my Sisters!

2010-11-08T15:45:00.000-08:00

I am soooooo thankful for my sisters. They are they best. They are also very different from each other. So when I want one kind of advice I go to one. And another kind I go to another. I email my sister Stephanie like 20 times a day. She is a high school English teacher and somehow seems to be at the computer every 5 minutes. She is fun to gab with. My Sister Sally is the responsible one. She is the best for advice on the right way to do anything in life, as well as everything cooking related. She has actually been to cooking school. (A dream of mine) Kim aka my Pink Toothbrush is so thoughtful and sends me cards when she knows I need a pick me up. Stephanie is the best shopping partner, although watch out because you'll spend lots of money while under her supervision. She was the favorite Auntie when Alexi and Ella received the Barbie Jeep from her 2 years ago. And she is watching my kids for a night when I am in town for Thanksgiving so Jeff and I can take a night off! The pictures above are from the trip that we took to Utah last year together. Our favorite bakery Shirley's, my Mom's grave, playing Nertz. Good times. I have the best Sisters!!!!

I am Thankful for the Primary!

2010-11-07T13:00:00.000-08:00

We have a unique ward. It's a large ward. It has a lot of young families in it. At age 37 I am quite sure that I am one of the "older" adults here. I love this Ward. We have a lot of fun here. I have been in the Primary since we moved in. About 6 months after we moved in they split the Primary and made 2 Presidencies. One over the CTR 6 and up and one over Nursery to CTR 6. I am lucky to be in the Junior. We have 60 nursery kids and 80 plus Junior kids. Senior I think is about 96. Yes, we have a loud Sacrament meeting. No there are no classrooms left in the building. And I love it. I love being in the Primary. I love thinking outside of the box. I love the Stake for coming in and encouraging us to split even further so we have 4 Singing times and 4 Sharing times, so that our groups are manageable. I love teaching Sharing Time and hearing the answers the kids give. I love that every other answer is Jesus, no matter what the question was. I love seeing little boys in suits and the girls all dolled up. I love that we have the BEST teachers who do such a great job. I love that they teach my kids so well. I think that if I had to choose any calling in the church, it would be in the Primary.

I am Thankful for Saturdays!

2010-11-06T16:22:00.000-07:00

Don'tcha just love sleeping in??? I slept 11 hours last night. Rare, but so great when it happens. Ella came in a few times and asked me questions, but I fell right back to sleep each time. It may have something to do with the cold medicine I took last night, but I slept like a rock. I think I could've kept sleeping, but I had this red flashing light in my mind right at 8:45 an email I was suppose to send last night.
I love Saturdays for the sleeping in and the playing with the kids, and the childless errands I sometimes do. Or like today where I got to take just Alyssa to the mall and Target to shop for her ever growing body. She will match my height in 2 inches and is about 2 sizes away in clothes. She already beat my shoe size. She's 12!!!!!! Oh and she won a cake in the cake walk at Smiths. She was stoked.
I also love Saturdays because we are all together for one day. Why can't that day be Sunday you ask??? Well Alyssa leaves for school right after church, so that kinda ruins that being a family day. Usually there will be a sleepover on Friday or Saturday in Alyssa's room. There may be a movie night. Who knows. It's just a day to veg and be together. I love Saturdays!

I am Thankful for Disney!

2010-11-05T12:15:00.001-07:00

I am thankful that the kids and I got to go to a Special Screening of the new Disney movie Tangled last night! It was awesome. I love Disney movies and the Disney Store. I go in every time I go to the mall, even though I rarely buy anything from there. I am also thankful to Lindsey for posting the link on Help and Sister Out that gave me the free tickets. If anyone wants to sign up for a screening, go to the Help a Sister Out blog and go back to the end of Oct. It tells you how. There is one coming to the Cottonwood Mall just before Thanksgiving. I believe you can sign up for screenings anywhere in the US.

I am Thankful for Simple Green.

2010-11-04T14:33:00.001-07:00

Obviously this post is not in order of importance. I am thankful for Simple Green which removes Sharpie marker from couches. I found this out yesterday when Ella was circling things from the Big Toy Book from Toys R Us with a black Sharpie. I am also thankful for the Internet which allows me to look up "ways to remove Sharpie marker from my couch" in about 30 seconds flat. Now Ella can get off time out. :-) J/K she said "I'm sorry", so I just couldn't punish her!

I am Thankful for my Husband!

2010-11-03T08:18:00.000-07:00

When I was in Kindergarten living in Newbury Park, California, a new family moved into our ward. My Dad was the only one who showed up to help them move in since there were many other families moving on the same day. About a year later, we moved to Fresno and I grew up. While attending BYU I got a job at Subway in Orem. There I met the hot night manager named Jeff that totally dug my car. He asked me to go skiing with him on Monday. After talking for a bit we realized that we had both gone to the same elementary school for a year and our families had lived in the same ward. I called home and asked my folks and he did the same. Turns out they remembered each other. They were that family mentioned above. So, we went skiing and Jeff ended up in the emergency room not too far into our day. For some reason everyone kept calling me his wife. When the nurse came in to give him a shot in the butt, there was no warning, just wham! There is was! And I have been hooked ever since.

Jeff and I have been married for 16 years next month and it seems like we just met. I couldn't ask for a more supportive, fun, romantic, handsome, caring, husband! He is also the greatest dad ever! I love you Jeff!!!!!

The End of Halloween

2010-11-02T16:55:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos from a Halloween Carnival our friends organized and pumpkin carving. Jeff is always in charge of the carving. I empty the seeds and he creates. Then we cook them up and yum! I love pumpkin seeds.

Ella loved the donut on a string at our Halloween carnival. Alyssa and Alexi the cake walk and face painting. Jamison won the guess how many M & Ms are in the jar booth! So much fun and so much candy. Love it!!!!

Thankful in November

2010-11-02T06:15:00.000-07:00

So, one of my hero's The Grandmother Fairy has a great idea. She is listing one thing that she is thankful for each day in November. So one day late, Nov 2nd, I am going to copy her. For my first post: I am thankful for my Mom. She passed away 9 years ago of Cancer and I miss her everyday. I am so thankful for all that she taught me. She LOVED to shop! It took me awhile, but I do love to shop now. I just don't particularly like to spend money. Weird, I know. Maybe it's because I do that checkbook and I don't like that feeling you get when you are in the RED. Not that I ever am......... My mom also taught me to love children's books. I have wayyyyyyyy too many. I blame her. I even have several in different languages that I do not even speak. Again, her fault. She taught me that decorating for every holiday is essential. She loved to bake Christmas goodies. One of my favorite things about the holidays growing up was when she would go to Nancy's goodie exchange and bring home plates of yummy new Christmas treats. I would of course help her sample every one. She was very Patriotic. She loved her Grand kids. She loved the beach, esp Hawaii. She had a very strong testimony of the gospel. She was a good friend. She loved to travel. She taught me many things and I can't wait to learn more from her someday.

Music Makers Halloween

2010-10-27T11:59:00.000-07:00

We had our Music Makers Halloween pot luck today! Lot's of fun Looking for Dracula, making Witches Brew and Marching.

Haloween Part one

2010-10-26T12:51:00.000-07:00

We had our Ward Trunk or Treat on Friday. The kids had a blast! After we had a family dance. Good times! Jamison almost didn't dress up this year. He thinks he's getting too old. Until we told him no costume, no candy.

A Weekend of Firsts

2010-10-19T18:58:00.000-07:00

This post is a little late. 2 weeks ago Jamison pitched for the first time in a baseball game. He also learned how to mow the lawn! Horrary for firsts!

The Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-19T13:38:00.000-07:00

Ella had a blast at the Pumpkin Patch today. She loves riding the horses and playing all the games. Her best buddie Hailey was there. We love Galloping Graces!

The Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-19T13:26:00.000-07:00

More Pictures.....

I am so Proud of Myself!

2010-10-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

I am not a seamstress. I really don't even like to sew. As a matter of fact it gives me great anxiety to even look at a pattern. But when I saw a blog about making a Halloween skirt and how easy it was, I had to try. So I did. The purple ones cost about $2.50 each and took about 30 minutes to make both! The colorful one used more fabric and gave me a little grief, but still cost less than $5.00 and took less than an hour. I am soooooo proud of myself! Will there by matching shirts? No way!