milliron moments

CALIFORNIA / DISNEYLAND 2014

2014-05-04T17:11:00.001-07:00

This past week we surprised our kids' with a trip to California and Disneyland. Oh my goodness, they were SO surprised ! I tried getting it on video, but it didn't work out. The surprise went something like this . . we woke them up around 5:30 in the morning on Wednesday and told them to hurry and get ready for school. Once they were showered, teeth brushed, hair done and dressed, we sat them down on the couch and I brought out a big wrapped box. They were shocked. Here's that conversation . .

Me : Holy cow you guys, look what I found ( holding the big box ) !
Douglas : What ? What is that ?
Me : I think it might be a present we forgot to give you at Christmas. I guess you better open it and see
Douglas : How on earth would you forget a present that big Mom ?
Me : I don't know dude, you should just open it !

So Douglas and Josh hurry to start unwrapping the box ( Sarah was still asleep ) Once they unwrapped the box, they found another wrapped box inside ( the same thing we did for the Trampoline at Christmas )

Douglas : Oh no, not this again ! Is there like 20 boxes to unwrap here ?
Me : I don't know, but I guess you should get started

So they unwrapped the next box and inside there was a note that said : Get Ready !

Douglas : Get ready ? Get ready for what ? School ?
Josh : A note ! That's awesome !
Me : Hmmm. What would you need to get ready for ? I guess you should keep unwrapping to see !

So they unwrap the next box and in that box there is a note that says : Because we are going to . .

Douglas : What ? I am so confused.
Josh : Ya. Me too Mom ( haha, it was hilarious watching Josh because he truly was clueless and was going off Douglas' thoughts )
Me : Maybe you should unwrap that last box

So they unwrap the last box which has a note that says : DISNEYLAND !

Douglas opened the " Disneyland " note, laid it in order with the other notes and careful read it out loud

Douglas : Get ready, because we are going to, Disneyland. What ? No we're not. You're lying
Me : Nope. We totally are. Right now !
Douglas : No way. I don't believe you
Josh : No way Mom
Me : No really, we are. Dad's packing the car right now
Douglas : Oh my gosh, are you serious ? We're going to Disneyland !
Me : Yup !
Douglas : Oh my gosh, that's awesome !
Josh : That's awesome !
Douglas ( very concerned ) Oh wait. So does that mean we'll be missing Father's and Son's this weekend ?
Me ( rolling my eyes ) Yes Douglas. But that's okay because we don't do big stuff like this often. Besides you will be spending lots of time with Dad
Douglas : I know. Holy cow I am so excited !
Josh : Holy cow !

Then they ran out of the house screaming as loud as they could. It was hilarious and such a fun surprise. It was hard to keep that from the kids ( we've been planning it since February )

We stopped by the store on our way out of town to grab a few last minute things and then we were on our way. Roads trips with our family always include lots of stops for Douglas to cath and refill on water and for Josh to stretch his legs. Sarah cried on and off most of the time but she did her best. We all wore ourselves our trying to entertain her ! It was a looooong drive but I don't think road trips with little kids' is ever super fun ; ) We got to California Wednesday late afternoon and we checked into our hotel :

The hotel we stayed at was really nice and the staff was great. We were on a floor with lots of kid friendly suites so there wasn't a lot of pressure to keep the kids completely quiet. We ran into lots of other families going to and from Disneyland and the beach. We were in an awesome family suite that separated the parent's room from the kids' room. The kid's had bunk beds which they have at home, so they loved it.

As soon as we were checked in, we changed and headed to Huntington Beach. It was super, super windy so it wasn't that fun but we did our best to enjoy it. The kid's had a blast though ! This was Sarah's first time at the beach. She did great and ate about a fist full of sand. Yummy ! Douglas and Josh ran around the beach together while Sarah struggled to keep up. It was a fun day . .

After the beach, we went back to the hotel, cleaned up and let the kid's run wild. We made dinner and then we all crashed . .

Disneyland on Thursday started with an early morning. We got the kid's fed, bathed and dressed. Then we walked the 10 minutes from our hotel to Disneyland. It was such a fun, exciting morning ! Disneyland was pretty busy but not unbearable. The kid's were so anxious to see what Disneyland was all about. Josh was so excited - he kept squealing something like " Oh my heck, this is awesome " That made my day for sure ! The picture at the entrance of Disneyland isn't as magical as I would have liked it to be. The kid's were anxious and the crowd's were swarming us. Maybe next time . .

The first ride we went to was the Dumbo ride. Every ride has at least a 20 minute wait in line ( booo ) so while I waited in line with Josh and Sarah, Tyler and Douglas would run and grab the fast passes for all the bigger more popular rides ( Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, the Matterhorn, Star Tours, etc ) Thank heavens for Dum Dum's because they kept Josh and Sarah happy as we waited in each line. We all rode the Dumbo ride together. It wasn't too fun for Tyler and Douglas but Josh and Sarah loved it - and that made it so fun for me. I sat with Sarah on the Dumbo ride and it was hilarious when she gripped my hands for dear life : ) She had no idea what was going on !

After we rode a few kiddie rides that Josh and Sarah could go on, Tyler and Douglas went on a few of the bigger rides while I waited with the little ones. I didn't mind missing out on the bigger rides because I had the best time watching my kid's and my Husband have fun. It was honestly the best thing ! I rode a few rides with the kid's but I think my old age has made me more cautious ; ) One of mine and Douglas' favorite rides was The Haunted Mansion. We rode that as a family a few times. Josh was a little scared but it didn't phase Sarah at all. She kept trying to grab all the ghosts and was squealing and laughing through most of the ride. Here are some pictures from Thursday and Friday at Disneyland . .

Douglas : he was such a good sport. He did a lot of little kid rides that were too young for him because he knew they would be fun for Sarah and Josh. He stayed by us the whole time and did his best to have a good attitude. Douglas' darn Kidney Disease caused some problems this trip though. It was record breaking heat on Thursday and Friday in California so it was hot, hot, hot. Douglas was constantly thirsty and had a pretty bad headache on and off both days. But we brought a huge water jug just for him that we kept full of ice old water. He stopped every few minutes to take a few gulps.We also stopped frequently in the shade so he could rest and cool down.

Josh : I thought we were a bit crazy taking a 4 year old with Sensory Processing Disorder to Disneyland ! It was interesting with Josh but I will start off with saying there weren't too many huge meltdowns ! He tried really hard and did his best. Josh is normally an active kid who is bouncing off the walls, but one thing I realized this trip is how uncomfortable large crowds make him. Unless he was riding a ride, trying to smile for a picture ( which was a challenge and that's why there aren't a whole lot of just him ) playing or eating, he wasn't too happy. I think he liked Disneyland because he would randomly comment on how awesome it was but when we were walking through the crowds, he would sink back in his stroller and become a little anxious. He was a good sport as well and was as patient as he could be . .

Sarah : This cute girl celebrated her FIRST BIRTHDAY at Disneyland on Thursday ! What a fun birthday. She was such a good girl and even though she hated sitting in her stroller, she was so fun and seemed to enjoy some of the rides. I was happy she was able to go on a few. She got to eat some cake for her birthday and we bought her a little princess wand that lights up . .

The boys : Douglas and Josh were such good kids ! They played well with one another and only fought a little ; ) Josh adores Douglas and follows him around constantly. He wanted to do whatever Douglas was doing. Josh even went on a few of the big rides with Tyler and Douglas. I was proud of him ! I was proud of Douglas keeping an eye on Josh as we navigated through the large crowds and helping calm Josh down when Josh was starting to meltdown. I am proud of Josh for giving up his stroller a few times so Douglas could sit for a while and rest his feet. Such sweet boys . .

Tyler and Kami : Man oh man were we tired after day one at Disneyland. We were even more tired after day two. Two things we realized this trip are 1. it doesn't matter how tired we are, it's totally about the kid's enjoying it. We loved watching our kid's have fun. It's just the best ! And 2. we won't be doing Disneyland for a few more years ! Taking a child like Josh and a baby to Disneyland was a lot of work. I think we'll wait about 4 more years : ) And yes, I took a selfie. Ugh, awful I know ! I was waiting for Tyler, Douglas and Josh to get off a ride so I took my picture. It's ridiculous but it proves I was there !

Oh and it also proves I am getting old. I have wrinkles ! ! !

We sat through the Disneyland parade which was a lot of fun ! The parade is much better than it was when I was younger. Our kid's loved it . .

Random Disneyland pictures . .

Note to future Disney travelers : if you are planning on going to Disneyland with your little one's for the first time, do yourself this favor - just go straight to Toon town !

This was the end of day two. We were all tired, sunburned and not looking at the same camera.

Haha, better luck next time : )

We checked out of the hotel on Saturday and headed to the beach in Oceanside. We packed the kid's suits so they just played in their clothes. No worries : ) Tyler and Douglas found a few live Sand Dollars, so we dried them out, took them home and Douglas is going to give one to his teacher as a gift. Such a sweet boy !

After playing at the beach, we walked the pier and then stopped for some awesome salmon taco's at a fish taco stand. Holy delicious !

We stopped by Seaport Village in San Diego on our way home. We shopped at the little stores, walked around the water and visited the Navy ships and monuments. I think one of the best parts was seeing a huge group of Asian tourists trying to recreate the historic statue of the Sailor kissing the girl. Hilarious !

I am not going to lie. The drive home sucked big time. At one point, Sarah was crying because Josh was crying. Why was Josh crying ? Because Sarah was crying. Oh man, it was rough. There were a few spurts of silence but lots of crying and complaining. Tyler went as fast as he could without totally breaking the law ; ) We got home around 10 pm and couldn't have been happier to escape the screaming kids. All in all, it was such a fun trip and even though the kids had varying degrees of total joy and complete exhaustion, they loved it. I am so happy we did it. And I am so happy to be home : )

EARL THE PEARL

2014-03-12T14:13:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about my Dad today. It's amazing how even 5 years after he died, I still get teary eyed just thinking about the little things. Things like his smile, the sound of his deep deep voice, how he would spend an hour or more every morning and every night saying his prayers. He would pray for each one of his children and he would go into detail about the things we needed. I miss the blessings he would give us - there is nothing sweeter than a Father's blessing. I miss his totally lame jokes : ) I miss him calling me his favorite blonde ( yes, I used to be blonde ! ) I miss the hilarious way he would lift his eyebrows. He wouldn't just lift them at the same time, he would lift one and then the other. I still have never seen someone with that level of eyebrow flexibility ! But one thought that came to mind today that made me laugh was this : those of you who knew my Dad knew that he was in a wheelchair. He had been injured in Vietnam at the age of 21 and was instantly paralyzed from the waist down. Shortly after that, he had an infection that cause both his legs to be amputated from the knees down. Well, kids would always stare at my Dad. They couldn't stop staring. It never bothered me and I don't think it ever bothered him. But one day, he started looking at those kids square in the eyes and he would point to his legs and whisper " this is what happens when you don't stop biting your toe nails "

Oh pops, I sure do miss you. I never liked your lame jokes but what I wouldn't give to hear them today. Hug your Dad's. Cherish them. They'll be gone someday and it's really sad when they are.

FEBRUARY

2014-02-22T09:13:00.002-08:00

Here's what we've been up to this month . .

1. My Husband, Sarah and I were sick and it sucked big time ! I caught a cold, then Tyler caught that cold and a horrible GI bug on top of it. After he was done with his GI bug, I caught the Flu and a Bacterial Sinus infection. Tyler immediately caught the Flu as well. It was the first time in our 11 years of marriage that we were actually sick at the same time. Our kids loved it though because they ruled the roost for a while. They got to eat whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted it. Sarah caught our cold and a double ear infection. Trying to take care of a very sick baby when you yourself is very sick is not easy. Everyone is healthy and back to normal now, so the kids are back to having to be obedient ; )

This temp became the " normal " in our house for a few weeks

A random case of hives while I was sick

2. New stuff ! We had some nice couches that a sweet friend gave to us a long time ago but they were slowly wearing down and we wanted new couches. So we passed these old couches on to another friend who needed them and bought new couches off Craigslist. We love them ! And the kids love them because they have lots of extra decorative pillows - which makes for a great fort. We also bought some new bar stools to add more sitting space for our family. Our kids enjoy eating at the counter now : ) I also stopped by Hobby Lobby and bought a few new cute home decor trinkets. I added a few bird cages as well ( not pictured but super cute )

Out with the old . .

In with the new . .

The forts. They look small, but are pretty cool on the inside : )

3. Crappy weather. I know, I know . . I should enjoy it and be thankful for it since half the Country is under a " Polar Vortex " But excuse me if I say that I am not thankful and that I absolutely despise the fact that we are pretty much in the 90's right now. I am not ready for summer. That's the one thing I hate about living here. We totally got gypped this winter ( insert mad, pouty face here )

4. A change. We have changed the way we eat around here. At the end of December I had a revelation about our health as a family. We aren't horrible eaters but we could do better. I am done having children and it is not my time to work on me - so I felt like I knew where to start. Since January 1st, we have been eating cleaner, healthier and more organic. It's awesome ! I feel so much better and have even lost some weight. My kids are enjoying the healthier eating and are always surprised when something healthy tastes good. My Husband is on the fence, but is a good sport : ) We aren't perfect and we still have days where we mess up ( specifically on days when my Husband makes his homemade fettuccine noodles and homemade, buttery, delicious Alfredo Sauce with Steak on the side . . mmmmmmm ) but we continue to try. It's not a race, it's a new way of life. I shop mostly at Trader Joe's now. I have switched from normal corn dogs and ketchup to Turkey Corn Dogs and Organic Ketchup. Corn Dogs are a staple in our house. Our kids love them, so I was happier when I saw I could change it for a healthier option. I love the Guilt Free Skinny Popcorn. I snack on it daily and it's delicious. We are changing for the better !

5. Piano Lessons. We bought an awesome Electric Piano. It wasn't working 100 percent when we bought it so my Husband, being amazing and handy, took it apart and totally fixed it. We're talking re - wiring it in some spots. Like, the real deal ! He is amazing and I am in awe of his ability to just fix things. So the Piano works perfectly now and Douglas is enjoying his lessons

6. Josh gave his first talk in Primary ! You couldn't understand a word he said and he whispered the whole thing - but he got up there and did it. And he looked awful cute doing it too : ) Josh's Pediatrician said she is concerned with Josh though. He is 4 years old and although his speech is coming along and he is improving, he is still very very delayed in some areas. For example, he can't tell you he is 4. If you ask him, he looks at your very confused and usually responds with something like " I'm Josh and I'm nice " He is adorable and happy and so sweet but he has some delays and some behaviors that are concerning to his Doctor and to us. My Motherly instincts have been on fire for a long time with Josh and I know there is something not right. And my Motherly instincts haven't been wrong this far, so I will continue to pay attention to them. We are having him tested for a few different things : Autism and ADHD are just two of those things. Regardless of the outcome, Josh is our sweet little boy that we adore and will love no matter what. If he is diagnosed with something, I will do my very best to make sure he gets the care he needs to help him throughout his life

7. Elizabeth's special day. Elizabeth would have been 5 years old on January 9, 2014. It's so weird to me that she is 5 already. We brought her some flowers and had cupcakes in her honor. Also, in her honor, we did 5 random acts of kindness. We will continue to do that every year as I feel like it's the best way to remember her and her sweet Spirit. We love you Ellie and we miss you so much.

8. The Pinewood Derby ! Douglas had his first Pinewood Derby and it was so fun ! My Husband is the Scout Master in our ward, so he had to be there but I wanted to support Douglas so I brought Josh and Sarah and we watched while Douglas competed. Douglas made his car ( unlike some of the kids - it was pretty obvious which kids had their parent's build their car. Pretty annoying, but oh well ! ) Douglas sanded it, painted it and put the wheels on. I did the white vinyl number and stripes for him. He was so proud ! He didn't win but he did really good. His car won more rounds than he lost but overall, he wasn't the fastest car. He did win " Shiniest Car " though : ) He is loving Scouts. He has earned his Bobcat and has almost earned his Wolf

9. I love to see the Temple. We took Douglas to the Gilbert Temple tour. Oh my goodness, it is amazing and gorgeous and fantastic and awesome and and and . . well, you get it ! The tours are over but if you want to go in and see it again - become a member and get a Temple Recommend ; ) I am excited to go through with my Husband after it's dedicated. Douglas was in awe. He couldn't believe how beautiful it was and he walked out saying " Mom, Dad I have never felt so good before. I loved being in there " We were so happy he recognized that feeling. We took that opportunity to explain the purpose of the Temple. It was a special night

10. Sarah. Oh Sarah. Amazing, wonderful, sweet, beautiful, CALM, loving, happy Sarah. I can't get enough of my sweet daughter. She lights up our lives and we all love her so much. Her brothers' adore her and want to spend every moment with her. Douglas has a hard time leaving her in the morning when he goes to school and Josh enjoys playing with her during the day. Her Dad is smitten and lights up when he sees her. She loves her Daddy. She says Mamma, Dadda, Baabaa and Num Num. She is just awesome. Holy cow I could eat her - but I won't : ) I decided I am putting her in Ballet as soon as she can walk ( which will be very soon ! ) This girls always, always has he little toes pointed and she is more flexible than any baby I have ever known. I think she would make a beautiful ballerina. She is very sweet and calm and graceful. She has enough hair for cute pig tails. Her brothers don't like her pig tails though - they say she looks like a bug. I tell them to shove off ; )

Oh Sarah, we just love you so much.

2013

2014-01-03T14:11:00.005-08:00

Hi, my name is Kami and I am a Blog slacker. There, I admitted it ! The Holidays always consume so much time and energy that Blogging becomes the last thing on my " to - do " list. Add 3 crazy kids on top of the Holidays and Blogging then becomes non existent on that list.
Booo, I suck. I know : )

But here I am. Back in business ! I am going to do a mass post of what has happened in our lives since Halloween. But be warned . . there won't be much : ) We're not that exciting.

Thanksgiving was fun and b u s y ! We had lunch with my Husband's family and dinner with my family. The cousins played, everyone got stuffed and we all enjoyed ourselves. And I made yet another adorable creation on my chalkboard. Oh my sweet chalkboard - how I love thee !

A few days after Thanksgiving, we started decorating for Christmas. My favorite time of the year !

And then we did the Christmas shopping. I have a love / hate relationship with Christmas shopping. I love it because it's fun . . but I hate it because it's always so expensive !

We had a few family parties and cousin get togethers. I only took one picture. Can you believe it ? I know, I can't either : )

December 13, 2013

This marked 5 years since my Dad passed away. I miss him so much.

Christmas 2013

Santa came and enjoyed some store bought cookies : )

The kids each got about 5 toys and other little trinkets and then we surprised them with a huge trampoline ! They were beyond excited.

When they woke up Christmas morning, there was only one big box under the tree. We wrapped a big box and in that box was a smaller wrapped box and then a smaller one and a smaller one. In the smallest box was a note that said " Go look outside " When they went outside, they saw the trampoline - with all their presents and stockings on it ! Oh my, it couldn't have gone any better. We bundled up in our blankets and opened Christmas presents outside on the trampoline. Best Christmas ever !

A few days after Christmas, we went up to Payson for the day and hung out with my Brother and his family. They finished building their cabin this past year and it is amazing ! It's gorgeous inside and out. We had a lot of fun spending the day with them. We went quading, played in the snow, hiked, had a BBQ and shot some beebee guns.

Happy Birthday !

Josh turned four on New Years Eve. Our super special, awesome, fun, energetic, sweet, cute Joshie. We love him so much !

Other things that have happened since Halloween . .

1. Sarah is 8 months old now ! Little Miss walks holding onto furniture and is getting closer and closer to letting go and walking. She is eating lots of food. She has stopped nursing - which makes me so sad. I nursed her until she was 8 months old but had to stop because Miss two teeth won't stop biting me. Ouch ! She is such a sweet girl who is naturally very happy and content. She loves to cuddle and play with her brothers. She's seriously the coolest chick ever !

2. Another cute chalkboard creation : )

3. We've been fighting colds, pink eye, ear infections, etc, etc, etc, e t c !

4. Douglas has a girlfriend and the whole 3rd grade knows it . . and I may or may not tease him about it often : ) He's also doing really well in school. He gets lots of 100 percents !

5. Lots of family time outside snuggled up by a fire, roasting marshmallows and hot dogs

6. Fun Cousin get together's

7. Sarah hates shoes : )

8. Josh makes a pretty awesome Batman

And last . .

9. Here is the video of the kids' waking up on Christmas morning and opening their present. Priceless !

2014-01-03T14:11:00.001-08:00

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HAPPY HALLOWEEN !

2013-10-29T14:16:00.001-07:00

A friend of mine, who is crazy talented, took pictures of my kids in their Halloween costumes. I love the way they turned out. It was a great experience - thanks to Volcam Photography !

Sheriff Douglas . .

Josh, the real Batman . .

Super Girl Sarah . .

OLYMPICS

2013-10-05T14:39:00.000-07:00

Douglas participated in the 3rd grade Olympics. He worked really hard to prepare for it too. He did sit ups, push ups, pull ups and ran laps in the backyard. He did that everyday for almost a week. He was ready to sweat ! Sadly his expectations were way too high ( and he didn't pay attention to what his teacher said about the Olympics ) and he learned the day of the Olympics that it was more of a " mind Olympics " instead of a physical one : ) He did lots of math, measuring and guessing. It was a lot of fun and he ended up enjoying it. I think he was just a bit disappointed though. I explained to him why we don't have expectations with these types of things. We just do our best to enjoy it.

Josh, Sarah and I went into Douglas' class and watched him and his class mates compete. They started off by reciting the Olympics oath they memorized ( it was basically a " no whining if you lose " type of oath : ) ) and then the games began . .

Josh was excited to see Douglas and his class. Sadly he fell and kissed the carpet on his way to the classroom. He had a nice bruise on his cheek

Douglas all ready to work !

The 3rd grade Olympics

FALL

2013-10-05T13:16:00.002-07:00

This is the time of year when I love living in Arizona ! It's so beautiful outside. It's not cold but it's not crazy hot - it's perfect. Granted I would be in heaven if it snowed year round ( I love snow and I love being cold, but my Husband continually reminds me I only feel that way because I have never lived in snow ) I decorated for the Fall / Halloween season. It's a pretty pathetic job, but having 3 kids and a puppy now, I just don't have time or energy to do a ton of decorating. I think less is more ; )

A NEW ADDITION TO OUR FAMILY

2013-10-05T11:06:00.001-07:00

I have 2 crazy boys, a baby and now . . a puppy ! Yes, I am nuts : ) We're so excited that sweet Ella has joined our family. Tyler and I debated about getting a dog but in the end, we felt like every kid needs a dog at least once in their life. Ella is such a sweet puppy. She is an 18 month old Cockapoo. She is very calm and happy. She's is a puppy by age but acts more like an older dog. She is the perfect addition to our family. She loves the kids and will happily run and play with them - but then she will calm down and snuggle next to you. We have enjoyed taking her on walks and look forward to many more years with this sweet girlie.

Getting Ella groomed

Here's a great video of us surprising Douglas. We got Ella while Douglas was at school. When we got her, her name was Bella. But we liked Ella better, so we changed it . .

2013-10-05T11:05:00.001-07:00

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5 MONTHS

2013-10-05T10:52:00.001-07:00

Sarah is 5 months old ! She is growing so fast. Here are few things about Sarah right now . .

1. She has learned how to make hilarious facial expressions : ) I seriously crack up when she does this. It's the best ever !

2. She is eating baby food. Her favorite so far are Banana's, Pears, Apples and baby Oatmeal. We're working on veggies - but right now, she just spits them out

3. Sarah has found her super cute toes and she loves to chew on them

4. Sarah loves to talk ! She makes the cutest cooing noises and if you talk to her, she will talk back - well, in her language anyway : )

5. It's no secret that Sarah adores her big brothers. Now that she's getting bigger, she makes a bigger deal when Douglas and Josh hang out with her. She flails her arms and legs, screams ( a happy scream ) and smiles from ear to ear. She loves Douglas and Josh to pieces !

6. Sarah has been scooting for a while but she is getting much faster now. And she has another new trick : She is getting up on her hands and knees and rocking back and forth ! She will be crawling very soon

7. Sarah is grabbing everything now. If you put something in her reach, she will scoot over to it, grab it and try to eat it. She is hilarious !

8. Sarah is officially a big girl at the store : )

9. Cute girl blows raspberries now. Holy adorable !

10. And finally, not that it's a huge surprise, but Sarah is getting more and more beautiful and fun everyday !

2013-10-05T10:51:00.001-07:00

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PAYSON

2013-09-21T17:16:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago, we woke up on a Sunday morning to an awesome rain storm outside. As we sat and watched the rain pour down, Tyler and I both thought the same thing : day trip ! So we got the kids dressed, loaded everyone in the car and headed to Payson for the day. It was totally spur of the moment and it was so, so fun. I am not sure what our kids' loved more - the trip or the fact that it was a total last minute adventure. Either way, it was great and we made some awesome memories. The weather in Payson was amazing. It was much, much cooler and stormy. Oh I was in heaven ! I enjoyed watching our kids play have fun. Here are some pictures from our day trip to Payson . .

This is what we woke up to

So we loaded the kids up and were on our way

I loved the weather on the drive to Payson. Gorgeous !

When we arrived, we found a great park that was built around a man made lake. So we sat down, ate a quick lunch and then let the kids play

We saw a ton of these awesome worms. They were huge and were everywhere. They blended in with the grass, so I am sure we killed a ton of them as we walked through the grass. Douglas had one on his shoe - he thought it was so cool !

We also had 2 different Squirrel's following us : )

Sarah enjoyed the trip just as much as our boys' did !

The lake

As we walked around the lake, we saw some cool buildings - like this old fire house

The storm rolling in was freaking sweeeeet !

As we walked around the lake, we found this huge hill. My boys' wasted no time running up and down it

Also in Payson is this cool memorial for fallen soldiers and POW's

After a few hours, we decided to head home. That massive storm hit us as we were leaving. It was so awesome. We had so much fun in Payson !

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2013-09-21T17:15:00.001-07:00

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VIDEO GAME PARTY

2013-09-07T11:09:00.002-07:00

A few weeks ago, we had some of Douglas' cousins over for a video game party ! I picked Douglas, Wyatt and Peyton up from school and brought them to our house. But first we had a dance party in the car : )

Then Gove, Max and James came over and all the kids went crazy - in a good way : ) It was a lot of fun ! I had treats and juice / water for all the kids. They played several different games and then played outside for a bit.

I think Peyton got tired of all the boys screaming and yelling over the game ( not fighting, but trying not to kill each others' characters on the game ) so she went into Douglas and Josh' room to watch a movie. Josh loves hanging out with Peyton, so he followed her into his room and the two of them watched a movie and played games with each other. So cute : )

We love having cousins over to play ! I feel blessed to live so close to my family members and Tyler's family members. It's so great that my kids can have such a great friendship with their cousins.

DR VISITS

2013-09-07T11:01:00.002-07:00

I feel like I've done nothing but take my kids' to the Doctor recently. Thankfully everyone is okay but it's been a busy few weeks.

Josh . .

I have taken Josh to see his Primary Doctor a number of times due to weird rashes. He's been getting rashes all over his body lately. Plus his eyes get red, swollen and watery. We couldn't pin point what it was. On top of seeing his Primary Doctor, Josh has also had a few blood tests done. He was amazing while getting his blood work done. He just stares at the needle and then laughs. It's hilarious. It's also refreshing since we have to literally drag Douglas screaming into the office to get blood work : )

It turns out that Josh has allergies. His blood work came back negative for anything specific but we started giving him allergy medicine daily as well as a steroid cream on his skin daily. That has helped and he doesn't have rashes or irritated eyes anymore.

Along with Josh, we've been taking Douglas to the Doctor often. We usually take Douglas more often simply because he has a rare Kidney Disease. But he's been to the eye Doctor, his Primary Doctor as well as his Urologist. Douglas is doing well but has started having migraines : ( so we will be seeing a Neurologist soon.

Busy busy !

DOUGLAS

2013-09-07T10:53:00.002-07:00

Douglas has been busy in 3rd grade ! He is being challenged, which is awesome. And he loves his Teacher. I am really happy he got Mrs Wilson this year, she's a great fit for him. If he's absent for some reason, she will text me and check up on him. We talked about Douglas and his Kidney Disease and special needs at the beginning of school this year and she was very understanding. She has been extremely helpful and keeps a close eye on him. She told me she loves that Douglas knows what sarcasm is and uses it well ! She has nothing but great things to say about him. I can tell he feels loved and safe in her class.

Douglas has also done something new this year - he's the co president of a new club. Douglas and his cousin Wyatt have founded the " Judy Moody Club . . no girls allowed " : ) The kids are reading the Judy Moody books this year and these boys decided to start a club for it. They are very serious too. They have meetings and sign up sheets. I brought treats for their last meeting. Now they have a designated meeting time on Friday's at 3:30. They are so cute ! They have 5 members now, including themselves. They hope to get more soon and have passed these sign up sheet around their classes.

Douglas is a smart kid who wants to do good. One decision he made this summer was to start saving for his Mission ( he'll go in less than 10 years ! ) I made him a savings jar and he's started filling it up with money he has earned. We plan on contributing to it over the next few years. It would be great if he could save up enough to pay for his whole Mission !

A few new things for Douglas : a new vision prescription means new glasses - I think he looks handsome : )

And a new lost tooth ! He's lost 2 bottom teeth and 2 top teeth now.

Douglas had to have some tests run this past week. He was having severe pain in his right side. This is bad for Douglas for 2 reasons. The first is that it could be something with his Kidney's. And second, it could be something related to his bowels. Since he has a Kidney Disease and has had a bowel obstruction before, we get really nervous with pain on his right side. Thankfully it turned out to be just that - pain. No major problems. And he's feeling much better now. The one thing I admire most about Douglas is how brave and strong he is. You'd never know it, but in these picture's he is in a lot of pain . .

Douglas adores his little sister. He would spend every minute with her if he could. He is a good, protective big brother and Sarah sure loves him too !

JOSH

2013-09-07T10:35:00.002-07:00

Oh Josh : ) I have a special place in my heart for Josh. He can be pretty loud and rambunctious but he can also be the sweetest little boy. A few of the things I love most about Josh is how energetic he is. He's also a good friend to others. He;s determined to do what he wants to do ( even if we say no : ) ) He loves saying hi to people, he loves hugs and kisses. In fact, if he gets in trouble, the first thing he will do is say " Hug " and he will hug you. And then he'll say " kiss " and then he'll give you a super kiss on the cheek. He just wants to make sure you still love him - which we always do : ) Josh also has a great imagination and loves playing. He's one of those kids who plays from one end of the house to the other. He loves being outside.

Josh started Pre School in August and it's going great so far. His Teachers adore him and look forward to seeing him. They comment on what a sweet, happy boy he is and how much they enjoy him. They said he is improving and learning quickly. He's even made a friend in his class - a little boy named Cooper.

The other day we had a huge rain storm. It flooded in front of our house. Josh hasn't seen much rain so it's hilarious when he walks outside, looks at his wet arms and says " Eww, sticky " It took him a few minutes to realize this was fun and not weird : ) And then it was impossible to get him inside, so we stayed outside and played for about an hour. He was in Heaven. And I loved it too because I love storms and I love beautiful weather.

One of Josh's favorite people is his cousin Peyton. He loves her and asks to play with her on a daily basis. And when they're together, they chase each other and wrestle. Can you tell Peyton has older brothers : )

2013-09-07T10:19:00.003-07:00

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SARAH

2013-09-07T10:15:00.002-07:00

Sarah is four months old now. I can't believe how quickly time is passing. Sarah hasn't had her four month check up yet but I am betting she is about 15 or 16 pounds. She seems to be gaining about a pound a week. Grow Sarah, grow !

Sarah is such a good baby. She sleeps like a dream, is an awesome nurser, loves giggling, has found her voice and loves to coo, adores her big brothers and lights up when they walk into the room, has a soft spot for her Daddy and always gives him the sweetest smile, loves to cuddle and be hugged and kissed, scoots all over the place, can roll from her front to back and back to front, enjoys tummy time, likes playing with and chewing on her toys and loves her fingers. She loves looking at them and most of all, sucking on them : ) Sarah just started eating big girls foods in her big girl high chair : ) She loves her Banana's but isn't sure about Peaches or about her Veggies.

We love Sarah so much and are so blessed to have her as part of our family. She brings such joy into our home. She is a very happy, content little girl. She is seriously one of my favorite people and I love her so, so much.

2013-09-07T10:08:00.001-07:00

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2013 SCHOOL YEAR

2013-08-17T09:46:00.000-07:00

This is going to be a great school year for both Douglas and Josh !

Douglas is now in 3rd grade. His Teacher's name is Mrs Wilson and she is awesome ! Fun but stern - just what Douglas needs : ) She lets the kids be creative and have fun, but then she does an awesome job of pulling the reins back when it's time to sit and listen. Everything is going smoothly with Douglas cathing at the Nurse's office. The Nursing staff has gone above and beyond their duties and have even trained the front office staff as well as the Principal to cath Douglas. That way everyone can help when needed. I am so happy and feel like Douglas will always be taken care of at this school. I am excited for this year for him. He is enjoying it already and has even made a few new friends : )

First Day of 3rd Grade : ) And yes, he forgot his glasses on the first day. I am an awesome Mom !

I showed this picture to Douglas because he said that sometimes he misses being at home because he just knows we're doing fun stuff without him. I said " Douglas, I am either nursing Sarah or Josh is running around doing something like this . . trust me, you're not missing much "

Josh is in his first year of Pre School this year ! He is attending the EMECEC Pre School and it is awesome so far. Josh loves going to school and hates leaving school ! He only goes 3 days a week for about 3 hours, but I can see improvements already. I am so excited to see how much he has improved by the end of this year. Josh is at EMECEC because he was diagnosed with a developmental delay in speech as well as a learning disability. We don't know the exact details behind his learning disability because he is still so young, but as he grows and continues to be in school, I hope we'll pin point it and be able to work on it

First day of Pre School : ) He didn't want a picture of his face because he wanted a picture of his really cool " soupy man " backpack

And leaving Pre School is always fun . . not : )

ALLERGIES . . OR NOT

2013-08-17T09:05:00.004-07:00

Josh has been to Urgent Care a few times this past month ( he goes to Urgent Care if we can't get in with his Primary Doctor right away ) He keeps developing weird rashes. At first we thought he was being attacked by a Mosquito or some other type of bug, but we ended up ruling that out. We spoke with a Doctor who put Josh on a steroid to see if that would help. The redness of the bumps went away but the bumps were still there. It's so odd and we cant figure out what's going on. Sometimes the bumps will be just on his legs and then they'll be just on his arms. They'll be as big as a dime or as small as grains of sand. We are totally stumped. We're meeting with his Primary Doctor soon, so hopefully we'll have answers

SMITTEN

2013-08-17T08:54:00.003-07:00

Yes, yes I know. I am completely obsessed with this little princess ! What can I say - she has me wrapped around her finger. I love cuddling with Sarah, nursing her, playing with her, sleeping with her cuddled up beside me. I can't get enough of my precious little one. She has her Daddy and her big brothers wrapped also. She has us all smitten . . and she knows it too : )

One thing I love doing every morning while I am changing Sarah's diaper, is I tell how much I love her and how beautiful she is. Then I put moisturizer on her face, rub it in and explain how important it is to keep our skin healthy, clean and moisturized : ) Your daughter is never too young to learn the importance of great skin care !

And lastly . . well, do I really need to say anything besides holy freaking cute !

CABIN TRIP 2013

2013-08-04T10:08:00.001-07:00

This past week, we left for a Family trip to Tyler's Grandparent's Cabin on Mount Graham ( Mount Graham is about an hour and a half outside Safford ) We went with Tyler's Sister, her Husband and their kids. We had a lot of fun and came home relaxed and refreshed. I wish we could have stayed longer. It was one of the best trips we've had in a long time. All the kids got along perfectly, my kids all slept great, Sarah was really happy and the adults had a great time chatting, playing games and hanging out. I love it up there and I hope we can go back again this year ! Thanks for the fun memories Kristina, Nolan, Gove, Max, James and baby Tyler ( Tyler's Nephew is also named Tyler : ) )

Here are pictures from our trip . .

Douglas' Cabin fun : I have very few pictures of Douglas alone. He spent pretty much every moment with his cousins : ) They even slept in the same bed at night. Douglas was outside from sun up to sun down and he loved collection sticks that looked like different kinds of guns. His imagination went crazy while we were at the cabin. It was so fun to watch. I loved spending time with him - he is a cool kid !

Josh's Cabin fun : Josh enjoyed walking around the forest picking up sticks, branches and rocks. He loved exploring with his brother and cousins, he loved playing in the hammock and looking at all the cool bugs outside. He slept really good each night, he loved playing inside the cabin as well as outside and he got along great with his brother and his cousins. He enjoyed every second we spent up at the cabin and he was such a good boy too ! I am so proud of him : )

Sarah's Cabin fun : Sarah was amazing, as usual ! She was happy and had fun being with her family. She had a few fussy periods but it wasn't bad. She slept a solid 8 - 9 hours each night ( which is typical for her - we're so lucky, right : ) ) She really enjoyed being in her sling while we hiked around. She also enjoyed the car rides. She would fuss a little at first, but as soon as we were driving for a bit, she was sound asleep. She enjoyed cuddling in our warm bed each night and we loved snuggling with her. She really liked being outside and would look up at the trees a lot. She is just a dream and we absolutely adore her !

Sarah hanging out with Mom

Sarah hanging out with Dad

Fun with Cousins : these kids all had a great time together. And the best part is that everyone got along ! No fighting or arguing at all ( they don't usually fight, but being in the same place together for a few days can make kids irritable - but not this trip ! ) They were all outside together all day while we were at the cabin. They explored, played games, collected cool looking sticks and rocks, looked at bugs, swung from the tree branches, climbed a few trees, played in the hammock, played in their cool tee - pee and used their imaginations. It was so fun to watch them play and to hear them talking and laughing.

S'mores, Hot Dogs, Hot Chocolate and Camp Fires : we had a few camp fires while we were at the cabin. It was so nice and cozy with the cooler weather and the warm fire. The kids loved watching the fire and loved sitting around it staying warm. We roasted and ate delicious Hot Dogs one night and we also made S'Mores - but we used Reeses Peanut Butter cups instead of Hershey's Chocolate. Try it. It's so freaking delicious !

Movies : there is no TV at the cabin ( which we love - it gives the kids a chance to be outside and use their imagination ) but this time we brought up a Projector so the kids could watch a movie at bed time while the adults played games and chatted. It was a hit and the kids loved it. They only got to watch one movie at night and it worked out great !

Amazing Views : one thing I love most about this Cabin is the location. It's nestled in the woods and is surrounded by tall trees. It's always shaded as the sun and the clouds poke through from time to time. It's quiet and you can hear the wind passing through the trees and you can hear the trees creaking as they sway back and forth. It's the best place to sit and relax. I love the weather, the cool breeze, the smell of clean air and camp fires. It's seriously Heaven on earth !

Hiking : we went on a hike in the morning on Friday as it was nice and cool outside. The kids loved it : ) We saw some pretty awesome views and enjoyed the fresh air

Riggs Lake : one of my favorite places to go while at the Cabin is Riggs Lake. It's about an hour drive up the mountain and is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. The lake is calm, quiet and cold ! I love being there and really want to camp there sometime. We like driving up to the lake and then walking around. This time it was very cold and rainy with a bit of fog. We had a picnic and then walked around for a bit