Family is Everything

Humor

2012-02-22T08:19:00.001-07:00

I am very silly, I don't take things very serious at times, and you might say I am strange. I have always been this way; I just love to laugh. Anything to keep me laughing is good. I was on Pinterest.com the other morning and came across this...

I sent this photo to my work email and made it my desktop background. As I was doing this, I was chuckling. My coworkers asked why I was laughing, so I showed them. In my Australian accent, I played out the line! I was dying laughing, and they did not get why. So, I told them this line was from a movie, but at the time I could not name the movie. I asked around and we came up with the answer 'A Cry in the Dark' and then other movies have played off this line. Well, I also LOVE Seinfeld, and knew it came from there as well. Here is the clip...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghCTZF61ey0&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Every time I think of this photo, I laugh, it makes my day! Silly, I know!

Valentines

2012-02-15T08:34:00.000-07:00

I hope you had a great Valentine's Day! I did. Elle and Ivan had a Valentine's Day party at school, so a couple nights before I had them do their Valentines cards for their classmates. Ivan wanted to wait and have Patrick help him, so okay! Elle wanted me to help her. I started her first one, I gave her the list of names and asked her to pick a name to start with. She did not want to write the names, "I don't know how." So, I told her to write the first letter of the name she picked, I wrote in the rest. I then showed her how to fold the card, put the tattoo's inside and seal them with heart stickers. She was excited and ready to tackle the next name writing it out on her own! YIPEE! I love when she gets excited.

We were talking about the boys in her class and which card she thought would be best out of the Barbie valentines she was giving. She picks a boys name and the card and says why she was giving him that particular one. She says to me, "mom, Caleb just gets me!" I had to ask her to repeat herself, I did not know if I heard her right! Are you kidding me?! She says, "Caleb just gets me mom." I then ask her what exactly that means. She then tells me, "he just hugs me and stuff!" I could not hold back the laughter, how does a FOUR year old know to say things like this? It blows me away, who has said this in front of her? So stinking cute. Enjoy the photos from Valentine card making!

Annual Zoo Lights trip

2011-12-31T12:54:00.000-07:00

We love the Phoenix Zoo! We also really love Christmas lights, so the two combined equals joy! We have gone with our friends Jodi and Jordan the past year or so and have a blast. This year Jordan wanted to do the Polar Slide, so the kids and I watched her go down. Elle and Ivan told me they really wanted to do it, so I told them "do you realize I can not go down with you. You have to go by yourself." Ivan shook his head that he understood and Elle told me she understood. So okay, Jordan wanted to go down again. Perfect, her and Elle could race and then Ivan and I could race. We got our tickets stand in line. Ivan was trying to cut in front of the kids ahead of us, he was really excited! I told the girls they were to go before Ivan and I, because I did not want Jordan to get stuck with Elle and then her not want to do it. What a nightmare that would be for Jordan. So, the girls go, Elle was a little skeptical, but went! Now Ivan and I are to go...did not happen. He freaked out when the workers asked him to get into the tube. So, him and I walked down the stairs and got our money back. I told him next year would be better. It was nice to see him willing to do it though. Until next year!

John Michael Montgomery

2011-12-30T12:43:00.000-07:00

I got to meet JOHN MICHAEL MONTGOMERY! I was super excited, as any country music lover would be!
Jodi, Shaleen and I had a great time singing and laughing and having a nice girls night out! It was so needed! Thanks girls for a great night!

Christmas

2011-12-25T13:05:00.000-07:00

We wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Friday Funny!

2011-12-16T15:21:00.000-07:00

Running around the diamond

2011-12-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

Since it had rained here for two days straight, I thought it would be fun to teach the kids something outside. We went to the park and played on the baseball diamond. Kids had such a blast running around the bases and playing in the dugouts. Enjoy the photos!

Moms Visit

2011-12-13T15:55:00.000-07:00

My mom came down for my birthday weekend! I was so excited, that is really all I wanted. Especially since the kids and I are not going home for Christmas. We hung out on Thursday after picking her up from the airport, ran to Walmart and that was about it.

Friday we went to the mall to shop and see Santa. The kids did not want to see him, so mom and I told them we were going and they had to come stand in line with us. It worked, they ended up getting excited and so we got a photo.

Saturday I worked and mom had the kids help her with Christmas cookies. They had a great day, they were waiting for me when i got home. We went to dinner and then drove around looking at Christmas lights.

We woke up Sunday, had Christmas and I ran to work. My brother, mom and kids showed up at work which made my BDAY! Even though I had to work and my mom left for home, I had a great day! I had a great weekend!!! Thanks mom for coming down! I love you!

Thanksgiving

2011-11-27T11:04:00.001-07:00

I have so much to be Thankful for...family, health, shelter, food, work and friends. This year was probably my hardest Thanksgiving though, I worked. I picked my kids up at 8am and we went to my brothers. I had planned to go out to breakfast(a nice breakfast) with my kids and brother but nothing was open. We ended up at McDonalds. Oh well...

We always have fun no matter where we go. When the kids and I arrived at Eric's, they were excited to see him, but once I knocked on the door Ivan ran for the car screaming "Go home!!" I got him inside and he sat on the chair and wouldn't talk to Eric. Poor guy just wanted to go home. It breaks my heart hearing him say "Go home!"

After breakfast, Eric took the kids to our grandparents house to have a fabulous Thanksgiving with the family. I about lost it as i was buckling the kids into his car. They looked so cute in their Thanksgiving outfits and the realization that I would not be spending a FAMILY holiday with them.

I got to work and the girls were all talking about their Thanksgiving dinners with their families. The food that was made and how much fun they had with their families. I lost it, I had to go and collect myself and think about the things I am thankful for. My JOB! I am thankful to have a job. I opted to not have Thanksgiving off, so hopefully I get Christmas off! That is a more important holiday to me to spend with my kids.

I know holidays will be hard, and I have to remember what is important right now. A job to be able to have the necessities to keep my family together!

Hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving! Now onto Christmas!!!

Two in a half comparision

2011-11-12T08:28:00.001-07:00

WOW, how time has flown. Elle is now 4 1/2 and Ivan is 2 1/2. They have become so grown up and are not babies anymore. I am posting a photo of Elle at 2 1/2 and one of Ivan at 2 1/2. They look so much alike its not funny. Enjoy!

Here is a photo of Elle at 4 1/2! Enjoy!

Barbells For Boobs 2011

2011-10-25T13:12:00.001-07:00

This was my first Barbells for Boobs fundraising event. The WOD(workout of the day) was "Amazing Grace" where you have to do 30 Clean and Jerks for time at a prescribed weight. Most have to scale their weights, but I did mine Rx! So, the prescribed weight was 95 pounds. It took me 5 minutes and 22 seconds to complete 30 Clean and Jerks. I was pretty proud of myself! Everyone from our gym(CrossFit BattleFit)as well as Maricopa CrossFit did AWESOME!!! The event was held at our town's Stagecoach days on the basketball court under the lights. It was pretty cool, we had many spectators and others walking by, stopping to see what we were doing. We looked pretty bad-ass throwing weights up in the air! Here is our group photo minus a couple athletes, Enjoy!

2011-09-19T17:55:00.003-07:00

"I quit being afraid when my first venture failed and the sky didn't fall down."
- Allen H. Neuharth

Funny Labor Day Finds

2011-09-05T17:54:00.001-07:00

So, I follow Kandee's two blogs. She is talented, funny and finds some great stuff. Well, today I shared with a couple of my friends her finds. My friend Tricia loves her GoldenDoodle to death, but in all honesty who wouldn't! He looks like the fuzziest teddy bear you just want to squeeze! So today I shared with her this funny post from Kandee, click HERE!

Then my other friend Karen, who has the best lashes AROUND had to get this; click HERE!

For more great videos, tutorials and just a good laugh from a genuinely funny girl, check out Kandee Johnson on YouTube

Happy Labor Day Everyone!

Fight Gone Bad

2011-09-05T10:47:00.004-07:00

On September 17th, I will be participating in Fight Gone Bad 6. This is the sixth year for this event. Please help me and my team reach our donation goal! If you can join us in the event we will welcome you! If you can not come to the gym for the event you can still be a huge factor in this by donating! Thank you in advance.

Here is the link for information and to get started! Fight Gone Bad 6

Baby Gryder

2011-07-23T17:57:00.000-07:00

My friends Jodi and Bob are expecting their first baby in August! A Boy! I am so excited for them, today was Jodi's baby shower. She got some awesome gifts for the little guy. Can't wait for the baby to come into the world! Congrats Bob and Jodi!

Puerto Penasco, Mexico

2011-07-18T12:25:00.000-07:00

So, finally after five years of my dad and step-mom owning their condo, the kids and I went! I was so mad that we had to wait this long to go down there. It is PARADISE!! We take all our food and drinks and really never have to leave the condo. We hang out on the beach, in the pool or inside the condo. It is so PEACEFUL, there is never anyone there.
The first time we went was 4th of July weekend, there were 3-4 other condos occupied out of 24. We had the pool and beach pretty much to ourselves! It was so fun. Here are some photos from our first weekend in Puerto Penasco, Mexico(I mean paradise!)!

Two weeks later, my friend Sophia and her family called and wanted to go down before she and her kids move to Florida. So we packed up and went. It was so relaxing to hang out with them and just have fun! My kids really enjoyed playing with Billy and Kallie on the beach and in the pool. Elle and Kallie have been best friends for 3 years now and we will miss them. Enjoy the photos from the weekend!

Yaneth's Birthday Dinner

2011-07-01T12:19:00.001-07:00

My dear friend Yaneth turned a year older on the 10th and we always have a dinner for the birthday girl. She chose to go to Brooklyn Boys, so we celebrated there! Always lots of laughter and photos when we are together. Happy Birthday honey! Enjoy.

My brothers birthday

2011-06-30T12:13:00.001-07:00

Eric turned a year older on the 22nd and he wanted to go to Ikea, so we ventured there. After Ikea, we went to As You Wish Pottery and each painted a masterpiece! We had fun. Happy Birthday Eric, and enjoy our photos!

We also went out to dinner! Enjoy!

My nephews

2011-06-29T11:58:00.000-07:00

My step-sister Ali had twins on Father's Day!!! She had no clue she was having twins, thought there was only one baby inside her tummy. Their names are Franklin Kai and Liam Robert. They are the cutest little guys ever. I was in heaven holding them and watching them. I am so happy some one in our family had twins, I always dreamt of having them myself! Here are the photos of the boys, enjoy!
Liam Robert~

Franklin Kai~

Both~

Me and the boys~

Utility sink

2011-06-28T11:32:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, I like to give the kids baths in the utility sink in my laundry room. Luckily they still fit in! These are the faces I got tonight giving them their baths. Enjoy!

Bubba's winking

2011-06-24T15:19:00.005-07:00

So, we got home from picking Elle up from school and Ivan wanted to play outside. He went out by himself, well it was lunch time. I opened the door to ask him to come eat and he ran off. As Elle and I were sitting down in comes a new dog through the dog door!

Then, as we were eating I was trying to get him to wink and so here is the video! Enjoy!

Find your inner...

2011-06-15T21:29:00.000-07:00

Source: suziebeezie.tumblr.com via Karissa on Pinterest

INVICTUS

2011-06-06T14:47:00.000-07:00

INVICTUS

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever Gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of Circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of Chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

William Henley 1875

Infant Swimming Resources

2011-06-05T15:18:00.001-07:00

Summer is here and have you helped kids be safe around the water. I am a huge believer in 'Infant Swimming Resources' and how they teach survival skills to kids. Don't let your kids be a statistic, save their lives. Put them in swim lessons.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-25T14:01:00.002-07:00

FIRE!

2011-05-24T18:59:00.000-07:00

Ok, so not many people know about the FIRE I had in my house in March during spring break. I had just got home from picking a friends dog up that I was watching, but a pot of oil on the stove to heat up for the egg rolls she gave me. Well, I walked away for to long and FIRE! Thank god it was only me and three dogs in my house. I panicked, had my phone in my hand and ran out the garage(watching my friends dog run away down the street) screaming "HELP, SOMEONE HELP ME!" over and over.

Thankfully, there was a realtor showing the house across the street. He came running over asking if I had a fire extinguisher, I DID! In my time of panic, I forgot I had one. So by this time I was already on the phone with the dispatcher talking to her. She was asking me if I was outside across the street from my house as the realtor and I are entering to get the fire extinguisher. The dispatcher is yelling at me to stay outside, but the realtor got the fire out.

Now, still in panic the police arrive to shut the street down. She takes my statment and talk some more before the fire department arrives with the ladder truck and another truck. The firemen hop out and start doing their thing. Another police man comes up to me and tells me what I should expect to see when I go back into my house. Holes punched in the walls, water on the floor, and I don't remember what else. But not to worry, insurance will cover all this and my house will be back to itself again. I really did not care at this moment. I was so freaked out and thankful that I had no kids with me.

The fire chief came and talked to me and asked what I was cooking. I told him and he joked with me. He told me "You should leave the egg rolls to the people that know how to make them. Panda Express makes some good ones, I am gonna get you some for dinner." Sure enough he did, it was funny and very nice. I would have had nothing to eat for dinner otherwise.

So the firemen are done with my house, the fire chief and police workers walked me through my house and there was little damage at all. I was expecting these HUGE holes and there was nothing. They had removed my microwave and stove for me and put it in the garage. My house smelled AWFUL, but was livable.

Here are the photos from the FIRE.

So the day after the fire, the cleaning crew came in and CLEANED MY HOUSE TOP TO BOTTOM! My house had never been so clean! It was such a wonderful feeling. They cleaned the air ducts, the ceilings, walls, inside cabinets, closets, EVERYTHING! My house did not smell like smoke anymore and it was getting back to normal. The next month or so was hard. I had no Stove or microwave. I used my crock pot, griddle and my friend Nicole gave me a George Foreman to use. I was not missing my stove really at all or my microwave. Who needs those luxuries! Ha. I received my stove and microwave about the middle to last week in April. It was great having my stove/oven again. The microwave could not be installed yet, due to the old burnt cabinets still intact. They had to wait to put that up when the new cabinets were installed.

The second week in May my cabinets came in, then it was time for the rest to be done. New counter tops, paint and microwave could finally be installed. My house is back to normal and I love it. My kitchen looks so much better now. More modern! Not that I did not like my kitchen before, but what a huge difference a little adding/subtracting here and there changes everything. Enjoy the photos of the cleaning up and the finished kitchen!

Elle and the Alphabet

2011-05-23T14:54:00.002-07:00

So for a long time now, I have been trying to get Elle to sing me the alphabet. I know they sing it at school and that she does know it. Well, last night she pulled the microphone out of the play room and just started singing it. I finally heard her sing it! YEAH. The best part is that I got her on camera singing it two times! Enjoy!

Karate Kid

2011-05-22T15:24:00.000-07:00

Saturday night I took the kids to see 'Karate Kid' at the park with some of our friends. It was tons of fun and FREE! I'm all about FREE things to do with my kids. Sophia, Nicole, Jodi and Jodi all were there too with their kids and we had a blast.

Elle, Ivan and I had not seen the remake of 'Karate Kid.' Elle was glued to the movie the entire time, she has been into karate lately, doing moves and yelling "HI YAH!" She might take me down now that she knows some moves! Anyways, enjoy the photos.

Summer do

2011-05-20T21:40:00.000-07:00

So, today I got an itch and shaved Ivan's hair! I had to take him though to Great Clips to get it touched up, my razor was older than I thought and it left him looking really funny. So he got his hair fixed and looks SUPER HANDSOME! Enjoy!

Ride and Park

2011-05-19T21:35:00.000-07:00

My kids love going for bike rides and so do I! They are definitely growing because the trailer is becoming harder to pull. Anyways, the night was perfect, windy and cool. I thought we were gonna get rained on riding home, but got lucky. Elle and Ivan are more interested in playing in the sand/stones than the actual playground, so enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-18T13:55:00.002-07:00

Tuesday night game

2011-05-17T20:57:00.000-07:00

Elle had a game tonight and she was very excited to go. She really enjoys soccer now, even though she is scared to kick the ball in the game. She tells me "the ball will hurt my legs." I tell her that is what the shin guards are for. Anyways, she did get to kick the ball at the start of one of the quarters. I wish I had taken a photo of her face, she was so EXCITED! She was very proud of herself and I was happy to see it.

She had a great night for fans. She had 4 friends plus her brother there cheering her on. They were screaming pretty much in unison "GO ELLE!" the entire time she played. Super sweet of the kids. Here are some photos from tonight's game, enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-11T15:43:00.000-07:00

Happiness

2011-05-10T12:51:00.004-07:00

Everyday I find something that will make me happier than I was when I woke up. Whether its a song, a friend, a quote, laughing, seriously anything, I will find it. This morning was kind of rough, had a friend that was really bummed out, another friend come over to tell me news that made me cry, then the contractors came to rip out my cabinets with out me knowing. So the morning was rough, but I tried not to let it affect me.

After I cleaned out my cabinets to prepare them for demo, two friends and I went for pedicures. MUCH NEEDED ONES! Got home, Brody and I ate lunch, he is napping now and I got on the internet. I love reading Kandee's blogs and I don't do it often enough, but when I do, IT HELPS ME! She is just the most positive person, the type of person I see myself as. I can't always be that bubbly, positive person I want to be, but I sure try. Check out this video she has posted on her blog

kandee the make-up artist: Beauty in the Streets

Then I found this awesome quote..."Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true!"

Enjoy your TUESDAY, I AM!

Warrior Dash

2011-05-08T14:52:00.006-07:00

Last Sunday, MAY DAY I competed in the Warrior Dash with my CrossFit YaYa Sisterhood of the traveling sweatpants. Haha, that is the name we have given ourselves. Anyways, we decided on wearing camo shirts and black bottoms. I found these cute tank tops and we decorated the backs.

We drove out to Florence, AZ about an hour away from our houses. The rode trip was fun in itself, lots of laughing, nail painting, singing and joking around with one another! That's how us sisters get down! Here are a couple photos from the dash.

***NOTE: These photos do not represent every sister in our group***

My brother also did the Warrior dash he was in a different heat but I caught up with him and we watched his finish! Here are a couple photos to enjoy!
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Once Nicole gets photos up from the day, I will share them with you! We took two disposable cameras with us in plastic baggies. They survived, the mud and the photos are awesome! Till then, get the warrior out in you!

2011-05-08T13:44:00.003-07:00

Yesterday I competed in Nitro, a weight lifting competition at East Valley Crossfit. I am totally new to this and had a lot of fun with it. I still have a lot to learn as far as technique goes, but it will get there. I hope!

Here are the results from the competition. I snatched 38kg, clean and jerked 55kg and deadlifted 102kg. All personal records for me. I am getting stronger! YEAH!

Look who is 4!!!!

2011-05-08T13:21:00.005-07:00

Elle turned FOUR on the 26th of April. We had a nice little party of four; Brody, Ivan, Elle and I. We had cupcakes and she opened her presents. She was so excited to be four.

I can't wait to spend this year with her, her stories have gotten much more imaginative and I love listening to them. She has become a 'lil mom' too, bossing all the kids around. Its quite funny. I will share some photos of her acting like mom sometime soon. For now enjoy these birthday photos and a short video!

and we are back....

2011-05-08T11:59:00.005-07:00

So, I am tired of our BLOG on Wordpress. It was fun while it lasted. My frustrations have been exhausted with that blog site. I was at my max for space on uploading photos to the main site and was forced to use a photo web site to upload and attach my photos.

How I have missed you Blogger! You give me more options, more CREATIVE OPTIONS! So glad to be back, love the new updates too!

Moving on Over

2009-11-15T21:57:00.003-07:00

So I have started a new blog for our family, check it out! You will still be able to view our blogspot blog, I will not be deleting it. Thanks for joining us in our new venture!

Peek a Boo

2009-11-15T16:45:00.002-07:00

Here is a sneak peek, I will share the rest with you once I get them! Paula found this pecan grove at the Indian Reservation south of our house. Now that we have our complete family, two boys and two girls, I thought it would be fun to wear our true colors.

2009-11-14T15:25:00.000-07:00

I have been very bad lately about posting. On the 24th of October, Patrick and I had a party to attend with his fellow employees. Vicki has had a halloween party for the past couple years and this year was our first time being able to go. It was tons of fun, here are the photos from our night!

The day before halloween I had my friends and their kids over for a little party. Here are the photos from all the fun we had.

Oh, halloween, how I hope next years is 100% better. What a day I had this year, lots of drama. Well as you saw the week before Patrick and I went as Greek Romans. So halloween night was another huge party and Patrick did not want to be the same characters as the last party. Well, we came up with OJ Simpson and his ex-wife. Well the friday before halloween he decided that was to old. Okay, no biggie! I came up with Taylor Swift and Kayne West; he was very excited.

Long story short, no halloween party for us. Hair disaster, car wreck and fight with the hubby all ending with me going to bed by 11pm. Plus, friends stuck finding the next best thing as far as a party to attend. Here are the only photos taken from Halloween night, and they are not even good. The lighting is all off, but you can at least see my kiddos in their costumes. Elle was supposed to be a pumpkin fairy, but refused to wear her costume. She went as a Mandalay Bay employee! lol

Ivan is SIX months!

2009-11-02T19:44:00.006-07:00

Can you believe he is already six months? I can't, seems like yesterday he came out into the world. He is full of joy!

He is sitting up completely on his own for very long periods of time. Today I caught him up on his hands, one knee and one foot. Crawling?? I really hope he crawls and doesn't jump to walking. I love to watch babies crawl all over the place.

Anyways, Ivan is a very content little guy. He lets anyone hold him and giggles when you talk to him. I swear he says "hi" when I go into his room in the mornings. I always say "hi, good morning Ivan!"

He loves to watch Elles every move. Sometimes she is not very nice to him, but he doesn't seem to care. She makes up, she tickles him, rubs his hair and occasionally kisses him. They are so so so cute together! Elle really is though good at playing with him, when he is in his excersaucer.

My friend Paula has been taking Ivan's pictures since birth and she had the best location this time. I hope you enjoy the photos just as much as I do, enjoy!

2009-10-23T18:51:00.008-07:00

I thought I would add these too! Here I am at 2 1/2 years old.

Here is Elle at 2 1/2 years old.

2009-10-22T17:15:00.002-07:00

Ivan turned 6 months on Tuesday! Wow, how time flies by when you are having fun! He is the best little baby, not like Elle wasn't. He is just always content, laughing and talking up a storm. We had his 6 mths photos taken today and I can't wait to see them.

I was going through old photos today and came across these. I wanted to share with you the differences between Elle and Ivan when they were both 3 months. You will have to wait for Ivan's 6 mths ones. Enjoy!

2009-10-21T15:22:00.000-07:00

WOWEE! So I finally figured how to get into my blog to update. For the past month, my computer would not let me get in.

I have a lot to catch you up on! I took the kids to Ohio for two weeks at the end of September. We had a really fun time. The plane ride there was not bad at all, the flight was not full. Ivan got his own seat, which worked out great.

I had a wedding to attend of my dear friend Tracy. Tracy and I have known eachother since kindergarten or even before. We lived just one house away from eachother; which meant we were always together! The wedding was absolutely gorgeous and the reception was at a winery. Her are some photos from her wedding.

After the wedding, I met up with my aunt, cousin and her kids at the zoo. It was one of the windiest days, but it turned out to be so much fun. We spent like 5 hours there, not one of our kids had a tantrum and we saw pretty much every animal. It really was fun! Ivan met his second cousins for the first time.

I met up with some friends from high school. The four of us all have kids so we had a playdate! Elizabeth, Annamarie and I all have daughters around the same age; they played so well together. Kelli and I have kids that should have been a week apart, but that was not how they wanted to come out. Her daughter and Ivan met for the first time. It was really cute.

We then ventured to Patricks parents house. Its always relaxing there, we just hang out and talk.

My sister and I had been wanting to go to an apple orchard to pick apples. However we went to a pumpkin patch. We went on a hayride, fed the animals and viewed scarecrow making. The kids swang and did not want to get down, I totally need to get them a swingset!

My mom had a brunch and most of our family and her friends came over. It was really great seeing everyone and having them meet Ivan. Well for a minute or two, he slept most of the time everybody was there.

September

2009-09-01T23:10:00.007-07:00

Can you believe it is already September?!! AAGH! (Patrick is over my shoulder telling me what to write. He wants me to write- F*&^ instead of AAGH! lol) That means holidays are getting close! Patrick wanted to get a new pair of high-top "Chuck Taylors." I bought his last pair at AZ Mills, so we headed there. I remembered my friend Tera telling me about Rainforest Cafe, so we had dinner there. Elle loved it, but was a little scared at the fake gorillas and elephants that move and make sounds. It really is a cool place, we sat under the stars(fake!) It had 5-6 huge salt water tanks filled with beautiful fish, Elle loved them.

After dinner, it was time to shop for Patricks shoes. So we went into every shoe store there, which is around 10 stores or so. Along the way, Elle found a little carousel with Clifford on it. She wanted to ride it, so she got too.

Well at dinner, we told her she could ride the big carousel with the pretty horses on it. She was so excited, so as we were walking the mall, she kept yelling "horsies!" She did not want to go into one more shoe store. We had to keep telling her that we were on our way to them. We finally made it to the carousel and we let her chose which one of us she wanted to ride with her. She picked "Papa."

The best part of the night was when she saw the trampolines. She ran over to them and stared at the kids jumping and giggling. I asked her if she wanted to do this and she said "yes." So we let about three kids go in front of her, just to see if she really wanted to give it a try. After they were all done, she still wanted to do it. Okay so $5 for 3 minutes of jumping, here she goes!

This is as far as she got! Patrick and I noticed tonight that when she gets nervous, she puts her fingers in her nose. She was very brave, she hopped right up onto the trampoline, let the girl harness her. Then that was it, the girl told her where to put her hands and she got scared. She wanted "Mommy!" She told me she wanted to go home, so we got her down. We congratulated her for trying and told her maybe next time. She was still proud of herself! The girl gave us our $5 back too. A great time tonight, lets make it a fun-filled September!!

2009-08-31T23:05:00.000-07:00

Elle is so, so into her Disney movies. Some how, she can pull the exact movie out of a stack(only the binders are showing!)every time. Today she wanted to watch Tinkerbell, I then remembered I had these wings in the garage. I went to pull them out, I put them on and flew into the house past her! She loved it and immediately wanted me to take them off and she wanted to wear them. She is so cute!

Tonight we went to Walmart, and of course, I had to look in the clearance toy section! Guess what we found! Tinkerbell pet party playset. It has the smallest little pieces, but she only wanted Tinkerbell, ladybug and the caterpillar. She is sleeping with them tonight.

2009-08-30T23:01:00.000-07:00

Elle loves, loves to play. She is great at pretending! Her imagination amazes me more and more each day. She has always liked this hat, but this is the only way she will wear it. No one can help her put it on, she is the only one that can do it, its pretty funny! Enjoy:)

Yes, she does have pen marks all over her body! Thank you Patrick:) He lets her draw on herself when I am not home. She told me she was a zebra! haha

2009-08-27T22:55:00.000-07:00

Ivan has officially turned over from his back to his stomach!! This was a huge step for him. He has also been pushing up on his hands from his stomach for some time now, but never was caught on film. Here are some photos from today, enjoy!

2009-08-26T22:41:00.001-07:00

So our Walmart now has a Clearance Toy section!! I love having Walmart here in town, but at the same time I hate it. Its so addicting when you have kids to always see what great deals you can find. Well, I found the kids a car! It was kind of a pain to put together, but they both love it! Here are the photos of our new car, enjoy!

I put Ivans little bumbo seat in now, so he can hold the steering wheel and not fall over, so cute:)

2009-08-25T23:46:00.000-07:00

SMACKDOWN
So our friends Jodi and Bob are into WWE. I have never watched this type of wrestling on TV, or watched it ever. They had been bugging us to come with them when WWE came to Phoenix. So we thought, why not?! WOW, not for us. It was fun to see the drama and how ridiculous this show was. Our highlight of the night was seeing Darnell Dockett who is a DT for the Phoenix Cardinals. I took a photo of him as best I could with the lighting in the arena.

It amazes me that people really like this type of thing, it had so much drama involved. I can see why kids like this, but adults?? I am not here to judge, just weird! Anyways, Bob had told me he wanted cotton candy and a foam finger. On our way to our seats at the beginning of the show, we bought him a mask, belt and t-shirt. We had awesome seats, 3rd row from the ring! That was cool too, plus okay, I will admit some of the wrestlers were very good looking:) It was a great night, whether we liked the actual show or not. Bobs motto is "I will not make you have fun!" We always have fun, no matter where we are!! Enjoy the photos!

2009-08-24T00:39:00.000-07:00

I have had photos of Coral that Ali and Brandon's friend Sandra took of her at 9 days old. They are so good and she captured some great emotions from Coral. Enjoy!

2009-08-23T21:09:00.009-07:00

So we have been sick since we got back from San Diego. So not fun. Right now Ivan still has a cough, but it seems to be getting better. We have been house bound and have been trying to stay busy within the home. Its pretty hard, especially with two little ones. I have been trying to take some photos of the kids, to show how much fun we can have without going out and about all the time. Here are some photos, enjoy!
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2009-08-20T16:44:00.001-07:00

Ivan is 4 months! Wow how time really flies by when you are having fun. I wanted to share with you the photos I took of him and compare them to Elle at the same age. Enjoy!

2009-08-18T21:32:00.000-07:00

I got out of the house today to venture down to Tucson to visit my new niece, Coral Amelia! She is a week old and such a cutie. Typical first week behavior, eat, sleep, and poop! It was so nice visiting Ali, she looks great and is in great spirits. Why would she be any other way?!

I took Ivan with me, since Elle was still pretty sick, however Ivan started coughing today while we were there. It was a great change from our chaotic house filled with two munchins and four dogs barking! They have three dogs, but the house was so quite. I know its not always like that, especially with two teenagers.

Logan was sick and stayed home from school, so we got to hang out with him for a while. Ivan also got to meet Brigette when she got home from school. Ivan really enjoyed playing with Brigette! Right before we were about to leave Brandon got home, so we visited with him for a little bit. They are such an awesome family! I can't wait for Coral and Ivan to get a little older, they will have lots of fun playing!! Here are the photos from the day, enjoy!

San Diego!

2009-08-08T15:23:00.020-07:00

We are planning on heading to San Diego every year, we love it there. So this year, I was watching Jon and Kate plus 8. They were in San Diego staying at a really cool resort that their 2 year olds loved; Paradise Point! I looked into the resort and knew we were to go there. We got a great deal through Travelocity for flight, resort and car. The best part was, we did not have to drag our car seats and a pack 'n' play through the airport. We only took our luggage and a stroller! The rental car company provided us with the car seats at no charge and the resort had a pack 'n' play for us!!

So we get to San Diego after a morning of missing our flight with US Airways, telling them to forget getting us on another flight that left at 4pm. We bought one way tickets with Southwest for an hour later than our original flight. It was all working out. A little stressful, but whatever we got over it pretty fast. We were off to the San Diego Zoo, which Elle had been wanting to go to for about a month now. Every day at least 4 times a day she would say to me "I go Zoo!" We had a great time there, we missed a lot of great exhibits, but will go back another time. Right when we were getting ready to leave we noticed a band and a bunch of kids hula hooping. Elle just woke up from a nap, she said she wanted to join them, but just watched. She would not even touch a hula hoop. Oh, well it was fun watching all the kids do there thing.

We headed to Paradise Point to check in and grab a bite to eat. Our room was on the corner of a four unit building, right on a little canal, with ducks. We went down to the Barefoot Bar and Grill for dinner right on the marina. While we waited for our table, Patrick and Elle went down to see the boats. Patrick told me she had to touch everyone of them. She was having so much fun, it was great! Dinner was okay, but we decided not to eat there again. We were tuckered out so off to bed we went.

Tuesday morning we went down to the lagoon, Elle and I climbed up the lookout tower which was really high. I was very surprised she climbed up all the way with me, not even a scared bone in her little body. We then went back to the marina to feed the gigantic fish. There are even sharks in the little pond by the restaurant. Elle started getting fussy, so it was nap time. After nap time we went down to the beach, or what they call Paradise Cove. It was fun, there were not many people there, so it was nice and quite. Patrick swam from the shore we were on to the opposite shore to catch crabs. Sure enough he came back with one, Elle was not shy at all and wanted to hold it. At this point we were getting hungry and so we cleaned up and went to Gringos. I had been to Gringos in the past with friends for their bloody Mary bar, which was EXCELLENT!! I had to take Patrick there, our food was just okay.

The night was still young and we wanted to do something else. We went down to Belmont Park at Mission beach. Its a little amusement park, with rides, games, shopping and food. Elle wanted to ride the carousel, so okay! Now she has ridden carousels in the past now four times and cried the entire time. However this time she was laughing and having a great time. It was very enjoyable! Elle saw these blow up monkeys and wanted one, so Patrick played a game while I rode a wild ride. I get off the ride and she has a new stuffed dog. It was Patrick's turn now to ride this ride, which was pretty scary. I love roller coasters, flipping upside down and stuff, but when you have not ridden rides in a long time; it was pretty frightening. There was another ride Elle could go on, which was a submarine that went up and down in a circle. She loved it, she rode it twice, once with me and the other time with Patrick. So fun! Right next to the submarine ride is a rubber ducky game, Elle wanted to play because of the blow up monkeys! So we let her play, she won and of course she picked the monkey!! She was the happiest kid on the planet, screaming, laughing and running with her monkey. So cute! Patrick and I rode one more ride and we headed back to the resort to end the evening.

Wednesday we played in the pool till nap time, then rented a pontoon boat; thanks to my mom! It was Patrick's birthday present to do something at the resort and this is what he picked! So we took the kids out and drove by Sea World, Campland, homes and resorts/hotels. It was a lot of fun, Ivan fell asleep. I was surprised, he did not mind the life jacket at all. Elle laid down too and took a rest, she did not like the wind blowing her hair in her face. After the boat ride we were in the mood for seafood. We went to Mission beach and found a great local restaurant called Saska's. Patrick had a Po Boy and I had fish and chips, both very good. After dinner it was time to try to have Elle rest up for movie night. At the pool every Wednesday and Saturday they have a kids movie. We got to watch Wall-E. Elle was so excited to watch it. We got to the pool, Elle fully clothed, hops into the pool. She was having fun, it was getting dark out and there were so many kids swimming. I had her swimsuit, but oh well. I let her be.

Thursday we checked out of our resort and headed to Coronado to hang out at the beach. It was not all that fun, the kids were tired, Patrick and I were hungry but we made the best of it. We stayed for a couple hours, playing in the sand. The water was 62 degrees, too cold to swim in. I took Ivan down and put his feet in and he did not seem to mind, he loved playing in the sand though! When beach time was over time we headed to the airport. We were all exhausted and ready to get home to our beds. We had a fabulous time and will definitely go back to Paradise Point! We really did not want to leave the resort, there is so much to do there!

2009-08-01T09:59:00.004-07:00

We love to walk up to the entrance of our neighborhood. At the entrance there is a pond with a lot of ducks, turtles and fish, a playground and lots of grass to run in. Elle loves it there, Patrick and her like to hike onto the golf course too. So Patrick and Elle went before Ivan and I, so they could hike for a while. When Ivan and arrived, they were not done. Ivan and I just laid in the grass and watched the ducks and turtles come around us. When they were finally done hiking, Elle ran straight for the playground. She is still trying to get brave enough to go down the slide herself, she is not quite there yet. I did get some photos of us playing, enjoy!

2009-08-01T09:26:00.004-07:00

We surprised Patrick! So Patricks birthday was on the 22nd and on the 25th, I had a surprise party for him. It went great, I did not imagine it going so well. I had the guests arrive at 5:30pm, Patrick leaves work at 6pm.

Patrick arrived home as he usually does, into the garage, into the house, then "SURPRISE!" He stopped dead in his tracks, just staring in awe. He told me he had many emotions going on; from annoyed, scared, excited, angry, etc. He was really happy though, he kept thanking me all night! He asked me why I did not tell him about this, well huh?! He even asked my dad, brother, Bob and Jodi the same thing. They were all over on his actual birthday to celebrate then too.

I had another surprise in store for Patrick, around 8pm it started. Father Time walked through the door, rounded up the guests, found Patrick and the show began. Patrick was a trooper, he played along with the skit. It was really funny. I am so mad at myself though. I went to video tape the whole thing, well I thought I was. Turns out, I did not get anything:( Same thing happened to my brother whom I put in charge of when Patrick first arrived home. He got nothing too. My dad got it all on video though, thank god! I will get that from him soon and share with you if possible.

Oh, it really was a fun night, there were kids running around, playing upstairs and in the playroom. The party really could not have been any better. Thank you to all our family and friends that helped him celebrate his "Over the Hill" birthday. He really had a great time! Here are some photos from the party, enjoy!

2009-07-29T16:27:00.001-07:00

I just realized I never shared with you Elles 2 year old photos. I had these done Mothers Day weekend, so we had just had Ivan not to long ago. We decided to have them done at the entrance to our neighborhood. Elle is very comfortable there and I knew she would be herself. Paula got some great shots, enjoy!

2009-07-29T15:33:00.002-07:00

Ivan is 3 months old already!! Wow did these months fly by. Literally it seems like yesterday I was giving birth, how sad. Anyways, he is such a bundle of joy, he is the best baby I have had so far, sleeping and eating wise.

Ivan has always been a kicker, okay a mover in general. Wow does he ever like to move now! He loves being on his tummy and the other day I asked Patrick if he moved him. Patrick told me no, I knew I had not laid him in the current position he was in. So I spied on Ivan, every once in a while I would look in his crib and he was moving on his own! Awesome! Ivan loves to play, whether he is in his excersaucer, his bouncer or in his car seat; he is always playing with something.

I can't wait to see his next milestone, hopefully for us it will be a bottle! He still will not take a bottle or a pacifier. I have caught him sucking his thumb, which I really don't want him doing. I would much rather be able to take away a pacifier, kinda hard to take away his thumb! Patrick and I have been working on both the bottle and pacifier with him, he will get it eventually. We are hoping!

My friend Paula took Ivan's 3 month photos and of course I have to share them with you! Enjoy!

Patricks another year older!

2009-07-22T12:41:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we both have big birthdays this year:) Its exciting and fun! Patrick turned 40 and I got him a gag gift, a blowup walker. Its pretty funny, Elle enjoyed playing with it. Patrick had his annual review at work this morning and got a raise!! That was a great bday gift from work. He then went to workout, came home opened his presents from us. The kids and I just got him some clothes, cds and a movie. I invited over my brother, dad, Lee, Bob and Jodi for dinner. Patrick wanted Skyline Chili, originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. You put it over spaghetti or hot dogs, its really good! Dad and Lee order it online, so they had plenty and brought it over. Here are some photos from the day, enjoy!

2009-07-20T22:20:00.000-07:00

Ivan turned 3 months today! Wow, what a difference three short months can be. Ivan is my little chunky monkey right now. At his two month visit he weighed a whopping 12.8lbs. He wears 6 mth clothes, which are a little big still, but I am sure not for long! He is such a little talker, baby talk that is. He loves to follow Elle with his eyes and just lights up around her. I think they are going to be great together! She really takes care of him, always concerned when he is crying. She loves to tickle him too. Its really sweet seeing them interact. Here are photos of Ivan at three months. The ones I took, I had my friend Paula Stiller do his three month photos on Sunday. I can't wait to see those, she is so talented. Well, enjoy!

2009-07-12T16:22:00.006-07:00

We got new floors! When we got our newest puppy in February the destruction of the house began. Art completely ruined our carpets. I had been covering the tears with large area rugs. This did not cut it for me, it drove me nuts. Patrick and I were trying to figure out what we wanted, carpet, wood or laminate. We decided carpet just stays gross, no matter how much I steam clean it. Wood can be scratched and is more maintenance. Laminate is very durable, and great for kids and pets. Since we own a zoo, this was definitely the best choice. Here are photos of the work that was done, we could not be happier with the end result! Enjoy!
The damaged carpet~

The new floors!~

2009-06-28T10:06:00.004-07:00

Today is my grandpa's 81st birthday! Happy Birthday grandpa:) Last night we all went to Dillon's, one of our favorite barbeque restaurants in Sun City. They had a band playing last night and wow we had a blast laughing at this one lady. There was a drunk older woman, dancing and making screeching sounds. She was really enjoying herself, however after a long while, the manager had to tell her to stop. She ended up leaving. Its just great to see you can have fun at all ages!

After dinner we all went back to their house, for Elle had been playing outside and really tore up her toe. She was in pain and we needed to get it cleaned up. Patrick had brought a couple movies with him, so we watched The Royal Tenenbaums. One of our favorite movies! The grandparents nor my dad had seen the movie, Patrick and I have probably watched it now four to five times this week. I believe they enjoyed the dry humor. Anyways, here is grandpa's birthday photo, enjoy!

Ivan was sleeping, so he is in the photo, just behind us all:)

2009-06-27T09:53:00.002-07:00

Sleeping beauties! I love when my babies are sleeping, they are so peaceful. Elle watched one of her movies "Goof troop" it was a cartoon in the 80's twice, fell asleep while watching for the second time. The funny thing is this episode is a Christmas one, but she loves it.

Ivan always is sleeping, but had to take photos of him too this morning. Enjoy my sleeping beauties!

2009-06-26T16:51:00.007-07:00

Our little buckeyes, Ohio State buckeye room!! So the border in Ivan's room was a total pain to take off, UGH! We have so much wall paper in this house, next time we go to redo the walls we are hiring out:) The border was enough for both Patrick and I to handle.

Yesterday we started painting and got it pretty much complete except for one color, the white. So, this morning we finished up our wonderful painting job!! Here are the pics of the paint job we did! We are in love with his room, GO BUCKEYES!!!

Now to put it all back in order and add the finishing touches. More pics to come later.

2009-06-25T17:16:00.001-07:00

Today Michael Jackson died. I just remember dancing to his songs in the 80's on our mantel. My brother and I mostly, Robyn barely participated in our silliness. We thought we were popstars singing into our hands and dancing on the mantel! I added Michael Jacksons music to our blog to bring back those memories. Hopefully you have some too. Michael Jackson 1958-2009

2009-06-22T21:33:00.002-07:00

My brother turned a year older today! He came over to my house, we hung out with the kids, hung three ceiling fans and baked Chocolate Crinkles. Dad came over for dinner which I made chicken and beef fajitas. For some reason I had an itch to cook and bake today, don't know why. Everything turned out reaaly well, before Eric arrived, I had made browines and a pork tenderloin, YUM! The brownies were supposed to be for his bday, but Elle saw me making them. When they were done she had to have one, which was before Eric arrived.

Anyways, here is the Chocolate Crinkle recipe: Ingredients: 4 eggs, 1 3/4c granulated sugar, 4 oz unsweetened chocolate chips, melted and cooled, 1/2 c cooking oil, 2 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp vanilla, 2 c flour, and powdered sugar. In large mixing bowl beat eggs, granulated sugar, chocolate, oil, baking powder, and vanilla w/electric mixer until combined. Gradually beat in flour, cover and chill dough 2 hrs or overnight or until dough is easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease cookie sheet. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls into powdered sugar to coat generously. Place balls 1 inch apart. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are set and tops are dry. Transfer to wax paper to cool.

Elle was in a great mood all day, then when we were making dinner her mood changed 180 degrees. She would not sit with us for dinner, so I put her down in her room. She got in a better mood and came to sit with us. Immediately her mood changed again, so she is not in Eric's bday pic, here it is enjoy!

2009-06-20T08:36:00.004-07:00

Today is a celebration of a couple things. Mainly Ali's baby shower, but within my immediate family Ivan turns two months at 1:09pm!

Ali's baby shower was a huge success, thanks to her mom, Linda and I! Everyone had a great time and Ali got great gifts:) Here are the photos taken by Gina and Anita, enjoy!

Ivan is now two months and its been a fast two months. Another fast thing is Ivans growth! I measured him and if I am correct he is 23 1/2 inches long. At birth he was 19 1/4, so yes, he is going to be a BIG BOY!! Here are the photos of my two month munchin, enjoy!

2009-06-12T08:30:00.000-07:00

Mornings at our house come very early. Ivan first wakes up hungry, I'm too tired to sit in the rocking chair and feed him. I bring him into bed with us for his morning feed. Then minutes later Elle wakes up screaming for either "Mommy" or "Papa." She is then brought into bed with us to take a nap from waking up! haha. This is what our bed looks like with Patrick and I on either side of the little munchkins! Enjoy

2009-06-03T21:02:00.003-07:00

I can't believe my little guy is going to be 2 months in two weeks. During his tummy time today, I got some great shots at how strong he is. He pulls his head up and holds it for a while. He has really been this strong since birth. His legs are very strong as well, you make him squat and he will push up. He even pushes his legs straight when on his tummy like he is doing a yoga pose. Its really cute. Well enjoy!

2009-06-01T21:28:00.000-07:00

Elle loves waking up and playing outside. She usually eats her breakfast and goes out to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. The dogs always follow her, or she follows them.
From seeing the movie 'UP' last week, Elle really enjoys her playhouse. We pretend we have balloons tied to the chimney and that we are flying. She tells me to get into her playhouse, which is tight and somewhat uncomfortable for me. I do it anyways though. She also cooks me whatever I want to eat, or she comes to tell me what she is cooking. She will then hand me my food. Usually when she cooks things she wants it's, hot dogs, cookies and chips. Here are the photos from the morning play, enjoy!

2009-05-29T12:19:00.005-07:00

So I've been meaning to post about my sisters visit for a while now. She left this past Tuesday and I have been busy and lazy since.
She got here Thursday the 21st and that night we ventured to the new Walmart in town. Friday morning we went to the zoo and had a great time. The weather could not have been more perfect. It was a little overcast and in the 80's. AWESOME! Unfortunately I forgot my camera, so no pics from the zoo. We took Elle to Toy 'R' Us to pick out a toy and it was really hard for her to do. I believe she was overwhelmed with all the toys. This is the second time we tried letting her pick one out. She eventually picked out some figurines for her doll house. Then it was off to dinner with Eric.
Saturday morning Old Navy had their flip flops on sale for $1. So I wanted to get a couple pairs to bum around in. We got to Old Navy at 10:45 and the parking lot was full! I had Robyn go in and see how long the lines were before dragging two kids out of the car and then back in. She came back to the car and told me there was a line to get to the flip flops and then a long line to the cash registers. Not worth it! They are only $2.50 I think to begin with. We ran acouple errands and then went out to our grandparents house to spend the afternoon. We had a nice relaxing time with them and Elle wanted to walk their dog Viking. She loved it! Coming back home, we met our dad and Lee for dinner at Teakwoods. They were coming back from Tucson and so it was a good breaking point for their venture home. When we are all together it is a laughing fest. With Elle's funny things she does to the conversations we have, the fun never ends.
Sunday we hung out at our dads and swam, it was so pretty out and the water was just right. Elle loves to swim, especially in the hot tub. She thinks its her own pool, its not heated right now so its the perfect fit for her.
Monday was Memorial Day and we all went back over to my dads for a BBQ, even the grandparents joined us. Overall, the weekend was busy running around, relaxing and fun. Enjoy the photos I took!

2009-05-18T10:17:00.003-07:00

Our little Ivan is ONE MONTH today! Happy one month birthday Ivan. This morning, I took acouple photos. Ivan this past month has really grown, his weight and height I have noticed a difference. He is not going to be like Elle and a little petite thing. He is going to be a good sized boy!! An ATHLETE!!

Oh, I can't wait for him to get older, how crazy is that. With Elle, I did not want her to grow, and with him, I can't wait. Oh, well. I just know all the fun we are going to have! Ivan is very strong, he loves playing on the floor on his tummy. He has really always picked his head up and moved it around. He is also a mover, he scoots on his tummy and his back. He might be an early crawler and walker.

Ivan is such a joy and I love having two kids! Elle is doing really well with him. When he cries, she comes to tell me. She calls him "baby" however she does know his name. She has said it a couple times, I am trying to get her to say it more.
Anyways, here are the photos from this morning, enjoy!

2009-05-15T10:12:00.000-07:00

We got sod!! So Patrick had really tried to get bermuda grass seeds to grow in the backyard. Well, it just wasn't going to happen, the backyard does not get that much sun. So he finally called to have sod laid! I cannot wait till we can start playing on the grass, it will be so nice! Here is a photo to show off the sod, enjoy!

2009-05-14T12:54:00.008-07:00

I have to share the photos of my little munchin man~ Ivan!! My friend Paula is a wonderful photographer and she came over to take his newborn photos. Ivan was only 8 days old in these, enjoy!

Mothers Day

2009-05-11T11:58:00.000-07:00

The kids and I relaxed with my dad, Lee, and brother at my grandparents house. We ordered lunch in and enjoyed eachothers company. Ivan slept most of the day, Elle read, played with Viking(granparents dog) and took a nap. As we were leaving, Elle wanted to show grandpa how fast she could run in her new shoes. So they raced, Elle won!

My grandparents have a ceramic donkey in their backyard that Elle just loves. She ran to it, petted the "horsie" and then sat on it. She puts her feet up like she is really riding it, its pretty cute. So, once on the donkey, she sees my brother with her pink poodle. She runs back to us, gets her poodle, runs back to the donkey. Pets the donkey, then sits on it again(Like it is alive!). She then brings the poodle to us, and starts to run back for a third visit. Well, on the way to the donkey is the a/c unit. It starts to hum, she freaks out, turns around to run toward us, crying hysterically, falls, skins her little knees and is yelling for the "horsie." I run to her, pick her up and take her to the horsie. She did not even know she skinned her knees, she was so hysterical. Get to the donkey and she pets it again for the last time. Too cute.

Well, here are our photos from our photo shoot. Had to do some family photos, enjoy!

2009-05-10T16:40:00.000-07:00

Oh, where do I begin? I have not updated my blog in so long. My mom left yesterday(Mothers Day)and she was here for eight days! It was so nice having her here, my house stayed organized. I was falling behind on laundry, so she caught me up there; the blinds throughout my house are now clean. Plus, I got to rest more! We shopped, went to my doctors appt., went to lunch with my brother and played with the kids. My mom even took Art, Woody and Elle for walks every morning. I am starting to do this now too. I have not done this for a while, and its so nice to get outside in the morning.

Ivan has really been changing alot since birth, he stays awake longer and is very alert. He smiles all the time, its priceless! Elle has done very well adjusting to him, however she has thrown many objects at him. Not good. She does rub his back, hair, feet, and kisses him from afar. She calls him "baby." He found his thumb and I can't have him sucking his thumb. Unfortunately that is one thing you can't take away, so I gave him a pacifier. He took to it for a while, then let it drop out, not replacing it with anything. We will see if he really takes to a pacifier or not. Just as long as its not his fingers!
My mom painted Elle's nails for the first time and it was so cute. I was napping, when they were finished, Elle comes walking into my room with her feet high to show me. She was so proud of her pretty nails. She even showed me how she dried her fingernails, if only I had video of that, it was so funny.
The day before my mom left we went to the Science Center. It was great fun! There were so many exhibits that Elle could be invovled in, she really enjoyed it. She was wearing her new running shoes and there was definitely space to run there. She was all over the place, but never ventured too far. Anyways, here are the pictures from my moms visit, enjoy!

2009-04-30T21:53:00.004-07:00

A sneak peek at Ivan's photos! I can't wait to see them all if this is only the sneak peek. I love this photo and had to share!! Thank you Paula, you are great!

2009-04-30T15:15:00.003-07:00

Laughing is what I really love to do and today on Ellen I was laughing so hard, I was crying. That is the best feeling:) I remember seeing this episode a long time ago, but had to share this clip with you. Hope it makes you laugh so hard you cry!
(You might want to go down to the music at the bottom of my blog and press pause to hear the sound)

Can someone please get me one of these someday! Seriously!

2009-04-27T14:54:00.004-07:00

Ivan turned a week today at 1:09pm. How fast time really does go. Ivan sleeps ALOT and is eating really good. He does have Jaundice, you can tell in his eyes. We really need to get outside more. The jaundice really scares me, it can damage the brain if it gets too bad. Thursday, both the kids go to the doctor, so we will see what our doctor tells us on Ivan.

While Ivan was sleeping Elle and I painted some small pots and she was really into it. I was very impressed at how well she did, Patrick and I are very artistic. You never know, she could be our next famous painter! haha

When Patrick got home from work we all went on a walk, it probably was a little long for me. However I was feeling fine after I relaxed at home! I was getting Elle ready for bed, she always picks a book out. Well Ivan started to fuss, so I went to get him, the three of us read. I had Ivan laying on Elles bed and I would see him smile. It was like he was enjoying the 101 Dalmatian book as much as Elle was, too cute! Patrick could not witness this for he had to go back into work for an hour to get the pharmacy caught up:(

Anyways, here are the photos from her painting and then some photos of Ivan at a week old! Too bad, I did not have my camera during story time. Oh well, enjoy!

2009-04-27T12:21:00.003-07:00

This weekend was a great one! Nice and laid back, yes, I could not help myself and did clean, do laundry and the usual. I did relax ALOT though too. I had the help of my brother, he was here to help me with Elle, clean, chauffer me around town, etc!

I gave both babies a bath and what fun that was. Ivan's was quick, but Elle was so sweet. She kept trying to give him her alphabet letters to play with because he was crying. Here are the pictures from Ivan and Elle's first bath together, enjoy!

2009-04-26T22:37:00.000-07:00

Elle turned 2 today and boy did she have a good day. She was in such a good mood and every time you asked her if it was her birthday she said "yes." It was really cute. We had the family over in the afternoon to help celebrate her turning 2. We ordered pizza and laughed alot and had a good time. Here are some pics from Elles birthday, enjoy!

2009-04-25T19:25:00.009-07:00

Comparing Elle to Ivan! This is fun, here are a couple photos!
ElleIvan
ElleIvan
ElleIvan
ElleIvan

2009-04-24T15:42:00.006-07:00

We are SO EXCITED to have A BOY!!! Can you believe we have two kids?! One of each too! Ivan was born on Monday, April 20th, 2009 at 1:09pm. He weighed 7lbs and 4oz and was 19 1/4" long.

I had to have a repeat c-section, since Elle was an emergency two years ago. It was really not as bad this time around. I made the whole procedure worse in my head than it actually turned out being. I received a spinal tap, which was less traumatic than getting an epidural. All my Dr's were really great, my OB of course!

This time around Patrick took video of the surgery, I have yet to watch it. I will soon though, with my fingers over my eyes for all the blood parts. He took some great photos too, which you will see.

I was in the hospital for three days, I have a heart condition and had two tests done. My heart has a bigymeny beat(an abnormal heart rhythm). So I had an EKG and an ecocardiogram done. Nothing new to me, but they of course have to make sure nothing can happen to me. We got home Thursday, the 23rd at 5:30pm.

Most of my family was at the hospital on delivery day. Unfortunately we were missing my mom, sister, mother and father-in law and sister-in laws. Most of them will be coming to visit here shortly, which I am so excited about! I can't wait for everyone to meet my little munchin man!

My wonderful MOPS girls are bringing us meals everyother day for a week, till my mom gets here. We had a wonderful meal from my friend Yaneth last night! Thank you!

Today, Patrick went to work at noon and Elle, Ivan and I have done really well alone. Elle is way more active now, so I feel bad. I would like to play with her outside, but that will have to wait. Patrick bought her a bucket and he filled it with water last night. She has a little pool, the video is below of her playing in it last night. She did play in it this morning and she absolutely loves it.

My brother is coming tonight to stay the weekend and help me with Elle, since Patrick works all weekend. So she will get to play and get her energy out!

At first, I did not think he looked at all like Elle. For one, she had NO HAIR, he has TONS! Although, the more and more I studied him, the more they really look alike. My next post, I will put pics up comparing their looks! That will be fun:)

2009-04-23T22:43:00.001-07:00

Thank you to those of you who voted on the sex. The results were 8 for Ivie and 10 for Ivan. The ones that picked Ivan were absolutely correct! I am so happy that we waited to find out the sex of our newest addition; it made the pregnancy more enjoyable! Thanks.

2009-04-19T21:18:00.004-07:00

Today has been one emotional day. I just kept thinking about how today was my last day with Elle alone. We hung out this morning and played around the house, took a nap, then ran a couple errands. Tonight we took here to the park to play and get some energy out. She has been very sweet today too!

Over the last two years with her, alot has changed. My life has been such a joy with her in it! She makes me laugh when I need it, she is always here to talk to and she is my little angel. Even though she is two, she is my best friend! haha. Watching her grow these past two years has been great, its amazing how much they learn within these years.

Tonight I was asking her questions, just to see if she would answer me. She did! She knows her name and her friends names. It was so cute, I wish I had gotten it on film. I don't know what is going through her little brain about what is happening tomorrow. However, I do feel as though she knows something big is going on. She is always with me, always. No matter who is home she is right by my side! I love it and hope it does not change.

Well, I will be having a baby at 12:30 or so tomorrow. I will keep everyone posted on the sex and there will definitely be pictures. I will not be able to post anything until I get back home, so hopefully Friday you will see something! Love you all and I can't wait! Enjoy the photos I took of Elle from today.

2009-04-17T14:19:00.005-07:00

Three days left till the new addition to the Espy family household arrives!!! We are pretty excited! I have been bombarded with requests for more belly pics, so I decided to cave in and take some. I have nothing to compare the size of my belly to; I never took pics of Elle at this point. Oh, well. Enjoy!

2009-04-12T21:46:00.005-07:00

Easter was a fun day. I was feeling really nauseous, but got through the day somehow! The easter bunny came for Elle and left her a wonderful basket filled with all sorts of fun things. The easter eggs she colored and decorated were even hidden in the front yard, so she went and found them all. She was so excited! This was her first real easter, since she is old enough to understand what is going on. I took all videos of the morning at our house and they are to long to upload on here, sorry.

In the afternoon, we went over to my dads house for lunch and family gathering. Elle wanted to wear her white dress and she looked so pretty! Dad got her a huge chocolate bunny and a pink stuffed bunny. My grandparents got her a really cute bunny that sings and its ears move to the music. Here are our Easter Sunday photos, enjoy!

2009-04-11T21:40:00.001-07:00

We had a great Saturday! Elle woke up early and decorated her easter eggs. She was so into it, I was really trying to get her to look up at the camera. She would not even acknowledge me, I was asking her every question under the sun. Nothing.

We then had two birthday parties to attend. Our friend Sophia turned 3 and Hannah turned 2! Elle and Hannah have been friends since they were 8mths! We had a lot of fun at both parties. Elle ate so much sugar, she would get happy then cranky. It was pretty funny.

We got home at night and she wanted so badly to watch one of her favorite movies, Monsters Inc.. "MIKE" is what she was saying at Hannah's party, she wanted to watch him then, but she had to wait. She stayed up through the entire movie, then off to bed at 9 so the easter bunny could come.
Here are the pictures to show you what a great day we had. Enjoy!

2009-04-10T09:38:00.004-07:00

Yesterday we had our annual MOPS easter egg hunt! The kids love it, the eggs are hidden before they arrive at the park. Thanks to those that put this event on!

Last year, Elle was to little to hunt for them, she was not even walking yet. So, this year, I helped her out. We found four eggs filled with candy! She was so excited to get back to a table and start opening the eggs to find the surprises inside. Her friends were all so cute and easterly dressed, I took a couple photos. So here they are, enjoy!

2009-04-10T09:20:00.004-07:00

Disney on Ice was lots of fun! Elle wore a Minnie mouse dress my cousin Kendra got her before she was born. She looked so cute!

Elle really enjoyed seeing all the characters. The main story was from "The Incredibles" and it was very entertaining. Elle surprised us, she followed the story very well. She was pointing, talking and overall very engaged in the show. Here are some photos from the show. Enjoy!

2009-04-06T15:11:00.007-07:00

I have two weeks everyone!! AAAAHHHH! No, I am really excited and ready. My body wants to go back to normal. Well, as normal as its going to get with breastfeeding, no sleep and you know the routine.

This weekend has been uneventful, yet eventful. Early friday morning I woke up with a huge migraine, sore throat and laziness. Elle and I laid around all day, napped, watched movies, etc. Well, I needed some caffeine in the afternoon, so we ventured out. We ran through McDonalds for some caffeine and went to visit Patrick at the pharmacy drive-through. Well, we got home, I realized I needed something from Patrick, so we get in the car and I backed into the garage door. We were stuck in the garage. Okay, so I am not very smart, you are supposed to wait for the door to go up. I really do not know what was going through my brain, OBVIOUSLY NOTHING!

So, I call a repair company, they were supposed to come out Saturday from 10-12, the guy called me several times saying he was coming, LATE! He showed up at 1:30 and was done by 2. My door is back to working order, he threw in some screws and put the springs back on track. The door doesn't even look like it was damaged FROM THE OUTSIDE:) Elle and I played in the house Saturday morning waiting for this guy to come. Here are some photos from Saturday, enjoy!

Had to add a video too! (Press pause on the music at the bottom of the page)

2009-04-01T15:15:00.005-07:00

Our friend Jeremy is off to the Caribbean for medical school. Saturday night his wife had a wonderful get together with all his friends at Rock Bottom. It was a lot of fun to see so many people we had not seen in a while.

To bad I am pregnant, because I so wanted to go out with everyone afterwards. They were off to Devils Martini North and I have not been dancing in SOOO LONG. It is much needed about now, once this baby pops out, it is ON!
Here is a picture of the four of us: Andrea, Jeremy, Patrick and I. Enjoy!

2009-03-26T15:07:00.003-07:00

We are getting excited for Disney on Ice! Elle always talks about Mickey and everytime she sees a picture of him, she lights up. Its really cute. We go in two weeks from today!

2009-03-17T21:15:00.001-07:00

Happy St. Patricks Day everyone! We had a great day. It started off with gymnastics this morning. Elle had her second class, she is getting much better. She jumped on the trampoline, pulled herself up on the bar, climbed the ladder and other mats. She really does enjoy it.

Then we were off to The Pfeifers house for a playdate. There were lots of kids there and everyone was so cute and dressed in green! We had a wonderful lunch and all the moms got some chatting in!

Patrick got home from work and we went to the gym to swim! It was such a nice day, Elle really enjoys playing in the water. Hee new thing is she does not want to get out. I had to bribe her with dinner, just to get her out of the pool:)

Here are the photos from today, so enjoy!

2009-03-15T19:40:00.003-07:00

Elle and I had a pretty good day, considering I woke up with a bad headache. We had a friends 5th birthday party to attend. We had not seen this family for quite some time, so it was very nice seeing them!

After the party Elle was high on sugar and was still wanting to play, so we went in the back yard. She ran, yelled, played in her house and also hid in a bush. It was odd, she was in the bush, yelling for "NEMO." I did not know fish lived in bushes, but whatever. She has a great imagination! Here are our photos from today, enjoy!

2009-03-15T10:58:00.005-07:00

This month has gone pretty fast. I feel some what overwhelmed, we are scheduled to have the baby on April 20th. I only have a little over a month to make sure everything is prepared for baby! There really is not much we need to do, however, I could start preparing my hospital bag:)

We have been staying pretty busy. Mondays are our only day to do nothing. Tuesdays Elle has gymnastics, which is so cute and fun! Wednesdays are swim lessons, which she is getting much better aclimated to the water; a huge bonus. Thursdays, we play with the dogs, usually take them to the dog park. Fridays are a day to play around the house. The weekends from here on out are jammed with parties! Hopefully we can make it to most of them, totally depends on nap schedule!

Elle (22mths) is so talkative and she loves to sing. Her little chipmunk voice is so cute and she is always smiling or laughing. Her love for the animals is precious, she is constantly giving them hugs & kisses. She is addicted to acouple things... Toy Story, Little Nemo, Mickey Mouse Playhouse and Elmo. I was always saying that she would not watch that much tv, well that went out the door a while ago. OOPS!

She also really enjoys reading, she will sit in her playroom and pull and read most of her books. Every night before bed, I have her pick out a book. It is most always Monsters, Inc. She saw this movie once at Robyns' and has loved it since. I am really getting tired of reading the book. Pretty soon, I think I don't even need to look at the words, I will have it memorized! I would have thought that the monsters would scare her, but they don't seem to bother her.

I bought her a playhouse for outside and she would sleep in it, if we would let her. She loves it! She gave us a huge scare the other day. I was out in the back pulling weeds, Patrick was on the computer and Elle was in the back yard with me. Well, so I thought. I yelled into Patrick "have you seen Elle?" No, so we thought she was just playing in her house quietly. NOPE, the neighbor boy rang our doorbell with Elle. She had gone out the garage door and into the front yard. YIKES! This was super terrifying to both Patrick and I. So now we keep all the doors locked to the front of the house. She was safe!

Patrick has been doing well, getting up and working out every morning then off to work. It is really nice having him home more! We get two full days during the week, then most evenings before dinner he gets home. He has been reading alot of books and is constantly researching something. This week it was drinking water, what tests are done and how bottled water differs from tap. He is now drinking from the filter from the refrigerator, its not much different from buying bottled water.

I have been busy this week too. I had two Celebrating Home meetings, getting the new info on our merged company. It is really great! You should check out my site.

I have not been feeling well, I wake up with a sore throat in the mornings. It goes away as the day progresses, it could be allergy, who knows. My headaches are coming and going. Last night, I was on the phone and my vision started to go. I just went to bed immediately after my phone call. Today, still have my headache/vision problem. It really is a pain, I hate taking any type of medicine, but broke down and took some extra strength Tylenol. Hopefully it helps.

The baby is moving around A TON!! Most of the time it hurts, just getting kicked or elbowed inside is not a good feeling. I am super happy though that the little one is so active, but come on. I am your MOM! No hitting!

We still love our house! Patrick got the grass to grow in the front yard and we had a neighbor boy mow it for us the other day. The back yard grass needs a lot of work. We believe we will have to lay all new sod:( Oh, well. Our bougenvilla are coming alive, they are probably my favorite plant out here in the west. The hot pink is so pretty to me! We need to buy two new lounge chairs, Art destroyed the ones we had. Patrick and I love to lay out in the sun and read or snooze. Thanks alot Art!

Well, here are some photos from the last couple of weeks. Enjoy!

Espy baby #2!

2009-03-09T13:48:00.002-07:00

So the date has been set for my c-section. APRIL 20th at 12:30 I go into Paradise Valley Hospital. Let me tell you, I am pretty nervous/anxious. This time knowing I have to have a c-section makes me scared. I have been having nightmares about the epidural and can't seem to get them out of my head. Deep down, I know things will be fine, but there is always that chance. Having to be opened up again is scary too, learning to walk again, etc. It brings flash backs. Overall, as long as our baby is OKAY, I am OKAY:)

Home Interiors New Name~ Celebrating Home

2009-03-02T22:17:00.004-07:00

I wanted to keep you all updated on my Home Interiors business. We are oficially now called Celebrating Home~ "Bringing Families Together." I have changed my blog address for my business, so it is now www.celebratinghomemomma.blogspot.com and I will be updating my website. But check out my blog for all the latest promotions and decorating tips!