Weekends

Our weekends are pretty relaxing for the most part. We try not to do too much since the kids are in school/daycare for many hours each day and I work so much. So Saturdays have consisted of swim lessons, grocery shopping, cooking, movies and playing. Sundays are church, playing, reading and maybe a movie.
 
Saturday I let the kids make/decorate cookies. Ivan I think just really likes the icing, he is the type to decorate one, eat one. Elle I don't believe has eaten ONE, she just loves to decorate them. I finally used the cookie press my mom bought me. As kids, she always used hers, and her cookies were so pretty. If you do not have a cookie press, I suggest you buy one! I am going to be using mine more often when baking!

I caught Ivan green handed...

Through my gym, I am in a paleo challenge. So far, so good. I was worried about my sweet tooth, but with paleo desserts, I am happy! I really have not craved sugar as I thought I would. I have had fun finding new recipes and buying different ingredients at the grocery store. Its an adventure and the kids like to help! Saturday night, I made coconut chicken and Ivan could not stop eating it. He is such a picky eater, so this made for ONE HAPPY MOM!
I am very excited...I got lots of yard work completed this weekend. The backyard was a weed jungle. The front yard got mowed, leaf blown and looks fabulous again. I love the way my house looks when the yard it nice and tidy!
 
One other thing excited me today, I finally got more space in my garage! I had my old HUGE TV in there trying to figure out a way to get rid of it. I had a garage sale weeks ago, put it out front with a FREE sign on it, no takers. Finally this past week I got smart, put an ad on Craigslist and it left its home after many many years. It was actually my dad and stepmoms TV back in the day, it was about 13-14 years old.

Back at it!

I truly can not believe its been almost a year since I have POSTED ANYTHING!!! I kinda fell off the face of the earth. I have been extra busy with work, kids, working out and taking care of all of lifes tasks. I really have missed writing and updating my blog. It is a great outlet. A lot happened last year and I can't wait for the things to come this year. I believe I grew alot last year and going in the right direction. I started a dream job in July and love going to work everyday for the long hours I put in. I workout at a different gym, love everyone in the tribe! Kids are growing and they are learning so much and they continue to amaze me every minute of every day. I will be signing another years lease on my house, which I love! Its the perfect size for the three of us...plus two dogs and the outside cat. Tonight I was looking for night stands on craigslist and came across some black shabby retro ones that I love! I have become OBSESSED with antique malls/markets. You can find the coolest stuff and the best prices! Anyways, on the ad for the night stands was this womans blog. I went to it and started reading/looking/aweing and found thisacross this song. It gave me chills, so I thought I would share it! Enjoy!

Birthdays at Disneyland

Patrick and I decided instead of a party for the kids, this year we would take them to Disneyland.  We went a couple years ago and had a ball.  This year was even better, the kids enjoyed it so much more!  The first day we went to Disneyland and the park was EMPTY!  The longest we ever waited in line was about TEN MINUTES.  The very first ride we all went on was Snow White, we had never done this one and were told just before going that it was scary.  Patrick and I knew our kids liked scary things, so we were not worried.  Ivan sat with me and Patrick and Elle behind us.  Ivan started crying from fright and Elle was as well.  When we got off, Ivan was still whimpering but VERY worried about Elle.  He kept telling her "It's okay Elle."  He is such a good brother, always looking out for her and vice versa.

That evening, it was great, we were in Toontown and could immediately get on rides after they were over, no one was in line.  Ivan fell in love with his first roller coaster.  He rode that thing three times and the first time he was crying so hard he wanted to ride it again.  Patrick thought he was scared, but he kept saying "AGAIN!"  Here is the video of Ivan the second time around!

Ivan melted my heart with how HAPPY he was.  I love seeing my kids so happy.  They are truly the best kids ever!.

The next day we went to California Adventures and we saw TONS of characters there.  Ivan was so tired from the day before that he slept pretty much the entire time we were in the park.  Elle and I rode quite a few rides, I took her on the Tower of Terror.  She was pretty frightened, it was cute.  She will tell you she was scared too!

This was definitely a birthday they will remember!  Happy Birthday Elle and Ivan, MOM LOVES YOU VERY MUCH!

Humor

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

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

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

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

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

Friday Funny!

Running around the diamond

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!