Cody and Haylee

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

2010-05-13T12:49:00.000-07:00

(Olivia's first bath - 11/2009) Olivia was born with a TON of hair! Well, a ton for our family. My boys were practically bald until they were 2, so we were thrilled our baby girl HAD hair! She was curious. Always looking around, trying to see whatever it was that she saw. Problem is, she would constantly be turning her head all the way from side to side and you know what that leads to...

...Baby Bald Spot Syndrome or BBSS for short. (Those of you who know me may say that she gets this from my side of the family :) Love you Dad!) It's progressive but the good news is she's over the worst of it! 3/2010

It has thinned out and lightened up. Funniest part (besides the huge bald spot in back) is that she has ONE super long hair on top of her head. It has to be twice or maybe three times as long as the rest. Hopefully a premonition of what's to soon come! Love our Livee! 4/2010

Game Boys

2010-05-13T12:37:00.001-07:00

My talented boys have figured out a way to help me by holding Olivia WHILE playing their games. I know, they're pretty much amazing huh?!? ;)

Caden 12/2009

Cody 2/2010

OUCH!!!

2010-05-13T12:07:00.000-07:00

The more kids I get, I've come to realize that someone will always either be sick, hurt or crying for whatever reason. Hardly EVER is everyone satisfied, full and happily playing. I hope you other mommies have similar lives... If not, I guess I better be changing the way I do, well, EVERYTHING!

Trey got an infection in his gums on Thanksgiving day (on the left side his cheek was all swollen). Poor kid couldn't eat anything because of the pain and was fevering and sleeping most of the day. We were sure THANKful to our dentist who fixed the problem (haha! I'm lame...) Needless to say, we've all upped our flossing. 11/2009

Caden & Trey were in their room getting their jammies on when we hear a loud -SMACK- followed directly by Caden scream-crying! We run in there and busted up laughing! Caden sure didn't find it as funny as Cody and I did! Can't see it in this one? Look below...

This is the EXACT replica of Trey's hand!!! I knew it hurt Caden like crazy, and after we were done wiping OUR tears from all the laughter, we had to go back and TRY to punish Trey. 1/2010

We were waiting outside to go visiting teaching and it was pretty windy. I told Trey & Michael to put their hands in their front pockets like I was to keep their hands warm. I heard a little voice saying maybe that's not such a good idea, but I thought, we're just standing here and we'll be leaving in a minute. Well Michael decided to try and bite my leg. Instinctively I moved out of the way and before I even realized what happened, all his weight landed smack dab on his nose and lip. I never have been so grateful that he's such a skinny little kid, realizing the outcome could've been MUCH worse than the looks of this. I felt horrible! My sweet visiting teach-ee took care of him and he snuggled in and fell asleep on her. Thanks again Amy! 3/2010

Sleepy

2010-05-13T09:41:00.000-07:00

Not only am I tired from being up with Olivia at night, but she seems to make everyone around here sleepy too!

Me, Michael and Olivia. 11/2009

Me, Michael and Olivia... again... This time I thought I'd better take advantage of being stuck by two sleepers. 11/2009

While I was feeding Olivia, Michael threw a fit and rolled under the bed. ONE of the hardships of having a baby, I couldn't deal with him until she was done. After constantly kicking the bed to remind me that he was upset, he slowly stopped and grew quiet. When I checked on him, this is what I found. Put Michael down for a nap... CHECK!!! 12/2009

Trey was feeding Olivia a bottle and fell asleep. Cute kid adores his sister and helps out any way he can. 12/2009

Michael LOVES to be by Olivia doing anything, including sleeping. For the first 5 months of Olivia's life, we let Michael sleep in her bedroom (in his own bed). It was the only way he'd stay asleep and the only way I'd get ANY sleep at all! 1/2010

Sweet Brothers! I don't find Caden and Trey this close (without fighting) very often so I had to document it. 1/2010

Cody says Olivia is his little sleeping pill. He holds her and he's instantly asleep. I say that's a convenient way to get a nap!... Good thing it's adorable! 2/2010

I think I have a picture of each of the boys sleeping this way in their little red chair. Here's Michael's turn. 3/2010

Okay, Okay, so he doesn't ALWAYS fall asleep while holding her... 4/2010

...He's not picky - he'll take a nap with anyone :) Thanks Cody for working so hard for us! You deserve to sneak in a nap whenever you can! 2/2010

Baby

2010-05-12T14:31:00.000-07:00

My baby is getting SO big!!! I look back at these pictures and feel little heart pains, knowing this is the last time I'll hold a tiny baby that is my own. It's a good thing that with every stage, she gets more and more fun! Here's a look back at then and now... (well close to now. I'm ALWAYS behind!)

November 20, 2009 (8 days old) :

Resting on Cody's arm. Even her tiny newborn diapers were huge on her.

All of my children's hands. This is one of my favorite pictures. Caden had to hang on to Olivia's hand- she kept trying to pull it away to get into the fetal position.

Her tiny feet.

She's always been able to give the best scowls, even in her sleep :)

March 15, 2010 (4 months old)

I LOVE those Cheeks! Just wanna kiss her!

Patience was getting her to laugh so hard! You can bearly see, but this was the very first time I painted her pretty pink toes.

Adorable baby doll!

She got bored and finally decided to fall asleep. My mom gave her this hat in the hospital and it was twice the size of her head... now it doesn't even fit her. After 4 kids, I'm still amazed how quickly they grow!

Blessing Day

2010-04-23T14:54:00.000-07:00

Olivia was blessed on Sunday, January 3rd, which also landed on Cody and my 9th Anniversary! It was a beautiful day in which we are so happy we could share with our family and friends. Cody did a wonderful job blessing Olivia and despite all my nightmares of a screaming baby, she was perfect. We are so grateful for our little family and love our children so much.

More Pictures

2010-01-05T12:30:00.000-08:00

My Mom is a Young Women leader and made Olivia's blessing dress as her personal progress project. She found a pattern and taught herself how to knit. She had to undue it many times and was so frustrated with it, but after hours of work, tears and prayers, she completed it. It is so beautiful and means so much to me.

Christmas Time

2010-01-05T10:10:00.000-08:00

GETTING READY FOR THE BIG DAY:

Our Gingerbread house

The boys decorated their Christmas tree all by themselves!... Well, Trey & Michael lost interest after about 2 ornaments - Good Job Caden for sticking it out.

Aunt Belva sent the boys some early gifts. They were SO excited!

CHRISTMAS AT OUR HOUSE:

Opening Jammies on Christmas Eve
Caden got Camo/skater, Trey got Clone Wars, Michael got Buzz Lightyear & Olivia got Pink Polka-Dot.

Reading the letters that Santa wrote & mailed to each boy. They arrived on Christmas Eve, just in time.

Caden spent SO much time at school making a perfect present for me - a book about how each country celebrates Christmas. It was written and colored so well!

Caden and Trey couldn't be happier with their gifts!

In true Michael fashion, this was the first picture he would actually let us take of his face... what a little stinker!!!

CHRISTMAS PARTIES:

Michael, Trey, cousin Crew & Caden opening presents at Cody's Grandma's house.

Cody's sweet Aunt Belva cuddling Olivia.

Cody's Uncle Brad getting the overly tired Michael to sleep. Thank you!

My Dad, Michael & cousin Paige. These two are constantly fighting over who Grandpa will hold or play with or sit by or look at... it's pretty funny!

Trey, Caden and me, trying to figure out how a toy works... dang bakugans :)

If you look REALLY closely, you can see that Santa's holding Olivia.

We had a Wonderful Holiday and are so grateful that we could share it with our families at this special time of year.

Olivia

2009-12-10T15:45:00.000-08:00

My friend requested that I post the birth story of Olivia on my blog and I thought that was a wonderful idea! This way, I will actually get it written down so I'm not wracking my brain thinking 'did that happen with Caden or was it Michael or Trey?' Although because it was done so soon, I remember all the details so it is pretty long - sorry! Thanks Kira for making me get it done!

Caden's birthday is May 5th, Trey's June 5th and Michael's October 12th, so when we found out I was pregnant, we thought it would be fun to have this baby on November 12th. However, when they told me my due date was November 20th I remember thinking "there is no way I could hold out until the 12th!", especially after I had a very vivid dream that I had my baby exactly a month early... that sure didn't happen!

I went in for my 39 week apt on Wednesday the 11th. My Doctor checked me and nothing had changed much since the week before (bearly dilated over a 1. pathetic) He asked if I wanted to be induced. Sure - I had to have patosson (sp?) after my water broke with Michael so what was the difference? I asked him if I could be started on the morning of the 12th, but he explained that he had surgeries that day and is always nervous to start someone, knowing he could be stuck in a surgery. I saved November 13th instead.

A contraction woke me up Thursday morning (the 12th) at 12:15 a.m. I didn't think much of it since it had happened a couple nights before. I fell back asleep just to be woken up 15 minutes later. The night/morning was filled with contractions ranging 2-20 minutes apart, nothing regular, but still SO painful that I had to breath through each one. Finally at 5:30 I called the labor & delivery nurse asking what I should do. She asked if this was my first delivery? I told her it would be my 4th. She said "You better hurry in. We don't want you to have that baby at home!" I still wasn't sure this was it cause with all my children, my contractions have been very regular at 2-3 minutes apart. I took a shower, did my hair and make up, (need to look good for pictures if this was it!) packed up the last little items in my bag, then got the boys ready to be taken up to Gramommas. We started driving and I told Cody "Just drop me off at the hospital and I'll get all checked in. By the time you're done dropping off the boys, I'll be in a room.

At 6:50 I walked in the Emergency Room doors - we wanted to beat the pregnant ladies being induced at 7:00 :) The lady looked at me and said "what can I help you with?" I looked down at my belly and had a contraction and she said "OH, I wasn't even sure if you were pregnant!" Hehe! She called for a wheelchair and they took me right up. What, No paperwork? Sweet! On the way up to my room, I noticed signs everywhere "NO children under 12 allowed IN the hospital." My heart sank. I knew my boys, especially Caden, would be so sad not to see their little sister. However I was VERY grateful there wouldn't be any risk of sick children coming up to the delivery floor, infecting my newborn baby!

As I got into my room, a nurse greated me saying that she was glad I finally made it. She checked me and I was relieved when I was told I was dilated to a 5! Wahoo! My baby was coming!!! And what an obedient girl to come on the day we wanted her on. Cody walked through the door and we smiled at each other, knowing we were both SO excited for our baby girl to make our family complete. After about an hour and dilating to a 7, I asked for a light epidural. Mine with Trey and especially Caden numbed me way too much and for way too long. Michael's was perfect cause it took the edge off the pain, I could feel pressure to know when to push, and could move my legs right after I delivered. That's exactly how I wanted it again. Cody has always hated needles, almost passing out when I got my epidural with Caden & Trey. He lucked out with Michael since my sister dropped by at the perfect time - she stayed with me while Cody ran out joyfully. This time I told Cody I needed him there with me. For some reason I was SO nervous and had been dreading this moment for the last several months. It was time and aside from a few skittish jumps (from me) we both did great! Cody even retained color in his face and didn't have to sit with his head between his legs. I was proud of both of us!

The next couple hours flew by without interruption (the nurse was told not to even touch me since my doctor was still in surgery). Cody filled out ALL the paperwork that I missed by being wheeled directly to my room (which nearly killed him. There was a ton!) and we finally decided on a middle name for Olivia - Malaya. It is a beautiful Tagalog name from the Philippines where Cody served his mission. We excitedly talked about our growing family and the perfect addition a little girl would make! Then uh oh, out of the blue I started feeling the contractions HARD. I pushed that little button they told me about. As I was waiting for the sweet relief of meds to kick in, I felt my water break... weirdest sensation ever. I was nervous cause my doctor still wasn't here. I think I practically yelled to my nurse and she came running. She checked me. Just like that, I was a 10. Embarrassingly, I started whimpering, not only cause of the pain of the contractions but mostly because of the PRESSURE. My body wanted the baby out yet I was trying to hold her in. It was SO hard. My doctor finally ran in, putting on his coat and gloves, three pushes and two minutes later she was out! I've often wondered how ladies can have their baby naturally and now I have the answer: Either you're crazy or you don't have a choice! I have never felt such pain. During delivery, my sweet doctor was trying to talk to me, then he started joking around with me to get me talking and I totally ignored him! All I could do was close my eyes and breath deeply. I guess I did too much deep breathing cause after she came out, I was shaky and almost passed out. I remember my doctor telling me "Open your eyes and look down!" I saw my beautiful baby! I remember Cody saying "It's a girl!" (something I had been worrying about throughout the entire pregnancy) I remember the doctor telling the nurse to check my blood pressure. I remember opening my eyes and seeing Cody taking pictures of Olivia getting her weighed and her under the warmer. I remember the doctor telling the nurse to get more fluids in my IV. I remember Cody holding his baby girl all wrapped up with her hat on. I remember the doctor telling me that seeing Cody holding Olivia would be a perfect picture. I remember the doctor asking for my camera so HE could take a picture Cody holding Olivia :) I remember the doctor taking off his coat and telling me I did wonderful. I remember thinking that I should get a picture of the doctor and nurse with Cody, Olivia and I like I have done with all my boys (but the words never made it out of my mouth). I remember Cody coming by my side to show me Olivia and reminding me that we finally had our girl! I remember seeing Cody hold her and I started crying for happiness of that beautiful sight and for sadness that I was so out of it that I couldn't hold my sweet little baby girl. My "memories" were just moments that I finally opened up my eyes just to close them back again. Going natural work best for some women, but since I wasn't trained on how to do it, it made ME miss out on so much of my only baby girl's delivery that I will always regret not getting more epidural.

About 30 minutes later I finally felt well enough to hold Olivia. There are no words to describe that first moment of holding something so small, with such a sweet calm spirit that has just left heaven. I cried again, cherishing that moment. Then I was super mean and unwrapped her - I had to look at everything! She had long legs, 10 fingers and 10 long toes. Then I took off her hat - She had hair!!! (the boys didn't get hair until they were 2 years old!) It was long, dark brown and a little curly! I got her all snugly again and looked at her face to see who she resembled. She has my eyes and chin dimple. Were those cheek dimples I saw? Yes! Who she got those from, I don't know! She looks most like Trey and gratefully not much like Cody... Don't get me wrong, I am SO glad my 3 boys look like mini-Cody's but I want it to stop there! I think you all know what I'm saying.

My next most memorable moment was Cody's parents coming to visit. Since they had our boys, they had to come in shifts. Billie came into our room holding a soft pink material house with Olivia's name on it, filled with a bunny family along with furniture. What a cute gift! She held her 6th grandchild, 2nd granddaughter. We chatted and she snuggled. She went back down with the boys and Bruce came up. He held her, stared down at her and told me she was beautiful. It was heartwarming. Cody's brother also held her and told me she was the cutest baby ever! I already knew that :) Cody came back into the room after visiting with our boys in the waiting room. He showed them the pictures from the camera and Trey exclaimed "That's our baby? Olivia's here?!?" He didn't realize it was OUR baby that his Grandparents had been talking about all morning! As I expected Caden was sad he couldn't come see us and hold Olivia. Michael was just upset to be stuck in a room and was throwing fits to go outside. Cody's sister was dying to come ASAP but because of the no kid rule, she had to wait until her hubby got home to watch her kids. Breanna came and held her for over an hour while Cody took a little nap. We are so excited to both have girls now that can be best friend-cousins! It was so nice visiting with her with no interruptions from kids! I love my in-laws so much and am so grateful for all their help.

My parents weren't able to visit until that evening, which was great because after a night of no sleep and such a hard delivery, I was tired and that gave me time to rest. My mom held her first, and she did exactly what I did - undressed her from head to toe... I know where I get that from :) It was fun cause as I was telling her about the delivery, she told me about some of her horror birthing stories. Funny, you can live with someone so long and yet still hear new stories about their life! I loved it! Olivia finally woke up so my mom could see her eyes, then my dad promptly stole her away and started chatting to her - those are some of the fondest memories I have of my dad is his love and patience with children! This is their 17th grandchild, 9th granddaughter and yet you would've thought it was their first - they were so excited! My mom brought Olivia a headband that will match her beautiful blessing dress that my mom made for her and an adorable fleece snow hat. Thanks mom & dad! Your love and support means so much to me!

After another sleepless night filled with nurses coming in and out, we decided since everything was going well for me and Olivia was perfect, we'd go home. We did the classes, filled out paperwork, loaded the car and took Olivia home to meet her brothers. On the way, we passed the boys playing at the park. Caden got so excited that he let go of the monkey bars and fell on his butt! It made Cody and I laugh so hard! (don't worry, he wasn't hurt) I have been worried that because Michael is SUCH a Mommy's boy that he would either hate Olivia because she was taking me away from him or resent me for spending so much time with her, so we planned to put her in her room, hug & love the boys then bring them into her room to show them. Caden came charging in the door and a couple minutes later, so did everyone else. They all fell in love with her the moment they saw her and have been great big brothers! They love to hold her (Caden has even figured out how to play Playstation games while holding her) they give her hugs and kisses, they give her a binki when she cries, (Michael actually started sobbing, saying "uh oh Babia" the first time he heard her cry) they make sure everyone washes their hands before they touch her, don't let her look into the bright energy-saving lights, etc... yes, all that has it's drawbacks too, but at least they love and protect her! I couldn't ask for anything better!

She is now 4 weeks old and I cannot believe the time has flown by so fast. I'm trying to figure out her feeding and napping schedule to make my life easier. Right now she falls asleep while eating, doesn't finish, sleeps for a minute, wakes up then wants to eat again. I feel like I'm feeding her ALL THE TIME. Any suggestions?!? For me having FOUR kids (It still shocks me to say that!) schedules are mandatory for my sanity. She is growing wonderfully, staying awake longer to play (unfortunately usually right when I want to put her to bed) and gratefully sleeps through her noisy brother's rampages - actually sleeping better with the noise I would say. I absolutely LOVE dressing her all up and am trying to teach her to enjoy it too. Michael gets in on the action by picking out her clothes and Trey gives her baby messages to calm her down after we dress her (Caden's usually at school when we do this). I am grateful for my boys' help, especially my biggest guy - couldn't do it without them. I love my little family so much!

She's finally here!!!

2009-11-15T14:40:00.000-08:00

Olivia Malaya

Born: November 12, 2009
Time: 10:32 a.m.
Weight: 6 lbs. 13 oz.
Height: 18 1/2 in.

The kiddos

2009-11-09T18:44:00.000-08:00

Caden

Trey

Michael

Cody, me and my belly

2009-11-09T18:24:00.000-08:00

November 7th, 2009

Almost 39 weeks?!?!

2009-11-09T14:35:00.000-08:00

I NEVER thought I would get the 'chance' say that I was this far along! I would always ask women, "How do you do carry a baby full term?" and now I have the answer for myself... You don't have a choice. I've been having braxton hicks contractions like crazy and the other night thought 'This is it!' but the contractions slowed down to a halt, I fell back asleep and woke up not so happy :) If I don't go on my own before, the big day is Friday the 13th... ooooh, spooky huh?!? Cross your fingers for me and I'll keep you posted! P.S. Kendra won!

Halloween!

2009-11-09T12:43:00.000-08:00

Halloween came and went so quickly this year! We planned to do fun fall family things on the weekends, but it seemed like every weekend someone got sick, and was usually poor Caden. Unfortunately we never made it to the pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkins. We were the ONLY ones on our street without pupkins... Cody was so embarrassed! We also missed out on Caden's anual school carnival due to him fevering, but he happily to chose to stay home and chill on the couch and watch a movie with our family instead! His cute friend felt SO badly that Caden missed out that he invited Caden to his school Halloween Party the next weekend. I am so grateful for his wonderful, thoughtful friends! It made Caden so happy!
This year, Caden chose to be Indiana Jones! We had his whole costume done by pulling out different things from closets. His sachel was complete with a map and a gun and around him hung a real whip! Trey changed his mind about 5 different times but once I pulled out Caden's old dragon costume, Trey's eyes lit up! DRAGO (or however you spell it) from Bakugan! Sweet, done there too! I figured Michael wouldn't mind how I dressed him up (if he would even let me dress him up at all) so I found Caden's & Trey's old Eeyore costume, grabbed a couple books to show him who it was and was done there too! Didn't have to spend a dime on costumes this year! Besides ALL the wrestling and fighting they do, it's kinda nice having 3 boys to use and re-use clothes, toys, etc :)
We went to the neighborhood Trunk-or-Treat a couple weeks before Halloween and it was a great way to give the boys practice for the big night! One of my sweet neighbors took Caden and Trey around with her son from car to car while I was able to spend the night holding the cutest little newborn, using my belly as a little shelf - how convenient that was! Trey absolutely LOVED it, refusing to say anything but "TRUNK-or-Treat" even on the 'real' Halloween! Michael 'helped' Cody pass out candy and I'm sure eating more than I ever would've let him! It was a fun night but such a long drive home! (haha!)
Now for the real Halloween night, we decided to go trick-or-treating at the mall. I have to thank whomever came up with this! We walked from store front to store front, filling 3 buckets of candy within an hour!!! So easy, convenient and WARM! "Trunk-or-treat" Trey would yell, Michael would pretty much grab the candy from the bowl and Caden would leave them with a quiet "thank you!" The boys had a perfect system and thought that was great! We had a fun night visiting family, grabbing some food, then sorting and eating all our candy - YUM! LOVE HALLOWEEN!!!

Baby's Room

2009-10-20T09:23:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of the baby's room! Yes, I've had it decorated since about a week after I found out I was having a girl... If you want to make fun of me for that, you should see all her clothes hanging up in her closet :) I've never had so much fun shopping, decorating, creating, crafting, sewing, washing and hanging in my life! I love to just sit in the beautifully recovered chair (done by my super talented sister-in-law) and look around! I never thought I'd be one of those 'pink' moms - I always thought I could re-use all my boys' clothes and just put a bow in her hair, but as I was looking through their stained, blue clothes... no way! Sadly, at negative 4 weeks old, she is already a very spoiled baby girl and I doubt, judging by the way her Daddy talks about her, will that ever change much. We can hardly wait!!!

Baby Belly

2009-10-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

Here's my updated belly time-line! I love the pictures but can't decide if they're complimentive to myself. All I can see is how BIG I am!!! I can hardly squish in those tiny pants anymore and the shirt is being stretched to the limit... I guess that means it's time to have her :) Things are going good! She's growing well and her heartbeat is strong. I realized that she is due exactly 2 weeks to the day from when Michael was due, so IF she comes as early as him, I could have her in a week and a half! WOWIE! I've only had a 9 month break from nursing... can I do it again? (ugh!!!) To be demanded upon by another child, am I ready? First things first, Labor. I should be a pro but I'm already NOT looking forward to it more than the others. But then I walk past her beautiful PINK room that's all ready for her and look at all the tiny clothes with hearts, flowers and butterflies on them in her drawers - it's my favorite room in the house! I think about holding a sweet new baby, a gift directly from God. Such an Amazing, indescribable feeling! I get teary eyed thinking about it! Yes, I can do this again! Ready or not, she's coming in 5 weeks or less!!!
(Kendra, the race is on :) hehe!)

My Baby Boy is 2!!!

2009-10-15T12:08:00.000-07:00

It's hard for me to believe that my baby is officially a toddler! We had such a fun day to celebrate! I woke up to my Mike-alarm yelling "MOM! OUT!" He let Caden get him out of his crib (which rarely happens - he usually wants Mommy), he climbed up on my bed, found my hand, started tugging on it while saying "Hugee (hungry). Eat." I realized what day it was and said "Happy Birthday Michael!!! How old are you?" and in his high, singing voice, he said "TWO!" We went out holding hands (I'm sure so he can be certain I don't get distracted on the way to the kitchen) and when he saw Trey in the living room, he said "Trey, Dirday, TWO!" The rest of the morning was filled with him making 'cakes' out of anything he could find to put on his little plates, singing Happy Dirday to you, blowing out candles, and carrying his cards from Aunt Kari and ones made by his cute brothers, all over the house. It was adorable! I got some videos I planned on posting but I had too much fun recording and all were over 2 minutes, more than what I thought people would like to watch :) Anyway, he had a great birthday nap and woke up to Daddy coming home early so we could go eat his favorite food "pizza, pizza, pizza, pizza, pizza, pizza and bead sticks!" He was so excited! We decided to try a new pizza place down the road, but I wasn't thinking very well about timing and ordering it beforehand and he got kinda ornery waiting for the pizza to cook - thus him refusing to look at the camera unless I asked him what he had in his mouth (sorry, the rest of the pictures were of the back of his head!). After the delicous dinner, we headed down to Gateway to let him pick out his own animal from Build a Bear. It was nice being a Monday evening, we were the only ones in the store. He picked out a "nice doggie" and was mezmorized by the stuffing machine. I think he could've sat there all night just watching it. He had some help from Daddy stuffing his doggie, hugging it to make sure it was perfect, then placed the heart in his doggie without kissing it... he had no idea why we wanted him to kiss a material heart and can you blame him? Then it was off to the bath for all the boys' animals. Caden brought his Police Bear andTrey brought his Buzz Lightyear Monkey. It was cute seeing them all lined at the bath, brusing and pusing the air pedal. Michael was so busy getting brushes and putting them away, he walked off the top step of the stool twice in a row, but just looked at us and kept going! Sure gave Cody and I a good laugh! We dressed his doggie in a Spiderman costume and went to get a certificate. I asked Michael what his Spider Doggie's name was - "WOOF" was his response. We bought his doggie, they packaged it up in a house and Michael proudly carried it out of the store, to watch the waterfountain then to the car. While heading home, I heard Trey ask Michael if he wanted his doggie out of his house. The next thing I heard was Michael whining "scaee, scaee" I looked back to see the Spiderman mask on his doggie (the cashier must've put it on while he was playing with a build a bear motorcycle) Awww, He thought his doggie looked too Scary with his mask on! I took it off for him and he proptly said "Hug. Kiss" and gave his doggie loves. We got home and it was past the boys' bedtime, but we HAD to give them a dose of sugar right before they went to sleep! We sang (again) to him and ate some cake and ice cream. I realized that this was his first time eating his own birthday meal! Last year he still refused to let anything in his mouth! WOW, we've come a long way in a year! He was not a fan of the cake (as you can see by the picture) but I think had 3 helpings of his ice cream (which he calls by making the sound like he's slirping it up! He LOVES ice cream!). Since both grandparents were out of town for the big day, we will be celebrating more this weekend - I'm sure he'll think his birthday is everyday for the next little while, but I don't mind hearing his cute 'happy dirday' singing all day! Happy 2nd Birthday Michael!

Family Picture

2009-09-11T12:42:00.000-07:00

Our family
August 2009

Caden's First day

2009-09-01T11:54:00.000-07:00

Caden started his first day of first grade two and a half weeks ago! He was up and ready early, which was perfect cause of course I had to take pictures of everything! Trey, Micheal and I took Caden to school where we walked him into his classroom and got him set up. I asked if he was okay if I left. He looked at me with a bit of fear in his eyes but gave me a smile, waved and said goodbye mom! I got the hint - no kisses :) We walked out, I turned at looked at him and my heart skipped a beat. I was willingly deserting my oldest son with strangers for the next 6 and a half hours! He was so cool and mature about things, I decided I better act that way too so I just waved goodbye and we drove away.
When Caden came home, Trey ran to him, gave him a hug and told Caden that he missed him! My boys make me so happy sometimes! Caden then informed me that this is his favorite school, even compared to playing at preschool! WOW! Not the reaction I expected! For those of you who don't know Caden very well, he is wired to be outside 24/7. I think he was really suppose to be born in the 1800's when all they did was work the field and minimal schooling. He can 'mow' the lawn with his Dad or Grandpa's, sweep, rake, weed, etc ALL DAY and never complain. (he once told his Poppa that he likes mowing the lawn more than going swimming!) On the other hand, you sit him down for homework and you'd think his world was coming to an end before we've even started. SO I am VERY grateful that he still loves school! He is making new friends, likes his teacher, reading so well and already learning much Spanish. I am 'muy' PROUD of my big guy.

Kids Say the Darndest Things!

2009-08-13T08:10:00.000-07:00

Lately the boys have been making me laugh so hard! I thought I'd share a few of the recent experiences with you!

Trey got out of a very long bath - the water was freezing by the time he let me wash him. I was drying him off and he started examining himself. He said "my fingers are pickley." (Which is the word Caden used to describe wrinkly, wet skin when he was a toddler and it just stuck.) He was quiet, then a minute later he said "Even my foot fingers are pickley too!" I laughed and said "you mean your toes?" Trey said "oh yeah, my toesies!"

Michael is my man of little words. He is smart, understanding what I ask of him, but just doesn't want to vocalize himself more than sounds, so I hope these sounds make sense in my typed words. The boys were playing wonderfully downstairs while I was making dinner, which doesn't happen very often! I heard Michael cry, and since it wasn't a 'serious cry' I waited for him to climb up the stairs. He came up with a sad look on his face and said "blblblb" (the sound we make swishing our tounge from side to side when the kids bonk their heads to have them shake it off.) I said "did you bonk your head?" He shook his head yes then said "brrrr." I asked "did you bonk your head on a car?" and he smiled and said "uh hu!" then happily went back downstairs!

Trey and I were watching a show while Michael napped & Caden was at a friends house. He looked at me and said "Mom, we're going to have a jammie baby." I said "A jammie baby?!? How come?" Trey said "cause you always wear your jammies" YES I DO! Love to be comfy as possible with my growing belly :)

Caden was riding his bike outside. He came in wincing in pain. He told me "Mom, we need to get a softer seat for my bike like Poppa has." Knowing what happened now but asking anyway, "why is that?" He said "I was riding my bike standing up. My foot slipped and I landed on my batteries!" I was dying, laughing so hard at that one. I think Caden forgot all about his 'hurt batteries' by my reaction too!

We were playing with Little People toys. Michael grabs an animal, I tell him what it is and he makes the sound. I noticed the pig was on the other side of the room so I asked Michael "Where is your piggy?" He walked over to me and lifted his foot in my face - we call toes piggies, smart little guy and there they were!

I LOVE my boys so much!!! They fill my life with love and laughter! They are so amazingly different in their clone bodies of Cody. So full of energy, each busy in their own little way and although I daily count the minutes until Cody can come home and wrestle some of their energy out, I don't know what I would do without each one of them!

SURPRISE!!!

2009-06-20T09:14:00.000-07:00

I'm sure some of you have wondered or maybe my skills at deception have been perfected... YES, I'm pregnant!
I had just finished nursing Michael in February and I just wasn't feeling right. I figured a year and a half of strictly nursing had made my body forget how to function so I gave it a couple of months. Even after those months past by, I was still SO tired, shaky and dizzy all of the time. I figured it was time to go see the doctor in April. I decided to see my OB first to get my girly stuff checked out then if he didn't see anything wrong, go see a regular doctor. He did all sorts of blood work, tests and questions. He left for a minute then came back in laughing. He said that what I have is nothing that wouldn't cure itself within 9 months! AHHH! Not prepared for that one!!! I called Cody and he had a similar reaction... how do you get pregnant when you haven't had a period in over two years? I have NO idea? The ultrasound confirmed it, I was 10 weeks pregnant!
I've let a few more months go by, just to be on the safe side. Then I thought it would be super fun to surprise everyone with the gender of the baby as well... Yesterday was the big day and I could hardly sleep waiting for morning to come. My appointment was at 9:15 but we got there at 9. Me and all my boys crowded this tiny room. The Doctor said he had some news - Good news is he didn't see any 'telephone poles' and with all the kicking it was doing, he's sure he would've seen something. The bad news is he wasn't seeing those 'two little lines'. The baby was breach so even with me poking my belly and the doctor searching, it was super hard to see anything in between it's modest little legs. Finally he spotted what he thought were those two lines! He said he can't give us 100%, but he's 90% sure we're having a girl! A GIRL!!! That's all I need to hear... I don't think Cody or I have stopped smiling since then. We have gone shopping and found some cute PINK outfits and tiny little ballet shoes! SO MUCH FUN!
Even if when I go back in a month the doctor changes his mind and tells me it's a boy, I will still be super excited for my 4th boy and cherish that month I had shopping and thinking I had my long awaited girl! But I'll hope that doesn't happen :)
Surprise everyone!!!

Easter!

2009-04-13T16:36:00.000-07:00

Is anyone else as proud of me as I am that I'm posting this the day after the holiday?!?! Okay, I'll be honest... my memory card was full so I HAD to download the pictures :)

The boys finding their baskets Easter morning.

The Easter egg hunt at our house after church.

The Scavenger hunt at Gramommas.

Michael and Caden

Caden & Trey getting on their Power Wheels
to find their Easter Treasure.

Trey, Bella, Crew, Caden and Michael
Cute kids were blinded by the beautiful day!

Afterwards, we went to my parents house where so much is going on with Grandparents, 10 kids and 16 grandkids that I often forget to pull out my camera... and this happens to be one of those times (which makes me SO upset at myself!). We had so much fun celebrating this Holiday with Family and are so thankful for this time we have with them and also forever after because of Christ and his ultimate gift to us. Happy Easter!

Ah-Ha!

2009-03-17T09:07:00.000-07:00

My cute friend read that I couldn't find any pictures of Cody and I together so she went through all of her pictures and found one that she had taken a year and a half ago at Cody's work Party! (... In my defense, this was taken only 2 months after I had Michael.) I don't think I've seen a picture of us together since our wedding pictures :) Thank you so much Selina!

Mothers

2009-03-16T13:09:00.000-07:00

 I got an e-mail from my brother, which is weird enough
as it is (love ya Bri!), but the most crazy thing about
this email is that I was practically sobbing by the
time I reached the end (I hardly ever cry... that is,
until I became a Mommy!).  The story is cute, but it
was the ending that got me.  Most of the sections don't
even apply to me yet but it makes me very emotional just
thinking about it. I have 3 very busy boys.
My first baby is now in kindergarten and the other two
are trying too hard to catch up to him.  Life goes by
so fast and I'm trying not to be one of those "I wish..."
people.  I love them more than I can say
and although on certain days won't admit it, I
absolutely LOVE being a Mother.  I LOVE my Mom and am
so grateful for all that she has done for me in raising
me in the gospel.  I hope I can do the same for my
children.  I love my Mother-in-law and am constantly
in awe of all she can do.  I also want to thank all the
other Mothers out there who help me and my children so
much - you all know who you are!
I am SO blessed... and that is why I'm sobbing!
Here it is and I'm sorry if it affects you as it did me!

"Somebody" said it takes about 6 weeks to get back
to normal after you've had a baby....
"somebody" doesn't know that once you're a mother,
'normal' is history.
* * *
"Somebody" said you learn how to be a mother by
instinct...
"somebody" never took a three-year-old shopping.
* * *
"Somebody" said being a mother is boring....
"somebody" never rode in a car driven by a
teenager with a driver's permit.
* * *
"Somebody" said if you're a 'good' mother,
your child will 'turn out good'....
"somebody" thinks a child comes with
directions and a guarantee.
* * *
"Somebody" said you don't need an education
to be a mother....
"somebody" never helped a fourth grader
with his math.
* * *
"Somebody" said you can't love the second child as
much as you love the first....
"somebody" doesn't have two children.
* * *
"Somebody" said the hardest part of being a mother
is labor and delivery....
"somebody" never watched her 'baby' get on the bus
for the first day of  kindergarten ...
or on a plane headed for military 'boot camp.'
* * *
"Somebody" said a mother can stop worrying after her
child gets married....
"somebody" doesn't know that
marriage adds a new son or daughter-in-law to a
mother's heartstrings.
* * *
"Somebody" said a mother's job is done when her last
child leaves home....
"somebody" never had
grandchildren.
* * *
"Somebody" said your mother knows you love her, so
you don't need to tell her....
"somebody" isn't a mother.

I LOVE games!... Do you?

2009-03-07T19:35:00.000-08:00

So, here's how this game works... The first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive, at some point during the next couple of months, a handmade gift from me. What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise! The catch is that you must participate as well. Before you leave your comment, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going (or be lazy and copy and paste like I did). Then come back, let me know you're going to play (comment) and sit back and anticipate the arrival of your gift! Remember, only the first three get a gift, so you have to be super fast!

New Old Bathroom

2009-02-16T09:48:00.000-08:00

I figured I'd post these pictures since mid-project, I told and showed some of you the mess I was in!
Our master bath got a crack in it a few years ago. It's just fiberglass but it was a soaking tub so of course it's more expensive to replace. We tried fixing it and that worked for a minute but after it cracked again, we took over the boy's bathroom and had to walk down the hall to shower. (It proved how spoiled we are cause it was so annoying to us!) After watching many designer shows, I decided I could totally remodel our bathroom! I ripped out the tile (which if anyone else has done this, it's not 'ripping' but more like banging, back breaking, ear peircing work). It is in the corner of our house and closed all doors but the tile, grout and cement dust got everywhere. We took out the tub entirely since we've used it maybe three times in the last 7 years that we've lived here, also figuring we have two other baths if we feel so inclined. Taking the tub out showed that the builders didn't support the tub correctly which is why it cracked.
After going to Home Depot to buy the tile and get some advice, I decided I was way over my head. Instead we got some bids. The person that came in the lowest was the same person that tiled our basement and he did such a good job that we weren't concerned in the least. I told him what I wanted, picked out the tile, he gave some suggestions and then went to work. His work is amazing as you can see! We can actually use our shower for the first time in years! It has a built in shelf and shower seat and everything is tiled with beautiful details. If anyone needs tile work done, I have his name and number for you :)

Christmas!

2009-02-10T13:39:00.000-08:00

I know I'm horrible at posting things remotely close to when they actually happened and I apologize! I hope these cute pictures make up for the fact they are so late!

This year I finally made Christmas Cookies with the boys! Trey thought he was so sneaky and ate the frosting and sprinkles the entire time. Michael had fun crushing up his cookies then throwing them on the ground. Caden and I stayed until the bitter end making sure all the cookies were perfectly decorated!
We are such a good team!

Here are our edible masterpieces! The were so yummy!

The boys in their Christmas PJs! Caden got Army Men ones, Trey got Iron Man ones and Michael got Spiderman ones.
Awww, they look so cute!

Our Christmas Tree after Santa came.
We were REALLY good this year!

Opening Christmas presents at our house!

The boys got their own Laptops! Caden's is a Cyber Spy and Trey's is Little Einsteins. They were so excited to have one's like ours!

They could hardly wait to play their laptops! We got their cousin Crew a spiderman computer so they all had to show each other, even though none of them were paying attention to anything but their own. Funny Kids!

These are our little Clone Trooper Bobble Heads!!! Aren't they adorable?!? Cody's Mom and Dad got these for the boys and obviously they were an instant hit! Thanks Bruce and Billie, the boys have been asking for these for months!

Michael got the cutest little Airplane and penguin set but he was far more interested in his most favorite food in the world... Pringles! He gets the biggest smile on his face when he sees the can, then once you open it, he reaches in and grabs a handful then shoves them in his mouth! I hope I never forget how cute it is when the can is almost empty, his arm is the perfect length - it's up to his armpit so he can get his precious last chip!

I know this picture is hard to see but I had to post it anyway. This is at my Mom and Dad's house. Caden got a Mars Mission Lego set, Trey got a Mac and Lightening Cars block set and Michael got a Sock Monkey made by my Mom. You couldn't have picked more perfect gifts for each of them, thank you!

It seems like Christmas flies by faster each year. I enjoyed every second of my boys' joy and excitement over seeing family and of course their presents! I am so thankful for this time we have to celebrate our Savior's birth with friends and family!
Merry Christmas :)

Funny kids

2009-01-30T21:47:00.000-08:00

Caden is like me, always wanting a project to create. The part of that that comes from Cody is that he hates throwing things away that still have use. I was walking to the garbage with these plastic cases until he stopped me - He transformed them into goggles! I don't think I've laughed so hard!!! Trey just follows what his brother does, so I had to take a picture of them in Caden's home-made goggles! (Not to mention Caden's Big Guns! whoot whoot!)

Here the boys are in their Thanksgiving Indian hats... Of course I'm 2 months late! Cody's cute Mom use to be a pre-school teacher and now uses the school room just for the grandkids. Caden and Trey were going to Grandmommas for a sleepover and right when they got there he asked what they could make. She whips out supplies for these hats and they came home as Indians! Thanks for being so prepared for my busy boys Billie!

My Messy Moozer

2009-01-30T20:59:00.000-08:00

I never imagined I would have such messy kids, but what surprises me the most is that the messiest one by far is the smallest one! My little Michael must wake up with a little checklist and throughout the day he tries to see how many times he can check each one off the list. He goes from room to room, from drawer to closet, pulling out as many things as fast as he can. You know how some people leave a paper trail that you can follow?... his is a mess trail and I can tell when cleaning up after him where he was first to where he ended up. He has pulled out, tipped over, spilled and broken more things than my other boys put together! How can I be mad at this face though? Little STINKER!

Thankful

2009-01-30T12:49:00.001-08:00

On January 3rd, Cody and I celebrated our 8th Anniversary!!! I can't believe how fast time flies! My sweet hubby spoils me to death and I'm not sure what I have done to deserve him. He has taken such good care of me so many times when I have been sick, worked 3 jobs at once when we found out we were pregnant with our first child, bought me a house to raise my family in after we had our baby, let me quit after we had our second child to finally be an at-home-mommy, Talked me into having a third child - giving me three beautiful boys (little Mini-me Cody's!) Takes over completely when I need a break from those three boys, and continues to support us more than I can ever thank him for. I fell in love with him the second I saw him at Subway (where I know he was 'checking me out' although he won't admit it!) and love him more than I could ever imagine. Happy 8th babe! (I looked through every picture I have and I didn't have any pictures of the two of us together... sad huh?)

I also thought this would be appropriate under our Thankful category. Recently, our good friends have lost their Grandmas on both sides of their family. It has really made me appreciate the time we have with our families. We are so lucky to have such good parents and siblings that love us, take good care of us and are amazing examples. We love you guys so much!

Michael's Eating!

2009-01-05T13:10:00.000-08:00

I'm horrible at downloading my pictures so I'm always late on my posts, but I figured I can post this one without feeling bad about not having any pictures. After 14 and a half months of nursing every 3-ish hours (which calculates almost 9,000 meals and totals propbably around 3,000 hours - which is 125 days feeding him), Michael is choosing to eat food!!! We went to his 1 year checkup and the doctor was very concerned that Michael still refused to eat any type of food. I had just thought this would work itself out but the doctor told me about things this would cause that I had never imagined. He only weighed 20.8 pounds, which for most of you mothers is about average, but for my children where Caden weighed 22.8 pounds at 7 months and Trey not far behind that, makes Michael tiny. Our Christmas Miracle came 2 weeks early when I was eating, Michael actually grabbed food off my plate, chewed and swallowed the food!!! Ever since then, he eats some food at every meal! Just like that, he eats. I still have to nurse him but not near as long. It's amazing how it takes a crazy little baby like this to appreciate the little things in life, such as babies eating food. I am so grateful for our miracle and will always know that there was divine help involved.

Halloween!... in Decomber?!?

2008-12-02T14:55:00.000-08:00

Trey and Caden were all about Halloween this year, trying on their costumes weekly since August! Our Disneyland trip made their costumes even better cause they both got to pick out guns to match. Caden was a scary, boney Jack Sparrow, Trey was a fast, crime fighting Buzz Lightyear and Michael was the cute little crawley Squirt the Turtle (from Finding Nemo). Just like last year, Trey was the leader with Caden following behind. "Trunk or Treat" Trey would yell from door to door, then Caden would politely Thank them while walking away. I'm curious what Michael will add to their routine next year!

Michael's ONE! a month and a half ago...

2008-12-02T05:12:00.000-08:00

My little Michael is 1 year, 1 month, 2 weeks and 2 days old today :) Sorry I'm so late Mooser! I can't believe how fast time went by! He now has 10 teeth with 2 more molars on their way and still refuses to do much more with them than smile at everyone! He is so close to walking, hanging onto anything, including the walls to get his balance back. When I tell him to Walka Walka, he'll get this huge smile on his face and take off... His feet go much faster than the rest of his body and he ends up falling usually after 4 steps! Every morning he has a little baby checklist that he must complete 5-6 times a day, which includes things such as getting the pots and pans out, measuring spoons and cups, dumping food off the turn table then stacking all that he can and spilling what doesn't make it that far. I've never been so entertained and frustrated at the same time! Allthough he can't say much that anyone but our family can understand - Dad, DaDa (Caden) Da (Trey) BaDa (Blankie), he can say sounds for Elephant, Monkey, Puppy and most recently Santa! He is becoming such a fun toy for me and the boys :) He laughs when we laugh, Cries when he gets the slightest bonk, Gets tears immediately when crying, Thinks the world is over if Mommy walks out of the room, Claps if anyone says Yeay, Yells the second we turn the car off thinking we're going to leave him, Hits the heads of anyone he sees sleeping if he's not, Says Ooooh, oooooh, oooooh when he get's excited, Blows when he sees steam (cause it's hot!), HAS to stick his finger in your mouth for no good reason, Chews on the crocheted corners of his blankie making the most awful squeeky sound, Thinks Mommy is his little drinking fountain, and is the cutest little Michael Moo that I know! We love the little Milk-Drinking baby so much! Happy late Birthday!!!

Caden made Michael a Birthday rattle out of an old paper towel roll and rice!

Michael refusing to eat his birthday cake.

Little Diddy about me

2008-10-17T21:49:00.000-07:00

I always feel like I need to have a picture to go with my post and since I haven't unloaded them off the camera, I haven't posted anything. I got tagged instead... sorry there's no pictures :)

5 THINGS...

10 years ago:
1. I had just asked someone to my first school dance with Kay and Ang. We spent almost $30 buying all this stuff to ask the guy in a cute way and as a response I got slime in a bucket. Thanks again Aaron.
2. I was driving 1/2 hour to work at a Subway, funny huh?
3. Gas was only $1 per gallon, which is why I could afford to drive that far to work. I could fill my car with a $20 and still get change!
4. I was thrilled to drive a turquoise Toyota Carolla instead of the family Van.
5. I was a typical 16 year old boy crazy girl... stupidly embarrassing to think back 10 years ago.

5 Years ago:
1. I had been married for 2 1/2 years. One of those 19 year old Utah brides :)
2. My first baby Caden was 1 1/2 years old! We wanted to wait 5 years to have kids... 8 months after we were married, I was pregnant!
3. I still had to work at America First. We were so poor! Luckily enough, by the time I had Trey, I was able to quit for good!
4. We were still trying to put in our yard a year and a half after we moved in. Never thought it would cost so much and still isn't anything to look at.
5. We dressed Caden like Eeyore for Halloween. My mom bought the cutest little costume for him!

5 things on today's "to do" list:
1. clean house
2. give the boys hair cuts.
3. clean house again cause it's already messy.
4. make soup for a ward Halloween party.
5. give up cleaning the house! My boys win again.

5 snacks I enjoy:
1. Chips and Salsa
2. Popcorn. The yummy, greasy horrible-for-you, movie theater kind.
3. Cheese Ball and Crackers
4. Graham crackers and yogurt. Together they taste almost pie-like!
5. Chocolate, even though it really falls into the treat category... I sure don't treat it that way.

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire:
1. Pay off bills.
2. College/missionary/wedding funds for the kiddos.
3. Live at Disneyland :) Not really, just vacation there often!
4. Buy things unexpectedly for people, like dinner for strangers at the table across from you or the person standing in back of you at the register. How fun would that be?
5. Donate.

5 jobs I have had:
1. America First CU - Customer Service
2. Toys R Us - Cashier then moved up to the Service Desk
3. Lagoon - Vault Cash person (I can't remember the name!)
4. Subway - Sandwich Artist. Cody still says I make the best sandwiches ever.
5. Assembling bubble gum machine parts from home. Best job, thanks Bri!

I,I,I,I...

I have... 3 little boys full of energy!
I fear... change.
I always... brush my teeth. I can be almost asleep and HAVE to get up to brush... drives Cody nuts, huh Babe?
I feel... underqualified for this motherhood job... who knew it would be this demanding!
I hear... the wonderful sound of silence. All the kiddos are sleeping (including my sick hubby, which is why I'm not in there with him. I can't afford to get sick!)
I smell... my shampoo. I got to take an uninterrupted shower! That doesn't happen often!
I wish... My baby would eat normally.
I hate... being tickled. Horrible memories of being tickle tormented growing up.
I wonder... What my cute kids will look like when they are adults!
I regret... past actions.
I love... my family. I never knew I could love so many people so much.
I am... endlessly amazed at my children.
I think... Sound of Music is the best movie of all time.
I know.... Babies don't stay babies for long. Enjoy the quietness of those long naps!
I always... have to be doing something. Even if I'm watching TV, I usually am doing something else while watching.
I am not... paranoid. I don't get scared by being alone. I don't think anybody's after me. I guess in today's world, I should be more so though.
I am like... a child when I go to Disneyland. It has and always will be my favorite vacation spot and seems like I've passed on the love to my kids!
I believe... In miracles. They've happened so much in my life.
I don't always... Or hardly ever make my bed. Although I love bedspreads... go figure.
I am happy that... my Mom had 6 children. It gives me 5 other people that HAVE to be my friends, listen to me and love me no matter what!
I win... Arguments, or at least Cody is smart enough to make me think I do!
I lose... on 'are you smarter than a 5th grader?' I feel so stupid when I can't even answer the 2nd grade questions.
I never... Throw up. People tell me it makes you feel better but it terrifies me.
I need... My hubby more than he realizes. Everyday I can't wait until he gets home from work!
I listen... intently to Trey talk, he is SO hard to understand. Most of the time Caden has to translate for me. Cute boys!
I am scared of... being scared. I hate haunted houses, scary movies, being chased - anything that causes me to be more scared.
I read... when I can sneak it in, which is usually never! I honestly love to read though.
I tag... Anyone and everyone!

First Day of School

2008-09-03T12:58:00.000-07:00

Caden is officially a Kindergartener! I took him to school the first day thinking he would have a hard time, maybe some tears and could picture myself having to tear him away as they dragged him to his classroom... Completely the opposite happened! I took pictures of every step as he got ready for school and when we first arrived. He couldn't figure out why this was such a production. He would ask 'why are you taking pictures of me brushing my teeth or putting on my socks? It's just not important.' When we got to school, he met up with 2 of his neighbor friends, chatted with them while they waited in line for the doors to open, and when they did, he followed his friends in without even so much as a glance over his shoulder! Surprisingly I didn't cry, but I left thinking WOW my boy is growing up... It's still hard to believe. Does everyone go through this or am I just crazy?
Now that he's been in over a week, he has the daily routine down, is making friends, learning spanish and is genuinely excited for school! I'm enjoying that, knowing that attitude won't last for many more years after this.
It's amazing how much he can learn in 3 hours from someone other than me. I'm having fun doing homework with him, although I know that attitude won't last much longer either :)

DISNEYLAND!!!

2008-08-30T16:05:00.000-07:00

Seven years, 7 months and 7 days after Our Honeymoon, we FINALLY were able to take a family vacation to the Happiest Place on Earth!!!
We drove down starting Saturday afternoon and spent the night at our sweet friends, Adam and Cara's house. They let us eat, swim and, as an added bonus, got our boys all hopped up on ice cream! Caden and Trey LOVE the Rigby's party house! We got going again at 7 in the morning, knowing our boys would have a much harder time with the 8 hour drive ahead of us. We had to do some seating adjustments and feeding/pit stops along the way, but the boys completely surprised us and did wonderfully!
We spent 4 days in Disneyland and California Adventures. We decided that we wouldn't tell the boys anything about the rides, letting them decide how they liked each ride by themselves... After riding Indiana Jones and Space Mountain one right after the other, Caden let us know that he doesn't like the fast roller coaster rides. Trey on the other hand, loved them! When we would wait in line for a ride, Caden would remind us of his newfound fear and Trey would say "But I do!" He didn't want to miss anything.
With his shoes, Trey was EXACTLY 40 inches, which is the height requirement for many of the faster adult rides. It was great cause he could go with Cody or I when we couldn't bribe Caden to come with us. The downfall was is that the Disneyland Cast Members would measure him at least 3 times at the entrance to the line and 3 more times just before we got on the ride. He resisted at first but by the second day, whenever he saw a measure thingy, he'd take his hat off and stand right next to it, ready to be checked!
Caden's favorite rides were Autopia (I swear we spent most of our time waiting for this ride - we rode it at least 6 times!), Star Tours, Woody's arcade game and Splash Mountain. He loved watching the Jedi Training, even though he didn't get picked to be a trainee (they were riding autopia when it started but I saved them a spot) and Fantasmic which is my MOST favorite part of Disneyland as well.
Trey's favorite rides were Space Rollercoaster (space mountain), Buzz Lightyear, Pirates and Splash Mountain. He loved the Playhouse Disney Live show where one of his favorites, Rocket comes to life!
Everyday, we crammed as much in as we could, rides, parades, shows, fireworks. Now that we're home, I just laugh at how much we packed for a day at Disneyland. We had everything 'just in case' and it was great cause it seemed like each day we needed something else. Of course the things we didn't use as much as we should have was our Cameras. Does anyone take "enough" pictures? It seems like I'm always wishing I took more.
With the heat, all the walking, managing the boys plus Cody usually pushed an extra 100 pounds with the boys in the stroller, We were exhausted by the 4th day! We had arranged to leave in the morning after a full nights sleep, but because of Michael and not being in our own comfy beds, we hadn't ever had a good rest anyway. SO we packed up and left after watching the last firework show. Cody was amazing, driving the whole way, only resting once (I doubt he ever fell asleep because of the noisy boys!) . I, on the other hand, couldn't stay awake for anything! I tried tickling his back but realized my hand was falling further and further. Cody told me he would be talking to me or I would be responding and I fell asleep in the middle of sentences. I felt like someone slipped me a sleeping pill! We got home around noon the next day and started unpacking while Cody tried to crash... again, the boys didn't let him!
Not a day goes by when one of the boys doesn't mention something about Disneyland that they miss! We are counting the days until we can go back!!!

Just like Mommy!

2008-07-31T13:57:00.001-07:00

At the Children's Museum, they have a pretend grocery store that has a little sandwich shop in it. Of course the boys first played with the cars, trucks, blocks then finally came into the store with me. I thought it was funny to see how they made their sandwiches with no prodding from us.
They both grabbed the white bread (They will only eat wheat bread as toast).
Trey placed probably 15 slices of cheese on the top of both slices of bread and said he was done, he had made himself a grilled cheese sandwich - which is one of the three things he'll volunteer to eat now. Caden made his double decker sandwich very carefully, making sure to put at least 2 of everything on it. Then, being the silly kid he is, wanted to 'try to eat' this huge sandwich for the picture!
What cute little 'Sandwich Artists'!
Totally reminded me of the good old days working at Subway, which for those of you who don't know, is where I first met Cody!

Pioneer Day

2008-07-25T15:02:00.000-07:00

On the 24th, we had planned on going to the Parade in Salt Lake but I had made a mistake on the starting time and we completely missed the whole thing - bummer!!! Instead we went to the Children's museum then let the boys play in the water at Gateway. We had SO much fun!

News Anchors Trey and Caden

Michael taking the boys for a ride

Running around in the fountain

Quite the photographer!

2008-07-20T09:36:00.000-07:00

We have an old digital camera that we let the boys use and most of the time, their pictures turn out better than ours! These were taken by Caden yesterday. He says he wants to be a landscaper when he grows up but I think he should consider a different career path!

Caden Boy

2008-07-14T14:05:00.000-07:00

Caden is 6 years old now! His favorite activities are riding his bike, mowing the lawn, vacuuming, playing with friends, drawing or creating something - He hates to throw anything away that can be made into something else. He is such a good big brother to Trey and Michael, watching, teaching or helping them without complaining too much! He's very considerate which makes him a great friend and so he's always running around with the neighbors. Caden has lost 5 teeth, loosing 3 right in a row (as you can see in the picture). Eating has become more of a challenge for him :) He just started piano a couple of months ago and although it's very hard to get him to sit down and practice, he is doing so well and loves to perform his recital songs over and over! He will start kindergarten in August at the North Davis Prep Academy and is getting excited. I, however, am going to miss him and all the help he is to me and the boys.

Treyster

2008-07-14T13:52:00.001-07:00

Trey just turned 3! He definitely is a strong willed kid - He doesn't put up with people messing with him at all. He has 2 volumes loud & louder. On the other hand, he has the most infectious smile and loves to play with everyone, no matter their age. He finds new friends within seconds of going somewhere new, routinely saying 'Hi guys, I Trey'. It's adorable. His new thing is, he stutters a bit and he knows it, so to try to stop he'll hold his chin when it happens. I just want to hug him when he does that! If we ask him to do something, he'll say 'Mom, don't yell at me', in the saddest little voice. Another way to tug our heart strings, he'll say 'don't laugh at me, that's not funny'. You just feel horrible for laughing! For no reason, he'll come up to me and say 'I love you Honey'. He'll see me making food and he'll tell me 'you need to be careful' or 'don't hurt yourself'. He'll also tattle on Caden saying 'you use yours spoon' or 'sit on yours chair' or our favorite is 'yous a bad boy!' 'Member one day....' is how he starts most of his sentences. Even though he tells us not to, he constantly makes us laugh!

Mr. Michael Moo

2008-07-14T12:14:00.000-07:00

As much as I tried to stop it, Michael is crawling! He LOVES to play with his older brothers and this way he no longer can be left behind! Although he does prefer to be held and usually chooses Mommy. Michael is now 9 months old and a 20 ponder, which seems tiny in our family (do you remember the size of Caden's thighs?!?) He has 8 teeth and thinks it's so funny to bite, but still will not put anything in his mouth (toys, binki, bottle, spoons, food, drink). How is he eating, you ask? Me, every 3 hours, 24 hours a day since the day he was born... so PLEASE, if you have any suggestions, let me know! He's jabbers like crazy: Ma, Da, Ba, Dis & Dat and yells if he knows it will echo - No more sneaking into church late! He can click his tounge, give kisses, squint and makes the cutest gopher face ever!

We're here!

2008-07-14T10:50:00.000-07:00

Finally, after 6 months of setting up my account, I am posting my first blog! Yeay me!
I read my friends' amazing blogs with beautiful pictures, wonderful accounts of different occasions, cute backgrounds and fonts... I can't promise anything close to yours (you know who you are!) but I will at least TRY to keep an update of our family!