The Good Life

November 2011

2012-02-08T14:16:00.001-05:00

November came and went so very fast. Raschell, Jared's cousin, came and spent almost two weeks with us. We love having her, even if that means Tyson has to come too ;0). I didn't get a ton of pictures this month, but I'm famous for that when there is a holiday involved.

November 16th

My little sleeping man♥

November 19th

Avery's first dance performance. My mom flew in to Austin and then drove down to watch Ave. She was so excited and nervous all at the same time. This was here first year dancing and she started out twice a week doing Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Hip Hop. She did not like Hip Hop which was combined with tap (which she loved) so half way through I was tired of the complaining so I let her drop that class. She was performing a Jazz routine today, and it was so cute!

Tyson trying to get the kids all excited in thinking they were going to bring a puppy home with them.

After being at the dance festival for over an hour the people finally found out that they had given us the wrong dance time and it was not 12:20 when she danced, but almost 4:30! We were not happy, but what do you do? I'll tell you what you do, you go to Rudy's and eat amazing Texas BBQ till you can't move and pass out in a sweet meat comma is what you do!

It was finally time for Ave to dance, she was outstanding! I was so proud of her and she did such an amazing job with the routine!

November 22nd

Lincoln made his sweet Indian headband at school and was so proud of it! Ave, being my little crafter, made one for herself to match. I love these kids so very much!

November 24th Thanksgiving

I have to say this was by far the "yummiest" Thanksgivings I have been to in a long time! It was so nice to have family here, I miss that. Tyson made thee most amazing stuffing that I have ever tasted in my whole entire life! He is a great cook, messy, but great. I loved cooking with him! Raschell was in charge of the cheese platter, delish! We had our friends and neighbors the Langston's, and Molly over to celebrate. I think we all ate until we could no longer even look at food.......for a few hours. Sad to say I only got like 2 pictures? I know I took more, but I have no idea where they went?

We had so much fun with Tyson and Raschell. We were also able to sneak in a visit with Mimi, another cousin of Jared's, and her family. That was such a great night with them. We did so much, went to the Salt Lick in Austin with Uncle Brian, Tyson, Raschell, and us only to fall into yet another delicious meat comma! Black Friday shopping with Raschell, thanks again I had a blast and got some girl time!

November 30th

It was time for Liam's 6 month VCUG scan and ultrasound to check on his kidneys. First the ultrasound which takes forever due to him having a pelvic kidney and a lot of scar tissue and other things. After that was done we headed over to another room for the VCUG scan. I hate this scan, it is so uncomfortable for Liam and frankly no mother likes to watch their child crying in pain and scared to death :( He was so nervous as he is whenever we go to the Dr. and I don't blame him. I couldn't stay in the room with him while they did the scan, but could watch from the next room, pure torture! When all was done they looked at the results and nothing had changed (damage to the kidneys), thank goodness! We got dressed and headed up a couple of floors to see his Urologist. We were excited to hear that because there was no change we now only have to do this once a year, woo hoo!

A little later we received Liam's new hernia support belt in the mail and all I can say is WOW has it helped this little boy so much! I am always talking to companies about ostomy items and new products to help Liam with his little body. I can't thank the lady at Holister* for sending me to Nue Hope for a custom belt. He no longer has pain from pressure, his mid-section is smaller since it also helps hold his belly in, and it helps keep his colostomy bag on twice as long which also cuts down some cost for us! We ♥ this belt, just wish our insurance would pay for it :(

November 30th

That day Jared was on call, of course, but the kids and I decided to put up the Christmas tree! To anyone else it's not much to look at, the ornaments are mostly hand made or cracked, but to us it is full of memories and stories! Let the Season begin!

November was great. The kids are doing great in school and Liam is as cute as ever! Jared is busy, but almost half way done....finally! The kids are so excited for Christmas this year. They make the Holidays amazing, thank you my 3 monkeys♥

October 2011

2012-02-04T14:00:00.003-05:00

October came and went so fast! I love October in Texas! The weather is starting to cool off a little, which means high 70's and 80's and not high 90's into the hundreds. We were all meant fro the warmer climate, especially me♥

The first Sunday of every October is General Conference weekend. Our Prophet and Church Leaders speak on different topics of things that are meant to help and better ourselves. I love Conference. We don't have cable T.V. so we stream the sessions through our laptop. I always put together a plethora of activities to keep the kids entertained so that I can listen to the speakers. Of course Jared was on call so it was up to me to man the fort!

Liam LOVES to sing the Primary songs. He carries this song book with him everywhere and sings follow the Prophet, Book of Mormon Stories, and more at the top of his lungs! I love it.

The next day Jared was post call so he came home and went to bed, poor guy. Later when he woke the kids wanted to paint their faces. If you know me I was all over it! I didn't have a ton of colors, but we had fun♥

October 9th. Avery is such a great reader, she loves to read to her brothers.

Linc sporting his sweet Harry Potter cape pretending to eat a spider, such a boy!

Jared had the next day off so I had planned for us to all go to the pumpkin patch. I miss Virginia and everything they had there. One of our favorites was Cox's farm♥ This patch was still fun and worked, but it was no cox farm!

Liam pointing out rotten pumpkin guts, of course.

One thing they did have that the boys LOVED was a little tractor train ride. Ave liked it the first couple of times, but then she was good.

They had this baby wart hog and oh my goodness it was the cutest thing EVER! Avery wouldn't leave it for anything so we had to keep coming back and checking on her. She was in heaven.

Ever since Liam went to his first petting zoo in Utah, he can't get enough of feeding animals and touching them.

Don't mind Lincoln.......

While the two older kids painted their pumpkins I sent Liam to go play with Dad.

This is where I found them♥

Time for a treat! The boys got ice cream.......

While my girl got the biggest caramel apple!

October 22nd

Time for a Sea World trip. We have been going all year and earlier this month, but they now have their Halloween stuff out. The kids love to trick or treat there. Liam liked getting candy, but wanted nothing to do with the characters!

The kids were fascinated with the little bananas, doesn't take much these days.

It was sooo hot, of course, so we stopped for a drink at the park and played a bit.

Avery FINALLY went on the Steal Eel roller coaster. Lincoln had gone the last time we were there and loved it. Liam and I waited for them and this is what came our way. Avery attached to Jared! He didn't even have to hold onto her! Let's just say she is" NEVER going on that thing again"!

Avery got glasses this month. She looks so darling in them. She was getting headaches all the time with the occasional migraine, poor baby. We made her an appointment to get her eyes checked to see if that was the cause. And it was, mostly. She only needs them for reading, but her headaches have gone down like 70% and we haven't had a migraine for a while now!

My darling friend and Photographer, Molly Metcalf, took our pictures. It was my first big swap with bows and it was so much fun. I love having something to swap with♥

October 31st Halloween!

My mom flew out to go trick or treating with the kids. Poor things was so sick with a nasty cold. But she popped her cold pills and took it like a man!

We went to our friends house for a fun Halloween dinner. Liam was infatuated with the dry ice coming off the home made Root Beer, which was AMAZING by the way and will be a tradition from now on!

You will notice little Liam's cute potbelly. Since he doesn't have a ton of stomach muscles to hold everything in, plus a large hernia at the top of his stoma, his little belly protrudes out more so than other kids. We are currently looking for some kind of Pediatric hernia support. Hoping to help ease the uncomfortableness of this issue.

The kids painting pumpkins with Nana.

There was sooo much food! The sloppy Joe's were in the pumpkins.......

Spiders in the ice cubes. Doesn't get much better than that!

So I didn't go all out for Halloween costumes this year since the kids were dead set on doing it themselves. Lincoln had the whole Harry Potter outfit, but it was soooo dang hot that by the time they started trick or treating he was in his shorts, shirt, and glasses. Avery wanted to be an angel. She wouldn't let me do her hair, or course, and picked out her own stuff. Liam was an Incredible Batman, Love it!

Don't they look like they are sooo happy to take a picture?!

Jared made it home just in time for a bite to eat and trick or treating.

The girls on the block.

Liam stopped after the first house to eat his candy. By the end of the night his bag was over flowing and too heavy for him to carry. That's right, Mom and Dad needed some candy too.

By the last leg he was done and bummed a ride with Scarlet♥

I love the weather in Texas, I know I mention this often but it's great. I just miss the changing of the leaves. We had so much fun this month. The kids are staying very busy in school and Lincoln is starting to learn how to read. Liam's health is good and we are continually looking for new products that work with his body. We are so blessed to have each other and I wouldn't trade it for anything♥

The Rest Of September!

2011-10-09T15:33:00.002-04:00

On September 23rd Liam and I and met some friends at the gym for open play. This was the first time I had taken Liam and oh my goodness he was in heaven! Every Friday this gym has open play for an hour and a half and the kids pretty much do whatever they want and run all over the place. Liam loves to jump so he spent most of his time on the trampoline, but checked everything else out too.

With Liam's little body not having a lot of stomach muscles I worry about him falling. If he bends backwards a bit too much then he can't bring himself forward and will just fall. He does amazing though and knows his limitations. He depends on his back muscles a lot so I hope he never has a bad back. Watching him figure out how to get out of the foam pit was so cute. He would not let me help him♥

Liam had so much fun and wouldn't leave when our time was up, so we were the very last ones to leave. We have 9 more passes so I'm sure we will be here a lot!

Later that night Avery had the 2nd grade pot luck dinner. There are 3 classes and there were a TON of people. We sat in the back next to food, of course, and thank goodness we did because the line was crazy long! Avery would zip all over the place gathering all kinds of fun things. Each class had made a hat according to their class animal and also practiced their class cheer. Avery's class were the roosters and their hats were seriously adorable!

Ave and her cute friend Eleana♥

After all the classes did their little cheers, they all got together for the school song.

Right before the song and during I could hear someones kid crying and throwing a fit, it was honestly so annoying. So I looked to see what was going on and sure enough, it was my kid of course! Liam wanted one of the rooster hats sooooo bad and was over by the big silver box trying to get one when Linc went over and was trying to bring him back to us! Liam was screaming and would not stand up so Linc decided to just drag him!! Right after that Liam went running full speed towards the tables the food was on. You know when you can see what is going to happen, but just are not fast enough to prevent it? Sure enough Liam SMACKED the table with his face, the force of the blow knocked him off his feet and right onto his back! It was so time to leave by then. He was fine, just a little bloody lip, I honestly thought we were in for another ER trip with how hard he hit the table. When Ave came back she let Liam wear her hat and he was in heaven. Can't wait for the next pot luck!

The next day was Saturday, so of course we went back to Sea World. It is still sooo hot here and the water park is closed, but then have an amazing splash pad! Liam likes pools, but not so much splash pads. He doesn't like the fact that he gets sprayed. Jared took him around for a bit while I followed the other two.

I'm not even going to ask.

Then it was my turn with Liam so we went to the top and saw Cookie Monster!!

While we were up there Liam looked down and saw Big Bird so of course we had to go see him too.

When we got up to him Liam wanted nothing to do with him, he wouldn't even touch him!

The X-Game's People were still there so we went back to watch the show since it wasn't raining this time.

Jared and Linc were finally able to ride the water ride. Lincoln was sooo excited, he is my little dare devil. While Jared and Linc waited in Line, Ave, Liam, and I went down to watch them. Avery wanted to stand in the splash area and had soooo much fun getting drenched each time a boat would fly down! Liam wanted nothing to do with it. He would go by Ave, but as soon as I told him a boat was coming he would run as fast as he could to me so he wouldn't get sprayed, such a doll!

Linc wanted to do it again, but it was time to keep moving! He loved it♥

We had so much fun, again, and can't wait for next month when all the Halloween stuff comes out!

One of Liam most prized possessions is the Primary Song Book. We sing from it everyday and he walks around carrying it and singing at the top of his lungs, but if you look at him he will immediately stop singing! It is seriously the cutest thing ever. Don't mind all the kids and the laundry in the back ground, it was laundry day and our house is the neighborhood hang out.

The last day of September I was asked to host a bow making night for the girls in our ward. It was soooo much fun! We are missing some ladies in this picture, but I can't wait till we can do it again! We were here till 1:45a.m. when we made ourselves go home and to bed♥

September was a blast and I can't wait for October!

Saturday At Sea World Of Course!

2011-09-19T15:46:00.002-04:00

After a very long summer with no rain, being on drought restrictions (still on) we finally got some rain!! Jared had what we like to call the Golden Weekend, which is on call Thursday - Post call Friday with the weekend off! So Saturday we all slept in and had a lazy morning, it was awesome! By about noon we decided to go to Sea World for the rest of the afternoon. It was the perfect day, overcast with sprinkle of rain every now and then with high 80's to low 90's. They are building a new water park called Aquatica and we honestly are peeing our pant with excitement!

They had a little pool with baby Sting Rays swimming around for you to touch, the kids loved it!

We asked the kids what they wanted to do first and they yelled, "Bay Of Play"! So we headed over to where the kids rides/toys were. The always love to climb on the rope jungle gym thing and thank goodness Jared is here to take Liam, I have managed to stay off this thing so far! Lucky for them Burt and Ernie were making an appearance up top.

They love this ride, Abby Cadabbies rocken wave something. Anyway this is the one kid ride that makes me the sickest! I can hardly watch them on it without getting nauseated. Jared to the rescue again♥

The kids LOVE playing at the play ground here!

I don't think we can come here and I not take a picture of the boys looking out these holes, love them!

It started to sprinkle and we were all getting hungry after that so we headed over to Rosita's Pizza place. Not great, but sometimes beggars can't be choosier's.

We did get to watch the Steel Eel Roller Coaster as we ate though.

We wanted to make the 4 o'clock show since it was guys that have been on the X games so we hurried to get good seats, and we did. But because of the rain the show was put on hold for a little bit. Liam was SOOO ornery! He scooted all the way to the end of the bench and was giving me dirty looks, too funny.

The performers came out and were checking out the half pipe and doing little things here and there waiting to see how the rain situation was going to go, that got a smile out of Liam.

The sprinkling of rain stopped and the ramp dried up. So they started their intro. Honestly they were so much fun to watch, even if it was for about 7 min. Then the rain sprinkling started again :( Oh well, Liam was so done by then anyway.

So we headed over to the Dolphins and just made their last feeding. It doesn't matter how many times you get to feed and touch a Dolphin, it is amazing EVERY time. I didn't get any pictures of Liam feeding them as he toss's his fish in like crazy and starts a feeding frenzy between the Dolphins!

We went to wash our hands since they smelled like "EWWWW" according to Liam who took a big wiff!

I finally had to pull Avery off the wall!

Off to the Shark Aquariums, and a little air conditioning.

We had so much fun, as always! Thanks Sea World for another great Saturday!

I snapped this picture the night before, it was too cute not to. Every morning the kids and I read scriptures. I love this, and so do the kids. The only thing missing is Liam, who is sleeping, and Jared, who is at work. So every night Jared reads with the kids. Linc is usually under his bed playing, but listening. I know this because I always ask questions about the story we have just read and he always has the right answer. So I let him play. I am so grateful to have a husband that loves the gospel as much as I do, and knows the importance of reading the scriptures as a family. I love you Jared♥

Soccer......Day 1

2011-09-19T14:01:00.002-04:00

Last Monday the 12th Lincoln had his first Soccer practice. I signed him up for a fundamentals class at the YMCA so he could see if it's something he would like.

Thank goodness for my Nephew that lives in N.C., we are lucky enough to get all his awesome hand me downs and Lincoln and I couldn't be happier! He wanted to go out front and practice running because now that he had cleats he just knew he was going to run SUPER fast!!

And he did!♥

They started them out by warming up with some stretches. Lincoln would not let his ball get out of his site!

Then it was time for a water break. It was so cute, he couldn't stop smiling he was having so much fun!

Jared randomly got off early and headed our way as fast as he could so he could watch Linc too. Lincoln was in heaven. Avery and Liam were pretty excited to see Dad as well♥ I must admit I too had a smile on my face when I saw him coming around the corner.

Liam even scored a ring pop!

The kids practiced all kinds of simple drills, we found out Lincoln likes to kick with his left foot??? I was told this is a good thing and not to correct him. So we didn't.

If you look closely at his forehead you will see the remains of his beloved Harry Potter scar, his new obsession :0) He dresses up with all his friend and they run all over shooting spells at each other with their wands, or pencils, however you want to look at it :0) I love it, but my eyeliner is running out WAY too fast!

Lincoln absolutely LOVED soccer! He has been asking me everyday since when his next practice is. He was pretty excited when he asked me this morning and I said TODAY!!!!!

My Little Batman.....Round Two!

2011-09-19T11:58:00.000-04:00

One of my most favorite things is dress up!! We have two bins of dress up things that are WELL Loved. Liam has discovered the magic of dressing up and I couldn't be happier with his choice for his favorite! This is Lincoln's old Batman cape that went everywhere with Lincoln. Now it goes everywhere with Liam. He also sports his older brothers sweet Batman hat♥

A little flash back to March of last year in Washington D.C. On our way home from Match day!

September 8th

2011-09-16T16:39:00.002-04:00

On September 8th at 3:30 the kids and I were on our way to take Avery to dance. As we pulled out of our community and stared at the huge black pillar of smoke coming from the military camp across the main road. We continued to dance and on our way home there were fire trucks, police cars, and evacuation buses everywhere. They were only letting people through the road block who lived up the road. There was another road block at our community where all the news teams had also set up camp to capture the fire. My poor Ave was crying she was so scared that our house was going to burn down. So I reassured her that everything important is in this van right now, nothing else matters. Jared was on call waiting for me to call him if we were going to be evacuated. Luckily his work told him that if we did he could come home and help us get settled and then go back in. I'll take it!! When we got home I packed a small suitcase with clothes, grabbed all of Liam medical supplies and medication, laptop, scrapbooks, external hard drive, and a file with important documents in it. Everything else was just "stuff". We were all outside as ash began to fall on us and our home, we didn't have any power and nobody had come through to tell us to evacuate so we all just waited. We figured the news crew and police road block was at our entrance and they would know if we had to go. So what do you do when there is a possibility that your house might burn down???? Why go to your neighbors for a BBQ of course! We did have a great time, but my friend and I decided after the fire was out and we were able to see just how close it was that that might have not been the safest thing to do. We laughed.......a lot! The next day the kids were released early from school with the chance of high winds and fire flair ups. They couldn't go out to play for two days because of the air quality.

These are photo's I got off the internet. This was about 1/2 a mile down the road.

The main street that we drive on is to the left of this fence just down the road a bit.

This picture was taken from the kids school playground!!!

Our neighborhood is just to the left of that white truck!!!

The kids favorite part was watching the helicopters getting water from the golf course and dumping it on the fire, there were about 3 or 4, as well as the airplane dropping the stuff they drop.

When we finally realized just how close we were to losing everything it puts a lot into perspective. We did a lot of praying as a family and pulling together with neighbors and friends. I pray for those who actually have lost their home in some of these awful fires that have been going on. We are so lucky that not only our home is safe, but the kids school is as well.........much to their dismay ;0)

September 3rd

2011-09-16T09:53:00.000-04:00

On September 3rd Jared Finally had a day off! It worked out perfectly because some friends of ours invited us to go to the Magic Theater (children's theater) to watch the Jungle Book. The kids were so excited! We stopped and got treats, which they had eaten before the play even started. We got there early since we had four families in our group so we could all sit together. It's so nice to have made such good friends here. Liam started to get a little restless so Avery and I took him out to walk the halls for a bit.

Liam and Ave being Kaa!

Coloring a picture to put on the wall of the Theater!

The kids loved the play and Liam actually stayed and watched the whole thing! I think we might have to get season tickets next year.

San Antonio has some very beautiful old buildings. When it cools off a bit I would love to go in a few. There is a ton of history here and after living near D.C. I have become a history lover!

That night was pizza night! I was lucky enough to have two of the best helpers. Linc was busy playing Star Wars on the wii, silly boy.

First we rolled out the dough.....

next came the sauce....

pepperoni's......

a little sniff to make sure all is well.....

TONS of Mozzarella cheese!

Some fresh Basil from our little herb garden....

Happy claps for job well done!

Whenever I bake anything I always leave the oven light on for Liam, he loves watching things cook♥

Lincoln being a little stinker and not looking at me for a picture, but I still love him!

I love having my kids help me in the kitchen! Sometimes it makes the job longer, messier, and a little harder, but well worth all of it for their happy smiles and giggles of excitement♥

August 2011

2011-09-13T09:56:00.002-04:00

August was HOT to say the least! We have been having record breaking high's and absolutely NO rain. Not a good combination. So we pretty much just stay inside or go to the pool or Sea World's water park. Jared has been working a ton and is on call at least 7 nights a month, which means he goes in around 5 a.m. and comes home around 7:45 a.m. the next morning with little to no sleep. Not fun! But we are getting there! Some of friends were going on vacation for about 3 weeks and so we watched their dog for them. The kids love wriggley, but we all decided we were not ready for a dog yet! Liam did enjoy his kennel though.

I pulled the warm laundry from the dryer and Liam wanted me to wrap him up in Lincolns bottom sheet. He just laid there all snuggley and warm, he is such a doll!

August 3rd rolled around which was Jared and I's 9th Anniversary! We went all out and took the kids to Chick fil A! They LOVE to play in the play area and then Jared and I can actually talk for a bit while they play. We always have fun no matter where we go. Later that night our neighbor watched the kids for a bit while Jared and I went out for Indian food. I can't believe it has been 9 years and 3 kids later already. I love him oh so much more with every passing year♥

Another little girl, Jessie, Avery's age moved in 5 houses up from us. Avery is so happy to have a friend that close. The girls have been going for walks with Jessie's mom and their two dogs next to our neighborhood in the "wooded" area. They made a fort so we walked up to check it out. Liam is in love with Snickers or "Nickers" as he calls her.

What better way to beat the heat than with Blue Bells Pistachio Almond ice cream!

Later in the month my mom flew in to be with the kids on their first day of school. She is so much fun and we all love it when she comes into town. So my little Avery has been wanting a cat for a VERY long time now and we are just not getting one any time soon, sooo my mom just got a kitten and thought it would be fun to bring Bandit with her. Honestly this cat was CRAZY!!! He was all over the place and all we did was laugh and laugh because he was so crazy. The kids fell in love right off the bat and Ave brought down her little toy dog carrier for the cat. It was so cute, she set it down right next to my moms and the cat jumped right in and started going crazy by flipping all over the place and attacking anything that moved. Avery was so excited that she decided to dress the cat up to match the carrier! Did the cat mind you ask? Not at all!!!

Thank you Liam for letting us all know that Bandit is a boy :0)

This moment was when I was REALLY happy that my mom brought her cat!

On the 22nd it was time to go back to school. Jared also started his week vacation and it was sooo nice having him home. He has never been able to take the kids to their first day of school before. School starts so early here, we have to wake up at 6:15 so we have enough time to get up and ready. Avery woke right up, she had picked out her outfit the night before and was SO excited. Lincoln did not want to get up, nothing out of the norm for him, but he was pretty excited as soon as he got up and dressed. I got their backpacks all ready with their lunches and it was time for some pictures since it was almost time to head out. That's when things took a bit of a turn. Avery went right out and posed for me! I couldn't find Linc anywhere!! Finally found him hiding on the side of the house with a not so happy look on his face. Jared had to get him and put him in the van for me or else we were going to be late.

Once we got there Ave jumped right out, Linc did not.

We first went to the kindergarten hall. It was insane with all the parents and I could see this was going to take forever. Kids were crying, parents were crying, teachers were going crazy. So I my mom and I took Ave to her class. It was so nice and quite. The teacher had a word search waiting for the kids on their desk and they were all quietly sitting and doing their work. My little Missy, oh how I love her and I can't believe she is in 2nd grade!

When we got back to Linc's class we found him sitting at his desk putting puzzles together. At least he wasn't crying, but he wouldn't look or talk to us. Poor kid was so scared. Liam on the other hand pulled up a chair next to him and started putting that puzzle together while he had a one sided chat with Linc. He was having a great time in Kindergarten and didn't want to leave. He makes me laugh!

The final bell rang and it was time to say goodbye. Lincoln still wouldn't look or talk to us so we gave him a hug and told him we would be waiting at the bus stop for him.It was so weird to go home to a quit house. As we were getting Liam ready for the day we were emptying his colostomy bag like usual and Bandit had to see what was going on. Liam wasn't too sure about this, especially when the cat saw his bag move and decided it was toy and wanted it!

We ran errands, went to lunch, walked through some model homes looking for paint ideas. I must say that it was so easy to only have one kid, but I was ready for them to come home by 3:00.We walked up to the bus stop and waited. I was hoping Avery and Lincoln had a great first day. The bus finally came up the street and I searched through the windows to see if I could spot them. Sure enough they were together waiving back at us! They both bolted off the bus with big smiles and lots to say about their first day! I miss them so much while they are at school, but know they are learning so many things. Liam and I play everyday and wait for the time to come when we can go and get Ave and Linc from the bus. I asked them what their favorite thing of the day was and Avery said playing outside, Lincoln said the bus ride home! Love them♥

As the week went on Avery did great and loved every minute being at school, except for the homework part. Lincoln had a hard time adjusting, poor thing. He wasn't used to being gone all day everyday, or getting up so early on a regular basis. When I asked him what I could do to make it better he told me, "Come with me". Heaven only knows I would if I could. He had some tearful moments so we had lots of fun treats, kid days where Jared and I did nothing but dote on them, and lots of hugs and snuggles. By Friday he was doing much better and has had no issues since Woo Hoo!!! I love you so much my Lincoln, you are growing up so fast♥We had a GREAT August and were so excited to have Nana come and be with us, plus Jared's week off♥!

July 2011

2011-09-02T15:32:00.024-04:00

Since I took about a million and two pictures in June, I laid off a little this month. But now I am wishing I hadn't. The kids were so excited for the 4th of July! Only this year Texas was in a serous drought and in most county's fireworks were banned. You couldn't even buy them or have little sparklers. So we started off the morning with a potluck breakfast with 7 families and a load of kids. It was so much fun and the food was Delicious! There were even some fun red, white, and blue dishes. It was sooo hot that day. Jared had to go into the hospital that morning to do some pre-ops, but then he was our the rest of the time. We were able to get a family picture, but I really slacked this 4th. I didn't make any cute bows for Ave or get any of us any kind of patriotic wear at all. It was just too hot.

Later that night we went to another friends out for a BBQ. The kids ran around and played in the water and had fun. When it started to get dark I was really missing any kind of fireworks. I missed the smell, the excitement, and the smiles that they bring. I did have a few boxes of pops and thanks to my brother a TON of those glow bracelets and necklaces for the kids. We connected them together making long ropes they could swing around in the dark. My neighbor Val brought out her camera and captures some very fun pictures. We had front row seats to an amazing light show! Not the same as real fireworks, but the kids had so much fun with the glow sticks I don't think they minded.

The next day the kids wanted to make cupcakes. So we made the biggest cupcakes we could and piled tons of whipped chocolate frosting on top and we also filled them with some. They also got their choice of sprinkles. They LOVED them and pretty much licked the frosting off and were done. I love these kids.

This month has been very hot, and with NO rain everything is turning brown. It makes me miss the green of Virginia even more. So we played in the pool with friends and had fun with our goggles! With the drought we can only water our lawn once a week on our designated day after 9 p.m. The kids were sad they didn't get to jump on the tramp with the sprinkler this year. But, every day that Jared had off we would head to Sea World to their water park. Thank goodness that's there, we loved it! I didn't take my camera since it was sooo hot I thought something would happen to it. I'm going to have to get a cheap one I can take next year.

It is so nice to have friends with pools! That also saved us from the heat this summer. I bought this little tube for Liam and he actually loved it. It was so funny watching him trying to get out of though! He was so proud of himself when he finally did♥

On the 23rd Jared had a work party out at one of his attending's vacation home. It took an hour and a half to get there, but when we finally did the kids had so much fun. I didn't bring their swimsuits, but that didn't stop them from swimming in the water hole! Our neighbor Rob pushed the girls on the boat, he is such a good sport. Jared and Linc also loved the boat.

Liam wanted "Thomas" to be painted on his face, the only thing was his face was too little♥ Diane ended up doing it free hand and he was so excited about it! He is such a doll baby♥

I would have to say that Liam's favorite thing was the zip line. As soon as he would get to the end he would turn to Jared and say, "Again"!

Ave and Linc floated out to the center on their tubes and I had to send our friend Scott out after them and bring them to the side.

So this "water hole" was so slippery to get out of. The kids and adults would slide down it and see how far they could make it before they fell. Ave and Linc loved it! And tried countless times to slide as far as they could.

We had Fantastic BBQ and were all exhausted by the time we made it home. We had a great time!
July was awesome! Looking forward to August :D

June 2011

2011-08-08T11:49:00.153-04:00

We started the month off by driving 24 hours to Utah, crazyness, and yet this is the 2nd time we have done this. Jared had a week vacation and it was so nice just to have him with us all the time, even though half of it was in the van♥
The day after we got there we went to the Dinosaur Museum in Ogden. The kids LOVE this place and are so excited just to be with their cousins!

Liam was so scared of the huge Dinosaur you have to pass under to get to the other side! He wouldn't go near it, it was so funny. Thank goodness Grandma was there to rescue him and bring him safely under the "big dinosaur"!

The kids love this tree slide!

My sister in law Amber was ready to burst, poor thing! She had little baby Targee a few days later. He is so so cute! My sweet niece Abby looking cute as ever♥

Jared and his dad comparing iphone apps, horsey rides with Papa, and Liam overcoming his fear of the "BIG Dinosaur". We had such a fun time there, thanks Grandma and Papa!

The next day we went to the Tree House Museum. I know I took at least 100 pictures but can't find them anywhere :(! The kids had a TON of fun and played on everything. My mom called and couldn't wait to see the kids any longer so she joined us for the last half. It was so good to see her! After that mom left and the rest of us went over to Iggy's for some lunch.

The next day we went to the zoo. So it was 4 adults(Jared's parents, he and I) and 6 kids(Our three nephews and our kids) and it was awesome! Especially when we lost Brandon! Luckily Jared found him and all was right again. We went to go to the park to let the kids play and the prairy dog exhibit is right there. They had all these cute little babies. The kids of course had to stick their heads in the little things? They said it was so cute, the babies were right there! So what do I do, yup, I go and stick my head in the thing. Please keep in mind the is and exhibit for animals that poop all day and then the sun shines on it....all day. Let's just say I didn't stay long.

Waiting for the Elephant show to start. The kids were oh so excited!

They were making a new exhibit so there was a ton of construction going on. They stuck a random sand pit with little digger toys. Honestly the kids would have stayed there forever if we would have let them. But as fun as it was watching them dig a hole, it was time to keep going.

Liam LOVED the Dinosaurs! Carson and Logan were so cute with Liam. They would make sure he was ok and that he got to see all that he wanted to see. It was like having 2 more big brothers♥

The boys kept trying to get a ride without us noticing. I think it was the extra
100+ lbs. that gave them away, nice try though boys!

Soon we had 6 hungry kids on our hands. Thanks to Grandma and Papa we were fed, and since we were with Papa the kids new they would get some ice cream!

Then we were off to see more animals! It doesn't matter how many time a child has seen a monkey, snake, or turtle, they are still just as fascinated as if they were seeing it for the first time. I loved watching Liam rediscover and discover new animals.

I LOVE this picture. It's what summers should be like, being with family and having the time of your life! I am so glad my kids have such great cousins to grow up with♥

A trip to Utah would not be the same if we didn't get to go to Beus Pond with Grandma to feed the Ducks. The kids absolutely love it and it's so pretty there.

After we fed the ducks we walked to the park to play. My adorable little Nephew, Dillon, kept trying to hold Liam's hand and pick him up. He thinks Liam is a baby since he is shorter than him, even though they were born on the same day! Liam's not a fan of this, but I think it is too cute♥

I love hearing this little boy talk!

My sister in law, Amber, had just had her second little boy Targee. I wanted to hear Dillon say his name and it was so dang cute!

Those of you who know my Avery know's that she can not walk by any flower without picking it! She sees so much beauty in everything♥

On June 8th my little brother turned 21! Happy birthday Sage! We all went to Chelsi's place on the 10th to celebrate. I seriously can't believe he is 21. I love you so much Sage!

The next day we headed back to the Valley to the best petting farm there is! We went here last year for the first time and the kids LOVED it! So of course we had to go back!

So there was this one baby goat that was honestly the cutest goat I had ever seen! Apparently Lincoln thought so too. It was like the "baby chick" at his preschool trip all over again. He came and found me and asked me a hundred times to take his picture with this goat! How could I not, so cute!! The kids were in heaven with this sweet thing and wanted to bring it home, of course♥

My personal favorite, the piglets! Honestly if we wern't planning on moving in 3 years I would have adopted one of those pot belly pig's (photo 1)! We had one growing up and she was the best pet ever! I was smitten♥

Last but not least, horse back riding! Each kid gets a lap on the horse and the kids LOVE it! Ave and Linc were pros this time around. But I would have to say that this is Dillon's favorite part of the trip! He does not like to get off the horse.

We had so much fun there, the kids did not want to leave! Thanks Papa and Grandma for another amazing day!

After the farm we headed up to see my mom. The kids were dying to take her dogs for a walk, so of course she said Let's go! Jared and stood side by side and said, "You have fun with that"! They pretty much walked to the top of the street and came right back down! It was awesome :D

Before Jared had to fly back to Texas we had family pictures done. My very talented friend Dani with Simply Art Photography did our pictures. I love how they turned out! It was so much fun being with her and being able to catch up on so many missed years. She also photographs many of my bows from my shop, www.averysbows.etsy.com. Jared was such a sport and the kids were troopers! Thanks Dani for a fun evening and for the BEAUTIFUL pictures!

Liam was a bit fussy and wanted gold fish. So we gave him some♥

Jared left to go home and I miss him soooo much! My two brothers came the next day and that made it much better♥ I was so excited my sister in law, Nicole, was able to come out the following day! I love her. We were having a small reunion dinner at my mom's house so we were all helping her get ready. We had my niece and nephew, Zaida and Hendryx, for the day and the kids had a ball together. My other two little brothers and their dad built a fish pond in my mom's back yard. All the kids and my brothers were moving the fish from one pond to the next. It was the funniest thing ever! The kids would literally toss those poor fish up and over into the pond! Thank goodness we only lost one tiny gold fish in this process.

It was so much fun being with my two brothers and my mom. That night we stayed up WAY late laughing and talking. My poor kids were so tired and ended up putting themselves to bed. Ya, mother of the year right here! I walked in our room and Liam had crawled in bed with Linc. All 3 were out like a light. They were so cute, I love them more than they will ever realize.

The next day Nicole, my beautiful sister in law flew in from Oregon. My Step mom, whom I also ADORE, was able to come out early for work! Couldn't have planned that business trip better if we had tried! So we all headed over to my grandma Logan's. One thing you can count on at grandmas is a drawer full of dress up upstairs and a closet full of the best toys ever! So the little wooden toy that Linc is playing with has been a long time favorite of all of us since we were his age. My wonderful late grandpa made it for us. You put the little wooden cylinders in one end and hammer. As one goes in, one pops out the other end. Genius! Well Uncle Jesse and Uncle T decided to have Linc go to the top of the stairs and they would aim the toy at him and then hammer a peg in a hard as they could so one would not "pop" out the end but "shoot" out the end clear up to the top of the stairs. Linc's job was to dodge the flying peg!! Boy's never grow up! But they are good Uncles, they all took their turn at the top of the stairs. P.S. Don't mind Liam in the background with a colostomy bag about ready to burst off!! Where is that kids mother anyway???

Avery came running in and wanting Grandma Carrie to come and roll down the hill out back with her. So grandma being the amazing grandma she is went and rolled down the hill.......and manged to roll over the ONLY mud pile in the whole huge backyard! Ave thought this was too funny!
Me and my beautiful Grandma, Oh how I love you so very much gram♥♥♥ And your welcome Nicole for posting that picture of me so yours looks good ;0) Honestly, my sister in law is one of the most gorgeous people I know! Me being the other one. Sorry, I couldn't resist!

If you know my grandma then you know how she LOVES things that sing, shimmy, and just make noise! Ave and Linc thought this santa hat was way too funny how it sang and flipped from one side to the next. Of course they thought it was even funnier when it would flip to one side smacking Lincoln in the head. Whatever makes you happy kiddos!

The next day was the day the family reunion began. Most of our family lives in other states or countries and wasn't able to make it. All of you were truly missed. But if you know our family, half of them are friends that have been adopted in over the years. I have to say that I have one of thee funnest families EVER!!! One thing that I love are my Uncles♥ Here my uncle Steve is giving Liam a little advise on how to properly throw a dirt claud, something every boy should now how to do.

My sweet mom made about 75 of the yummiest enchiladas ever! Just one kind wouldn't do it for her, she had 3 different kinds and all of them to die for! Apparently Liam was little hungry and decided to give the door frame a try. What can you do but take a picture! We all pitched in to get the food together and got everyone fed. I didn't get a ton of pictures because I was having way too much fun mingling with everyone.

Anita, grandma and my cousins cute girl friend. My adorable grandpa, uncle Steve, and cousin Shawn -Love them! And of course you can't have a party unless you have a gas powered pull start blender made from a weed whacker for hunting trips!!!! Yes my friends, that's how we roll. You will notice my grandpa admiring this fine piece of equipment, grandma you know Christmas is just around the corner ;0)

My auntie Anita had her friend make a family tree cake. The main tree had grandma and grandpa on it (it fell apart on the trip over :( But still way cute) and each family had their cupcake branches. It was such a cute idea, we all loved it!

Having some fun with some of the cutest kids ever! My Uncle being the biggest kid in the bunch♥

My Dad flew in that evening so Avery and Lincoln made signs for him and went with Grandma to the airport to pick him up. It was honestly the cutest thing ever, they were so excited and Avery worked so hard on making her sign perfect, and it was! The next day was Fathers day and I was so blessed to be able to be with my dad! Not only me, but my two brothers were together with him. I can't remember the last time that had happened. I love you Dad♥
So my dad and Carrie brought the three kids their own fishing poles, they loved them. When I was younger we would all go to Lake Mead in the summer and my dad and brothers would fish. We mostly caught blue gills, but those weekends at the Lake are one of my most treasured memories as a kid. So watching my dad with my kids was awesome!

Soon the sun started to set and it was time for some smores! I didn't get a ton of pictures because I was too worried Liam was going to fall in the fire pit.

The next day we were all meeting at East Canyon for a little R and R and of course fun. Honestly that bean bag toss game was so much fun!
My two cute grandmas♥

The kids wanted to go swimming so bad, so we went. It was way too cold for me to get in. I didn't last long in my suit, I went back and put on my sweats and jacket! Utah is officially WAY too cold for me!!

Some crazy OLD men and their dogs.

My poor Avery spiked a random fever after swimming :( So of course her Nana, Great Auntie's and Great Grandmother all sat with her while she took some Tylenol, laid down and watched Bambi and eventually fell asleep. When she woke up she was feeling much better and her fever was gone, thank goodness.

Cutest identical twins ever! Niki you are an amazing mother!

I don't know who was more excited to ride the four wheeler's, the kids or the bigger kids! It was so much fun to have my little brother that is almost 6'6" come out. I love you Creed!

Most of the crew that day. We had such a fun day hanging out and of course eating!

The next day my two brothers had to go back home. It was so good to spend so much time with them as they live in Nevada and Oregon. I miss them every day♥
T with Grandma and Grandpa.

Avery wanted to take some pictures so I gave her my camera. It's always fun and interesting when I upload my pictures to see what she has captured. I Love this one of Lincoln. I also love the one of Grandma's M&M dispenser. Every kid loves that one, not just because there is candy in it, but because it's the funnest thing to pull the leaver, then pull the drawer out to see what you got!

Here is the picture Link took :0) Love him!

The next evening Grandma and Grandpa came out and Mom put together an egg hunt for the kids. Yes, I know it's the latter half of June but what the heck! They were so excited they could hardly stand it! Liam loved it, of course. A tradition with my grandpa is he hides an egg in his shirt pocket for the littlest one. For years I watched my little brother T pull out an egg, then it was Avery's turn. Linc didn't get the opportunity since we lived in Virginia and wasn't able to be home during Easter, but he got a turn today even though he wasn't the littlest. It was Liam's turn since he was my littlest, I love my grandparents so so much! Then Grandma had to get in on the action, Linc thought it was hilarious!
After all the egg's had been found the kids wanted us to rehide them and do it again! We hid a few, but then it was getting too dark. They had a ball!

A couple days later my Aunt Kathy on my Dad's side of the fam called. She was here from Omaha and wanted to get together. Of course this was the best phone call of the day! I was watching my best friends two kiddos, whom I love as my own♥, so Kathy,Amy (cousin in law?) and her adorably funny little Brody all came out to my mom's. I know I have said this before, but I love my family! Brandon, Amy, and Brody were able to come out to D.C. and stay with us for a while. I LOVED it!! We had pizza and soda and got caught up on how everyone was doing. The kids ran through sprinklers and loved it! There is nothing better than running through the sprinklers with friends, shoving your face full of pizza, and chugging soda! Thanks again Auntie Kathy and Amy, that made our day!

Four days later it was time to head South! We had so much fun. This just touched on some of the stuff that we did. Sleep overs with Grandma and Papa Smith with cousins, building sand box's big enough for 3 adults and 4 kids to play in with plenty of room, and much much more! We can't wait till next summer when it's time to go back. My mom was the lucky winner that got to make the 24 hours drive back to San Antonio with me and my 3 crazy kids! I know, she is so lucky ;0) My mom brought little flight kit's for the kids and there were these sleep masks. They had way too much fun with them.
Avery looks so excited to be in the van for the long haul again.
June was awesome! Utah was cold, but beautiful from all the rain! Seeing Jared was the highlight, we missed him♥

May 2011

2011-08-07T22:53:00.023-04:00

May came and went before I could blink! Summer is coming and we couldn't be happier. It's been in the 80's and I LOVE it!! I was definitely made for the heat. A women Jared works with, whom is the sweetest thing ever, had a huge birthday party for her little girl. She turned 3 and was adorable! She only spoke Spanish so we really couldn't talk to her much, but her mom translated for us. Her party was at this Ranch that they use for old western movie sets. It was actually way cool. Our friends Rob and Val and Val's sister and Brother in law also came with us. They had so much BBQ to eat and coolers full of drinks. Linc had like 4 Dr. Peppers and I couldn't keep Liam out of the ice.

The kids got to get their picture taken on the bull. Liam kept petting it and saying, "good boy". It was too funny. I think he would have taken it home had we let him. I know I know, we are no fun ;0)

The party was Hello Kitty and they had the BIGGEST pinata I had ever seen. She said she had it made just over the border and was only like $20! The kids had so much fun and Linc ended up being the one to whack it's head off, that's my boy! I didn't get any pictures of him because Liam kept trying to run to him and I thought he was going to get smacked with the stick, not good.

We went for a wagon ride to see all the animals. They were huge and came right up to the wagon, way cool.

We had such a great time and were all exhausted by the end of the day. Thanks Mowdy for the invite♥

On the 13th my little Avery was Knighted at school. It's a big honor to be knighted and they have a huge ceremony in front of the whole school. It's held once a month and only 1 child per class is awarded each month, so only 9 in Ave's class. I was sent the email about 2 weeks before and was told not to say anything to Ave. So the boys and I went to the school and waited with all the other parents in the back room. When it was her turn they had us walk out on stage as they called her name. She was so shocked and so excited! I loved being there able to see her walk down the middle of the crown up onto the stage. She was awarded with integrity and honesty and always willing to help. I am sooo very proud of her! She said she wore her medal all day!

Ahh the primary talent show. Full of artists, musicians, singers, bug collectors and more. The kids are honestly so cute and so excited to share their tenant. Linc had to dance with the kids his age group and he was not excited about this at all! He pretty much moved a little and stood there a lot. Oh well, he lived! Liam kept walking over to see Ave and Linc, then he laid on the floor a little, climbed on the chairs, was just being a cute little 2 year old! Jared was working, of course, so I didn't get any photos when it was Linc's turn as I had to help him. His talent was riding his bike without training wheels!!!!!! He did an awesome job!! Then it was Miss Avery's turn, her talent was jump roping. She had been practicing for weeks, so cute. When they told her to go she started jumping rope like mach 5!!! She was going so fast and concentrating so very hard that she didn't even hear the music stop! It was awesome!!! I was so proud of them for getting up in front of all those parents and peers. Way to go loves!

On May 26th Lincoln graduated from Preschool!! Jared only had one weekday off that whole month and we lucked out that it was this day! Lincoln was so excited! They looked so cute in their little graduation caps. They had them all walk through the isles so we could see them.

They they called them up by class, one by one. Honestly it took forever. So all these kids went up and hugged Miss Kim their director and smiled all pretty for the camera. Then it was Linc's turn. This is what I got....

I wouldn't have it any other way♥ I love you my Lincoln!

Afterward we went back to his classroom, said thank you to his sweet teacher Miss Betty, played on the playground for a min. and then headed home to get Ave from the bus stop. I can't believe my little boy will be a kindergartner!

Another very important thing happened this month, Sea Worlds water park opened up!!!!

May was full of end of the school year fun and hello summer stuff! Now it's time to drive to Utah and spend a month with family!

April 2011

2011-08-04T17:50:00.036-04:00

I was asking some friends here in Texas if there are any orchards that let you pick your own fruit. In Virginia we had one that we LOVED and would go to for apples and blueberries and it was a favorite tradition of ours. There was one here in Texas and I was sooo excited! So the morning of April 2nd I packed a lunch and Jared and I loaded up the kids and drove 45 min. West to Marburger Orchard!
When we pulled up the scenery was honestly beautiful! The kids were so excited. We headed over to get our box and a lesson on how to pick a strawberry. I personally didn't know there was wrong way, but there is. In Texas the soil is basically lime stone and NOTHING grows in it. They have brought in their own top soil and have covered it with a thick black plastic to keep it put. It was the cleanest strawberry patch I had ever seen. We headed off down to the Orchard toward the strawberries. Poor Liam fell one some rocks and hurt his knee :( So he spent most of the time in the stroller because it hurt to walk, poor thing. Rest assured he was better by the end.

I think the boys ate more than they picked! I don't what I was thinking when I dressed both boys in WHITE shirts?! Oh well, it was well worth the red strawberry stains♥ We had such a fun time and we can't wait to go back this fall!

Since it was Conference weekend I went to snickerdoodle and printed out their conference packets for the kids. They are wonderful! It helps the kids get into Conference as well. Just look at Liam, he is captivated by President Uchtdorf! He was so curious. We don't have cable or an antenna so thank goodness for live streaming! One of my favorite conference memories was Jared and I's first conference together. We went up to his parents house and their tradition is that there dad makes the best omelets ever, and his mom makes all the sides! I loved it♥ Hopefully my kids will love these memories too!

Lincoln's preschool had a field trip to this lady's farm. There were so many different animals,plus a pond full of tadpoles with frog legs! There was this bucket that she had put little chicks in so the kids could hold them. Honestly Linc came to me 3 or 4 different times ASKING me to take his picture with the chick. It was priceless! He loved that things. We brought lunch and laid out a blanket and sat with friends. Liam's face was so funny while he was eating his strawberries, I had to take a photo.

So while I was taking Linc's picture with the chick, Liam had run off to the llamas and cows. He loved them! So I told Linc where I was and headed off to the "yamas and tows". All the animals thought Liam had food because he was taught to hold his hand out. At least all the llamas walked over to him and he was in heaven! Looking through the fence just wasn't good enough for him so he decided to SCALE THE FENCE!!!! I was shocked as I had no idea he could do that!

That boy amazes me! We had so much fun on the field trip and Linc didn't want to leave that chick, so we were the last ones to leave but Linc got his fill♥

Just playing in the backyard!

I got a flyer in the mail for an Easter egg hunt in Leon Springs, which is about 5 min. from us. A local Church was putting it on and it was offering huge egg hunts, free games, lunch, and treats. How can you turn that down?! So since Jared and Rob were working, val and I loaded up all 5 kids in the van and headed off to the egg hunt. The kids LOVED it! They did a wonderful job on all the fun games and all the treats and food you could eat! Finally they announced for ages up to 2 years old, Liam was ready! He was so cute with this little girl in the blue dress. They both went for the same egg so Liam picked it up and put it in her basket. So she picked up the orange one next to it and put it in his♥ We could learn a lot from 2 year olds.

While we waited for them to set the eggs up again for the older kids we decided to play a few games and get some treats. Avery was dying for some cotton candy, my personal favorite, so off we went. Ave was in heaven and Liam decided he LOVED the cotton candy, just not the stickyness of it. Linc wanted a snow cone, but the line was soo long and they called the older kids over for the next hunt. He was not too happy about that and wouldn't let me take anymore pictures of him, little stinker.

We went over to the egg hunt and Linc tripped on the curb, darn it. Well that was it for him. Between that and the no snow cone he started to cry and wouldn't hunt any eggs, he just stood there. I tried to get some pic's of Ave but she was out of here and the crowd was too large and crazy to follow her. She came back with a huge basket full! She gave Linc half, such a good kid. You can see the tears in his eyes in the close up picture. Yes, we went right to the snow cones and all was right again.

The next day was Easter Sunday, so we colored our eggs! This was Liam's first adventure in this fine art of egg coloring, and I have to say he is a fan! I don't know too many kids that don't like to color eggs.

Happy Easter!

It was time for the kids to change their clothes and get ready for the Easter Bunny! In this first photo you will notice Avery's keen sense of fashion, worthy of any GQ magazine. It comes complete with the shirt on backwards. Love her!
First their Easter Baskets full of fun stuff, then the egg hunt is on!

Liam found maybe 2 or 3 eggs and then went under the tramp to eat them! He kept watching Ave and Linc as he shoved his candy in his mouth as fast as he could in fear of it being taken away, too funny!

April was great! We had so much fun whenever we could fit it in♥

March 2011

2011-08-03T17:03:00.017-04:00

Not doing so well playing catch up with the blog, sorry. Let's at least get caught up with March!
I don't know what happened this month, we did a ton, but I didn't take the normal 50,000 pictures that I usually do. Maybe that's why my kids look so happy ;0)
We went to Sea World a lot, of course, and was able to go with friends this time! Rob and Val, our good friends next door, also got season passes.
Liam wasn't too sure about cookie monster, but the other two LOVED him!

We rode a few rides and climbed on the HUGE playground made mostly out of nets. Ave and Linc took off to the top and Liam was not about to be left behind. So Jared being the amazing dad that he is helped him up to the top and then back down. Liam LOVED every second of it! And I am sure Jared did too.

Why yes the kids are wearing different clothes hmm how about that! Another trip to Sea World. Apparently we live there now. Here are some fun pictures of the kids playing on the playground. Where ever Liam goes Avery is right there to help him. He couldn't ask for a better big sissy♥

So my kids like to collect things, not normal things, annoying things! Here you will see them gathering nuts to plant trees. I don't think they get it yet, NOTHING grown in Texas but cacti! I found these little beauties rotting in the back of the van weeks later, awesomeness! But I can't resist these little faces and how they make my face laugh daily♥

Near the end of March and Jared turned 31 this year! We had a huge party with some of the craziest people! Thanks Val, Soph, and Scarlet for coming and joining the fun. I made Jared a German Chocolate Cake from scratch and yes, it was divine! After Jared and Liam blew out the candles the kids all threw confetti AT him! It was hilarious.

Liam had been walking around for awhile before we noticed his little "tag alongs". I love his little legs, they are so him♥

The kids wanted to play "hot and cold" with Jared's birthday gifts. So he went into the bathroom while the kids giggled and hid his two presents. When he came out it was all business! Jared would walk around listening to the kids yelling hot or cold trying to guide him in the right direction, keep in mind they are 7 and 5, way too funny. He finally found them with some hand signals from me in the background and the kids jumped for joy! I just love them. Happy Birthday honey, we love you Oh SO MuCH♥

March was great and we had way too much fun just being a family. Hopefully I'll get April up sooner than later, keep your fingers crossed!