new beginnings

Miss M goes to KINDERGARTEN tommorow...YIKES!

I have thought about that day for the past five years and cannot believe it is actually happening.

I feel excited, sad, nervous, old, but most of all happy for her to take this big new step in life.

{She is also super excited and has yet to fall asleep tonight :)}

Our Summer

So I have to admit...this summer has been a total loss as far as my blogging adventure.  The more I fall behind, the less I want to blog, and so on and so forth.  But I will continue to move forward and once again try not to let being behind bog me down.

We have had a fun, busy, happy/fighting, relaxing, family bonding, HOT summer so far. 

Swim lessons. check
Summer Harkins Movie fun. check
Sweltering HOT Phoenix Zoo. check
Staycation at The Legacy with grandparents. check
Gymnastics tricks being performed ALL over the house. double check
Lots of Swimming!!! check
Otter Pops on a daily basis. check
Momma working like crazy. check
Creating fun family memories.....check!

And then of course we had a QUICK up and back trip to Colorado with our good friends the Potters so that Jesse & Scott could compete in a 12 hour outdoorsman extreme race.  Man that was seriously craziness right there.  I have to admit that Jesse looked like he was ready to die when he finished....but he is already talking about doing another one :)

As for me, I am running once again several times a week and may even run a half-marathon this fall.  That is a big FAT maybe.  All in all we have loved our summer time and cannot believe that Miss Maddie starts kindergarten in less than two weeks.  We will miss all the lazy days of swimming, gymnastics, otter pops, and of course fun movies. 

Growing Up

I have to admit that I love my little boy's scruffy hair.  Yes it makes them looks semi-homeless, but for some reason I am a sucker for the "messy do" on these two little gent's.  And EVERY time their hair gets like this I fight Jesse tooth and nail on cutting their hair.  This may be due to the fact that the first time Daddy buzzed Robby he looked like a cancer patient.  So now every time he talks about pulling out the hair clippers I have flash backs to that haircut. For Robby it is inevitable that every 3-4 months those darn hair clippers get pulled out of the closet, he takes him outside, wraps him in a good old fashioned garbage bag and goes to town. But for Eli this was a new thing.  Up until now, I was the only one who had touched Eli's hair.  I have LOVED his mass of curls at the back of his head.  Yes, he looked like a little punk skater with longish hair. Yes, I know that it was possible to put multiple ponytail in his hair.  Yes, I know he had more hair than many girls his age.  But to me it was all about holding onto the precious baby years.  I knew that the moment I gave in and let Jesse cut his hair that this would all change.  He would no longer look like my little baby.  That was why we compromised that I could have Eli's hair to myself until June, and then Jesse could buzz the babies hair.  When I agreed to this it felt like an eternity away.  But the day was inevitable and before I knew it, it was here. I gave Jesse puppy eyes, I begged and pleaded, but there was no changing his mind.  And even though I did shed a few tears, I have to admit that he does look like one handsome toddler now.  {although I secretly CANNOT wait until his hair grows as wild, crazy, out of control just like before....}

so silly

This year I have been extremely busy and somehow along the way neglected to keep up on all the photos in my phone and on the camera.  Then when my camera began to malfunction, I gave up entirely.  Luckily my sweet husband was able to fix my camera and I have now been pulling all my pictures off the camera and phone, gradually beginning to organize them on my computer.  There are so many fun, cute, silly pictures that I forgot I had taken.  There are also an assortment of pictures from different places I have taken the kids this Spring.  All in all it has made blogging the last little while overwhelming to say the least.  I have always considered blogging as my journal/scrapbook/baby books and it gnaws on me that I have not stayed up to date with it. 

The other day I was talking with my friend at work and she suggested starting fresh and continuing forward rather than getting bogged down by how behind I have been.  So although I will attempt to post some of the past occurrences, for the most part I am going to just move on and attempt to keep up to date on the current events going on around our house. 

Until I can get to those, however, I have a couple fun photos I found that truly capture life around our house :)

The first picture is of my little Maddie with a balloon stuffed under her dress at the in-laws house.  She was hilarious walking around announcing that she had a baby in her belly.  The balloon kept falling/popping out with any little movement she made and then she would laugh like crazy and say "oops the baby came out"

The second picture makes me smile because it was taken back in January when Robby was refusing to grow up.  He would steal a pacifier from Eli every time I turned around and climb into the high chair, exersaucer, bouncer, and any other baby object he could find {such as the baby tub}. Then he would announce with a big grin on his face "I a baby".  What a few months can change.  Although he is still obsessed with sleeping with a pacifier, he now proudly reminds us daily "I a big boy" whenever we try to baby him in any way whatsoever.

The third picture is the most recent and was taken on one of my work nights by Daddy.  He tends to allow mischief and playing to occur at bedtime, including hours of playtime in Maddie's room.  One night he went upstairs to check on the kids and he found them both dead asleep on Miss Maddie's bed.  It is the sweetest picture, but it still doesn't mean I allow this in any way, shape, or form. :)

Family

I just have one thought today....

I am so thankful for my family. 

I am thankful for the fact that my parents taught me about the Gospel, read books to me, allowed me to flourish and participate in my own activities when I was a child, ingrained in us the importance of education; parents that stuck with me and loved me through my snotty teenage years and now continue to support me and teach me about being a better parent, wife, and sister.

I am thankful to have a beautiful and energetic sister. I am so thankful for the cute cousins that she has provided for my kids...they sure love their Kater-Bug and Baby Zacky :)

I am so thankful for my "little" brother. He is such a smarty pants and works so hard at school.  He is such a great role model with working hard and persevering through school & I hope to be able to instill some of this in each of my children.  Robby reminds me so much of Ben with his personality.  Both of them have an engineering mind set and love to figure out how things work.  They both can be show-offs as well :)

As I grow older and my little family has expanded, I have become more and more thankful for my family.  I am grateful that I am able to share my life with them eternally.  I am grateful for the love they show me unconditionally.  And I am grateful for their love and kindness the offer to my kids.

{And I love how we can be goofy together!}

I am also thankful for my family: my kids and my husband.  My kids are truly the highlight of my day.  As much as they drive me crazy at times, they make everything I go through bearable.  On my long, never ending stretches of nights that I go through on a weekly basis, I look forward to the precious moments when I can spend a few moments with each of my children.  Such as :doing Maddie's hair, picking out outfits for each of the kids, snuggling with my Eli as I pull him straight out of bed, cooking breakfast, having Robby and Maddie run and meet me at the door with hugs & kisses, dropping Miss M off at preschool, and then of course kissing my Hubby at the doorway as he leaves for work.

 

Sure love them!

Yummy Memorial Day BBQ Dinner Today!

Bacon Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Skewers




1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs

About 8 oz. lean bacon, NOT thick-sliced (thick bacon is too hard to work with in this recipe)

1 large can pineapple chunks (you won't use all of them)

Kikkoman Teriyaki Baste and Glaze

Kebab skewers



-Cut bacon slab into thirds.

-Drain the pineapple

-Cut chicken into bite sized pieces

-Wrap bacon around chicken pieces and alternate between bacon wrapped chicken and pineapple on a kebab.



When all chicken pieces have been sufficiently staked, pour Teriyaki sauce over everything, reserving about 1/4 c., and marinate in refrigerator for at least 4 hours, no longer than about 8.



Preheat grill**; when about 350-400 degrees, place skewers on grill and baste with reserved Teriyaki sauce. Cook about 7 minutes and flip skewers. Baste again and cook another 7 minutes. You really have to watch the grill because the grease from the bacon will cause the fire to grow larger. Then your bacon will burn. I found it best to leave my grill lid open the whole time.



Lime Cilantro Rice with Pineapple



Lime-Cilantro Rice with Pineapple



Like I said, you really can just make this to taste, but here’s the basics.



1 cup dry white rice, cooked in 2 C water.

2 T real butter

Juice from 1 large lime, or two smaller ones (taste as you go, I add a lot!)

1 small can crushed pineapple, drained. (You may want 2 small cans)

½ - ¾ C chopped fresh cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste



Cook rice. As soon as it’s done, toss in the butter and stir to melt. Add lime juice, pineapple, and cilantro. Stir to combine, and then add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

by the way.....

"Momma, I think I have paint on my willy"

 This is what happens at our humble abode when you leave Daddy in charge of kids while the Momma is busy painting the master bedroom.  I could have seriously killed him; just kidding {maybe not}

So what did I do after the shock wore off {slightly}, I pulled out the camera phone and snapped a few pictures before spending the next HOUR bathing them over and over again trying to "rake" the paint out of Miss M's hair.

Goodbye Miss Tanya

We are so proud of our little graduate!

On Monday evening we were able to attend Maddie's graduation ceremony from "Leap into Learning" preschool with Miss Tanya.  Miss M was so proud of herself and especially LOVED all the treats we ate afterwards :)

We (I) will miss the four hour break on Monday mornings when Maddie was gone to preschool and then playgroup

*

We will miss all the fun songs that Maddie has learned at class

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Maddie will miss all her fun friends she has grown up with at school

*

I will miss seeing and interacting with Tanya during the week while dropping off & picking up Maddie

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We will miss bike rides to and from school.....

but Maddie is super excited to start Miss Rosie's summer phonics program on Tuesday and to meet more friends!  We are also excited for all the swimming days this summer and for Summer Movie Fun at Harkins Theaters!  Hooray for summer time; bring it on! 

{and I am beyond ecstatic about no overtime shifts for June and July for me!!!!}

(Once again quite obvious that I had been awake for more than 24 hours)

YEAH FOR MADDIE!!

a {NEW} look on life

We just recently attended a baptism this past Saturday and it was such a spiritual experience. Even with our kids going semi-crazy during the program it was so neat to look at the young man and see his glowing countenance. He looked so at peace with his decision and couldn't stop grinning from ear to ear. I am always amazed at the happiness that the Gospel brings someone. It is that literal "change of heart" that we read about in the Book of Mormon. Seeing this gave me a renewed urgency to also continue to do all I can to also experience a change of heart each and every day. Even though my time is sparse, I still have the power to take the time out in my day to reflect upon my own actions and keep that renewed sense of urgency alive to change and be a better person.



I want you all to know that I have a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I know that Christ did live and continues to live today. I know that he died for my sins so that as imperfect as I am, I can continue to repent and wipe my slate clean. I know that the plan of salvation offeres a way for us to all return home to our Heavenly Father and be a family FOREVER! I know that the book of Mormon is a true book and that we can draw closer to our Heavenly Father by studying and following the teachings that are contained within it's pages. I know that Joseph Smith DID restore the true Gospel to this earth, I know that he translated the Book of Mormon through the power of God, I know that he was a true prophet just like Prophet Thomas S Monson is also. And even though the last few years have been REALLY hard, I know that I have been pressed & molded {and continue to be}, even by a refiners fire, so that I will be fit to someday enter the Lord's presence. I have learned that the love that Jesse & I share, and the commitment we have to each other CANNOT be broken. I have learned that we can draw close to one another and be one even through the hardest circumstance we have had to face thus far in our existence. And I know that the Lord is with each and every one of us...even in our lowest and darkest moments. I have felt the crushing force of disappointment and discouragement many times over the last few years, and at these moments when I have felt like I can no longer press forward and when I'm ready to completely give up, I have felt a strong reassurance that my Heavenly Father loves me and is watching over me. I have felt a spirit of peace wrap me up like a blanket, and the words "peace be unto you" have entered my mind and my heart over & over. I know there is truth in the words spoken that "these things shall be but a small moment". And I know that I would have never known I could have grown this way, if I had not gone through these challenges.






So because of that, I feel peace in my trials. Often times another phrase runs through my head: "there is a time and season for all things". Obviously this is the time and season for me to work hard for my family, it is my turn to support my little family financially, and that it is time for me to be strong and STOP complaining about things that I have no control over. I have faith that if we work hard together, that the Lord WILL bless us. Maybe not in same time-frame that I think it should be, but I know that we will not be forsaken.






Just the other day my big sister forwarded me a Mother's Day e-mail with some fabulous quotes by one of the most inspirational woman that has lived in these modern days {in my opinion}.  Here are my favorite ones:




#1: Be Kind.  Everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.

#2: There are some years in our lives that we would not want to live again.  But even these years will pass away, and the lessons learned will be a future blessing.

#3: Try a little harder to be a little better.

#4: The trick is to enjoy life.  Don't wish away your days, waiting for better one's ahead.

{All of these come from one smart lady: Marjorie Pay Hinckley}

Old "Kid" Quotes

Just clearing out my side-bar and not wanting to lose these cute quotes/phrases that my kids have told me over the years {strictly for my journaling purpose)~

Maddie Phrases
#1:
Daddy: "Maddie, Orcs (Lord of the Rings) come and get little girls at night when it's dark outside. Come hide with me so the Orcs don't get you."


Mommy: "Don't listen to him; he's telling you stories. Daddy is just trying to scare you."

Maddie: "Daddy is telling books again." (10/08)


#2:
Mommy: "Are you a fish?"

Maddie: "No, I a Maddie"

Mommy: "Maddie you're silly"

Maddie: "No, I not silly. I a Maddie"

Mommy: "What does Mommy have in her belly?"

Maddie: "A Sister" {Summer 2008: before we found out that Eli was a BOY}

#3:
"I want a pooper lollerpop please!!" (purple otter pop)


#4:
You're so happy" repeated over and over whenever she does something that makes me upset. It is so funny that I cannot help but start laughing the more she says this


#5:
Mommy, let's go on the alligator" (elevator)


#6:
5-25-08 "I can't wear my white shoes. I have an owie on my foot. The white shoes hurt my owie. The brown shoes feel so soft and nice on my feet with no owies." --her explanation on Sunday for why she need to wear her brown shoes with her black dress rather than the white shoes that I was attempting to convince her to wear. It was too funny that she could communicate her thoughts that well that I figured she deserved to wear those brown shoes


#7:
"Ice cream is tasty, nummy, soo good."


#8:
"Candy, candy, candy!" --she says this every time she goes potty, regardless of the fact that we have quit rewarding her with candy EVERY time she goes on the potty.


#9:
"I no want to go night-night. I not tired." --We go through this conversation twice a day, at nap and bed time



#10:
"Mommy, I need a towel. I all icky, yucky, soo gross."-- this is said at every meal when her hands get dirty


#11:
Maddie stayed a few nights at my parents while Jesse and I went to Rocky Point. One night she woke up sobbing around 3am, when asked what the matter was...she said that Robby took something from her. FYI: he wasn't even staying at my parents house; he was staying with my in-laws. Apparently for a 3 year old, this is equal to any other scary nightmare :)



#12:
Maddie has begun to show an interest in marriage. The other day she was going through the list of people that were married/going to get married. She told me that Grandma was married to Grandpa, Nona to Papa, mommy is married to daddy because he's a "prince." She then told me she was going to marry Robby because "he's my best friend and a prince." After that she got a really concerned look on her face and wondered out loud who Eli would marry. Ding ding ding; the light bulb came on and she proudly announced "I know! He will marry Jo Jo" (their aunt that is 23 years older than him). I figured that now is not the time to dash her hopes that we REALLY DO NOT marry family members.


#13:
Maddie has lately been saying the word "idiot" to people when she is upset. I couldn't figure out where she would have learned it from until last night when we were watching 101 Dalmations and she showed me that Cruella Da Ville does indeed say that word over and over. And to think I thought Disney movies were so great. I then had to explain to Maddie that Cruella was being very mean when she said that word to people and that she shouldn't have said that




Robby Phrases
#1:
Robby copies everything that Maddie says these days, so now when I ask him to do anything he says "why," but then doesn't wait for the answer before he goes over and follows my instructions. I am pretty sure he doesn't understand what he is saying....please don't ever learn Mr R :)


#2:
Robby's favorite phrase I hear on a daily basis is "but Mom."



#3:
Whenever Robby gets in trouble he furrows his brow, crosses his arms across his chest and loudly protests "You're not my best friend".  Then he gets even more upset when we laugh at this reply. {April 2010}


#4:
Robby totally HEARTS camping.  He talks about it non-stop and has to be his favorite thing in the world.  Whenever I ask him if we should go camping as a family he rolls his eyes and says "Mom, girls are not allowed to camping...only boys."

sick and wrong

FYI.... I feel so cheated by my camera.  Every time I get a new pretty one I think that this will be the one that lasts.  And it works beautifully for the next 6months to a max of 1 year, but inevitably one day it just quits working.  Case in point:  I got a fun new GREEN canon camera for Christmas, great megapixels, slender, slick, easy to use.  I have loved the pictures it has given me.  Now this week it won't turn on. PERIOD.  I am still looking for that "darn" receipt and hoping {dare I say praying} that something can be done for me at Walmart.

So for now all I have is a pity party for one and a few random photos stored in my phone that I will have to figure out how to download.  Boo hoo for me :(

Internet Surfing

http://funkyjunkinteriors.blogspot.com/search/label/improving%20your%20blog%20tips
I found this ADORABLE family rules board on a blog that I regularly blog-stalk. Maybe this summer it will be a project to work on as well :)

Family Rules Board

My friend Bryn has made a few of these recently for her boys and I have been oh so jealous of this. Maybe someday I will learn how to sew and make a few of these jems for my two little boys......at least I can wish right??
Super Sweet Car Caddy

Super Yummy looking dinner that may make it onto our table the next few weeks:

Chicken Cordon Bleu Pasta

I have always been OBSESSED with smoothies and lately we have been making them multiple times a week. This one looks delicious and is on the agenda for today!

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

 

my sweet little E

All of my children are literally growing up right before my eyes, but none so fast as my baby. How can this little guy already be almost sixteen months old. I am not ready for him to grow up and talk to me, get into mischief with the other two, have an opinion of his own, no longer want my cuddles, dress himself, and all the other things that happen with age.

The one good thing is that he is completely content to remain my little baby for the most part. He loves to snuggle and cuddle, he loves to be babied and loves to be held. he also has the most loveable little cheeks that I want to kiss and pinch nearly all the time. he patiently tolerates this as well. good kid :)

he has learned a few words so far which i do not want to forget:

mama

dada

bu-bye--along with a wave of the hand

hi

thank you

he understand soo much now and acutally follows directions part of the time. here are some fun facts about my little Eli:

he loves to throw things away in the garbage, i have had to pull out shoes, toys, toilet paper rolls, and even our home phone from the trash can.

he loves balls and loves to shoot hoops with our basketball hoop.

he loves to laugh and has the cutest full belly laughter that lights up our house.

he is such a softie and is impossible to be angry with.

he cries like crazy when he gets scared, or doesn't get his way.....which means he almost always gets his way :)

he loves playing with his siblings and doing big kid things (thus him attempting to ride Robby's trike in the pictures below)

he is a fantastic eater and some of his favorite food items include scrambled eggs, hot chocolate, PB and J sandwiches, juice, spaghetti, noodles of any kind, apple slices, pizza, buttermilk pancakes, bread, and of course ice cream.

he cries every single day at swim lessons. he only has 2-3 weeks of this torture left and then he will be an official ISR trained baby :) which is by the way the BEST program ever

oh and it totally broke my heart that he was so sad to have a babysitter to himself tonight when we took the bigger kids to "How to Train a Dragon" at the movie theater.

He will be a mess at some point when I am released from Nursery and he has to go on his own :)

I sure love my little E!

luv Momma

One in diapers

So this post is LONG overdue....but it is official I have only one child in diapers! Halle-freakin-luah! I potty-trained Robby in January and he has been doing so well.

I love that he loves being a big boy. He reminds me of this daily and gets so excited when he goes number 2. Although it makes me kind of sad. Since when was he allowed to get older...I am pretty sure I didn't authorize this. It's a good thing he still allows me to hold and baby him now and then {such as at the movie theater today when he was scared}

Here are some things I don't want to forget about my mini-Jesse:

he loves buzz lightyear, cars and trains....still

he reminds me daily that "I'm a good boy"

he loves chocolate milk and cereal every morning for breakfast.

he loves his pacifier---with a clip at nightime, along with his blankie.

he loves to take things apart and see how they work.

he can manipulate his way out of anywhere. when we attempted to lock him in his room with the doorknob turned around, it took him only a few days before he figured out how to open the door with the plug of his small fan.

he loves swim lessons with Miss Darla and particularly enjoys splashing her.

he loves to tease his sister. to the point that she is on the ground sobbing in her dramatic way.

he also loves to ride his new green bike and begs to ride it every day. all day long.

he loves to play with the neighbor kids. specifically Tyler and Matthew, because they have "the coolest toys" per Mr R.

he loves his new $0.40 squirt gun compliments of Fry's and thinks he is the coolest thing with it tucked safely in his underwear while playing outside.

he also loves Teenage Ninja Turtles and runs around yelling "Turtle Power" or "Boy Power" while playing.

he is in love with diggers, cranes, and any kind of construction vehicle. he loves when we drive by construction sites and will yell out all the different trucks that we see. he particulary likes the cranes. he also loves to play with his dump trucks in the backyard in all its dusty, dirty glory.

and although I was ready to give this child away to the zoo, he is really outgrowing some of his mean behaviorisms and actually likes to play with other kids now. imagine that :)

oh and i also love him more than life itself :)

Maddie and the Curls

This spring we have discovered how to curl hair with a flat iron. I honestly don't know what took us so long, but I have to admit that my little girl looks darn cute in ringlets.

She asks me pretty much every day if I will do her hair like this and then will patiently sit for the 5-10 minutes it takes to curl all her hair.

And then of course that is quickly followed by her asking me to get my camera and take her picture.

She is only slightly full of herself :)
it amazes me every day that she is going to be five this year. and that she will be going to school this year. and that she can somehow outwit us most every day.

some fun things about maddie include:

she is the number one drama queen in our family. hands down.

she loves her bike and would ride it from morning to night if we allowed her and has actually gotten pretty darn good on it.

she loves to love on mr E and pretty much gives him anything he wants.
{which is actually a standard thing at our house with the baby}

she is very giving with BOTH brothers. whenever she gets treats at school or gymnastics she always makes sure to reserve some for her brothers.

she loves her friends and is always trying to smuggle another playdate out of me.

she is OBSESSED with our neighbor girl, Abby. the sun rises and sets with this friend and Maddie already knows that Abby doesn't get home from school until after 4pm. Miss M will sit on the couch by the door and watch for her to come home so they can play.

she loves to sing. {obviously didn't get that from me} she especially loves to sing her primary songs and i enjoy having her serenade me in the car.

she is very crafty and spends most time indoors writing her letters, coloring pictures, or working on projects.

she is incredibly exicted to start at the "BIG" Cortina Tigers school in the fall and loves to play school with Robby.

she requires detailed explanations for why a certain rule is in place. if it makes sense to her logically she is VERY good about following it. otherwise you can plan on her not obeying.

she loves gymnastics and does cartwheels all over our house.

she is my big helper and loves to clean, organize and cook with me.

oh.....and I love her to pieces :)

Cooking Lessons

What's the first thing you do to celebrate being off of work for TEN DAYS?

Make cookies with the kids of course...and they were very happy to oblige! :)
Of course we had to whip out our aprons because every good cook where's one of these.
The kids were surprisingly well behaved and even patiently took turns adding ingredients and stirring for me (a miracle).
Their favorite part?
Licking the beaters clean. hands down.
My favorite part?
Sneaking pinches of cookie dough :)

I had such a good time cooking with my darlings that I may have to do this again. soon!

and what does the little man do during our cooking lessons?

walk around with the princess ride on toy of course...with a big smile on his face :)