Happy Birthday...

...To me. Today I turn 28!

This morning all my kiddos (well except for Grace) wished me a happy birthday over breakfast. (most likely coached by daddy)

Adam said he wanted to watch the Spongebob birthday movie with me to celebrate the occasion, Sarah said she wants to bake me a cake when she gets home from school, Jack doesn't really care, and Grace has no clue it is my birthday. Dan is working, but has a relaxing night planned for all of us. What more could I ask for.

Say What????

Jack: "Hey mom, can I have that one thing that I like, not that one thing but the other one?"

Me: "Son, I have no idea what you're talking about."

Jack: "Yeah, the red one!"

HUH?????

*This "thing" turned out to be a box of oven baked crackers, which happen to be in a RED box vs. the other crakers that were in an orange box.

Professional Photos

Our Trip Out West in Nov. 2006

Family photo opt upon a rock in Three Rivers, California. Just before entering the Sequoia National Park.

An uprooted Sequoia Tree. These are amazing trees.

The "General Sherman" in Sequoia National Park, California (see the kids down there, these trees are huge)

Carlsbad Caverns, in Carlsbad, New Mexico. This was an awesome hike down to the bottom of the cave. The whole tour took about three hours.

White Sands National Park in White Sands, New Mexico (notice the rainbow, and the picture doesn't even show how white the sand is, it's beautiful)

A cutie in New Mexico, wearing her brothers Sombraro

Near a gift shop in New Mexico.

Kitt Peak Observatory in Arizona, located on the Tohono O'odham Indian reservation in the Quinlan Mountians, elevation, 6875 ft.

A Saguaro cactus in Arizona

At the beach in Ventura, California

The kids with their walking sticks (made by their daddy) at my grandma and grandpa's house in California.

Happy 4th Birthday Jack!

Christmas Picture

Here is this years christmas picture. Coming soon... pictures of our trip out west 

Happy 1st Birthday!

Today was Grace's first birthday. I can't believe how fast this past year has flown bye. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEAUTY!

Trick-or-Treat Sweetness!

My Kitty, Ninja, Boxer (Rockey Balboa to be exact), and Angel; Halloween cuties.

Octopus for Dinner?

I got this idea from a magazine so I tricked the kids, telling them we were gonna eat octopus for dinner. You should have seen the look on their faces. :D You just cut 8 "legs" in each hotdog and boil until their legs curl up.
After we took them out of the water Sarah thought it looked like their "sticky things" or "suction cups" fell off in the boiling water. :D
The kids all got to make faces on their octopus before eating them.
Adam painted a face on his octopus using mustard.
Sarah made her octopus face using pretzels.
Jack pierced a "sword" (toothpick) through his octopus instead of making a face.

Jack doing brain surgery on his octopus.



Jack, Sarah and Adam enjoying their tasty treats.

The mind of a 3 1/2 year old... "The Sword in the Toe."

Or should I say inside Jack's mind...:D The other day I was driving around town when Jack informed me that a "sword" was stuck in his "second pinky toe" aka "big-little toe or other pinky toe" (the toe next to the pinky toe, incase you couldn't figure that out LOL). When I looked in the rearview mirror he was holding a small, sharp toe nail which really did look like a little "sword". He makes me laugh. He also calls butter knives "swords". Can you tell he likes weaponry. :D

Smiling Faces

Me & Tootie

  Me and Grace on the beach over Labor Day weekend before school started.  Probably one of the last, if not THE last nice beach day.  Don't mind the fat arm shot.  What can I say, I am alittle buff these days, HA! *wink*

School Days

Adam's 1st day of school today!(kindergarten)





Sarah's 1st day of school yesterday!(2nd grade)

I asked Adam if he made any cool friends at school today to which he replied yes three, only he couldn't remember there names so he described them as such using these exact words in this exact order: "The little guy with the glasses (friend #1), the big guy with the green shirt (friend #2), and the brown guy (friend #3). I thought that was sooo cute! :D

My "offical" seal

Pumpkin Heads

Garden Harvest 

 The kids each picked out a pumpkin from our very own pumpkin patch that we planted this year.  I don't think we will plant another pumpkin patch next year since it is quickly taking over the rest of our garden.  

Cousins

 Here are some more Sephia poses of my kiddos and their cousins.  My sister's girls...Kaylyn, Jenna and Lauren.  Beautiful! :D

 

*Check out Grace's face in the all girls pose (top right)  She looks like a drunk zombie!! LOL

Brothers & Sisters

The art of "Multi-tasking"

I want to start a bullet list for the things us mothers get accomplished through "multi-tasking"
Feel free to add your accomplishments in the comments and I will add them to the list. (That is if anyone reads my blog anymore :D )

• You know you have successfully mastered the art of multi-tasking when you can nurse your infant and clip your toddlers fingernails and toenails at the same time.~Momblogs
• When you can take care of your all your children while 3/4 of them are sick with the stomach flu and throwing up, without getting a single drop of puke on the floor, all the while feeling nauseous yourself.~Momblogs
• Managing to cook dinner (chopping or stirring something), hold a crying or nursing baby and talk on the phone (say to make an appointment). ~Princess Ruby
• Holding a conversation with a doctor, talking to one child, and getting the other child out of trouble? ~Princess Ruby
• Nurse while cleaning up a puking kid. ~Choppzs
• Nurse while grocery shopping. ~Choppzs
• Nursing a baby while cutting out a pattern. ~Amie

I know I have more, I'll have to think about it and update later.

Happy Birthday to the man I love!

Today is my honey's birthday and since I don't have a photo to post of him (he will never allow his picture to be taken alone without his hand covering his face) I thought I would list 28 reasons why I love this man.

1. His love of and devotion to our Heavenly Father.
2. He has given me four beautiful children.
3. His strength, both physical and mental.
4. His lips.
5. His hands.
6. His smile.
7. His eyes.
8. The way he talks.
9. His sense of humor. (he makes me laugh all the time and I love to laugh)
10. His intelligence.
11. His God given ability at problem solving. (he is amazing at this)
12. The way he is with the kids. (they adore him)
13. Because he loves me even though I can be a nerd (through song and dance :D ) sometimes.
14. His ideas about our future and how he is taking care of us.
15. His ability at making decisions
16. He is compassionate when he needs to be.
17. The way he suprises me with things on my birthday and other special occasions.
18. The way he listens to me.
19. How he keeps me focused.
20. He is my best friend.
21. He does a lot of things that remind me of my dad and I love that. (my dad died 7 yrs ago)
22. He works in a way that allows me to be a SAHM.
23. He is wonderful as the head of our house.
24. He is great at encouraging me and the kids.
25. He knows how to have fun.
26. He's an excellent gardner :D (I'll have to post an updated picture of our garden)
27. He knows how to cook a good meal.
28. For all the little things he does for me to let me know he loves me.

Those are just a few of the reasons why I love him and want to wish him a happy 28th birthday!

I love you Dan, Happy Birthday Baby!!

Family Photo

I haven't had much time to blog recently with all the construction/remodeling we are doing on our house trying to get it ready to sell. Today, however, I did get a chance to sneak away from all the painting I've been doing, but just long enough to post this family picture. This was taking on July 4th this year at my mom's house. It is hard to get everyone together to take a family picture so they are few and far between. I will cherish this photo until the next time I have to beg dear hubby to sit long enough for a picture :D
Hopefully I will get another chance to update my blog soon, but until then you can enjoy my family picture as much as I am.