It's raining, it's pouring

Yes, it's true. I am actually updating my blog. :) I've been so bad lately. It's been really really busy. So, living in Southern California doesn't give much hope for a white Christmas. This rain we've been having is as close as we're going to get. We are actually going to stay in a cabin in the mountains the week after Christmas, so we won't be completely without snow. The girls haven't been in snow much in their lives. They are so excited to go, but we'll see how much they love it after 10 minutes of being in it. :) I'm sure we'll hear plenty of, "I'm cold Mommy!" It will still be fun though! They have never been able to make a snowman or go sledding. Aren't those like rites of passage for children?? Anyway, here's our rainy day pictures.

They are waiting for the wind to blow the umbrellas so they can chase them



She says it looks like she's flying

Of course Makenna decided to go barefoot

This is what it looks like to have rain splash in your face

Random Child Thoughts

I've got a few things that Britlyn and Makenna have said recently running around in my head and I want to get them down before I forget them.


Britlyn: "Mommy, what kind of an animal would a unicorn look like if it didn't have it's horn?"

Me: "A horse."

Britlyn: "No. A bloody horse."

I busted up laughing so hard!


To preface this next one, Makenna had been coloring on her legs with a pen and had ink on them. She was now trying to wash it off.

Makenna: "Mommy, I got all the ink off."

Me: "Oh yeah? Great baby."

Makenna: "Yeah, there's just a tiny bit left. People will probably just think it's guts."

Now, may I ask, how on earth is it better to have guts rather than ink on your legs??? Once again, I just busted up laughing.


Last one

Jeremy: "Makenna, how come you never obey Mommy, and you never obey Alyson (our babysitter), but you almost always obey Daddy?"

Makenna: "Because they don't know how to spank hard and you do."

So that's all it takes, huh? Of course how could I not laugh at that? So I did. I just looked at Jeremy and we both just burst out laughing.

Soccer Mom

I've officially become a soccer mom. :) We signed Britlyn up for soccer a while back and now they are a few games into their season. She is on a team they named Rainbow Sprinkles. That is sure to intimidate the opponent! :) I have to admit, it is about the cutest thing to watch them play. Britlyn is so funny because she doesn't really even know how to run. Her running more resembles leaping or prancing. She's a bit timid when it comes to going after the ball, but she gets more confident each game. Unfortunately there was a mistake and her team was put in a division with girls a year older than them, so they have yet to win a game. They play their little hearts out though! We should have signed Makenna up too, she is just itching to play. She just ends up running races with who ever is subbed out over on the sidelines. We've got a family activity now every Saturday for the next few months! It's great.

This is for you Mom & Dad

Here it is... The long overdue family picture! Anything had to be better than the last one!! Thanks again for putting on the reunion, it was really great to get to see everyone, we don't get to nearly enough. I love you guys!! (Once again, click on it to make it bigger.)

Has there ever been a...

group of sisters this hot?! (Click on the picture to make it larger - it looks better) My parents organized a family reunion in Park City, UT last week, so we snapped a few shots of the family and we had to get a few of the sisters too. I have to say that we all look pretty good. :) Unfortunately my sis-in-law, Milagros, wasn't available for the shot, but my other sis-in-law, Darina, got to be with us - she's the one on the far left. Beautiful girl, huh. My sisters-in-law definately fit in as sisters, they are great. Of course, my sisters are all incredibly beautiful too. It was fun to all be together again. We're kinda of spread out all over, I'm in California, Penny is in Utah, Mindy is in Washington, and Tiffany is in Oregon. I love these girls!

Cutest little cowboy ever...

Isn't he the sweetest thing? This is a little sneak peak for the wonderful "L" family. I hope you guys like them! The rest will be done soon.

Happy Birthday Baby!

I'm bitter sweet about this birthday. Ellie is my baby, and she's just growing up too fast! It doesn't seem like a year ago we celebrated her first birthday. She is the greatest kid. She is so fun loving and just happy all the time. She is by far the best 2 year old we've ever had! I just sit back all the time and watch her. She is so silly, she makes me laugh all the time. She LOVES to be part of what her big sisters are doing, and if they aren't paying enough attention to her, she definately makes herself be heard! Two years old is more of a toddler. Before I know it they are going to be teenagers! Oh goodness, help me! :) Ellie just brightens our family in a way I didn't realize we were missing until she filled it. I also love that she loves Mommy time. Sometimes she doesn't want to play with Britlyn and Makenna, she just wants to hang out with me. She loves to lay on me or be really silly with me. She's got the greatest sense of humor. I am so in love with this kid! Happy Birthday!!

A couple to share

This has been a crazy month! I've only been home for 10 of the 31 days in July, with 3 different destinations. It has been a lot of fun though. The girls and I got to go to Seattle for a week to visit my brother and his family. The kids all had a blast together. I was there taking their family pictures too, so here's a couple from the bunch. Dad with the boys, and Mom with the girls. Beautiful kids, huh. Thanks again guys!!

Where's the soap?

**Warning**
Some cursing in this post - read at your own risk :)




Last night I was putting Britlyn & Makenna to bed, when out of no where Makenna says, "Mommy, you're ass." Figuring I couldn't have heard her right I asked her, "what?" Once again, she says, "You're ass." At that point I commit the biggest mistake as a parent..... I laugh like crazy. It just struck me so funny at that particular moment. Then I asked her, "Do you even know what that word means?" She said she didn't - just as I had thought. So I told her it wasn't a very nice word for a bottom, or it can be a word for a donkey. So then she starts saying, "You're ass - the donkey kind." Somehow that is supposed to make it okay, I guess. Still I can't help but laugh. Bad, bad mommy!! I know. So then Britlyn wants to join in on the fun and she starts using "the word." After a few minutes I tell them that's enough, we really shouldn't say that word. It's a swear word and we don't talk like that. Normally, that would work for them. Well, of course not this time..... I had already laughed once. I couldn't get them to quit saying it, but they were getting better at using in context, so I had to call in the big guns - Next person to say it would start getting stuffed animals thrown in the garbage. That worked until songs were all sung and done, but then the silliness just took over and once again I hear a little, "ass" sneak out of one of them. I finally decided to let Jeremy take care of it... even though they probably learned it from him! lol It seemed to work anyway. My little princesses have little sailor mouths it seems. I'll know better than to laugh next time. :)

Usually you see the pretty little ladies, but I thought this time these were much more appropriate! :)

So big so fast

My sister was here for a few days and she had her little man with her. I took pictures of him when he was only a few days old, but now look at him! He's gotten soooo big!

Here's before:


Here's now:

He has got the longest lashes and the biggest squishiest lips ever! He's such a cutie! My girls loved being little "mothers" to him.

True Joy

I shot these pictues about week ago I just love them. For me I can just "feel" the joy the the happyness. I just adore what great friends they are. They are so sweet and just perfect in their own little ways. Too bad Ellie was down for a nap otherwise i would've snapped some of her beauty also. These little girls just light up my life.
Sometimes I have a very difficult time getting a true smile out of Britlyn, so I just adore this, because it is just soooo her.

My Love, My Challenge

Don't get me wrong, I love this kid soooo much. She just really challenges me. I guess it's a sort of self improvement test for me. She has just this great firecracker personality that I adore.... most of the time. Along with all the wit, engergy, and sweetness she possesses, there is also a lot of defiance, stubbornness, disobediance, and disrespect. If it's something she doesn't want to do, she just won't do it - well, that is until the punishment gets bad enough, but even then she'll say things like, "Fine, but you can't watch me," or "I did it mean," or "Don't say thank you when I'm done." I have to really watch myself with her because I don't want to let her learn that behavior is okay, but I also don't want to have power struggles with her all the time. I want her to love being a kid and growing up, not remember getting in trouble all the time. She really is so sweet too though, and so beautiful, but sometimes I just want to lock her in the bathroom all day long. I know that I can't change her, so I have to change and improve myself. I have to really look at what is important and make sure my emotions are always in check. I want her to know what a great kid she really is... I am just hoping some of the negatives in her personality are kind of a phase and can be molded into something more positive. And if not, I pray for more patience!!

A few more...

Hey Mil, I'm almost done, but I wanted to throw a few more up here for you!

Preview

This is a little preview for my beautiful sis-in-law. I was lucky enough to get to take these pictures of her with her brothers and sisters. I hope you like them! There's lots more, these are just a few.

My Very Own Personal Tornado

Yep, I've got to be the luckiest person alive. I have my very own tornado - and like all terrible storms it's even has a female name - Ellie. Saturday I decided to document her day of destruction. I was happy to see my little tornado did not disappoint! First stop was in my bedroom. The once potted plant was her first victim.

If you look closely, you can actually see her dumping the dirt all over the floor.

This is her very dramatic reaction to the words "no no."

Next stop was the pantry. The strawberry milk looked just too good to pass up.

Now Makenna's Easter candy - really though, can you blame her?

Here's the remains of the chocolate and carmel she was chewing on - well, spitting anyway. She wanted to leave her mark around the pool table, so she left little globs of chocolate, carmel and spit all around it on the floor.

Back to the pantry.

Oatmeal, always a favorite to spill on the floor. Luckily the container was almost gone, so not too much on the floor.

Most days I feel like I am running around constantly, but when I look around it doesn't seem like I've gotten anything done. Now at least I have proof I actually do something! On top of all this I managed to take all three girls grocery shopping, feed them, do an absurd amount of laundry, and take Britlyn & Makenna to the movie Horton Hears a Who. What a day. Here's my monstrous pile of laundry. I do have to say though that I love my little tornado, I'll just be glad when she's big enough to clean up her own destruction!
Now, just in case the pile in the top left corner looked small, here's a better shot of it.

"K" this is just for you!

I know you've been waiting on some of these, so I thought I'd throw out a little sneak peak for you! I hope you like them!



Yeah, I couldn't resist putting one of little bum on here!

Blah, blah, blah...

A couple days ago, we had the whole family in the car driving home. Jeremy asked Makenna if she liked granola or something simple like that. First she said "no," then she said, "actually, I do." Then once again she was back to "no." She's very indecisive about some things. Anyway, so then Jeremy said, "Makenna, do you even know what you like?" Immediately she just says, "blah, blah, blah." I laughed sooo hard! Now, hopefully, that answer isn't one I hear when I'm talking to her at age 16 or so. :)

And of course I have to add a photo. :) I took this yesterday. The flower & the pose were all her, but I thought it came out adorable!

Happy Birthday Princess!

I can't believe my little girl is 6! That's just starting to sound like an older kid. Britlyn was so cute last night. When I was putting her to bed she'd say, "This is your last kiss ever from your 5 year old." She kept doing things that were her last as a 5 year old. She's such a great kid. I just adore her and love her to death. Yesterday we had David, the boy that gave her the chocolates, over for a play date. Of course I had to snap a couple shots of them. They weren't really into it, so I got some funny looks, but I think they are adorable!!


Isn't it funny how at this angle it looks like they are holding hands? I assure you that was definately not happening. They had a lot of fun, but they are not even sort of trying to go anywhere near there. Thanks goodness!!