CHARIOTS OF FIRE, DESERT STYLE!

We had a really fun weekend! The girls were involved in a district-wide track meet for their school. Brittany and Bailey both ran a 100m relay, the 100m and then Bailey did the long jump and Brittany did the high jump. They both did really well and we were so proud of them. Brit got medals for 1st place in the relay and 3rd place in the high jump. The cute thing about the high jump is that the girls who placed 1st and 2nd were both a good foot taller than her but her style is what we love. She vaults over the bar like a gymnast instead of going over the bar the regular way on her back. Whatever works and it obviously works for her so more power to her. She has little springs in her feet. Bailey did really well and got her best time in the 100m and did great in the long jump. We went to the La Quinta H.S. track to practice last Monday night with our friends, the Risenmay's, and we practiced jumping from the end of the runway instead of from the board so that kind of threw her off too. Way to go, mom! But the point was we had a great time and we had several families from our ward there so we all huddled under one umbrella and sat around sharing food from our coolers and laughing and having a great time. I kind of felt like we were the Mormon posse and who better to hang out with for an afternoon? We all cheered for whoever was doing something at the time and it was a really fun, sunny day at the track! Win or not, we all had fun and the spirit of teamwork and friendship was the best part about it! It makes us really look forward to all of the fun things yet to come. Way to go girls!

CARSONISMS

I love the cute things that Carson says! I know I included some of them in an earlier post, but I definitely want to remember as many as I can. He has had this big thing with spelling. He can spell his name but he thinks he can spell everything else too. I let him believe it. He says, "Mom, can I have some s-p-l-k-o-m-p?" and I say, "Sure, and that is....?" He answers back, "apple juice, of course." Of course! He does that with everything and it totally cracks me up. He also wants me to measure him almost every day and tell him if he's gotten any taller. He's obsessed with his age too and asks me on a daily basis how old he is. I think he's really disappointed when I have to tell him over and over again that he's only 4. He tries to tell the girls he's older than they are but it's just not happening. It must be frustrating to be 4. :) He is so fun to be around and I know I'm lucky to spend my days with him. We played V-Smile for about an hour the other day and he wanted to take turns and he would give me words of encouragement as I was trying to figure out how to play Toy Story. How sad is that? This morning, I had just gotten him his cereal and we were watching Diego and he said, "Mom, guess what?" I thought he was going to say something about Diego or the hawk plane they were building and he looked me square in the face and said, "I love you!" I love moments like these! He just made my whole day!

I Love My Job!

One of my sweet friends in Utah forwarded this to me and I thought I'd share it! I loved it and it kind of sums it all up for me....

Before I was a Mom -

I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.

I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.

I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom -

I had never been puked on.

Pooped on.

Chewed on.

Peed on.

I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.

I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom -

I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.

Or give shots.

I never looked into teary eyes and cried.

I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.

I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom -

I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put him down.

I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop the hurt.

I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.

I never knew that I could love someone so much.

I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom -

I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.

I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.

I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.

I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom -

I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.

I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

Counting Blessings.....AGAIN!

I know, I know, a whole week without posts and then bam, bam, bam. I'm thinking of that whole journal thing at the end of the year and I don't want to miss anything! It's just been one of "those" weeks so I'm catching up! It's a lot to read so I don't blame you if you just look at the pictures. :) After writing everything, that's what I'm doing. I've never had that gift of short and sweet.

There are just some pictures that you have to take and I'd like to remember this one. He's such a good dad and you can tell his girls kind of like him too.

These two pictures really have nothing to do with anything but they make me laugh every time I see them. Brittany came down with her like this the other night and it was perfect timing because I really needed to laugh. We just need to find the grass skirt. Funny, I think I look the same way in my coconuts, belly and all. :)

Don't look too closely at my kitchen....it's just a cute picture with the girls helping grandma.

This is scary! I guess I know what I'm in for...

This is Avery and her cousin Brooklyn. They're a year apart and they have a really cute relationship. Brooklyn says her name so cute and they always give each other kisses and Brooklyn takes really good care of Avery. It's really cute.

Grandpa is always in charge of Avery at church. What a sweet picture!

We had a fun weekend with our family. Cody's dad and Leslie came into town, on separate planes I might add, last Friday. They were flying standby on some passes that they had and they missed the first flight because of security and only Leslie was able to get on the next flight so Mark ended up flying into Orange County and renting a car to get here. We're glad they go to so much trouble for all of us. They stayed with us for the first few nights and the kids absolutely love it! They miss all of our family back in Utah and it's nice for them to have a little bit of home for a few days. It was nice for Mark and Leslie too because they had a chance to thaw out. It's been so cold and snowy up there that I'm sure the 70 degree weather felt pretty good. We all just hung out and the kids got Leslie on the trampoline and she hiked up the berm behind our house; she's a really good sport because the kids really like to keep her going. Carson just hung out with the guys and loved every minute of it. It's fun to get everyone together because even though Cody has most of his family down here, everyone gets busy with their own lives and we don't see each other as much as we'd like to. It's fun to have the cousins together and they really have a good time. Any excuse to get together makes it fun for all of us.

It was nice to have a little change of pace because our life is a little stressful right now and it was nice to concentrate on something other than what we're going to do when we grow up. :) The stress is still there and Tuesday morning, everything hit us head on again, but it was fun to sit down and visit and have other things to do last weekend. It's amazing how consuming our life is right now and one week is just flowing into the next and we're just bouncing from one thing to another. I'm hoping we're making progress, but sometimes I wonder. Little things just keep happening and I'm thinking of how we're not supposed to be tested beyond what we can bear and I think I'm teetering on the edge of that. I just keep thinking that things are going to get better and this will just be a little blip on the radar. Hopefully we'll look back on this and say, "Wow, that was a really hard time but it was worth it!" We're just so grateful for all of our friends and family who are helping us through this and are so great! We really must have done something right to be in such a great ward with so many great people around us. We don't know what we'd do without them and are so grateful, especially this week as we've been trying to figure out some car issues and all of that! We have wonderful friends and family and that's one of the things that keeps us going. That's a huge blessing that I count every day.

I've also been out walking this week with some friends and that has helped my spirits so much! Getting so wrapped up in everything is exhausting and it's been great to get out (even though it's so early) and get a little exercise and more importantly get a little boost from my "posse." :) It's amazing how just this one hour a day does so much good for my mental health! I really appreciate that, even though I want to take a nap at 11:00. It's been great for me and that's another thing that I've been grateful for this week. I'm also looking forward to going to a Girl's Night Out with our ward tonight. We're going to dinner and a movie with just the girls and it sounds wonderful to me right now. I love being with my family, don't get me wrong, but it's nice to get out and just do something for me too and this is it. I'm sure it will make me a better mom for the weekend and I'm grateful to have so many fun ladies that I associate with and that I love and admire.

After all of this venting, I'm off to get going with my day! I just heard Avery starting to babble and thinking about all of the great things that have happened this week has given me the energy, until my 11:00 nap of course, to get going! I have so many blessings and it's nice to sit and write them all down. Have a great day!

USS Ronald Reagan

One of my favorite pictures.....high-five for President Reagan!

The girls have had a really fun week at school. We had Lincoln's birthday off and Washington's birthday off so that's been wonderful and then Bailey had a field trip last Friday and Brittany had a field trip on Tuesday. The city of Palm Desert funded a trip for the 5th graders to go and see the USS Ronald Reagan in San Diego. She's been so excited to go and wanted me to come and we decided since I was going with Bailey, Cody should go with Brittany. He doesn't get a lot of chances to go on any field trips, so while we're getting up and going with this new company and not really on a regular schedule, he thought that'd be fun. Brittany was excited and it was a lot of fun for them to spend the day together. I'm going to have her write a little more about it because I wasn't there, but I thought I'd just post some of their pictures. It was a really great opportunity for them and I think she thought it was just like a big boat, "I think as big as one of the pods at school" is actually what she told me before they went, but she was amazed at how massive it actually was and she learned a lot.

One of the things that I thought was sweet was that one of her friends wasn't going to be able to go and Brittany felt really bad about it. Her mom hadn't signed her permission slip and Brittany felt bad that she had to stay at school with one of the other classes while they all got to go. When Brit got home, I asked how the trip was and the first thing out of her mouth was that her friend had gotten to go. Her mom had signed the permission slip the night before and she got to go with her class. I really admire that quality in Brittany that she cares so much about others and wants them to be happy. She had a wonderful day but it was even better knowing her friend was there with her. Here are just a few pictures and then she can go into more detail. Fun week for everyone!

Date Festival

Bailey and I, oh yeah, and the rest of the 3rd graders at Ronald Reagan Elementary, had a fun day out at the Date Festival last Friday. We had a fun little group and we didn't have a lot of time, so we went quickly from thing to thing so our visit was short and sweet, but it was enough time to do what we thought would be fun and still get ice cream. What more could we ask for? We saw all of the art that the kids entered and they all did well so that was fun. Bailey got a blue ribbon and that made her day so that was worth the trip right there.
We then went over to the animals and a mother pig was actually giving birth to her piglets right then so that was a lot of fun for the kids and was especially funny because one of the 3rd grade teachers is due in about a month so the other teachers thought this was a wonderful "teaching moment" for her. I'm sure her view of birth is permanently skewed from this experience, but I tried to comfort her and let her know that the miracle of birth is much better without all of the hay and crowd of kids and especially because she'll only be having one baby, not 13. I'm not sure I helped her at all, but it was fun for the kids. They had baby ducks and chicks and they all went through the petting zoo and then we got to see the ostrich and camel races. It was fun the first time, but I think I'm okay with that one time. Not that exciting, but worth seeing once, I think, I'm still not sure.

We then had lunch and walked around a little and got to see a fun monkey show right before we got back on the bus. The kids had a great time and it's always fun to spend some one-on-one time with our kids. It doesn't happen very often so it's nice when I get to take advantage of an opportunity. Bailey has a really cute class and it's fun to put names with faces so when she's talking about people, I know who she's talking about. They taught me some fun games on the bus and we ended up having a really fun day. Thanks for letting me tag along, Bailey. I loved it!

Fun, Sunny Weekend & DAD'S HOME!!

Carson loves to help in the kitchen. The girls have always been great in the kitchen and have their little aprons that they wear, but I think it's so fun that Carson loves to help just as much as they do. I'm so glad because that's that much less cooking I'll have to do if I train him right. :) We made chicken pot pie last night and he mixed everything together and helped put it into the crust. The only thing I have to worry about are his fingers. They can't seem to stay out of anything that we make and it's not a problem the first time; it's licking them and putting them back in. :) I'm glad it's usually just us eating. If we have company, I'm extra careful about that....don't worry if anyone has thoughts going through their head about what they've eaten from our house. :) I'll take the extra set of hands any day!

I had to post these darling pictures of Carson and Avery. I want him to look back and see what a sweet big brother he was. He takes such good care of Avery and he's really good to see what's wrong if she's crying and pick her up and bring her back if she goes too far (which she absolutely does not like). I have lots of opportunities to take pictures of them together because it seems like they gravitate toward each other. I love that and I hope they keep this bond as they get older. I can't wait until she's more of a playmate to him instead of his sister that gets into his stuff and he has to chase after. It's really cute at night because he always has to give her a big kiss and a love before he goes to sleep. What a cute brother and sister! I love it!

Our "Budding Musicians"

This is definitely one of my favorite moments and I just happened to have my camera right on the counter yesterday! How sweet is that?

Avery loves to be outside. We couldn't keep her in this last weekend. It was sooo beautiful and she LOVED it! The kids were outside from Friday afternoon until Monday night when they had to come in for dinner. It was wonderful....I just wish Avery didn't like to eat dirt. She did pretty well and just liked to follow the kids around. It was such a great weekend and we all enjoyed the sunny weather, especially Cody because he had been in Utah for the whole week and it snowed almost every day and was in the teens most of the time. We definitely can't complain about the weather down here right now; it's beautiful. We'll complain in June. :)


There's something so wrong with this picture!! I think Bailey is supposed to be the pusher not the pushee. Of course it gets above 80 degrees and Bailey puts on her swimming suit. The kids helped Cody wash the cars and had a waterfight and loved every minute of it.

She looked so cute on Sunday....thanks Grandpa Phil and Grandma Debbie for this darling dress.

They definitely loved having dad back this weekend. We really missed him....our house isn't the same without him. It was nice to relax a little bit because we've had to get right back into the real world this week. I wish more days could be like this!!

These are the handball queens....although I did beat them a couple of times this weekend. I love that they ask if I want to play because I'm not too old to learn new tricks. Cody and I both took a few turns and I'm not sure if we're going to have any stucco left on the back of our house after this. This weekend was so much fun.....I did a little housework before Cody came home but we left the rest and just played with the kids and stayed outside. We're definitely easy to entertain so I'm sure that's part of it, but it was great to be together and laugh and play instead of going crazy with everything that there is to do. I guess I saved that for this week. :) It was fun while it lasted and I'm so grateful for weekends like this. It makes me remember all of the important things and even though I didn't get everything done that I wanted to with the housework and all of that, we made some fun memories. The housework always waits.....as much as I wish I had it all together, I just don't and that's okay. I know these moments aren't going to last forever so I'll take 'em while I can get 'em.

Short and Sweet

Just a couple of cute pictures to post!

Again with the chips! I was cracking up. These pictures go along with an earlier post...if anyone leaves the pantry door open, she's on the move and you can definitely tell which shelf the chips are on; baby level. The funny thing is, when she knows you're on to her, she takes off. She thinks she's pretty sneaky hiding over by the fridge! So busted!

This is how Carson went to sleep last night. When Cody's home, he takes him up to bed. When it's just me, he sits with me until I get Avery to sleep and then I take him up. He must have been a little tired...and in those jammies that are "big kid in little jammies." I keep trying to talk him out of wearing them, but he won't do it. I figure why argue? They're obviously not too uncomfortable. There are just those days that when you're done, you're done.

My Sweet Kids!

Well, I apologized to my kids AGAIN last night after prayers. I've been one of "those" moms the last couple of days.....those moms who get frustrated way too easily, those moms who take out their stress on the most important little people in their life, those moms who jump in too quickly before evaluating the situation, those moms who don't appreciate fully how wonderful their kids are. I've got really sweet kids because I've done all of those things and yet when I tell them I'm sorry and I shouldn't have acted that way, they say, "Don't worry mom, we know you're stressed out." My favorite, "I really could've been more helpful today when I got home from school." How bad does that make me feel? They always give me hugs and let me know they forgive me and it's really okay. I have so much to learn from them....if only it were this easy for me sometimes. It would solve a lot of my issues. :)

I just want them to know how much I love them and there are so many things that they do right and that I love.

Brittany: I love that you come right home from school and do your homework and then help with the kids. I love that you have so much fun with a 4 year old and a 1 year old. I love when you chase Carson around and he gets laughing so hard he has to stop and catch his breath. I love that you understand me, even though you're 10, and try to make things better for me. I love your sweet, tender heart that makes you who you are. I love that you asked if you could bathe Carson and Avery 2 times already this week and gave me some time to catch up after dinner. I love that you pick people out that may need a little extra attention and you love them. I love that you're so responsible and that you love to try new things and always do your best. I love that you just "roll with it" and are so easy-going. I love that you would read for hours if I'd let you, because I'd really love to be sitting next to you doing the same thing. I love your witty sense of humor and that you keep us laughing all the time. I love you for all of these things and more but I'm so thankful for all of the help you give me and for keeping me on track. (You wouldn't believe how organized and disciplined she can be; it's amazing) Thanks and I love you!

Bailey: I love that you can make me laugh just by looking at you! (that sounds bad, but she has a great expression that makes me smile). I love your big, red lips and how beautiful your eyes are, with no make-up (because she's 8 of course). I love that you have your own style and that you walked out of the house this morning with a brown and pink flowered shirt and black and white striped socks and I love that you don't care. I love that you always want to act so grown up although I know you're dying inside to just act silly and laugh. I love that you can play and entertain yourself for hours and that it's totally fine with you. I love that you're constantly singing and playing the piano, although your bummer of a mom hasn't taken the time to go through the books and try and teach you. I love that you know what you want. I love the sweet prayer that you gave the other night and I love that you got so excited the other day because you passed your multiplication because I was starting to worry that you just liked school because you got to see people and wear cute clothes. I love your sweet smile and I love that you came up to me and hugged me the other day and said that you had wanted to do it all day! What more could a mom want?

Carson: I know you and Avery can't read, but hopefully one day you'll be able to look back on this and know that I was trying my best to be a good mom and some days I wasn't cutting it, but I do love you! I love that we hang out every day and that you want me to sit next to you and that sometimes you reach out and hold my hand. I love reading books to you and I love that you want me to read books to you. I love the things you say: I call them "Carsonisms"! "Mom, I don't like wearing these shirts because I can't see my arms" (long-sleeve shirts), "you crack me up" "Backyardigans is on; I haven't seen this for years" (and he's only 4, how long could it have been?) I was reading a book to him in his bed the other night and he said, "that book was silly", then he paused and said, "you can say that again... that book was silly." I know it doesn't sound that funny when I write it, but it was funny the other night. I love that when you do something you shouldn't have, you come in and ask me "I wonder how that could have happened?" with that innocent look that you have. I love that you're wearing your Superman cape around one minute and the next you have on your cowboy boots, vest and you're riding Texas (his horse) around the house. You're such a happy boy and you always have been. You melt my heart when you look at me with those eyes and I love when you say something funny and then look at us with your one eyebrow up. You have the cutest expressions. I love when you sing....I could listen to it all day. I love that you love your dad and I love that you look just like him. I love how excited you get when the girls get home from school and when dad gets home from work. He can barely get in the driveway because you're out the door so fast. I love that you're my buddy during the day and that you keep Avery happy. I especially love when you say, "Mom, do you know that I love you?" That's my favorite and I love you too.

Avery: Again, I know you can't read, but I love how you complete our family. I love that your brother and sisters totally adore you and take care of you. They all want to get you from your crib when you wake up and someone always ends up crying (Carson) when they don't get there fast enough. I love that you smile up at me in the morning and then hurry as fast as you can to stand up and hold our your arms for me to pick you up. I love that you only want me sometimes; I know that sounds selfish, but I love that you love your mom. I love when you smile up at me with that cheesy grin and your eyes closed. I love that you carry around your babies and push your little stroller, just like a mini mom. I love when you just get out of the bath and you smell like baby soap and baby lotion. I love when you wear your little jeans or your brown pants that look like big girl clothes and your little bum looks so tiny and cute. I love that you're happy and that you laugh when we laugh. I love when you lay your head on my shoulder and when you give me big, wet kisses. I love that whenever I sit down on the floor, you back into my lap and snuggle in. I laugh when you don't want dad to touch me because he's on your turf! I love that you're friendly and you wave at everyone in the grocery store. I love that you throw your hands up and smile when we say "Ta-Da!" I love when you have piggy-tails in with bows because you look like such a little girl and I love that you're mine!

I know I'm so blessed to have these sweet kids and they make my life so much happier. I know some days I'm not the mom I want to be, but that's why there's always tomorrow. I'm going to try my best to be better and to think before I speak. Here's to a better week (and dad will be home in 2 more days)!!! I LOVE YOU GUYS!

Good Times!

Thought I'd post some pictures from the last couple of days! We had a family get-together yesterday....didn't get the camera out until after Vera and Jack left so I'll have to catch them next time! We had a fun time hanging out but we missed Cody. These pictures are to show him what we're doing! We miss you!

Carson needed some male bonding time! He definitely misses his dad! Thanks, Bryce!

Love those eyes!

I love this picture! I'm not sure who's going to win the staring contest! He looks menacing but he's the sweetest, most gentle dog you've ever seen! He loves the kids and Avery follows him around and sat by him for quite a while last night! They're buds! Definitely a good friend to have.....we'll have to borrow him when she turns 16! :)

I'm seeing a theme here...... (see next picture)

BAT BABY!!

Isn't it funny....so many people say that you take fewer pictures the more kids you have....I just scrolled back and I'd have to say that's definitely not the case here. I guess I have so many more opportunities with Avery because we're home all day. I'll have to keep that camera close for when the girls get home from school. I don't want to miss anything right now!

It's been one of those weeks where you feel like there's not a lot to write about, but tons of things have been going on. We're trying to get Cody up and going with our own business....pretty exciting but really scary at the same time. He's been looking for work and the job opportunities are few and far between so he's going with what he knows and he's good at what he does so we're going for it. We started a business in Utah but he always had a job during the day and he did electrical work on the side and he burned himself out and worked his butt off. We never took the leap to just do our own thing but we're definitely getting more of a shove with our situation here, so we're giving it a go. I have complete faith in him and know he'll do anything for us. He's a hard worker and he's in Utah this week getting certified in some new technology so it will hopefully open a few more doors for us! His brain never shuts off....it's exhausting really, :) but he always has a plan and I really have a good feeling about things. We're getting everything set up and we're jumping in with both feet!! Definitely a new adventure but hopefully a great adventure. If you know of anyone who needs an electrician, keep us in mind.

I signed up with Keller Williams Realty last Friday as an agent so that's something new and exciting too. I'm a little overwhelmed but hoping to get in and get some training and hopefully I can help out a little. The people there have been so great and I'm really thinking it's going to be a good thing! We're really hoping the housing market turns back around quickly too; is that too much to ask for? Probably, but we'll go there anyway. We're staying positive! But these two "big" things are enough for our family for now....I'm really hoping to keep everything else as calm and mellow as possible. :) Yeah, right! Good thing we do crazy, huh?

It's been such a weird feeling though because I haven't been crazy stressed or freaking out about things....I really hope and pray that things are going to work out and I'm really having some extra faith which is hard for me, but I have a really peaceful feeling about our life right now. I don't know whether it's the calm before the storm, who knows? I just really feel grateful for the things that we have and I know that sometimes the greatest challenges are what build you up and make you stronger. I don't know why we're going through this, but who knows? Maybe there's a lesson or a blessing or an experience that we need to experience just around the corner. I hope to be able to tell you what that is in a future post, but we're just going with it and hoping it all works out! Thanks for hanging in there with us and for all of the love and support we feel from you! We really are blessed and if this doesn't work out the way we're hoping, then we'll go from there.

I've seen 5 rainbows in the last week in different places and at different times and it's been such a weird, but comforting thing. You're going to think I'm crazy, I may need a bed next to Britney Spears in the psych ward, but it's always when things have been on my mind and I'm trying to think things out and clear my head and then bam, there's a rainbow! I know, I know, but it's been such a peaceful thing and it's one of those beautiful moments that we take for granted. I'm going to take it as a good sign! Just the fact that something so beautiful can happen after a rainstorm that can turn the sky so dark and so gloomy. I know, I can almost see Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy singing "A Rainbow Connection", but I'm going to go with the metaphor and hold on to that; whatever makes me feel better, right? :) (you did read the part up above that said that "we do crazy," I wasn't kidding) Thanks for indulging me! I'm hoping we're close to coming out of the storm and something great is waiting for us! It can happen. :)