Christensen Fam

Lyla--7 Months

2012-01-30T12:57:00.001-08:00

Our little Lyla is now 7 months! She was 15 pounds 2 ounces at her 6 month well check and she is such a chunk. Everyone started calling her Chunka- Cheeks at Christmas because she is just all cheeks. Which I love! I seriously can't stop kissing them all day long!

Here is a little bit about Lyla. She is so happy and mellow all the time. She just goes with the flow--which is nice since we are always running around getting kids to and from school and playgroups. She rarely gets a "real" nap because as soon as she falls asleep I have to get her in the car seat to pick Devin up or take Addie to preschool.

She HATES solid food. She will not even let me put the spoon in her mouth--she clasps her lips together so tight and then if I happen to get some in her mouth she gags and cries like she is being tortured. She will not eat it. Period.

She was sleeping pretty well, but starting around Christmas she started waking up much more. Last night she woke up 4 times. The Dr. told me she is probably hungry and eating solids would help, but like I must mentioned she will not eat.

Unlike Devin and Adalynn she doesn't move around a lot. By 7 months Adalynn was sitting, crawling, and pulling herself up to stand and she was full on walking by 9 months. Lyla is just barely learning how to sit up by herself. It will be a long time before she is crawling or walking--which is fine with me. It makes me feel like I have my baby for a while longer.

Here are a few pictures from the last month...

She has 2 teeth! I hate this bib. "Looking good is better than being good" Really? The kids still think she is the greatest thing ever. As soon as they wake up in the morning they run to her room to see if she is awake. And they always want to hold her and be with her.
And even though this is a Lyla post, I had to throw a few in of Adalynn and Devin.
Can you guess what his newest obsession is?

Tule Springs

2012-01-30T12:53:00.001-08:00

I took the kids out to Tule Springs in November and never posted any of these. I tried to get a good one of all three (and failed). But I got one at Thanksgiving in AZ so it was all good.

Lyla Sitting

2012-01-27T09:35:00.000-08:00

I need to dedicate a whole post to Lyla, because she is 7 months tomorrow (crazy!) and there are so many things I want to remember. But for now, here is a video of her sitting...still not 100% (hence the pillows behind her).

Love

2012-01-13T13:49:00.000-08:00

I love them!

New Years

2012-01-11T12:25:00.000-08:00

We ended up staying in AZ for New Years because Sean and Sam came to visit (which was really nice since it had been over a year since we last saw them!)

Taking the kids on a tour to see the goats, chickens, cow, and pig

We pulled out the bubble wand again--Devin got pretty good at making some big bubbles.
Gosh, I love Lexi!
Lyla with hair
It was really cute watching the girls play barbies and dress up.

Sam and I made the boys take a break from watching football and squirrel hunting to get pedicures. We took Lexi and Addie and they both did really well and loved it.
I'm sorry--I had to post this. These guys were obsessed with hunting squirrels the whole time. And you don't even know how proud they were when they finally got one.
Going on a walk..

New Years Eve we made dinner and played Imaginiff. The kids went to bed early and we didn't do anything special that night...so the next night my dad pulled out his fireworks stash and we set some off. We ended the night with blizzards and a movie for the kids--It was a fun way to end the vacation.
Oh Sean!

Christmas 2011

2012-01-09T13:51:00.000-08:00

Every year around Christmas I think, "maybe we will just stay at home and celebrate Christmas by ourselves." It is becoming quite the adventure getting everything to and from AZ but I just have so much fun with my family and the kids love it so we make the trip. And this time, like all others, was great.

We arrived Friday.
On Christmas Eve we visited some of my Dad's friends/patients at the nursing home and brought them some goodies. It was a good experience--Devin was a little wary but Adalynn seemed to enjoy it. It really made me want to do more things like this with the kids. For me, it was a highlight of this Christmas season.

Christmas Eve we decorated gingerbread houses. Devin and Adalynn are at such a fun age...they really got into it and worked together.

Here is their finished product...such an improvement from years past.
Stephanie and her friend Gina, and their house.
Team J
James, Jen, and Jake
And their finished house. They always dominate and have the best house...
Which is why it sometimes get toilet papered or vandalized...
Christmas Morning
We let the kids play with their presents from Santa and open their stockings then we headed to church.
My parents had to speak today, and I honestly think they had some of the best talks I have ever heard. I am not just saying that because they are my parents and I think they are great. They were amazing. My mom had me laughing, then crying, then laughing the whole time. And I jut loved my dad's--he talked about gifts and he also had me laughing and crying! I want a copy of both!! To me, this was one of the best parts of the day because I was able to really ponder Christ's birth and life and reflect on how I could be a better person through service and kindness.
After church we opened the rest of the presents and just hung out! My family totally spoils Devin and Addie. Every year I tell them to stop getting them stuff, but they do anyways. A perk of being the only grand kids (so far anyways!)

And if you have been reading my blog, you know that every Christmas someone gets a gun....This was Johnny's year
We all think Lyla sticking out her tongue is one of the cutest things!
Tuesday Jared had to fly to Houston for a deposition, so we drove him down and stopped by to see his Grandma (Grammy) and Deb and Lee before his flight.

Movie Night
Adalynn was in princess heaven and pranced around in her heels and bling the whole week.

Grandma and her granddaughters
My newly engaged and beautiful sister Steph and Lyla
Steph and Adalynn
James bought the kids camo shirts for Christmas. James is always trying to make my kids more redneck---he already told me he plans on buying Devin his first gun and he would have given Devin a pocket knife if I had agreed. So this is for James.
Steph brought this bubble wand that makes the biggest bubbles. The kids loved it and played with it multiple times this week.

Devin and Adalynn had so much fun with their aunts. And Emily and Steph were so cute with them...they played with them non-stop the whole time and it just melted my heart to see them together laughing and playing. When we told Devin and Addie that they had to leave they were trying so hard not to cry. They are already asking when they get to see Em and Steph again. I love you girls!

The rest of the Pre-Christmas Activities

2012-01-07T08:10:00.000-08:00

Even though Christmas has come and gone, I wanted to post a few other things we did in December.

One night we headed to Town Square to play in the snow. It was cold and rainy---so even though it was soap bubbles they were spraying all over us, it felt like a real (albeit mild) snowstorm.

I didn't take pictures but after we went with our neighbors to this house that was decorated with lights and synced to music---we just had to tune our radios to the right station and we had a free light show.

Another night we took the kids to Henderson to the Ethel M Cactus gardens to see the lights...it was crazy crowded so we walked through quickly, got our free sample of chocolate and left for the carousel.

Riding the carousel is one of my favorite things we do every year. We went to the District and they had free rides so we let the kids ride over and over and over. Addie kept telling us, "Just one more ride!" and we couldn't say no. We finally left when Lyla was cold and crying. We grabbed some dessert from The Cheesecake Factory, which was delicious, of course. Gosh it was a great night!

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention this because I have no photos, but I want to remember it. We took the kids to the Live Nativity put on by a stake here in Vegas. It was phenomenal. It is outside, but they have a stage and lights and wonderful music. They had a donkey, some sheep, and horses, which the kids enjoyed. During the performance Adalynn kept asking, "Where is the baby Jesus?" She was really into it. Afterwards you can walk up and see the Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus and both kids loved that. It was definitely a reminder to me of what Christmas is all about.

I grabbed this photo from the Internet....

Bellagio and Bass Pro Shop

2011-12-20T08:22:00.001-08:00

This place is always a bit crowded, but has become one of our Christmas traditions. This year we met two families from our church, which made it even better.

And P.S. Lyla will be 6 months next week! And she now has two teeth (bottom).
The kids really liked this display..the penguins danced around and popped out of the igloo.
The polar bears are made out of carnations. Devin kept telling me that the bears were peeing, because they were dripping water. I'm assuming they keep them pretty wet to last through the holidays.

This was at the chocolate/pastry store next door. The Grinch was made of 100 pounds of chocolate and 100 pounds of fondant.
We left the Bellagio and went out to dinner at Raising Caines. We threw all 9 kids in a booth by themselves and we ate dinner with just the adults, which was great! After dinner we swung by Outdoor World--they always have free pictures with Santa and a lot of other games and toys set up for the kids. They had so much fun--this wasn't the first time we have been here, but they seemed to enjoy it more this time. I think I told Jared, we don't need to pay to take them to the movies anymore, we can just take them here. They ran around for at least an hour, loving every minute of it.
Visiting Santa
Adalynn was fascinated with the fish tank and this monster of a fish.

The rest of the gang...

On our drive home, Devin told me that "Today was the best day ever!"

Santa

2011-12-17T14:38:00.001-08:00

Santa!

Decorating the Tree

2011-12-17T14:23:00.001-08:00

Decorating the tree this year was so much fun. The kids were so excited to open the boxes with the ornaments and go through them all. They did a pretty good job putting them on the tree--I think this was the first year all the ornaments weren't clumped at the bottom.

We took the kids to the store to each pick out an ornament. They were both very excited to find these...

Nativity

2011-12-13T19:58:00.000-08:00

I walked in the family room the other day and found this...

Pretty sure they weren't there.
And Devin told me that my nativity "people" were "creepy" because they don't have any eyes.

Happy Birthday Devin!

2011-12-13T08:49:00.000-08:00

Devin turned 6 the Sunday after thanksgiving. Because we were in the car all day Sunday we celebrated Saturday. It was a good day. It was actually pretty laid back...we started with breakfast. Jen brought up her Star Wars pancake molds so we ate Darth Vadar, Yoda, and Storm Troopers for breakfast.

Later that day, opening presents.

Sad because she didn't get any presents.

My mom and dad found this card for Devin which also plays the song from Indiana Jones. He loves it!

The rest of the day we hung out and enjoyed the nice day. My mom took Devin and Adalynn to The Muppets movie.
Here are a few more pictures I took that day.

Devin's cake from Dairy Queen.

Devin told me, "This was my best birthday ever!" I'm glad he had a great day. I still remember the day he was born like it was yesterday...It was definitely one of the best days of my life. He was such a sweet baby. And he is a really great kid (about 90% of the time). I love you Devin!
One last picture!
I took this right before we left for home. She was so happy!

Thanksgiving

2011-12-05T09:02:00.001-08:00

I love this time of year! So much! ...and since I was so sick last year and didn't get to enjoy the holidays as much I am extra excited for everything we have planned this year. Whether or not I ever get around to blogging about it, is a different story.

I did a few things with the kids before Thanksgiving. How cute are these PB & J Turkey sandwiches--I made these for Devin's playgroup, then again when Hannah and Aubrey came over and maybe one more time for Devin and Adalynn.

Another treat they made at playgroup...
This spot is quickly becoming my designated banner spot. And one day I will add some pictures of Lyla to that shelf!
I have seen much cuter versions of this, but it was a fun and easy family home evening. I just grabbed branches from outside and we talked about who and what we were thankful for. We tried to explain to them what being thankful meant---Devin was thankful for Chewy, Obi Wan, Star Wars toys, the wii, wii games....I don't think he quite got it. But then after a bit more explaining he was also thankful for cousins, his grandparents, aunts/uncles, and Lyla. Addie was thankful for princesses and candy and also Lyla.
Now on to actual Thanksgiving. Spent in Arizona.

Lyla meeting my brother for the first time...
Thanksgiving morning

Making the mashed potatoes...
Almost a complete family picture
Shooting guns (of course)
Boo! Josy had to work! We missed her!

We made these fun place cards...

Everyone picking up their turkeys...I think they cooked around 34 this year. Notice our guest in the background? More on him later.
Finally ready to eat!
The next day. Grandma and grandpa took the kids out to do the chores. Adalynn loved feeding the goats apples.
The picture makes me smile
Taking a trip to my dad's office. I thought Jen looked so pretty in this picture.

They found these ginormous carrots in the garden.
@ Dairy Queen. Everyone loves Lyla! Especially Grandpa.

Jared, James and I went to see twilight while my family watched the kids. But before we left, we had to try a few wigs on Lyla. All I need to do is slap some fake eyelashes and lipstick on her and she is all ready for Toddlers and Tiaras.

Biggest loser Week 7

2011-11-14T17:33:00.000-08:00

Oh man. I hate to even blog about this, but I gained this week! 1.4 pounds! Ew, ew, ew! I worked out and ate well Monday thru Friday but Jared and I went out to dinner Friday night and I may have had some oreos and chips on Sunday. I am going to have to work extra hard this week!

Indiana Jones Party

2011-11-10T10:52:00.000-08:00

I had so much fun planning and getting ready for this party--Although I was pretty stressed Friday night when a storm came in and made it really cold and windy since a lot of the activities were planned for outside. But then Saturday turned out to be a gorgeous day, so it worked out perfectly.

We had a lot of little boys--I invited the boys from church and playgroup and a few other friends and everyone but one came--so I think we had 13 kids (plus Devin and Adalynn) which was kinda a lot, but it was fine.

As the boys arrived they each got a satchel I made and an Indiana Jones hat we found at the dollar store (they were cowboy hats that we trimmed to make more like a fedora and less like a cowboy hat). Jared also had the Indiana Jones music blaring, which was cool.

The whole party was similar to a scavenger hunt where they were on a mission to find the golden treasure. They had to complete tasks similar to ones Indiana Jones faced to receive clues. The kids really loved it. They were so into it.

We started with this letter from Indiana.

The Clues

I spray painted a skull we found at the dollar store and covered a trash can to look like a stone alter. Devin knows the movies so well, he had to point out every detail that wasn't exact. For instance, he told me that this did not look like the golden statue in the movie.

I think the kids loved this--they were so intense and took running from the boulder very seriously.

Addie and Hannah looked so cute in their hats! Even though they were the only girls, they jumped right in the the boys! For months Devin has been telling me, "At my birthday I want to invite ALL boys AND Hannah."

Um, this was so fun. All I did was buy 1/2 inch PVC pipe and cut them to 12 inches (then covered them in duct tape). We bought the velcro nerf bullets which fit perfectly. Jared made the targets out of felt. We have been playing with them a lot since the party!

The only place I found airplanes at was at Michaels and they were $1 a piece. Instead of buying them each one, I had Jared make 16 paper airplanes. And it worked just fine. A lot of the kids threw them over the wall, so I am so glad I didn't spend any money on them.

This was from The Temple of Doom movie where Indiana is poisoned...then has to scramble to get the antidote. We served them sprite in champagne glasses then read the second part of the clue. I had balloons and in one there was a clue that told them where the antidote was (under the bathroom sink).

I wish I had gotten a picture of the kids sipping their drinks/popping the balloons! But I didn't!

I used grapes in water for the eyeball soup, spaghetti for the snake guts, and red jello for the monkey brains. Some kids pretty grossed out. If I could do this party all over again, I would leave the monkey brains out! It was such a mess. There was jello everywhere! As soon as we realized what a mess it was we had them stop and cleaned up.

(I realized about half way through that the boys love reading the clues themselves)

I didn't get any pictures of this! We taped three long cardboard boxes together and hung snakes from the top. I think we also scattered plastic bugs on the ground. At the end of the snake pit they each grabbed part of the clue with a number on it. Once all the clues were retrieved they put them in order and it told them where the treasure was (it was in the closet). The treasure was a pinata that I spray painted gold.

I just had a baggie for each kid so when the pinata broke, they had to find their bag. I didn't put much in them since they all already got a satchel, hat, blow dart gun, and gold coins.

We ended the party with cake and ice cream and opening presents.

A few more things..I made the banner with the silhouette my sister and I bought together. I love that thing!

We also decorated the family room to look like a jungle. My friend Dolly had two huge rolls of butcher paper that she used for her daughter's party a few years ago. She totally let me have it and we went crazy. It looked so cool--the pictures don't really do it justice.

A group shot
Seeing all these mini Indiana Jones' makes me happy!

Okay. I'm done. Like I mentioned before, it really was a lot of fun. I wish I had gotten more pictures of Devin...I looked back and realized I hadn't gotten many of him! But it was a little crazy during, so I did what I could.

Indiana Jones Party--The Food and Cake

2011-11-09T19:03:00.001-08:00

I purposefully planned the party at a time so I wouldn't have to serve lunch or dinner, but I wanted to have lots of snacks and I wanted them to fit in with our theme. A big thanks to my sister Jen and Andi and Brandon for helping me think of some cute names! I LOVED Brandon's Indiana Jones Soda suggestion--I almost bought a bunch of Jones soda, but didn't want to spend $1.30 per soda, so sadly I had to x that idea.

My friend Amy made the cake! She is really into cake decorating and I was asking her advice on how to make it and she just offered to do the whole thing (and the cupcakes). I bought the cake topper from Amazon, and she did the rest. I LOVED it! And I kid you not, it was one of the best tasting cakes I have ever had--she made some sort of filling that was just wonderful. Not good for my diet, but so worth it.

Next I will blog about the actual party!

Indiana Jones Party--Part 1

2011-11-09T18:49:00.000-08:00

Devin turns 6 at the end of the month and we threw a party for him this last weekend. It was an Indiana Jones party (of course) and was so much fun. My goodness, there are so many ideas out there and creative people that lay everything out for you, so I did a lot--maybe too much, but when I see something cool, I have to do it.

The Invitation
(I removed all personal info but this is pretty much what it looked like)
We made the envelopes and hand delivered them to everyone.

Biggest Loser Week 6 and 4 months

2011-11-08T15:00:00.000-08:00

Lost 1.2 pounds (Total 8.2 pounds)

Total 4.81 %
I consider it a miracle that I lost anything with all the Halloween candy and birthday cake (we had Devin's birthday party Saturday)!

Lyla also had her 4 month well check. She is 13 pounds 1 oz. and 25 inches long. Somewhere in the 25-50% percentile. And is it just me or are babies at their absolute happiest right before getting their shots? Lyla was so, so happy and giggling like crazy (her first time giggling like that) and whammo! They gave her the shots and that ended her good mood. Poor little thing. Devin was so concerned this time, he couldn't watch.

And here are some pictures

Hanging before church in Lyla's room. We pulled out some baby toys (Lyla is grasping toys and putting them in her mouth now) and Devin and Adalynn were so excited to show them to her

She seems to like her bumbo--I just think is makes her seem so much older which makes me sad.
A Lyla sandwich
Lyla screams now. Most of the time I think she is just doing it for fun, but every once in a while I think she is letting us know she is not happy with us.

Addie trying to shush her.

Hallloween

2011-11-01T13:46:00.000-07:00

The Short Story

Halloween was fun! And we got a lot of candy! Which is not a good thing for me, but the kids are stoked.

The Long Story

We had dinner--monster spaghetti and bone bread sticks. I think the eyes on the spaghetti freaked Adalynn out.

As soon as it got dark we headed out. It was the perfect night for trick or treating--no snow or cold weather here! The kids were so excited! Everyone loved our baby Yoda--One guy took a picture--a lot told us how cute/awesome he looked (yes, most assumed Lyla was a boy). There were lots of oohs and aahs as well from the ladies. And quite a few dudes were pretty excited (probably Star Wars Nerds). Having a theme was so much fun...it may be the only year the kids let us.

Trick or Treating wore her out.
And here are a few more from the other day....

This was our first attempt at getting a group shot. Lyla was not in the mood!

So, we tried again the next morning (Lyla is much happier in the morning).

Obi Wan

Princess Leia

Yoda---grinning at Jared in this one.

And holy cannolies! It is November!

Pumpkin Carving

2011-11-01T10:49:00.001-07:00

Same thing every year...

Devin gags big time...

Adalynn thinks it is gross but still gets gets in there and digs out the guts...

This one made me laugh

BL Week 5

2011-10-31T11:27:00.000-07:00

Last Week lost 1.8 pounds
Total 4.11%

Now I just need to control myself tonight after Trick or Treating!

One for now...

2011-10-29T21:18:00.001-07:00

JibJab

2011-10-29T10:40:00.000-07:00

You didn't think we forgot about our annual jib jab did you? We almost did a Halloween one, but now you have to pay for the new ones, so went another way.

I thought it was only fitting that we include Brandon.

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Poor Lyla!

Biggest Loser Week 4

2011-10-24T15:19:00.000-07:00

Last week lost 1 pound (total 5 lbs)
Total 3.05%

I was a bit disappointed with only 1 pound, because I worked really hard last week. I even worked out Saturday which I rarely do. But I am happy I lost something. Baby steps, right?

Anywho...
Pictures of Lyla?
Yes, please.

2011-10-17T17:44:00.000-07:00

Lyla is so smiley in the morning...the other morning I had her on the couch and when I looked up and said "Hi Lyla" she broke out into the hugest grin! ---I seriously stopped what I was doing and started kissing her bald head and chubby cheeks about a million times. Even now I am looking at her in her swing and I just want to cry I love her so much!

Addie is my little helper in the kitchen. Here she is helping make some candy corn pudding. She loves it.

The other day for lunch I made the kids a mummy lunch. I saw this idea for the juice box on pinterest, but I didn't have white electrical tape so I used streamers instead. And I also didn't have googly eyes (hence the ghetto homemade eyeballs).

Mummy Pizzas
I'm sorry, but using string cheese does not a good pizza make.

The kids aren't big pancake eaters, but throw a couple chocolate chips in them and call them ghosts and they will eat them up!

Last Wednesday Lyla rolled over for the first time. I didn't get a picture...but this was after it happened.

There is something about when your baby wears real pants for the first time that makes them seem so much older. She is almost 4 months!

She has been a dream baby. Just about every day either Jared or I will say "She is the best baby!" Now I don't know if it is because she is our third and we are way more laid back. Or maybe she just seems amazing because lately Devin and Adalynn have been giving us a run for our money. But I think she really has been easy. She rarely cries, she takes a pacifier (but she also doesn't need one 24/7 to keep her happy), she sleeps really well--some nights she sleeps through the night but most nights we have one feeding. She doesn't mind the car seat which is nice since we are in and out of it all day long. When I was pregnant with her I probably said at least once a day "This baby is our last!" (And when I was sick I probably said it at least 20 times a day). But she has been so wonderful there is no way she is our last (unless she is a rotten toddler--I may have to rethink this in a few years).

Biggest Loser Week 3

2011-10-17T11:30:00.000-07:00

Last week--Lost 2 pounds (Total=4 lbs)
Total 2.11 %

Morning Snuggles

2011-10-12T12:08:00.000-07:00

Holding and snuggling with Lyla is pretty much how we start the morning around here.

We LOVE it. Lyla...sometimes not so much.

Baby Yoda

2011-10-11T13:07:00.000-07:00

Halloween and Play Group

2011-10-11T10:47:00.000-07:00

I really like Halloween. Not so much the bloody, scary, part though. And thanks to Pinterest (one of the greatest inventions ever!) I have found so many cute things I want to do with the kids.

Here are a few things we did to decorate.

I printed a new subway art--

I also made this banner

I have photos from past Halloweens on our bookshelves and I made some fabric pumpkins, I just haven't gotten around to taking pictures of that yet.

I mentioned that Devin and Adalynn are both involved in a playgroup. It has been so much fun. They both really look forward to getting together with other kids their age. Last week Devin's playgroup was at out house and I made them a Halloween lunch.

Spider plates

We made pumpkin cake pops the day before...they weren't pretty, but they were good (I only ate one and was so proud of myself. Usually I eat a ton)

Some of the food served

Witch fingers

The kids

We also made slime...which was a hit.

I also made some for Adalynn after preschool and she has been playing with it non-stop.

Biggest Loser

2011-10-10T16:08:00.001-07:00

So, I gained a good amount of weight with Lyla--around 50 pounds. Yikes, I know. She was totally worth every pound, but it I would really like to start wearing real pants and not ones with stretchy waistbands. I have always had to work really, really hard to loose weight. So right now I am waking up at 6:00 to do P90x with Jared in the morning. It is early, but if I don't get it done before the kids wake up...it does not happen.

Also I am doing a biggest loser competition with my family and that has been really motivating. I decided to post my weekly percentage weight loss on my blog each week to make me even more accountable. My goal is to loose 20 pounds by Christmas. Wish me luck!

Week 1
Pounds lost 2
Total percentage 1.17%

The past couple weeks

2011-10-05T16:44:00.000-07:00

The past couple weeks have been a bit of a blur. Here is what has been going on...

Adjusting to school has been a little harder than I thought. There is a lot of getting kids in and out of the car--I feel like my day goes like this.

Nurse Lyla
Pick Devin up from school
Feed Devin and Adalynn
Nurse Lyla
Take Adalynn to preschool
Nurse Lyla
Pick Adalynn up from preschool
Get Ready for dinner
Nurse Lyla
Nurse Lyla
Nurse Lyla

And of course there are a million other things I do every day.
Devin and Adalynn are also both in a playgroup (which I like because it helps them get to know other kids in our ward, but it is four more times in my day when I have to get kids in and out of the car).

Also a few weeks ago I had a crazy gall bladder attack. My dad was coming into town to visit and about an hour before he arrived I started having the WORST pain ever in my abdomen. As soon as he got here, I left all three kids with him and had Jared take me to the ER. I even left the baby, and NO she doesn't take a bottle so my poor dad had to deal with a crying baby all night. I had to wait in the waiting room for about 2 hours until they took my back and after running some test they found that I had an infected gall bladder. It was a long night--there was some crazy person in the room next to me screaming all night long. And I was worried about Lyla (Jared ended up going home and bringing her to me at about three in the morning so I could feed her). But I am not off my antibiotics and I feel just fine. I may need to have it removed eventually. I am so grateful my dad was here--it was so nice to that he was here to take care of the kids.
The next day he went grocery shopping for me and we canned spaghetti sauce from tomatoes he grew in his greenhouse (YUM). Thanks so much Dad! I love you!

I really enjoyed conference. With everything that has been going on, there were some talks that really brought me comfort. I listened to all sessions and I really cant wait to re-read the talks.

We are also super excited for Halloween. We decorated Saturday and we have already been doing all sorts of Halloween activities. All the kids costumes are ready to go. We are going with a whole Star Wars theme--Lyla's Yoda costume is so adorable!

Some more pictures

Smiles

2011-09-08T17:46:00.000-07:00

She smiles ALL the time. It is my favorite thing.

She also scowls at me every once in a while. Which is also very cute.

2 Months

2011-09-08T17:39:00.000-07:00

I'm a little behind, as Lyla turned two months at the end of August, but I've been busy. Lyla is growing and doing great--she weighed 10 pounds 12 ounces at her checkup and was 24 inches long. They never tell me her percentage anymore (I always have to ask and then it takes them about 20 more minutes to do that so I just never asked). My (and the doctors) only concern is her goopy eyes--they are pretty bad. The doctor told me I would need to bring her back at 3 months if they aren't any better.

She got 4 shots. She was pretty upset afterward but calmed down quickly. She also had a small fever that night.

Here are lots more pictures from the past couple weeks...

I can totally get her to smile now. I love it!

True Love

Addie was sick for a few days. Poor thing.
She was back to her normal self soon enough. And I just don't know what to do with this girl's mullet. It is WILD.

Seriously, Lyla is very loved by her brother. He always wants to be near her and loves holding her hands.
I LOVE all her expressions. So funny.

Sam! This is what the kids do when I'm on the phone with you.

First Day of Preschool

2011-09-08T13:18:00.001-07:00

Tuesday was Adalynn's first day of preschool. A lady I visit teach teaches preschool out of her home and I lucked out and got in with her. It is two days a week in the afternoon. You might think Tuesday and Thursday would be my "happy" days having both kids gone, but they are anything but relaxing. Devin goes to school at 8:00 and gets picked up at 10:30. We go home eat lunch, then leave at 11:45 to get Addie to preschool by noon. Then it is time to pick her up at 2:00. Thankfully, Jared has been taking Devin in the morning and the girl that teaches preschool is bringing Adalynn home for me since she picks up kids at at 2:00 and we live right by the school. I honestly don't think I would survive if I didn't have the help.

Addie seemed excited for preschool. She walked right in, took off her shoes (she must have felt right at home) and started playing with legos. When she came home she stripped down to her underwear and took a three hour nap. So whatever they did, wore her out!

Here are a few pictures. I tried talking to Adalynn about her favorite things, but every answer was princess. Our conversation went something like this...
Me: Addie what is your favorite food?
Adalynn: Princess food
Me: Okay. What is your favorite candy?
Adalynn: Princess candy.
Me: And your favorite tv show?
Adalynn: Princess shows!

I just decided to fill in her answers for her.

Backpack shot!

First Day of Kindergarten!

2011-08-29T15:56:00.000-07:00

(I saw this idea somewhere--you would do it at the beginning of each school year. It was fun talking to Devin about his favorite things.)

Yesterday was Devin's first day of school. I don't really think he was nervous at all--he has been going to this school for preschool for the past year and a half so I think that helped.

He was sure excited! For the past couple weeks he has been getting his backpack and supplies ready and laying out his outfit.

He insisted we walk to school so he could ride his bike, but good grief! It was too hot! We will for sure be driving until it cools down a bit. When I dropped him off he was fine. He gave us all hugs (the girls and I) and lined up with his class. They didn't let the parents in (we dropped them off and watched from outside the fence) so when it was time for school all the kids in his class walked by us and waved goodbye. When he walked past us his eyes started to fill up with tears and he put his hand on his face (to help stop the tears and hide the fact that he was getting emotional). It was the sweetest thing--I haven't been sad that he is leaving for school, but seeing him get just a little upset made my eyes fill with tears: I think that image will be in my mind forever.

The backpack shot

School is only 2 1/2 hours long so by the time I walked home I only had about an hour and a half before I had to leave to pick him back up. Not nearly enough time if you ask me. We walked home, had to call Jared to get us in the house (the garage would not open and I didn't bring my keys), ate lunch and I took the kids out for a back to school smoothie.

I'm really excited for this year. I think Devin is going to make a lot of progress. He still struggles with his speech--It is just so hard to understand him. He is also a little behind in some other areas, but he does really well in other areas. And isn't that kinda how all kids are? They have all seem to have their strengths and weaknesses. I wish he didn't have to struggle, but I'm willing to bet it will make him stronger in the long run.

I sure do love him!

2011-08-29T11:22:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures I wanted to put on here while Devin is at his first day of school (I will post about that later!)

We went to DI the other day and Adalynn found these Princess puzzles for $1. She can spot princess stuff from a mile away. Adalynn has always enjoyed puzzles and she is really good at them. She can almost do these by herself.

Some of them together...

2011-08-20T16:52:00.000-07:00

People always ask me who we think Lyla looks like. I really think she looks like Adalynn as a newborn. But now that I am looking at these pictures I am not so sure... Actually, I think they look a lot alike when sleeping.
(Both taken at about 2 months--Adalynn on the left, Lyla on the right)

I just love all the funny little expressions you get from a baby.

If only Devin had been asleep! I can dream right?

I probably have a hundred pictures of her in her car seat because every time I get home from running errands and she is asleep in here, I think, Oh!!! She looks so cute!!!

Before church

I also have, like, a gazillion of her in her chair. I realize I am pretty much just posting the same picture over and over, but I can't help it! She is awake in these so that is a little different from all the sleeping ones.

Hanging out watching Inspector Gadget

If someone had told me a kid could fall asleep standing up, I wouldn't have believed them. Until now...

Blessing

2011-08-11T18:31:00.000-07:00

Sunday we blessed Miss Lyla.
My parents and Jen and Jake arrived Friday night.
Everyone else (Michelle, Justin, their kids, and Josh) came in Saturday night.
It was a fun weekend and we were grateful to all who came.

Newlyweds Jen and Jake

Saturday we went to Five Guys for lunch. Then swimming.

Sunday morning with all the kids

A few pictures from after church...

My side of the family left after lunch on Sunday, but Michelle, Justin and Josh stuck around until Monday. I'm glad they stayed that extra day...it gave us some more time for the kids to play and for us to visit. Like always, the kids all got a long wonderfully---it is so fun to see them together.

Monday we went swimming. Our friends let us borrow their pool--swimming is pretty much the only thing you can do outside in August so I'm glad they let us come over.

Even though Adalynn is not swimming by herself yet, she is super comfortable in the water. She was having a great time jumping off the rocks and seems to have no fear.

After everyone left I tried to get a better picture of Lyla in her dress.

I almost got a really big smile--I was just a second late and got the end of it.

Thanks again to everyone who came--It always make me feel so happy and blessed to think of how many people love my kids. There were a lot of people that couldn't make it and I know you guys love them too!

One Month

2011-08-11T17:33:00.001-07:00

Well, we have survived the first month of having a newborn! To be completely honest, Lyla has been a pretty easy newborn. I can't complain too much. She has her fussy days, but overall she is easy.

Devin and Adalynn on the other hand, have been driving me crazy. They fight with each other all day long. I hope when school starts and they get a break from each other things will calm down a bit.

Here is a bit of the last month....

Devin hates to sleep alone. Before Lyla was here he would crawl into bed with Jared and I almost every night. Since I had Lyla we have noticed he is sleeping with us less, but now he gets in bed with Adalynn.

Jared's brother Aaron and his wife Laurel came for a visit. We went out to dinner and visited a few places on the strip. They were so nice and watched all three kids so Jared and I could see the last Harry Potter (LOVED IT). Aaron is starting medical school in Virginia so we're glad they came for a visit since we probably won't be seeing them quite as often.

Lyla's One Month Checkup (Better jot this down somewhere before I forget)
9 pounds 8 ounces
21 1/2 inches long
50% percentile
She had one shot and barely even cried (must be because she is so used to being poked and prodded by her brother and sister).

Camping out in the front room (I thought it was funny that Sam and Sean did the same thing--we didn't actually sleep there, we just kept the tent up few a few days and let them watch movies in there)

Uncle Josh back from NY.

Playing dress up

Last Ones

2011-07-25T14:05:00.001-07:00

Here are the rest of the studio pictures of Lyla.

I found the plans to make this doll bed on Knock off wood. While I was in AZ my Grandpa and brother pretty much made it for me---I think it turned out cute. And Lyla is wearing another super cute headband Sam made for me. I have the best sister-in-law! I showed her a picture of a headband I wanted and she just went ahead and made one!

I really wanted to get a few with Jared holding her--this was the only thing she let us do.

I told you...

2011-07-24T18:13:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, I still have more to post after this! It was so nice just being able to take pictures when it was convenient. Almost every day I would just wait for her to get very sleepy and take her in the studio and do a few different shots. The first two weeks really are the best time to get those newborn pictures so I took as many as I could--and I'm glad I did when she was still so sleepy and had nice clear skin. She is already awake so much now and, like Adalynn right around 4 weeks, she has some major baby acne.

Sam bought Lyla this outfit and made the bow--and I am in love with it! Is it not the cutest thing ever?! Thank you so much Sam!

Adalynn turns 3

2011-07-24T18:07:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, Adalynn had her third birthday. I think she would have loved a birthday party with all of her friends, but with a new baby I decided not to. It was still a special little day for her--she didn't stop smiling the whole day. Devin was so cute also. He helped pick out all the presents and he stayed up Wednesday night to help decorate. I think he was just as excited as Adalynn, which was sweet.

We took Addie out to lunch to Red Robin. A few of the waitresses sang to her and she got a balloon and ice cream, which she liked. Here she is opening her card from my mom and dad.

Later that night opening presents. She is totally, 100% into princesses now. I kinda wondered if she would catch the "princess bug." Well she has. And every present she got was something princess. She was in heaven.

Blowing out her candles--It took her about a full minute to blow them out. I tried to post the video, because it is hilarious, but it isn't working for some reason. But she was just blowing and blowing and she finally turned to us and said something like "I not blow them out." She was so excited for her princess cake.

Here are a few pictures I took the other day before church.

Happy Birthday Adalynn! We all love you so much!

Lyla Studio

2011-07-20T11:57:00.000-07:00

I'm just going to apologize now for the amount of pictures I plan on posting of Lyla from the studio. I have so many to edit still...I hate sitting at the computer so I am trying to edit just a few a day.
Here are just a few...more to come soon!

Lyla--Week 3

2011-07-19T10:45:00.000-07:00

Lyla is 3 weeks old today!
A few pictures from the last week.

Lyla's Room

2011-07-15T14:56:00.001-07:00

There are still a few things I want to do in Lyla's room, but here is what we have so far. It is a pretty small room, and we wanted to keep the guest bed, which makes the room seem even smaller, but I really like how it turned out. I love the blue we chose--I had about 5 different blue samples from home depot and I found one I liked, but I wanted it lighter, so I added some white and painted a small piece of wood and took that in for them to match it. A few people were like, "But you're having a GIRL. What is with the blue?" I really don't know. I just didn't want pink or purple and I thought this blue looked pretty enough for a girls room.

I also read a ton of tutorials on how to do the board and batten. It was our first home project that involved power tools and it was definitely a learning experience. Thankfully my dad and brother helped us get it all up--thanks boys! And thanks to Jared for the many trips to home depot and putting up with my insanity while we figured this all out.

I painted the headboard and glazed it...I'm not 100% thrilled with how it turned out but it is going to have to wait for me to fix it until it gets cooler outside. I am still looking for some bedding and a few more pillows to tie it all together.
I lucked out and found the crib bedding online at Target for $12! Really, it was $6 for the bumper and $6 for the sheet. I really wanted something that would tie the pink and blue together and the crib bumper did that really well. I made the crib skirt from a King size sheet I bought at Walmart for $10.
I LOVE these old antique windows. There is an antique store in my hometown that sells them so now I have two in my home. I made the wreath--the same way I made my Valentines Wreath.
I got the idea for the pennant banner from some different blogs and my sister-in-law Sam. After a few chats with her on how she did it, I decided to make it and I LOVE it! It was pretty easy and since I already had a lot of fabric scraps, all I had to buy was the binding...
I actually like how it looked so much I went and made one for Adalynn's room (I made Adalynn's much simpler and it took maybe an hour and--go figure--I actually like that one more). I also used this banner in a couple photo shots I did with Lyla.
I plan on putting some pictures of Lyla on this wall once I get around to editing and printing some.
Still to do:
Find pillows for bed
Curtains
Pictures on wall
Nightstand next to bed
Find a cute light fixture

Lyla's Second Week

2011-07-10T11:29:00.001-07:00

Yesterday Lyla turned 2 weeks old. I still cant put her down...I am blogging with one hand and holding her with the other. She is just the sweetest little thing. She is probably getting sick of the attention and would love some "alone time." But that probably won't happen any time soon.

Devin and Adalynn adore her. They want to be by her and hold her all the time and have to be involved in everything--bathing, getting her dressed, etc. I really have to keep an eye on her at all times because they practically smother her with kisses and Devin keeps trying to pick her up.

I know I post too many pictures of basically the same thing (Lyla sleeping). But I cant help it! Every time I look over I think, "Ow! She looks so cute!" So I take some pictures. I have also been taking a lot of pictures of her in the studio, but I haven't had time to sit and go through them or edit them, but as soon as I do, I will post them.

If you were wondering, "Does Devin wear that Indiana Jones outfit every day?" the answer is YES!

I think this was her 2nd bath. Adalynn loves to help, but I'm not sure Lyla loves her helping.

Yeah, her dress is on backwards. And her hair looks crazy. I actually took her this week to get her first hair cut---She looks so much better---

Lyla's First Week

2011-07-10T11:19:00.000-07:00

Ow...tomorrow Lyla is 2 weeks old and time is going by way too fast. I wish I could extend the newborn phase by about a month or two (and take away a few months from the terrible twos and threes!). Especially this time around. So far, Lyla has been the perfect baby...I realize most newborns are easy as all they do is sleep and eat, but so far she has been my easiest. And this has also been my quickest and easiest recovery. So, yea for that. Even though I am waking up a few times a night to feed her, I swear I am sleeping better now with a newborn than I was a month ago being pregnant. My extremely sore ta-tas are my only complaint and even that is getting better.

My mom was here the day after we got home from the hospital. I was so grateful for her coming. Not only did she clean my house, do my laundry and go shopping for me, she entertained Devin and Adalynn (taking them to the library, the aquarium, and the store) and of course, helped take care of the baby. I don't know what I would do without her. My mom is one of the happiest, friendliest people I know and I just love being around her! That first week was quite the adjustment and her being here made it so much easier. I love you mom!

Here is a bit of that first week...

Both Devin and Adalynn had jaundice and even though Lyla didn't have it, the doctor wanted me to put her in the sun a little bit each day. She never did get it...my milk came in much quicker this time and I think that helped.
Jared and his girls

The day we brought her home from the hospital and a few days after that Lyla's skin totally broke out and was really splotchy. I think her skin is a bit more sensitive, because I started washing her clothing in a different detergent and now everything has cleared up.

I don't know if you can tell, but she has a horseshoe shaped bruise, or maybe it is one of those stork bites, on her forehead. You can kinda see it in this picture.

Happy 4th! My mom went out in the morning and bought stuff so the kids could have a red, white and blue breakfast.

Flowers Jared and the kids got for me when we came home from the hospital.

Helping Grandma make the flag cake.

Watching fireworks.
We have a casino really close and were able to watch them from our driveway. Adalynn HATES fireworks. Last year she covered her ears and eyes the entire time. At Disneyland any time one went off at night, she got all upset. And this year wasn't any different. She had my mom keep her hands over her ears the entire time.
The kids love Lyla...sometimes a little too much!

Is it me or did they spell favorite wrong?

Playing with the kids. This was also the day she left. There were lots of tears (from all of us).

I also took her in for a one week check up. She weighed 6lb 14oz and was 21 inches long (I highly doubt she has grown 2 inches since birth). I learned that she has a really small soft spot which they will watch to make sure her skull bones don't become overcrowded. Other than that, everything was normal. I feel so blessed!

Lyla's Birth

2011-07-07T14:55:00.000-07:00

This is how it went down (for those of you who care).
Monday I had my Dr appointment and she told me that she would be on call Tuesday and as long as I was having any regular or strong contractions I could go to the hospital (the baby was low and I was dilated to a 6 so she assured me they wouldn't turn me away).
That night I went on a long walk and was having contractions about every 5-10 minutes but as soon as I stopped walking, they went away.

The next morning I decided I would take the kids to Cars 2, then walk around the mall if things weren't progressing. Of course I don't think I had one contraction that entire morning so we headed to the mall after the movie. I had a few as I was walking around, but nothing strong or regular. I decided to just call my Dr. and ask what she wanted me to do. She told me to find someone to watch the kids and head over to labor and delivery.

We dropped the kids off at Steph's house and made our way to the hospital. It seemed to take forever for them to check me and then they had to monitor my progress for an hour before they would call my doctor. I didn't have any contractions while I was waiting, but my awesome doctor told them to keep me and start me on pitocin. They started that at 6:30.

Labor was super easy---I was at about an 7 or 8 when I got my epidural. I wasn't in much pain so I felt like a wimp getting one before I was really uncomfortable, but I didn't want to wait too long and not be able to get one. I pushed once and she was here. She was born at 10:02.

The rest of our hospital stay was pretty typical. They took Lyla for a couple hours to give her a bath and brought her back to me at maybe 2 or 3 in the morning. I almost couldn't sleep because I wanted to hold her and look at her--I was very excited :)

Jared brought the kids the next day to meet Lyla. They were so cute. They walked in and I think the first thing Adalynn said was "Why are you wearing that?! (referring to my hospital gown). They were both concerned that I had a bandaid on my hand from the IV. And they were both so excited to meet their new little sister. Devin especially wanted to hold her and look her over. Adalynnn was a bit more indifferent. They had so many questions, like...
"Why does her poop look like that?"
"Why does she have poop on her tummy?" (Referring to the umbilical cord)
"Why is she eating your boob?"
Those were just a few.

They both love her and are quite smitten.
Here are some more pictures from the hospital and day we came home...

Indiana Jones meets Lyla...

Addie loves her but is fascinated with her eyes and is always trying to poke them.

Getting ready to come home
I have a lot of Devin holding Lyla pictures. He does so well and I feel comfortable enough to get the camera and take pictures. It seems like when Adalynn is holding her I need to stay close, hence not as many pictures of the girls.

I have so much more to post from her first week, but I just want to hold her and do nothing else. We are all just eating her up.

Lyla Pamela

2011-07-01T11:10:00.000-07:00

My heart is full!

Our little Lyla joined our family Tuesday at 10:02 PM. 19 inches long and 6 pounds 11 ounces. I can't stop looking at her and kissing her and even though I love that the kids want to hold her all the time, I almost don't want to share.

I fully plan on posting TONS of pictures and the birth story later, but I would so much rather hold her right now. I know. I obsessively check facebook and blogs when friends and family have had a baby and I hate when they take their sweet time. But I get it.

Thanks to everyone for the phone calls, texts, and messages on facebook. We sure feel loved and cared for.

Here are a few for now.
(Right before her first hospital bath--sorta looks like Devin as a newborn here)

6

2011-06-27T15:28:00.000-07:00

I had my 38 checkup today.
I am already dilated to a 6.
The doctor commented "Her head is so low, I'm not even sure how you are still walking around."
...
...
Therefore, if I have any regular or strong contractions tomorrow when my doctor is on call, I can go to the hospital and have her. I've only had a few contractions today so we will see what happens.

Update

2011-06-19T16:41:00.001-07:00

Well, my friends. Here is another one of my random blog updates. Things have been mucho busy as usual. I think this is my first pregnancy where I hope I make it to at least 38 weeks because my "to do" list is still way too long. Partly my fault---I took the kids swimming three times last week when I should have been finishing projects and doing housework. Oh, but swimming felt so good and was so worth it.

Here is what has been going on since we got home from AZ...

Last Saturday I ran out of diapers. And I was just not wanting to go to the store at all. So I told Adalynn "Sorry. We are out of diapers. You have to wear underwear now." And that was that. I figured if it doesn't work, Jared can go out and get diapers after work. Well, she shocked the you-know-what out of me and has done so well. She has had maybe 2 accidents--and now a week later is pretty much potty trained. She still wears a pull-up at night and nap time, but I'm loving it. First time in 5 1/2 years I haven't had to buy diapers.

I've been busy taking photos of cute kiddos. I don't think I will be doing a session for a bit, but I am just so excited to take lots and lots of our new baby! Here are a few from the past month that I love...

Jared's brother Josh sorta moved in with us--but not really. He moved a lot of his stuff in with us and stayed for a bit, then left to work in LA, then came back. All in preparation to be on (I hope I can announce this) Project Runway. Actually I don't have many details other than he made the show and we will know what happened when the rest of the world finds out. There was a film crew here last week for videos that will be online before the show airs. They filmed Josh with Devin and Adalynn. They are just really short videos about the contestants and their homes/families. Pretty exciting stuff, we all hope he does well!

I mentioned in a previous post that Devin was obsessed with Indiana Jones. I don't think "obsessed" quite describes it though. He really thinks he is Indiana Jones. He worked really hard to fill his pom pom jar and as soon as he did, we bought him a hat, whip and shirt at the party store. He wears it almost everyday. Yesterday I made him a satchel (He hates going to Joanns but when I told him we were going to get stuff to make his satchel we couldn't get in the car fast enough). Now he is set on getting a leather jacket like Indiana. He also makes Adalynn reenact scenes from the movie. Poor Adalynn is usually a bad guy that ends up getting whipped. The other day she was Indiana's dad and was dying. He had to get the cup (in his case a sippy cup) and he saved his dad. Next time they do this I am having the video camera ready because it is so funny.

Can you tell what scene the next three pictures are from??

Miss Diva...

And I am full term as of yesterday! Which means even though I have three weeks until my due date she can come at any time! Hopefully I will get around to posting pictures of her room next.

The Wedding

2011-06-13T16:03:00.001-07:00

Good grief. I have so much to do, so I really shouldn't be blogging, but it is a nice break from the other stuff I am getting done. I only have about three more weeks until this baby is supposed to be here (one if I am early like I was with Adalynn) and unlike before, I am nowhere near ready. I am a little stressed about it. Jared also might be leaving to Chicago for work at the end of next week for a few days (right before I will be 38 weeks) so lets hope she doesn't decide to come those days (anyone want to accompany me to the hospital if that happens?)

So this will be my last wedding post. Jen was married Saturday in Mesa. It was a long and hot day, but really special. My mom and I woke up early to drive down and get our hair done. After lunch, we left the kids with a few of my siblings and attended the wedding/sealing. Thanks Steph for taking the kids swimming!

Afterward we took some photos and then went back to my brother Johnny's house to kill a few hours before the reception. Adalynn and I went swimming (the second time that day for Adalynn--she loves the water). Then we went to the reception.

I had a different lens so Josy couldn't fit the whole family...so here are two family photos.

We had a great time at the reception. Jared and I were planning on leaving early since we had to drive the 90 miles back to my house, but we ended up being one of the last to leave. It was a FUN reception. The food was so, so good. There was good music. A lot of freinds and family to chat with. Dancing. Just all around a good time.
Jen's friend made about 9 different wedding cakes...all different flavors. And they were the best wedding cakes I have ever had. Strawberry, cookies & cream, chocolate and peanut butter, and banana cream were just a few of the flavors.
Her reception was at this really cool location...I really liked the brick walls and hanging lanterns.

Dancing with my dad

Devin was fascinated with their car. He kept going up to Jen and telling her "Uh Oh." Then he asked me how they were going to drive and see where they were going with all that "stuff" on their window.

I stole the next image from my sister's blog...
Bubbles at the reception (My kids loved the bubbles and played with them the whole way home to Vegas)

There were so many more details I wish I had taken pictures of...they had a fun "Cloud 9 "theme. Every guest got a small cloud pin (you can see one on me in above pictures). They had Dr Pepper for their guests (a favorite drink of theirs). They also played a "newlywed" type game which was fun to watch.

I really, really liked my sister's photographer. She takes great photos and was really quick (really nice when it is over 100 and you have two whiny kids). So I had to include some of the photos she took (images via http://earlphotography.info/). All but the first were taken at a separate session a week before the wedding.

Doesn't my sister look stunning!

This one made me laugh
There are a lot more on her website...those were just a few I liked.

Okay, now I really have to get something done today. Right after I take the kids swimming!

Open House

2011-06-11T16:46:00.000-07:00

Jen was married on Saturday and had a reception that evening. But she also had an open house Friday night at my parent's house. It was the cutest thing ever. I don't think I realized how much work goes into a wedding-I know my parents and some of my siblings had taken months getting the outside nice and ready. I was only there a week before and we did wedding stuff the entire week. Well, I did as much as my large and awkward body would let me.

Jen had so many awesome details. I just don't remember really doing anything that cute or different at out wedding. We were pretty traditional. I liked that about Jen's wedding--it was unique, had a lot of cute details, and was very personal. Of course, wedding blogs probably didn't exist when I got married and I think that is where she got a lot of her ideas. Plus she is just really creative.

Sign-in Table
Sign in posters Jen designed
Their wedding included a lot of their likes (hence the Batman poster)
She included a lot of pictures all over the house--a detail I really liked

They had their photos taken at an orchard and used these at the open house. I thought it was a cute detail (their song is also "You Picked Me")
Getting Ready
Taking pictures in my Dad's old restored 56 Ford. I'm bummed I couldn't take more pictures, but I had to get the kids dressed, plus she already had a photographer so I kinda let her do her thing.
Another cute photo idea Jen had (that Adalynn and I jumped in after they were done).

My cute grandpa and the kids. In a later post I will have to show you what we (my grandpa, brother and I) made. It is really cute!
Eating cheesecake

I kid you not, every...EVERY person at the open house asked me the same 2 questions

"When are you due?!"
"What are you having?"

I got a lot of sympathetic looks when I told them I still had 5 weeks.

Photos from AZ

2011-06-11T16:07:00.000-07:00

Today (this was in AZ) was overcast so I took the kids out to try and get a few pictures. Devin was so cooperative and Adalynn was being a brat. My brother James helped and we bribed Adalynn with the kittens, but she still wouldn't cooperate. Oh well--it was more of a practice session for myself anyways.

Alright, back to cleaning.
And one day I will get to blogging about these two lovebirds.

(Image via my sister's photographer earlphotography.info)

Arizona Before the Wedding

2011-06-10T15:19:00.001-07:00

My little sister just got married last weekend in Arizona! I'm so happy for her and was a little sad that I don't live closer so I could be more involved. I missed shopping for wedding dresses, her bridal shower, and all the planning and shopping that goes into a wedding--which was a little hard for me since I am really close to Jen. But we talked almost every day about stuff and she was always sending me links of cute ideas she wanted to incorporate.

I have so many pictures to share, but about a million other things I need to get done around the house (especially since there is supposed to be a filming crew at out house on Monday! Not sure if I'm even allowed to tell, so I'll leave it at that). So I'm breaking up our week into a couple posts!

The wedding was Saturday...we left Sunday before to spend a little time with the family before. As always, the kids loved every second.

My dad teaching Devin how to milk a goat...
Devin wasn't so sure about it at first...
...but then got the hang of it.
I think I tried goat's milk when I was a kid, but I didn't drink any this time, so I can't tell you how it tastes. My dad did make raspberry ice cream (actually I think it was more of a frozen yogurt) with it and it was yummy.

Playing with bubbles in the backyard.

My kids love animals! They love the dogs so much, but I think the kittens even trumped the dogs. It was funny to see how gentle and calming Devin was and how opposite Adalynn was.

Jared flew in Thursday night. That next day he was playing catch with Devin and I was taking pictures on the porch. Jared was like, "you have to come down here and get Devin's expressions." We had a good laugh about some of them.

Devin loves watching movies in my parent's room.

He is currently obsessed with Indiana Jones. I think riding the ride at Disneyland and playing the Indiana Jones Wii game started the obsession. Then he watched all of the movies this week (I tried to cover his eyes at the scary parts). He found this hat and whip and insisted we call him Indiana Jones and has already told me he wants an Indiana Jones birthday party. And he is being super helpful around the house because as soon as his pom pom jar is full he thinks he is getting a real Indiana Jones costume from the party store.

I think I am finally used to her new haircut. She is getting so old! Hard to believe she will be three in a month. The one thing I wanted to remember about this trip was how much she loved to cuddle with my dad. For the longest time she was so timid around him. She had no problems and at night would sit with him until she fell asleep. It was cute.

Room Progress

2011-06-08T17:20:00.000-07:00

Not a lot has been done in the baby's room. However my family is coming through Vegas tomorrow and with the help of my dad, mom, brother and sister I think we are going to bust it out. Good thing since I am due in a little over 4 weeks and I've convinced myself she is coming 2 weeks early.

Just a small sneak peak...

Girls Night

2011-05-23T14:40:00.001-07:00

Last weekend Jared and Devin went on the father son campout. Devin was so excited and they had a great time. Of course I have no pictures to show for it. Jared is probably afraid to take my camera anywhere--And I would probably hurt him if something happened to it so I don't blame him. I really want to get a small point and shoot for things like this. And for times I don't want to lug my camera around.

My friend Amy and I decided we should do a girls night. Adalynn and Courtney are the same age and get along well. We first went and got pedicures. I am getting so big--there is no way I can get to my toes and paint them and do a good job so it was really nice. Adalynn did great--I figured she would because she LOVES getting her nails painted at home.

We then ate dinner at Red Robin and after dinner we let the girls play at the park. Amy introduced me to the cutest park--I have no idea how I didn't know about it. It was too dark to take pictures, but you can be sure I will take the kids there soon and post some pictures.

Tumbling

2011-05-23T14:33:00.001-07:00

A few months ago I signed Adalynn up for tumbling. She enjoyed it so much and Devin begged me to let him do tumbling also so I signed the kids up. I've been impressed at how much better Adalynn is at following the directions and doing the moves this time around.

Devin has also enjoyed it--much more than soccer. It has been good for him to listen and follow directions--I've noticed he doesn't do well with long drawn out directions so I'm glad he can work on it before kindergarten. He does pretty well with the moves/drills but you should see him on the balance beam. He is so wobbly.

Hannah is 5

2011-05-23T14:22:00.001-07:00

About a week ago we went to Hannah's 5th birthday party. Steph always does such cute b-day parties. This one was a mermaid/Ariel theme. Most of the parents just dropped their kids off, but since we live pretty far away we stuck around and visited with Steph, Levi and Levi's brother.
The kids ate dinner, made really cute seashell necklaces and played some fun games. Devin and Adalynn had a great time and loved their goodie bags.

The birthday gang. Devin was the only boy and I think this was the first time he noticed (especially when all the girls dressed up in princess dresses and danced to The Little Mermaid soundtrack). Notice he is keeping his distance. And since the party he has told me quite a few times, "For my next party I want all boys. And Hannah can come but only her."

Okay so this is still making me laugh. Apparently one of the moms mixed up Hannah's card with someone else named Amber. It was just so funny! Something I could see myself doing, for sure.

2011-05-19T15:37:00.000-07:00

Adalynn cut her bangs the other day. Then I tried to even them out a bit--but I think I messed them up even more. I just don't like bangs--I think she looks goofy--but at least her hair is out of her face.

30, 10

2011-05-13T15:21:00.000-07:00

In the past couple weeks I had a birthday, we celebrated Easter, Mothers Day and an anniversary. Throw in some visitors and a vacation also!
Anyways, the day after our vacation I turned the the big 3-0. And you know how when you get back from a vacation you are just tired but there is a ton to do (grocery shopping, laundry, etc. etc.)? Well that is pretty much how I spend the day. My brother was coming in later that day so I also wanted to find a bed for Adalynn so he could pick it up for us. So, yeah, that is how I spend my birthday! I know, I am a party animal. Jared brought me flowers and a balloon around lunch time and we went out to dinner. Our baby will be in the guest bedroom so I told Jared what I really wanted for my birthday was to totally re-do that room. This is what it looks like right now...gross right?

My first project is painting the headboard. I just finished it (I painted it white) but now I am debating painting it a different color. Maybe blue? I don't know. I am the worst decision maker (you should see me try and pick out paint). Kristi! Help!
A little online inspiration...

Mothers Day was great. Jared made me breakfast and spoiled me all day. Devin made me a cute card at school and I got a few small things from Jared. I don't really have any pictures or a lot to say. I am thankful for my cute little family and love being a mom.

And Wednesday Jared and I celebrated our TEN year anniversary! When we were first married I thought for our ten year anniversary we would do something amazing...maybe some exotic vacation without the kids. I have to laugh because we ended up just going out to dinner. We were both so tired--Jared had a big deposition he had been getting ready for and I have not been sleeping well at night. But it was nice to get out just the two of us. We've had a wonderful 10 years together and I think the next ten are going to be even better.

Easter

2011-04-27T13:59:00.001-07:00

Easter this year was a bit more laid back. I didn't do all the crafts and baking I normally do around a holiday. Mainly because we were gone the week before and we were just too busy after our vacation. We did the normal Easter egg dying, Easter baskets, and egg hunt of course.

We try and do all the "fake" Easter stuff Saturday. Like all the commercial things that have very little to do with the actual holiday. Here are the kids with their Easter baskets. My brother was staying with us a few days so he was a sport and helped the "Easter Bunny" fill eggs and make a last minute Target run.

Later that day we used Lynn's yard (a family friend) and had our Easter egg hunt. Since we were so close we also took James to see the Vegas Temple.

Sunday morning we woke up and made resurrection rolls. I have seen this idea the past few years, but never got around to it. Here is the link if you are interested in all the details, but you basically talk about how the marshmallow is like Jesus--white, pure and without sin. Then you talk about how after he died he was anointed with oils (you then dip marshmallow in melted butter) then rubbed with spices (marshmallow goes in cinnamon and sugar). You then wrap the marshmallow in a crescent roll and I put them in muffin tins. You bake them (oven represents tomb) and when they are done and ready to eat, the marshmallow is gone (obviously representing the resurrection). Anyways, the link has scriptures and more detail, but I think we are going to make this an Easter morning tradition.

Disneyland cont.

2011-04-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

Wednesday we were at CA Adventure. They were doing a lot of construction and it was a lot more crowded than we expected, but we had a blast. We started at the Toy Story Mania ride, which is a fun, fun ride.

The kids were so excited to see him and we got in line to get a picture with him. But just as we were getting close to the front of the the line, he took off and these guys replaced him...

Adalynn was not impressed and wouldn't get in the picture.

Any time Adalynn was nervous or scared she wanted Jared. She usually is a momma's girl, so it was cute to see her ditch me and run to her dad for protection (this was on the Ferris wheel type ride near the top...which even makes me a little nervous).

Jared took Devin on a swing ride then the the Grizzly River Run. Addie was too short for both of those rides. Devin loved them both even though he got pretty wet on the river run.

I think the kids could have spent all day in this little area. They had all sorts of places to explore and play.

We went to the Playhouse Disney show next. I thought the kids would love it since they love all those shows. Plus it was a nice break from walking and standing in line. We then did the Monsters Inc ride and then headed to A Bug's Land.

This was the other ride we were in line way too long for. It said "5 minute wait." Yeah right.

I took Devin on Soaring over California which is on of my favorites. Then we left for dinner.
As you can see Adalynn was OUT and my feet were killing me so we stayed at the hotel and went swimming and Jared and Devin went back to the parks. They did few more rides at CA Adventure then went back to Disneyland to ride Indiana Jones and Buzz Lightyear a few more times. By the time they left Jared said Devin was so tired he was seriously acting like he was drunk.

Thursday morning, after breakfast, we took the kids swimming. It was cold and sprinkling so Jared and I really didn't want to go, but they were both begging and so excited to go (the things we do for our kids, right?) Once we got in, it felt great. It was a fun way to end out little vacation (and a good way to get the kids tired before the drive home).

Disneyland Day 1

2011-04-27T07:52:00.001-07:00

Tuesday we spent the day at Disneyland and Wednesday we were at CA Adventure. It was a bit crowded both days, but we got there right as they opened so we hit a bunch of rides before it was too bad. Most rides we didn't have to wait in line too long--I think the longest was the Dumbo ride, which was so not worth it in my opinion.

It was interesting being there as there were rides Adalynn couldn't go on because she was too short and rides I couldn't go on being pregnant. Jared and Devin were able to go on every ride at Disneyland and there were just a few at CA Adventure Devin wasn't tall enough for. We made it work though.

The first, gosh, three rides made Adalynn cry (I think we did the Jungle River ride, Pirates, and The Haunted Mansion). Maybe not the best choices to get started. But after that they both had a lot of fun. Devin loved the Indiana Jones ride, Buzz Lightyear, and Autopia. Adalynn's favorite was the teacups.

Looking back at the pictures I took, most of them are of us standing in line. Haha. Oh well.

I love their strollers. I told the guy when we were returning them that I wanted to buy it. I think he thought I was kidding. I wasn't.

Toon Town
Jared and I have a picture of us when we went to Disneyland in this car when I was pregnant with Devin. Devin remembered seeing that picture and wanted his picture taken as well.
Adalynn slept through all of Toon Town.
Adalynn's princess shoes. They have a picture of the princess on the inside and she LOVES them. I think she is finally getting into princesses and barbies. We didn't really do the whole princess thing at Disney though. I know you can have breakfast with them and stand in line to meet them--actually I was surprised at how few characters and princesses I saw this time. I think we saw Goofy, Ariel and Snow White and that was it. I'm sure next time it will be a must.

Oh yeah, we saw Mickey and Minnie also. Addie was still taking her nap.

We left for dinner, then came back for a while. We opted out of watching the fireworks and went on rides as the lines were so short. Jared took Devin on the Matterhorn and Adalynn and I rode the teacups at least 6 times in a row. Like I said, it was her favorite.
We left at about 10 and the kids were beat. It was a fun day!

LA

2011-04-26T08:51:00.000-07:00

For a while I have been saying, "Lets get away! Lets take the kids somewhere for a few days." So when Jared had a deposition in Los Angeles the same week as Devin's spring break we decided to make a trip out of it. We went back and forth between taking the kids to Disneyland and Legoland, but decided on Disneyland. We left on Sunday...Jared had a meeting with his clients Sunday afternoon and the deposition was Monday so the first two days we just hung out. I took the kids swimming the first day. One thing I learned about Adalynn this week was that she LOVES swimming. Devin enjoys it also, but Adalynn is obsessed. I think we were at the pool a good 2-3 hours every time we went, and she would have stayed longer if I had let her. The weather actually wasn't the best for swimming--it was a little cold and overcast, but both hotels we stayed at had heated pools, so that was nice.

The view from our room. And yeah, they had 4 kiddie pools.
Sunday night we drove around LA a bit. We found the Hollywood sign and walked around Hollywood Blvd which is the street that has all the stars, the Kodak theater, and a few other well known places. It was okay. Devin and Adalynn found some of their favorite "celebrities" so they were impressed.

Monday Jared's two hour deposition ended up being about 5 hours. Which was a a little frustrating since I had two kids and was in in a city I didn't know. I took the kids to the LA temple and we walked around the grounds and went to the visitors center.

And FYI. Adalynn has now adopted a cheesy, unnatural smile. She looks like a mouse in almost every picture I take of her. Do all kids go through this, or just mine?
I took the kids to Target to pick up some beach toys and shoes for Adalynn. Josh met up with us while we were there and we found a mall to walk around. We had planned on spending most of the day at the beach and Santa Monica Pier, but ended up just going to the beach for an hour. The kids loved it. It was way too cold for me though. Anyways, we ate dinner with Josh then drove to Anaheim to check into the next hotel.

Grandpa and Nana

2011-04-25T14:24:00.000-07:00

I have so much to blog about. April has been (and still is) one crazy month. We have had so much going on. Which is fun, unless you are big and pregnant and need your rest. But, really, I enjoy keeping busy.

About 2 weeks ago, Jared's dad and Kristi came to visit. Devin and Adalynn have been looking forward to it for a while. It has been about 8 months since we've last seen them, but that didn't seem to matter to the kids. They opened up right away and had a great time. They got here Thursday and we hung out at the house. Adalynn seemed to really love playing with Nana--and having grandpa read to her. Devin was all about playing the Wii with Grandpa.

This was at Devin's soccer practice
Friday Jared had to work. Grandpa took Devin to hit a bucket of golf balls while Kristi, Addie, and I went to our favorite stores, Homegoods. Kristi and I love that place! And Kristi is so fabulous at decorating--I probably wore her out getting her advice, but her visit sure motivated me to start decorating some of the rooms in our house.

Jared's dad with his tall cool one after playing steamroller with the kids.
After golfing and shopping we took the kids to the park and had lunch.
Saturday Devin had a soccer game. I have no idea what his problem was, but he was just not into it AT ALL. This picture really sums up how he is feeling about soccer. I mean, he was seriously so uninterested. All the other kids were running after the ball and at least attempting to get near it and kick it. And Devin was barely walking around with his hands in his pockets, doing, I have no idea.
Adalynn playing with Grandpa. If anyone of our kids have a chance at being athletic, it is going to be Adalynn.
Josh drove up from LA to spend the day with everyone.

Jared's dad also helped up install 2 ceiling fans among other things. Oh my, I love them. They have made such a difference already keeping our rooms cool.

Later that night we tried out the red rock buffet. It was decent, but not our favorite.
Sunday we all pretty much left. We left for CA and Jared's dad and Kristi left for St. George. There has been a bit of debate as to what family Grandpa and Nana love the most. Sam and Sean thought maybe it was them because they were visited first. And Michelle and Justin thought they saved the best for last. Well, I think since they are thinking about retiring closest to us ( just 1 1/2 hours away) they might actually love us the most. Just a thought.

Flip 'N Out

2011-04-09T16:15:00.000-07:00

Devin's preschool activity this month was at Flip 'N Out--a huge indoor trampoline arena. I always drive past this place and I never thought the kids would like it that much--mainly because they are wimpy on trampolines. But they loved it! Adalynn was hesitant at first and made me go with her--I think I had at least ten people ask "You aren't going to jump are you?!?!" I really do look like I could have this baby any day even though I have about three more months. So, no I didn't jump. I stood on the side and took pictures.

And FYI. Taking pictures when you are 6 almost 7 months pregnant, on a trampoline, in a poorly lit room, when your kids are running around like wild animals makes it hard to get a picture in focus.

Blue Monsters

2011-04-04T11:02:00.001-07:00

Devin's team name is The Blue Monsters--Jared said we might as well call them the cookie monsters. Saturday was their first game and I think they won (I thought the final score was 2-1, Jared thought 2-2). Devin seemed to enjoy it at times and at times seemed indifferent. He played a lot though and was the goalie for the second half. I liked that the coaches were out on the field telling the kids what to do and where to kick the ball.

We joke that he is our butterfly watcher. Or flower picker.

Before Church

2011-03-29T14:16:00.000-07:00

Crazy Hair Day

2011-03-29T13:33:00.001-07:00

Today was crazy hair day.

After he got up from laying down, there was a huge blue spot right on the carpet. Oops! My bad. It came out though.
She asked is she could have hair like Devin. So we used the rest on her hair.
Tomorrow is dress like a storybook character. Any ideas of something we can do that would be easy and fun?

Just like Dad

2011-03-29T13:30:00.001-07:00

Sunday morning Adalynn walked into the bathroom while Jared was shaving.

Then she asked "What is dad doing?!"
She seemed so fascinated with the whole thing Jared let her experience it herself--just the shaving cream part, of course.

Flying Kites

2011-03-27T07:44:00.000-07:00

We used to fly kites all the time when we lived in Henderson. I don't know why we haven't since we moved to this side of town, especially since Vegas can be so windy and perfect for flying kites, but yesterday someone came up with the idea to buy kites and fly them at the park.

These are the kites they picked out

It really wasn't windy at all yesterday so it took a while to get the kites up.
But eventually we got a breeze and they flew.

Jared also bought himself a toy.

I just love having kids and doing these small and simple things with them.

First Soccer Practice

2011-03-26T20:10:00.000-07:00

Thursday was Devin's first soccer practice. He has been so very excited, especially after Jared took him to buy cleats, shin guards, and a soccer ball.
It was just about the cutest thing watching him get out there and do the drills even though he had no idea what he was doing. But he wasn't the only one! I hope he enjoys it!

Utah

2011-03-23T08:11:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we headed up to Utah. Jared had depositions Thursday and Friday so we made a little trip out of it. We always have such a good time when we visit and the kids love playing with their cousins.

We only had one car since Jared took ours for work so we hung out a lot at the house. The kids just played and played. They loved being outside and didn't even seem to notice it was cold.

I took the kids on the train while Halle took a nap. I think we do this every time we visit--it really isn't too exciting, but the kids seem to like it.

Thursday was St Patricks Day. Just like all holidays, Devin was super curious about the whole thing. And, really, I don't know a thing about St Patricks Day, other than you wear green. Devin wanted to know all about leprechauns and how to catch them and where they are from and if they are nice or not. So he, and all the kids, were really excited when a little leprechaun visited while we were on the train and left cupcakes and candy.

The next day I took the kids to Ikea. I left that place exhausted! The kids had so much fun, but wanted to spend 5 minutes in each room setup. They were crawling into every couch, seat, bed, bathtub and playing house together. It was so cute to watch, but about 30 minutes into it I was tired and we were still in the first little area.

We watched a lot of basketball. Really the only games I cared about were the BYU games. Jared just about drove me nuts obsessing over Jimmer and teaching the kids to sing "You got Jimmered" but it was exciting. I think I was the only one who didn't get a Jimmer shirt, but I can always borrow one of Jared's (Yes, he bought two).

Fun, fun weekend.