~Day 2• 31: Its a random kind of day.

The day started with these two fabulous ladies. I was recently partnered with Julie (right) for visiting teaching in our ward.  We met for breakfast this morning with one of our ladies (the other two were out of town and they were missed!) but I had never met Kathleen before today.  She is a lot of fun! We met at the 'Egg' and it was a very random breakfast.. we all ended up sharing something from our plates.  So our meals did not look neatly put together.  It was great!  Fun morning.

Today was rainy and icky, but that didn't stop the kids from going out and playing.  Ashton and dad went to a driving range early on, and the girls went out on their bikes.  They love to come over to the 'basketball park' because there is a lot of room to ride bikes.  The girls and the neighbor kids were riding the bikes down the hills.  Reminded me of when my siblings and I would go out on the 'dirt hills.'  No dirt hills around here, so I was glad they found the grassy park to ride on.

My day was pretty random, too.  I made a trip to the library.  I came home with a few CDs.  Some are music (variety of genre) and a historical DVD on the War of the Roses.  And an audiobook.  My little iPod gets a lot of use.  The one pictured is ONLY for books.  I was given two a few years ago, and they are 8 gb each.  So I have one for music, and one for books.  It works great!  

I also took a nap today.  It was fabulous.  

And then I saw something tonight about great 'hacks' that women can use.  One of them was showing what necklaces to wear with certain shirt types.  I've been more conscious of 'accessorizing' lately.  I guess I'm growing up haha I just learned how to put on my face, finally.  Maybe I'll look put together some day...

For dinner tonight we had hamburger and hot dogs.  I felt like having an onion.  My parents introduced me to the greatest little cooking thingy ever.  Our family grew up with eating onions a lot.  They were cooked, of course.  My sister's hubby, Brandon, said something to the affect that we are the only family he knows who have onions as a side dish.  Don't be jealous.  They are great!  This little pot was a whole $3 bucks.  It cooks an onion PERFECTLY in the microwave in only 6.5 minutes (4.5 at my dad's house).  So I don't have to wait a whole hour to have a cooked onion!  it's great!

Then Nick and I splurged and had DQ after the kids went to bed.  We have a DQ right around the corner.  It's funny that the weather is nasty, but we still have to have cold ice cream.  It was a good ending to a strange and random day.

~Day 2• 30: How About .... Bolero and 1812?

Every once in awhile I get an itch and subject my kids to a tiny obsession of mine. I force them to listen to classical music. Not the little excerpts you get on music sample CDs. Nope. The actual full length stuff. Not froo-froo stuff either. The real Meat and potatoes stuff (as my dad calls it). Somehow I came across Bolero, by Ravel. You know, the piece that goes on for at least 15 minutes with the poor guy on the snare drum keeping PERFECT time through the whole thing. I'm amazed every time I hear it. 

We had fun picking out the different instruments too. Brookie is getting pretty good at picking them out.  I made Brookie sit with me for most of it.  I loved it. The finale when the song crescendos is awesome too. 

Then I thought more about the big sounds. And 1812 came to mind. Cannons. Yes! Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture coming up!  Cailee joined us (by this time it was at least a half hour past bed time. Oops). Brookie kept asking when the she will hear the cannons. I told her to just wait. You will know when you hear them. Boom! There they were. It brought back many memories of when my parents took us to Deer Valley to hear the Utah Symphony play this, with live cannon fire. I miss it. 

I needed to calm them down, so I found The Moldeau (the River) by Smetana. Peaceful. Brookie just about fell asleep. Cailee was calm. Night night girls. 

THEN I found piano music. I pulled out some old pieces I had played in the past. Some I'm going to drag out and learn again.  And then I subjected poor Nick to the same torture as the girls. I found the songs on YouTube and listened to it for a long time while I followed along in the book. I used to do this with my family while growing up. It was nice to just sit and listen. 

Now it's time to rest. G'night. 

~Day 2• 29: 1, 2, 3, 4...1, 2, 3, 4...

These two are learning their first duet. It was fun to watch them, but mom had to step in and help them a little. Counting 1, 2, 3, 4.... 1, 2, 3, 4.... They were doing really well! A little more practice time on their parts alone, then they will have it!  

Oh, and it might help if mom doesn't take over the piano for an hour and let them play...I need to learn to share. 

Next part: 1- add sand. 2- add more sand. 3- more sand. 4- guess. 

The kids are getting so excited for the tank to be finished. It's still going to take awhile, but they were having fun helping dad add sand to the tank. Next up: the rock. So fun!

~Day 2• 28: *sigh* all better.

I forgot to get a genuine before pic. This one was the closest I had. The lady was awesome. She cut off THREE inches. Doesn't look like she cut off much. I love the fact that there is no. More. Gray. Oh, and roots. The homemade hombre look is gone too. Lol yippee. I feel better. 

And this little one stayed home today. This morning was a little rough. She felt better as the day went on. We will see if she is all better in the morning. I hope so!! (And I got the picture just as she took a bite of the cracker.. Oops)

~Day 2• 27: Do I have to?

Cailee didn't want  to practice. But once she got going, she did great. 

I'm sure nick didn't want to be under the fish tank. But he has to get the pipes working right so he can start preparing the water for da fishies. 

Cailee was sitting all by herself looking at the empty tank. She doesn't want to wait for the fish. You can almost see her 'willing' the fish to arrive. 

Nick has a fancy tank set up where he can monitor the water levels and the temps and all the fun stuff. He can control them remotely from his computer. The girls had fun waiting for the lights to go on and off by themselves while nick controlled them from the other room. 

No one wants to wait, but we have to. 

~Day 2• 26: Nick's Day With the... Kids?

Nick had the day off today. Beans was excited to snuggle with daddy when she woke up. And the kids are always excited  when he can take them to school. I think Nick enjoys their attention. I'm glad they all love each other. 

Meet his third set of children. The first set he dropped off at school. The second set we sold before we moved from Utah. And the third set he bought  this weekend. Sounds nice, huh?  It is, actually. The second and third set don't talk back to you. They basically clean up after themselves.  And they don't whine. Heaven. 

Nick has been going thru salt water tank withdrawals since we left Utah and sold his last tank (second set of kids). He is beginning the process of starting up another tank. It fits perfectly in the kitchen, not the ideal place, but that's the only place we could fit it right now.  Everyone is very excited. Cailee keeps asking when the fish will show up. Unfortunately, it takes at least a month of the water and live rock to cure so the fish won't die as soon as you put them in. Poor Beans.  She will have to wait a little longer. 

And it was funny to watch nick try to get all the styrofoam out the door all at one time. I laughed at him, of course. So he used my car as a storage table. Well played. 

~Day 2• 25: peaceful morning

This morning before church, it was actually a little peaceful. These two were quietly playing a game together and Ashton was helping Cailee with something. I like moments like these. 

A far cry from what it was like after church. The girls wouldn't mind. They were acting out while the home teachers were here. So they spent the rest of the afternoon in their rooms. They weren't so happy. Then they kept it up later on, so they lost privileges tomorrow, too. I hope they learn quickly that's it's better to mind and not throw fits like a two year old. It really does get old. 

As always, I love my kids, but some moments my patience is severely tried. 

~Day 2• 24: Shorts in January? Yes please.

Now is the time of year I love.  Because I can taunt all of my friends and family who still have to bundle up to go outside.  Tonight, Nick and I went out and it was so beautiful.  We went to Liberty Market, and were able to sit outside for dinner.  He wore shorts.  I had on flip flops.  It was great.  We walked down old-town Gilbert a little, and walked by the fountain.. I don't usually see it at night.  It was lit up and quite pretty.

On the way home, Ashton had FB up and was messaging me some questions.  Then Cailee got on and started typing.  The part I took a picture of is cute.  I just love how she sounds out her words. She is improving so much.  Proud of her.

Earlier today we went to our ward's pinewood derby.  Ashton did not want to build a car this year, but he wanted to go watch the races.  It worked out perfectly because one of the boys was not able to attend until later, and his car needed a driver.  So Ashton filled in and raced the car.  I think he had fun.  The car did well, so Ashton was pleased.

The girls wanted to go as well.  They made little flags they could wave during the race.  The picture of the girls sitting at the craft table was of them watching something flying in they gym.  Someone brought a little flying helicopter, and they were watching it fly more than work on their flag.

After the races and the awards, everyone went outside.  The kids found the wall and of course they had to climb up on it.  I'm glad no one fell off.

The picture of the derby car with a missionary on it belongs to Jeff Trogan (a leader).  His car was great!  It was called the Mission Mobile.  I don't think it won any races, but I think it wins on concept.  It was a little flawed tho, it didn't have his missionary companion, so he was breaking the rules.  Maybe that's why he lost all the races... today's lesson: don't break the rules.  Things won't always work out the way you want them to.  But I liked this car the best.

The lone picture of Cailee is of her at the park this afternoon.  I ran a few errands today, and when I drove into the neighborhood, the girls were at the park playing.  She saw my vehicle and ran up to see me.  This was just a cute picture.

I also had a make-up session with my friend Heather R.  She helped me figure out how to fix my face.  I think it helped a little (I hate make-up and you can see from the picture above I have nothing on, like usual), but some of the looks I received afterward were priceless.  One little girl in the store just stood and stared at me like I had big growth on my face or something.  One of my girls asked me what was on my face.  This just shows that I really don't wear make-up enough and they aren't used to me actually having it on.  I'm so low maintenance that I hate putting the stuff on.  The older I get tho, the more I really do need it... so we will see how things go in the future.  I might just continue to shock people.  It's kind of fun.

Today was busy, but it was a pretty good day, I think.  I'm going to bed now.  Good night.

~Day 2• 23: it's that kind of day

What's for dinner? I don't know. What do guy feel like? I don't know. I was at work until late. My brain was fried. Nick was fried. So pizza and wings and soda. Yup. The kids loved it.  Easy. The end.

~Day 2• 22: Bunco- year two begins!

Another great night! I showed up late due to work being busy, but I arrived in time to start playing. I always enjoy this once a month. It's nice to be around fun women and have a break from reality for a short while. It's much needed. Work, family, life... You need a break sometimes. I enjoy this one. 

~Day 2• 21: Beans. The end.

She's curled up asleep when she said she wasn't tired. She's letting Brookie help her change her earrings. She hardly ever changes them. And she buried under her blankets and pillows. You can barely  see her chin. She always burrows under her blankets. 

She is defiantly her own person. We sure love her. 

~Day 2• 20: I am so privileged.... on many levels.

I am very fortunate to receive updates about my birthdaughter.  She turned 14 in December.  Her mom sent me a stack of pictures and a letter that told me all about their year last year.  Abbie is getting her stuff ready to send, and I look forward to getting them.  These are just pictures I took of her pictures.  The quality isn't great, but I'll take it.

 

 I really can't believe how grown-up she is.  It's hard to believe that in just 4 years I might be able to meet her and her family in person.  FOUR YEARS.  It seems like yesterday that I was privileged to bring her into this world, and then place her into the arms of her new parents.  I talked to my own parents tonight.  They can't wait until they can meet her too.  She has a special place in so many hearts.  Including mine.

And these little cuties have a special place in my heart too.  I love my kids so much.  My kiddos warm my heart every day.  I don't have to wait for an update to see how they are.  I am privileged to be their mom and see their cute smiling faces every day.  I love my babies very, very much.  They will always be my babies, no matter how old they get.

~Day 2• 19: Happy school day off!

In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., the kids were out of school today.  Nick took Ashton golfing this morning (more below).  So I took the girls out.  My day started with BrookLynn lying next to me, playing a game on the ipad.  The same game I was playing on my iphone.  It was quite enjoyable.  Then we all got ready and went to have lunch at Chick-fil-a.  When we walked into the building, there was a HUGE Hershey's chocolate bottle.  Anyone who knows Cailee, knows that she is a chocolate fanatic.  She likes to create chocolate-mania on her ice cream.  The girls thought this was fun.  It was a fun lunch together.

Next stop was to get Brookie's hair trimmed.  It was a very simple cut, so I didn't want to pay a lot.  She didn't have much cut off.  Just a couple of inches.  While I was up talking to the lady, Cailee had my phone and I found a few selfies on it... goofy kid.

Before the hair place, we stopped to get the car washed.  It needed it.  the girls were all smiles while we were in the washer.  They had their noses plastered on the windows as the brushes went along the window.  I'm glad they were so entertained in the car wash... We also hit a couple of stores.  Brookie wanted to spend the rest of her xmas money.  I'm not ashamed to admit that I love Goodwill.  Especially for books.  She wanted to buy a new book.  So I told her we were going to Goodwill to see if they had any.  She did find two.  And Cailee found two.  And I found two.  Books can be a bad habit.

Since she didn't spend all her money on one book from a 'real' bookstore, she had a little left and asked to go to Claire's to buy a necklace.  She found earings instead.  They were mustache earings.  They were really cute.  Cailee found some hair chalk on sale, so I allowed her to get that.  And the Brookie found a stuffed owl.  She knows aunt 'Sa loves owls and talked about getting it for her.  So we did.  Then we got some ice cream for the drive home before they went to piano lessons.  It was a fun day.

For Ashton's bday on Saturday, Nick told him that they were going to go golfing on Monday.  Real golf.  Not just to the driving range. Ashton had fun.  Aunt Alissa was able to go too.  Nick said he had some really good hits.  The highlight looks like the golf cart, though.  Nick said Ashton took off in it once... he and Alissa had to run him down.  Funny man.  Ashton did have a little excitement...his ball landed in the middle of some geese.  From what I hear, Ashton was a little nervous.  He was worried the geese were going to chase him... Nick didn't tell him that  they might lol I'm just glad they really left him alone... Ashton looks like he might like to keep up with golf.  We are exploring some options to keep him involved.

The end of the night consisted of the girls walking the new pet owl down to Aunt 'Sa.  Both girls have stuffed animals that are the same kind--the ones with the big eyes.  They loved that Aunt 'Sa now has one like them. 

And books weren't the only thing we found at goodwill...robes.  We happened to find matching robes for the girls (they both have the same monkeys on them) and one for Ashton.  Believe it or not, it does get a little cold here.  Robes are nice. 

Busy day.  Fun day.  Bedtime was lovely. 

~Day 2• 18: Our Day

I'm going back to front today.  Tonight all three kids had similar poses when they got into bed.  One does not look like the other tho... Cailee has been coughing more today so I decided to give her a breathing treatment to see if that helped her tonight.  We shall see.  I hope so

Brookie asked me to help make some doll clothes for her.  They were very simple. VERY.  She did well using a sharp needle.  I did end up finishing it, but she was happy.  Cailee also wanted one.  She lasted all of 5 minutes.. I finished hers too.  I hope they don't get used to this.  I'm not the sewing type.

Each of the kids had fun on the piano this morning.  Some kids actually played the notes instead of playing on the bench... Both older siblings helped Cailee with her song.  It was fun to watch.

Cailee sure loves her daddy.  This morning she came and found him and snuggled up with him.  And she usually has her legs crossed.  The bottom left picture is proof of this. I love my quirky kids.

~Day 2• 17: Why are the birthday candles sparking?!?

I'm probably a mean mom, but that top picture is priceless.  Ashton turned 11 today.  He requested a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.  Among the regular candles I put on top, I placed a few of the relighting candles.  They spark when you light them.  He was very concerned that the house was going to burn down lol I know he was nervous, but I couldn't help but laugh.  Eventually he calmed down and had fun blowing out the candles multiple times.

I'm not the fun mom who does a birthday party. It's just not me.  We are very low-key on birthdays.  Ashton started his day playing video games.  By himself for awhile.  The girls were outside playing most of the day.  Ashton went out for awhile too, but mostly just wanted to stay indoors.  We invited his friend Ian over to play and have dinner.  The goofy kids were all full of energy tonight.  Cailee helped me frost the cake, and ended up with it all over her face.  I think she enjoyed it.

The pictures are blurry.  But he was moving when I took them.  I was trying to capture his many expressions as he opened his birthday presents. The top picture he opened a very large book on mythological creatures.  The bottom left he received a groupon pass to the Game Works Arcade.  He was very excited.  And the bottom right, he received another Rick Riordan book.  He sure does love his books. 

Everyone was interested in the Riordan book.  This was the book he pulled out to read when he got into bed.  I'm not sure what time he actually fell asleep tonight...I am so blessed to be his mom.  He really is an amazing little man.  I really can't believe he is 11 already.  I know we are getting closer to the teen years.  I am trying to hold on to his 'youngness' as long as possible.  I love you, Ashton.  Happy Birthday!

~Day 2• 16: I Don't Want To...

I don't want to... go to school today.  I hear that a lot.  But I think the kids would have been content to stay home today and spend a little more time with gma and gpa.  They were leaving in the afternoon to fly home.  So the kids gave them one last hug before they went off to school.  They really enjoyed having their grandparents here.

I don't want to... go back in the kennel.  My mom loves dogs.  LOVES them.  After she and I ran to a couple of stores to pick up a few items, I thought it would be fun to visit some local cute puppies.  So I asked Alissa if I could take my mom over to meet her two little guys.  Alissa was great to let us go visit.  Edward (the little guy) was so excited.  He ran around like a crazy man.  It was cute! And Joey (the calm white one) also got very excited.  He doesn't get nearly as crazy as Edward, but today he was pretty happy.  My mom was glad to get her doggy fix.

I don't want to...leave yet.  It was kind of hard to take my parents to the airport.  It was such a great week and I can't believe it's over.  There were some tears shed at the airport curb.  It's hard living so far away from family.  I love it here, but I definitely miss my family.  I love them very much!

I don't want to... practice.  When the kids got home from school, I asked Ashton to practice the piano before he got on the Xbox.  The kids don't always like to practice, but hopefully they will grow to love it.  My mom bought each of them something today before she left.  The girls each received a cute shirt, and we found Ashton a nice tie for church.  The girls had cute faces as they pulled their shirts out of the bag... I made them hold the pose while I ran to grab my phone.  So yes, those are slightly fake surprised faces.  And Ashton hasn't had a tie for a long time, so I think he was happy to get a new one.  The kids were each very thankful for what they received.  I just wish my parents were here in person to hear them say Thank-you.

I don't want to... watch that, mom.  Well, you are anyway.  My dad bought a DVD of a program showed on PBS in Utah.  It was titled Utah in World War II.  Turns out, Utah had a pretty large part in WWII.  And my grandpa (my dad's dad) had a part in it when he was 13 yrs old.  He was interviewed and included in the program!  I just about cried when I heard his voice before I saw his face.  I was so proud.  And my kids really were enthralled in what they were watching.  It's never too young to start learning and loving history.  I love my grandpa!  How cool is this?!?

I don't want to... get sung to.  Ashton's birthday is tomorrow.  The big 11.  Time. Slow down.  Anyway, he requested we go to Golden Corral for his bday dinner.  He loves that place.  But he specifically asked if we could go tonight so that he wouldn't be sung to tomorrow..like last year.  I guess it left a bad taste in his mouth.  haha   The kids had a good time.  I think the highlight was the cotton candy after dinner.  I was afraid they would have a sugar high and not sleep.  But they all fell asleep almost as soon as their heads hit the pillows. 

I don't want to... I hear that a lot.  And I didn't want to say goodbye to my parents today.  It was so great to have them here.  It was fun to show them around our city and show them why we love it so much.  It was fun to take them to some unique and fun spots that they don't have in Utah.  I hope they decide to come visit again soon.  Our house might be small, but I think everyone had a lot of fun this week.  I love you mom and dad.

~Day 2• 15: Fire is therapeutic

My parents are in town for one last night.  I can't believe their week is almost up. We wanted to give them a taste of something else unique to our area.  So we took them to San Tan Flat.  This place is so much fun.  You don't do a whole lot, except enjoy the atmosphere and the good food.  You walk into the establishment and find a table, either inside or outside.  Outside is more fun...  After you find your table, you better jump in line to order your food.  Dad and I had a lot of time standing in line.. so we had to do another selfie.  I think we were in line for a good 45 minutes.  But I think it was worth it.

Inside has a ceiling that is covered in straw.  I noticed that tonight for the first time.  And next to many of the tables is your very own fire pit.  Tonight the wood was pretty wet and there was a slight breeze.  Just the right conditions for a very smokey dinner.  We learned that we need to test the wind before we choose a table.  But it was still fun.  The whole place is decorated with 'Old West' type items.  The old trough fountain was cool.  And I wanted to take another picture of something.  So I did.

The kids had fun too.  I think they liked being around the fire.  Ashton and Cailee had to photo bomb the picture I took of the my parents.  And I had to take a picture of my food because it was too dark to see it.  I wanted to see what I was about to enjoy.  I brought items to make s'mores, and the kids had fun getting pretty sticky.

While my dad and I stood in line to order our meals, he told me that "Fire is therapeutic."  I think he was excited to be outside with the fire and family.  He told me that he likes to build and tend fires.  They are therapeutic to him.  There is something to be said about sitting around a campfire with your family around.  My kids won't get to know what  that feels like since we don't go camping.  I grew up camping, and I loved sitting around the fire.  It was a wonderful time. So tonight it was great to sit around the fire, cook s'mores and enjoy each others' company.  It was very therapeutic, dad.