Here I Am

day by day...

2012-01-31T09:57:00.000-08:00

Day by day...each day we get to know the area a little better. Each day we will will have a few ups and a few downs. Something will happen that will make us homesick. Something will happen that will make us excited about our new adventure. We have to learn how to live with these ups and downs.

Being out and exploring our new city makes for more ups than downs. That is an important piece for us. We all love adventure, and we all love being out and exploring.

We are all holding our heads high and making the most out of this new adventure that God has sent our way.

I love this photo that I got with my iphone this weekend as we were out exploring.

welcome to the Northwest.

2012-01-19T22:49:00.000-08:00

After just 2 weeks of arriving in the Northwest, we received a very "cold" welcome. what a shock of climate change for us Californians. We left a 75 Degree December for a 30 degree January. Oh, with snow, sleet, ice & rain. They say we are living through the worst storm that has hit the northwest in almost 30 years. 2 WEEKS after we arrive?! Total craziness. And so our luck.

The first few days of the storm were a novelty to us. The girls have loved their time in the snow. This little one is such a little snow baby. She LOVES it!!!

The snow sure is beautiful. and COLD. That is, until you try driving in it....

The roads are so dangerous. Snow, slush, ice....definitely not the driving conditions we are used to.

School has been cancelled ALL week!!! Madison & Morgan have loved the snow as well. They spent some time out on the porch watching the snow fall while enjoying hot chocolate.

Day one of our snow.....the girls were so excited to play in the snow, and we had a small layer on the ground. Little did we know at this point that this was just the beginning of a HUGE storm with lots more snow to come...

Hayden has been SO cute with the snow. She just absolutely loves it. Here she is making snow angels.

my sweet baby...

The last few days we have been snowed in at home...we had a major case of cabin fever. We had some played in the snow, played lots of wii just dance, read books, and cleaned! We woke up this morning to a power outage. Since Brad needed to work, and our place was getting cold fast we decided to leave. We made the typical 15 min drive to Brad's office in about 40 min. We got there safely and enjoyed the heat. We were, of course, the only ones there. Brad worked and the girls enjoyed playing in his office. Fun fun. And with no power, no heat, and unable to get home, here we sit in a hotel room for the night. I can't wait for this storm to end and the roads to clear. welcome to the Northwest Calhoun Family.

ups & downs.

2012-01-12T13:55:00.000-08:00

today marks 2 weeks. In some ways it seems like we have been here for months, and in other ways feels like we just arrived. 2 weeks ago today I was on this plane with a 1 way ticket to Seattle. As we flew above San Diego I felt very nostalgic. I felt a rush of 3 years of Southern California memories passing through my blood. It was a chilling feeling. I spent much of the trip thinking about our time in Southern California and grateful for the experiences. Both thankful for the experience, and saddened it was over. Our new adventure awaits us in the Northwest.

The first few days of our new adventure were a blur. As we walked into our temporary housing we all felt an excitement, similar to that excitement you feel when you walk into your hotel room on vacation. There was a new adventure that was ahead of us. We spent the next days looking at homes day and night. We tried to add a little exploring in between. We went on walks, explored, found a beautiful waterfall, and slowly began to learn our new area.

Our new journey which includes big decisions, small decisions, and learning new things. Important things like, what will I replace my In N Out craving with? ;-) We went to 5 guys, which I hear is the "northwest" version of In N Out. In my professional opinion, it was a good burger, but nothing compared to In N Out!!!!!!! Nothing! hehe.

We have done some exploring with our friends, which we are SO grateful to have here. Our best friends from college live about 45 minutes south from here, and they have been awesome. We went on a ferry ride, walked around the island, enjoyed some starbucks (to keep us warm), and had a wonderful time. Well, aside from FREEZING!!! You know how cold the back of this ferry is??? Well, look closely at this picture. Windy enough that my hair is blowing back at about 20 miles an hour, freezing my face. Cold & windy enough that Hayden is having trouble keeping her eyes open! Cold enough for Madison to feel the need to put her hood on like an eskimo. We were COLD!!!!! Cold enough to send me coat shopping Monday morning for a nice, warm, down coat!

Here we are on the front of the ferry heading to the island.

Seattle truly is a beautiful city with so much to see and do. It will be fun to learn all about it....

By about day 10 we made an offer on a home. Scary and exciting all at the same time. Exciting part is that we get to put the girls in school in this area. We are feeling good. The girls are super excited about their new school, and I am loving it as well. An amazing school, with fabulous programs, and the highest quality education. I couldn't be happier for my girls.

Day 11, our cars are finally here!!! Now this was exciting. My rental was nice, but it is so nice to haveyour own car back after not having it for so long. I was so excited to see this truck pull up.

We found an amazing park nearby our home that we fell in love with. The lake in the background is amazing, the beautiful trees, the green...LOVE! The girls loved it and can't wait to go have a picnic there.

Things are beginning to fall into place until day 13. We had a home inspection on our potential home, and they found a large amount of water in the crawl space. Since the home is new construction, we should not be starting out with issues. That was enough to push us away from wanting that home....day 13 provided with lots of emotion, lots of tears, a wave of homesickness. Day 14 we wake up to start over. We are back on the search for a new home.

The past 14 days have been filled with ups and downs. Laughs, smiles, tears, frowns. I can't say enough, all I want is the best for my family. I try so hard to make everything work, and it doesn't always work out the way I want. And that is OK. What fun would it be if things always went the way I wanted them to? I sit here on the ride of life, and try my very best.

The story of relocation.

moving day.

2011-12-31T14:09:00.000-08:00

I woke up first thing Wednesday morning to this sight in my driveway. I am not quite sure how it felt. I was definitely still feeling shock, hard to believe that the day was here. Our home would be empty at the end of the day. That made me feel sad.

The loading began, and before we knew it the moving company had arrived to take our vehicles. They are shipping both of our cars on a truck, which will take about 2 weeks. I was actually kinda sad to see my Tahoe being towed away. I can't wait to get it back again!

Here is the big truck.

The hardest part of the day was not the packing, the chaos or the physical labor. The hardest part of the day was the goodbyes. We had many wonderful friends come by to say goodbye. It broke my heart in a million pieces to see my girls sad as they said goodbye to their friends.

Morgan and her friend Nicole. They've been friends since the beginning of kindergarten. The get along so well, and are so much alike. Morgan will miss her so much. We have so many great memories with Nicole and her family. Her mom and I have laughed together, cried together, and experienced life together. She will be missed SO much.

A tough goodbye for Madison. Hannah is one of her very best friends. They played together so often, had sleepovers, and enjoy the same things. They both have their Kanani American Girl dolls, and have so much fun together. Hannah is the oldest of 3 girls too, and our families have so much in common. We have had so many great memories with them, and we are very confident that we will have many fun memories ahead of us! My heart aches as I look at this photo, feeling what it was like to be in that moment again. The girls did not want to smile, "because the were not happy". They embraced one another and would not let go. We will miss the Surina's more than we can say.

Another goodbye that broke my heart. Madison went over to Bella's house first thing in the morning after our moving truck arrived. She played with her for a few hours, and I went back to pick her up. As Bella and her mom walked us outside, the 2 girls embraced. They would not let go. I was teary watching the interaction. When they finally let go of one another, they were crying as Madison walked to the car. I got in the car and Bella was crying as her mom held her tightly. We waved and drove away. Why can't this be easier?

We were so happy that Brad's brother and his family came by to say goodbye. The girls loved playing with their cousins, Grant & Audrey. Grant is such a sport to let all of the girls pile on him like this! We were so grateful for their help around the house, and were so happy to see them before we left. We will miss them tons!

I love this photo of Morgan. Our truck had left, our home was empty. We were finished cleaning and were out front. Morgan found this and asked me to make a wish. I love this moment. Everything about it.

My last night in Southern California. You better bet that I would eat at In & Out!!!!! I will miss this restaurant sooooo much!!!!! We met the Byres family at In & Out, and had a great time talking. I was sitting there trying to push to the back of my head that I would have to say goodbye very shortly. Trying not to think about it....

Madison and one of her best friends Ian at In & Out. They were born to be friends. Born the same day, just hours apart in age. They get along better than any boy/girl combo I've ever seen.

Morgan and one of her best friends, Emma. These 2 little ones have SO much in common. They've been friends since they were born. Better yet, since before they were conceived!!! These 2 are like 2 peas in a pod.

As we walked outside after we ate at In & Out my stomach was aching. My heart was heavy. I knew that I would have to say goodbye to some of the very best friends that a person can ask for. We love this family so much. Teresa and I met when our first born babies were just a few months old. We've been close ever since. We love their family so much, we all get along so well and have so much in common. We will miss them dearly, but will see them again very soon.

After dinner it was dark out, but we needed to make one last stop at our house again to say goodbye. It was a surreal feeling walking in and seeing it empty. A heartbreaking feeling knowing someone else would move into "our" home. We love this home, and will miss it so much. But even more, we will miss the wonderful friendships that we have made while we lived here.

Christmas Day 2011.

2011-12-31T11:02:00.000-08:00

Christmas 2011. We had such a perfect day. Although we had the relocation hanging over our heads, we decided to forget it all and enjoy the day.

Brad and the girls looking through a new shutterfly book of our top 10 photos for 2011.

Morgan and Hayden opening the first gifts of the morning....

Hayden loves her new Bitty Twin!

Morgan loves her new American Girl bed for Kit!

After some present time, we took a break for breakfast. I made my great-grandma's family recipe for crepes. The girls love them!

Madison trying out her new boots and umbrella from Grammy.

Brad's parents spent the afternoon with us and joined us for dinner. We all had a wonderful time!

Our family Christmas day.

goodbyes are never easy.

2011-12-22T22:28:00.000-08:00

It's been almost 1 week since we had to say goodbye to our teachers and friends at school. As I went to bed Thursday night I was nervous for the day to come. Nervous in a good way, yet a heart aching feeling settled in my chest. We absolutely love our school, both the girls and I. It is hard to say goodbye to something you love. The girls have wonderful friends, and wonderful teachers. This is the only elementary school that they have gone to, and will always be their first experience with school. And what a great one.

Morgan with her 2nd grade teacher, Mrs. Shea. Morgan is so loved by her, I could see it each time I saw them interact. She made a book of letters that the children wrote to Morgan and they all told her how much they loved her and how much she will be missed. Such a sweet gift for her. Morgan adores her. What a wonderful 2nd grade experience Morgan has had so far. We will miss Mrs. Shea so much.

Morgan with some of her classmates (it was pajama day at school). So many of her little friends came up to me and told me how sad they were, and how much they would miss Morgan.

The last day of school was an extra special day for Madison. She was awarded student of the month in her 3rd grade class. I was so proud of her. It was such a special day for her to receive that award. She was so excited when 2 of her best friends in other classes received student of the month as well.

Madison got a congratulatory hug from her principal, Mr. Dignan. Again, it was pajama day! haha.
He told her how much he would miss her, and his compassion was so apparent. He truly is a wonderful principal.

Madison receiving her student of the month award from her teacher, Mrs. Griffin. She has taught Madison so much this year, and Madison has really enjoyed her class. As room mom for Mrs. Griffin, I have really enjoyed getting to know her. She is such a sweet person. We will miss her so much.

Friday was an emotional day. I expected it to be hard. I knew it would be a hard day for the girls. It breaks my heart to see them having to tell people they love goodbye. It's hard for me to do as well. Each action that I took on Friday played through in my head as the last time. As I drove them to school in the traffic, as I walked them to their classes, as I watched the Friday assembly, as I picked them up from school, and as I drove off after school. It was a goodbye for all of us. Our daily routine will change. Our surroundings will change. I know the girls will absolutely love their new school and new teachers, and will make great friends. But it's always hard to say goodbye.

a perfect day.

2011-12-20T12:30:00.000-08:00

Madison's 9th birthday, that is...Madison woke up early knowing what to expect on the kitchen table when she came down. I always set the table up with gifts, balloons and birthday decor the night before the girls birthdays. The most important thing to do that morning was open gifts! She loved each and every one....her favorites were her American Girl shaved ice stand, Kanani doll clothes, Justice gift cards, movies & clothes.

We took our time in the morning, I made her favorite chocolate chip pancakes.

My first baby is seriously 9?! When I look at her I just cannot believe it. She truly looks so grown up here. HERE she is on her 6th birthday. Just 3 short years ago as we were getting ready to relocate from Northern CA to Southern CA. 3 years go by in the blink of an eye. She looks so young here, but I know at the time I felt she looked so big. I am seeing a pattern here. As a mom I will always see my baby as growing up, but I will look back on this in a few years and think "wow, she was so little". Lesson: enjoy every minute. My girls are growing up fast.

Madison had her choice on her special day of what we were going to do. We went to Panera for lunch, and Barnes and Noble after. She enjoyed her chocolate birthday cupcake, and picked out a new book. After, we met Ian's family for the afternoon. Madison & Ian share the same birthday, and are just hours apart in age. They have been best friends since they were just a few months old. Playing with Ian on her birthday was definitely high on her priority list.

All 4 of the kids together playing while Hayden napped in her stroller....

After a few hours of play, we headed to dinner. Madison's choice, BJs. I had no complaint, I love that place! Here are Madison & Ian ready to enjoy their birthday pizookie together.

After dinner we decided to take the kids to see the new Alvin & The Chipmunks movie. Madison had an action packed day of fun. We headed home at 9:30 exhausted. Such a great day, I loved spending the day with my 9 year old.

Happy Birthday Madison.

2011-12-17T23:22:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday to my amazing, beautiful girl. Madison is 9 today, and it is hard for me to believe that 9 years have gone by since that life changing day that Madison came into my life. I just love my girl. Love her.

We had a perfect day today, Madison was busy from morning to night. I will post all about her 9th birthday when I get the pictures uploaded. At this point, I am one tired mama after a busy day with my beautiful 9 year old.

party time!

2011-12-11T22:13:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Madison's 9th birthday with a party on saturday. I cannot believe that my first baby girl is almost 9 years old. Her official birthday is saturday the 17th, so I feel like I have a few more days to mentally prepare! (hehe)

Oh my goodness, looking at this photo makes me teary. She is growing up so fast, and is just a beautiful little girl. I love her so much.

We had 3 hours of non-stop fun. We decorated cookies & cupcakes, enjoyed lots of good food, played Just Dance 3 (even I played!), and the 3rd grade girls played some intense handball games. Madison and her friends LOVE to play handball at school, so they were anxious to get out back and play. Here are the official 3rd grade handball girls!

Madison with her decorated cupcake!

Madison opening her gifts!

We had so much fun, Madison enjoyed every minute. I am so glad that she had this opportunity to get together with her closest friends and celebrate her 9th birthday.

it's never easy.

2011-12-07T23:22:00.000-08:00

It really isn't. For anyone that has been through constant moves, saying goodbye to friends, turning your life upside down.....they can understand how I feel. I need to blog more often throughout this process to remind myself of how it feels. I am not sure what emotion I am having right now. I know this is a process. We spent a week in Seattle looking around and trying to figure out where we are going to live. I didn't take many pictures, most of those are on my iphone. Here is one of the girls at Pikes Market.

Initial thoughts of Seattle....
It's COLD! It rains a LOT. There are tons of trees. The people are very friendly. There is water everywhere. It's COLD! Where is the sun?

Aside from the many aspects of relocation, the weather transition alone is going to be rough. We are used to sunny Southern California. It's pretty much sunny everyday, unless we have the occasional winter storm. We wear flip flops 12 months year, short sleeve shirts on Christmas, and a beach trip in January is very common. I don't think that I realized how cold it is there. Highs in the 30s?! Brrrr.
Hopefully it is something I can get used to with time. My yearly trip to Hawaii is going to be even more necessary with this weather!

As I have said before, the hardest part of relocation is our relationships. We have some pretty amazing friends, and we will miss them dearly. To hear Morgan crying to me this evening because she will miss her "best friends" just broke my heart. I wanted to cry with her. I told her I feel the same way, and I will miss them too. To see the letter that Madison's teacher wrote to her this week put me in tears. Telling Madison how she is having trouble accepting that Madison will be leaving, telling her how much she loves her, telling her what an amazing student she is and how she will succeed anywhere. My girls are loved, and it makes my heart hurt to pull them away from the people that love them and the people that they love.

As we traveled to Seattle, we had one goal in mind. We needed to find a house so we had a school for the girls. We found a few houses, but nothing perfect. Buying a house is such a big purchase, and one that I do not want to rush. So, I sit here tonight thinking about the moving truck that will be at my house in 3 weeks. Thinking about the fact that all of my belongings will be shipped to storage again. No idea when I will see my own things again. Thinking about the corporate apartment that we will be in at the end of the month. Thinking about the house we need to find. Thinking about where my girls will go to school. Everything in our future is unsure now. A little reminder from God that he is in control.

At the end of the day all that matters is that our family of 5 is together. Things will fall into place, they always do. But the road getting there can be bumpy.

Relocating Again..

2011-11-21T19:10:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been a few days of shock for me. We got "the call" that Brad will be taking on new responsibility at work, and we will be relocated again. He will now be responsible for Washington, Oregon & Nevada, and we will be based out of Seattle. Crazy news! But, I sure am proud of him. There is no doubt that he is the best at what he does, and he works hard for it. The least I can do is be supportive. The reality of the situation still has not sunk in, but I am beginning to relive those feelings that I have had in past relocations.

My first feeling is shock. I think I still may be in that category! haha. After the shock, there is excitement for our new adventure, followed by sadness for what we are leaving behind. We have some amazing friends here, and they will be missed. The girls have made some awesome friends as well, and I know that they will miss them. The relationships are the hardest part of relocating. The greatest part about the friends that we have here, I can say with confidence that we have made friends for life.

Our little family is so full of life. We are ready for the next adventure that God has in store for us.

And my job, to take care of our family. These 3 little girls make me proud. Don't get me wrong, they are beautiful, sweet, loving, and so much fun, BUT they are a lot of work!!!! My priority through this relocation is to be sure that I do everything I can to make their transition smooth. They share in my excitement for adventure, but also will miss their friends, school & activities (which is understandable). I know that they will love the next chapter in their lives, and I will be here to support them every step of the way.

These are just a few of the photos that we had taken last month. They were taken at Balboa Park in San Diego, which is such a gorgeous place. I am so happy that we had these done. A little piece to remember of San Diego, which we love.

10.31.11

2011-11-04T22:52:00.000-07:00

As I got ready for bed on the eve of Halloween, it crossed my mind that we had not taken the girls to the pumpkin patch this year. The big girls didn't seem to have much interest, so it just did not make it into our very busy schedule. Well, as I was getting ready for bed, I started feeling guilty that I have a 2 year old that did not get to enjoy the pumpkin patch this year. We woke up on Monday morning, took the girls to school & headed to the farm. Hayden was super excited, and I was really excited to spend some one on one time with her at the farm. We went through the corn maze, where she stayed close to me at all times. We had fun looking at pumpkins, climbing on hay bales, and her favorite part, the petting zoo.

Hayden immediately made a friend in the "baby goat", as she called him/her? The bigger goats she was a little more hesitant of, but the baby goat, she loved!

We must have been in the petting area for 20-30 minutes, and towards the end she was more and more comfortable with the "big goats". I came prepared with quarters, so we had lots of food for the goats.

I just loved watching her excitement.

We had a wonderful day at the farm, and I am so glad that we had that time together.

Hayden and I picked up 2 very excited girls from school that afternoon. Madison & Morgan were so excited to dress up and enjoy their Halloween festivities.

So, I had planned on taking pictures of the girls before the sun went down, so I did not have to use my flash, BUT....that did not happen. So, here are the few pictures I was able to get of them before we went trick-or-treating. We have a minnie mouse, a pirate princess & Angelica (from Pirates of the Caribbean 4).

student of the month.

2011-11-02T10:18:00.000-07:00

We are so proud of you Morgan. You earned student of the month for October, and were presented with your award on Friday (October 28). It was a surprise for you until they called your name at the Friday assembly. I loved seeing that big smile when they called your name!! Here you are with daddy and your student of the month medal around your neck!

We went back to your class where your teacher presented you with award certificates and told the class why you earned student of the month. She had so many wonderful things to say about you, I was so proud of you.

Mommy & Daddy are so proud of our hard working, smart, beautiful 2nd grader. Keep up the hard work sweet girl! We love you!

Holiday Cards 2011.

2011-10-15T07:50:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the year again! I love this time of the year. We just had our family photos taken by Carey at Barefoot Memories. That means that I get to start looking at cards! I love sending out cards. One of my favorite pictures that will surely be included in our Christmas card.

I have already spent hours on Shutterfly browsing the Holiday cards. There are so many awesome designs, it will be so hard to choose. We have ordered our cards from Shutterfly the past few years, and have received so many compliments.

Here are some of the cards that I have love so far. I think I am leaning towards using some blue in our card to pull out the color in our outfits. I do love this one. It is a 5x7 folded card and can be found here.

I also love this card. The black is classic, yet there is a little amount of blue still.

Then there is this one.....hmmm. I am loving all 3 of these. How am I going to choose?

Which of these 3 cards do you like better for us?

You can see all of the Christmas cards HERE.

I also love the photo gifts at Shutterfly. The perfect gifts for grandparents & family. Last year I made personalized calendars for the grandparents, and they absolutely loved them!!!! I just may do those again.

Are you a blogger? Shutterfly is providing me with free Christmas
cards for doing this post. Though, I truly to love
their products & service, so it was pretty easy to
rave about them! If you are interested in doing a
blog post to earn 25 free cards this Christmas season you
can register HERE.

first swim meet.

2011-10-03T21:51:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of these 2 girls. They were in their first swim meet on Friday. They did SO well, and had so much fun. I am so glad that they love swim this much. I love watching them!

They both swam the 50 freestyle. Here is Madison.

Morgan swimming her 50 freestyle. Their times were less than 1 second apart!

The girls with their friend.

The swim meet was awesome. I am proud of these girls, they have been working hard. The first meet of many more to come.

2.5 years old!

2011-09-28T12:27:00.000-07:00

Today is Hayden's official half birthday. 2.5 years old today! I sit here thinking, how is she already 2.5? It doesn't seem possible. It feels like yesterday I was pregnant with her, but at the same time, it seems like decades ago. Weird how time feels like that sometimes.

Brad likes to call her my "mini me". Looking back at my baby/toddler pictures, she looks so much like me! I keep looking at this picture, thinking how is she so big already!?

Hayden....at 2.5 years old you are as incredible as ever. You are the cutest little 2 year old, and very often are told how cute you are (by everyone!). You have blonde hair & blue eyes with a gorgeous little smile. You were quite a star in Hawaii with many of the Japanese tourists. It was not uncommon for one of them to come over with you and pose next to you for a picture!!! It was SO cute. They are not used to seeing the blonde hair & blue eyes like we are! You were a celebrity! hehe.

At 2.5 you are as smart as you can be. Your vocabulary is outstanding, and you speak in paragraphs to me. You are one lucky little girl, because you have so many people to teach you in this house. Your big sisters teach you so much, and love to read to you. You learn so much from them. You love to sing. Your favorites are ABC's, Jesus Loves Me, and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. You can count to 10, sometimes higher. You know your colors. You are well aware of your surroundings, and very intuitive. You like to know what the plan is for the day, you like to know where you are going, why you are going there, and what you will be doing. Questions, questions, questions. Why, why, why? I love the way you communicate. You are so smart. As I type this you are watching The Wiggles, holding the phone to your ear with your arm and talking away. You love to talk on the phone.

You love people. You love your daddy, your mommy & your sisters. You tell us how much you love us all the time. I love to hear you say the words, "I Love You Mommy". You termed the phrase "lovies" in our home, and we all use it now. You would say "lovies" to us for I love you. You still use it, and when you are afraid you run to me and say "lovies!".

Your activities right now are swimming and art class. You have been in swimming since you were about 12 months, and love it. You are really getting good, I am so proud. You are also in an art class that you just love. Your teacher sings, reads, and does a craft with the class. You love going! Your friend Charlie is in Swim & Art with you, and you 2 are just adorable together.

The bottom line, Hayden....you are ONE AWESOME little girl. I love you so much.

Friday night lights.

2011-09-26T07:16:00.000-07:00

I love baseball. There is no better time to go to a game. Friday night, under the lights, the brisk, cool weather. We went to the Padres vs Dodgers game on Friday night and had so much fun. The girls loved it! Friday night was also fireworks night, and San Diego puts on an awesome fireworks show! SUCH a fun family night.

this week on my iphone.

2011-09-24T09:38:00.000-07:00

I don't know what I would do without my iphone. Most of the time, these are the only pictures I take! iphone + instagram = perfect

I'll start with last saturday, coastal clean-up day. Brad headed a group of his employees and we headed to the beach for clean-up. The girls had a great time picking up trash and cleaning up the beach.

Tuesday morning art class for Hayden & her friend Charlie. They love this class!

Hayden with her blankie.

My view from the side of the pool. The girls have swim practice everyday M-F.

Hayden's thursday morning swim lesson. She has the best swim teacher & is doing an amazing job!

Some after school fro-yo for the girls and I. yum.

Friday morning trip to the park. The girls had no school, so we took advantage of the beautiful weather and had fun at the park.

Hayden's halloween costume! She LOVES it!

Friday night at the ballpark!

art class.

2011-09-15T21:58:00.000-07:00

Hayden had her first art class this week. She is in an art class for kids ages 2-4. It is the cutest little class, ever! She just absolutely LOVED it!!! There were the kids that clung to their parents, cried, wouldn't leave moms side...Hayden was so confident, she rocked circle time. Listened to her teacher, clapped, sang songs, and listened to the story. When it came to the art portion of her class, she was so excited. "Hayden do it", was what I heard many times. She did not want me to help her. So cute.

Hayden's little friend, Charlie. Could they be any cuter? :)

Oahu, Hawaii Day 7 & 8 (September 2 & 3, 2011)

2011-09-10T22:52:00.000-07:00

We decided to spend all day Friday at our resort. Make it a relaxing day. We started the morning off on a long walk to find and discovered a wonderful spot to find lots of treasures.

One of Grammy's favorite things to do! Beach combing!

Hayden's ride for many of our hikes this week!

After beach combing, we spent the entire late morning and afternoon at the pool. SO relaxing. We left our camera in our Villa which was nice! So, no photos! We ordered a yummy lunch by the pool and sun bathed for hours and hours. So nice. Later that evening we went to Roys again for another amazing dinner.

The following day was check out day for us, but we were able to get another swim in. Madison's American Girl doll, Kanani, was with us. She is a Hawaiian doll, Madison loves her.

We took Grammy to the airport fairly early, and we had an entire day before our red eye flight took off at 11 pm. We enjoyed the amazing mall there, bought gifts & ate great food. No pictures!

Our trip was AMAZING. There are not words to describe how I feel to be on vacation with my family & to spend time with them. It was so nice to have my grandma join us for all the fun. It seemed like the 9 days flew by. We are all ready for another vacation! :) :)

Oahu, Hawaii Day 6 (September 1, 2011)

2011-09-10T22:36:00.000-07:00

We started out first thing in the morning and headed back up to the North Shore to do some snorkeling. We made a quick stop at Turtle Beach, but didn't stay there long.

Next stop was Sharks Cove. Once you get past the fear in the name, it is an amazing place. I read that Sharks Cove is one of the top snorkel/scuba spots in the world! The greatest part about Sharks Cove was that there was a huge area that was protected by a large rock wall, and the kids could wade through that area and see TONS of fish!

Brad and I just LOVED this location. We spent hours and hours here enjoying the gorgeous fish & underwater life. Madison & Morgan were able to snorkel with us as well, and Hayden was able to enjoy the fish in the protected areas.

My girls and I enjoying Sharks Cove. Gotta love my snorkel mask mark on my forehead! HAHA!

Oahu, Hawaii Day 5 (August 31, 2011)

2011-09-09T21:25:00.000-07:00

Day 5 started out more relaxing, which was nice. We had a character breakfast scheduled at Disney's Aulani resort at 11am. The resort was next door to our Marriott resort, which was fun! It was an absolutely, seriously cool experience to have Disney in Hawaii! The characters were all dressed in their Hawaiian clothes. The girls had SOO much fun! Well, we ALL had fun! It was so different from any character meal that we have done at the Disneyworld/Disneyland resorts.

We headed to the North Shore after our meal. We hiked to Waimea Falls. It is a beautiful hike. The girls (bigs) and Brad went swimming in the waterfall. Soo cool!

A stop to the North Shore is not complete without a stop at Matsumotos shaved ice. Best shaved ice, ever!!

Oahu, Hawaii Day 4 (August 30, 2011)

2011-09-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

After a few crazy busy days we decided on a more relaxing day. We started the morning out on the beach. Brad caught a crab, which the girls LOVED! Here he is letting the crab go while Hayden watches.

Here is our "hot baby" on the beach. Brad and the big girls have always said she looks "hot", it's pretty cute. So, on this trip she started calling herself "hot Hayden". hehe. Love it.

My big girl beauties on the beach.

Madison was really excited about the possibility of paddleboarding on this trip. Her American Girl doll, Kanani, is from Hawaii and Madison learned by reading her books that she loves to paddleboard. This was also Brad & I's first time paddlboarding as well. SO MUCH FUN!!!! We loved it!!! Madison will be the first to tell you: "When I went paddleboarding with mommy we stayed up, when I went with daddy we kept falling". HAHA!!!! :)

After a long day in the sun at the beach & pool we decided on a dinner at Roy's.

A pineapple martini in Hawaii in celebration of another amazing day!!!

Oahu, Hawaii Day 3 (August 29, 2011)

2011-09-07T21:59:00.000-07:00

Another early morning for us, we arrived at Pearl Harbor by about 7:30 am with some traffic. Pearl Harbor was an amazing experience. Before we began our journey on the boat to see the USS Arizona Memorial, we watched a movie on the history of Pearl Harbor. The history was rich, and the mood was sobering. The experience was so special for my grandma who lived through the event. The (big) girls were very attentive, and asked a lot of questions. A live history lesson for them that they will not forget. It was an experience I will never forget.

Next stop: Diamond Head

The Diamond Head hike was pretty rigorous. Well, Brad did the entire hike holding Hayden sleeping! She had just fallen asleep on the way over, and she was OUT! I mean, this hike is tough as it is. Carrying a 30 pound sleeping child makes it rough! Here is the first break Brad took, he looks exhausted!

The girls and I at the top of Diamond Head. (Hayden woke up at the top!)

And this is the view from the top. Most definitely worth the work!

After the hike. Tired & ready for shaved ice! Grammy made it about half way up the trail and we decided she should stop and rest on the bench & wait for us to go up and come back down to get her.

We've worked up quite the appetite and are ready for some yummy food at Bubba Gump!

Oahu, Hawaii Day 2 (August 28, 2011)

2011-09-06T12:58:00.000-07:00

Day 2 started very early. My best advice when you are traveling into a different time zone is to plan your early days early in the trip while your body is still on the time zone you left!

We arrived at Hanauma Bay at 6:45 am (left our resort at 6 am). There were only a few people there, which was so nice. We had the calm waters & beach to ourselves for hours. The large crowds started coming around 10-11am.

We all LOVE to snorkel! We are always looking for new, fun, exciting places to snorkel. Hanuama Bay provides OK snorkeling, nothing spectacular. But it is great for the kids! Hayden would hold onto my back and put her head in every so often to see the "fishies".

Sandcastles with daddy. What could be better?

Another TripAdvisor find....Teddy's Burgers. SOOOO good!!! What a perfect lunch after a long day of snorkeling and playing on the beach. We all gave it 2 thumbs up!

After lunch we went for a drive around the East side of the island. It was gorgeous. We made a few stops along the way. Pali lookout was one of them. The views were amazing!!! It was rainy & windy!

(photo compliments of Morgan--Brad was in the car with a sleeping Hayden) :)

And back to our resort for an afternoon on the beach & another evening BBQ.

Oahu, Hawaii Day 1 (August 27, 2011)

2011-09-05T21:22:00.000-07:00

Technically, our first day in Hawaii was on Friday, but we went straight to our hotel & went to sleep! We arrived in Hawaii at 8:30 pm local time, which was 11:30 to us, Pacific time. By the time we arrived at our hotel it was about 1:30 am to us. We were exhausted!

We woke up the next morning around 5am local time, since Hayden was still on CA time. haha. I spent a great deal of time planning this trip out, looking for the best places to eat, the best places to visit, etc. I absolutely LOVE TripAdvisor. The best place to go for reviews and lists of the best restaurants, landmarks & activities.

Well, what was the #2 restaurant in Oahu on TripAdvisor? Leonards Bakery! Of course it was on my list of must visits. We were there early to order our "malasada's". A malasada is very similar to a donut. Fresh, warm & YUM!

Good morning, Oahu. We continued on our way to explore the East side of the island. We had quite a few hours to fill up in the morning before we needed to head to the airport to pick up Grammy.

We made some quick stops at a few scenic pull offs, and we found an amazing hike. We hiked up about 2 miles (almost all uphill), and came to the most amazing view.

The girls and I at the top of the hike. Gorgeous!

We picked up Grammy from the airport, drove over to our resort on the East side of the island, checked in, did some grocery shopping & went to the pool.

Here is our resort....

Here is Brad's BBQ set up. We had a full kitchen in our Villa which is so nice so we can have a few home cooked meals on vacation. Our stroller is a multi-use stroller. It works as a bag carrier at the airport, it works as a BBQ station on vacation....and oh, yes, it also works as a kid carrier! hehe.

Our first full day in Hawaii was a success. We are ready for an action packed week!

Aloha!

2011-09-04T21:00:00.000-07:00

We are home from 9 glorious days in Hawaii. We had the most amazing time, and are not looking forward to jumping back into "real" life!

For journaling sake, I will go through each day of our trip & document what we did. For now, I have just 800 pictures to go through from our trip. :)

My favorite family picture from the trip is not "perfect", but I love it. When we got to the top of Diamond Head, the rain started to pour! Apparently a rain drop settled on my lens. It's still my fave!

mid-week happenings.

2011-08-17T13:28:00.000-07:00

since I depend on my iphone for most of my photos these days, my iphone gives a pretty good depiction of what we are up to...

Madison turned in her "me collage" on Monday. Although it was not due until the following Friday (11 days later), we finished it this weekend, and she will follow in her momma's footsteps of doing things early and turning in projects early. I don't like things hanging over my head, and I surely don't want to forget something important, so I do things right away! I am happy to teach my girls that habit!

I was so proud of her collage. It was so cute, and depicted her personality so well. She included her family, God, American Girl dolls, Hawaii, bikes, soda, M&Ms, music, books, art & the beach as her favorite things.

We have been doing a lot of walking, specifically to school. It is great exercise for us, and we enjoy the walk. The afternoon is way to hot to walk, so we have to take advantage of the morning.

Brad and I have been so much better about making tennis a priority lately. When we were in college & before we had kids we loved to play tennis together. As we started having children, we put our hobby on hold. We have realized how important it is for us to do these things that we love together. We have played twice this week. We have so much fun! We take the kids with us to the courts, and they play on the court next to us with their own rackets and balls. They love it. When they are done playing, they sit on the bench and watch us play.

And this week has been back to me and this little one at home. We sure miss the big sisters when they are at school. Hayden let me do her hair in these cute little pig tails this morning, and pulled them out about 5 minutes later. She looked so cute!!!

Hayden has been quite the singer lately. Every night when I put her to bed I sing to her. She has her favorites that she requests every night....Jesus Loves Me, ABC's, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star & The Itsy Bitsy Spider. In the past few weeks she has been sining these songs all day long. It is so sweet! Here is a little video of her singing.

Hayden Singing from Danielle Calhoun on Vimeo.

And a little bit of scrapbooking with my Back Porch Memories kit!

first day of school.

2011-08-10T14:31:00.001-07:00

today marks the first day of school for Madison & Morgan. I really cannot swallow the fact that my girls are now in 2nd and 3rd grade. I know every parent says this, but it honestly seems like yesterday that these two were 2 & 3 years old. It was a hard day for me today. I miss these 2 so much. I loved the summer with them home all day, and it just went way too quickly. I want every minute that I can get with these girls. They've grown up so much since last year. Here they are this morning before our walk to school.

Hayden was so sad this morning. When they told her that they were going to school, she said, "No School Sissies!". When we took them to their classrooms she was almost depressed. Poor girl! Every time the phone rang, the doorbell rang, or I walked in the direction of the garage door, Hayden would yell, "Sissies!". At nap time she looked up at me and said, "I love Madison. I love Morgan". Awww. I am so happy she loves her sisters this much. I loved the time that the 3 of them had this summer to strengthen their sister bond.

I took Hayden to the park after we took the big girls to school. I think that helped take her mind off of the fact that she was missing them.

As I look at the clock, I can see that the girls are out of school in less than an hour. I honestly cannot wait to go pick them up and hear all about their first day of school. Tell them how much we missed them, and give them a big hug. Hayden and I decided that we will surprise them with a trip to get some frozen yogurt after school to celebrate the first day. :)

august 1.

2011-08-01T23:36:00.000-07:00

The month of August is here! I cannot believe that our summer is winding down. The girls have just one more week until school starts. We are not ready! We are enjoying summer so much. I love this time with my girls. We enjoyed a wonderful weekend as a family. We celebrated my birthday this weekend. The weekend included dinner out, tasty martinis, tennis, a trip to La Jolla, good times with friends, and lots of laughs.

Here are a few pictures from La Jolla this weekend.

interview with a 2 yr old.

2011-07-28T15:12:00.000-07:00

Interview With A 2 Yr Old from Danielle Calhoun on Vimeo.

If she isn't the cutest, most adorable 2 year old, I don't know what is! I sure love this sweet girl!

weekend fun at Rancho Las Palmas.

2011-07-23T08:49:00.000-07:00

Now that the weekend is here again, maybe I should blog about our adventure last weekend. Last minute we decided to take a trip out to the desert for some weekend fun. We stayed at the Rancho Las Palmas resort in Rancho Mirage. It was the absolute perfect family resort! They had an amazing water park that the girls just loved. It had waterslides, a lazy river, beach entry pool with sand, and a splash pad. Perfect for the 110 degree heat. Hayden went strong all day long. She loved every minute!

Madison and Morgan went crazy on the waterslides. They would go up, down, up down. They loved it! Brad and I joined them quite a few times, and it was quite fun!

Here is Brad having some fun on the waterslides. It is so much fun to enjoy being a kid again with your kids. Not only does it help to keep you young, but your kids love it. Win, win! :) Not to mention, it is a lot of fun!

We had 3 very tired girls at the end of the day. Here is Morgan after a long day of sun and water enjoying a snack....

just chillin'.

2011-07-18T22:03:00.000-07:00

We are staying cool this summer and spending a lot of time in the water.

LOVE these girls. and LOVE the time I get with them this summer.

Swim Team.

2011-07-14T22:08:00.000-07:00

Madison and Morgan joined the swim team at the end of the school year, and have been working hard all summer, practicing 4 days a week. The most important thing of all is that they absolutely love it. They are really, really doing well and are working so hard. Every 3 weeks they are "tested" as they go through stroke school to learn the specifics. Today they were tested again, and they passed to the next level. They were so proud. I am so proud of them.

4th of July weekend.

2011-07-06T16:08:00.000-07:00

we had a fairly quiet 3 day weekend, which was so nice. we went on a few bike rides, long walks, spent some time in the pool, and actually had some relaxing moments! It was nice.

We enjoyed a BBQ with some friends on saturday night, which included s'mores, which is always super fun for the kids. Here are the girls roasting their marshmallows. yum!

Our friends have these cute little dogs, and they were sure that they would have luck getting a s'more from the littlest. It was hilarious watching her run around trying to protect her s'more from the dogs. :)

After a BBQ and s'mores we watched fireworks (we get to see them on saturday night here) , and called it a day.

On the 4th, our plan was to take it pretty easy, but we decided to take the girls to the local parade for some patriotic fun. It was a good idea.....or so we thought. I mean, the parade was really cute, but it was insanely hot. I mean seriously hot. We couldn't find any shade at first, so we set up our chairs in the sun and sat down to burn. Well, I don't even know that we sat. We were all dripping sweat from the long walk to get there, and could hardly imagine roasting in the sun for the next hour. Right behind us was this little patio for a local quilting store. We decided to move our chairs up there for some shade. The shade was nice, although, it was still HOT. We stood there dripping sweat trying to enjoy the parade. I even put Hayden's chair up on the bench so she could see, then I stood there the entire time to be sure she wouldn't fall. I think we got a few more pics, but this one sums it up best. The girls all look hot and miserable, and me....I am trying to smile through it. We made it about 30 minutes into the parade, and just had to leave. By this point too, Madison had a fever and was not feeling well, so that was an easy out!

And that was it. Our 4th weekend. All in all, very nice. It was nice not running around for once, and taking it easy.

anniversary date.

2011-06-27T22:29:00.000-07:00

When we were in Laguna Beach for vacation, Brad and I were able to enjoy a night out to celebrate our anniversary. It was SO nice. Brad's mom came over to our condo and stayed with the girls for the night.
Here we are ready to go. All pics for the night were taken on my iphone. I wish I had some pictures of our outfits, but I don't! It was so fun getting dressed up for the night.

First stop, Surf and Sand resort/Splashes restaurant in Laguna beach for dinner and drinks. We had an amazing view from our table. It was right on the beach. I loved every minute.

My salmon dinner was sooooo good. Brad ordered a Filet and we shared a few bites of each others meals. Both meals were amazing. It was such a treat eating dinner and enjoying nice conversation.

After dinner, our next stop was the beach. We walked around, enjoyed the beauty, and watched the sun set.

The beautiful sunset as seen through an iphone. :)

We were enjoying our night and our time together......and then I get a text from Morgan.......

Morgan Calhoun: Mommy, Madison is bleeding really bad out of her head.

Mommy: Morgan, what happened?

And that's when I called grandma. She answers her cell and I ask her, what happened?! She tells me that Madison hit her head on the coffee table and she was trying to control the bleeding. In true Grandma Pat fashion she tells me, don't worry, I'll call you later. Well, if anyone knows me well, you know that I would not have been able to enjoy my night any longer knowing my daughter was hurt. We hurried back to our villa and looked at Madison's head. She had a pretty good size gash on her head, so Brad and I took her to a local urgent care clinic while grandma stayed with the other 2 girls.

After a 2 hour detour in our night, we had Madison repaired and better. We took her back to the Villa to go to sleep and we continued our night together! We put our suits on and enjoyed the hot tub, and a refreshing 10:30 pm swim in the pool. It was a ton of fun.

A few nights after our night out, Brad tells me he has a gift for me. I really had NO idea what it was. He pulls out an amazing, gorgeous, sparkling diamond(s) ring. It took my breath away. I was so shocked. He said he had plans to give it to me on our night out, but when the night was interrupted he did not get a chance to.

I will never forget our 13 year anniversary. Never.

June vacation.

2011-06-24T07:28:00.000-07:00

We just got home from a week long vacation that started in Laguna Beach. We enjoyed the first 3 days of our vacation hanging out at the pool, the beach, and having fun shopping in Costa Mesa. Here are the girls the first night in Laguna.

We had a dinner picnic on the beach the first night. Brad and I really enjoyed watching the sun fall on the ocean while we watched our 3 girls squeal with delight as they enjoyed one of their favorite things: the beach.

Hayden protecting her beach toys as she watches the big girls build sand castles with daddy.

Brad's mom and the girls cousin came and stayed with us for one night to watch the girls so Brad and I could enjoy a night out to celebrate our anniversary. (this will deserve a post of it's own)

After 3 days in Laguna, we jumped on a plane to fly up North to visit family. Our first stop was at my sister's house where the girls had fun with their cousins playing in the lake. We had a fun visit with them, BBQing, playing cards, and catching up. Brad and my sister's husband enjoyed a day of golf as well.

Our next stop...the girls and I spent the day with my mom while Brad visited with friends and old co-workers. We went to lunch at Panera, and spent hours talking and playing at a local park. It was a lot of fun. Hayden had just woken up in this photo, from a nice 2 hour nap at the park!

Our last stop on our trip was to visit Grammy. We also enjoyed visiting some friends while we were in the Bay area. The girls loved seeing friends that they had not seen in years. Here is Grammy and I on Pier 39 in SF.

We had a very eventful, very fun trip. We came home tired, as we always do, but it was well worth it!

13 years.

2011-06-20T14:06:00.000-07:00

Today, June 20, 2011 represents our 13 year wedding anniversary. I sit here thinking back to our wedding day, which seems like a lifetime ago. I can still feel the excitement, the nerves, and the love that I felt that day. We were young & in love with a lifetime ahead of us. 13 years later, we are still young & in love. I am so thankful that we were so lucky to meet one another so young. Almost 15 years ago, Brad and I both were ready to begin our freshman year of college at California Baptist University. I moved into the dorms, and did not know a soul. I said a tearful goodbye to my mom and packed up to go to Lake Arrowhead for our freshman orientation trip. The first day there, my roommate and I walked into a game room. From a distance I saw a few guys playing pool. I walk over to the table and announced that I will play the winner for the next game. Well, that was Brad. (should I add that I won that game of pool?!) From that evening on, we were inseparable. I can't say exactly what it was, but we just clicked. Within the first month of being together, we both knew that it would be forever. At 18 years old, we knew we had found "the one". It's pretty amazing. In the moment I didn't realize how truly amazing it really was, but looking back I see it. Not everyone is lucky enough to find their perfect partner at 18 years old, and we were. God brought us together, and we are so grateful.

Here we are in the dorms in 1996 shortly after we met. (pay no attention to the 90's clothing...overalls?!)

June 20, 1998

In 13 years of marriage we have moved 11 times, had 3 beautiful girls, earned 2 college degrees, purchased 3 houses and 7 cars. And everything in between. We have laughed, we have cried, we have been afraid, we have been happy. We have supported one another, we have dreamed together. He is a green and I am a gold. We are different yet so alike. We compliment each other. I truly love him more today than I did 13 years ago. I am not sure how that is possible, but it is. We have been through so much together.

13 years later, we are happier than ever.

Happy Fathers Day!

2011-06-19T21:51:00.000-07:00

Happy Fathers Day to the best daddy in the world! There is no doubt that Brad was made to have 3 girls. He is an amazing daddy to his 3 girls. He would do anything for them.

These 3 girls love their daddy so much. In Morgan's words, "You are the best daddy I could have".

Happy Fathers Day to Madison, Morgan & Hayden's daddy, my husband. I never could have imagined what my life would be like with kids, but one thing is for sure, I am so happy that my girls have a daddy like Brad. He loves them, and would do anything for them.

Happy Fathers Day, you are loved by all 4 of us so much!

summer blogging.

2011-06-10T07:51:00.000-07:00

I guess I am on the summer blogging schedule. My girls keep me so busy, I don't have much time for anything else! Our summer schedule has been chaotic so far, which is totally ok with me. I like to keep busy, and I like the girls to be busy. I mean, a little bit of downtime is nice though! I think we will enjoy a little downtime today.

Our summer so far means: Madison & Morgan have swim team practice 4 days a week. Hayden has swimming lessons 2 times a week. The girls have both enjoyed having friends over to play a few times a week. They have also played at friends houses. We have been to Disneyland, the aquarium, the beach, out to lunch, out to dinner, the library multiple times, and the pool. And we are 2 weeks into summer? Definitely having fun!

I have one lonely iphone picture to share of the girls with their very first friends, Ian & Emma. They are all at the aquarium.

summer is here!

2011-06-01T21:56:00.000-07:00

The girls were officially on summer break last Friday at 1 pm! We have had a very eventful beginning to our summer. Loving it so far. I love having them home, and the freedom to have fun all day!

We've been to the movies (Kung Fu Panda 2), out to dinner a few times, disneyland, playdates & the beach. In just a few days.

We always love our disney trips.

We had a fun day out at the beach on Tuesday. Madison's teacher set up an end of the school year beach day, which was so much fun! A few pics from our day.....

This baby girl, could she be any cuter? NO way!

Madison & her best friend. They are just too cute.

And my sweet girl, Morgan. Love her suit!

A few days into summer, and we are busy, busy. I wouldn't have it any other way. I love spending time with my girls. Love it!

this week on my iphone.

2011-05-28T20:44:00.000-07:00

We had a whirlwind of a week, that I tried to capture a little bit on my iphone. Well, I did use the camera a few times, but haven't uploaded them yet. The beginning of the week consisted of swim lessons for Hayden, Dr. Appt for me, orthodontist appt for Madison & dentist appt for Morgan. Since this week was the last week of school for the school year, the girls also had some busy schedules at school.

Number of times Hayden went to the park this week (Mon-Fri)....3 times, for a total of 7 hours of park play. Since she loves the park, she has no problem with this! She was really impressing me this week with her climbing abilities, and how she is able to totally keep up with the big kids on the park equipment. Madison & Morgan each had a park day at school, so Hayden & I joined their classes at the park.

But, these park days meant that I had a totally exhausted 2 year old every afternoon. She took great naps!

The last week of school also meant that I would make the girls some special breakfasts before school. I don't have any pics of the yummy crepes I made, but I did make the girls our family recipe for french crepes on Wednesday morning. Friday morning (the last day of school), I made them chocolate chip pancakes.

As I was doing the big girls hair on Friday morning, they requested that Hayden have pig tails. She sat through it, and kept them in long enough for me to take a quick picture, but seconds later they were out. She was not a fan of having her hair like this!

Hayden and I spent Friday doing errands together while the big girls were at school, and we decided that we would have lunch together at Panera. Our last one on one lunch date for this school year. We love going out to lunch together. She is so cute, and really enjoys it. I love that time with her.

But, we miss the big sisters when they are at school. We came home & had popsicles in the back yard. They are both super excited to be home for the summer. I am looking forward to spending more time with them. We have some fun stuff planned for this summer, can't wait!

USS Midway.

2011-05-22T19:41:00.000-07:00

We had an event yesterday that Brad's work sponsored. It took place on the USS Midway docked in San Diego. The event was focused on supporting military families. Here are Brad and the big girls at the event.

The girls absolutely loved touring the inside of the ship & the aircraft. Even Hayden loved it, and was sure to tell us, "fun", as we were leaving the ship.

Not only was it a fabulous event, but it was such a great family day.

student of the month.

2011-05-17T21:15:00.000-07:00

I have to rewind back to the end of March here. I can't let this achievement slide by without blogging it.
Madison earned student of the month in her class at the end of March. Her teacher emailed me just a few days before, and let me know that she chose Madison for student of the month. I was to keep it a secret so that she was surprised on Friday morning when the announcement was made. It was Brad's birthday, so we told Madison that daddy was going to come with us to school that morning & go to work a little late. She had no idea!

Here she is accepting her award.

Madison's teacher talking about her giving her the award.

I am so proud of my Madison. Hearing her teacher talk about how successful she has been in 2nd grade made me smile so big. I am proud of my 8 year old. She is such a great student, a wonderful friend, and an intelligent little girl. I knew all of this, but hearing it from another person sure makes a mama proud.

Great work Madison, you make mommy & daddy proud.

Mother's Day 2011 {The Living Desert}

2011-05-09T22:12:00.000-07:00

I had an amazing Mother's Day weekend. Brad & the girls took such great care of me, and treated me like a queen all weekend long. Saturday night included a dinner of grilled salmon, asparagus, red potatoes, and a glass of red velvet wine. Brad prepared everything, and it was soooo good.

And these 3 beautiful girls. They made me a mommy. To say "I Love Them" is a complete understatement. The amount of love I have for these girls is too much for words.

Here is what I woke up to on Sunday morning. What mommy wouldn't be excited to wake up to a table full of homemade cards & gifts, flowers, and a little blue bag {Tiffany & Co}.

and here is what I found in that little blue bag. A gorgeous necklace. Brad definitely knows how to pick out beautiful jewelry. I love it!

Here is a better photo of my new Mother's Day necklace. :)

After a relaxing morning, homemade breakfast by Brad, and some lounging around, we decided to head out to the desert. Going out to the desert, where my 3rd baby was born seemed very appropriate on Mother's Day. We stopped at a lookout point overlooking the desert. The wind was INSANE! I mean, the type of wind that pulls your car door off when you open it. The type of wind that sucks everything out of your car when you open the door. Brad got out first to be sure I wouldn't blow away if I got out. haha. He discovered it would be OK, so Madison & I got out of the car. Morgan & Hayden stayed inside.

This second picture cracks me up. Madison was scared she was going to fly away.

We went to the Living Desert, which is very similar to the Wild Animal Park, just a smaller version. The girls loved it!

Thank you to my wonderful husband for a fabulous Mother's Day weekend, and thank you to my girls for making me a mommy & loving me so much.

Photo compliments of Madison. She is quite a photographer! :)

Disney days.

2011-05-08T10:31:00.000-07:00

we sure are enjoying our days of disney passes.
we are taking advantage of all southern california has to offer while we live here.
we have been visiting disney regularly all year long, and the girls have both been anxiously awaiting to reach the height requirement on this ride, California Screamin'. The girls are complete thrill seekers, and love roller coasters. Madison was officially tall enough for this ride. Morgan didn't quite stand tall enough and missed it by about 1/2 an inch. Madison & I went on the ride. WOW. That is quite the ride. I probably screamed more than Madison!

One of Hayden's most favorite things about Disneyland is the characters. Last week she literally ran after Mickey. She loves to see her favorite characters, and gets so excited. It is so cute.

Here is Morgan & I riding the carousel. Still an original favorite. Of course, the fact that is sits right in between 2 of the girls favorite rides (Toy Story & California Screamin').

25 months.

2011-05-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

What is life like for Hayden at 25 months?

Full of laughs & fun. Hayden is aways smiling & laughing. Our happy girl!

and 100% potty trained! she did it all on her own. she wants to be a big girl like her sisters.
diapers are gone...not even at night! she truly impresses me with how smart she is. she feels that clothes are completely overrated. If I let her, she would totally leave the house in underwear. She likes to be comfortable, who can blame her?

I don't think she could be any cuter. we have so much fun together. I cherish these days we have together. I know they grow fast, and before I know it she will be starting kindergarten.

one of her favorite things to do is play outside. right when we get home, she yells, outside!

she loves the outdoors. does not like to wear her shoes, but loves to wear everyone else's shoes.

she loves her sisters to play in the back yard with her. she was playing outside last week with Madison, and Madison decided to come in the house. she ran inside and said, "other one sissy, outside!" SO cute. How could Morgan resist. Morgan ran outside to play with her.

Hayden, you are loved & adored!

boom, boom, POW.

2011-05-01T19:17:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: We do not promote violence. We do not encourage 7&8 year old fights. BUT, we are parents that need to have a little laugh now and then!

BOOM.

BOOM.

POW!

and all together now....

We actually had a super day at Disneyland today with lots of super cute pictures. BUT, this little sequence just stood out. Madison & Morgan are the best of friends or have the best of fights. I think this comes with the territory when you are 16 months apart.

"Girls, can you stand over there for a picture please?" says daddy

Article 1, photo one: Morgan pushes Madison
Article 1, photo two: Morgan is now smiling for the photo, but Madison has not forgiven her for the push, she is winding up.
Article 1, photo 3: Madison goes in for the punch. Morgan down.

friendship.

2011-04-26T21:50:00.000-07:00

I can hardly handle it tonight. My girls are growing so quickly, and looking back at pictures tonight has me sad. :( I am so glad that they are healthy, happy & becoming beautiful little girls, but there is something about the innocence of a baby or a toddler. Something that goes by all too quickly.

Morgan had her friend Emma over to play on her birthday last week. Emma & Morgan have been friends since they were born. Literally. They are are sweet together, and love each other so much.

but, a quick trip down memory lane, and looking through photos from 6 years ago makes me all teary. Here is Morgan and Emma back in 2005. Morgan on the left, Emma on the right. (Emma & Morgan are 7 months apart in age) I am so thankful that Morgan has this friendship.

PS: Can anyone tell me why all of my photos are showing blurry in blogger now? This just started a few days ago. The pics are clear in iphoto, and when uploaded here, they get blurry?

she is 7!

2011-04-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

Happy 7th birthday to my Morgan! I remember the day you were born like it was yesterday.
You are such a special little girl. I couldn't have asked for a more caring, compassionate, loving, sensitive, sweet little girl. You are constantly thinking about other peoples feelings, and putting others before yourself. You are incredibly sweet. I am so thankful to have you in my life, and I cherish you.

A few things about you at 7 years old....

You LOVE fashion. Clothes, jewelry, shoes, you name it! You are a fashion queen! I've been known to ask your advice when it comes to outfits. You just have the eye!

You are a collector. As if 20 lip glosses is not enough, you are excited to go spend your allowance on more lip gloss! ha!

You are a lover. You love your family so much. You have a heart of gold.

You are incredibly beautiful. There are times I gaze into your eyes and cannot believe that you were once growing inside of me.

I could go on and on about your qualities. But most of all I want you to know that I will always be here for you every step of life. Mommy will love you regardless of what life brings us.

Happy birthday to my sweet 7 year old girl!!!!!

easter banner.

2011-04-19T13:20:00.000-07:00

the girls and I had some fun making these Easter banners last weekend. they are super cute, and are supposed to look like the plastic eggs with the line in the middle. any guesses on what we used for these?

yes! we used these paint chips from Home Depot.

here is a close up of one of the banners. this project is so simple! I have to say that I did not come up with this idea though! ha. I got the idea from ohdeedoh. I did change it up a little bit, but got the idea from there.

the only supplies that you need are the paint chips & some kind of string to hang your eggs on. I actually bought some string from Home Depot when I was there picking out paint colors. ha. I felt like I needed to buy something there. :)

You can download the egg template by clicking the link above. I just traced the template on my paint chips and cut them out. I discovered when I got home that I had some paint chips with 4 colors and some with 3 colors. this threw off my project a bit, which is why I decided to make 2 different banners. the paint chips with 3 colors can make the larger eggs, and the ones with 4 colors make the smaller eggs. after the eggs are cut out, put 2 small holes with a very small hole punch. then you can string the eggs on. I also overlapped my eggs a bit. so easy, so cute, & something that Madison enjoyed helping me with.

don't blink.

2011-04-15T22:20:00.000-07:00

the last few days have been a complete blur for me. a fun blur, but an absolutely exhausting one. beginning thursday, Madison had her 2nd grade field trip to Legoland. all 3 girls ready for the day, bags packed for a day at legoland, Morgan taken to her friends house before school (since we were leaving too early to take her to school), all done by 7:45 am. Hayden and I are off to Legoland to enjoy the day with Madison & her 2nd grade classmates.

Madison with her teacher and a few of her classmates.

friday morning begins at 5:45 am as I pack up the car for another long day. Morgan's 1st grade field trip is to the Wild Animal Park. We had to be out of the house at 7am to take Madison to her friends house so she could get to school later that morning. then Morgan, Hayden & I headed over to the school to meet her class at 7:30 am.

baby girl hayden hanging with the big girls at the Wild Animal park. she definitely thinks she is about 5. she does an excellent job with keeping up, sometimes I forget that she is just barely 2.

and thank you to the iphone camera that I can hold out in front of me to get the picture of the lovely butterfly that landed on my head in the butterfly exhibit. we all loved the butterflies. it was really cool!

Morgan with her friend Nicole. they had a lot of fun together today. I love this pic of these 2 beautiful girls. the girls and I had such a fun day roaming around the Wild Animal Park with our friends. thanks to Nicole & her momma for a FUN day! we are thankful for great friends. :-)

after a crazy few days with little sleep, constant craziness, never being home, total exhaustion & a TON of fun, I realize that I have to be at the soccer field at 8 am tomorrow morning. YEAH! I better get in bed!

we miss her.

2011-04-12T22:06:00.000-07:00

we had Grammy in town for the 2nd week of spring break. (my grandma, the girls great-grandma) it was so nice to have her here with us. she was a huge help with the girls so I could go to some must needed dr's appts. with 3 young children, and a very busy husband it is so hard to take care of ME. it was nice to have the help, we miss having her nearby. we really enjoyed a week full of fun.

we went to Coronado Island and enjoyed the beautiful weather.

this adorable little baby always enjoys our trips to the beach!

the girls were thrilled to look for seashells with Grammy. and Grammy was just as happy!

we enjoyed frozen yogurt, walks, the park, lots of laughing, and lots of talking. lots of good home cooked food, and some yummy meals out. this picture really cracks me up, because I am holding my phone out in front of us to take a picture, and Morgan managed to get her little face in between us. heheee. (look close!)

what else do you do when Grammy is visiting? why, Antique shopping of course. Grammy introduced the girls to antiquing and they loved it. all 3 of them did a great job not touching the fragile items, and enjoying the stores like big girls! Grammy loved sharing that with them.

we had quiet evenings together, as we enjoyed each others company, enjoyed good food & good wine!

there is something special about enjoying a glass of wine with your grandma. I cherish these moments with her.

we had a wonderful time with Grammy. the girls miss her so much and enjoyed every moment of her visit. I don't think she was prepared to be argued over! haha. but the girls definitely wanted every bit of attention from her they could get. Hayden loved having Grammy here as well. she enjoyed the cuddles, kisses, and lots & lots of reading they did together. she went home VERY tired. we wore her out. :)

april scraps.

2011-04-11T10:21:00.000-07:00

I have just loved the April {Medley} kit from Back Porch Memories.

all of the papers were just beautiful, and perfect for my girly scrapbook pages! here are a few more pages I made with the kit this month. :)

hard to believe that this one that was once the baby of the family is going to be 7 in a few weeks.

I always get the question, "how do you find time to scrapbook", or people will tell me, "I want to do it but don't have any time". well, honestly, when it comes down to it, I don't have the extra time either. BUT, I make the time. it is so important to me to make these albums for my kids to have. I really don't have any photos from my childhood. I love that they will be able to look back and see memories after memories of their childhood and read about how much I love them. I generally scrapbook late at night when the kids are sleeping & Brad is working late. we are talking 10pm-12am are my usual scrapbook hours. and you know what else, I really love doing it. I have this creative side of me that needs to be used! happy Monday. :)

soccer saturdays.

2011-04-09T14:57:00.000-07:00

these 2 started soccer season again. this will be a fun season, because they are on the same team this spring. the way their birthdays landed, they both were able to play in the U8 division. I have to say, that I love soccer season. I really, really enjoy watching my girlies play sports. so fun.

here are the soccer twinsies. that is what Brad and I call them out on the field. hehe. they are the same exact size, it's hilarious!

here are some pictures of them playing. I really like their coach this season, and I think that they will definitely learn a lot. they have a great team.

and now we are off to the park this afternoon to play some more soccer as a family! I am glad that they love the sport, it is so good for them!

Brad's birthday weekend.

2011-04-05T19:50:00.000-07:00

I think I might be a little behind on blogging! all of these events I am looking back on, and I haven't blogged. I am on catch up! here is Brad's birthday weekend on my iphone. love that trusty camera!

Brad had what you call a "birthday weekend". we started the evening of his birthday out at yardhouse, and ate a YUMMY dinner! I had the jambalaya. that was sooo good! they brought this cute desert plate out for Brad, and I was so impressed! so cool! they got an A+ for presentation, not so much for taste. :)

we get home after dinner, and Brad says, why don't we take a last minute trip this weekend to Vegas? huh? what? really? those would all be included in my responses. was I super thrilled about it? um, no.

BUT, it is HIS weekend, so I told him, let's go. we packed our bags & headed to Vegas. we stayed at the Venetian, which was an amazing place to stay! we had a beautiful suite. and we were officially in Vegas with 3 kids. oh yeah.

there were some good things & some (well, let's call them learning experiences for us). we will start with the good. MGM has a really cool lion exhibit that the girls LOVED! well, we loved it too. the lions were so cool, and we really enjoyed watching the little lion cub. so cute!

the girls had fun seeing the buildings, and the fun Vegas style stuff (mini eiffel tower, mini statue of liberty, roller coaster, etc)

the M&M factory was for sure a highlight! the girls LOVED this place. at 12.99/pound for M&Ms, I was cringing at the amount I was spending on M&M's comparing how many I could get in the store for 50 cents. hehe. but, it was a fun experience for the kids, so there you have it. :)

there were definitely some fun things in Vegas. Oh, forgot about the dinner at cheesecake factory. always yummy! but, I wouldn't consider Vegas to be kid friendly when it really comes down to it. UM, the card that Morgan picks up off the ground on the first night that we are there. Yes, it was a naked woman. Brad grabbed it from her within 10 seconds of pick up and said to her "oh, wow, it looks like this lady forgot to put her clothes on". Nice one! SO, Vegas.....not on our agenda to visit again in the near future. we've been there, the kids can say they've officially been to Vegas. they enjoyed it more than I did. :)

crafty challenge.

2011-04-01T07:27:00.000-07:00

I posted a challenge this morning at Back Porch Memories.
the challenge is print those photos from your camera phone & scrap them! It seems that I have been using my iphone more & more lately for taking pictures, but I have not done anything with them. I needed the inspiration to get myself to print these pictures and actually scrap them. I need to do this more often!

I used the April Medley kit at Back Porch Memories for this layout.

happy 2nd birthday Hayden!

2011-03-28T22:16:00.000-07:00

my baby girl is 2! we had a wonderful day together. we made it a point to do everything that a 2 year old would enjoy. I think Hayden had a pretty cool day. :)

it was a treat to have daddy home with us. the girls loved chasing daddy around the park!

favorite gifts: books, tricycle, dollhouse.

mommy & her big girl. (I think by this point in the day she was definitely over the camera!)

riding her new tricycle in the backyard.

and taking a break to enjoy her new dollhouse.

she loved her Mickey Mouse cake. it was SO cute, and it tasted as good as it looked! YUM!

what a wonderful day. I love birthdays.

birthday girl.

2011-03-27T23:12:00.000-07:00

I am all ready for this little one to turn 2 in the morning. well, not really emotionally ready, but I am ready. could it really be that it has been 2 years since this sweet baby came into my life. the details are all so fresh. born at 8:53 am, weighing 8 pounds, 11 ounces my 3rd baby girl was born in Palm Springs on March 28, 2009.

it just can't be?! I am so excited for her to enjoy a fun day tomorrow.
I just can't say enough about how much I love this girl. words really are inadequate.

happy birthday!

2011-03-25T14:14:00.000-07:00

happy birthday Brad.
33 years old today. it is hard to believe that we have celebrated 14 birthdays together.
time sure goes quickly, and I am realizing more than ever that life is precious. I am so grateful to be
celebrating with you today, and so thankful that God placed us together.

one of my favorite things is watching your interaction with our girls. you and I both know that God is a very smart God, and you were meant to be a daddy of girls. :)

your girls love you so much, and so does their mommy. we appreciate {greatly} how hard you work for our family. more than anything, we all love the time that we get to spend all together as a family. look at those smiles on their faces, they adore you!

Watching how excited the girls were as we were preparing for daddy's birthday was just a joy for me to see. they spent hours and hours making him homemade cards, wrapping gifts, and being sure that daddy would have a fun birthday. they set up the table last night with gifts, cards & decoration to ensure that daddy would be happy in the morning.

we all woke up very early this morning, and the excitement was similar to Christmas morning! even though they were the gift givers and not the gift receivers, they were just as excited. we came right downstairs, before the sun had even rose, and daddy opened his gifts.

here is a quick iphone pic from this morning. this is definitely pre-coffee. ha. (for Brad, that is!)

happy birthday to my husband, father of my girls, and best friend. I love you.

another day in March.

2011-03-22T23:29:00.000-07:00

just another day in March. it's been a while since I have lugged my camera around and documented my day, so here it is...

we head out the door for school around 8:30. we had a nice, calm morning getting ready which was nice. mornings are not always calm around here. getting 3 girls ready in the morning (well, really 4!) is not an easy job! ha!!

on tuesdays Hayden has her swim lesson, which she absolutely loves! here she is with her little buddy she swims with. soooo cute.

here are a few more from her lesson.....

by the time her lesson is over it is 11:30 am. her & I both agreed that it was definitely a Jamba Juice day. we headed over to Jamba & enjoyed our smoothies & snacks in the sun.

we got home around 12:30, and checked our mail. (definitely our routine, Hayden loves getting the mail) one of my many Gap orders is in the mail (hehe), so of course we go in the house and dig in!

Hayden is looking cute out front, so I had to snap a quick pic!

Hayden knows the routine when we get new clothes! my little model loves to try on her new clothes.

All of this picture taking has inspired my young photographer to take some photos. she is asking for my camera, "camera peez". how can I say no to that?

she attempts to take a picture & realizes the camera is too heavy, and gives it right back! :)

naptime! it's 1 pm and time for a nap. we have our storytime, and Hayden drifts of to sleep. I take advantage of some quiet time to do laundry (and maybe sneak on the computer for a little bit!)

by the time Hayden wakes up, it's almost time to get the big sisters from school. we have a quick snack before we leave and hop in the car.

we pick the big girls up, and are home around 3:45.

my big girl models are just as excited to try on their new clothes....Morgan is SO into fashion! a little sidenote: is this really my baby girl? she is looking so BIG here?! such a beauty.

home from school & homework time Madison (and Morgan) have inherited my old laptop, and they are quite excited about it! (momma is super excited about her new macbook pro!) she loves going online to do her math & spelling homework. there are some great sites she uses.

and that is it for pictures. the remainder of the night went pretty normal. dinner, baths, books. after the girls went down I did some baking & computer time. Brad walked through the door from work around 10:30, and now we are both exhausted & ready for bed.

night!

oh, these girls.

2011-03-17T23:16:00.000-07:00

so, this last weekend. big girls were having so much fun with each other being "best friends". and this is a good thing, and farther & farther in between as they are getting older. their disagreements seem to be more often than their loving moments...ok, anyway. I think it was saturday night, they were having a great time together. they asked if they could sleepover in each others room. sure, sounds like a plan. I kissed & hugged them goodnight and went downstairs. a few hours later I do up to go to bed, and do my nightly checking on them as I always do. (make sure they are covered, lights off...etc.) I walk into Madison's room, they are not there. walk into Morgan's room and this is what I see....

her dolls are sleeping in her bed? so my heart kinda drops. cannot find the girls in either room. I go to my room, nope. my heart is beating a little faster. where are my girls?!

back to Morgan's room....I open her closet and there they are! I laughed out loud when I saw this. literally. the closet doors were even closed. it's like they fell asleep playing hide and seek. but not really. ha. it looked so uncomfortable, and I couldn't leave them like that so we moved them to their beds.

these girls never cease to keep me on my toes!

our weekend.

2011-03-15T21:57:00.000-07:00

ahh, I have such an appreciation for the gorgeous weather that we have been having. Sunday is generally the only day that we get to spend all together as a family. we like to take advantage of our time together. we started the day off at church, came home for lunch, and headed to Balboa Park. if you have not been here, put it on your list of things to do. if you love beautiful architecture, museums, walking, and enjoy being outside.....you will love it as much as we do.

the architecture is incredible. everywhere you turn, there is another gorgeous building to gaze upon. I was so impressed with how much even the girls loved seeing the buildings, architecture & museums.

we enjoyed the beautiful botanical gardens. Morgan was very interested in the flowers, plants & taking photos of everything. I just love watching my kids explore & learn.

the girls had no problem posing for pictures around every corner. they had so much fun.

and this last picture was taken on my iphone. after lots of exploring & walking, we found a nice place to sit & have some snacks.

and a great day like this would have to be concluded with no cooking for me. heehe. on the way home we made at stop at chipotle for some dinner. one of my favorites! yum. I love beautiful weekends. love them.

my favorite weather.

2011-03-09T14:07:00.000-08:00

the weather could not have been any more perfect today. I love spring days like today. warm enough to start the day off by walking the girls to school. warm enough to spend hours at the park with Hayden. warm enough to take a trip over to jamba juice, and enjoy our smoothies while soaking up the sun. I love this weather.

the kind of weather where the girls get to run out back and play together after an early release day from school. they are all out back in their swimsuits playing with the water table and enjoying the back yard. outdoor play is so fun, and so important for kids. I encourage it whenever I can. I love this weather.

a few quick pics from my phone at the park today....

this week on my iphone.

2011-03-04T23:09:00.000-08:00

this week...

really enjoying my time with my baby. she is pure joy for me, and I just love our time together. I am so thankful that I have another chance to enjoy these toddler years. love this babe. love her.

a trip to Disney. short & sweet. just enough time there for the kids to have fun, and not drive the parents crazy! ha. more exciting me, dinner at pfchangs after disney.

Madison had another orthodontist appt this week for her top wire, and her expander. now that has been an experience for her and I. well, her more than me, but still...having an appliance cemented to the roof of your mouth cannot be fun?! she is having trouble eating, and food gets stuck in the expander. really, kinda gross as she comes over to me during dinner and has me dig out chewed up food stuck in her expander. hope she gets used to it with time!

and today the big girls brought home their 2nd trimester report cards. I am one proud momma! they both had excellent report cards. to read the words the teachers used to describe my girls made my heart swell with pride. I am so incredibly proud of them.

that called for a trip to get some frozen yogurt to celebrate their hard work.

23 months.

2011-02-28T14:12:00.000-08:00

could it really be? my baby is 23 months old today. time goes so quickly. it is so hard for me to believe that this little one it almost 2 years old!!!!!

Hayden, you are changing everyday. you wake up each day with new vocabulary. you are talking so much! it amazes me how much you say & know. you are one smart little girl. you are smart well beyond your months. mommy is so proud of you.

smile, Hayden! the first thing you do is give me this silly smile. I tell you, show me your real smile! and you laugh and smile again.
words really can't even express what you mean to me & what you mean to each person in our family. you are pretty amazing, little one.

rainy day crafts.

2011-02-26T17:13:00.000-08:00

we had had a few rainy saturdays the last few weeks. when kids get bored, kids fight! SO, I have tried to keep them busy with some indoor crafts. my girls love the American Girl crafts. even better when I found tons of them after Christmas for 75% off at the grocery store!!! Morgan wanted to make this little ipod touch case. it looked so cute. well, let's just say that this one turned into my project too, but it sure is cute. and she loves it too!

Madison had a little sewing kit to make these adorable felt pins. she loved learning to sew, and did a really good job!

and this is what I love to do on a rainy day! I made this with the February kit at Back Porch Memories.

and baby H. this is what she has spent her rainy day doing. she is VERY aware of the potty and seems so interested in wanting to do it. with 2 big sisters, everything big girl is what she wants to do. and to have a big sister nice enough to sit and read to you while you are sitting on the potty. so awesome!

new smile.

2011-02-23T17:12:00.000-08:00

Madison woke up this morning with this beautiful smile. ready for another great day in 2nd grade.

after a 2 hour visit to the orthodontist, here is Madison's new smile. she still goes back next week for additional brackets, wires & expander, but this is our beginning journey with Madison's teeth. she was an excellent patient, and earned a trip to get some frozen yogurt after. she is super excited about her new look, and I think that she is adorable!

our family in colors.

2011-02-22T14:51:00.000-08:00

Brad has a color test that he uses at work. a while ago he came home and had me take it too. it is VERY interesting! ever since we took these tests and have discovered our "color", we have had fun referring to each other & our girls by our color.

in all honesty though, it really makes relationships better when you understand why people do what they do or think the way they think. for instance, when Morgan is emotional about something, we look at each other, and Brad will say, she just needs a hug & some love, she is blue. hehe. you will understand it more if you read more about the colors....

HE is green. here is a bit about what it means to be green....

I need the freedom to utilize my intelligence, to pursue knowledge and wisdom. And to develop competency by acquiring new skills and abilities. I view life as something to make sense of, to be understood and explained. I want to be able to predict what will happen to my environment, and therefore be able to control it. I may find it difficult to interact with others because I have a low tolerance for what I perceive as illogical and/or emotional thinking.

My drive for perfection makes me what the world terms a “workaholic”. Yet this focus on work is natural for me since work is play. I am abstract, conceptual, and an independent thinker. I am drawn to careers that constantly challenge my mind and fields where I can develop models, explore ideas, or build systems to satisfy my need to deal with the innovative. However, once I have perfected an idea, my ingenious mind moves on, leaving the project to be maintained and supported by others.

Since I prefer to let my head rule my heart, I do not want complex relationships. My dislike for repetition makes it difficult for me to continuously express feelings that I believe once stated should be obvious to my partner. Uneasy with the idea of being controlled by my emotions, I want to establish a relationship and have it maintain itself while I turn energies back to my career.

As a child I appeared older than my years, almost like a miniature adult. I focused all my attention on whatever interested me, and therefore, achieved in the subjects that stimulated and satisfied me mentally, while neglecting others. I was impatient with drill and routine, questioned authority, and found it necessary to respect a teacher’s knowledge of the subject before I could learn from him or her.

SHE is green.

SHE is blue. and a little bit about what it is like to be blue...

I need freedom to search for the meaning and significance of life. I want to find ways to make my life count and matter, and to become my own real authentic self. Integrity and honesty are important to me, and I am highly idealistic and spiritual by nature. Paradoxically, I also continuously seek unity with others and make such commitments to them that I often find myself trying to be what others want me to be.

At work I am creative, communicative, and people-oriented. I see potential and possibilities all around me. I tend to have a strong desire to influence others so that they, too, may lead more significant lives; and, therefore, I often go into the creative arts, communication fields, the helping professions, and teaching. Others look to me as a source of inspiration, as I am adept at motivating and interacting with others.

Harmonious relationships are of the utmost importance to me. I am the true romantic that believes in the perfect love forever after. I bring drama, warmth, and empathy to all my relationships. I enjoy the symbols of romance; the flowers, candlelight, and music, while cherishing the small gestures of love, holding hands, the poem, and the love note.

As a child I was communicative and artistic at an early age. Extremely imaginative, I found it difficult to fit into the structure of school life, and reacted with great sensitivity to discordance or rejection. I responded to encouragement and sought recognition that was valued.

SHE is gold. and what does it mean to be gold?

I need to be responsible, to fulfill my duties and obligations, to organize and structure my life as I see fit. I am practical, sensible, and punctual. I believe that people should earn their way in life through work and service to others. I need to know that I belong, and that I deserve my place in life. I strive to carry my fair share of the load in all areas of life, and sometimes I may go unappreciated for my efforts or be taken for granted.

Parental by nature, I need to take care of others. This leads me into fields such as teaching, selling, medicine and business. I provide stability wherever I go. I am the backbone of many organizations. My ability to see and handle details may go unnoticed by others, along with my willingness to work hard. I believe in a good day’s work for a good day’s pay and cannot understand anyone who does not. To me it’s work before play, even if I have to work overtime to get the job done.

I take love seriously, and tend to have traditional, conservative views of love and marriage. I have a strong concept of home and family, and want a mate willing to work along with me, building a secure predictable life together. I demonstrate love and affection through the practical things I do for my loves ones.

Having a strong sense of right and wrong, as a child I automatically wanted to follow the rules and regulations of school. I understood and respected authority, thrived on the repetition of structure in the classroom and was comfortable with academic routine. I adapted well to the educational system.

and what is SHE? we are not sure yet. we were talking about it the other night. there is one other color that I have not mentioned yet, and that is orange. she could have some orange? definitely a little blue too? she could have some gold? we are not sure?

here is orange

I must be free to act on a moments notice, impulsively and spontaneously. I believe that life is to enjoy, so I thrive on fun, variety and excitement. Living in the moment, I take action for action’s sake, rather than for long-range goals. I am playful and lighthearted, yet possess enormous endurance and stamina. A born adventurer and competitor, I am challenged to take risks and test the limits of life. When my need for immediate action is blocked by delays and limitations, I become frustrated, impatient, and unhappy.

Any job that is routine and structured can leave me bored and restless. I find the most satisfaction in careers that allow my independence and freedom of movement, while utilizing both my physical coordination and love of tools. I find any kind of tool an extension of myself, whether it is machinery, musical instruments, paint brushes, scalpels, carpentry tools, athletic equipment, or the like. I am a natural performer whether on the playing field, stage, or simply in the spotlight of life.

I want a relationship of shared activity and interest. I like to explore new vacation spots, try out new hobbies and recreations, eat at different restaurants, and discover new ways to energize a relationship to keep it fresh and exciting.

Of all the children in school, I had the hardest time fitting into the academic routine. I learned by experiencing and doing rather than by being told, by reading, or completing workbooks. I need physical involvement in the learning process.

most people will have a dominant color. but most people will also have a second color that may represent them as well. Brad uses this color test at work to understand people. we use it at home to understand our family. it is so important to understand and accept that everyone is so different. not everyone will think, feel, act, or believe like you do. understanding our differences makes us closer.

almost 2 yr old + almost 3 hour dr. visit?

2011-02-19T09:53:00.000-08:00

ok, normally those 2 things would not go well together. we are talking an almost 2 year old + an almost 3 hour dr. visit. probably would = disaster most of the time. I am SO proud of my baby!

I have had the worst pain in my right leg. if I rewind about 7 years, I started having sciatic nerve pain when I was pregnant with Morgan, towards the end. after I had her it went away. fast forward to pregnancy with Hayden. sciatic nerve pain is back, and worse. it never really went away after I had her, but would come & go. in the last few months it has been horrible. like, in pain all day long, and limping around. the pain generally starts at my hip and will shoot down into my knee or even my foot. I finally decided that the pain was worth going to the dr. for. I went to an orthopedic sports dr, and he was excellent.

Back to the appt. Hayden and I have now been in the office for 1.5 hours, and I need x-rays. they are in the office, which is nice, but obviously Hayden can't come in there with me. the girls at the office offer to watch her for me, so nice. Hayden is so easy going, and she has no problem sitting with them for 10 minutes. what a girl. the dr. comes back into the room to go over the x-rays with me. apparently I have arthritis in my hip (from YEARS of sports), and bursitis. he recommended a one time cortisone shot into my hip to help with the pain. seriously, I NEED something for my pain, so I went with it. he said that if this doesn't help, I will need an MRI to figure out what else is wrong. wait, back to the arthritis? I am 32 years old!? I did not know that 32 & arthritis could be in the same sentence!? I really think that this pregnancy thing has taken a toll on my body. specifically the (almost) 9 pound baby I carried last. or, the almost 30 pound 22 month old that I carry around on my hip all the time? whatever is going on, hurts. so far, pain is still there. dr. said to give it 4 days, and we will go from there.

back to my big girl.....we checked into the appt at 8:55 am, and walked out of there at about 11:40 am. almost 3 hours, and Hayden was perfect. she really was. not one melt down, not one tear. she ate her snacks I brought, and spent at least an hour reading this magazine. the nurses & dr. were all SO impressed with her. they said, not only is she the cutest girl, she is also well behaved! I was SO proud of her. my little sidekick.

dreaming of Maui.

2011-02-16T13:55:00.000-08:00

I am sitting here on this very rainy, cold & dreary day dreaming about Maui. after being there for 8 days, not one person in our family was ready to leave. maybe we need 2 weeks next time?here are some of my iphone pics from the trip. love looking back on them. we definitely have some really nice memories. :)

Morgan is so sweet with her sister. she wanted so badly to hold her on the plane. she held to her and read to her as Hayden snuggled up with her. so sweet.

we drove north, and encountered some of the most beautiful views we have ever seen. honestly, everywhere you drive in Maui is gorgeous.

I love this picture, since it is one of the very few that we have together as a family. taken right near black rock as we were about to go out and snorkel.

another one taken right before we snorkeled black rock.

and another....Morgan & I were getting ready to go out and snorkel together.

and the story behind this one....we woke up first morning in Maui, Morgan comes into our room at around 5:30 am (time change is great with kids--haha). she tells me, "mommy I am red". I was quite sleepy and heard something like, mommy I am wet. wasn't really awake yet. it was super dark still, and she lifts up her shirt and shows me...I brought her out in the light and couldn't believe my eyes. Morgan was covered head to toe in hives. COVERED. I kinda freaked out a bit (on the inside, not on the outside). we are in a different state, on an island, and I have no idea where to take her. I called the front desk and they gave me a few #s to call. nothing opened until 8 am, unless we wanted to go to the ER on the other side of the island. we took her into the dr. right when they opened. come to find out that dr's in Hawaii don't take our CA health ins?? very odd. we were seen by a dr. that really didn't help much. I was pretty frustrated. I ended up giving her some zyrtec, and the hives began to fade by the evening. I thought all was well. next morning Morgan wakes up, and the hives are even WORSE. not sure how this is possible, but it was bad. I took her back into the practice, and we saw a different dr, who was much better and much more attentive. he said she definitely needed a steroid to clear up the hives, and to be sure she didn't get worse, or go into shock. we are still not 100% sure what caused the hives, but my best guess is the augmentin that she was on for her ear infections? she was on day 8 of the prescription, but I have read that you can have allergic reactions well into the dose of antibiotic. so, we are not really sure? either way, the steroid cleared it up within 24 hours. just a little excitement for our vacation.

so, I sit here and listen to the rain fall in jeans and a sweater, drinking hot chocolate. as I dream about sitting by the pool with my pina colada. loved these naps by the pool with Hayden. (except for the uneven sunburn I ended up with!)

guest designing.

2011-02-15T00:01:00.000-08:00

I was recently asked by Devon Hickman, the owner of Catch The Moments Kits to be guest designer for this month. I was more than honored, and so excited to create with her gorgeous kit!

I designed with her Sugar kit, along with some Sugar add-ons. The kit featured the sweetness collection from pink paislee. I loved these papers!!!!

here are 2 layouts I created with her kit, and of course had product left over. I just can't get over how sweet Hayden & Owen are in these pictures. LOVE them!

Be sure to stop on over at Catch The Moments,

and check out her etsy shop to see her fabulous kits!