A Good Tieman Place

2011-12-14T14:21:00.000-07:00

Blessed be the flexible,
For they shall not get bent out of shape.

Conversation with Cody

2011-12-02T08:53:00.000-07:00

Cody and I were driving to go get something to eat. After we got our food I gave him my change. He also had left over lunch money...about $1.50. So this was our conversation driving home:

Cody: Wow Mom, I have a lot of money! ($1.59 at that point)
Me: Yeah, you're rich. You can take care of mommy when you get older.
Cody: Yeah.... I'll have to save lots of money so I can buy you a wheelchair for when you get really old, huh?
Me:....BBHHHAAAAAHHHHAAAAA

Ah, I love my boys!

Trevor's 4th Birthday

2011-11-22T09:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Trevor's 4th birthday....and according him, now he's a grown up...aahhh, I love that boy!

We started our day at Target. I like to let Trevor pick out his toys because for some reason I have no clue what he likes? I'll see something and think that he would really like it, and then I get shot down every time. So, Trevor picks his own toys. Yesterday he picked a 3ft Batman cave with some Batman characters. He's been playing with it non stop.

After Cody got out of school, we went to Jump Street. My kids would live there if they were allowed to.

I LOVE my Boys!

(Hey Julie, thank you for coming even though we didn't get a chance to talk :(

After Jump Street we went back to Mimi and Papa's and had Jack in the Box/Burger King (we're a healthy bunch..NOT!) and Batman cupcakes that Auntie Rachel made and Trevor opened some presents.

Trevor is really into Tron Legacy. Mimi and Rachel got him Sam Flynn AND Kevin Flynn Light Cycles

Hope you had an AWESOME day Trevor! You are loved sooo much by your family. You are so smart and caring. You always put others before you and never ask for anything in return. I'm always amazed by the hilarious things that come out of your mouth! Its always unexpected and oh so entertaining. You make me laugh all the time. You have a presence about you that draws people to you and your optimistic attitude is very sweet. Never ever lose sight of who you are, because who you are is pretty flippin amazing! I love you so much Trevor! Happy Birthday!

2011-11-14T15:26:00.000-07:00

Codys handsome school picture

2011-11-10T14:29:00.002-07:00

Today would have been my Moms 61st birthday....God how I miss her!

Turkey Hats

2011-11-09T14:35:00.000-07:00

Cody gets to do so many fun things at school, I thought Trevor and Justin would enjoy an art project...and they did.

Winter Jammies Are The Best!

2011-11-09T14:32:00.000-07:00

Halloween

2011-11-03T11:43:00.001-07:00

Usually I'm not much of a baker. But for some reason, I've been having a lot of fun making cookies. The boys and I made Halloween sugar cookies with Ghosts, Cats, Bats, and Pumpkins. They had a lot of fun decorating...and I tried not to let my OCD get in the way of their decorating skills.

Saturday we went to Trunk or Treat.

Playing Darts

And of coarse we went Trick or Treating Monday. We made it around 3 blocks before all of their buckets were literally full. Trevor even complained that his was too heavy. I think it might of had something to do with the fact that they are all just so dang cute! People would give them hand fulls of candy. Needless to say, they have enough candy to last for a while.

Fall Break

2011-10-24T15:57:00.000-07:00

I have been so excited for this break ever since I flipped the lunch calender to October to see Fall Break in capital letters!! I wanted to fit in as many fun things to do as possible with the boys.

It started last Sunday. Gregory and I took the boys goofing golfing at Castle N' Coasters which of coarse turned into ridding all the rides as well. Why not right?

Justin was so sad thinking he had to miss out on the bumper boats but the lady was nice enough to let him ride with Gregory.

Monday was a trip to the Phoenix Zoo with Mimi.

Tuesday Gregory and I took the boys bowling. I was so bummed I didn't bring my camera. The boys were so cute!
Wednesday I finished painting my kitchen and started putting up some bead board paneling. Love that stuff!
Next will be painting the 1954 cabinets white. I'm so excited about that.
Thursday Gregory and I took the boys to the State Fair for bracelet day.

I love love love this picture of Gregory and Justin! Its my new screen saver :)

Gotta love the Cotton Candy

Justin's new shirt Daddy had specially made just for him

Friday was a nice relaxing day at home.
Saturday Gregory and I took the boys to the pumpkin patch.

We had a great fall break! And we have so many things coming up that the end of the year is going to fly by.
Next Monday is Halloween, then Trevor's 4th birthday 3 weeks after that, then Thanksgiving a couple days later, then my 29th birthday, then Christmas and finally New Year!

2011-09-21T17:32:00.000-07:00

You learn very quickly when you have 3 boys- What one does, they ALL must do

My Baby is 2 Today!!!

2011-09-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

I feel like I was just pregnant with this little guy in my tummy. Could it really be that 2 years have gone by since his birth?! Where have I been?

Justin has been the perfect ending to our once growing family. He is the perfect mix of Cody and Trevor. He can be as sweet as they come but he also doesn't take pooh from anyone. He will stick up for himself without hesitation but will also say sorry if he's in the wrong. He may be little, but he's got spunk! We love Justin so much! Happy birthday Peanut!!!

Cuddle Time Is The Best Time

2011-09-18T19:26:00.000-07:00

One of the boys' favorite times...Cuddle time with their Dad

If You're Interested....

2011-09-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

I started reading this book series called "Wings" by Aprilynne Pike a couple years ago. It kind of reminds me of Twilight in a way, but instead of vampires it has fairies. Very easy reading and doesn't take a lot of concentration to follow along. Anyway, the third book called "Illusions", was released in May which I was actually excited to find out about. There's one more book coming out as well. The author is from Glendale so it's always nice to support a "local"
Moral of this post: if you need a new, fun series to read and you liked Twilight, I would recommend the Wings series ( theres e-books for the kindle too:)

When It Rains, It Pours

2011-08-30T19:23:00.000-07:00

The transmission in my truck decided to die on me last week...

My phone has been dropped so many times it decided to die on me as well...well not completey, just the screen to see everything...

The air conditioner on my house is going out. Need to get an a/c person out as soon as I get and pay for my truck :(

As the saying goes, when it rains, it pours.

Cody's First Day of First Grade

2011-08-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

I have been reminding Cody for the last week that today was going to be his first day back to school...he hasn't been so happy about it. He woke up this morning and still had a bit of orneriness in him, but it could have been much worse :) He picked out his outfit, and got some cologne from his dad. After that, he was good to go. The whole family walked him to school.

I just got home from picking Cody up and he had a great day! FFEEWWWWW! He said a thousand girls were chasing him on the playground :-) And he was very excited to see all of his friends from last year as well. I can't believe my first baby is already in first grade?! Where did the time go?

Utah Trip

2011-08-12T19:25:00.000-07:00

Keri and I left with the boys early Thursday morning. By the time we made it up to Flagstaff, Trevor had thrown up twice and Justin once. That was not so fun. But going to Glen Canyon Dam was pretty fun. We stopped and had a little lunch. Next stop was Panguitch. We got gas, stopped at the little market and got some ice cream bars to eat while the boys played at the little park. Next stop was BYU to visit Auntie Rachel real fast. Thanks for the Jamba Juice Rachel!....And finally 14.5 hours later (yes, you read that correctly) we made it to Park City where we stayed with Aunt Kim and Uncle Jay for the night. Cousin Erin was there visiting with her two boys also.
Friday we went up to Salt Lake and visited Temple Square.

I was kicking myself for not bringing my 35mm lens...argh!

A fun looking house on our way back to the truck...the very long way,all uphill way, back to the truck.

After Salt Lake, Keri and I drove back down to Provo to see Rachel. For dinner, we went to this really fun place called Pirate Island. It was a fun pizza place, but all piratey. And the pizza was really good. The boys had a great time playing games. Cody was very impressed with my shooting skills. I won 30 tickets in 2 tries. Thank you to my ex-Marine husband for teaching me how to shoot :)

Saturday morning we went to the Tai-Pan trading store and then back up to Park City for a family BBQ.

Cousins!

Sunday was church...and a trip to the park

Monday was a trip up the canyon to Bridal Veil Falls. I love the waterfalls!

The water is melted snow, so it was freezing!

After Bridal Veil Falls we felt like eating ice cream, so we decided to go to Rachel's favorite place called Wingers inside the Provo Mall. Since we really wanted ice cream and then became hungry afterwards, I told Cody and Trevor that we would live on the edge, be really dangerous, and order our ice cream before our dinner. Well the boys LOVED that idea!!! Walking into the mall, Cody kept saying, "Mom, I wanna live on the edge too"....he didn't care what the heck it meant, as long as living on the edge involved having ice cream before dinner. It so was soo funny. Rachel asked Cody if he wanted to go school up there when he gets older and he said he couldn't because it was too far away from his mom..aaaaahhhh.....yah, that'll change in a couple years, but I'm writing it down so I can have proof :) And Justin really started saying a lot of words on the trip. His favorite word was "mount"....he loved the mountains.
Monday night after dinner, it was time to pack up and head back to Phoenix...in only 9.5 hours this time:). We left around 7 at night and made it home by 4:30 am.
It was a great trip!

Warning: Dangerous Dog

2011-08-12T18:35:00.000-07:00

PSYCH!!

One day I couldn't find Cass anywhere....this is where I finally found her...aaaahhhhhhh!

S is for Swimming!

2011-08-12T18:26:00.001-07:00

The boys only had 2 weeks of swim lessons this summer, but what a great 2 weeks they were.

I {Heart} You

2011-06-04T21:31:00.000-07:00

HHEELLOOOOOOOO Gorgeous!

2011-06-04T15:55:00.000-07:00

If there was an award for being the prettiest, smartest, funniest princess in the land, I think she would win...

Little League Day @ Chase Field

2011-05-25T19:04:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday was Lil Dbacks day at Chase Field. It was Cody's first experience going to a Diamondbacks game. And because it was Little League Day, Cody and Gregory got to do really fun things before the game! They were able to go down on the field and walk in the little league parade.

Cody even convinced Gregory that he NEEDED some things in the DBack store...which as you can tell, really wasn't hard for him:) Cody had such a great experience with his Dad and fellow players!

Sedona's 8th Grade Graduation

2011-05-19T13:24:00.000-07:00

Today was my niece Sedona's 8th grade graduation...I feel like I was just babysitting her and she was asking to watch Scooby-Doo like it was just yesterday. Cody's graduating Kindergarten next week and Sedona graduated 8th grade...huh...Just taking it all in and trying to process. It's like you blink for a second and they're teenagers...oh my goodness, ookkk
Anywho, we're very proud of Sedona! She is a great girl who is super smart and has a great head on her shoulders. We can't wait for your high school graduation!...Well...Maybe? :))

Cody's 6th Birthday!

2011-05-13T10:46:00.002-07:00

May 10th was Cody's 6th Birthday!

I set my alarm for 7 thinking that would be enough time to get up and get myself positioned for some pictures when he woke up...I was wrong. He woke up at 6:30. I'm glad I had Gregory get Codys present set up the night before! All I could hear in the morning was "Oh My Gosh! A New Bike!" So of coarse he had to ride it before school.

(Just because they're so cute:)

After I dropped Cody off at school, I left for Sams Club thinking that would be more than enough to time to get back to Cody's school to surprise him at 12:30 (His teacher was nice enough to let me interrupt her class for a surprise party!)

Well sure enough, Sams Club didn't have a cake or cupcakes that met my expectations (good thing I had to get stuff there anyway, or I would have been upset with the wasted trip!)

So next stop was Walmart..no luck...Next stop was Party City for balloons. Next was Frys..no luck with a cake but they did have cupcakes for his Tball team. Next was Safeway...no luck. Dropped off Justin at home for a nap then Trevor and I went to another Frys...no luck.. By this time it was 12:00 and I was in panic mode. Last stop was Costco and thank the Lord they had a cake that I liked and was big enough for his class of 24...I left Costco at 12:15, made it home by 12:20, woke Justin up for his non-exsistant nap, got everything we needed and left for Cody's school by 12:25..HUH...

Gregory, Keri, Trevor, Justin and I surprised Cody with balloons, cake, cookies, fruit and juice. He was so surprised! It was very cute. Cody loved being the center of attention. His teacher let him sit in front of the class to answer questions about his birthday.

After his class was done eating, his teacher let them play outside to burn off some of the sugar energy.

Cody also had a Tball game that night...And I dont know if it was because it was his birthday or what but Cody was definitely the MVP of the game. He had some good solid hits, made really good stops at the pitchers mound and tagged 3 players out in a row when he was playing first base. He did so well! He also brought cupcakes to hand out to his team after the game. And after cupcakes, he got open some more presents. He got more Magna Tiles, books, and some 'police stuff'.

We ended the night with Cody's choice of dinner, Spaghetti and garlic bread. I think it's safe to say that Cody had a great Day!

2011-05-11T09:20:00.000-07:00

I saw this on my beautiful friend Jacy's blog and had to make one! So cute!...now if I could only save it to my Header?

Field Day

2011-05-02T12:19:00.000-07:00

I remember when I was younger, field day was a big deal! It was an all day event that we even practiced for. We had relay races, high jump, long jump, the shuttle run, an obstacle coarse and much more...(Even popularity back in my day was based on how athletic you were).
Well its not like that anymore which I was really bummed about. Now, the older kids are in charge of field day and each "event" is about 5 minutes long. And the events that they did have planned weren't very physically challenging. Sure it's okay for kindergartners, but I hope it changes by the time the boys get older.
Three legged race

Bean bag toss

scooter butt races

walking on cans

indoor volleyball (which was complete chaos)

musical hula hoops

Limbo

egg and spoon races

One thing that I've loved this year about Cody being in Kindergarten is that he has a GREAT teacher! I'm so thankful that Cody has Ms Brown. Early education is soo important and I think Ms Brown has been amazing. I just wish every teacher at his school was as dedicated as she is.

Trevor also really likes Ms Brown. She even let him join the fun.

The girls in Cody's class LOVE Trevor...but whats not to love about that sweet boy?!

Easter

2011-04-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter Sunday!

Easter Prep/Codys Early Bday/Tball Game

2011-04-29T11:04:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday was a busy, busy, busy day. We started out the morning with a Tball game.

Rachel and I had just taken our sunglasses off and it was super bright

After the game it was time for a little early birthday party for Cody. It was the perfect opportunity since Rachel was home visiting, and she makes the best cakes! Cody wanted a shark cake this year, so a shark cake is exactly what he got. 6 sharks for a 6 year old boy.

After we ate, we took a little time out to play some baseball out front. After the fun, it was back to work decorating Easter eggs for the Easter bunny.

JumpStreet, aka, The Best Place Ever!

2011-04-28T13:28:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday Keri, Rachel and I took the boys to JumpStreet. What a FUN place! Since we went on a Wednesday, Cody was only $6 and Trevor and Justin were only $4. The best part was that Keri, Rachel and I got in for free. And I'm not sure if it was only supposed to be 2 hours or if we had unlimited jumping time? But we were there a good 4 hours. We even left and then came back because we all got hungry, lol.
They have a special section for kids 7 and under. It had 3 long trampolines, a big blow-up bouncy slide, and a blow-up jump thinger-ma-jig. We all had so much fun! My face hurt after we left because I was smiling the whole time we were there. Cody wants to go there for his birthday and even suggested having the Tball party there. I think it's safe to say we will be frequenting this place often this summer....Did I mention how much FUN it is?!

Bat-A-Thon/Picture Day

2011-04-26T09:47:00.001-07:00

2 Saturdays ago was Cody's bat-a-thon and picture day for Tball. Cody did a great job! He hit the ball 76 feet (and when I say 'hit' I mean where the ball stops rolling:) The Coaches had a chance to hit also and Gregory hit it 132 feet (where the ball actually landed for the coaches) I think out of all the Coaches in the League, Gregory got 3rd place. All of the kids received a medal for their amazing efforts.

(It was so cute, when Gregory was up to bat, all of the kids were in the outfield saying 'come on Coach, you can do it..It made me smile)

It was also picture day...the first of many to come.

Cody, Mason, and Trevor

Trevor

2011-04-25T14:46:00.001-07:00

Trevor says some of the cutest things ever! He makes me laugh all the time! Here's some of the conversations we've had this past week...

Trevor: Mom, are you married to Daddy?
Me: Yes, Daddy and I are married.
Trevor: Who's Mimi married too?
Me: Mimi is married to Papa
Trevor: And who is Rachel married to?
Me: Rachel's not married honey.
Trevor: Can I marry Rachel? Her is the best girl and she makes the best cupcakes!
Me: No honey, you can't marry Rachel....but she does make pretty good cupcakes huh?
Trevor: She sure does!

Saturday morning I was lying in bed. Trevor comes in and crawls in bed with me.

Trevor: (whispering) MMMOOOMMMM....MMOOOOMMMMM....what'd you dream about?
Me: I don't know Love, I don't remember.
Trevor: (still whispering) Did you dream about flowers?....Flowers are a good thing to dream about.
Me: I don't think I did, but flowers do sound like a good thing to dream about.

The other morning, I walked into the kitchen and found Trevor drinking straight from the milk jug.

Me: Trevor Glenn! What are you doing?!
Trevor: (swooshing milk around in his mouth like mouth wash and swallows) Oh hi Mom, I was just cleaning my teeth with milk. See! all nice and shiny! (showing me a big smile)
Me: Oh!, well maybe we'll try using a tooth brush and tooth paste next time.
Trevor: But milk is white so it makes my teeth white.......................
(I can hear my Mom saying that it makes perfect sense :)

Trevor is also really into mixing colors so he asks me all the time what certain colors make. My favorite was this:
Trevor: Hey Mom, did you know that milk and brown make chocolate milk?!

I wish I could keep him this small and innocent forever.

Turning A Blog Into A Book...

2011-04-11T13:50:00.000-07:00

So I've been thinking I want to turn my Moms blog into a book for each of the boys to have. Has anyone had a blog-to-book experience? Whats sites are the best?, what sites do I stay away from?
I'm still missing some important stories from some very special people (Who knew my mom best) that I would love to have in there, but I think I have the idea of the book as a whole.

The New Roof

2011-04-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

6 months after the hail storm, we finally have our new roof! The company was great! They came out Tuesday for the estimate, started and finished the roof Wednesday and came out today to make sure we were happy with everything.

2 Years Ago Today....

2011-04-01T09:10:00.000-07:00

I Miss you...

Cody's First Tball Game!

2011-03-26T17:52:00.000-07:00

Today was Cody's first tball game! We had such a great time. We had to get there early this morning for opening ceremonies.
(A BIG Thank YOU to Keri for sewing all of the players last names onto their jerseys in a day!!We're the team in the entire league that has that :)

My little Ham-Bone...Notice Trevor's Orioles shirt :)

Cody's in the second row, and second from the left

My sweet boys!

After the 2 hour Opening Ceremony, it was time to Play Ball! Cody started out at the pitcher position for the first inning...

(Notice the little boy sitting down in the out field, LOL)

Then it was our turn to bat

Cody even scored a Run!
Next inning, it was his turn to cover 1st base...

Technically we don't keep score for Tball, but if my calculations were correct, we won by 2 runs!
It was a great start to our 16 game season.

Just Because...

2011-03-21T18:37:00.000-07:00

Spring Break 2011

2011-03-21T11:10:00.002-07:00

I'm pretty sure Cody had a fun Spring Break. Monday we went with Mimi to Paradise Valley mall and let the kids run wild in the play area. After that, we took them over to the Carousel and rode on that a couple of times. We also had a nice little picnic outside. Tuesday and Wednesday were all about playing outside. We blew bubbles, Cody rode his bike, they played in the sprinklers, they played in the mud in my garden, they had picnics on a towel in the sun....fun times. One of those days they stayed outside for 5 hours.

Thursday, Keri and I took the boys to the Arrowhead play area and Friday we took them to The Enchanted Island at Encanto Park. Justin stayed home with daddy for that trip though :( Cody and Trevor were so good the whole time! I didn't have to yell at either one of them once the entire time we were there which is really a miracle. I think Cody said his favorite thing was the Castle Clash and Trevor's favorite were the bumper boats. Actually, the funniest thing happened...Cody was getting out of the bumper boats and was going to step on the deck to get out, but he wasn't paying attention, missed the deck and fell in the pool! One minute I see him getting out, the next I see his feet in the air. Keri and I laughed so hard! Cody was a good sport about it too, thank goodness.
I was a little worried about this week, but the boys had a great time and for the most part, were good the entire week. I'm hoping this was a preview of a happy summer.

He Rides!

2011-03-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

I met with my Sister and Niece for brunch a couple Saturdays ago. Jenn gave me one of Colton's bikes he had out grown for Cody. I wasn't sure how Cody was going to do, but he was riding by himself within 30 mins of practicing. Now his reward for having a good day at school is being able to ride his bike when he gets home.

TBall

2011-03-21T09:07:00.000-07:00

Cody is having such a great time playing tball! He asks me almost everyday if he has tball practice that night. Even the nights he doesn't have tball, he and Gregory are usually out front practicing his batting skills. Season opener is Saturday. Go team Orioles!

Ready position

Gregory is such a good coach...

Run Cody!

Great practice!

Codys Junior Horse Handler Class

2011-03-20T12:30:00.000-07:00

Cody had such a great time going to his classes at the zoo. I think he enjoyed it even more because it was something that He and Gregory did together. The first class they learned the right way to pet a horse and where to stand so they wouldn't get kicked. The also got to go back into the stalls and see where the horses live and what they eat. The next 3 classes, Cody was able to ride a horse. He also learned how to brush a horse.

Trevor and Justin also had a fun time tagging along....

This little boys LOVES animals...I wonder where he gets that from? :)

"Hi Dad, Hi Code"

This Is Where I Belong

2011-02-19T12:26:00.000-07:00

Yuma, Tennessee....

I love looking at homes for sale in other states. I found this one for sale in Yuma (ironic?) Tennessee. Its a 3800sq ft home, 4 beds, 3.5 baths on 40 acres for the bargain price of $299,000....I'm in love! Anyone feeling generous enough to buy it for me? :)

Things You May/May Not Know About Me

2011-02-18T17:50:00.000-07:00

I wish I had a talent...I wish I could sing or dance or play the piano...really, really, really well.
I hope to visit New York someday.
When I go to restaurants, I tell them I'm allergic to onions, even though I'm not, but just to make sure they don't accidentally put them in my food.
I got out of a 10th grade biology project of dissecting onions because I told my biology teacher I was allergic.
I have a strong fear of bee's...Anyone who was at church camp that year, on that hike, knows exactly what I'm talking about!
My biggest fear (because I have lived this one) is losing someone I love.
One of the only times I remember hearing my mom say s@*t was when I was 16 and I told her I was pregnant.
I wish Gregory didn't have to live his life in pain 24/7/365...I hate myself for not having a magic wand to fix him.
I love being a mom more than anything in the world. My boys make me feel like I actually have some sort of purpose for being here.
I really miss my mom....Gregory had a necklace made for me that has her fingerprint lasered onto it...I reach for it often.
I have 2 tattoos. The first one I got was for Gregory when he was in Iraq. It's his initials with angel wings around it. The second one is a love knot for my family. It has no beginning, no end, meaning love is never ending. I want one more someday for my mom, just not sure what yet...or where.
I truly have one of the most amazing mother-in-laws. It's almost hard for me to attach the 'in law' at the end because I don't think of her that way. Without her, I would go crazy.
When all of my kids are in school, I want to go back to school to become an Ultrasound Technician.
I worry that someday my kids will tell me they hate me.
I really feel that I, along with my family, belong in the country somewhere. Somewhere where you can see thousands of stars at night, or walk a mile on my own land and not run into a neighbor.

Thats all for now.

Cody's Going To Be One Busy Bee!

2011-02-02T09:51:00.000-07:00

Cody's finally at that age where he's able to start doing really fun things.
Starting with Junior Horse Handler. Keri signed him up for a class they offer at the Phoenix Zoo teaching them how to take care of horses. He'll have that class every Saturday in February and he's very excited because it's something he and Gregory will do together.
Then, he starts Little League (Tball) the end of March. Tball is every Saturday from March 26th til the first week in June. He also starts indoor soccer in March as well. That will be every Wednesday from March til May. Then in may, after school gets out, all the boys will start swim lessons/classes. Cody will be in level 2, Trevor will be in level 1, and Justin and I will be in the parent/child class. I'm hoping I can keep all of them in swim until the end of July. I think it's safe to say my Saturdays for the next 5 months will be busy.
I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do when each of the boys have 2-3 activities going on at once...I might need to clone myself?

He Sure Loves His Bench

2011-01-31T15:51:00.000-07:00

One of Justin's Christmas presents from Mimi this year was his very own bench...And he sure loves his bench. He'll run in his room just to sit down on it. He also loves to stand on it and look outside his window. And he was VERY excited after I put his name it.

How The Heck Have You Been?!

2011-01-31T15:16:00.000-07:00

WOW! This is the longest that I've gone without posting on here! So many things to catch up on. I think I pretty much left off on Trevor's birthday?

After Trevor's birthday was my birthday. I got together with some of my favorite girlfriends for lunch at Chelsea's Kitchen.

Kate's birthday is about a week and a half after mine, so it's always a fun time of year to celebrate.
Cody had many, many things going on at school before the holiday break. His class went to the Huger Mercy Living Center and gave a little Christmas concert for the people living there.

And something I thought was very cute: All of the kindergarten classes took an imaginary ride on the Polar Express. The hallway was transformed into a train and they were all allowed to wear their pajamas to school. They had the train conductor and they even had a very special appearance from the one and only Santa. Trevor and Justin even came along for the "ride". After their fun adventure, they went to their classrooms, had hot chocolate, cookies and made graham cracker houses. We also attempted to make ginger bread houses at home.

The boys were also visited by Santa on Christmas Eve right before our Christmas program...

Just Us..

I also forgot to post about the Caridnals game that Jenna and I went to back in November. Well everyone knows how the Cards season went this year, but I still love going to the games. And yes, everytime I'm at an event and they play the Star Spangled Banner, I cry, everytime.

Just A Dream

2010-12-13T20:14:00.000-07:00

Last night I dreamt about my Mom....
We were driving together. She was wearing a red Christmas sweater. I asked her if they had bells in Heaven and she said yes but it just wasn't the same (she was the hand bell director at her church for about 15 years). She told me she missed me and I woke up with tears in my eyes....Even now, she comforts me when I need her.
I'm sure it's probably strange but when I dream about her, it's always in the present. We are both very aware that she has passed but we talk about things that are happening now. I shake my head at how crazy I sound reading this back...

Really!

2010-12-04T21:23:00.003-07:00

28 and feelin Great!! Thanks to all of those that sent birthday wishes :)

on a side note, birthdays totally suck without your mom.

Trevor's Birthday Party

2010-11-28T20:06:00.002-07:00

We had Trevor's birthday party yesterday at Peter Piper Pizza. He had such a great time! I think his favorite part was seeing the Spiderman cupcakes that Auntie Rachel made for him!

Thank you to all of my wonderful family that made Trevors day so special for him.

Me, my niece Sedona, and my sis Jenn

Trevor working hard to make his own pizza

Me and my other sis, Rachel

Trevor and his handsome Daddy

I think there's one missing?

My other, other sis, Jenna and Me

The Tieman girls

Happy 3rd Birthday Tugga!!

2010-11-21T18:17:00.000-07:00

Today is Trevor's 3rd birthday!! Where has the time gone? Trevor is still the sweetest and smartest boy ever!! We love our Trevor boy!!

We didn't have a party today because we're waiting till next weekend when Auntie Rachel is here to celebrate with us. Trevor did get to open his gift and eat his huge cupcake though.
Today was also Trevor's friend Riley's birthday (Yes, they were born 3 hours apart on the same day...Kate and I had great timing:) So we went to Riley's princess party today. Kate had a big princess bounce house which the boys loved and kept them busy most of the party.

I might be a bit partial but I'm pretty sure Trevor is the most beautiful child I've ever seen :)

Mommy and Daddy love you very much Trevor!! Thank you for being you...wonderful!

Falling Snow Widget

2010-11-17T19:33:00.003-07:00

It's that time of the year again! If you'd like to add a subtle snow widget, click here.... click on the Add Snow Effect to your Blogger blog. Enjoy!
(Works best with dark backgrounds)

Moms Birthday

2010-11-10T14:19:00.000-07:00

Today is the day my mom should be turning 60...I miss her more than anything...

Justin's 1 Year Check Up

2010-11-06T14:43:00.000-07:00

I finally took Justin in for his year appointment, a little behind, I know.
He weighed 22.2lbs and was 34 inches long. I always think he's so tiny, but his Dr said he was in the 90% tile! His Dr said he was just perfect... which I already knew :) He did have to get 4 shots, but he really only cried for a second.
Justin is such a good baby. I can't look at him without smiling. And just because he's the smallest does not make him a push over. If he has a toy and one of his brothers tries to take it, he lets them know they are not allowed. His Dad is also his favorite person on the planet! (probably because he bribes him with candy :) He loves to say Dadadadada and sometimes if I'm lucky, I get a mama. He tries to say Hello when he has my phone, but his favorite word/sound is Ssshhhhhsh. He loves to point to things and say Huh so he can find out what they are. He gives kisses and thinks high fives are really fun. I just love this little boy!

Family Pictures-Flagstaff

2010-11-04T13:07:00.000-07:00

Hooray!!! I'm so so so excited! Katie did such an amazing job on our Flagstaff shoot. I love every single picture! Here are a couple (well, a lot) of my favorites....If you want to see them all, send me a email and I'll forward you the password. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you Kate!!

My 3 Favorite Superheros

2010-11-01T10:27:00.000-07:00

Ironman, Superman, and Spiderman- aka, Cody, Justin and Trevor!

I know Superman doesn't wear a mask, but Justin waited so patiently while his brothers got their faces painted, I had to do something for him as well.

Trevor in full out Spiderman character...when someone would ask his name he'd say "I'm Spidermannnnnnn"

Super Justin to the rescue

Justin and his on going mission to get candy

The boys had a great time at Trunk or Treat this year!...Maybe because they got way too much candy?
Justin has really enjoyed his new found freedom of walking and was all over the place. Although for Halloween night he was stuck at home with me to pass out candy while Daddy took Cody and Trevor trick or treating...again

New Addition!

2010-10-27T09:25:00.000-07:00

On October 16th, Nathan and Jenna got married! Introducing the newest "Tiemans"

Tolmachoff Farm

2010-10-25T16:22:00.000-07:00

Yes, another farm...But this time as a family.
Gregory and I were trying to figure out something fun to do as family on Sunday and weren't sure about taking the kids to the fair? So we decided to take them to the farm. I didn't think it would be as busy on a Sunday but I was way wrong. We did have fun though!

The boys really enjoyed the petting zoo, running crazy through the corn maze, and the big bouncy they had.

Snow Bowl

2010-10-25T14:51:00.001-07:00

Call me crazy, but Saturday I loaded up the boys and drove up to Flagstaff for an hour long photoshoot with Katie. (Gregory got some pieces of scrap metal in his eye a couple days before and actually started getting an eye infection, so he didn't go :(
I've been to Flagstaff a thousand times, but I've never been up to Snow Bowl before! It was so pretty!...And COLD! There was already some snow at the top!
These pictures are NOT from the photshoot....just from me =)

Schenpf Farms

2010-10-25T14:42:00.000-07:00

On Friday all of the kindergarden classes from Cody's school went on a field trip to Schenpf Farms. Our bus driver got lost going out there, but all of the kids did really well on the hour and a half drive!!! (I could of made it to Payson in that time :) We had a lot of parent volunteers which worked out great! We had 3 of Cody's friends in our group. We only had 2 hours to play, eat lunch, go on rides, and pick out our pumpkins but somehow we managed.

Calling All Families!

2010-10-18T19:15:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that my wonderful, best friend Katie, who is an amazing photographer, will be having a photo shoot up in Flagstaff this weekend for anyone who would like to attend. It's $150 for unlimited shooting time and she's including a free 16x20 photo (a $75 value!). The more families that sign up, the cheaper the sessions will be!!!!
You can check out some of her amazing photos by visiting http://www.roundlensphotography.com/
You can get in touch with her by clicking on the 'About' link or by her facebook page as well. Hope to see some of you up there!!!

Great News!!

2010-10-12T19:09:00.000-07:00

Greg and I took Cody to the Orthopedic Surgeon today and guess what?! His elbow is NOT broken!!! Hallelujah!!!! The surgeon said it looked pretty bruised but thats about it. Cody can extent and bend it, so I guess that's a good sign!

Poor Cody Boy!!!!

2010-10-10T21:23:00.000-07:00

Friday night Cody was playing in the backyard like any other typical night. All of a sudden he comes screaming his head off! When I finally got him calmed down a bit he told me he was jumping over something, tripped, and landed right on his right elbow. I thought maybe he just hit his funny bone too hard? I made him an ice packed and Greg wrapped his arm in an ace bandage. He woke a couple times during the night crying because he was in so much pain. Saturday morning it was definitely swollen and he still couldn't move it without being in pain. I really didn't want to take him to the E.R. (Last time I took him there with a tiny cut they charged me $500 to put a piece of tape over it) So we decided Greg would take him to Urgent Care....Yes the same Urgent Care that killed my Mom! So they took some x-rays...Too bad no one there knew how to read them!!! Greg also had to tell them how to put the splint on and they still did it wrong! Between Cody and my mom, I'm seriously thinking about filing a complaint with the Medical Review Board of AZ! Anywho, after 4 hours Greg brought Cody over to Keri's house. Then, Keri being the best Grammie there is, took Cody to Mendy's Place for me. Finally with some competent Dr's taking care of him, it was discovered that Cody did in fact break a bone in his elbow. He has a chip where the the bone and tendon connect. He's in a splint and sling until the swelling goes down, then he'll be put into a cast. I need to make an appointment with a Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon tomorrow to make sure it heals properly. Cody has been very brave and very patient and is in much better spirits today.
P.S.- The radiologist from Urgent Care left a message on my phone today letting me know the x-rays read NEGATIVE for any fractures...hhhhmmmmm, I guess they still don't have anyone that can read an X-ray???

Cody fell in Love with a nurse at Mendy's Place, and I mean head over heels, 5 year old true love! He said she had long blonde hair and blue eyes. He even said her hair was prettier than mine :)) He is proudly displaying the sticker she gave him on his sling, LOL

Jenna's Bachelorette Party

2010-10-10T20:45:00.000-07:00

Lastnight was Jenna's bachelorette party. We had dinner at the Cheesecake factory then headed to Hurricane Bay. I'm really too old to be at clubs, so I left around 11 :) Hope everyone behaved themselves after I left!

The Bridesmaids

One last picture before I left

H to the AIL Storm!

2010-10-05T16:48:00.000-07:00

Where in the world did this come from?! A very rare site in AZ.

Yes, thats our mailbox on the ground...

Poor Bull in the lake, AKA our backyard!

Parks, AZ

2010-10-05T11:12:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Jenna, the Boys and I met up with the Tieman side of the family in Parks. We had such a great time at the cabin! Hopefully we got enough wood cut for the next couple of years. Everyone worked so hard...even the kids!

I kept Cody home from school Friday so we could leave early Friday morning. Cody was so excited to see his cousin Megan

Friday was a nice relaxing day. The kids enjoyed playing out in the field and being pushed on the tire swing.

The beauty that is Parks

A little later in the day, we helped Grandpa fill up on firewood. After that, cousin Jared took us to Bearizona. I had never heard of it before but it was a fun drive-thru wildlife park. At the end we were able to get out and see some animals up close.

All of the kids were very excited to get some wrestle time in with Jared right before bed

Saturday was dedicated to all things wood.

One of three or four truck loads of wood

All of the kids were ready to be done around lunch time...back to the tire swing they went

Sunday morning before we all left, we just had to get some pictures of the cousins

Pudding Face

2010-09-27T14:15:00.000-07:00

Butterscotch pudding anyone?

Jenna's Bridal Shower

2010-09-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I hosted a Bridal Shower in honor of Jenna. Lots of family, friends and lots of food. It was a great time. Thanks to all who attended! Only 19 days left til the Wedding Day!

Notice my sneaky child thinking all those gifts are for him

A successful Potluck

Sorry Jenna, I think Justin stole the show...Or at least Mimi's attention :)

The Bridesmaids

Becca, Me, Jenna, Alexis, and Danielle

Justin's FIRST Birthday!!

2010-09-18T17:38:00.002-07:00

Our little Peanut turned the big O-N-E today! I cant believe it's a been a year! I know I've said this numerous times, but this little boy has been such a blessing in my life. He really brought back joy to my life after my moms passing. He makes me smile everyday. He is saying mom and dad and is starting to walk on his own. He loves music and he loves to sing a long.
We had a little party for him today too. Enjoy!

Getting some wrestle time in with Grandpa Newport before eating

Daddy and the Birthday Boy

Katie, one of my best friends ever!

Happy Birthday to you!

I love my Justin!

My wonderful Family

Justin and Grandpa Newport

Soon-to-be Aunt Jenna, Justin and Uncle Nathan

My Daddy

Jenna and Me

Justin and his favorite thing: Making a mess at Mimi's

Bucket List

2010-09-15T09:50:00.001-07:00

Here's my Bucket List: Top 4

1. Scuba Dive in the Great Barrier Reef with Gregory

2: Go to a Super Bowl!!

3. Go to NewYork....See a Broadway Show....Go to New York Fashion Week!!

4. Own a Corvette (except mine will be Black with sparkles)

Busy Bee

2010-09-12T08:20:00.002-07:00

I just looked at my calender and realized I have something to do for the next 5 weekends...and it's not little things like grocery shopping and laundry.
Next weekend is Justin's 1st birthday party. The Saturday after that I'm hosting Jenna's bridal shower. The first weekend in October, I'm taking the boys up to the cabin for some family time (Cody is very excited he gets to play with his cousin Megan!) The weekend after that is Jenna's Bachelorette party and the Saturday after that is Nathan and Jenna's wedding!....Then I get a one week break and after that it's Halloween!!!! Needless to say me weeks will be consumed making sure all said events are ready and making sure I keep my stress level to a minimum. My poor husband is going to forget who we are :)
I'm convinced this year has gone by faster than any other year I can remember!

P.S The weekend after Halloween we have a dog show in Yuma, the weekend after that I'm going to the Cardinals game, the weekend after that is Trevors 3rd birthday, 2 weeks after that is my birthday and 3 weeks after that is Christmas....There goes my year.

Weight Loss Update

2010-09-10T11:11:00.000-07:00

So far I've lost 15lbs....5lbs with Nutrisystem...I got my second shipment too. This will be my last month on it. I still need to lose 20 more lbs. (I can't complain though, I haven't been at this weight in 4 years)

Pros: Super easy to make, don't have to worry about what to make, actually tastes pretty good
Cons: Expensive. And I still have to buy food for the boys. Gets boring

I did really well the first 2 weeks and then I just got off track. I'm really trying to be better and hopefully lose 5-8 more lbs this month. It would be a lot easier if I didn't have to make dinner for the boys....I want to eat what they're eating. And I still have to buy the food. So between my Nutrisystem and buying food every week for the boys, I probably spend about $700 just on food which is absolutely outrageous. I am glad I tried it though and with the weather actually starting to be barable in the evenings, I hope to get some exercise in.

AAAHHHHH Lasagna Night

2010-09-09T11:10:00.000-07:00

I think, as a mother, it's very important to capture the lasagna/spaghetti face picture....Case in point:

Yes, Justin is a complete mess, but at least he's an adorable complete mess!

I can't believe this little miracle is going to be 1 next Saturday! Where has the time gone? I get a little sad thinking this is my last 1st birthday boy :(

Cute Boys!

2010-08-24T13:55:00.000-07:00

When you've had a long, hard day....

It's great to end it with someone you love

Monday Night Football!!

2010-08-23T10:37:00.000-07:00

Football season= The Best Time Of The Year!!!!

Another One Bites the Dust

2010-08-19T17:06:00.000-07:00

Cody came home from school today with a note in his hand and said he got a new teacher. I read the letter from the Principal and it said they don't have enough kindergartners for 5 teachers so his decided to move to a different school. Isn't that a little strange right in the middle of the week? And with no warning? I think so! But the GREAT news is that I went and talked to his Principal after school today and got him into the teachers class that I originally wanted him in. I'm very excited about this!!!! I've heard from a couple of reliable sources that she is an amazing teacher....It was ment to be!

So It Begins....

2010-08-18T22:56:00.000-07:00

Cody has had a great first week and a half in school. He did have to go to the thinking chair once last week and it was a very traumatic experience for him. He has told me everyday since it happened, "Mom, I didn't go anywhere near the thinking chair today"
The thing that concerns me most happened today...Cody told me when he got home that a girl kissed him on the cheek 3 times!! I asked him what this little girls name was and he didn't know. I asked why he let her kiss his cheek and he said "Because she's pretty"...I'm thinking OMG, He's 5!!!! I'm also thinking Gregor and I are in for a long, hard road ahead...

Week One: Nutrisystem Update

2010-08-11T08:50:00.000-07:00

I've actually been pleasantly surprised with Nutrisystem. The food is actually pretty good, minus the desserts. I ordered things I knew couldn't be that bad even though they were "healthy". For breakfast, I've tried their chocolate/chocolate chip muffin, blueberry muffin, and some of the cereals. I think lunch is my favorite. I love their three cheese pasta with chicken, the pasta parmesan with broccoli, and the caesar salad with chicken.
It's been one week now and I've lost 2 lbs...(25 more to go). I was actually really excited about the 2 lbs. I was stuck at 12 for a while, but now I feel I'm starting to make progress again.

8 Year Wedding Anniversary

2010-08-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

This very day 8 years ago, Gregory and I got married. Being blessed with 3 amazing, beautiful boys, being married to my best friend, I don't think I could ask for more. I just wish time could slow down a bit. It's gone by so fast and I know it will only go faster with years to come.

Cody's First Day of Kindergarten!

2010-08-09T16:40:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to lie, I had mixed emotions waking up this morning. I was pretty bummed that Cody was going to be gone aaaaallllllll day, but on the other hand, I knew he would have so much fun. Cody was very excited this morning, waking up at 6:30. I got a little teary-eyed taking pictures this morning, but I pulled it together when we dropped him off.

The other person that had a hard time with Cody being gone was Trevor. Trevor kept putting his backpack on and telling me it was time for school. I asked him what he would do at school, and he said 'play with Cody'...that sweet boy.

Cody had a great day! As we expected, he loved it. He said he made a lot of new friends.

Things he did at school today: Played with friends, read The Gingerbread Man. Walked around campus looking for the Gingerbread Man (The teachers way of getting the kids acquainted with the school, i.e, the library, the cafeteria, the nurses office, etc) went to music class and played freeze dance, played on the playground. One day down, nine months to go.

Calorie Counting

2010-08-04T21:54:00.000-07:00

I have NEVER in my life been a calorie counter. But since I've started Nutrisystem I have been keeping track through their website. It's been very ...eye opening.
Rachel and I went to Olive Garden today for lunch. When I got home, I added everything up. One meal at Olive Garden had more calories in it compared to EVERYTHING I ate yesterday! (it doesn't help that I'm a big pasta fan) Yesterday I had 1290 calories. Today was almost 2100. I know I sound naive, but seeing that big number right in front of me is very interesting.

Having Fun in the Sun

2010-08-04T19:33:00.000-07:00

Cody and Trevor finished up their swim lessons last Thursday. Cody was awesome! He is now swimming on his own, diving in, and doing flips. Next year he will go to level 2. The last two weeks, I also decided to put Trevor in the parent/child class. Trevor loved it! He loves to swim. He'll be in level one next year which means I can do the parent/child class with Justin.
Monday was our last swim day of the year. The video is of Cody showing his back flip.

Family Day In Payson, AZ

2010-07-31T18:57:00.000-07:00

Today was family day up in Payson. Although half of the family backed out at the last second ( I wont name names, but you know who you are :) John, Keri, the boys and I had a GREAT time!!!
We started out the day at Tonto Natural Bridge State Park . I had never been before, but what a BEAUTIFUL place! It was overcast all day, in the high 60's and then it started to rain as we were going down to the bridge. We started out with the waterfall trail.

Next we headed over to some viewpoints.

Then down another trail for a better look at the big waterfall and the natural bridge. We also had some great family photo ops.

After our hike back up the mountain it was time for lunch. Cody was cold...the end of July...in Arizona!!

After we were all done at the state park, we decided to drive an hour east to Woods Canyon Lake. Its one of my favorite places and reminds me of the summers my mom and I spent camping there. It was 50 degrees when we got there with a nice steady rain. Cody and I got out and hiked down to the lake for about 10 minutes.
After that it was back down to Payson for our last stop of the day, Green Valley Park.

Beautiful scenery. Awesome weather. Great company. Well behaved kids= A Great Saturday!

Nutrisystem

2010-07-29T09:57:00.000-07:00

So I've decided to try out Nutrisystem...
I was doing really well and lost 12lbs but thats where it stayed. It got me to the weight I was at before Trevor but I'm going for (as I like to call it) the pre-Cody body. For a meal delivery service, the price really isn't that bad. It comes out to around $3 per meal. I'll let you know in about 2 months how it works.

I Always Knew That House Would Burn!

2010-07-29T09:47:00.000-07:00

I'm sure most of you already know, thanks to facebook, that our old Litchfield house burned down last week sometime. Thankfully we no longer owned it and no one was living there at the time. My Brother in law and Jenna were very lucky their house didn't catch as well because I think theres only about 5-6 feet in between houses. I think the cause for the fire is still being investigated? But seeing as how there was no power to the house, it seems very strange for a fire to start on it's own? (We had that close call a couple of years ago when the outlet caught fire) My money's on the bank considering the ridiculous amount they purchased it for?

More Swimming

2010-07-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

One of Keri's good friends has been nice enough to let us crash her pool once a week...The boys love it!

CANONBAAALLLLLLLLCody showing off his twist-flip thing

When Your Dads a Tinker...

2010-07-22T09:59:00.000-07:00

When your dad is a tinker...

He builds fun zip lines that send you and your brother flying across the backyard.

Cody's Swim Lessons

2010-07-08T12:26:00.000-07:00

I know it's horrible but this is the first year Cody is taking swim lessons. Thank goodness he loves it!

Cody is highly impressed with the demonstrations his teacher shows them. Every time he shows them something new, Cody says WOW and Whoa. Cody also insists on being the first one to try out his new skills. We got there a little early on Tuesday and watched the dive team dive off the diving boards. I asked Cody if he wanted to do that someday and he said "Yah, but I'll sink." (Funny, he knows he would sink, but still wants to do it?) I told him he of coarse has to learn to swim first. One step at a time.

Fourth of July

2010-07-08T12:09:00.000-07:00

Thank you to Keri and Rachel for helping me with the boys...The Phoenix Fabulous Fourth was jam packed with people.

Favorite Trevor Sayings

2010-07-04T18:08:00.000-07:00

I was looking back on the blog and realized I haven't posted anything about my sweet Trevor boy in a long, long time.
Trevor is a riot! He will say something on a daily basis that makes me laugh out loud. And even with Cody as his big brother, he is still somehow the sweetest kid ever. As a stranger at the museum said, "he marches to the beat of his own drum"

Last week we were driving to the mall play area. Cody and I were talking and out of nowhere Trevor says "Excuse me mom, can I have a balloon so I can go up into the sky?"...completely random

When he wants me to open his juice he says, "mom, can you please open my grapity-grape juice" (he' a big Wow Wow Wubbzy fan)

Another time we were driving and he says "look Mom, I'm an astronaut." He had an orange trick-or-treat pumpkin on his head.

The other day, Trevor came to tell me he needed a purple crayon so he could draw me a heart.
He is probably the most polite, thoughtful child I have ever met. And I'm not just saying that because he's mine. I'm not going to say he doesn't have an ornery side because he does, he's 2. When he knows he did something wrong, he laughs and tells me I'm so silly and his laugh makes me laugh. It's hard to stay mad at him for long. I just love that little boy!

Family Night at the Circus

2010-06-25T16:33:00.000-07:00

Last night Gregory and I took Cody and Trevor to the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. We had so much fun!!!! My mom took once as a kid and I loved it, but I think I had even more fun this time. Half the fun was looking at the boys and seeing how big and bright-eyed their eyes were.
I bought our tickets online about 2 weeks ago and was able to get 3rd row seating. We had great seats right in the middle and everything was so close to us! I was surprised at how fast and smoothly their set up and take down went for the different performances. They definitely keep it jam packed with things to watch. My favorite of the night were the people on dirt bikes riding in the little round cage. It was crazy!!!! You'll have to forgive my picture quality, they asked for a no-flash on cameras.

I was not happy with these people. They were right over our heads and did a flip on that little wire!

New Summer Fav's

2010-06-22T11:03:00.000-07:00

Here is just a couple of my favorites for summer...

I LOVE perfume! It doesn't matter what the occasion is, I'm happy with a pretty new bottle. At one point I think I had over 20 different scents.

But this is my new favorite for summer. It's called Bright Crystal by Versace and is made up of smells like pomegranate, peony, lotus flower, musk, and amber.

TEAL is my new favorite nail polish color.

I've always been kind of partial to blue/green colors since my birth stone is turquoise. I don't think I'm brave enough to wear this on my fingers, but I love it on my toes!

And since I need to show off my new nail polish color, I needed a new summer shoe...(or 4, but that's not the point).

I love these Steve Madden flats. They're called Maliboo and rightfully so. I feel like I should live in LA and wear big huge sun glasses, drink lattes everyday, and wear a scarf when I have these shoes on.

And last but not least is this multi-purpose make-up stick from Nars.

I don't usually wear make-up in my everyday life, but this little cream to powder stick makes it easy for me. I use it on my cheeks and eyes for a highlighted warmth and I feel like I've made some sort of effort to look like a normal human being.

Happy 28th Bday Love!

2010-06-19T09:32:00.001-07:00

28 years ago today my best friend was born...Thank you Keri :)

He's a little rough around the edges and has the vocabulary of a Marine, but he also tells me he loves me everyday. He's a great Dad and the boys adore him. I couldn't love anyone more than I love you Gregory!

Our 9 Month Peanut

2010-06-18T18:14:00.000-07:00

Justin is 9 months today. I can't believe our little peanut is almost a year!
Justin is our sweet, sweet baby. He loves to snuggle and be where all the action is, and he's fast. He officially has 4 teeth: 2 top, 2 bottom. He says mama (usually when he's crying) and dada. He waves bye-bye and loves all the attention. He knows he's cute too. People stop me all the time to tell me how cute he is and he turns the smile right on. And, he still thinks Cody is the greatest thing in the world. Our shower finally got done and Justin loves to be in there and crawl around in the water. I think a lot about what a blessing he is to us and specially to me. I had to be strong for him during the hardest time of my life. I'm pretty sure he saved me :)

Crossroads

2010-06-17T20:58:00.000-07:00

Sometimes life puts us right in front of a crossroad, literally and philosophically...Always go with your instincts. I didn't and it changed my life forever...

*I miss you, I love you, I think of you everyday*

Children's Museum of Phoenix

2010-06-17T11:10:00.001-07:00

We love CMOP! Every city should have a cool museum like this for kids...specially in the hot summer. Now that we have our membership, we're there once a week. The kids love it and I love that it keeps them entertained for at least a good 2 hours. The boys favorite thing is The Climber. That's always our first stop. They also love The Texture cafe where they can pretend to make their own pizzas and The Market with kid-sized shopping carts and groceries. I'm excited for 10,000 blocks to open. What's also nice is that there is a spot for Justin to play in most of the exhibits.

Pit StopNoodle ForestForts

By The Way...

2010-06-10T19:21:00.001-07:00

Did I forget to mention I've lost 10 pounds?!!! Only 28 lbs to go to reach my goal (my weight before Cody!)

I was walking every morning with my sis-in-law, but now it's too hot and we sort of sleep in since Cody's not in school. I'm also drinking Premier Protein shakes which have 30 grams of protein in a shake. And....drum roll please....I've cut wwwaaayyyyy back on caffeine. I kid you not when I say I had almost 5 sodas a day. I knew I had to get rid of all that sugar so I started buying smaller cans of coke. They come in really cute 90 calorie cans. I also started buying Naked Juice drinks to try and replace some of the soda. I LOVE the Naked drinks! As of right now I'm doing pretty well without caffeine. When I get the urge for a soda, I grab some pineapple juice...I forgot how much I love pineapple. I also bought pineapple popcycles :) I even bought a bikini!!! not that I'll ever be seen in public wearing it, but the fact that I can wear it and not want to throw up when I see myself in it is pretty good.

Taylor Dog Show

2010-06-09T16:38:00.000-07:00

Every Memorial Day weekend Talyor, AZ has something called Trapper days. The have a Veterans memorial salute, a rodeo, and a dog show. Last year we won first place with Red in his age group. We knew the competition this year was going to be tough though. So we took Red, Uno, and Onyx, except we took Red straight off the couch (no conditioning what so ever) Onyx is only 1, but he was not in shape either. The only chance we had at winning another blue ribbon was with Uno, who actaully looked pretty good. Well, Onyx didnt even place, neither did Red, but thankfully Uno did win first place in his age group. He would of had a good chance at winning for best male if he could of just stayed still for a second so the judge could actually look at him. At least our trip wasnt all for nothing.

Onyx Uno Justin checking on Red Dog pile on Daddy!

Laura's Baby Shower

2010-06-09T16:20:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago Laura, one of my best friends, was in town. She, her husband Joe, and their son Hudson were on their way to Virginia from Hawaii. While they were here, some of us girls had a little shower for her and the twins at The Vig.
Miss you Laura, see you in 7 years...j/k I need to get over my fear of flying so I can come see those special twins of yours!

Justins 8 Months

2010-06-09T16:12:00.000-07:00

May 18th, Justin turned 8 months old....
Some of his 8 month markers:
1. He started crawling and pulling himself up on anything that will support him
2. He jumps up and down in his crib
3. He has 3 teeth with a 4th on the way. One top, and two bottom.
4. He has hair!!!
5. He repeats sounds and expressions
6. He is eating a lot more real food

This little boy is amazing and I adore him to death.

Cody's last Day of School

2010-06-09T15:51:00.000-07:00

For Cody's last day of preschool the teachers had breakfast for all of the families. They also handed out all of the kids portfolios and volunteer certificates. I even got a rose from the teachers...I guess I was a special volunteer (I'm just kidding, I was the parent president for the classroom and chair person for the policy committee for WESD headstart)...look out PTA :)

Pictures From Codys Birthday

2010-06-09T15:42:00.001-07:00

Cody had a great birthday party! Thank you to everyone that came and helped out. Special thanks to Auntie Rachel for making Codys alligator cupcake cake.

Updates Galore!

2010-06-09T15:00:00.000-07:00

Be prepared!!!! I have my computer hooked up and running (finally!), I have oodles and oodles of pictures to share and stories to write...Get ready for updates galore.