Because I Said So...

Dance Class

2011-03-07T13:28:00.000-08:00

Reese started her very first dance class. She isn't very graceful but I'm hoping this will help her a little. She is by far the cutest little girl in the class, that's for sure!!

Happy Birthday Maddox (a little late)!!!

2011-03-07T13:19:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm lame at blogging. I still love this little guy more then I can ever say, but apparently I'm out of the blogging groove!

It's hard to believe that this little boy is 2 already. He is so much fun to have around!! He has been talking sentences since he was 18 months old so now he's a pro! He has a the best sense of humor and loves to make us laugh! He will copy his big brother and sister regardless of what it is. Mason loves to throw the ball up in the air in the house and Maddox will be right behind him doing the exact same thing. He is about 3 lbs smaller than Mason was at his age, which worries me a little because Mason is soooo skinny right now! Does that mean Maddox is going to be super skinny at 6??? We will see I guess!

We love this little boy so much and even though he came a couple years earlier then we had planned, we are so glad he is here and so glad he is ours! We are extremely grateful for our happy, healthy children!!!

Go Seahawks!

2011-01-08T19:09:00.000-08:00

Mason went to his very first NFL game today! Lucky for him it was a playoff game!! Even luckier...they won, against all odds! We have one happy boy!

Sunbeams

2011-01-07T21:18:00.001-08:00

Reesie is in Sunbeams now at church! She was so excited to go to her big girl class. I am the nursery leader at church and she was glad to not be with Mommy anymore (sad)! Maddox is still with me to keep me company. In fact, because of his birthday he will be in nursery another 2 years! Hopefully I'll be released by then!!

I found the picture I took of Mason on his first day of sunbeams. I can't believe how little he was and that was only 3 years ago! Reese is about 4 months older in her picture than Mason is in his picture.

We survived Christmas!

2011-01-07T11:41:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning was so much fun. The kids were very spoiled!! Mason had a very LEGO Christmas this year! Reesie got everything she asked for and more! Maddox is still pretty new to all of this and went with the flow. He was happy with his little people ramp and eating all the chocolate he could his little hands on!! Here are a few pictures to show you the madness that went on. First I should start off by saying that at the bottom of the stairs Christmas morning was a shiny new camera for me :) These were taken with it!

Sheesh I love them!! They were SO excited!

He is totally into cheesy face smile right now! Love it!

Maddox loves chocolate! This and Easter is about the only time each year I let them eat candy before breakfast!

He made this face a lot! He is the best person to buy a gift for because he gets so excited!!!!

She is so funny!! We got a lot of "OH MY GOSH" and "HOLY COW" comments from her. One time she got so excited she said "OH MY COW". Funniest thing ever, wish I had that one tape!

Chocolate again. Good thing we didn't get him very many gifts, because he really didn't care!

The aftermath! It was pretty intense this year. I always say I'm going to cut back but I don't. I love to spoil them. I can't help it.

Just when they thought it was over, Derek took Mason outside to see the brand new basketball hoop. He flipped. Good thing, because it took Derek and my little brother 5 hours Christmas eve night putting it together!!!

Falcon Reader!

2010-12-09T12:48:00.000-08:00

Not exactly sure why he received this today, but the principle read Mason's name over the loud speaker which Mason thought was really cool. I emailed the teacher today and asked why he got it, still waiting for her response :) Either way...WAY TO GO MASON!!! (and apparently they don't have Mason's retake picture on file. This was his first try!)

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-09T12:38:00.001-08:00

We hope everyone has a wonderful Holiday Season! I love this time of year. I love seeing the magic of Christmas through my children's eyes!!

Retakes!

2010-12-09T12:29:00.000-08:00

His first try at Kindergarten pictures didn't turn out that great. I was nervous to do retakes because I wasn't sure if he was going to do any better. I think they turned out FABULOUS! Oh and if you are wondering why I let him wear a Mariners shirt, I just thought it was him. He is a sports nut and it totally reflects who he is!

I can read!

2010-11-08T20:08:00.001-08:00

Doesn't he look sooo old?? I can't believe how much he is growing!!

It is so exciting watching Mason learn to read! He is catching on fast and we get so excited when he can read a whole book with out help! WAY TO GO MASON!

Pizza night!

2010-11-08T20:03:00.000-08:00

Daddy had a meeting tonight so we splurged and bought pizza!! I know, not the healthiest for these little bodies, but every once and a while we need some pizza!! Maddox loves to sit at the table like his brother and sister. As long as he sits, I love it too.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-03T13:04:00.000-07:00

I love Halloween. I love to see my kids excited! With school parties, making cookies with Grandma, carving pumpkins and trick or treating, they had a lot of fun this year!

Mason's school Zoo party!

Cousins!

Jessie (from Toy Story) and Buzz!!

This is Maddox

2010-10-03T14:48:00.000-07:00

-He drools even though he has had all of his teeth since he was 16 months.
-He has a vocabulary that I had no idea a 20 month old could have. Mason didn't talk till he was 2 1/2.
-He would play outdoors all day long if we let him. If he is in the back yard, he will find Derek or me and say "Wanna play?" How could we say no to that?
-He's a bully. If a sibling tells him no or won't give him what he wants, he will hit them. We are working on this.
-He takes a 3-4 hour nap every day. He also sleeps 12+ hours through the night, with out waking up. Love it.
-He expects to watch a DVD every time we get in the car. Even if it's to the grocery store. He will scream "Movie on!" the whole way. At the top of his lungs. I usually don't give in :)
-He can sing the whole intro to Yo Gabba Gabba. Cute, but sad.
-He is my baby, but definitely not a baby. So sad to me. He is very independent and lets me know all that time that he is.
-My favorite words he says are, Mariners, pumpkin, snack, REESE (at the top of his lungs, with a little lisp) baby, coke, movie and so many more.
-He loves to dance.

Cute, right? We think so. His personality is incredible and we love to see what this little monster can do! It amazes us everyday!!

Kindergarten and a Birthday!

2010-09-24T22:26:00.000-07:00

I love that Mason is in Kindergarten! Although it is extremely difficult to see my first born grow up so fast, I'm excited for the adventure he is embarking. He loves school and I'm so glad he looks forward to going everyday. His birthday was on Tuesday and we had so much fun celebrating! I brought cookies to school! Reese came with me and she LOVED every second of it. We also went to Ixtapa a Mexican Restaurant here in town. We had a lot of fun. Tomorrow is his friends party. Can't wait!

First day of School! (9/9/10)

Morning of his 6th Birthday! We let him open gifts before school! Last year of that!

New DS i XL! SPOILED!

Going to school on his birthday! Reese was sooo excited!

Best part of the day. He didn't like the treat they gave him, but just being sung to was the highlight of his day! I'm sure we'll be going back next year!

Soccer!

2010-09-05T13:05:00.001-07:00

This is the first year for Mason and Reese to play soccer. They had one practice so far and they both seem to like it! Reesie is super cute running up and down the field. It's her first team sport and she is super excited to be on a team like her big brother!!

Sheesh I'm lame.

2010-08-21T21:47:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's been months. I am still here, just preoccupied with my little ones. We have been trying to keep busy this summer and sitting in-front of the computer doesn't always seem like fun to me anymore. I'd rather be keeping the house clean, go figure. With Derek home now more (summer baseball is finally over), I've seemed to be able to sit more and have him help out a little around the house. It's been so nice! Anyway, we had a photo shoot last week for the kids. I would love to say it went great, but the kids were HORRIBLE. So busy and couldn't sit still. Our photographer, Morgan, did an amazing job regardless and captured some amazing shots of the kids. Here are a few :)

Bye Bye Baby Curls

2010-06-09T19:36:00.001-07:00

I knew this day would come. Derek has been bugging me for months to get Maddox's hair cut and I finally caved. Probably because it was a hot mess every morning and I was tired of bathing him just to tame his hair! He did so great while she cut his hair and I think he looks so handsome. I get startled every time he walks in the room! It's so different but so cute!

Stitches

2010-06-09T19:24:00.000-07:00

Mason had his first baseball injury on the day of Reese's birthday (of course). Derek took him along to his summer team baseball practice so I could get things ready for the party. I get a call a couple hours before the party is about to start. He said it was bad and that it would need stitches. Apparently he was shagging balls in the outfield with a boy from Derek's team. A ball was coming towards Mason so the boy tried to block the ball from hitting him and accidentally stepped on Mason's leg with his cleat. I had no idea how sharp those cleats are! It split his leg right open. Derek was able to get the blood to stop and cleaned out the wound and wrapped it good. Mason was totally fine and could walk on it so Derek decided to take him to the ER after Reese's party. He was a very brave little boy and only yelled when they gave him a shot to numb the area so they could stitch it closed. He held very still during that! He received 4 nice stitches and a pretty big scar for life. It is already healed and it never slowed him down one bit!

Reese is 3!

2010-06-09T19:16:00.001-07:00

I know this is a little late, but I've been slacking lately.

Reese turned 3 last month and nobody could be happier then this happy little girl! We had a fun little Hello Kitty party for her. My family came and it was short, but very sweet! She loved all the fun gifts she got and when the party was over, she was ready to take down all the decorations because "my party is over now mommy". We love this little girls so much. She is so different from her big brother, but we are learning how to deal with a very dramatic 3 year old girl!

Mariners 2010

2010-05-05T09:25:00.001-07:00

We were able to go to our first Mariners game of the year a couple weekends ago. We left Maddox with Grandma and took the older two. They were so good and we only had to go potty once. Mason can sit through a whole game with out getting up, well except to dance like a crazy man to try and get on the big screen. That boy LOVES attention!

T-ball - round 1

2010-05-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

Mason's t-ball team is in full swing (no pun intended). I can't believe how excited he gets to go play even when it's 40 degrees and rainy. His practices have been rained out for the last few weeks and he is always so disappointed. During the day he throws a ball up and catches it over and over again. And yes, Derek allows him to play catch in the house. No matter how I feel about it, it will happen. I've only lost one picture frame so far. I suppose it's going to take a ball through the TV for Derek to say no more.

15 months!

2010-05-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

Stats:
32 1/4 " (80%)
23 lbs 7.5 ozs (30%)
19 1/2 (95%) (head)

I would say he is getting so big, but he actually went down quite a bit in his weight percentage from 1 year. His doctor isn't worried at all. He is an active baby and would eat all day if I let him! He eats more then Reese and Mason at dinner so I know he is getting enough. Must be a lucky boy to have a fast metabolism!

Maddox loves to play and watch baseball right now. He puts the ball on the T and swings, it is pretty much the cutest thing ever. He loves to talk and I'm always surprised what he can say when I ask him to say something. He is champ when it comes to sleeping at night (12-14 hrs straight). I suppose he's making up for waking up 2-3 times a night until he was 12 months. I obviously love this little boy and can't believe this is most likely my last baby (unless I can talk Derek into it in the next 5 years).

Stay Tuned!

2010-05-05T00:19:00.000-07:00

Well, you know me. You may have to wait a few days, but I promise to blog soon.

Who's a big girl???

2010-03-12T15:03:00.000-08:00

REESIE!!

After 4 times of trying she was finally willing to put her stubbornness aside and potty train! We ran out of diapers for her Sunday night and Derek decided it was time, for the last time. She has blown me away with how ready she really was. I went out to the garage today for about 5 minutes and when I came back in, she had gone poop in the potty...all by herself! What a relief! I know there will still be accidents, but I'm very proud of my little girl for trying to grow up. Now she gets her big girl bed! Pictures coming soon!

1 year already?

2010-01-29T08:16:00.000-08:00

This may have been the fastest year ever! At times it did seem long, but most of the year seemed to have flown by. It's amazing how fast babies grow. Maddox is a such a joy in our lives. He came A LOT sooner then we had anticipated, but we are so glad he is here and he is ours! He has been through a lot in his short year, but he thankfully will not remember any of it! WE LOVE YOU MADDOX JAMES!

1/29/09
1 month
2 months

3 months

4 months

5 months

6 months

7 months

8 months

9 months

10 months

11 months

12 months

Look who's walking!

2010-01-24T20:43:00.000-08:00

Maddox has been walking for a couple weeks now. He walks between everything. He still like to crawl because he can do it so much faster! But he did eye the laptop the other day with out anyone near it and sprinted towards it. It was funny, but the smile quickly changed to tears when I put it away. What is it with babies and computer/phones/remotes/cameras???

Goodbye Training Wheels!

2010-01-24T11:49:00.000-08:00

Mason did it!! He taught himself how to ride his bike with out training wheels!! I honestly couldn't believe it. It only took him one try and he was riding around the cul de sac by himself. We are so proud of him. It's so great watching your kids accomplish new things!!

Fenced in!

2010-01-24T11:40:00.000-08:00

I am so excited that we have a FULLY fenced back yard! I know it may not sound that exciting, but to a homeowner with small children that like to escape, it's a dream come true!!! My dad, Derek and my little brother worked hard for 5 different Saturdays over the last couple months and got it done. It is exactly what I wanted and I'm so grateful for all their hard work. My dad is amazing and planned it all out. We would have had to pay a fortune to have someone install it for us!!

No more little kids cutting through our yard to get the the neighborhood park!! As you can see, half of our yard was already fenced from the neighbors. It was nice that we only had to do two sides!

Lots of help!

Welcome Home!

2010-01-12T18:40:00.000-08:00

(I had this post done a long time ago but just noticed that it never posted so I will post it now :) )

My brother came home from his mission on October 16th. We all went to the airport to get him. Mason had missed uncle Ike so much. Reese was 4 months when he left and Maddox wasn't even a thought! We are so HAPPY to have him back! It was a long two years, but really it went by fast (for me at least). It's been fun seeing him everyday and being with him again. He seems to be adjusting well!!

Waiting patiently!

Seeing him for the first time in 2 years! So exciting!

Trying to figure out how to go and hug him. Dang rope!

Maddox LOVES him so much!

He's been home for 3 months now and we are so happy he's back!!!!

Bye Bye Binky

2010-01-12T14:01:00.001-08:00

Reese's new year's resolution was to kick the binky habit. Okay, it was actually my resolution but she would have kept it till she was 20 if I didn't step in. It actually wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. We did it cold turkey. She went to bed perfect the first night and the next day when we talked about it, she laughed and said "no more binky mommy". Mason was almost two when I threw all of his away, so I was really worried that she wouldn't give it up as easy. I'm so glad she did, and now I just have one baby with a binky!!

My favorite.

2010-01-12T13:58:00.001-08:00

I love how Maddox gets into Reese's pink chair to watch TV. It makes me smile every time I catch him doing it. Today he was even reading a book. I seriously can't believe he'll be one in a couple weeks. Please excuse the dirty pink chair. It's disgusting but they love it.

Basketball!

2010-01-04T19:21:00.000-08:00

Mason had his first basketball practice tonight. I don't know who was more excited, Mason or Derek! Derek got the bargain of the year, he found Mason a pair of Jordan basketball shoes for $20! I'm really excited to go to his games (which are every Saturday starting the 16th). I hope he enjoys it, he needs to get out this energy!!!

Happy Boy

2010-01-03T13:00:00.001-08:00

I love how long Maddox's hair is getting! I told Derek there is no way we are cutting it any time soon. He made me with Mason, so I want to keep Maddox's long for awhile. Until someone calls him a little girl, then I'll have to!

Catch up

2010-01-03T12:43:00.000-08:00

So I'm not sure if this is catching up or starting over! I have been so lame at blogging lately. Since we have moved into our own house, I don't get on the computer nearly as much as I did when we were staying at my mom's! Right now I am home from church with a sick baby and Derek took the others to classes so I feel like I have a break. I've been meaning to put Christmas pictures up, so here they are! It was a "magical" Christmas this year because Santa brought a Wii. Mason has been asking for one since he was 2. It was really exciting to see the joy in his eyes!!

Can you see Mason's shiner under his eye? That sweet little face next to him took a hammer (toy) and smack him has hard as she could. Poor Mason. She beats the crap out of him all the time and he just takes it. But in her defense (although there shouldn't be) he teases her like you wouldn't believe. Someday they won't fight...right?

Santa doesn't know when to stop when it comes to their stockings. They are always jammed packed!!

6 am and anxiously waiting to see what Santa brought! I love this picture!

Santa brought Reesie a Leapster 2. It's pink and she loves it!

Happy boy! Not only does he love it, but Derek and I are having a kick out of it too!! Santa brought me Wii fit and the Biggest Loser game to go with it. Hopefully I can lose all the weight that I gained from the last 3 months.

Maddox was very happy that morning. He got the little people farm and a Winnie the Pooh ride on toy. He was happy just drinking his juicey!

We are very grateful for our beautiful children and the joy they bring to our lives. It just wouldn't be the same with them!!

Family Pics

2009-12-15T14:20:00.000-08:00

My brother in-law was so nice and came over and took some pictures of the kids with his nice camera. They turned out so great! He edited some and I think he did an amazing job. I suppose having cute kids helps :)

Christmas Lights

2009-12-05T20:51:00.001-08:00

I have had so much fun decorating for Christmas in our new house. The kids were very helpful and loved decorating the tree. We were lucky enough to put up the outdoor lights while the little ones were naping and while Mason was with my sister. It made it so much easier!

All Better!

2009-11-10T12:56:00.001-08:00

It may not look like it, but Maddox is considered all better! He had his last CT scan on the 28th of October. We saw the Dr right after the scan. He told me that everything looks good and that there should be nothing else we need to do from this point on. He then shows me the scan. I about fell to the floor! Can you see that indent and the crack in the upper right part of the skull (the upside y is normal growth plates)? I couldn't believe it. Seriously, it just looks terrible. I am so thankful that it wasn't worse then it was. Underneath the skull is what they are concerned about and everything underneath is perfect, you can't even tell that there is crack. It's cool to have this picture, but scary that he still has a crack in his skull!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-10T12:47:00.001-08:00

I know I'm a little late. Who knew being a stay at home mom was so much work?? LOL! I rarely sit down at the computer during the day now. It's actually a good thing. I would say I was pretty depressed living with my parents. Not that I didn't appreciate it, but not having our own place was a real downer. I'm so happy now.

We moved in the week before Halloween. We were so excited to for the kids to trick or treat in our new neighborhood. The streets around our house are perfect for walking little kids. They had so much fun. Derek took them all out while I stayed home and passed out candy. It was so nice!

The American Dream

2009-11-09T20:31:00.000-08:00

We are finally starting to feel settled into our new house. The kids love it. Reese asked to go back to "Grandma's house" for the first week, but now after we go some where in the car, she asks to go back to her "new house". We still aren't able to park in the garage, we have so much crap we have to clear out. Here are some pictures with the kids enjoying their new space!

Poor little guy always has bruises on his head. One is from him falling and the other is the result to a feisty big sister. She likes to throw things right now...at her brothers heads.
Seriously, I LOVE THESE KIDS!

Reesie loves to show off for the camera!

This is our family room. It's not huge but it's perfect. We also have an extra bedroom downstairs that we use for the computer room and their toys.

Mason is REALLY into making tracks right now. He loved trains when he was two but didn't have much interest the last couple years. Now he doesn't really play with the trains much, but he makes long elaborate track cities. This is one he is building through the hall upstairs.

It has rained buckets since we have moved in. I think this is the only day that it didn't rain. This is our backyard. It's not big (our yard end where the grass ends), but it's just enough for us. You can see that the neighborhood park is right behind our backyard. We are putting fence up in the next few weeks. but we'll put a gate to the park so we can get their easy.

Oh my gosh....WE OWN A HOUSE!

2009-10-25T20:54:00.000-07:00

I seriously can't believe we own a house. It seemed as if it would never happen. We are loving every second of it and couldn't be happier! We are at the end of a quiet cul de sac which is heaven. The kids seem to be adjusting well, but Reese is still asking to go "home to grandma". I'm sure my mom is going through shock as well. We will miss her so much and we are so grateful to both my parents for all their help and the sacrifices they have made over the last two years. This is exactly where we wanted to be after staying with them, I'm glad we stuck to our goal! More to come once we get settled in!

#1 Mariners Fan!

2009-10-13T13:17:00.001-07:00

I don't use that term lightly either. Mason is literally Mariners #1 fan. He knows all the players, what order they bat and what position they play. Derek was able to take him to a lot of games this year and he sits through every inning all the way to the last out (even when getting their butts kicked). His new thing this year is dancing crazy between innings so he can get on the big screen. Well this year was totally his year. Early on in the season we were all at a game and we texted in a picture of him and they put the picture up on the big screen! We were so excited. Also, Derek got a text from someone he knows that said they just saw Mason on TV between innings. We were bummed we missed it. The last game they went to this year Mason was on TV again! I was watching and even taped it to show him when he got home. He is a very lucky boy to be only 5 and been on TV two times already and on the big screen! It couldn't have happened to a bigger fan!

I took a picture of him on the screen. The camera man asked him to hold up his poster after the third out. He did a crazy face the whole time, totally our boy!

Before and After

2009-10-04T21:39:00.000-07:00

Here are pictures of Maddox's head. The first one was taken on Tuesday, the day after he hit his head on the elliptical (before I knew how serious the hit was). The second picture was taken the day after we got home from the hospital. Can you see it? It scares me that he has it on his head, but the neurosurgeon assures us that he is fine. He is such a little dare devil, I'm so afraid to even let him stand up to anything anymore. Go to my previous post to see how it all happened.

Happy to be Healthy!

2009-10-03T14:41:00.000-07:00

What a long couple of days we have had! I guess I will start from the beginning. Sorry this is going to be long.

On Monday, Maddox pulled himself up and was standing holding on to one of the back of one of our kitchen chairs. Well, the chair started to fall and he held on and he went straight back and hit the back of his head on a corner of the elliptical (with the chair still on top of him). I FREAKED out because I knew he hit hard. Derek and my mom were both there and they reassured me he was fine, that it was just a bonk. He calmed down very easily and was never bothered by it. He had a goose egg where he had hit but that was about it. Well, 4 days later (Thursday evening), he woke up after being asleep for a couple hours and he had a huge soft mass on the side of his head. Again, I FREAKED out and showed Derek and my parents. We all knew we had to take him to the hospital. My Dad and Derek gave him a priesthood blessing before we left. It didn't calm me down much at the time, but I knew he needed it. We got to Children's Hospital at about 10:45pm and they got us back to a room at about 11:45. They looked him over and decided that they needed to do a ct scan. The Dr didn't think they would find anything but just to make sure. He was so good during the scan. He was scared but I was right there by him and it was fast and painless. After waiting a little while longer she came back with the results, and of course I was not expecting to hear it. A skull fracture. I mean really, I thought I was going to faint. She said it was a small crack and that only a little bit of blood had gone into the crack. She said that the amount that went in was so minor that there was nothing they needed to do to fix it. The neurosurgeon then came in and explained it all to us. It was not common at all for them to see a skull fracture with no other symptoms, besides the blood that had pooled up on the side of his head. And it wasn't common at all for that to show up 4 days after the initial hit. They thought maybe he had hit it again and that is what caused the blood to fill up. Anyway, we had to be admitted so they could watch him and make sure that he was okay. It was a long sleepless night for Derek and I but Maddox was the happiest boy ever. The nurses loved him (of course) and they could tell he was going to be fine. It was SUPER hard when they told me a social worker had to come in and talk with us. They said it was completely standard, because it was a skull fracture. It was so hard to hear that, but I knew it was coming. We didn't end up leaving till after 3pm on Friday. It was a long day of waiting but I didn't mind as long as our little boy was going to be okay. We have to go back to see the neurosurgeon in a couple weeks to get him checked out again and then in a month they have to do another ct scan. They said that as his brain grows they may have to check him again to make sure the skull healed and that the brain doesn't come through the crack. Seriously, I'm sick just talking about it. The mass on his head will absorb eventually and they don't have to do anything about it. It scares me so much to let him crawl around and play because I'm afraid he will hurt it again. I knew when he started pulling himself up to furniture at 7 months that he was going to get hurt, but I never thought to this extent. Needless to say, I blame myself. I should have baby proofed better. AND I should have trusted my instinct when he first hit his head to call the Dr. I'm so thankful to my Heavenly Father that he is going to be okay. Scary night, but for what happened we got the best possible answer!

This is how happy he was when he was awake. I didn't leave him in the crib much when he was awake. All he wanted to do was pull himself up and stand in it and it scared me. I mean really, put a child with a skull fracture in a metal crib...NO THANK YOU!

Being in Children's made me so thankful for my healthy children. We saw many REALLY sick kids and it broke our hearts. I pray for all of them now in my nightly prayers. We hope we don't have to go back there with a child ever again!

Foul Ball!

2009-09-24T15:59:00.000-07:00

The night of Mason's party (Saturday), he got to go to the Mariners vs Yankees game with Grandpa and Daddy. My dad's work has season tickets so the seats are pretty good (better then we would ever get when we buy tickets). So Derek texts me early on in the game and said that the guy directly 3 rows behind him got a foul ball. I had a feeling it was "their" night to get a ball. Sure enough a little while later they got one! It landed a few rows behind them but it rolled down and Derek grabbed it. My mom and I even saw it on TV and rewound it 100 times, it was so much fun! The Mariners got their butts kicked that night by the @#%# Yankees, but Mason said to my dad and Derek "Even though the Mariners lost it was still a good game, because I got a ball!!" Lucky boy!

5!

2009-09-24T15:27:00.003-07:00

Mason turned 5 this last Monday! I say it every year, but I can't believe he's 5! He had his 5 year check up yesterday and he is growing like a weed. He weighed 40 pounds and is 45 inches tall. I was concerned about his weight being low, but the Dr said he has gained 4 pounds this last year and that is perfect. Derek would like him to have some more meat on his bones, but what are you going to do about it?

Last Saturday he had his very first "friends" birthday party. Of course he chose Mariners to be the theme. He had 15 friends there, but it was a lot of fun and it went so smoothly. We had ESPN jock jams music going on the cd players and the a Mariners dvd on the dvd player. They made pennants with their names on them, played games, had pizza and grapes and this year we made ice cream sandwiches instead of cake. It was a HUGE hit. I was glad we did something different! Here are a bunch of pictures from his party!!

Mason invited all of his cousins to his party. Griffin was the oldest but he was SO much help!

Pin the ball on homeplate! I think Murphy won that game and he's only 2!

Mason's favorite pizza is from Costco!

He loved his new Seahawks sweatshirt!!

36 More Days Until Uncle Ike Comes Home From His Mission!!!

2009-09-10T23:01:00.000-07:00

But who's counting?

Preschool!

2009-09-10T21:44:00.000-07:00

Mason had his very first day of preschool on Wednesday. We had always planned for him to only go to one year of preschool, mostly for financial reasons. He's almost 5 so he is one of the oldest in class, and we really like that! He already loves it and got so excited today when I told him preschool was tomorrow. Here are the pictures we took before we left.

I hope he continues to love preschool as much as he did after the first day. He has never been away from me like this so I really think it's good for both of us and great for him to get ready for kindergarten. Love this little boy!

Big Sitter!

2009-08-17T15:18:00.000-07:00

Being 30

2009-08-11T13:22:00.001-07:00

I feel old. I realize it could be worse. Everybody said "it isn't that bad". Well it was, for me anyway. I think leading up to the day was far worse than the actual day. I was in the worst mood all weekend. My family was afraid to even start a conversation with me. On the actual day, Derek took me and my sister and her husband out to dinner. We went to The Crab Pot. I had never been, but always wanted to go. They dumped steamed shellfish and crab legs on your table and then you dig in. Derek HATES seafood, except for fish and chips (like the kind that has an inch fried batter all around it). We had a good time, it was nice to get away for a couple hours!

Going Topless

2009-07-30T21:59:00.001-07:00

With the kids going to bed when the house is near 90 degrees, this is little relief. It took the older ones two hours to fall asleep tonight, when normally it takes 5 minutes. I'm looking forward to the cooler weather!

6 Months!

2009-07-29T16:06:00.001-07:00

Sheesh I love this boy. Look at that face...I AM SO LUCKY! He is truly a happy baby. He does have his issues with sleeping (he hates to) but we're working on it. He loves baby food. He loves his siblings and he loves his mommy. He loves his daddy too, just not in the middle of the night! He had his 6 month check up today and he is a BIG BOY! 18 lbs (75th) and 28.5 inches (90th). They actually measured his head 3 times!! Apparently he had a huge growth spurt from his 4 months! I'm hoping as he gets older he'll start sleeping better. The nights are hard for me. He wakes up and won't go back unless I give him a bottle. Even after that, he has a hard time settling down. His Dr said I should let him cry himself back to sleep, but we've tried that and he always wakes Reese and then she won't go back to bed. Hopefully once we have our own place (in the next couple months) it will be better. He's rolling all over the place and today he even lifted his knees up and he scooted to get something he wanted. My other kids were like 9 months when they started doing that. Time to baby proof!! Oh and his two bottom teeth broke through yesterday! That may be another reason why he is sleeping so terrible. If you click on the picture you might be able to see them!

To see the others at 6 months you can go here :)

This looks familiar...

2009-07-23T13:41:00.001-07:00

Maddox, 5 months 3 weeks.

Reese, 8 months 2 weeks. (the couch is not squishing her, I promise)

Flashy

2009-07-20T19:46:00.000-07:00

My camera has this red light that comes on before the flash goes off (maybe for red eye?). Maddox will be huge smiling and then I start to take a picture and he sees the red light. These are the faces he made, all taken back to back. I didn't realize how funny they were until I uploaded them tonight. Silly faces or not, he's still pretty cute.

Buzz Buzz

2009-07-20T19:29:00.000-07:00

I knew this day was coming. Derek has been trying to talk me into it since May and I have told him I didn't want to. Apparently he won. This morning, I woke up to a nicely shaved Mason. Not that I don't like his head shaved, but I LOVE his long hair. Another gripe that I have is that his hair always has that grown out look when I get his pictures taken around his birthday in September. Oh well, I will admit that it is a lot easier to maintain!

This afternoon, Mason tripped and smacked his face on the hardwood floor. Of course there was blood and I panicked to see if he still has all his teeth. They were all there. I could see the cut under his lip and he refused to put ice on it so I sent him to lay on his bed with a cold rag. I went down 5 minutes later and he was sound asleep, at 5pm. He woke up at 7pm with a nice fat lip. He liked the idea of ice cream for dinner. Who would complain about that?

Also, I've had this same conversation with Reese today, probably about 15 times.

Reese: "Meesey haircut?"
Me: "Yes, Mason got his haircut"
Reese: "Oh, Reesie get a haircut?"
Me: "No, Reesie is going to have long hair. Do you want a haircut?"
Reese: "No, Meesey haircut"

No joke, every time she looks at him, she comes up to me asks me the same thing.

Yoving it.

2009-07-16T14:10:00.000-07:00

Sweet Baby Reese has been talking in sentences for a few months now. I seriously laugh every time she says something because it is super cute. Here are a few of her favorite things to say:

"What are you doing in here mommy?"

"Where Meesey go?" (Mason)

"I want a shower too"

And my favorite new phrase is : "I yove (love) _______ now"

These are some of the things she loves now...

"I yove reading scriptures now"

"I yove the Yankees now"

"I yove the Mariners now"

I hope I can capture them all on video!

T-ball...again.

2009-07-16T08:35:00.000-07:00

Mason is on another t-ball team, the second one this season. Good thing he loves it!!

As much as he loves it, he said he'd rather hit "pitched balls". Apparently he already thinks he's to good for the T.

Telling it how it is...

2009-07-14T16:23:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love what kids say? I do, some of the times.

Me: "Mommy needs to clean up this place!"

Mason: "Ok, I will just sit here and watch you."

Seriously, that is exactly how it is. I have tried so many times to get them to help me around the house. Especially with their toys. The only way I can get them to help is to say I have a treat for them afterwards. Then they run around cleaning up their toys as fast as they can. During that time, my mind is racing thinking of a "treat" to give them. And string cheese doesn't cut it. I've tried that before.

Cravings

2009-07-13T12:28:00.001-07:00

I'm having a lot of cravings lately. I'm sure it's because I've been dieting for almost 2 months now and I'm going through withdrawals. The most disgusting craving I have right now are these, preferably from 7-11.

No wonder I'm overweight.

(No, I did not give into this craving. Someday I will, but not when I still have 28 pounds to go)

Happy Fourth!

2009-07-05T18:03:00.000-07:00

It really was a good day. Considering I didn't have Derek (baseball tournament in Yakima), I think it went well. I did have a lot of help from the rest of my great family. We went to the Bothell Parade and let me tell you, it was HOT! At least for us it was hot, 85 degrees. I know that sounds like heaven to some of my family! Anyway, Reese was pretty miserable the whole time. She was super tired and then got sunscreen in her eyes. It was pretty sad to see her swollen eyes, but she cheered up after her nap. We had a BBQ at my parents house with our whole family. We celebrated my nephew Jack's birthday (which was the 3rd) and the kids cooled off by playing in the little pool and slip and slide. I was so exhausted by the end of the day but I truly think it was worth it. I do these things for the kids!!!

Aren't they the cutest brothers?!? I think so!

Reesie doesn't really get it yet, but I'm taking away her binky. She is more addicted to them now then she was 6 months ago. I wish I would have done it then.

We aren't really a firework family. We buy the fireworks that stay on the ground and that is about it. I'm actually really glad. What a waste of money. You might as well have lit the two twenty dollar bills I used to buy them. And did there seem to be more fireworks in your neighborhood then last year? It seemed like it at my house. It was literally non stop from about 7 to well after midnight (plus most of the day too). Thankfully my kids were so tired it didn't even faze them!

Has it really been a month?

2009-07-05T18:00:00.000-07:00

Wow..I am so lame! I guess there hasn't been a lot on my mind. Just busy with the kids and trying to lose this massive amount of weight! I suppose I'll start blogging again, it might get my mind off things.

How big is Maddox? SOOO BIG!

2009-06-05T14:19:00.001-07:00

Okay, so he's not huge but he's a lot bigger then he was two months ago!

4 months stats -

15 lbs 10 ozs (70%)

26" (75%)

I think his head was 70%

I'm so glad he is finally thriving. He has had some issues with his large airway. He's been in twice for x-rays which both have come out great and no issues. His Dr thinks that he will grow out of it as he gets bigger. But for now, our little Darth baby will have to live with it. He coughs a lot but it is just phlegm. It sounds like he has a cold all the time, but he really doesn't. I worry more about this baby then I did with my other two. I hate worrying. The Dr reassures me that he is very healthy. I'm hoping once he is eating baby food and not so many bottles this will clear up.

He is a very happy baby. He will smile at anyone (even the TV). He is a great sleeper at night. Anywhere between 7-10 hours a night. Let me tell you...IT IS HEAVEN! With that being said, he takes crappy naps during the day. He would love to be held all day long. Today he has actually been asleep for the last two hours in his bed. What a treat for me! We love this little baby so much. He totally completes our crazy family. He may have come earlier then I had anticipated, but I'm so glad he is ours!!!!

I'm taking bets.

2009-05-27T13:52:00.000-07:00

Mason got a new scooter yesterday. I'm going to guess he'll break his wrist or his arm first. Not that I like to make these kind of bets that involve my child getting injured. But if you saw him ride, you would be saying it too. He's very athletic, but when he thinks he's going to fall or if he's going to fast, he'll just fall to the ground. I sincerely hope he doesn't hurt himself!!!!!

** This is not Mason on a scooter. This a much older boy who looks like he may have some skills on a scooter. However, this is the same exact scooter that Mason got. It actually makes little sparks when you push down on the end of the scooter. Unfortunately he can't do it yet and I have to get on it and make the sparks. I'm sure that is a sight to see.

Here I go.

2009-05-25T00:02:00.000-07:00

I've decided to start a "journal". It will be about my weight loss journey. If only one person follows this blog, I'm hoping it keeps me motivated to stick with it!

http://forthelasttimecarly.blogspot.com/

Party Pictures

2009-05-19T10:52:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from her party Sunday night. We made homemade pizza and it was pretty much the best ever. She really didn't have a theme to her party, except for maybe all of her favorite characters...Elmo, Dora and Yo Gabba Gabba.

Birthday Girl!

2009-05-15T21:46:00.001-07:00

Reese turned two today! We started off our day by going to Elmo Live!! My sister-in-law was able to get cheaper tickets through her YMCA. The kids loved it and Reese was so into it. My mom came and helped with the baby (thankfully he slept the whole time). For lunch, we met Derek at Red Robin. She was so shy when they sang "Happy Birthday" to her, I think she on the verge of tears! Her family party will be on Sunday and hopefully I can add some more picture then!!

I love this little girl so much! She is so smart, it truly amazes me. Mason couldn't even say 5 words when he turned two. Her vocabulary is endless and it is so fun to hear her put sentences together. She also can count to 12, recite every song from Yo Gabba Gabba, help me clean up toys at night, throw tantrums like you can't believe, tease her older brother, get up in the middle of the night and won't go back to bed, unlock my cell phone, call 911 on Derek's cell phone, talk on the phone to her aunt Kacey and cry when I tell her she has to say goodbye. Okay, I could go on forever, but I won't!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET BABY REESE!

Babies

2009-05-11T15:47:00.000-07:00

It has been hard having two babies, but I love them so much. My older baby will be two on Friday and then she won't be so much a baby anymore. Aren't they just the sweetest?!

(And hasn't Maddox filled out nicely? We just love that he's getting so big!)

Busy Book

2009-04-24T14:14:00.001-07:00

I'm a lame Mom. Mason is always bored during the day and I have a hard time finding things for him to do. I'm kicking myself for not getting him into a preschool this year (he'll go in sept). Anyway, while we were at Barnes and Noble the other night (trying to figure out how to be better parents), I came across what seems to be a great little book.

It is full of activities that are simple and cheap. Today, Mason and I washed coins. That's right. Washed coins with a toothbrush and soap and water. It wasted a lot of time and he absolutely loved it. Too bad I needed to spend 10 bucks on a book to tell me that my kid would love this.

Big Boy

2009-04-24T14:03:00.001-07:00

So, I'm not usually the mom that likes to take pictures of my kids doing things they shouldn't do. But this time I did. Because it made me laugh.

Jack and Mason

2009-04-15T19:35:00.000-07:00

My sister sent me this picture of Mason and his cousin Jack when they were babies. I'm thinking Mason is about 12 months and Jack is 2 or 3 months. I LOVE this picture!

Last week we went to Build a Bear at the mall. Apparently Mason still loves to "hold" Jack. As you can see, Jack doesn't like it anymore.

Train Wreck

2009-04-12T18:02:00.000-07:00

This is how my life is going right now. Pretty much a train wreck. I'm sure people love to stop and stare and are so happy that this isn't their life. I hope it gets better soon because I think I'm going crazy.

Sunny Days!

2009-04-07T19:21:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun day today with our cousins! Mason and his cousin Jack had haircuts at Bella and Max and then we met up with my sister-in-law and two of her kids Laney and Murphy. They fed the ducks, played on the playground and took a ride on the train. It is so nice that my sister has the week off from work. We've had so much fun!

BASEBALL!

2009-04-06T08:33:00.000-07:00

Happy first week of Major League Baseball!! Spring is here!

T-ball

2009-04-04T12:58:00.001-07:00

Mason started t-ball a few weeks ago. Derek amazingly found time to be his coach (much to my dismay). They have only had a couple practices because of all the rain. Today is beautiful. I hope it's this nice next Saturday for his first game. Mason is the youngest on his team of 4, 5 and 6 year olds. Anyway, it looks like it's going to be a great year! Go Green Monsters!!

Here baby, have a toy.

2009-04-01T11:16:00.000-07:00

Reese loves to give Maddox toys to "play" with. And she doesn't stop with one! She loves to help. I hope she'll always be like that!

THANK YOU!

2009-03-31T15:55:00.000-07:00

I wanted to thank everyone for all the great advice when it came to Maddox and his food. I'm grateful to have such wonderful friends and family that care!! So here is a little update. Maddox is a totally different baby now. I have been giving him a couple of ounces of formula after he nurses, mainly just to get his weight up. I had no idea that his fussiness was due to the fact that he wasn't getting a lot out of nursing. He is soooo much happier now even hours after he eats. Before it would be like 2 hours and he would be so fussy. I'm also thinking that my milk supply is just the same as it was with the other two but that maybe he isn't latching on right and maybe not getting all that there is. I didn't diet at all this weekend and my milk supply was exactly the same. I'm going to call the breastfeeding clinic at the hospital and make an appointment so they can see why he's not getting all of it. Anyway, I feel like he's finally thriving. I hope I don't have to give him formula after they weigh him this week. But to be honest, I just want a happy baby and I'll do whatever it takes to make that happen. Here are a few pictures from this weekend.

Do I look small to you?

2009-03-27T09:57:00.000-07:00

Maddox went in for his 2 month check up today. He went down on the weight growth chart. He only weighs 10lbs 5 ozs. He went from the 55th percentile to the 25th. I feel like a horrible mom. His doctor thinks its my milk supply and probably because I've been cutting back on calories. Maddox always seems happy after he eats so I never thought it was an issue. Anyway, to solve this issue he said I should supplement with formula after every other breast feeding. Next week I'll go back in and they'll weigh him to make sure he's gaining the weight. So I'm pretty much the suckiest mom ever for starving my kid. Poor little guy.

Oh and formula stinks.

I know I look delicious...

2009-03-14T09:50:00.000-07:00

But please don't eat me.

Happy Boy

2009-03-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

Maddox has been smiling for a couple weeks now. This isn't his "big" smile but it's all I could get last night. I love how he scrunched his little nose. Love this little boy!

The Others

2009-03-09T15:47:00.001-07:00

No, I'm not talking about the characters from Lost. I'm talking about my other children. The ones I love just as much as the baby, but haven't blogged about lately. Reese is getting over a nasty cold/ear infection. Mason got it too but not as bad. Maddox is the only one left with the crud. He's had it for about 4 weeks but I took him in to the Dr. today and he didn't see an infection which is good. I'd just like to see him healthy.

Reesie loves her Foofa (from Yo Gabba Gabba). It sings a cute little song and she knows every word. It is super fun to hear her sing!

Mason has never really been into stuffed animals. Until I won this cheap little Mariners bear from a crane machine at a Mexican restaurant. He named him Quiznos-Subway (can you tell we eat out way too much?). We call him Quiz for short. Funny boy!

Dear Baby Acne,

2009-02-27T13:16:00.000-08:00

Please go away!

Happy Birthday Mommy!

2009-02-17T15:03:00.001-08:00

I hope you have a great day!!! Thanks for being the best mommy the last 29.5 years! Love you!!!

Why I love Boys!

2009-02-17T13:28:00.001-08:00

Mason went over to his friends Wyatt's house the other day. Wyatt's mommy got some great pictures of boys being boys! In the second picture they are digging for worms. There are some days that I wish Mason had a twin brother...but only for a few minutes.

1 week later!

2009-02-05T19:31:00.001-08:00

Maddox is doing great! He seems to fit right into our family. The kids can't get enough of him and are always ready to hold him. He sleeps great during the day and we're trying to get him into a better routine at night. I only had to nurse him once in the middle of the night last night. I'm hoping to be able to do that more often. We love this little guy so much and we're so glad he's finally here!!

He's here!

2009-01-29T20:56:00.000-08:00

MADDOX JAMES BINGHAM

Our little boy is here! Maddox James was born today, January 29th at 12:10pm. He weighed 7 lbs 14 ozs (our biggest baby) and was 20 3/4 inches. He looks a lot like his brother and sister! Delivery was super easy and he was out in literally 2 pushes. I feel so great, and honestly can't believe I just had a baby. On Tuesday when I went to my 39 week appointment, my Dr said he would induce me whenever I wanted so I took him up on the offer (I was induced with both my other kids too). I love being induced mostly because it works so well for my body. He is currently sound asleep in his little hospital bed. He's already such a calm, sweet baby, I couldn't ask for much more. His pediatrician has already been in to see him and says he is very healthy!
I think he looks more like Reese but I can see a lot of Mason too. I'm sure he'll get his own look over the next few days. We think he's perfect!

Can you see his excitement? He was so little when Reese was born, it was fun to see him with his new brother and say things like "Aww, he's so cute".

Reese absolutely LOVES her baby and cried when we took him away from her. She is really cute with him. With that said, she will never be left alone with him!!

Thanks for all those that have sent sweet comments (on my facebook) and those great friends and family that have stopped by to meet our new little addition. I am honestly blessed to have such wonderful family and friends!!

Anxiously waiting

2009-01-27T08:49:00.000-08:00

Needless to say, I'm ready to have this baby. I'm excited to see what he looks like, how much he weighs, how long he is. Not to mention the "not" being pregnant part. I'm so over it. Anyway, I couldn't remember how long the kids were so I went and found their birthprint that the hospital gave us.

Derek and I did our own guessing on who he'll look like, what he'll weigh and how long he will be. We both said the same weight so I added an ounce. I'm sure he'll be right on, he's ALWAYS right!

Fan Fest!

2009-01-24T19:55:00.000-08:00

For the last 3 years Derek has taken Mason to the Mariners Fan Fest at Safeco Field. It was freezing today, but they had a lot of fun and were there for over 4 hours! Reese and I stayed home and she surprised me with taking a 3 hour nap. It was heaven! Here are some pictures from their day.

Running the bases!

Playing catch in the outfield. I guess I didn't dress him warm enough because he said he was freezing, so they didn't play out there for very long.

I like this picture. Derek didn't even notice the Mariner Moose in the background till I pointed it out.

Mason even got an autograph from the new Mariner center fielder, Franklyn Gutierrez. You can see him over Mason's right shoulder.

Face painting. Big highlight!

Sitting in the Mariners dugout!

Ready, Set...

2009-01-11T19:03:00.001-08:00

BABY! I still have 3+ weeks to go but I did get everything out of storage. I have never gone into labor early so I don't plan on it with this one either. I'm just glad to get all the little things taken care of ahead of time. I hope all of these baby "necessities" make it through this last baby. They aren't nice and new, but they work!

Holiday Picture Highlights

2009-01-05T08:47:00.000-08:00

We had a great Holiday Season this year! Thought I would do a pictorial of all the excitement that our family had. Enjoy!!

We went to Outback Steakhouse for Christmas Eve dinner this year (Mason's choice)! Reese really liked the fries and ranch!!

They were so excited for Santa to come! I love the look on Mason's face.

Can you tell that they were spoiled this year? I say every year that I will buy less but I haven't been able to succeed yet. Good thing we're only having 3 kids!

We heard Mason say "It's exactly what I wanted" a lot that morning. He asked Santa for Mario Kart for his DS and a bottle of 7-Up!

Reesie got a crib for her babies and a new chair! I'm not a big fan of second hand things, but I found the chair on craigs list and paid half of what I would have if it was new!

Santa also surprised the family with Rock Band 2! Mason loves it, but Derek and I are ADDICTED!
My dad made his traditional Christmas Day breakfast and it was AWESOME! Despite all the snow we got that morning, everyone was able to get there. We were also able to talk to Alec (on a mission in Germany). It was so great to hear his voice and I can't wait to have him home for Christmas next year!

Mason and his cousins were able to make a snowman on Christmas too! I think Derek enjoyed it more than all the kids!

We were glad to finally get back to church after it being cancelled for 2 weeks due to the snow!

This was Mason's first year he was able to stay awake till Midnight to ring in the New Year! Thanks to a nap earlier in the day, he did it with ease! He loved yelling "Happy New Year" outside while banging a pot with a spoon.

I'm sad to see the Holidays over, but it will be nice to get back into a routine. At least until this little guy joins us in less then a month!!

Ho Ho Ho! 6 weeks to go!

2008-12-24T11:57:00.000-08:00

This is my first and only belly shot I will post. Most people are surprised when I tell them how far along I am. I guess my belly shows small. I am trying to be okay with it, but hearing "you hardly look pregnant" kind of gets to me sometimes. I compare it to "are you sure you aren't having twins?". I'm sure those people hate that too. I guess my little guy is hiding somewhere in there? Maybe it's because I'm tall? I had my 34 week appointment yesterday and the doctor said everything looks great. The baby's head is down which I'm so relieved about. He also doesn't think he's going to be very big. I was a little sad to hear that, but as long as he's healthy, then it doesn't matter. Anyway, I'm glad to see this pregnancy come to end! I hope these 6 weeks go by fast, I'm dying to see what this little guy looks like!

Done!

2008-12-23T12:41:00.000-08:00

That is how I feel about all this snow. Almost everyone I have talked to is done with it also. I have ALWAYS hated snow, so this is a real downer for me. Especially since I have to be chauffeured around town to get Christmas shopping done and to go to my 34 week doctor appointment today (thank you Dad). Anyway, the kids love to play in it and guess I should be happy about that. These pictures were taken about an hour after it started snowing last Wednesday night. Since then, we have had about 10-12 inches total. Totally sucks, but here are some cute kids playing in it!

Derek tried to teach Mason how to make a snow ball. Who knew it would be so hard for him? I think he figured it out before they went inside. Reese loved the snow and cried when we took her inside. After we went in, she kept whining at the door saying "snowing, snowing".

It's Puzzle Time

2008-12-17T08:44:00.001-08:00

Mason is really into doing puzzles right now. I think I underestimated him, because I didn't realize he could do them alone. This time of year, my Mom does puzzles a lot and even has a room designated for her puzzles. Appropriately, we call it the puzzle room. He loves to go and sit in there and "help" her with them. We are working our way up to puzzles with more pieces. He has a 100 piece that we are going to attempt next! Oh and Reese likes to destroy the finished projects. I'm sure you can imagine how that goes over.

Please Do Not Disturb...

2008-12-09T10:50:00.001-08:00

During Yo Gabba Gabba. It is my morning babysitter.

(sorry for the low quality picture, it was taken on my camera phone)

The stockings were hung....

2008-12-08T15:03:00.001-08:00

I love our stockings! They are so intricate and detailed. We are so grateful that Derek's grandmother made all of them for our family. Derek's is from when he was little and then one by one she made Mason's, Reese's and mine over the last few years. I get excited to hang them every year (even on an ugly fireplace). They are perfect and I'm so glad we have them!!

Blah, blah, blah!

2008-12-05T15:45:00.000-08:00

I'm in a blogging slump. I'm sure there are many interesting things in my interesting life I could blog about but I can't think of any. Thanksgiving was good, but I didn't take any pictures :( We stayed home and had some of my Dad's side of the family come for lunch. It was nice to see everyone, but it was extremely quiet! The only kids were Mason, Jack (my sisters little boy) and Reese. Kacey and Dan got a new camera and took some pictures of the kids that turned out great. Hopefully I will get out of my slump and post more often. Sorry to all you faithful readers who keep coming back...don't give up on me!!

Okay, here are some cute pictures that my brother-in-law took of the kids from Thanksgiving Day!

Can you believe how grey his eyes are? I love them.

Reese was pretty much in a bad mood all day. She had a fever that lasted 48 hours the weekend before and still hasn't recovered from it. She is so clingy and only wants me to take care of her which is exhausting for me and frustrating for Derek. I love this picture though. Her lips and eyes are stunning, even if she isn't smiling!

I think my sister referred to this picture as "dumb and dumber" because of the looks on their faces. Very fitting.

Always!

Family Pictures

2008-11-21T14:10:00.000-08:00

We finally got around to getting our family pictures taken. When we were at a baseball auction last spring we bid on (and won) an hour long session with a photographer. It expired December 31st so we had to use it now, otherwise I would have waited until we had our baby. I think the pictures turned out great considering my kids weren't really that cooperative. Mason had a cheesy smile the whole time and Reese couldn't hold still long enough for her to get a good shot of her. The photographer gave me the CD of all the pictures. I have a ton of pictures sent to Costco for less than $50 bucks. Love it. Bear with me for posting all these pictures. I wanted Grandparents to be able to see a lot of them. Also Grandparents, I will be mailing them to you soon!!

Seriously, how cheesy is that face?! Good thing he's cute.

This is the best one of them together.

This is a great shot...of the top of Reese's head.

Maybe it wasn't such a great idea to get my picture taken 7 months pregnant. It looks like my face was stung by a bee...blah.

It's about time!

2008-11-16T18:47:00.001-08:00

Reese is in finally in the nursery at church!!! It's been a long 6 months since we have been able to attend our classes regularly so you can understand our excitement (she is so busy during class that it was distracting having her go with us). Now we have a 2 month break till we do it all again!

Black and blue

2008-11-13T12:51:00.000-08:00

Today Reese got her first bloody nose. She was reaching to get Mason's baseball bat and he didn't want her to and they both dove for it and his head hit her lip and nose (basically he body slammed her). Before I could say anything to him, he said sorry to her. I told him to go sit in time out while I went to the bathroom and stopped the bleeding. When I came back out to the family room I explained to him why he was in time out and how we can hurt people when we don't do nice things. He then said "But it's okay now because I prayed to Heavenly Father that she would be better and said sorry to him". How could I be upset with that. When I told Derek about it, he made a good point that although he does mean things sometimes, he's a good boy at heart. Now I just hope her red, fat lip goes away before pictures on Saturday morning.

Please work

2008-11-06T15:04:00.000-08:00

Goal - To fill the jar up with little rocks. When it is full, he'll get a special prize (still thinking of what that is)

How to - If Mason does something we ask the first time he gets a few rocks. If we have to ask him 2 times he doesn't get any. If we have to ask him 3 or more times, rocks are taken out.

Please wish him luck, he needs it.

Family Fun

2008-11-03T08:14:00.000-08:00

A couple weekends ago, Derek's Grandparents and uncle came to visit from Rhode Island (Derek's Mom, Dad and brother also came up from Vancouver to visit too). It was so nice to see them because we don't get to see them very often. It was a quick trip but we were able to see them a couple times down in Seattle. We went to the Science Center the first day then out to dinner the next. We had so much fun and the kids were really good! Here are some pictures!

We first met them at their hotel, The W, downtown. They were on the 21st floor and had an amazing view. I was terrified of the height, but the kids weren't bothered by it at all. My heart would skip every time they would lean on the floor to ceiling windows!

The kids were spoiled and got bags full of candy and prizes! They loved it!!

Reese with Great Grandpa.

Uncle Greg and Grandma Anita.

Great Grandma, Great Grandpa and Grandma Anita

Ouchie Ouch

2008-11-01T19:44:00.000-07:00

Can you see something different with Reese? (click to enlarge)

Mario and his puppy

2008-10-31T09:18:00.001-07:00

We had our ward Trunk or Treat last night. Mason and Reese both had a blast! Reese is officially obsessed with candy and has been whining for it all morning. Mason has been pretty good about not eating the whole thing right away. He'll say "I will have 4 pieces because I'm 4 years old." I'm just glad they go to the dentist in a few weeks!