live... laugh... love...

Mother's Day 2012

"I hope that my dear sisters throughout the world - grandmothers, mothers, aunts, and friends - never underestimate the power of their influence for good."  - President Dieter F. Uchtdorf (attached to the See's chocolate they passed out to all the Relief Society women at church)

After getting to sleep in and shower, uninterrupted, this is what I walked downstairs to, along with a sparkling clean family room and kitchen thanks to Lauren:

After church photo session.  The three littles had drawn pictures of me in Primary and when they sang in Sacrament meeting they held them up at the end.  It was very sweet to see all the Primary kids beaming and waving at their moms.

After a great day at church, we enjoyed salmon, corn on the cob, green salad and cool whip-cottage cheese-jello salad for dinner.  Emily and Lauren did the dishes and cleaned up the kitchen (my favorite part!), and we walked up to the water tower to see the goats that have been brought in to eat the vegetation for fire-proofing purposes.  (It doesn't take much to entertain us around here:)  Scripture study, prayer, and Daddy put the kids to bed.  It was a great day!

and she's off!

Emily completed the online Driver's Ed course, she's scheduled to take her permit test on Thursday, and today she is off for her first behind-the-wheel instruction, making that permit valid as soon as she gets it.  Oh boy!  Here we go!

Annual Easter Photos

Thanksgiving 2011: The Turkey Trot: 5K

And now for the real race...

Craig pulled ahead of me and Emily early in the race...

I told you this turkey trot was legit... we even had a water (well, lemonade) station at the turnaround/halfway mark.

I managed to pass Emily coming up the hill,but there goes Craig!

No pictures, please!

Lauren coming into the home stretch.

Craig beat me by about 10 seconds.  But I beat my cross-country running daughter by a couple minutes :)

That's one good-looking and healthy family who has earned their Thanksgiving feast!

 

Happy Halloween 2011

Halloween went on for days around here.  Friday night was the school's First Annual Mako Monster Mash which Craig took the kids down to.  Saturday night was our ward's Trunk or Treat.  And then actual trick or treating on Halloween night.  Phew!  All that for a silly holiday that I'm not even sure why we celebrate!

Ashton (Nerf Warrior) and Nathan (Harry Potter) ready to go on Halloween night.  

 

Maren wanted to be Rapunzel from "Tangled".  I happily bought her the costume and wig.  I'm just grateful to have one more year with a little girl who wants to by a princess for Halloween.  This could be the last year :(

 

Ashley wanted to be a Barbie.  She even spent her own money on a blond wig, which she wore for part of the night at the ward Trunk or Treat, then decided it was too hot and itchy.  This is where Mom gets to say "I told you it was a waste of your money to buy that wig!" :)

 

Lauren (recycling her costume from last year) met up with her friends in the neighborhood for trick or treating Halloween night.

 

Emily (as a cowgirl) and her friends at the ward Trunk or Treat.

 

Maren and friends at the Trunk or Treat.

Emily (as Anikan Skywalker) and Alexa (as Darth Vader) on Halloween night.  They went to a Halloween party at a friend's and trick or treated in that neighborhood.

Nathan and his 8 pounds of loot!  Craig bought it off him and Nate bought himself some Lego Ninjagos.

Our neighbor, Jenna, with Ashley and Nathan, organizing their candy.

Fun nights!  Glad they are over!  Counting down the days til our annual Thanksgiving trip to the desert!

 

our month in review

I just didn't have it in me to do the 12 of 12 this month.  So how about 12 photos (give or take a couple) of our activities in the month of September?

 

Labor Day - Ashley and Nathan rode their bikes while Craig jogged from our house down to the beach.  I think Ashley's face says it all.  They called me to come down and pick them up and we went and got doughnuts and hot chocolate as a reward for their great efforts!

 

Maren and Malia after the first day of school, cooling off in the Galland's pool.  

 

Ashley is playing soccer for the third year.  Her team is the Bazookas (for bazooka bubble gum).  She actually is complaining about playing, so we reminded her that it was her idea to sign up, we've already paid the money, her team is counting on her, and she doesn't have to sign up again next year:)

 

Nathan and Ashley quit tae kwon do at the end of the school year in June.  Nathan wanted to start jiu jitsu with his buddy, Ashton.  Nate loves it!  He likes that they learn "take downs" and wrestle on the floor.  He is all boy!

 

Alexa, Racquel and Emily - First day of seminary - Day One of the next 12 YEARS! (for me at least)

 

Emily and Lauren wanted to have a photo shoot on Emily's birthday.  We went down the road to the fake guard booth and the girls flashed their best smiles and struck some sweet and silly poses while I tried out my telephoto lens.

 

Emily is running on the cross country team at the high school.  She loves it and is improving her race times.  

 

Craig celebrated his 43rd birthday with his own personal mini triathlon, Hawaiian shave ice, and dinner at Wahoo's with the fam.

 

We sang and had cake the next day with the Hoffmanns, Christian Macey, and the elders from our ward.

 

Same people, different party!  We sang and had cake for Emily's birthday two weeks later.  Emily went around all day on her actual birthday singing Taylor Swift's "Fifteen".  Emily says 15 definitely feels different, but maybe it's because she also just started high school and everything is new.  She can hardly wait to get her permit in 6 months!  And she is already picking out the truck she thinks she's getting next year :)  

Well, there's our month.  It was jam-packed.  

And there is lots more to come this month!

preparations...

Mani/pedis... the important back to school preparations!  It's off to school tomorrow!

smile!

Just in time for freshman registration and school pictures tomorrow... smile sans metal!    Just beautiful!  

take one last look..

... the braces come off 7 a.m. Monday morning!  

ah, the lazy days of summer!

Sleeping in, no schedule, sunny weather... I am loving these unstructured summer days! 

Ashley got her turn to go to Catalina with Grammy for 4 days.  Emily and Lauren have each gone in the past.  Ashley got to get to know her second cousins better, like Melanie, above.

Nana is in town for the week and as a special treat, I got us tickets to see the Broadway production of Mary Poppins that is touring here in Orange County.  It was Nathan's turn to get a taste of the big theater and my friend, Allison, joined us as well.  It was a fabulous performance!

The kids wanted to go to the beach today, so we headed to The Hole for the afternoon.  Lauren stayed home with Nana for some sewing and movie watching (Nana introduced her to Jane Austen's 'Emma'). Emily dug a hole to China - well, not quite, but she reached water and it completely swallowed up her siblings.  Craig even showed up at the end, and stayed for some ocean swimming with The 3 Littles while I drove Emily home to get cleaned up for a babysitting job.  

Ahhhhh, summer!