St George Sun!

Boy did I need some REAL spring weather... so we packed up the car on Friday and left for some St. George Sun!!! The weather was perfect, 70-73 the whole time! It was great. The kids love love love to go down there and play. In fact Mason struggles a little bit enjoying the moment, what he is doing at the time, because he can't wait to get on to the next thing! (A good teaching moment about enjoying the moment) We didn't have near enough time down there (especially when we have to come home to snow and 25 degrees BLAAAHHH) but we did pack in our days of fun. On Saturday Mas and Ry went golfing all day while my mom and me just ran around with the girls. That night Ry and I took the kids to see Monsters vs Aliens (not my favorite show) but the kids had a great time. And when we came home we watched the Jazz barely beet the Suns in overtime WHEW! Sunday we went on a hike to see some petrogliphs, my Mason became a mountain goat jumping and climbing on all sorts of rocks looking for more pics, Ella scraped her leg (many tears) and picked the flowers, and Claire had just smiles the entire time, not a peep out of her. She loved it! She loves to be outside! After that and some lunch we went up Snow Canyon and played in the windy sand dunes for a bit (Ella's favorite thing to do so we had to get it in) and then came home. We had to cut tour trip home a night short due to yucky weather up here in Salt Lake and Ryan having to plow, so I guess we will have to go back soon for some more St George Sun!
SIDE NOTE: I realized something down there, I need more of my dad in me! I used to be more like him but I think motherhood has taken over a bit, which is great and just how it should be. But I think those qualities that I once possessed need to re-surface some! He is in awesome shape he bikes all the time (up to the top of Snow Canyon in fact), loves to ski every week, rides his Harley, 4-Wheels, loves to hike and discover new things. He is adventurous and daring, and great goal setter and achiever, tries new things and doesn't let many impossibles get the best of him. I think I am going to start by bringing out the goal setter in me and getting back into shape. He really is an inspiration to me! Thanks dad!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Heading back to the car from seeing the petrogliphs and Ella falling and scraping her knee I said to her, "Lets go get some lunch and then we will go see some more cool rocks on a little hike and then we can go to the sand and play, Okay?" and she said in a very upset voice, "I don't wanna see anymore rocks!" Her little personality comes out! She is my girly girl! Lunch and shoe shopping is her kind of day, not seeing lots of dumb rocks! I think Claire just may be the opposite from her big sis though! We'll have to wait and see!

Ella's First Dance Performance!

What a fun first to have! Ella takes dance at this little academy called Bliss. Its run by a family members sister-in-law, who is wonderful, her name is Cassie Cook! Anyways, Ella absolutely loves going to dance each week and loves to see Cassie! They have been working on this little cheer leading dance now for a couple of months and this week had the opportunity to show off their mad skills at a High School cheer leading competition. Their group was the youngest group to preform and by far the cutest! Ella did great and tried to do all the moves, she focused on Cassie, and smiled a lot. It was so much fun to watch her! I am looking forward to many more little concerts and recitals to come! I really hope she continues for a long time. Getting ready was a blast too, I had just as much fun as she did putting on her make up! She looked so grown up and beautiful! Her lashes were to die for! I hardly put any mascara on them and they looked like falsies! not fair!, she can thank her daddy for those! But it was really great and exciting for me and Ryan to watch her! She is getting so big!
MILESTONES: Claire is wanting to crawl! She is getting pretty close too! OH HELP ME! Actually I really think it will help her be more content once she can get to where she wants to be on her own. She reminds me a lot of Mason in that way. He was a busy baby too! Also, I am a new Auntie! Makaylee was born on March 19th! A month early! She was a big surprise but she is doing great, as are the parents, and we are so happy to have her! That make 4 granddaughters in a row, 3 of them in a year! Fun cousins to play with!

CLAIRE IS 6 MONTHS!

Yep she really is 6 months! I can't believe it either! She is so big I can hardly stand it! She had her 6 month well child check-up today...she is coming in at 18lb 10oz and 25 1/2 inches long. So that means she is in the 95% in weight and 50% in height. She is more like her mom than she realizes, short and fat. (I wish I looked as cute as she did!) She is doing amazing, two teeth and ahead of the moving curve! Rolling everywhere! She is actually up on all fours and rocking! My worst nightmare! I want the days where she just sits on a blanket and plays with toys and isn't able to go anywhere too fast. I don't think that this is going to be her. She is doing a great job at learning to sit up. She has a hard time at times because she wants to move so much that she tips over or she throws herself back in an attempt to arch her back and stand up. She loves to jump and jump. Bounce and bounce! Her little hands are always so busy, When I am trying to put her to sleep I have to hold her hand and she will finally settle down now that she realizes there isn't anything to to grab, touch or squeeze! She has also picked up on kissing! She will touch your face with her little slobery hand and dive towards your mouth with hers wide open. It is the sweetest thing! A wonderful sleeper, especially at night. She goes down by 9:30 and is out until 8:00 or so! Truly an amazing feet with my kids! She also is doing really great with transitioning to foods! Of course fruits are the favorite and she is getting used to the veggies. Still a mamas girl especially if I am in the room, she wants me! But she is doing a ton better with her dad! And she adores Ella and Mason, she just stares at them with these eyes of wonderment and love for them. It really is amazing to watch! She knows them and can't wait to be in the middle of it all! I am so lucky to be her mom! The bright light of Christ shines in her eyes like none other and she brings the most amazing spirit of love, passion, kindness and has a way to bring our family together in a unique way! So heres to Claire, I can't wait to see her life unfold. Lets just hope I don't screw it up too bad! HAHA I just love and adore her so much!

A BREAK FROM REALITY

So the reality of it is, that, I have a great life, one that is filled with more blessings than I deserve and/or can count. A life that I would not trade for anything, trials and all! I love my life! But, within that reality there are definitely some things that I need a break from occasionally, for example...I just am not that great of a clean house keeper, as much as I try and want a sparkling clean house I find me asking myself, "OK, can I live with it this way for a minute longer?", I have a 6 month old baby who is attached to me, a 3 year who wakes me up twice a night, a 6 year old who seems to be fighting for some more independence from me lately, and a husband who is in between seasons of work right now and I seem to face the reality all to much that I wish I had more $$$ in the bank, and more time to take a long shower and sleep more. So with all that starting to take its tole on me and me finding myself being a little more grumpy with my kids I was able to take off with some friends for an over nighter downtown last weekend. YEAH! And believe me it was definitely a break from reality! We ate out every meal desserts included (no cooking for me! and I pretended I wasn't on my diet), shopped a ton (with no stroller), laughed so much and giggled at silly things, (didn't have to worry about little ears listening), learned more about my MAC computer and some new scrap booking techniques (didn't have to wait for Ry to get around to doing that for and with me), went to bed really late (cause I knew I would be able to sleep in), and really just had a wonderful time!(because I was able to just play with friends who I love, respect and admire) Now don't get me wrong, I am so grateful for my husband for allowing me to do this because the reality of this is, without him and his love for me and our kids I wouldn't get this break. I am lucky he is so supportive of me and my needs! In fact they had a great time without me as well... guess they needed a break from reality too! Mason said to me when I got back, "Mas did ya miss me?" "Actually mom I had so much fun with daddy I didn't think about you much!" And ya know what , that was OK with me! I am glad they had fun, because now the next time I want to go... NO RESERVATIONS on my part! And being back this week reality has set back in very quickly... can't wait for the next time! Thanks for a great over nighter girls!


Me, Yvett, Haily, Kara, Netell, Jenny Hester, Jen Housely, Andrea

Ella turns 3!!!

I can't believe it has taken me so long to write about Ella's birthday, it was last Wed., on the 25th and it has just been a crazy week. So here is the update... My Ella is 3 and no I can not believe it! She is still as sweet and sassy as ever! And we love that about her. This was the year that she finally got it, that we were celebrating her and that she could ask for presents and that a party was just for her! She was so cute all day! She sang Happy Birthday to her self many times, she was never grumpy all day, she was happy to run all her birthday errands with me and just glowed all day! It really was a great day! For her party we had family over for pizza, and get this, cupcakes and popsicles (all her idea. She loves cupcakes and cream cycles right now so that is what we had!) It was perfect. She got her Little Mermaid dress she asked for, a princess bike, dress-up clothes, babies, barbies...everything and more than she could have hoped for! Thank you to everyone for your love and support of her! We love you all, thanks for making it a great day!
She really is my best little girl friend...my shadow, and sweet heart. I am so blessed to be her mom! She is caring, funny, sweet, sassy, loving and adorable! The light of Christ shines so bright in her big blue eyes and I can't wait to see how her life unfolds! We are very blessed to have her in our lives! Time is going by too quickly with her! Love you Ella!