Catchup

First off--tonight Ruby went potty in the big girl potty for the first time! We all celebrated with ring pops. I'm pretty sure this is a one time deal. I'm okay with that, I am not ready to potty train yet. Potty training stinks.

So here is what we've been up to.

Visits from friends!

Our long lost but not forgotten friends from Chicago.

Widdisons and Stringhams

Ahoy Mateys!

As you can see, Oliver was THRILLED with his date Eden.

And I was thrilled to see my favorite person Jae. She really is so much fun and so easy to talk to. I love you Jae and miss you!! When are you moving to Utah?

Thanks for making time for us Stringham Family, we loved it!

Isaac giving me his mother's day present. He titled it and did such a good job on all the pictures and story.

The Young Women in our Ward did a babysitting fundraiser for camp. There were SO many kids at the church building that night I was a little nervous, but the girls did awesome. The kids had a ton of fun and as you can see, even got their faces painted.

Ruby was wearing her cute new pajamas "Ruby's Fruit Juice Stand" from her aunt Krystal I just had to get a picture. She thinks I'm taking a picture of the flower on her cheek. She was proud.

Ruby, say cheese and show me your pretty dress!

Here ya go mom!

Daddy insisted that we take a tongue picture!

Luke graduated from preschool! Yea!!

Luke Loved his preschool teacher.

His teacher said he was always the last one done with his art projects but he was meticulous and did such a good job every time! That's our boy! He loves art! She also said he was so sweet and everyone's friend in class.

Luke loves Maddy and they spend a lot of time together playing and getting into trouble. But they were definitely the best behaved during their 1.5 hour long graduation! Yikes! WAY too long. This is the beginning of the program...

and here is the end:) Poor tired boy.

But the in between was great!

He was singing and dancing and having a great time!

Each child read a story and sang a solo. Luke did great on his book "It is Time". He has GREAT enunciation...so funny, if I ever upload the video, you will hear why. He was so serious singing his song but did a great job!

I haven't posted much just because we haven't gotten out of the house much due to all the rain! And it isn't done yet! We were supposed to get some landscaping done a few weeks ago and it has been postponed until this Friday and I'm keeping my figures crossed (but not holding my breath) that the weather will cooperate! We are planning on doing some major things to our yard....garden, fire pit, slide from the deck, huge sand box and more! We plan on doing a little at a time and divided it up into about 5 phases. We are so excited and can't wait to start our first phase! So, Rain, Rain, please GO AWAY! I hope my next post includes before and after shots of our yard.

Some people have asked about my medical issues...allergy attacks are under control for the time being. I got a cortisone shot in my wrist and it seems to be helping a lot. I also got a cortisone shot in my tail bone, but so far, no change. My doctor suggested removing my tail bone...I'm not sure about that yet, but I can't imagine living my life with this pain in my rear or EVER getting pregnant again. Maybe if I just never sit down again I won't have any more pain. I'm not going to even mention my TMJ headaches...oops, I did. They are bad. BUT I am alive and have a wonderful family and love my life:) Just wish it was a little less painful all the time!

10 months

Oh, how I miss my nice camera:) This photo shoot could have been spectacular! But Kyle reminds me, I traded it in for yard equipment:)

Oliver Grant
10 months
which means I get to wiggle and shake it all the time...especially during my monthly photo shoot!

Is this the face of cooperation?

Okay, maybe for one shot!

But then I'm outta here unless you turn on that black box over there!

And for the first time we realized that he would sit still for something.
We turned on baby Einsteins and he was glued! It was love at first sight.

10 months old
BIG boy
5 teeth working on #6
On Mothers Day he started to inchworm forward
Yesterday he crawled a few feet forward.
He also tried to dive down the stairs but his mom saved him in mid air...we should probably put up that gate now!
Today he crawled a little bit more.
He shakes his head when we move in to put on that helmet--only 1-2 more months!
He is our loudest baby yet and he sounds like a growling, coughing, screeching little monster most of the time.

Oliver, you are growing up so fast!!
and we ADORE you!

(I was going to take some 10 months shots with his helmet, but of course, we were worn out by the end of this photo shoot:)

I have no idea what to title this.

After you get married the traditional "gifts" (like wrapped up and surprise!) doesn't happen very often...at least not with us. BUT, every few years the guilt eats away at a certain somebody and he goes all out. I got roses, sees chocolates, AND a SWEET camera all in the same week (but on different days). I have a very sweet husband! I loved my new camera!!

HOWEVER, after playing with my new camera for a few days I gently reminded him that we should probably wait for that purchase since we need a new lawn mower, edger, blower, AND I think I should get some sort of mp3 player for my race:) We don't have any type of mp3 player device at our house and I think it would be nice because I am sick of the millions of cds we have laying around!! Also, our computer and internet are slow and slower and those probably need an update before I can really have fun with my new camera...someday:) Sooner than later I hope!

Making faces at the camera:)

Almost every morning the kids wait at the window to wave to Kyle. He has to drive out of his way to drive by the waving and shouting kids pressed up against the window...then they run to the next window and wave to him there as well (so Kyle also has to drive super slow for them to make it there in time). And THEN Kyle turns around at the end of the street so the pro

cess can be repeated. The kids LOVE this and run as fast as they can giggling the whole time.

I wish I would have planned better and got a nice shot of each person but I didn't. Mostly I took pictures of Oliver and his awesome new helmet!! Do you like his new look?:)

Oliver has been FUSSY! The last two days he has actually been a happy baby, and I have loved it!! I think it is due to his teething. Oh how I hate the teething!!

I just LOVE this face!!

Ruby has been loving her doggy lately. She is always petting it.

And having us pet it too.

Isaac had crazy hair day at school. He was pretty proud.

My lack of pictures and lack of posts is due to the WEATHER! Yes, of all things. Half the country seems to be in a drought or flooding so I'm trying to be positive and thankful for our situation, but it really is depressing to have rain that does NOT stop for days and days and days. My kids are sick of it and I am sick of it. We get one nice day tomorrow (lower 60's--just letting my AZ people know that this is WARM for us because we have been freezing lately!!) and then it is back to rain, rain, rain!

I check the weather report MULTIPLE times a day JUST in CASE it is going change.

I miss the sun.

Happy Mothers Day to me!

Happy to have a great mom and a great mom-in-law and most especially grateful to these awesome kiddos for making me a mom!

We had wonderful time at the tulip festival!
Isaac was at school so I had to find a picture from the last time we went--in May 2009!

It really was a good day.
Isaac wrote me a great story.
Luke made me some flowers.
Kyle took care of the meals and taught our sunbeam class at church.
I got a nap!
Kyle also cleaned a lot and did the majority of childcare today and seems to be extremely worn out--I am about to go to bed and he is peacefully sleeping on the couch downstairs and has been for the past hour. Do I wake him up and send him to bed? Or let him sleep...

Finally!

I have been waiting a long long time for this room to be complete. I have technically been waiting for 9 years to have a living room. A room where we can have family prayer, and Family Home Evening and Father interviews, and play the piano WITHOUT the distraction of messes and toys. A nice peaceful, calm room.

This room started out as the computer/piano room, but we soon decided that we didn't want that and the night before Kyle lost his job, we decided to deck out our living room for our Christmas present. Instead--it became a storage room for a long time. We waited and additional 3 months for that Chaise lounge to become available because as soon as Kyle got a new job and we could afford it, it had sold out.

We love our first complete room of our home. The chairs are from Target and are comfortable and affordable. The bench is from Costco and also stores all of Kyle's GMAT studying/teaching materials. We still need to find some pillows for the chairs (the ones on the chairs now are from my bed) and maybe some cool but small decor for above the chaise lounge. I need to get myself a better FHE board and I definetly need a REAL plant on the red table. BUT for the most part, I have a living room--we have FHE in there and read our scriptures every night in there and we love it.

Plus!

drum roll please.......

After 8 years of never ever being tuned, our red piano has finally been tuned! It sounds great!! And we are all loving it!

I didn't want a super formal living room...I wanted it to be warm and inviting and not stiff and I think I accomplished that! I think the kids agree:)