Our Crazy Life!

The Big Day

2012-01-21T23:24:00.000-08:00

Warning: Long post and lots of not so good pictures!

We woke up to a rainy day, which I loved and hated at the same time. I welcome the rain any chance I get, but I didn't bring anything to do my hair curly. Having natural curl stinks sometimes! Oh, well. Life goes on and it wasn't my day, it was Sarah's and I'm not suppose to look better than her. :) ha ha

While breakfast was in the oven, Dan and I rushed to the store to get a few things. By the time we got back home, my hair was not very straight and breakfast was ready and yummy. So I ate, straightened my hair again (which didn't last the day) and then I got the crazies ready.

We didn't have to be there until 2:30 at the latest and so we stopped by the mall to see if I could find me a black dress.

No luck. I am very glad that Shai let me borrow her dress.

We finally got to the Reception Hall and I took the girls to the Bridal Suite to get them in their gorgeous dresses and finish getting ready. Aren't they cute?

They were so excited to be the flower girls and be with Sarah on her wedding day.

While we were getting ready, it started to snow huge snowflakes. It was perfect and beautiful.

Finally it was time. I went downstairs and found this gorgeous crazy.

She looks so excited to be there, doesn't she?

First the bridesmaids and groomsmen came down. Then the flower girls and ring bearers. Jo Jo tripped right after I took this picture. Thank goodness she didn't fall down the stairs.

Then the bride came.

As she was walking down, I got a little teary eyed. Then the stinkin girl started to cry, which made me cry.

It was a very nice ceremony and they weren't shy about kissing! :) Here is the happy newlywed couple, Michael and Sarah.

After the ceremony, We ate cheese and crackers until it was picture time.

I don't have any pics of Sarah and I. I have to wait until she gets them.

Ty got ahold of the bouquet.

She said that she was going to get married. Then she walked over to Dan and kissed him. What a cutie pie!!!

After pictures we left to get something to eat and get the married couple a present. Nothing like waiting to the last minute!

We went back for the reception and Jenna, Dustin, Nana, and Papa were there. We sat with them until they left and then we tore it up on the dance floor. We were pretty much the only ones dancing, besides some other kids. It was awesome.

It was finally cake cutting time. The girls were excited. They had been asking Sarah all night when it was going to happen. I loved their cake.

Dance time came next.

By the end of the night the girls were pretty wore out and ready to go home.

It was a very fun day and I'm glad that we were able to celebrate with them.

Congrats Sarah and Michael! We love you!

The Beginning of our Trip

2012-01-20T23:15:00.000-08:00

We took a trip to Utah this weekend.

We first went to Delta (Thursday) to visit with those wonderful people there. While there the girls were able to open some presents from Nana and Papa and The Ridings. Love you guys!!!

I was able to see the growing belly of my Morgy. So excited for that little guy to come.

The kids went on the 4 wheeler with Papa. Even in the cold weather they love the rides.

I borrowed Shai's black dress, just in case I can't find one before Saturday. Thanks Shai!!!

And we enjoyed the time, even though it was for a short period, visiting with some of my most favorite people on this earth.

We left Friday morning/afternoon and headed up to Utah County, ran a few errands and then we headed over to Jenna's. We hung out there for a bit and then Dan and I left Jenna and Dustin in charge of all the crazies and we went up to Salt Lake for a yummy dinner with my dear friend, Sarah, and all her family and friends.
We went to Tucano's and I was completely stuffed with food. It has been a very long time since I have eaten there and all the food is so good, it is hard to stop getting more.

I was able to see a whole bunch of people that I haven't talked to in a very long time. It was so good seeing them and catching up on everything that has been going on for the past few years.

After dinner, Dan and I went back to Jenna's and ended up playing some pool.

I sucked it up.

It was disgusting.

Now tomorrow I have a million things to do and not a lot of time to do them in. Sleep will be wonderful!

I'm excited for tomorrow. It will be such a great day.

Party

2012-01-15T20:08:00.000-08:00

The twins were invited to a birthday party of their friend, Lydia.

It was a family thing, but Dan didn't go. He went to a football get together, which turned out to be an awesome game for the 49ers.

Anyways, the crazies all had fun running around outside playing with all their friends and it happened to be beautiful weather for the occasion.

They all got a chance at the pinata.

We sang and had brownies and ice cream. And then she opened presents. The girls did good picking out the gifts, they were what Lydia wanted.

It was fun to talk with the friends that I don't see very often and for the kids to get outside and run around with friends.

No Longer One Hand

2012-01-12T20:45:00.000-08:00

We celebrated two birthdays today.

Annie

and

Jo Jo

They turned 6 years old today. I can't believe it.

Our morning began with everyone getting ready for school. We then came downstairs to find the first present of the day.

Ty was so excited that she was getting a present as well.

The girls then went to school and were so excited for the end of class when I would bring in treats. While they were at school I started making their cake. They weren't as vibrant colors as I wanted, but it worked.

After school, we did some homework.

We put some shaving cream on the counter and they wrote their popcorn words (words they are learning or know) in the cream. They thought that was the funnest homework.

We spent the afternoon relaxing.

When it was time for dinner, we got what the girls wanted-- Pizza.

After dinner, we opened presents.

The girls wanted a rainbow cake and so I was going to make them such a fun cake, but the frosting did NOT turn out and made the cake look absolutely disgusting. As you can see, it was incredibly runny. I tried to thicken it, but it didn't work. I told the girls I would make up for it next year. It still tasted fine. But I found a much better frosting and will be using that from now on.

They had a good birthday even if they didn't get one of the presents that they asked for--- an iPad. Gotta love those girls!

Happy Birthday!

Love you Jo Jo!!!

Love you Annie!!!

1/2 Year

2012-01-11T20:41:00.000-08:00

Look at those fat adorable legs wrapped around my arm. This is one of my favorite things that miss GiGi does.

My little baby is now 6 months old. The time has sure gone by quickly.

GiGi,
Happy 6 months!!! You are such a sweet little baby. You are so happy and you laugh all the time. You make your sisters think that they are the funniest people on the earth. If they get you to laugh they just keep going and going. I can always count on you to make my day brighter.

You are a pro at rolling from your back to your stomach, but you have yet to roll the other way. You also love to sit up. And you can sit for a very long period of time before you get tired and fall over. You need your paci, but when it is not available or you can't find it, you suck your thumb while holding your blanket. You DO NOT like when I leave the room. You are very much a momma's girl and you already have separation anxiety. It has taken some getting use to.

We started feeding you rice cereal. You are not a fan, but you will eat a little bit before you spit it all over.

At your check up you weighed 16 lbs 13 oz. You are by far our biggest, chubbiest baby and I love it. You are growing and developing wonderfully.

You are such a joy and I'm so happy that you are part of our family. Thank you for making me happy!!!

Love,

Mommy

Cheerleading

2012-01-07T20:40:00.000-08:00

My friend Melonie told me about a free cheer clinic and so I signed the girls up yesterday. They were excited to go and it was fun to watch them. I'm not sure if that is their thing, but at least they had fun.

Here is the performance. Jo Jo is in the front and Annie is in the middle. Some big girl gets in front of Annie during it, so we taped Jo Jo and a friend, Lily.

Motorcycle

2012-01-07T20:39:00.000-08:00

Dan got this remote control motorcycle years ago.

We haven't taken it out much, because it is somewhat difficult to drive and we never really had a place and/or space to drive it in. Plus Dan didn't want to ruin it. So it has just been a decoration of sorts.

Well he decided the other day to take it out. And boy did he. Many things were broken (on the bike) during this fun activity.

I'm not sure if it will make it for much longer.

Pie

2012-01-06T20:38:00.000-08:00

Dan was so excited to make these cute little key lime pies.

The girls were excited to eat them. They started with the whipping cream.

Then they took their first bite...

Apparently Jo Jo and Ty won't be eating any more any time soon.
Annie didn't love it, but she at least ate two bites.

They did LOVE the whipping cream.
By the way, they were yummy. We just have picky kids.

New Years

2011-12-31T23:09:00.000-08:00

Dan is working overtime tonight. So it is just me and the crazies!

But before Dan went to work, we took advantage of the gorgeous weather and went to the park. It was GiGi's first time. She loved it.

Remember when Jo Jo did this for the first time?

Well Ty is showing her up. (Sure there is a year and a half difference, but it is taller.)

After Dan went to work I put GiGi down for a nap and shortly after that he called because he forgot something. So I woke up GiGi and we drove up to give it to him. Since we were out, we went to the store for a couple treats. While there we found these super cute glasses.

We had dinner then we watched a couple of movies and ate our ice cream and then I sent the crazies to bed. Now I am watching 'The Holiday' seeing if I can stay up til midnight. Next time I write it will be 2012. Crazy. This year has gone by so fast. So goodbye 2011. You've been a good one, but I can't wait to see what 2012 has in store for us.

The Last Week of 2011

2011-12-31T21:52:00.000-08:00

This week has been a really relaxed week.

The girls did some art projects with their new art sets.

Makeup was involved.

Dan and I finally went and bought a camera. I am so excited. Our old camera has been slowly falling apart. The flash only worked on a certain setting and if you had it on any other setting, all pictures would be blurry. Our new one is awesome and I'm so happy we finally got a new one. Thanks to both sets of parents who helped us get it. Most of these pics were taken with it.

We went to Springs Preserve, but forgot the camera and so no pics. Aunt Sarah and Grandma went with us.

Now its time to celebrate the New Year!!!

Gorgeous

2011-12-25T22:12:00.000-08:00

Makeup made an appearance in the stockings this year. Of course it was some crappy stuff, but the kids had fun with it until I made them throw it away and promised to buy them better stuff.

Here is Ty getting ready to marry her Daddy.

Christmas

2011-12-25T20:35:00.000-08:00

We woke up this morning with little crazies super excited to go downstairs. They sat on the stairs so patiently until we were ready to go down. (While we were sitting there I could of sworn that I smelled pee. Oh well.)

Santa did a great job with the gifts that he brought.

Everyone was so happy especially this cute bride.

While we were preparing to open our presents, I smelled pee again and so I asked if someone had gone in the night, but noone answered me. So I smelled everyone. I found the culprit--Jo Jo. After she went upstairs to clean up, I asked her why she did it and she said that she didn't want to get out of bed just in case Santa was at our house. Which means that she slept most the night like that. GROSS! But also hilarious!

Finally we opened all of our presents.

After opening our gifts we got ready for church and attended a spirit filled meeting. We then came home, ate lunch, sent Dan off to work, played with our toys and games, and watched a movie.

The crazies with all their new belongings.

Happy Christmas!!!

The Eve of Christmas

2011-12-24T23:36:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve is one of my favorite parts of Christmas: the excitement, the preparation, the waiting, the traditions, and just the overall joy of it all.For lunch we had...

Nachos (yes they like just eating the cheese)

Juice

Veggies

and Slobber

We watched The Muppets Christmas Carol

Dan has to work tomorrow (Christmas Day) and so we had our dinner tonight. The girls made the place cards (yes that says Mam).

After dinner we went for a drive to see some lights. The crazies loved it!

Then is was time to go home and open our eve presents, read the story of the birth of Jesus, and set out our yummies for Santa and the reindeer.

I'm pretty sure Santa had a fun time setting out all the gifts as well. Here's to hoping that he gave all the right gifts! :)

Friends and the Nativity

2011-12-22T22:32:00.000-08:00

We went to a friends house for some Christmas fun. We decorated cookies (so hilarious--I wish that I would have taken pictures), talked, and the kids "acted" out the nativity.

Here are the actors.

And since I know you all want to see how it went, here is a clip. Sorry that it isn't the best, it was shot on my phone.

I'm so grateful for the great friends that we have made here. They are truly the best!

Happy Christmas

2011-12-20T22:37:00.000-08:00

Joyful Joyful Holiday Card

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We hope that you are all having a wonderful Christmas season. We love you all!

GiGi

2011-12-12T21:35:00.000-08:00

So here is what our little baby GiGi accomplished today.

Of course she can't flip back over, but that will come.
She is getting so big.

5 Months and 32 Years

2011-12-11T23:38:00.000-08:00

My baby turned 5 months today. It is crazy how short of a time she has been with us, but it feels like forever! This little girl is such an awesome spirit. She is so happy all the time and I can always count on her to make me smile.

It is also my birthday. Yeah! Yesterday Dan and the crazies got me an Edible Arrangements. Yummy fruit!

I found the shoes that I have been wanting on sale and got them for Dan's gift to me. What a great hubby huh!?!

Sunday birthdays aren't so fun, but today was super busy. We went to church at 11, I had choir practice at 3:30, then I had a 'Night of Choirs' at 6:30. I was happy to come home and have some jello cake and then just relax.

Someone did make my day when he said that I only looked 27. Bless him.
32 seems crazy, but I'm happy with my life.

The Start of Christmas

2011-12-10T22:52:00.000-08:00

We had some fun in the kitchen baking yummy sweets.The crazies loved being able to help.

We strung some popcorn. And I just have to say it sucked. I poked my finger too many times and it took forever to do just one string.

Pictures

2011-12-04T22:26:00.000-08:00

We were super lucky to get Melynda to take our pictures. She was booked until January, but my friend let us join her session.
I love them.

Tree

2011-12-03T23:34:00.000-08:00

We got our tree!

Dan was putting it up and it toppled over onto Jo Jo. It was so hilarious.

Annie was upset that it didn't fall on her and she tried to get under the tree so she could have her picture taken. She was mad at me when I didn't let her. I'm such an awful mom.

Here is Ty needing to be in the picture.

Putting on the lights.

And the decorations.

And here is what GiGi was doing. Love her!!!

Temple

2011-12-01T23:11:00.000-08:00

The Primary Presidency told all the kids in our ward that they would take them to the temple sometime this year and we finally went. It was a cold evening which was a bummer, but it was still wonderful. We even got to see a couple of newlyweds getting pics taken.First, a member of the Bishopric, Brother Webb, took the kids around the outside of it talking about the temple in general and also some of the cool things on the outside of it.

We then were able to go inside and talk with a couple of workers about the temple. It was a nice evening and the crazies had a very nice time.

November

2011-11-30T23:26:00.000-08:00

November. We didn't have a lot going on, but we were busy and I was exhausted. I can't believe that tomorrow is December. This year has gone by so fast. Anyways, back to the thankful month.
I am grateful for my Ty baby. She is one of a kind and I love her so much. She hasn't been taking naps for awhile, but every once in awhile she NEEDS them. I wish I could sleep in random positions and not be in agonizing pain when I wake up.

I'm grateful for education. The girls are going to a great school and have a really nice teacher. Ty has an art preschool class once a week and she has an awesome teacher.
The girls didn't have school the Thursday and Friday Veterans weekend (I'm also grateful for all those who are fighting or have fought for my freedom) so they joined Ty in her class. I was able to go and help out. They learned about owls and made a couple of cute art projects.

I am grateful for my friends. We have a lot of fun when we are able to get together. They all went out to the Twilight movie and then I met them at the Cheesecake Factory after. It was really nice to get out for a bit and just hang out with girls. I haven't done that for a long time.
I'm grateful for miss GiGi. She is the happiest baby ever. And has been such a joy in my life.
In her short life she has tried out every finger and every finger combination and a couple different paci's to find the one that will work the best. Her number one choice is her paci. If she looses that she uses her thumb. I don't care how bad it is she is super cute with those little fingers in her mouth.

I am grateful for my Jo Jo. She is so sweet and so fragile. I attended 'muffins with mom' with her and Annie. Some boy ran into Jo Jo and she spilled her chocolate milk all over her white shirt. She started crying and I felt so awful for her--I just wanted to take her home. I was able to get her to smile, but once we got her into class, she got all sad again. Her teacher was able to make her happy again and she was just fine. She is trying not to smile for this picture.

My hilarious Annie I am grateful for as well. She is definitely my little entertainer, always wanting to make people laugh. She is so witty and I'm excited to see her grow.

Now on to my best friend...
Dan My Man.
I am so so thankful for him. He helps me out so much and works so hard for us to be happy. He is a great guy. I'm sure he gets excited to leave for work, but I miss him when he is gone. I am DANG thankful that he has a job. We got close to not having one this year, but things worked out and Dan was calm (maybe a little too calm) through the whole ordeal.
Of course I'm thankful for my family. I don't think that I could have picked a better, more fun family.
My other family is great as well. I've been blessed with great in-laws.
I'm extremely grateful for my health. We have had sickness go through our house and I have luckily been spared. Ty had 105+ temperature, croup and the beginnings of pneumonia and Jo Jo had an ear infection and pink eye. Then after we got back from Utah we got the second round of sickness: croup, colds, ear aches, pink eye. This round GiGi got a little bug. I hate it when babies are sick. Not fun at all.
Thanksgiving was great. Wednesday the girls had a Thanksgiving Feast at their school, so we attended that for a little bit.

We made a short trip, to Utah, for Thanksgiving. We left Thursday and came home Saturday. It was a fun trip and I'm very grateful that we live somewhat close to go be with family for a bit. Of course I didn't pull out my camera and so I have no pictures of dinner or of the crazies helping Nana decorate the trees for Christmas. But we had fun and enjoyed seeing everyone but Jenna and fam.
While in Utah we found some decorating that the girls did in our car. They got in major trouble for this one.

We started a little decorating for Christmas in our house, but nothing major yet. We need to go buy our tree and then we will get on it.
We also got our pictures taken this month, but I haven't gotten them back yet. I can't wait for them. It has been over two years since we got any pictures. I really need to update our pictures around the house.
Well that was our November in a nut shell. Now on to December. Yeah!

Last Soccer Game

2011-11-05T22:11:00.000-07:00

The girls had their last soccer game today. It was the best one yet.
Annie is so not a soccer player. She pretty much does her own thing while playing and I think she only kicked the ball once or twice the whole season. She isn't aggressive or fast and you kind of need those to play soccer. I was always trying to tell her to get her hair or ribbon out of her mouth. That girl has a thing with putting her hair in her mouth and I can't get her to stop.
Jo Jo did so much better this game. She ran and ran and ran. After the game she told us that while she was playing her brain was telling her to run, so she ran. Such a funny little girl! She could potentially do soccer again, but we will see. There were a couple times when she took the long route to the ball. You didn't know there was a long way did you? You can kinda see it in the video. She ran along the circle white line. So funny.

After the game they got trophies and we went to McDonald's so the coach could buy them a happy meal.

Halloween

2011-10-31T21:40:00.000-07:00

We had our last pumpkin party on the 29th. We have been doing it for 10 years and we are just kinda done with it. So instead of carving pumpkins we are going to have a fun traditional Halloween party: costume contest, pinata, games, food. It will be awesome. Now back to our pumpkins...
Carving

The pumpkins

We had a pinata which was a lot of fun.
We started with the youngest and got to Jenna.

Look at Moo Moo and Cody trying to grab all the candy. Ha ha I love it.
Here are the kids (minus GiGi and Ryans kids) with Nana.

My lovely sisters and mother.

We had a lot of fun and we are excited to change it up and party next year!

Tonight Dan had to work, so I got to take the girls out. We just went around our complex. The crazies had so much fun and were so excited to help hand out candy when trick or treaters came to our house.

Pics

2011-10-27T20:28:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few pics of what our days are like.

Fall Festival and Trunk or Treat

2011-10-25T20:47:00.000-07:00

The girls had their fall festival at school. They got to dress up and play a lot of different games.

Tonight we had our ward chili cook off and trunk or treat. It was kind of a crazy night, but a lot of fun. The crazies had a blast running all over with friends, getting candy, and playing games. The chili was great and the haunted house was scary. We even decorated our car. :) Awesome night!!!

Springs Preserve

2011-10-21T20:20:00.000-07:00

I found a great deal for Springs Preserve and couldn't pass it up. Friday we picked the girls up from school and headed over for some fun. The exhibit this month is all about poop. Yes poop! It was gross and somewhat informative.

They were also decorated for Halloween.

Ty didn't like the decorations at all.

We rode a train...

And a turtle...

And sat in the beautiful garden for awhile.

It was a great day!

Tired

2011-10-18T11:08:00.000-07:00

When 9:30 rolls around I start getting pretty drowsy.
By 10:30 I'm completely out.

At 2:00am Dan finds me here instead of in my awesome bed.
Looks super comfy doesn't it?!

3 Months

2011-10-11T22:36:00.000-07:00

How fast she is growing. It hasn't been that long, but it seems like she has been in our family for much much longer.
Today was not a cooperative picture day. At least I got one.

She is completely loved and even has had some fighting over who gets to hold her.
She has been stepped on a couple of times. Luckily she is a tough baby.
She is our biggest baby so far. Above 50%.
She smiles and talks constantly.
Sitting up is the only way to go for her, even though she isn't completely solid with holding her head up.
She definitely is our little blessing.
It is hard to think that I have that much more love to pass out, but it is there and I couldn't be happier!

Blessing

2011-10-10T23:25:00.000-07:00

Today was a special day for my baby GiGi. It was her blessing day. She looked pretty and was a happy and good baby all day.

And here is our awesome family of 6!!

And Dan and I with our baby!

We had a yummy lunch after and then we had to say goodbye to family. So sad to see them go.

I am so incredibly lucky to have GiGi in my life. She makes my days so much brighter. If I'm having a rough day I can ALWAYS look at her and she makes me smile. She truly is a blessing!!!

Weekend Fun

2011-10-08T22:24:00.000-07:00

My family arrived into town on Friday. We were so excited to have them here. The last time we saw them all was in July, but it seems so much longer than that. Shai, Morgan, and Jenna stayed here at the house and Ryan and Mom and Dad stayed elsewhere. Needless to say it was a crazy few days, but I loved every minute.
Friday after people arrived we went to our favorite yogurt joint--U-Swirl. Then we just hung out the rest of the night.

Saturday was a pretty busy day.
We went to the Shark Reef.

We were trying to get a sibling pic. See that cute hand behind my head?

He got what he wanted.

Here we are.

Peek-a-Boo

The girls then had a soccer game. They are on a winning streak. Go Dragonflies!
Next we ate dinner and had a little birthday thing for Mr. Z and a surprise for Shai.

And then we attended (for a short while) the Outdoor Picture Show at the District. Most of the kids spent their time on the carousel instead of watching the movie.

Here is a random horsey ride that took place.

Oh, I love my family!!!

Dragonflies

2011-10-01T23:11:00.000-07:00

The dragonflies had their first game today. What fun it was to watch them run in little groups trying to score. We did win by one goal.

Go Dragonflies!!!

Random Pics

2011-09-29T23:00:00.000-07:00

We haven't been out doing much, but we have taken a few pictures.

Ty has had her friend Isaac over to play a couple times. They are so cute together.

This is the two playing at his house. I LOVE his choice of dress up. Thanks for the pic Melonie!

Ty watching TV.

Happy baby!

Me and my baby girl.

Conversation

2011-09-28T22:11:00.000-07:00

I realized that I never wrote down this hilarious conversation between Jo Jo and Annie, while they were playing, about a week after school started.

A: Next time Mrs. Erickson asks if your Annie tell her yes.
J: Ok

I'm kinda thinking that they get asked this question quite a bit. Ha ha Mrs. Erickson actually told me at back to school night that she felt really bad that she had to ask who was who.

Anyway, I couldn't believe that I had just heard them actually come up with this marvelous plan. :) It took me back to when I was younger and wished that I had a twin to do just that.

I figured they would do something like this, since they do look familiar, but I didn't think it would start in Kindergarten! Can't wait til they are older and actually go through with it.

Look-a-likes

2011-09-27T23:09:00.000-07:00

I don't have a lot of pictures to work with, but these are all from roughly the same age. I am pretty sure that they are the cutest bunch ever!

You

2011-09-26T23:19:00.000-07:00

I am missing these people so much.

And these people.

Rib Night

2011-09-16T23:05:00.000-07:00

Dan has been wanting to have ribs for a while now, so we finally got some and enjoyed. The crazies love them--well Jo Jo and Annie love them.

And this is how GiGi enjoys dinner time.

Who's Who

2011-09-14T22:48:00.000-07:00

We attended back to school night tonight. The girls showed us all around their room and when we were about to leave we saw this...

I started laughing and went to talk with their teacher. She laughed and said that the girls don't know what she wrote, so she thought that she can get away with it. So funny!

2 Months

2011-09-11T23:26:00.000-07:00

My baby GiGi is 2 month old today. I can't believe it. She is such a cute little girl and I can't get enough of her.

Last week was a rough week with her being sick and not eating or sleeping. But she is doing so much better now and is back to her happy healthy self.
She is always so happy and smiley (always has been) and the girls get upset if she doesn't smile or coo at them.
Dan got her to laugh for the first time yesterday. I was a little jealous that I didn't get to hear it, but I know I will hear it soon.
We have our appointment soon to find out how big she is getting. It will be fun to see how she measures up to the other crazies--well how she measures up with Ty.
It seems like she has been in our lives so much longer than 2 months. And yet I am still getting used to the fact that we are a family of 6 now.
We all are so in love!

9/11

2011-09-11T21:33:00.000-07:00

Has it really been 10 years?
Even though it happened long ago, I remember so much about that day. The images and videos are all too familiar and I will NEVER forget.

You know, I don't think that I have written down what I was doing, so maybe I should so my crazies will know.
I was living in a condo (in Orem) with 4 other girls and all but one of them was already gone for the day. I was getting ready for work (at Subway) and we received a phone call from a friend to turn on the news. I couldn't believe what I was watching. It was so awful to watch all those people jumping out the windows and then when the towers fell I just wanted to cry. Then to find out that there were more planes. I remember I was late to work and the whole time I was there I just wanted to leave so I could watch some more and find out what was going on. It was awful and I felt so sad for those who lost their lives and for those who lost loved ones.

We have a piece of a beam from the WTC here in Vegas and Dan had the honor to stand guard at it this morning. He said that there were a lot of emotional people there and he was glad that he went.

10 years later life doesn't stop like it did, but we pause to think and reflect about the day that changed so many lives. It is our history.

Finally

2011-09-09T21:45:00.000-07:00

It really was an accident, but it came out. The crazies were downstairs playing and Jo Jo came running up to show us that her tooth was more loose. She had a block in her mouth and Ty grabbed and pulled on it and it yanked her tooth pretty much out. When she opened her mouth she was bleeding so I grabbed a tissue and out it came. She was SO excited.

Finally, a month after Annie received a visitor from the tooth fairy, Jo Jo gets the same visit.

Soccer

2011-09-08T00:06:00.000-07:00

We signed the girls up for soccer. They had their first practice today and had a lot of fun starting to learn the game. They are not aggressive girls, so it will be interesting to watch and see if they get into it more. Here are some pics from their first practice.

Preschool

2011-09-01T20:30:00.000-07:00

We have a friend that started an art preschool one day a week and so we put Ty baby in. Today was her first day and she was sooo excited.

She actually didn't want me to leave when I dropped her off, but Melonie is awesome and got her to have a great time.

She had a great time and is already talking about about the next time.

Kindergarten

2011-08-29T21:41:00.000-07:00

We made it! I got a little teary when I was taking their pictures, but I didn't cry. I think tomorrow will be different. Today was kinda like they were just at a play date or something. We will see what tomorrow brings.
Anyways, the girls had a blast and love their teacher.
The first day was a Success!!

Treats and Friends

2011-08-27T20:35:00.000-07:00

When we were on our way home from Mt. Charleston last week we talked about going back up before school started and have some friends go up with us.
And that is exactly what we did. Everyone brought treats and we had so much fun and enjoyed the weather. It was 30 degrees cooler than the valley!! Actually we ended up leaving because it started to pour on us. Heavenly! I love the rain. :)
The kids had a blast and you could tell by how dirty they all got.

I love all these families. We definitely need to do it again. So fun!

Party

2011-08-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

The girls went to a birthday party today. It was a princess and super hero party. They left with their princess dresses on and came home as princess super heros.

They had a blast and I'm so in love with the capes they got. Thanks Kathryn they had a blast!

Getting Ready

2011-08-25T23:19:00.000-07:00

I am not ready. Well I am ready in the sense that I have all the supplies and clothes, but I am not ready to let my girls go. I can't believe that we have hit this point in our lives already. It was just yesterday they were tiny 4 lb girls needing me to do everything for them.

Now they are such independent, happy, crazy girls that do almost everything by themselves (which I do love).

We have had more arguing and fighting lately between the twins and Ty and they need something else to do. They are ready.
We've gotten all of the supplies needed (kinda sucks to have to buy double of everything--oh well)

They have all the clothes they need.
And we had a fun day at the salon getting every ones hair done (except Ty). It's been awhile since they had the same length of hair, kinda makes me have to pay attention better to see who is who. :)

I am excited for this new chapter, I'm just a little sad that they are growing up so fast.
Watch out Kindergarten... Here comes two gorgeous, crazy girls!!!!

On a side note, I'm thinking we are going to have a complete breakdown when we take the girls to their first day on Monday. Not by me, by Ty! I'm pretty sure I will have to carry her out kicking and screaming.

Play School

2011-08-24T20:59:00.000-07:00

There is a sweet family in our ward who is loved tremendously by my crazies. They ask every week if we can get to church early so they can go sit with them for awhile. We love the Roses!
Anyways, a couple of weeks ago one of the daughters had an idea to play school. She got her cousins involved and they invited a whole bunch of kids to learn what they had to teach. There were different classes, lunch, PE, etc... The crazies had a blast and were so excited when they decided to do it one more time before real school started. This morning they went again and had even more fun.
Here they are

Mt. Charleston

2011-08-19T22:08:00.000-07:00

We decided to take a little trip up the mountain today. We got a picnic ready and headed to Mt. Charleston. It was heaven! There was a 30 degree drop in weather, which was PERFECT, since it has been extremely hot (breaking records hot). We had a lot of fun.

We played the game that my family always plays-- dot dot. It was hilarious to watch the crazies, because they aren't quite sure of what they should do (even after telling them). I was laughing pretty hard.

Dot Dot from Tiffany on Vimeo.

Not Sleeping

2011-08-17T22:52:00.000-07:00

The girls like to play instead of sleep at bedtime. (Although, they are a lot better since Ty no longer sleeps with them.) Tonight they came down with their nightgowns like this...

They couldn't get the arm back over their head, so I had to try to get it over. It was tough. Seriously, I don't know what goes through their cute little heads! Makes life interesting.

Having Fun

2011-08-12T22:09:00.000-07:00

This is the girls idea of fun.

Having Fun from Tiffany on Vimeo.

Some More Fun from Tiffany on Vimeo.

With stunts like this I'm surprised that we haven't had any accidents.

Already?

2011-08-11T22:25:00.000-07:00

This last month has gone by incredibly fast.
And things are going well.

Gigi has had a few nights of sleeping 8 hours.
We weighed her the other day and she has gained about 4 lbs.
She really is such a happy baby and is always smiling. I finally caught one of her gorgeous smiles on camera (don't you love her double chin).

We are loving this little baby so much. I can't imagine life without her.
And yes her hair is that dark--with some red in it! Love it.

Teeth

2011-08-02T20:49:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago while we were eating dinner, Annie mentioned that her tooth hurt and she couldn't eat her corn on the cob. I just told her she didn't need to eat it if she hurt. A week or so later we were eating corn on the cob again and she said the same thing and I got a fantastic idea, told her to open her mouth and I looked in. Her permanent tooth was coming up behind her baby tooth and it was loose. We got all excited that she was about to lose her first tooth. Well everyone but Jo Jo got excited. Jo Jo got down from the table crying and ran up to her room. Dan had to go talk with her and it turned out that she also had two teeth coming up behind, but her baby teeth weren't as loose. She was better after that.
Fast forward to today...

We decided that she really needed to work on it hard and so before we got dressed for the day we played with it. And we eventually got the little sucker out (do you like how much her other tooth is out). She was so happy and surprised she almost started crying. I can't believe how big my kids are getting.
Oh and Jo Jo's are no more lose than they were weeks ago. She just might have to have them pulled in a few months.

Sunday

2011-07-31T22:10:00.000-07:00

Gigi and I attended church today. I debated about going this week or waiting til next week, but it went well. She was awesome.

Isn't she such a little cutie!!!
Thanks to my Washington family for the cute outfit. Love it!

Our Week

2011-07-30T22:40:00.000-07:00

The kids LOVE to feed miss Gigi. Almost every feeding they ask if they can feed her. Here is Jo Jo helping out.

I have no idea why she was like this, but that is our Ty!

Nap time. Didn't last long, but at least there was silence for 15 minutes. (I think they are getting a little too big for all of them to be on that chair.)

The girls' school had a carnival tonight. They had a lot of fun things to do, but it was incredibly hot, so we didn't stay too long.
The favorites were the petting zoo...

and the face painting.

I love being with my beautiful family. They are awesome!!

Party Time

2011-07-23T22:18:00.000-07:00

Today was the birthday party for all the July birthdays. Not too long ago, it was just mom in July. But within the last three years we have upped it to 6. Everyone but the Lee's were able to be there and it was so nice to be with everyone again. I miss all of the fun craziness--like this...

Fun times! from Tiffany on Vimeo.

Always so much fun at the Robison house. You never know what is going to happen.
The party had lunch.

There was swimming.

There was yummy cake and presents.

And there was a lot of chatting and laughing.

It was a lot of fun and it was nice to be able to be there.
It is hard to be away from family sometimes, but at least we are close enough that we can still get together every once in a while. I know that everyone misses me enormously and get so excited when I am going to be attending the activities. :)
Happy Birthday to all you July babies!
Tomorrow we are leaving this lovely country to go back to the hot hot desert. Not necessarily looking forward to that, but I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed again. Miss you all already!

T-Bird

2011-07-21T16:01:00.000-07:00

We decided to go to Utah today because I have a precious little girl who is turning 3 today. And there wasn't a chance that I would miss her birthday. GiGi did really well on the drive up to Utah. We only had to stop once to feed her and then she slept the rest of the way. When we got into Delta we stopped at a store and bought some balloons to give our birthday girl. She LOVED them.

All day she kept running up to people and telling them "Happy Birthday to Ty". I've never seen her so excited. After dinner she opened a couple of presents (we are saving the rest for the party on Saturday) and had her blow out her candle on a store bought sugar cookie (I know--Awesome mom!!!).

I can't believe that my little baby girl is three years old. The time flew by so fast. She is getting to be such a big girl, but she isn't ready to be a big girl yet and shows us by the many accidents that she has had lately. Even though we have had setbacks, I am so in love with this independent girl. She is so fun to have around and is incredibly sweet. She can easily wrap people around her little finger, but gives them tons of love when they do. Oh, and her volume is loud.
Ty baby I love you so very much and I am excited to watch you grow. I love everything about you. You have been such a blessing in my life and I am thankful for you every single day.
It is hard to believe that you have gone from this...

to this...

in three short years.
Happy Birthday Baby Girl! I love you!!!

Missing Them

2011-07-20T15:43:00.000-07:00

Thursday Mom and Jenna left and took the crazies with them. From the moment they left the garage I missed them. Our house has been extremely quiet with the occasional cry from Miss GiGi and somewhat boring. Dan took a couple of weeks off to help me out and so we have been spending quality time together watching movies and being COMPLETELY lazy!!
The crazies have been having a ton of fun in Utah. They went to the Smith reunion in Logan and then to the Robison reunion in Sutherland. They have been swimming, playing with cousins, and spending all day everyday outside. They can do it there, because it isn't crazy hot like it is here.
Tomorrow we are leaving here to go get them. I'm excited.
And since this post needs a picture here is my sweet baby sleeping with her arms up. She isn't liking to be swaddled at the moment.

1 Week

2011-07-18T17:34:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has already been a week. It seems like she has been with us longer. Things are going well. She is a good baby and good sleeper. Nursing has been a bit of a challenge this time around, but other than that things are wonderful!
Here she is at one week.

Baby GiGi

2011-07-16T16:20:00.000-07:00

While we were in the hospital we had a few visitors.

Here is our new family of 6. So crazy!!

Nana, Jenna, Mr. and Ms. Z got here Tuesday. The crazies were so excited to have them here, especially Ms. Z. They were just as crazy and LOUD as usual.
When we got home little GiGi was held constantly.

When our lovely visitors left they took our crazies with them. It has been good to have a break, but I miss them terribly. While they have been gone we have watched movies, cleaned, and relaxed. It has been super quiet as well.
We are so blessed to have this little one with us. She is such a cutie!

The Brooks' Do Girls!

2011-07-11T23:08:00.000-07:00

We would like to show off our new baby GIRL!!!

This morning I started to have contractions and I knew that I would finally be able to meet my child. To finally know what kind of crazy we are getting.
We spent pretty much all morning trying to clean the house, do laundry, and trying to get ready. I think the girls knew that something was up, because we had lots of fighting and whining. Actually the past week has been kinda rough that way.
Around 5 we took the crazies over to Dave and Brandy's. After we dropped them off we went to Target to get a couple of things and then we went to get some dinner at yummy Tommy's. My contractions were getting really strong, but I didn't want to go to the hospital if I wasn't ready and have them tell me to go home, so we waited until I knew we needed to get inside.
When we finally got inside (at 8pm) they checked me and I was already between a 5 and 6 and so they hurried and got me a room. Within the next half hour I jumped to an 8. It was really quick and crazy. I was ready to have the baby at 10, but my doctor wasn't there yet and the nurses kept telling me not to push. Whatever! My doc finally arrived and two pushes later at 10:31pm our baby girl had arrived.
She was 6lbs 13oz and 19in long. She has tons of gorgeous hair, is super sweet, and looks like her sisters--Go figure!
The whole process was more emotional for me this time around.
I am so blessed.

4th of July

2011-07-04T22:11:00.000-07:00

We were all really excited for our day full of festivities.
We started the day by meeting the Ropers and going to the Summerlin Parade. It was a little bit humid, but it was overcast which was nice. The parade was fun and the favorites were:
The Princesses,

a random bunny,

and The Wizard of Oz

The parade was fun and the crazies loved it.

After the parade we went to the Ropers for lunch and hang out time. It has been forever since we have seen them even though they are only 25 minutes away.
We then had a pool/dinner party with some friends. It was so much fun.

We had some good fireworks and the crazies loved them.

Not really! Ty was hating the loud booms and was hiding her face.

I'm so grateful that we have the opportunity to celebrate our nation. I am extremely grateful for those soldiers who have done their part to help us keep the freedoms that we enjoy!!!

38 Weeks

2011-07-02T22:30:00.000-07:00

I am ready for this little one to join our family. We are all getting really excited and are now playing the waiting game.
It is also sitting REALLY low and killing me every time I move. The Dr says that it has a little more to drop, but I'm kinda thinking that the Dr doesn't know what he is talking about because I AM IN PAIN. I can't handle it getting any lower plus I am pretty sure if it got any lower it would just fall out.
Then it doesn't help that I walked up and down our 100 stairs a million times cleaning the house and doing some squats wiping down mirrors and walls, now my legs are feeling the workout. Talk about not wanting to move and do anything at all.
Anyways we are excited and can't wait to know what our little one will bring into our home.

Rough Times

2011-07-01T20:48:00.000-07:00

We have been having some some stress in our home lately. Luckily I think for the time being it is settled down a bit.
First there was talk of layoffs with Dan's work.
Then he actually got the pink slip.
Trying to find new jobs that could start as soon as possible.
Wishing I could be nearer my sisters to help them with whatever and through whatever they need.
We then went camping with the hope of having to leave early to have a baby (our insurance was ending). That didn't happen, so we stayed longer.
Dealing with little girls throwing major tantrums.
Dan's parents having a major forest fire near their home and maybe getting evacuated.
Wondering what to do with the upcoming end of our lease.

Finally we found out that we were going to be able to keep our job for a while longer. What a great reliever it was to know that we have a job AND insurance. It is such a blessing to not have to stress over these things when there is going to be change going on in our home.
Through it all I have realized that I am good with whatever may come.

Delta

2011-06-29T21:39:00.000-07:00

After camping we spent a few days at my parents house. The crazies had a blast playing with cousins, running around outside with temps not as scorching, and swimming.
We didn't bring swimsuits, so the kids got to swim in their clothes. They thought that was kinda funny.
It started with three...

Then we got another one...

And another...

And another...

Ty was so funny diving into the pool...

Swimming from Tiffany on Vimeo.

We didn't do much while there, just some good old country living. We came home on Wednesday. and like usual it was nice to be home. The crazies are already talking about going back in the next couple weeks.

Reunion Time

2011-06-26T21:21:00.000-07:00

Thursday we packed up and headed North. We got to Mesquite and took a break for awhile because I was having some good back pain. After eating and taking it easy we decided to come back home (just in case) and try again the next morning if nothing was going on. Friday morning we left and finally made it to our destination. When we got there we set up our tent and stuff, hung out for a while, and then we made some yummy pizza dinner thing.
We camped until Sunday and were very blessed to have some nice weather.

We had a lot of fun and I even hula hooped with my big fat belly. It is a lot harder than you might think.
Dan had some good relaxing time (which he needed).

Here are all the grandkids with Nana and Papa.

It was really good to see everyone and I'm sad that it doesn't get to happen more often.

Fathers Day

2011-06-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

Thank you for making them smile.
Thank you for making them laugh.
Thank you for giving them the things that they need.
Thank you for giving me the most beautiful girls EVER!!!

We love you so very much!

Happy Fathers Day!

And a Happy Fathers Day to my awesome Daddy and my pop-in-law.

Anniversary

2011-06-11T23:19:00.000-07:00

Today marks 7 years that I have been married to my man! We have had plenty of great times and plenty of crazy times. Our anniversaries are becoming less and less romantic, but I'm ok with that. As long as we are happily together and can still have a few dates every once in awhile. We were able to go out to eat a couple of days ago, so that is always a good thing.
Dan I love you so much. I have loved being with you for all this time and I'm grateful for all that you do.

Happy Happy

2011-06-10T21:19:00.000-07:00

**Ty picked me to go on her date with her. We didn't really do much, but she was in such a great mood today. She made me laugh so much and I love that.
**We are all done with baby stuff. The only things that need to be completed are to put up the crib, but we aren't going to do that for awhile (more on that later), and if we have a boy we need some boy stuff.
**We went to U-Swirl for some much wanted ice cream. YUMMY!!!!

Today

2011-06-09T21:30:00.000-07:00

Our day was full of craziness today. But through it all there was a lot of happiness.

Our baby is healthy and going strong and is still in my belly.
We went grocery shopping--that means we have a job for the time being.
Brandy was extremely nice to watch the crazies for us.
Which meant that Dan and I could go on a date! I love when we can get out. By ourselves.

Todays Happiness

2011-06-08T21:07:00.000-07:00

These crazies might make me go a little insane sometimes, but they truly make me happy!

So does this guy!

I also had enough energy to make sugar cookies and a yummy dinner. And that always helps with making everyone else happy.

Today

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

I wasn't in the best of moods today, but I did find happiness in the little nap that I was able to get.

Happy

2011-06-06T20:05:00.000-07:00

There were multiple things that made me happy today...
1) Sitting with Annie, watching the baby move and kick. She laughed so hard.
2) Being able to do a friends hair for her graduation and her loving it.
3) Cleaning my WHOLE house and doing ALL the laundry.
4) Sending in the paperwork for the girls to go to the school we wanted. YEAH!
5) Listening to Jo Jo say her prayer. She is always so thoughtful and says something different every day. I love it!!!
And lastly
6) Putting the kids to bed.

Happiness

2011-06-05T20:10:00.000-07:00

Watching Ty put together 3 puzzles all by herself today made me extremely happy!!!

Ducks

2011-05-31T14:38:00.000-07:00

My visiting teacher gets duck eggs every year and incubates them at home. This year, we were lucky enough for her to bring them over to our house for a little visit.
The crazies were in heaven.

Annie was a little bit nervous at first, but by the end, she was holding them like a champ!

Jo Jo did well. She was a little bit nervous as well, but not nearly as much as Annie.

I thought for sure Ty was going to destroy those ducks. She kept picking them up, yelling, holding them by the neck, You know, the things that little tykes do to poor animals. :)

It took me back to when I was younger and had pet ducks. I loved those ducks.

ENJOY THE SMALL THINGS!

A First

2011-05-25T22:15:00.000-07:00

Last night at 2:00 I woke up to my little baby crying and when I went into her room, she decided to throw up. Thankfully Dan had just gotten home and while I was giving her a bath he took the blankets and rinsed them off. What a nice husband.
She didn't throw up the rest of the night.
Then this morning she wanted to try to drink some smoothie. Didn't sit well.
This is the first time that she has been sick like this and so it was all new to her. She did not like it when she threw up and freaked out when it came out her nose. Poor girl!
We watched movies, napped, and pretty much did nothing all day long.
I hate when the kids are sick!

After dinner, Ty was sitting on the couch with her blanket sucking her fingers and we asked her if she would help clean up the mess.
"I can't I'm busy."
Are you serious?
Oh my this little girl cracks me up!

30 Weeks

2011-05-07T21:20:00.000-07:00

Only 10 Weeks left!!! I can't believe how little time we have left. I'm just hoping that life settles down a bit and we can figure things out, so I don't have to worry about extra things.

I'm excited to meet the little person. Things will be extremely different. I'm a little worried about my Ty baby, but I'm sure things will work out.
Only 10ish weeks left. CRAZY!!

Day 2 of Fun

2011-05-07T20:52:00.000-07:00

We decided to head over to Santa Fe and go to the Children's Museum. It had a lot of fun things to play with and the girls went crazy being able to play with everything.

Then we went to eat and to do some shopping. After we got home the guys went shooting and the girls colored and watched a movie.
Dan and I were able to go out on a much needed date. It was just to dinner, but it was so nice to be able to get out and not have kids around. Thanks to the Grandparents for watching them for us.
Another fun day down!

Day 1 of Fun

2011-05-06T20:19:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Bandelier National Park. The girls absolutely loved hiking and climbing on all the ladders. Ty has NO fear of heights. She would just walk right up to the edge and sit down with her legs hanging over the side. It was a lot of fun.

After that we went to lunch and then to the Los Alamos Science Museum. It was a lot of fun to go with the crazies. They make things much more interesting.
We then went home and stayed there the rest of the night.

Driving

2011-05-05T14:56:00.001-07:00

Doesn't she look comfy?

Helping Out and Vacation

2011-05-04T21:34:00.000-07:00

The other day I was rearranging the crazies room and I asked them to try to bring the vacumn upstairs. It was really funny at first...

Attempting the Stairs from Tiffany on Vimeo.

Then Dan showed them an easier way...

Finishing the Stairs from Tiffany on Vimeo.

They are so helpful and so hilarious. I love these girls so much.

On a different note, we are going on a vacation. It has been 4 1/2 years since we have been to New Mexico and we decided that it is about time that we go. I feel terrible that it has been so long, but we are going now and that is what matters. The crazies are super excited and have been counting down the days.
Watch out Grandma and Grandpa here come the Brooks'.

Thoughts

2011-04-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

I am feeling like I need to prepare myself for something. But how in the world do you prepare yourself for who knows what? I am pretty sure it isn't food storage preparedness that I am feeling (although I am trying to get that all taken care of--slowly, but surely). So what other kind of preparedness do I need to accomplish?
Then when I get these feelings, I start to wonder if it is my mind just making me crazy and I can't stop thinking about all the things that could go wrong in life. And then I get mad, because I really HATE thinking about those things and I have to push them out of my mind. But I still have those feelings of getting ready for something. And really, can one truly prepare themselves for a major event? Seriously, sometimes I hate the way my mind works.
I guess I should start working on something. Whatever that something is.

Easter

2011-04-24T22:09:00.000-07:00

The girls woke up bright and early this morning. I think Annie came into my room about 6am and asked if she could go see if the Easter bunny came. I told her to go back to bed and then I rolled over and fell back asleep. Of course she didn't and the girls kept coming up with things from their baskets and to tell me that their eggs hatched. Dan went downstairs while I took a shower. Apparently they decided to have fun with the basket filling stuff and Ty thought it was better to just pee in her undies than take a break and use the bathroom. By the time I was downstairs the mess was mostly cleaned up and Ty was in the shower. This is what it looked like when I got down there, but it was WAY worse.

The crazies were so happy to have new dresses, but guess what? Annie's didn't fit her. She was a little disappointed, but in the end was ok with the decision to get it right for next week. Here are my little crazies all dressed up ready for church.

Saturday Fun

2011-04-23T20:42:00.000-07:00

I was completely unprepared for Easter this year. Throughout the week I had gone to different stores to try to find dresses. Ya right, I couldn't find anything. If I found something that I would potentially buy, of course there was no size that I needed. I finally found some dresses this morning. I'm not sure how they will look on, so I guess we can only hope that they work.
After shopping we went home to have lunch and do some fun Easter things.
We decorated eggs.

Growing up I made the vanishing marshmallow rolls, but never thought about it being a good object lesson for Easter. I got the idea from some other blog, so I made sure that we did it this year. It worked out really well and the girls were so amazed how the rolls were empty after.

We then had an egg hunt with the eggs that they decorated. Here they are waiting for us to say go.

When they had found all the eggs, we did egg wrestling. Dan won the first round and Annie won the second. They thought that was a fun game and got some good laughs from the crazies.
This has nothing to do with Easter, but it was some good family time. We watched E.T. It had been FOREVER since I had seen this movie. The girls were scared at first (I think Jo Jo almost started crying she was so scared) and then when they realized that he was actually a nice alien, they loved him. They were so excited that he was able to get better and go home. Annie hugged me for a long time, she was so happy.
When it was time for bed the crazies laid out the eggs that they had colored and wait to see if they hatch during the night.
It was a great day and I'm so grateful that I was able to share it with my family.

Rough Week

2011-04-21T22:51:00.000-07:00

Warning: Not good pictures
About 9am she fell off the couch and landed on the ground and cut her lip. She now has a fat lip.

Around 10am she fell off the couch again, but this time she stopped her fall with her nose and the end of the table.

I wonder if she needs more sleep.

We haven't been having a very good week. It has actually been a very long week and I'm so glad that Dan is off for the next few days. I need a break.

Easter Fun

2011-04-16T20:24:00.000-07:00

Our complex had a fun little Easter party for the kids.
There was an Easter egg hunt.

There was food.
And there were games.

Untitled from Tiffany on Vimeo.

Water Balloon Toss from Tiffany on Vimeo.

It was fun to watch the kids try to play the games they had. Not quite getting it yet.
We also walked to the mall and the girls did something that I honestly didn't think they would do.

And they were extremely excited about it!

Bugs

2011-04-15T21:50:00.000-07:00

The girls like to think that they are getting to be brave. They really aren't. Well Jo Jo is getting there--she chased a dog at the park the other day and pet him. That is a big deal in our house. Anyways, Annie told me this morning that she wanted to hold a beetle in her hand. We found one tonight and she was terrified of it. I tried to get her to hold it, but she freaked out and started screaming (so funny). Jo Jo wanted to hold it, but kept coming up with excuses like getting a drink of water, going to the bathroom, telling us a story. (Not sure if I should be worried about all the excuses in the future!)
Here are two videos of our "brave" girls.

Bugs from Tiffany on Vimeo.

On a side note, Ty finally learned how to pedal her tricycle. ALL BY HERSELF!!! YEAH!

This is My Life

2011-04-03T21:36:00.000-07:00

Ty found my permanent marker and decided to have some fun with it.

It also was on her PJ's, Annie's face, and the wall downstairs.

It still isn't out of the carpet. Does anyone know how to get it out?

Conference

2011-04-03T20:01:00.000-07:00

I really enjoyed conference this weekend. There were a lot of good talks and there were a couple that really hit me. I have a LOT to work on!!
Anyways, the girls did alright through it all.
They got excited every time they saw President Monson.
They had little booklets to do while it was on, which they enjoyed doing.
I don't know why I didn't think of it til later, but when I was growing up we would pull out our sleeping bags and lay in or on those and color, play cards, eat snacks, and whatever else we did, so we pulled out the crazies sleeping bags and they were SO excited.

Since our air conditioner hasn't been working, it is extremely cooler downstairs, so we let the girls sleep down there Saturday night. Let me tell you, anything out of the ordinary makes my very lovely children the happiest crazies in the whole world.

Here are some things that were said during this conference and last conference...

When Elder Oaks talked he mentioned Heaven and Jo Jo got excited and said "Ahhh, he said Heaven. I like him".

Annie-- Being told to sit down and try to pay attention to what the leaders are telling us. "They aren't talking to us. They are talking to the people sitting down." (audience)

Jo Jo saw a picture of the temple and excitedly said "The Temple! The Church is back on the Earth."

Oh how I love my little girls!

April

2011-04-01T23:48:00.000-07:00

When I woke up this morning, I woke Dan up to tell him that I was having contractions. He rolled over and asked me if they hurt. I couldn't believe that he wasn't more worried. Hello I still have 15 weeks left. When I told him that it was just a joke and he ruined it, he was just like "oh".
I guess that just means that I will definitely have to get him next year.
Be afraid Dan, be very afraid! :)

Beautiful Days

2011-04-01T21:34:00.000-07:00

We have had some very beautiful weather here and so we took advantage. We spent time at the park, eating outside, trying to get our air conditioner working, swimming, and riding bikes.
We have been trying to get the crazies to learn more soccer, but they only have the attention span of 5 minutes. Actually the last time we went, Jo Jo didn't even kick the ball. She just started doing laps. So hilarious. Here is Ty kicking.

The girls love that it is warm enough that they can eat outside. I just wish our patio was a bit bigger.

I was outside and they came out with left over pizza, because they were "so hungry".

The crazies have been asking and asking to go swimming. The pool is not heated, so I really don't want to go. So I told them that we would go swimming in my tub. They were super excited!!!

Swimming from Tiffany on Vimeo.

And Dan read while the crazies played!

We have been enjoying this nice weather. Now I just need to get the energy to take the kids out. My poor children get stuck inside way too often.

Easter and Mega Mind

2011-03-27T22:48:00.000-07:00

While we are eating dinner the girls start talking about Easter and I figure that it is a great time to talk with them about why we really celebrate Easter. I was at the end of my little lesson and I said something like "...then He went to Heaven."
Out of the blue Annie says "I love you Metro Man. And I love you random citizen. Ha ha ha."
I totally started laughing and started thinking of how much I would love to get into my little crazies' heads! We are in this church discussion and they start talking about Mega Mind.
Oh lovely lovely children!!!

We Love Daddy

2011-03-26T21:13:00.000-07:00

Whenever Dan is sitting, laying, sleeping the girls find it as a silent "come jump on me". Poor guy is always bombarded with crazies. :) The latest was when Jo Jo got on his shoulders and then Annie decided she would try to get on Jo Jo's back. It was pretty hilarious.

Fun Daddy from Tiffany on Vimeo.

They made it up and I am super lucky that I didn't pee my pants, I was laughing so hard.

Just a touch older

2011-03-26T20:14:00.000-07:00

So I have come to the realization that I am not as young as I once was. It was really funny when Dan and I were talking and I said it out loud. He laughed and said that I was nuts.
I was having a rough day and I have been having a little bit harder time with this pregnancy and it just hit me that the reason that this pregnancy is harder is because I am older. Hello I am over 30 now. I know that I am getting older, but I still feel young--well younger.
Anyways, things are awesome.
Life is good.
Baby is doing well so far.
The crazies are excited for a boy... no a girl... no a boy. They can't make up their minds!
And for a picture for this post, here is me and the baby at 24 weeks!

Fun Visitors

2011-03-21T22:46:00.000-07:00

I knew they were coming, but the crazies didn't find out until they heard the doorbell and opened the door to see Nana and Papa there. They were on their way home from a fun trip to Mexico and were nice enough to come our way to see us. I am grateful that they were here, because 1) I miss my family and 2) I ended up being sick Sunday night and they helped me with the kids and dinner since Dan was working.
Monday we ate breakfast and got ready. The girls had the best time pulling out their games and having Nana and Papa play with them. It was so fun to watch them.

We went out to lunch and to U-Swirl. Then everyone left. Mom and Dad left to go home and Dan went to work. It was so nice to have family here even if it was for only a short time.

Talent Show

2011-03-18T22:27:00.000-07:00

Our ward had a Primary talent show. We have a very small primary, so pretty much all the kids were able to do something and it didn't take all night long. I figured that Annie wouldn't want to do anything, she is extremely shy around big groups, but I didn't know about Jo Jo. When I asked her, she was really excited to do something and picked singing. She even picked her own song.

Talent Show from Tiffany on Vimeo.

Ty wanted to sing with her, but Jo Jo held the mic the whole time, so she just stood there. You can see at the end that she grabbed for the mic to do her own song, but they pulled them off. She didn't cry nearly as much as Annie did when she found out that those who participated had a group picture and received a pin that said "I rocked it!" She wouldn't talk to anyone and she cried and whined the whole night. Since then she has decided that at the next talent show, she wants to tell jokes. We'll see about that one. :)
It was a fun night and reminded me how funny kids are.

Happy Birthday

2011-03-16T21:59:00.000-07:00

Today is Dan's birthday. We started by making him breakfast in bed and gave him some cards. We then got ready for the day and opened some presents.

Dan picked where he wanted to eat for lunch and then he had to head to work. I felt a little sad that he had to work, but it was a holiday for him, so we were alright with it. I decided to take a little drive with the crazies to go see him for just a few minutes. We stopped at a dairy queen and luckily he was really close to it, so he met us there and we chatted for a bit. It was fun to see him while he was working.
We have a little more celebrating to do tomorrow.

Dan, I love you so much and I'm so thankful for everything you do with and for our family. I hope that you had a somewhat decent birthday. I love you so much!!!

Annie

2011-03-15T16:48:00.000-07:00

I love this little girl so much.

(I think it is time for new photos. This was taken almost two years ago. I'm a SLACKER!!!)
Anyways,
She is so funny and loves to make people laugh.
She is very sweet--most of the time.
She is shy around people she doesn't know and big groups.
She is SO excited for school to start.
She is awesome on her bike.
She is growing up too fast.
I love this girlie so very much.

The past couple of months she has been going back and forth with wanting to cut her hair and leaving it long. Well today she told me she really wanted it cut and so we finally did it.
Before

During
Not so sure what she was up to, but Ty had fun taking her picture.

I was actually a little sad to cut off her gorgeous hair.

After

She loves it and is always touching it.
And since she was growing her bangs out, you will all once again be able to tell her and Jo Jo apart. Well until Jo Jo decides she wants short hair. :) And at that point you should just know who is who--they are not identical.

Exciting News

2011-03-12T10:36:00.000-08:00

I was on the Ellen show and got called on to play a game. Well after the game and the show was over Ellen came up to me and told me that she would like me to take her place when she is done. She told me that she wanted a new face and that I was hilarious. I couldn't have been happier and more excited.

And then I woke up.

P.S. This was an awesome dream because I usually have dreams that are completely disturbing or freaky. Even Dan was excited that I had a good dream instead of a bad one.

Day 5 thru 7

2011-03-09T23:55:00.000-08:00

Monday we headed out for our next adventure--Mammoth Creek. Brandy's parents have a cabin up there and so we went to stay for a couple of days. The way there was pretty fun with white out conditions on part of the road, but we made it safe and sound and had a blast. There was a lot of snow and the crazies enjoyed every minute of it.
We got all bundled up

Built a snowman

Ate flavored snow

Played in the snow and went sledding

Sledding from Tiffany on Vimeo.

This one shows our pulley system. Only Ty was able to receive0
the ride up. I don't think that the girls minded though, they had fun walking all over in the snow.

Sledding from Tiffany on Vimeo.

There was only one incident involving Brandy's Mom and a tree, luckily it wasn't more serious than a broken bone and some bruises.

While we were inside the girls did a lot of swinging on this chair

Having fun with dominos

And relaxing

On our way home we were able to see this gorgeous view

It was so nice to take the vacation, but as always it was wonderful to get home. I'm already wanting to take another vacation.