Happy Memorial Day

From our loved ones to yours.

xx

Today

I was at the new house from 11:00 am - 8:00 pm.  I had meetings with the tile guys and the counter top guys and the balcony railing guys and the landscaping guys and the finish work guys and the exterior paint guys and my builder.  He's a guy too.  That's a lot of meetings with a lot of guys.  So many issues were worked out and so many details were discussed and so many notes were taken.  My head is spinning and I am truly worn out.

Where were my kids during these meetings?

In school and then home with their dad.

Aside from the two hours they were riding scooters through the house.  

:)

These are crazy days/evenings for our family.  All routines are tossed out the window.  Homework is rushed.  Dinner is rushed.  House is always a mess because mom isn't around to clean it.  Kenny and I have so much on our minds right now and are beyond excited to wrap up this process.  We are very much looking forward to a little more normal around here.  A time when we don't wake up in the middle of the night rambling about the door hardware bid or the shower back splash.  A time when we have conversations that don't involve electrical outlets and concrete pavers and paint swatches.  A time when we aren't so distracted and scattered with all we have going on.  It will be a good time indeed!

In the meantime, the kids seem to be enjoying our new "normal."  

To them this is all one big PAR - TAY. 

So I am going to put on my party hat and press on!

Maybe it's time I buy myself a scooter.  

:)  

Weekends like this one

I want to remember weekends like this one.

Rainy weather.

Slow mornings in pajamas.

Toys all over the place.

Kenny's phone fairly silent (rare).

Kole marching around the house singing "hi ho hi ho.. it's off to work we go..."  

(we're a little obsessed with the seven dwarfs at the moment)

Sunday drive through pretty neighborhoods with tree lined streets.

Naps for the boys.

All caught up on laundry (also rare).

Waffles for breakfast.  And dinner.

Lots of cuddling on the couch.

Stories at bedtime.  

I want to remember how happy we are right now.

Especially during weekends like this one.

Happy Monday

Monday!  It is upon us.  Well.  When you all read this it will be hitting us smack dab in the face.  We had a wonderful week off.  Usually we travel during Spring Break, but this year with everything going on with the house we decided to take a bit of a "staycation" and just enjoyed some down time at home instead.  It was so nice and I am sad that it is ending.  Since we will all be up bright and early tomorrow I'm off to pre-pack lunches and get everything ready so that we have a smooth morning.  But first I will leave you with some pictures of my girls from 2009 (El was 5 and Ad was 3)...

{A typical scene from the breakfast table}

Here's Ellie - happily munching away at her toast...

and here's Addison.

Take a guess which of my daughters is NOT a morning person?

And they haven't changed a bit.

:)

Happy Monday.

An eventful week

Last week was an eventful one around here.  A couple of days before our fun little TV appearance, the girls got new haircuts!  

A quick "before."  Their hair was getting so long!  

 We were able to donate what we cut for cancer patients are were so excited about that.  

And after!  Nothing like a new do!  

Quick pics I snapped with my Iphone on Easter Sunday.  This was the dress Ad wore on TV and a few of you asked me where I bought it.  The dresses are from Children's Place.  LOVE them!  They came with a darling yellow belt but the belt sits too low on my girls right now because I bought them a little big so they can wear them next spring/summer too.  So next year they will be rockin' the belt.  :)

The little dude got a haircut too!  This is the only way we pull it off.  We sit him on Kenny's lap with a game or movie on the ipad.  And even this set up only last a few minutes before he is ready to bolt!  Luckily our hair dresser is FAST.  :)

Last week was also monumental for us because Kole started pre-school!  It is an amazing little school and I know it will be so good for him.  Just a few hours in the morning, a great program plus he will receive additional speech therapy in school.  I'm thrilled about that.  But can I just say that I had a really emotional week because of it.  The first day of school he was so excited to be there (we had visited the school together a few times so it was familiar) right up until it was time to say good-bye to mom.  He cried.  I was brave.  I blew kisses and waved good-bye and told him I'd be right back.  I held it together and drove away.  I went to the grocery store and started wandering down the first isle in the store thinking of how for so many years I have thought about what it would be like to get groceries without dealing with a baby or chasing a busy toddler throughout the store.  Nine years to be exact.  I thought about how so many times I had dreamt of this very moment.  How wonderful it would be.  By isle 2 I had tears streaming down my cheeks and by isle 5 I was full on bawling.  I just left the store.  Didn't even buy groceries.  I went to my car and called to check on Kole.  Of course he had only cried for a minute and was fine and having a ball.  I on the other hand, cried on and off throughout the entire week.  It is the end of an era for me and I guess I'm having a harder time with it than I thought I would.  Even though it's time and I'm ready for it.  Even though I wouldn't change it.  It is still hard.  Moms understand.  :)

This week is our Spring Break and I am so happy to have all three of my kiddos home with me all day.  I need that right now.  If for nothing else but to remind me that I need them to all head right back to school the following week!  ;)  

Kole needs a little backpack for pre-school (how cute is that!?).  They use it to send home notes about what he did each morning.  I have narrowed it down to three and I'd love to hear your vote!  Aside from haircuts, being on the news, and Kole starting pre-school we also had a stressful week with the new house and I am so OVER making decisions!  So will you make this one for me?  :)  

I found these darling shark backpacks from Pottery Barn Kids that I can personalize with his name (so cool you can test it out on-line!).  

 Navy and Red

Green and Navy

OR...

This adorable monkey backpack I found on sale at Joss and Main.  Too cute!  I'm kind of leaning towards this one because Kole is a little monkey himself.  :)  What is your favorite?  Anyone else have a crying jag last week?

:)   

Iphone round up!

Happy Monday everyone!  Dumping some recent pics from my iPhone today.  

No theme or particular order.  Just things that I've been up to.  :)

First some new house pics...

Lots of time has been spent in the tile stores.  I'm done designing bathrooms!  Tile order will be placed this week.  It feels so good to have that behind me.  I'll share more details at some point.  I could blog about that little undertaking for a week! 

 Still not finished with lighting, but what I do have picked out I am so excited about!  

I will share pics when I have everything finalized.  

 We have chosen our stone for the exterior and this week I picked out the brick.  

This is the winner and while I really like it, I hope it isn't too light.  We only have a small amount of brick on the house (a border above the rock) so if this doesn't work hopefully it won't look too bad.  It's so easy to pick my favorite of everything.  Making sure it will all look good once it's together?  Not so easy.  On a lot of these decisions I am just flying blind and hoping everything works out!  :)

My dutch door is done!  YEA!!  So exciting.  

It's obviously not painted yet but I'm already so in love with it!  I adore the square windows and shelf. 

Now I just need to pick a fun color for it!    

A blurry pic of me with my designer and cabinet guy.  Love these two.  I could hang out with them in the wood mill all day long.  Oh my word that place smells good!  Nothing like the smell of freshly cut wood (especially when it's freshly cut wood for my doors and cabinets!).

And in other news...

I've gained four pounds.  Crap.  Total stress eating and not enough time to exercise.  Jeans are getting tight.  I'm trying to do better this week!  My fajitas

and my salad in a tortilla are go to healthy recipes I'm going to make.    

Plus I'm hoping my new cup will help me drink more water.  I LOVE this cup.  I found it at Staples but I've seen them all over.  It keeps your drink cold.  I carry it all around the house with me when I'm home and take it with me in my car on the go.

Also at Staples I found this adorable little aqua lined pouch.  It matched my planner so I couldn't leave the store without it.  :)

It lives in my purse holding my go to purse make-up.  I love it because I don't have to fish around for chap stick when I need it.  I just reach in my purse and grab the zipper pouch.

I also added these soft pick tooth pics to my mini make up bag.  Perfect for when you are out and about and have something stuck in your teeth.  Hate that.  These soft picks are the best!

And last but far from least, a quick pic I snapped with my phone today after church.  El received an award for reading the Book of Mormon.  (Kids in our church are encouraged to read it when they turn 8).  And she did it!  It took a year and a bit of help from dad but she set a goal and she did it.  I'm so proud of her.  Kenny teases me that now her scripture knowledge has surpassed mine.  That's ok.  I know I'm a work in progress.  :)  Plus I don't take anything my husband says too seriously.  This is coming from the guy that just spent the evening watching Battleship - thumping his chest and going on and on about how it is the best movie ever - right up there with Armageddon - and how it hands down will receive an Oscar this year.  

Yup.  Hows my scripture knowledge sounding now?    

:)

Happy Monday Friends!

p.s.  Yellow stripes for the girls today.  Can you tell I am ready for Spring!?

Happy Weekend!

A Saturday morning run/walk with the crew.  Great way to kick off the weekend.

  

Hope you are enjoying yours!  

:)

Random December

Ok.  I know we are well into January.  And who wants to see Christmas pictures in January?  But I'm behind.  So very behind on posting pictures that mean a lot to me.  Pictures that I want to always remember.  This blog is a lot of things to me and one of them is what it started out as - my personal family scrapbook.  So yes.  Christmas pictures in January.  Kenny is asleep on the couch and I'm watching one HGTV home improvement show after another.  It's catch up time.  :)

We spent a lot of December evenings taking the kids to look at lights and especially loved visiting the San Diego temple.  It is always beautiful, but at Christmas time it's simply breathtaking.  We visit several times each December and talk about why we celebrate Christmas.  It has become a favorite tradition.  Clearly my kids love the nativity.  So do "Softie" and "McKena" - the stuffed animals that accompanied us on every trip.  :)

Love this picture.  

 I also love that El is wearing a coat and a skirt.  Winter in San Diego!  

Don't love that Kenny was at the bottom of a hill looking up to take this picture, but I don't have many pics of me with all three of my kids and because of that I cherish this one.  When I look at this picture I can't help but feel incredibly blessed.  These three mean the world to me.  You were in the mood for a little sap now weren't you.  

Playing around with camera settings trying to get a good picture of the Palm Tree lights.  

While juggling a two year old on one hip.  :)

 Grinch time!  We took the girls to the Old Globe Theatre in December to see The Grinch.  Such a fun play.  We enjoyed it so much that we all decided it needs to be an annual tradition.

 One of my Cindy Lou Who's.  :)

 Kenny and Ad messing around waiting for the show to start.  

 Too fun.  Fingers crossed next year my little man can join us.  Verdict is still out on whether he will be able to hold still or not...  hmm..  fingers crossed the year after next my little man can join us.  :)

Fun spending time with family over the Christmas break.  I didn't take too many pictures this trip, but I love this one with my mom and sister.  Yes.  My sister is there.  She made me mad so I cropped her out.  Ha!  Kidding.  :)  Her decision.  We were on our way to lunch with friends.  Much needed girl time!  

 Shopping with my kids and mom a few days before Christmas.  

We took turns.  One of us shopped while the other one entertained the littles.  

Last minute Christmas shopping at its finest!  

It was a great December.  And now I'm caught up.  :)  

Seriously mom?

Another picture??

I have some fun pics of my kids we had taken in the Fall that I need to sort through and post, but out of them all this one has to be my favorite!  Oh my word little buddy.  The look on your face says it all!

:)

Happy Wednesday everyone!

Christmas card displays

I love Christmas cards.  Who doesn't!?  They make the happiest mail.  Seeing so many pictures of people I love always puts a smile on my face.  So much so that I never take my cards down right after Christmas.  They usually linger until at least February or March.  

I used to tape all of our cards on and around the pantry door in our kitchen.

 Then last year I painted an old frame aqua and used it to display some of my cards.  

I started taping the rest of my cards to the wall next to the frame, but I was having a hard time getting them to stick on the wall so I never got all of them hung and I had to take them down early.  I was so bummed!

So this year I was prepared!  I bought painters tape (a suggestion from a few sweet readers!) and went to work.  I hung some of my cards on the wall and woke up the next morning to this --

 SO disappointing!  Kole and I just shook our heads.
I guess painters tape wasn't the solution.  At least not for my crazy wall.  

I didn't have many options left.  

So I taped my cards to the front door.  And good old scotch tape did the trick!  Not one card has fallen.  When I ran out of room on the door I started taping them to the wall next to the door and those are staying put too.  I'm not sure why.  But I'm not going to question it.  Kole and I just smile and call it a Christmas miracle.   

The last two years I have hung our past Christmas cards on our stair banister, but this year when I started hanging the garland, my two year old sidekick had other plans.  Pulling everything down was just too much fun for my little buddy so once again I was forced to mix things up.  Flexibility has become my middle name ever since a certain someone arrived on the scene.  :)  

 So our past holiday cards found a new home in my beloved aqua frame.  

And they were reindeer approved.   

 I'm thinking my door of cards will stay put for a while.  

I'm kind of loving it!  

At least until February or March.  

Or maybe as long as the tape holds.  

Or until a certain two year old sidekick (and his creative partners in crime) decide on something different.

What would I do without their help?

  

:)