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Feeling Full...

2010-12-10T06:31:00.000-08:00

For the last few weeks, Chloe has finally started sleeping all the way through the night (insert wild applause here)!! Chloe, although a wonderful baby and relatively happy 99% of the time, just wasn't a super star when it came to sleep...for her first 9 months! Even though she didn't need to eat during the night the last 4 months, she would still wake up routinely for her Binky etc. We always meant to sleep train her, we were just too lazy and we didn't want to deal with having her wake up her brother and sister etc.- so yes, she just started sleeping all the way through the night! Which leads me to my next piece of exciting news! I have been able to read the scriptures and/or Ensign every morning before the kids wake up again. I am not always the best at doing this every morning when I have a baby that gets up all through the night. Sleep is so precious and so rare, but now that she sleeps through the night my spiritual cup is full and I feel so happy and joyful; the joy that comes from drinking of the living waters!

How incredibly lucky are we to have these amazing leaders who are there to guide and uplift us, who have an immense amount of wisdom and spiritual strength because of their experience. I always feel like reading the Ensign is like reading the scriptures, except the words and thoughts which are based on scripture are already chewed up and broken down for you, which makes for an incredibly easy to digest and internalize spiritual feast. The world is so willing to bombard us with SO much to do, to read, to listen to, to watch, to partake of. Although some may be good, MUCH of it should not even be considered by us to be good, in fact much of it is just plain bad, even when it doesn't blatantly look bad necessarily. I have thoroughly enjoyed making time again for these articles and scriptures of which I KNOW are BEST!! The feelings alone that I enjoy while reading these important words and throughout my day are so pure and so amazing!

I wanted to take a minute and review some of the articles I have read in the Ensign and the points that I have highlighted and learned or been reminded of:

From the Talk by Rosemary M. Wixom:

*As we hold on to our children and follow the Savior’s lead, we will all return to our heavenly home and be safe in our Heavenly Father’s arms

*When we are holding tight to the iron rod, we are in a position to place our hands over theirs (our children's) and walk the strait and narrow path together. Our example is magnified in their eyes

* She tells a story of a family who made daily family scripture study a habit, “Daily family scripture reading is a habit in our family now. Our children are comfortable with scriptural language, and my husband and I take opportunity to bear testimony of truths. Most important, the Spirit has increased in our home.” ... It’s never too late to begin. You can start now.

*The world will teach our children if we do not, and children are capable of learning all the world will teach them at a very young age. What we want them to know five years from now needs to be part of our conversation with them today. Teach them in every circumstance; let every dilemma, every consequence, every trial that they may face provide an opportunity to teach them how to hold on to gospel truths.

*When we are intentional about holding them and teaching them of Heavenly Father’s plan through prayer and scriptures, they will come to know where they came from, why they are here, and where they are going.

*(talking about comparing a cheer tunnel after a soccer game with both teams parents) In my mind’s eye, I had another picture. I had the feeling I was seeing children living the plan, the plan Heavenly Father has created for each individual child. They were running the strait and narrow path through the arms of the spectators who love them, each one feeling the joy of being on the path

and now the children call...I am going to continue this though!! So much GREAT information when you take the time to read and re read these talks!! Really!! Off to live the crazy life of frozen waffle making, homework gathering, diaper changing, bottle making, mess cleaning, carpooling, with a little business mixed in there here and there! ;)

October 2010 CA Trip... part 1

2010-10-24T21:33:00.001-07:00

Carson being silly with his gum on the drive over...Kaitlyn loving the little birthday party my Dad threw for her when we arrived

A couple weeks ago we took (yet another) trip to CA to go to D Land for Kaitlyn's birthday. We stopped first at my Dad's house and had a little family party there, then on to the Grand Californian to stay and play at Disneyland. I don't think I will EVER get tired of going to Disneyland- even if it is the hottest day of the year!! I LOVE that my family were such troopers and came and met us there too even though it showed 113 degrees on their car on the way out!!

...more to come ;)

Kaitlyn's First Soccer Season

2010-10-24T20:36:00.001-07:00

Kaitlyn decided to try soccer out this season. Here in the good 'ol AZ, soccer season, although played in Fall, still consists of temperatures around 105 for the first few weeks. I was worried that Kaitlyn would just be crying and complaining the whole time about running around in the heat. To my complete surprise, although hot, Kaitlyn runs around the whole time with a HUGE smile on her face! She loves it! We love watching her!

she even sports my favorite number!

Carson is sure to get his snow cone on the way in

Kaitlyn with our neighbor who is also on her team

Idaho, October 2010

2010-10-24T19:47:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun visiting Mike's parents in Idaho last week! It's amazing how much our kids LOVE their grandparents! We are lucky to have them! It was so nice just taking it easy for a week, enjoying each other's company! I LOVE to watch my kids discover and see things for the first time. Fishing was a highlight for them- Carson liked it for about 20 minutes and was then more interested in going on nature walks. Clo loved just being able to take in the scenery and be held 24/7!

Chloe's First Halloween

2010-10-24T19:37:00.000-07:00

Friday night, Mike and I took the kids to a Halloween Party over at Kaitlyn's school before we went to our own Halloween Party. Carson of course had no interest in dressing up. Kaitlyn was a cute little butterfly princess (pictures to come), and our Chloe was a cut little lady bug for her very first Halloween. She seemed to really love her squishy little costume!

Clo on Sunday 10.24.10

2010-10-24T19:21:00.001-07:00

This poor blog...that's all I'm gonna say...

My Clo baby is finally sleeping through the night. She was one tough girl when it came to getting her to take a bottle and sleep through the night. While we were up in Idaho last week, Mike finally was able to get her to take a bottle! Ever since we got home, she is finally sleeping through the night! Heaven I tell you!

Having Chloe and dressing her up in all her little girl clothes reminds me of when Kaitlyn was a baby. It is sometimes DeJaVu (sp?) and I have to remind myself that I now have three kids! Crazy! It is incredible to feel the intense love you have for each of your kids as a mother. I literally want to breather every bit of them in...even the naughty ones! I love them dearly and can't imagine a life complete without them. I cherish and adore them and just love to watch them play.

Chloe is is really starting to coo and make lots of noise! I love it! She is really trying to move too and is rocking and rolling all over the place. She is very sweet most of the time, unless it's time to eat- she wants her bottle NOW! As soon as she see that thing she stretches out her arms and flaps them until that bottle is in her mouth! LOVE her!!

Eternal Love

2010-09-12T22:20:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to CA to visit family. My sister was out there with her family visiting as well. Instead of flying home to Oklahoma with her husband where he is finishing his last year of periodontal school, I convinced her to drive home with me and my kids (and her 2 kids) since Mike had to be in Dallas for the week. Needless to say it was so fun!! Hectic and busy at times, but oh so fun!! Oh how I miss living by my sister and the rest of my family!!

While she was out here, she asked if I would snap a couple pictures of her and her girls so that she could give Ryan (her husband) a picture of them to put on his desk. I had her snap a couple of me and my kids as well since I am rarely in a picture with my kids, let alone all three of my kids. Although I don't think there is one perfect one where we are all looking at the camera etc., I adore each and every one of them. Carson is making some sort of face in each picture, Chloe is sometimes looking, sometimes not, Kaitlyn is telling Carson what to do in half of them, my clothes are all tangled and wrinkled throughout, none of our clothes match...but I adore these pictures because I adore my three babies.

I don't think words will ever be able to express my love for each of these kids. There really, truly are no words that can even touch on the feelings of love I feel so deeply for them. I absolutely adore every bit of who they are. They are what makes me want to be a better person. I want to be the best version of myself so that they will benefit. I feel honored to have been given them, they are my most treasured, valued gifts and I can't wait to spend eternity with them. I love each of you my sweet, sweet babies.

i am no photographer...

2010-08-16T22:12:00.000-07:00

but i do like playing around with this new lense and 2 of my favorite subjects...

Clo at the Ritz...

2010-07-26T13:53:00.000-07:00

Mike and I went too- as I look at the pictures though it seems that mostly Clo was photographed. Owen (my brother) had to come out to AZ for work- so he sweetly volunteered to drive Miss K back to San Diego to stay at Grandma's house for a few days. When Carson overheard us talking about it he exclaimed that he too would like to go with Sissy to grandma's house. I was a little surprised- and I explained to him that mommy and daddy would not be there- he didn't seem to care- so within a few minutes his bags were packed and he joined Owen and Kaitlyn on the trek back to CA.

Suddenly Mike and I found ourselves alone (well, virtually alone if you don't count Chloe- but she's the easy one :)). In Mike's book that means jump on the computer- find a good deal- and off we go!! Luckily the Ritz just barely opened their brand new location in Tucson- not that Tucson is any sort of vacation destination in my book- but if it's the Ritz- well then I don't care where it's located!! We pulled up to one of the most beautiful, secluded, perfectly appointed Ritz Carlton's I have ever been too. The amenities all were perfect. I got to enjoy a massage while Mike and Clo kicked it at the pool. The weather was even perfect! We enjoyed going on walks, sitting by the fire at night eating dinner, dining at the pool and relaxing! Sooo glad I listed to Mike and agreed to go enjoy the weekend instead of staying home to get things done (my suggestion)!! Thank heavens my husband knows how to get away from it all, relax and have a good time!!

Thanks so Mom, Dad, Dave and Owen for helping K and C enjoy their 3 day weekend as well!! I have about 3 more hours until their back... it's amazing how much you can get done without a 3 and 5 year old needing to be entertained!! ;)

LOVEs

2010-07-11T23:01:00.000-07:00

Recently, I found out some heartbreaking news about some friends whom Mike and I both worked with several years ago. While wake boarding over the 4th of July holiday weekend, they're 10 year old son died.

Throughout this past week I have continually thought of them almost every time I look at any of my own children. It seems impossible to comprehend the idea of losing a child. Just typing those words brings tears to my eyes. I know there are many, many people on this earth who have suffered and will suffer such a tragedy. As I have thought and thought and thought about these friends I wonder things like how will they hold it together for their other children, how do they go back to work and carry on, how do they not ache to hold their boy, how do they not think of him every minute of every day knowing there is nothing they can do to bring him back to this earth? As a mother, these thoughts are almost unbearable. I have held each of my children much tighter this week. I have realized that what I might have thought were *hard tasks* such as disciplining my children or running certain errands are really actually not hard at all when you put things into perspective.

For reasons like this, I feel grateful to know why we are here on earth. I am grateful to know what the purpose is of my life here on this earth. I am SO grateful to know that I will be reunited with my family in a life after this life here on earth. If I didn't know these things, what sense would this life make? How lucky we are to have a modern day prophet and scriptures to teach us these things and help us know how to coupe and get through challenges such as these that we will all face at one time or another?

I am truly grateful.

Happy Father's Day!!

2010-06-20T21:40:00.000-07:00

Most years I have no idea what to get for mike for Father's day. This year was a little different- I actually had several ideas. Ever since Mike moved into a new office, he has this one big blank wall that he has wanted to adorn with some sort of inspirational type of art. I got Mike the classic pictures of a golf course and the word "Challenge" below it with a famous quote and then the picture of the sunset with the word "Excellence" etc. I also wanted to get a picture of our three babies- the people who made him a father- since we don't have one of them all together. I decided to take the picture myself. Although I took over 200 pictures- it was very hard to find ONE where all three of them were looking somewhat at the camera with a happy instead of a sad face. The one and only one that would somewhat work happened to have my camera strap hanging in the corner of it :( I figured this would be a perfect place to add a quote. I sent it over to Costco, had it blown up- and wala- one more piece of personal art work to add to Daddy;s office!

I am truly grateful to have Mike not only as my husband, but as the father to my three children. He could not be more loving, more sweet, more generous with his time. I sooo love to see him with our kids. He really enjoys them and loves to soak up the joy that they bring to our life. What a true blessing it is that he will forever be the father to my children. I LOVE you Mike!! Happy, happy Father's Day!!!

Quick Ca Trip

2010-06-12T12:09:00.000-07:00

Last week we went on another last minute CA trip- my sister and her family were in town, I needed some supplies for BB and a get together with my Dad's side of the family- so fun! These are some of the only pictures we have of us all together as a family...still- it is VERY hard to get Carson to cooperate for any pictures- especially family pictures...this is the best we could get ;)

Grandpa Jim watching his grand baby Chloe

All of the Snead clan together :)

Charleston and Myrtle Beach day 4 and 5

2010-06-12T11:18:00.000-07:00

Clo just lounging about...

I find I haven't taken nearly as many pictures of Clo as I did my first two babies, which I guess is normal- and even though I have taken less, I still have taken plenty I'm sure, but it was fun to just focus on Clo and take as many pictures of her as I wanted, every angle, every day...
just documenting every cute little stretch,

every sweet little smile,

every giggle...

daddy taking Clo on a walk through the hotel,

heading down to dinner in the elevator- Clo loved all the attention from Daddy...

As we walked around trying to decide where to go for dinner, Mike saw Bubba Gumps and suggested we go there. I, on the other hand, want to experience restaurants that are unique to Charleston- not chains. Mike, a little disappointed, agreed to keep walking and find something else with a little more Charleston charm.

as we walked a little further, we saw so many wonderful restaurants...

and then we came upon this gorgeous view of the ocean!! Sooo pretty!

fountains and fun buildings all around...

we ended up eating at this restaurant (above) that sat right at the waters edge.

we walked around and enjoyed the scenery while we waited for our table...

the restaurant was awesome- ambiance and food was A + !!!

the next day we headed up to Myrtle Beach- most interesting thing about Myrtle beach (among others), the tiny little frogs everywhere- they freaked me out!!

they also seemed to have a lot of interesting stores selling interesting items...

like these white tiger beach towels- Sigfried and Roy would LOVE Myrtle Beach...

I could not get over all of the dense walls of trees that surrounded us everywhere in South Carolina (AND Georgia)

It was just beautiful everywhere I looked!

Farewell South Carolina (and Georgia)!! I hope to see you again very soon!!

Charleston Day 3 and 4

2010-06-12T10:17:00.000-07:00

Every morning we were there, the hotel comped 2 breakfasts for us- Mike had to go to early morning meetings- so I figured I better order two meals for myself ;) YUM

they even had their own special butter ;)

Clo was my little teenager- she slept in until about 10 am everyday- she stayed on PST time

getting ready to head out into the streets of Charleston and see what there was to see...

She is SUCH a happy baby. I can't believe how happy of a baby she is for being kind of difficult her first 2.5 months of life- what a change!

of course no outfit is complete until we top her off with a flower ;)

It was so fun to browse through 6 city blocks worth of open air markets. So many fun things for sale. My favorite part- being stopped by almost every single person there who wanted to sit and stare at Chloe. All parents love to see their babies get doted on, I am no different. We even had three people ask if they could take her picture- this might have been because she was one of the only babies in downtown Charleston it seemed- but it was so funny to pretend like I was a new mommy of only one baby and have everyone just light up when they saw her- I think babies bring so much joy to people- especially when they are full of smiles and have a big flower on their head- it somehow just puts a trance on people and they just can't get enough of her- just like her mommy can't get enough!

There were several yummy candy shops- they all of course sold the most decadent southern candies...the smell of pralines permeated the streets...oh it was so yummy!!

loved checking out all of the city streets...

horse carriage were everywhere

this little shops was one of my favorites- if I were to have a boutique of my own I would want it to look similar to this and sell similar products...

Clo was such a good girl and even let me browse slowly through a few of the shops...

giving me a smile here and there while I did...

I bought a little bottle of perfume there that I now keep in my car. Every time I put it on it instantly takes me back to Charleston!

some of the building around town..

Trip Part 2... Hilton Head and Charleston Day 1

2010-06-06T16:22:00.000-07:00

(The Charleston Place Hotel- one of my favorite places I have ever stayed...more about this place towards the bottom...)
It's taking me way too long to find time to blog!! I really would pay big money for an extra 24 hours in each day!!
These pictures are from day 2 in Hilton Head and then day 1 in Charleston. Hilton Head was lots of fun- the hotel was a resort style hotel on the beach. The beaches on the East coast always seem so different to me compared to beaches on the west coast. Why is that? They are comprised of sun sand and surf just as our west coats beaches are...?? It was a great day though just walking around and exploring with my two travel companions.

We took a quick dip in the pool before packing up and heading up north to Charleston.

Clo girl loves to eat the flowers on her bathing suit. She thinks they're yummy!

I find myself taking LOTS of pictures of Chloe. I'm already freaking out a bit that she might be my second to last baby...I'm a little nuts about not wanting to miss one little thing of this babyness...

every little face she makes is precious to me and I want to show her pictures of herself and tell her all kinds of stories about when she was a baby- just like my other two...although I may not take quite as many pictures as I did with Kaitlyn- I still take PLENTY...as you can see :)

One of the things I love about Mike, he is so good at appreciating and enjoying his surroundings. He loves to just sit back and soak in the beauty of Gods creations that surround him. I am sometimes too busy to do this. I love that Mike helps me remember to so this.

Before we left Hilton Head Island we drove around and got a feel for the area. It was beautiful. Water everywhere as you can imagine. We drove over to a specific spot where there was some big important golf tournament just the week prior (of course I have no idea which one).

I guess this is the lighthouse that was shown all throughout the tournament, kind of the symbol of that area (of which I still have no idea of the name)

so many beautiful, gorgeous scenes all around us. Here are the kayaks all lined up ready to be paddled all around the island. There were postcard worthy scenes all around me.

I LOVED this. In the middle of this community they had a farm. All kinds of fruits and vegetables. It was a perfect little farm...

As we drove up to Charleston I kept snapping pictures of so many things that intrigued me...

water everywhere...still...

beautiful little (and big) entrances to various plantations...

Mike and I thought it was so amazing that they have to literally clear the land and chop down tons of trees just to be able to build there. Out where we live there is no need for that- but out there trees just grow lushly and abundantly everywhere.

As we pulled into Charleston I saw this little crosswalk that had these little orange flags- the sign said to carry one of these flags with you as you cross the street for added protection so that the cars will see you- cute :)

this picture of the fire truck house is for Carson

We checked into our beautiful hotel. It was so gorgeous- very old but with every modern convenience and luxury. The hotel had such charm- it was classic Charleston in every sense of the word. Chloe and I chilled on the bed while Mike did a little work...

We headed out to dinner. The hotel was situated directly in the center of downtown so we literally walked to everything. It was perfect. It was so funny to have just Chloe. There weren't too many babies so we were stopped by almost every single person we passed- babies just seem to draw a crowd- especially when you're in a not so baby populated area :)

Mike and I ate a YUMMY southern BBQ dinner while Clo slept soundly...

then we walked around more of the city. Mike thought is was a bit weird that I was taking pictures of some of the small little cemeteries around town. I just couldn't get over how old everything was. I LOVED it! Coming from the west coast we just don't have history like that- I just loved to think about and imagine what life was like for the people that lived there literally hundreds of years ago.

This street was lined with all kinds of shopping in various types of old buildings- I LOVED this- bc where I come from it's all about the strip malls- yuck!

In this building (above) was the begining of blocks and blocks of an open air flea market- vendor upon vendor selling all kinds of things were here every single day. Chloe and I wandered around all morning here while Mike was in meetings.

Mike and Chloe at the *olden days* entrance to our hotel.

more to come...

South Carolina (and Georgia) Part One

2010-05-27T22:14:00.001-07:00

I've been anxious to write about our trip to South Carolina so I don't forget any details. I apologize in advance for the excessive amount of photos- but I don't want to forget one single precious moment with my babies- and this was a GREAT trip with Chloe. Not only did it let Mike and I reconnect after months and months of pure crazy busyness, but it allowed me to bond even more with Chloe and Mike especially to form this forever bond with Chloe that he now has. It's funny how with your first baby all you do as a couple is just sit and stare at that little being- for hours- they are your world, your everything. By baby number three, it's quite the opposite. Baby number three has to join the already crazy mix of an older brother and sister and a crazy busy family- Mike especially has a hard time getting in bonding time with Clo girl because he is usually taking care of the older two since I am the only one who can feed Chloe- it's just natural that he is usually with the older two and I with Chloe. Anyway- this trip was wonderful in so many ways- it allowed Mike to really spend a lot of time with Chloe and really bond with her quickly- something that might have taken a lot longer in normal life. It is so fun to see him have this new little bond with her- now that they have traveled together ;)

This trip came up last minute- Mike got a wonderful promotion about a month ago (he works for Pulte Homes). With this promotion he now is responsible for a territory that covers most of the southwest- and then they also gave him parts of the East coast and Tennessee etc. Anyway- he has been traveling quite a bit the last few weeks- when I heard he had to go to South Carolina I told him I was for sure going!! I have seen most of the US- but S Carolina was one state I had not yet seen. Although it was a bit tricky to get the older two taken care of babysitting wise- I am SOOO glad I went!! I will forever remember this special trip with just baby Chloe and Mike.

We flew into Savannah Georgia, grabbed our (awesome) rental car and headed straight down to the waterfront of Savannah. Chloe was a true champ on both plane rides over. We were a little nervous since her cry is not a soft little infant cry anymore- it's an ear piercing LOUD cry. The second leg of the flight was on a tiny plane- the passengers would have for sure hated us if Chloe did not remain silent- miracles do happen!!
I IMMEDIATELY fell in love with my surroundings. OLD buildings everywhere- LUSH greenery EVERYwhere!

These are the shops along the waterfront...

Here is Paula Dean's restaurant. FYI to anyone who wants to eat there- you must arrive around 9:30 am to put your name on a list to try and get a table for the day. They don't take reservations- so good luck! :) It was fun to see at least!

After we ate a yummy seafood meal complete with PEE-CAN pie we headed out to Hilton Head South Carolina, just 45 minutes North. I took pictures while we driving the whole trip bc I just couldn't get over how much water and greenery were all around us.

We arrived at our gorgeous hotel on the beach- however, I don't think I even got one picture of the actual beach. I took tons of pictures of certain things and then totally forgot to take pictures of other things- ooopps!

My sweet friend Alyssa sent me this CUTE suit for Chloe- I've been dying to try it on her- I LOVE it! I had to get a picture of her chunkyness from every angle in this *ruched* super cute swimming sweetness!

Chloe really loves to make faces with her tongue. I LOVE when Chloe makes faces with her tongue!

This is Chloe trying really hard to learn how to coordinate her hand and arm movements. She has been working really hard at this lately. It seem to really frustrate her that she is 25 years old caught in a 3 month old babies body- I can just tell she is dying to be older than she is already. She doesn't like to be held over your shoulder- she has to be held facing outright at all times so as not to miss anything going on in the world around her!

Me and my girl at the hot tub

Making some of her favorite faces

My favorite face of all- the big mouth bass smile from ear to ear- my hands down favorite thing she does so far in her 3 months of life.

I hope to keep plugging away at the photos from this trip...I really did have an amazing time! I can't believe it was already over a week ago that we were there! I will forever truly hold a special place in my heart for SC. It was such a great trip to reconnect with Mike and remind each other that we are really good friends- even though there are 3 little ones that can get in the way of *us* sometimes. I think it is so important to take those trips from time to time to strengthen your marriage- in fact I think they are crucial, ESPECIALLY when life is busy- all the more important. Since we drove to several cities up the coast during our trip our drives in the car were so great to have time to chat with each other- something that is hard to do when we have all three kids. Chloe was a perfect angel the entire trip. She slept every time we drove- she even sleep through the night all but one of the nights while we were there. It was so easy to keep her happy because we could work around her schedule since she was the only child.

more to come...

Are you enough??

2010-05-13T22:19:00.000-07:00

Click here...

Chloe's Blessing Day

2010-05-06T06:12:00.000-07:00

So maybe I will keep posting certain things at this blog... it just sounds so overwhelming to try and stay on top of 2 blogs, let alone one...maybe if I just take it a day at a time it will be ok? :)

We blessed Chloe in church on April 25th. We kept trying to find the perfect day but because all of our family had just been out here we didn't want to request that they all come again- so we planned it last minute and decided whoever could come could come and no matter if it was just Mike and Chloe up there it would all be just fine :) When I told my family, they went above and beyond and still made it out here despite full schedules etc. My mom, Dave, Dad and Owen AND uncle Brian all drove out the morning of and made it 5 minutes before the start- I felt SO blessed and lucky to have a family that would do that- it was wonderful!

When it was time for Mike to take Chloe up to give her her blessing, Chloe was already restless and starting to fuss- I had a pit in my stomach knowing she would be crying throughout her whole blessing. Typically, when Chloe starts to cry she's like a runaway train that cannot be stopped until she's good and ready. All of the men gathered around her and she was crying full force..after the blessing 3 separate men from the circle who blessed her came up and told me that my brother Owen tried to put her binky in several times. She kept spitting it out until it fell on the floor, but once Mike started talking, she turned her head towards him and looked up at him and was then silent throughout the entire blessing! If anyone doesn't believe in miracles, I am here to say that miracles TRULY do happen- that right there was a miracle. Chloe typically needs to be held a certain way, fed or rocked to sleep for her to be able to calm down. For her to just lie there and be silent- MIRACLE!! My heart soared!! I was so happy to be able to hear the words Mike spoke. Although I didn't write them down, I remember thinking that if any one of these many beautiful blessings that Mike has blessed her with comes to pass she will be a lucky girl, and we will be lucky parents. I was so proud of Mike for not losing his focus during her blessing and reamaining calm even though it started off so rocky. My heart is so full of happiness and gratefulness that I have a husband who honors his priesthood therefore blessing the lives of many, not just the lives of our little family but truly each and every person he meets. He truly has a light about him that people are drawn to and it's because he is a good man, and I know how lucky I am to have a good man!!

After her blessing we came back and had a little luncheon with family and friends. Everyone was so great to get everything on the table while I nursed Chloe. My mom was amazing- she had been up since 4 am driving in to AZ, pretty much prepared and served the whole luncheon, cleaned it all up, and then had to drive back to CA that night with Dave, Dad and Owen for work the next day. I feel so, so blessed to have her as my mom and to have a Dad, step-dad and brother that care enough to drive out be with us for that special day!

One more note...because we decided kind of last minute to bless Chloe that weekend, I was running around trying to find a blessing dress for her. I was at Dillards where I had just purchased the best one I could find- which I didn't love when I ran into my friend Jamie. I told her what I was doing and she offered for me to borrow Lily's blessing dress that was handmade by her mother in-law. I jumped at the chance- so Chloe wore this gorgeous hand-made dress that I loved! Lily, Jamie's daughter has done a lot of "modeling" for Banner Boutique and I've watched her grow throughout her first year so it was fun to have Chloe wear her dress.

All in all- an incredibly wonderful weekend full of friends and family who made such an effort to be there to support us even when it was last minute!! I am grateful for so much!

*unlce Brian brought Carson his first set of real golf clubs- now I just need to be sure they get used properly and not as weapons ;)

Come on over...

2010-04-19T18:23:00.001-07:00

Just a little note...I think I am going to start doing most of my blogging over at the Banner Boutique blog. It's a little too *challenging* for me to blog on 2 blogs- so I will mostly be blogging over there ;) Come on over and visit: www.BannerBoutique.blogspot.com

Also- we just introduced a new line of vintage Raw Silk handmade rosette headbands- I had to share these DARLING pictures that a couple of my favorite photographers shared with me!

Yikes!

2010-04-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

(eating at Chiles while we waited to board our plane)

I know this is cliche- but WHERE did the time go!!?? I can't believe it's been over a month since I posted- it literally feels like yesterday!! This past month has been full of fun, craziness, challenge and just a bit of sleep... :)

Kaitlyn Chloe and I took a last minute trip to CA- we jumped on a plane to go see my brother's little Nolen turn one- and see the rest of the fam too!! It was so fun- we even got to sneak in a visit with Auntie Meg and some dear friends!

Kaitlyn reading up on the safety instructions ;)

Checking in with Dad to let him know we made it safely on the plane

Little Nolen blowing out the candles....

with the help of cousin Gid ;)

Auntie Meg meeting baby Chloe for the first time :)

Grabbing a quick bite to eat with my mom before we rushed back to catch the plane!

Chloe hanging out on the couch... as she used to do a lot, not so much anymore. Chloe used to love to just chil on the couch... then the past couple weeks she has become our little fusser. The Doctor is guessing it might be a dairy intolerance- so I've been scouring the Internet trying to figure out what I can eat now... Let's hope it works! :)

good thing she's so cute and we love her so much...bc turns out dairy is in pretty much everything!

I've been eating a lot of fruits, vegetables, meat and sugar ;)

I had to take this picture of the back of her head bc my sister thinks I need to trim her hair so that she doesn't have a mullet- I, on the other hand, think her mullet is cute. Ang calls her *Clo Dirt* from the movie *Joe Dirt* referring to her mullet :( Sad

Big sis K still can't get enough of her- I love having her as my helper!!

Clo spends a lot of time in her car seat when she's not in our arms...

My mom, Brother, Sis in law, nephew, sister, bro in law and nieces all came out a couple weeks ago during spring break. I unfortunately got SUPER sick!! It was so sad!! I was sick 2/3 of the week they were here and then my sister got sick the last couple days they were here- it was such a bummer!! Don't worry though- the boys still got 5 rounds of golf in and an NBA game- don't worry about them!

The little cupcakes are from my mom- she made us an Easter meal while we were all here together since we wouldn't all be together for Easter :)

My mom also bought Easter clothes for all the kids and wanted a picture with them- too bad I was so sick and we didn't try to get the pic til 7 at night- making for not so great pictures- it was the best we could do...

she also brought cute little Easter surprises for them and did a little Easter egg hunt with them- they loved it! :)

One day while they were here we of course ended up at the mall and at the play place...

We also went to the infamous Chuck E Cheeses- I don't have super fond feelings of this place- especially since my phone got stolen there on this last trip...long story- but so not fun to have to get your phone stolen!!

And this is my baby CLo Clo again- doing what she seems to do best (usually) sleeping :)

this is what she looks like when we're at target- sleeping... :)

Carson is becoming my bigger and bigger boy everyday- he is phasing out of the nap stage- actually we are phasing him out of the nap stage because he ends up not being able to go to bed until 10 at night- however he can't quite make it through the day without crashing somewhere at some point...

I often find him like this somehwere at some point throughout the day...

Chloe is just like my other two- likes to have her face covered... my mom says I was like this too...

And these are my babies on our way to church last Sunday- We could barely convince Carson to wear the jacket and tie- the shoes didn't quite make it- he would only wear the flip flops- I guess we've got to take what we can get sometimes...

Life is good around here lately, good but exhausting at times with Mike doing full time work and full time school at ASU (luckily all online but still time consuming) and then me being in charge of the house and kids and Banner Boutique- it's enough to want to make me just sit down and go to sleep at many points throughout the day- but I'm learning more and more each day how to go with the flow- how to take the little fleeting moments where all 3 kids are content and happy and I can actually get some dishes or something...

more to come... ;)

This past week...

2010-02-28T12:11:00.000-08:00

Not too much going on around here... other than a little bit of everything! We are loving our Chloe girl. Chloe is loving her MetroMamma sling...

she is also loving her favorite blankie from Auntie Ang!

Chloe had her first photo shoot this past week. One of the sweet photographers we work with offered to take some pictures of Chloe! I learned many things at this little photo shoot! 1.) Chloe is not cut out to be model 2.) I have a WHOLE NEW appreciation for newborn baby photographers- it was TOUGH work! 3.) Any darling newborn baby photo took A LOT more work than you think to get it!

Chloe was not at all interested in sleeping the whole time Jessica was here to take her picture- which is what we wanted her to do. As soon as Jessica left though- Chloe fell fast asleep- sneaky little Clo girl!

And of course, more pictures of Chloe. I already feel like she is getting so big!! I know I know, she is only 2.5 weeks old- but I don't want to forget one moment of her babyhood! Here are some of her sweet little faces that I love just staring at all day long...

the interested look....

the "I think I might be hungry again look..."

the "why yes, I AM hungry again look..."

the "if I just start opening my mouth someone will put food in it look..."

the "maybe not, I guess I'll just chill" look...

getting ready to go to Costco... should I wear this headband....

or this one?

yes, this one... :)

I am loving this squishy squishy girl!

Our fisrt week at home...

2010-02-21T15:13:00.000-08:00

I am loving this little Chloe of ours... and so is the rest of the family. When Mike first told me awhile back that he would be taking a little more than 2 weeks off of work when Chloe was born- I first thought- oh no! That's definitely not necessary! However, it has been so wonderful having him home. Not only because the extra set of hands has been so nice but it's been such a great week of firsts and has been so sweet to share so many sweet moments together as a family- like when Carson expressed true interest and wanted to hold her for this first time, taking Chloe to the Doctor for the first time, going out to dinner together as a family for the first time etc... It really makes me miss the days where Mike used to work mostly from home- I am sad to think he will be going back to work in a few short days- but must keep reminding myself that it is a blessing he has work to go back to!

******

These hormones are definitely an interesting thing. I find myself watching the Olympics (as I'm feeding Chloe for hours every day) seeing athletes fall or hurt themselves and tears roll down my cheeks because I think about how their mothers must feel watching them not only fall and get incredibly hurt but also knowing their dreams, the thing they have worked so hard and so long for is now possibly unobtainable. How dramatic am I!! :) Being a mother is by far the most unimaginable thing- it is something you just can't even really begin to understand until you do it yourself! The feelings you have for each of your little children is unimaginable and the desire to protect and care for them is immense.

We started off the week by taking Chloe to her first Doctor appointment.

Although Chloe tested fine for not having jaundice, the doctor still recommended she get some sun bathing time in... so my mom let her lay out in the nice 75 degree weather...she seemed to absolutely enjoy it- her legs and arms were totally just sprawled out and she looked completely relaxed!

It has been so fun just taking turn snuggling her and just looking at all her little fingers and all her little toes! My favorite part- her swirly little cowlick at the front of her head- I am sure she will be curing that thing when she gets older...but it sure is cute right now! :)
We can't quite decide if she loves the car or not. If she is fully tanked up and just ate- she seems to be fine- if she is hungry at all- she doesn't love the car so much and all she wants to do is eat! Chloe LOVES to eat- and LOVES to have a very full tummy ALL of the time!
Carson has more than impressed us with his sweetness towards Chloe- I was quite honestly a little afraid of how he would treat her. Periodically throughout the week I would find little toy cars and trucks sweetly laid next to her- Carson said "he was sharing" and that "Chloe wanted to play with them." This is a big deal- we are so proud!

Chloe LOVES to be swaddled! All of my babies have loved to be swaddled. She can't really seem to settle down and go to sleep unless she is swaddled. Her arms flail all over the place and she can't keep control of those little limbs unless they are confined. She does love to have some stretch out and relax time free from being swaddled- but once she's tired- she begs to be swaddled.

Chloe already has a little list of nicknames.

*Clo Girl

*Little Lady

*Stinkers (because she has at least 12 poopy HUGE diapers every day!)

*Stinky

Kaitlyn loves to hold her every day as soon as she gets home from school

Chloe Marilyn Banner

2010-02-15T19:16:00.000-08:00

Whew! What a week! Chloe is here and she is more precious and sweet than we could hope for. Babies always bring a feeling of happiness, euphoria, excitement and sleep deprivation! Chloe did not disappoint! To document Chloe's arrival, I guess I should start back about a week ago...

Last Saturday I woke up with a UTI. Not so fun when you're pregnant; by Sunday I was in triage at the hospital because it was getting worse and I was having contractions. I went down to the hospital- long story short, they gave me some stronger medicine and a shot to stop the contractions- thank heavens because I was by no means ready for Chloe to make her grand entrance- there was a lot to be done!!

I spent the remainder of the week getting lots of work done- house and home so that I would feel prepared for Chloe to come and be able to enjoy the upcoming week! By Wed night, I finally found a little time to make Chloe some headbands of her own and pack my bag for the hospital :)

Here are a few headbands- finally made the night before her arrival- especially made for Chloe girl

My bag was finally packed. We finally went to bed at 10:30, didn't fall asleep until 1:30 am- got up at 3:30 am to be at the hospital by 4 am for a c-section at 6:00 am.

Here I was by 6 am, waiting for them to pull baby Chloe out ;)

She cried immediately as she was pulled from my tummy!

and cried for the next 30 min straight- we were a little nervous :)

but she had a definite girl cry- there was a boy that was just born in the recovery room right next to us- he definitely sounded like a boy and Chloe definitely sounded like a girl :) I loved this hospital because instead of Chloe and Mike going to one room and me going to a separate recovery room, we all went together to the recovery room where they bathed her etc. etc. right in front of me. I usually miss all of this due to c sections and it was so amazing to be able to be a part of all that this time! I LOVED not being separated!

My mom brought the kids down a couple hours later. Chloe came bearing gifts which seemed to win Carson over right away! Here he is opening up the truck that Chloe brought for him. He didn't really want to hold her- but he did like to look at her and seemed to be somewhat interested- more than we could hope for!

Here's Kaitlyn finally getting to hold her baby sister for the first time!

Kaitlyn thoroughly enjoying being a new big sister!

The next day, Carson came with Grandma Marilyn and Dad to see baby Chloe- he actually wanted to pet Chloe's head and give her kisses on her head- progress already- we were thrilled!

Every day I would order strawberries with breakfast lunch and dinner and save them for Carson in the fridge- every time he came to visit he went straight to the fridge to get his strawberries

Kaitlyn and Carson LOVEd moving my bed up and down- I finally got smart enough to get out of it and let them lie in it while they did this ;)

We took a few pictures in the natural light we we got home finally... I LOVE her double chin in this picture

This is what she wore home from the hospital since she traveled home on Valentines day :)

LOVE the newborn bum

Chloe loving her bassinet

another great picture of the double chin- bad lighting but cute double chin :)

gas faces

we had to try on a few headbands just for fun...

I am so loving having Chloe in our family. I always wonder how I will possibly love another baby as much as I love the babies I already have- but once again- I am amazed at the tremendous amount of love I have for her even though I have only had her in my arms for 5 days! I already can't imagine life without her and I feel so lucky, so blessed to have her in our family.

It's a new day...

2010-01-21T05:47:00.000-08:00

I'm up again... and as usual, I have a very long list of to-do's. My to-do list is growing faster than I can get things checked off. I am so happy I found someone to help me with the house so that I can keep some sort of order and feeling of peace in our home. I am now on a mission to get someone lined up to help with Banner Boutique so that we don't get to a completely uncomfortable spot with that either. My sister and I have been the only two *employed* by BB so far and it has been great. We spent years perfecting our little art and feel very good about the products we offer, however, it took us years and years to get here since our children have always been the number one focus.

To enable us both to keep our families as our number one, we have both decided we definately need to get more help. Even with someone now helping me at the house we still need someone to also help with the business. It's a very good problem to have given the economic circumstances our country is in, and I am so grateful for the extra financial support it has offered my sister and her family as well as mine, but it's now time to enter a very unknown world of finding help ;) Although the products we make are certainly not rocket science, it feels very overwhelming to try and teach someone something that took the both of us years to master. We *just do it.* We don't always know how we do it- we just do from habit now. It seems weird to try and teach another how to do it. What makes me most happy though is that although no-one will become a millionaire working for BB, it will be able to now contribute to a third families financial well being, and that is a great blessing!

So, for now, I pray that I can have the wisdom to know how to prioritize my day beyond what I already know to be most important, my family. I pray I will know what to do with those few precious hours I have each day while Carson sleeps and Kaitlyn is at school. The list is long, so I hope the way to go about it all will be clear to me.

I love how Stephanie over at NieNie dialougues offers links to spiritual enlightenment. I think I will do that when I have something great to share that others could possibly benefit from :)

I watched this this morning... and there are so many more great ones too!

Update...

2010-01-20T04:53:00.000-08:00

Kaitlyn 2, Carson 2 weeks
Carson 3 weeks

Carson 3 days

Daddy and Carson

Mommy holding Carson day 1

Kaitlyn meeting brother...

It is 5:30 am and and I fear I am turning into my mom/aunts. They have always been known to get up at awful hours of the morning because *they had so much do do.* Well, I have now joined that club. I always thought they were crazy. Nothing was important enough to get up at a time where even the sun was smart enough to not be up yet!

I am feeling very blessed lately. Although Christmas has passed, I feel like my Christmas is getting ready to come. I have a c-section scheduled for February 11th. The ultimate countdown has begun and I am running like crazy to get everything prepared so that I can just enjoy this new little girl that is about to become a part of our family. Kaitlyn asks me at least 7 times a day, *how many more days until the baby gets here?" We still kind of call her baby because it has taken us quite awhile to find a name that we are completely comfortable with and feel is right. Chloe is the front runner right now, and unless we have a revelation that it should be something else, I think Chloe it will be.

We just recently made one last minute trip to CA (don't tell my doctor). We were able to spend a lot of time with family- we had a great time! While we were there, we went to church with my mom. They were having what's called *Stake Conference-broadcast*- for those of you that aren't familiar with some of the LDS lingo, that means several leaders based out of Salt Lake spoke to all of southern CA via satellite. All areas have this from time to time and I was happy to be there when CA had theirs. GREAT things were said, wonderful reminders. Some of the most memorable for me were:

*We need to have financial and temporal goals, but we first need to have spiritual goals

*We need to evaluate where we are in life and which areas of our life need course correction

*We need to always speak with Heavenly Father daily

*We need to teach our family to pray

*We need to trust the power of our good example

*We need to have a current temple recommend (Pres Uchdorf suggested CTR could also mean *Current Temple Recommend*)

*Forgive yourself on your path to striving for perfection. (LOVED this one- I sure could use a little forgiveness!)

*Remember, the Lord loves you and is happy with all the good that you do! (We all need to remember this!)

I am grateful that I have a husband, who even when we are traveling, makes it a point to worship our God and attend church. It is very easy when traveling to do many other things... we all know that!! I am so grateful we took the time to go- we were blessed by the words that were spoken.

As I draw close to welcoming my third baby, I am trying hard to be as prepared as possible since I now know very well what is coming and I want to be able to just relax and enjoy her! It has been so fun to talk (type) with so many customers from Banner Boutique who are also getting ready to welcome their little girls at the same time! Mike and I both truly enjoy those first weeks of meeting each child. Nothing can describe the euphoria that comes from holding a bundle from heaven in your arms and know they are yours forever and ever.

I have recently hired a sweet girl to help me out at the house twice a week. I kept thinking Banner Boutique would slow down. Mike teases me because he wonders why I always think that. I thought for sure after the holidays we would slow down- but no, still increasing every day. What a blessing this has been, but a challenge too! I got to the point where I could not keep the house in as much order as I needed it to be so I have someone come in and help keep the house on track twice a week during Carson's naps so that I can focus on work and know that the house is not going suffer! I don't know why I didn't do this sooner!! It has brought joy to my life- seriously! Now I can work the extra hours that I need to, not miss out on anytime with my kids, and get a clean house while I'm doing it- what could be better!!

So- since it is still dark outside and the kids are still sleeping, I better get back to work. Just wanted to share some feelings before life gets even more busy!!

Day After Christmas...

2010-01-05T19:12:00.000-08:00

Since all of my mom's side of the family was with their respective other families on Christmas day, we did the *Dewey* Family Christmas extravaganza the day after Christmas. I get emotional just typing these posts because this last trip home to CA really has made me so homesick. I miss ALL of my family back there dearly...

On the way over to the Stucki's house the kids fell asleep. Keep in mind, we are only 3 days in to our 10 day trip and the kids are already completely worn out from sugar and fun!! Good times, good times!! Carson fell asleep with his hand on Sadie's- so cute! Why are kids always so cute when they're sleeping? ;)

Here's another picture that I can't even believe I am posting! YUCK! Could I be any puffier?? This is us all listening to auntie Jill read a story to the kids.
At one point we all headed out front to enjoy the plethora of outdoor bikes, Moon shoes, stilts etc. in the Stucki arsenal. Above you see pictured Carson and Ella having the time of their lives as my mom took them for a ride on the plasma car. Keep in mind there are two steep hills in both directions- needless to say, we were all a little nervous watching Grandma Karen take them on a joy ride!

however, their faces of joy were worth it!

Here is Auntie Mimi and Auntie Jill showing my brother Owen's wife Julianna what it would be like to have sisters her height ;)

the craziness in front

Ryan on a pink bike

Moon shoes and all

Carson with his very best friend- Dad!

Kaitlyn loving every minute of being united with her adored, beloved cousins Hallie and Kylie (who are actually my cousins but closer in age to Kaitlyn)

Lanie taking Carson for a ride :) I love my cousins- they are so sweet and so good to my kids- even though my kids are so naughty sometimes!

All of us!

I have been in to making these appliqued shirts lately- so I had to make some matching ones for all the kids- they are so fun! Martha taught me how ;)

This picture was quite the feet!! Getting each of these kids together for a picture in their matching appliqued tee shirts! Let's just say there was a lot of bribing going on behind the scenes- someone might have even broken into a gift that wasn't supposed to be opened yet in order to get certain children to cooperate ;)

These were the good ol reliables who were perfect posers!

And then of course, some sugar cookie decorating. This is taken very seriously in this family. Many masterpieces were made- and much frosting was ingested.

And then a gift exchange- always fun- always exciting!

Ella LOVED helping each person open their gift! It is always so fun to see everyone at Christmas time and reflect back on how much things change each year, but then again, how many things don't change! Change is sometimes good, but it's so great to have family bonds that don't ever change. I love each of these people with all of my heart and feel so blessed that they will forever be in my family!

Christmas Day

2010-01-03T23:29:00.000-08:00

After what seemed like years of Kaitlyn asking, "How many more days until Christmas," it finally arrived! Uncle Owen was of course the first one to wake up, and then Kaitlyn, and finally Carson. I love that my kids are still young enough to not really have a very large list of things they are wanting for Christmas. Every time I asked Kaitlyn what she hoped Santa might bring her, she would say, "Tell him to surprise me!" I love this age where there is nothing in particular she wants. She is at an age where anything is exciting- Carson too. We have never gone too crazy when it comes to gifts for them. I know this is easy to do when they are young, but I hope we can always keep it fairly simple in the gift department, helping Christmas remain less about the gifts and more about the Savior and spending time with family.

Ryan and Ang, you can thank me later for this picture! I had to include it- it's a CLASSIC Christmas morning picture!!

One of my most favorite things as a little girl was opening up my stocking!! I LOVED all the little trinkets, packets of gum, beef jerky, little toys- fun surprises! Kaitlyn seems to be enjoying this a little more each year as she takes time to go through each little surprise in her stocking.

This picture means so much more than what you may see here. To make along story short, my Dad had told me he got Kaitlyn a guinea pig for Christmas. When he first told me this (a few days before we left AZ), I almost had to hang up the phone and call him back so that I could process everything and not start crying on the phone. It was a hectic few days before we left for CA, busily preparing everything to take Christmas on the road, and the LAST thing on this earth I wanted was a pet of any sort- especially a stinky smelly cage pet! YUCK! I went through all different kinds of emotions, sadness for me, overwhelmed feelings of "how am I going to have a brand new baby AND a guinea pig," my house is going to smell!, I can hardly take care of the living things I am already responsible let alone another one!, etc. etc. At the same time, Kaitlyn would ask constantly, how come we can't have a pet? My heart broke for her sometimes thinking- I am an awful mother- but then realizing I am not ready for a pet!

Anyway- I came to terms with everything and decided since Kaitlyn wanted the pet so bad, and since my dad said he would keep it for the first few months until after I had the baby and was ready for it, I agreed to let him give it to her. So, Christmas morning comes and lo and behold, Grandpa give Kaitlyn a ZhuZhu pet!! It's the closest thing to a real pet- but not!!! Happy day!! She seemed thrilled with it- but I was even more thrilled!!

It was so fun to see Carson get the hang of the whole *gift* idea and see his face light up with each unveiling of a new car, truck or ambulance he opened!

When I think of Carson, I think of him in this classic pose, kneeling down, eye level with whatever toy he is paying with. He likes to become one with his toys and really get to know them on this level.

I tried to make as many handmade gifts as I could this year- Here's Sade modeling her appliqued onesie and *baby legs* I made for her :) LOVE those rolls!!

Carson, Kaitlyn and Ella enjoyed rides on Dad. Dad may not have so much?

Even Owen thoroughly enjoyed Ella's blocks

Nolan modeling his Baby Legs and his appliqued onesie

Sadie helping her mommy do the crossword puzzle in one of Ang's favorite magazines- because a vacation isn't a vacation for Ang without People magazine

What frosting??

Up Next: Dewey Family Get Together...

Christmas Eve Eve and Christmas Eve

2010-01-03T21:59:00.000-08:00

Cousin Hailey, Kaitlyn, and Hailey's new dog ROXY
Kaitlyn and Carson wish Roxy was theirs
Carson being silly (some day his face won't be dirty in every single picture)

Cute cousin Emily

WARNING: LOTS of Pictures

To make up for the lack of pictures these past few months, I think I subconsciously took over 1,000 pictures during our Christmas break to try and make up for it. I wish I was one of those people who could *streamline* and choose only a few pictures- but I'm not. So here is the start of what will be many posts from our Christmas break that was supposed to be only 5 days but turned into an almost 10 day trip. We had LOTS of fun, and although I seem to vividly remember having to discipline overly sugared hyped up children more times than I would like to count, I look back at all of these pictures and am so grateful for the MANY wonderful memories that were made this trip! We saw LOTS of family, ate LOTS of treats, played LOTS of games, stayed up WAY too late, wiped MANY sugar coated faces and will remember these times for a lifetime!

I am so grateful for each and every person we spent this Christmas season with. As our family and friends grows and grows each year adding new spouses, new children, new life changes... it is so good to take the time during this season to all come together and just enjoy each other's company.

We started our trip by picking Mike up at his office after a short day at work on Wednesday and heading to Mike's old stomping grounds of Yucaippa CA to share dinner and good times with Mike's sister and her family and some other dear friends. (Pictures above)

The next morning we all met up with a few other friends that were also in town for a yummy breakfast and good conversation while catching up. Every time I see each of these people it makes me miss not living by them all over again!

Here we are all trying to gather for a group picture- thank heavens I got to be the photographer behind the camera!!

The best one :)

After breakfast, we headed down to my Dad's house to prepare and get ready for the traditional Snead family Christmas Eve get together. Baby Nolan (my brother Owen's son) supervised from his high chair as we busily prepared in the kitchen.

We also finally met up with my sister and her family at my Dad's too! We were all so excited to see Ella and Sadie! It seems like just the other day we were all living by each other in Orange County while Carson and Ella were the babies. Now Ella is a big sister and Carson is about to become a big brother (which will rock his world! ;))

Cute cousin Jessica trying to rock her baby to sleep

Grandpa helping Ella at the M n M bar

Carson LOVING all of his grandparents!

I felt I should included this photo only for posterity's sake. I try my best to steer clear of any and all cameras at this point. It just isn't pretty. Notice how you can't really tell where my chest ends and my stomach begins- ya, not good!

Kaitlyn getting snuggle time in with so many favorite people to choose from.

Playing the traditional Snead family gift exchange game.

And of course, we had to play the classic BAG game!! There were some new strong contenders this year as well as the veterans! We missed you Elissa!! I'm sure you would have shown us how it's done! Eddie was one of the rookies that surprised us all this year (pictured above)

look at that form! Wow!

And even Owen did pretty well for himself :)

Julie- always a strong competitor!

After everyone left, grandpa Jim had a surprise for the grandkids- new sleeping bags for all!

Kaitlyn was sure to not forget to put out her reindeer food- dad helped her sprinkle it on the lawn out front to help the reindeer find Grandpa's house.

Much to Owen's dismay, Nolan tried on his very first Banner Boutique original- I hate to say it- but he really did look beautiful!

Kaitlyn modeling her Christmas jammies (while the rest of us tried to coax Carson over to stand by her...)

And finally Carson decided to get in on the pictures. His jammies were perfect this year since we seem to be stuck in the terrible twos still ;)

Up Next: Christmas Day

I LOVE Lucy

2009-12-02T21:10:00.000-08:00

Remember this book I talked about a few weeks ago? One of the author's is a dear friend of Kaitlyn's kindergarten teacher. Kaitlyn's teacher taught 3 of her 5 children in school. I am about half way through it and have loved every word.
The author, Shawni, has a daughter named Lucy. Lucy has an extremely rare disease that among many other things, will cause her to go blind in the near future. They are doing all they can to raise money to pay for research on this very devastating disease.

Shawni (co-author), along with her mother (co-author), are giving all of the proceeds of this book to raise money to help find a cure for her daughters disease. Even if this were not the case, I would encourage you to pick up the book for yourself and for a gift to any mother. Not only is the content of the book rich and enlightening for mothers, Shawni's photography is beautiful in the book as well. It is a book that will truly be a treasured gift to anyone who receives it.

Please click here to learn more about Lucy and what Linda (grandmother to Lucy) and Shawni (mother to Lucy) have to say.

$100.00 worth of FREE Hair Accessories...???

2009-11-12T12:00:00.001-08:00

(this picture is courtesy of one of our FAVORITE photographers- Kate Moss at www.peekaboophotos.com)

I figured I better post about this giveawy on my own blog since we're having our customers do the same...??

I finally started showing some love to my sweet little neglected Banner Boutique Blog... so go check it out and enter to win some sweet little Christmas gifts for the little ladies in your life...

www.BannerBoutique.blogspot.com

Veterans Day at the Zoo

2009-11-11T20:16:00.000-08:00

Kim, one of my cute neighbors, and I decided (along with the rest of Arizona) to take the kids to the zoo today since they had no school. Even when every parking space in the lot is full, somehow the zoo still is not that packed- thank heavens it is so spread out!!
We started off at the StingRay exhibit. Carson's favorite part was washing up before going in.

He is so funny lately- he does this little "scrunch up his nose" thing whenever I or anyone else looks at him more than a second or 2- he seems to be easily embarrassed :)

We thought the rays were pretty docile, just gliding through the tank coming up close to let us pet their backs, and then all of a sudden- out of nowhere- this one flys by at like 50 miles an hour and raises his fin to splash us. Kaitlyn decided she was going to back away a little after that...

Washing up when we were done- another highlight!

Carson decided the camels were "to scary mama" so he just watched sissy...

Kaitlyn was VERY excited to ride the camel

Kaitlyn and Cami

Eating their turkey sandwich so that they could have a sno-cone

My poor little mop head boy who's mama doesn't ever seem to make enough time to get his haircut (and who doesn't really love to watch her little boy scream for an hour while they attempt to cut his hair)

My little garbage disposal enjoying the leftovers from Cami and Amanda's lunch...

I (sometimes) miss having Kaitlyn around all day everyday. It's sometimes a tough adjustment for me to go from having her completely to myself always- to sharing her with someone else for 7 hours a day. I do consider her one of my best friends and I miss being with her all day at times. I'm glad we still get days like this to all be together. We stopped by Mike's office which is right by the zoo on the way home. I love our little family and I love that the 4 of us really enjoy being together. I especially love that Mike enjoys being with his kids so much. I feel so blessed to have a husband who truly looks forward to each moment he has with his kids because I know that's not always the feeling for all dads. We are lucky to have Mike!

Public Service Announcement...

2009-11-05T14:08:00.000-08:00

Just a little FYI... I am hit and miss with Gymboree lately- sometimes find cute stuff- sometimes can't find anything I even remotely love. I LOVE their jammies though- they hold up so well and are my favorites next to Gap. Right now they're having a promotion where if you sign up for their free little rewards card (like a grocery store discount card) you get 30% off everything. So- I went to their website- went straight to the sale section- tons of stuff as low as $4.99- plus the 30% off- LOVE it! All of their Christmas Jammies are on sale for $15 instead of $20 plus you get the 30% off- AND, if you spend 100$ or more your shipping is free.

You can thank me later ;)

Goes through Sunday so hurry on over...

Morning Inspiration 11.05.09

2009-11-05T06:04:00.000-08:00

I've struggled the last few days here and there to rise early and get my "Morning Inspiration" time in before the kids wake up. A combination of me staying up too late to try and get things done on my to do list and the kids waking up extra early (because they sense when I am awake) has thrown me off a bit. I've tried to sneak some reading time in here and there but it's so much harder during the day as opposed to early morning all by myself.

Kaitlyn's Kindergarten teacher let me borrow a book of hers that a friend of hers wrote. Kaitlyn's teacher (Mrs. Ruiz) was also the teacher to 3 of 5 of the author of this book's children, Shawni Eyre Pothier. Shawni wrote this book with her mother, Linda Eyre. It's called "A Mother's Book of Secrets." I've really enjoyed reading it so far. It reminds me of a lot of things that I need to be reminded of, especially right now.

The first chapter is called: "Look for light in the trenches." Such a fitting theme for me right now. I feel that I am in the thick of the trenches of motherhood right now. Lately my days have consisted of never ending to do lists which I run around desperately trying to accomplish. Somehow these to do lists seem to get longer instead of shorter, because no matter how many of them I cross off each day, someone or something is adding even more to the list than I can finish on the list. There have been many days where I wonder if I should just give up because the list really doesn't seem to be getting any shorter. On top of that, Carson is at an age where he is expert in un-doing many of the things I do. He is our chief mess maker- her is the Tasmanian devil spinning around the house creating mess after mess in every room he enters. This week alone he has manged to dump out several (FULL) boxes of cereal all over the floor, dump a huge box of puzzle pieces out over and over, dump dirt and rocks from the backyard all over the family room, color all of his furniture with not so erasable marker, dump sand all over the my office, empty my makeup bag and put on some makeup for himself... I could go on and on. Every time I ask, "Who did this?," he proudly and happily answers, "I did mama!" Somehow he still doesn't get that this doesn't make me happy- although there are many times that my laughter matches my frustration and I can't hide it because he is so cute.

Reading this book has reminded me that sometimes I just really need to be ok with the fact that my house will not always be in perfect order during these toddler years of being a mom, entrepreneur, wife, homework helper, cook, taxi driver, and mess picker upper. It has helped me remember that no matter how many things on my to-do list remain undone, my first and foremost priority is to be with my children, love my children, teach my children, play with my children, and snuggle my children while mentally (and literally) recording all of these sweet memories that are truly fleeting.

As I anticipate the arrival of this new baby girl scheduled to arrive in a few months, I am reminded of how truly fast time does fly. It seems like forever since Carson was a newborn! I am excited to have a newborn in our home (even though I know how many sleepless nights lie ahead of me). I think that is part of the reason I am so desperate to get ALL of my to dos done before she arrives so that I can just sit and enjoy her and not think about anything else. I want everything to be as in order as humanly possible before her arrival so that we can all just soak her little newborness up and not worry about so many to dos!

I am so grateful for this opportunity to be home with my kids during these younger years. Even when I am gone for a few hours here and there or out for a night and miss bed time with them, I feel like I have missed out on part of their childhood. I can't imagine not being here with them and for them during these young years and I am so, so grateful for this privilege to do so- I know it is a luxury that is not afforded to us all, and so for that I feel very blessed, very lucky.

The pictures above are of Carson and one of his escapades with my makeup. Feel free to disregard his crusty dirty face and the beautiful card table which he is playing on (that was supposed to be put back in the garage several days earlier but somehow took an extra week to be put back). I thought it was so funny that not only does he get my lipstick and powder out, but now he has even started to attempt the eye lash curler- he really is going all out! Even though this boy is my number one mess maker, and even though he is so not nice to me a lot of the day and looks at me with a scowl and grunt, I think he is so cute and cuddly!! I will never forget these days of having to literally run and chase him down to get him to change his clothes, take a bath or change his diaper. Already I know I will miss these days immensely someday soon!

Schnepf Farms Field Trip- October 2009

2009-11-02T16:24:00.001-08:00

I was grateful to be able to go with Kaitlyn and her class to their first ever field trip! We all rode the big yellow school buses to a darling farm not too far from us. It was so fun to see Kaitlyn (and all the other kids) thoroughly enjoy their first ever bus ride! I often have to keep myself from shedding a few tears as I see my little baby girl experience all of these firsts (so embarrassing, I know). It was a beautiful Arizona fall day. We rode on the rides, picked pumpkins, played in the hay and tried to not be to obnoxious to the other patrons seeing as how 5 year old boys can be a bit rowdy ;) I was so happy to not lose any of the 5 year olds in my group- thank heavens for that!

More Peek A Boo Photos!

2009-11-02T15:16:00.000-08:00

Kate Moss, one of my MOST very favorite photographers uses a lot of our products and just sent me some more pictures...now if I could only figure out how to get my soon to be newborn baby girl up to her neck of the woods so that she could do some photography magic for me too- then I would be a happy girl!!

95% ????

2009-10-28T15:29:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, while wandering the aisles of Costco aimlessly, waiting for Mike's new tires to be put on his car, I came across this book. What possessed me to even pick up this book is still a mystery. At the time, I had just found out I was pregnant and was in no way in the market for any kind of diet. Now that I think of it, maybe it was the fact that it had to do with hormone levels, something I have become more and more interested in over the past year due to my mom and her hysterectomy which also involved depression/anxiety.

Anyway- long story short, what I read in these pages was so eye opening for me!! Really!! To learn that certain foods I assumed were healthy (even such things as deli meant, certain vegetables in certain types of packages etc.) were not even healthy, in fact downright toxic.

I have never been a *granola* type of girl. Never been a tree hugging type- nothing like that. I like food- all food- the good the bad and the in ugly even. Reading this book has TOTALLY changed my views though as to what is *good* and what is *bad*. I will never look at deli meet in the same way (or anything else for that matter).

I have strong feelings that if I as a mom can truly teach my children what and how to eat, it will be 100% easier for them as teenagers and adults to make healthy decisions, decisions that won't cut 10 years off of their life span or cause them unnecessary health problems. Over 50% of America's health problems (of any kind) are due to poor diet/health- something that is completely in our control. I want to know exactly how and what to eat so that I can not only teach them for their own health- but also so that I can be around for them for years and years- and not just around in a wheel chair with an oxygen tank, but around running, jumping, throwing, catching... you get the idea.

The next book I REALLY want to read and have wanted to read forever- this book, The Omnivores's Dilemma. Did you know he also has a book for kids out (ages 8-12). I'm getting both books- I think they are a must these days in our pesticide/chemical infested food chain that we have to pick from when it comes to eating.

Also, did you know that 95% of EVERYTHING on the shelves in our grocery stores have some form of corn in them?? -and not the good corn on the cob type corn- nasty cheap pesticide chemical laden corn- in bad, bad forms. YUCK! That's why I've been trying to shop anywhere but the local Albertsons etc. It makes me sick to think what they are putting out there on the shelves these days (I'm telling you, once you read either of these books you will NOT look at the food in regular grocery stores the same way). Here in AZ they have a lot of farms, lots of farmers markets, local fruit/veggie stands etc. I have been hitting these up quite a bit and saving my Costco basket for toilet paper and dish soap.

Anyway- don't want to burden anyone with one more thing to do, but I would HIGHLY recommend you pick up at least one of these books, if not both. It will frighten you, yet you will feel empowered and in much more control of your family's health when you know what you're putting in their little tummies :)

Morning Inspiration 10.26.09

2009-10-27T07:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I read this talk. Today I read this one. Both were about learning to recognize the spirit. Something I for sure always need improvement and help on. I think the biggest challenge in recognizing the spirit trying to guide you is making the time to listen.

I love what Richard G Scott said in his talk: "The inspiring influence of the Holy Spirit can be overcome or masked by strong emotions, such as anger, hate, passion, fear, or pride. When such influences are present, it is like trying to savor the delicate flavor of a grape while eating a jalapeño pepper. Both flavors are present, but one completely overpowers the other. In like manner, strong emotions overcome the delicate promptings of the Holy Spirit."

Other great insights I loved in his talk:

*In a conversation Pres Joseph Smith said to John Taylor: "... never to arise in the morning without bowing before the Lord, and dedicating (yourself) to him during that day.”

*"Father in Heaven knew that you would face challenges and be required to make some decisions that would be beyond your own ability to decide correctly. In His plan of happiness, He included a provision for you to receive help with such challenges and decisions during your mortal life. That assistance will come to you through the Holy Ghost as spiritual guidance. It is a power, beyond your own capability, that a loving Heavenly Father wants you to use consistently for your peace and happiness."

*He talked about the importance of paying attention to the promptings we are given: "Subsequently I prayed, reviewing with the Lord what I thought I had been taught by the Spirit. When a feeling of peace came, I thanked Him for the guidance given. I was then impressed to ask, “Was there yet more to be given?” I received further impressions, and the process of writing down the impressions, pondering, and praying for confirmation was repeated. Again I was prompted to ask, “Is there more I should know?” And there was. When that last, most sacred experience was concluded, I had received some of the most precious, specific, personal direction one could hope to obtain in this life. Had I not responded to the first impressions and recorded them, I would not have received the last, most precious guidance."

*He said, "I believe that you can leave the most precious, personal direction of the Spirit unheard because you do not respond to, record, and apply the first promptings that come to you." I think this is very true!! If we do not make it a habit to seek the spirit and what it is trying to teach us/tell us, there is often much more we stand to miss out on as well.

In Vicki F. Matsumori talk some of my favorite highlights were:

* She says: The scriptures and the prophets teach what this constant companionship feels like. The Lord tells us, “I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.”6 Enos stated, “While I was . . . struggling in the spirit, behold, the voice of the Lord came into my mind.”7 Joseph Smith said, “When you feel pure intelligence flowing into you, it may give you sudden strokes of ideas.”8 President Henry B. Eyring described the influence of the Holy Ghost as “peace, hope, and joy.” He added, “Almost always I have also felt a sensation of light.”

*"There are places where it is easier to feel the Spirit. Testimony meetings and general conference are some of those places. Certainly temples are another. The challenge for each of us is in providing an environment where the Spirit can be felt daily in our homes and weekly at church."

*"One reason we are encouraged to pray and read the scriptures every single day is that both of these activities invite the Spirit into our homes and into the lives of our family members."

*"Because the Spirit is often described as a still, small voice,11 it is also important to have a time of quiet in our lives as well. The Lord has counseled us to “be still, and know that I am God.”12 If we provide a still and quiet time each day when we are not bombarded by television, computer, video games, or personal electronic devices, we allow that still, small voice an opportunity to provide personal revelation and to whisper sweet guidance, reassurance, and comfort to us."

*To teachers she said: “If you accomplish nothing else in your relationship with your students than to help them recognize and follow the promptings of the Spirit, you will bless their lives immeasurably and eternally.”

*"When we come to understand the whisperings of the Spirit, we will be able to hear Him teach us “the peaceable things of the kingdom”14 and “all things what [we] should do.”15 We will recognize answers to our prayers and know how to live the gospel more fully each day. We will be guided and protected. And we can cultivate this gift in our lives as we follow those spiritual promptings. "

I so agree with all of these truths that these speakers spoke about. I have felt an increased amount of peace through having these daily quite times to myself to read, reflect and ponder. I am grateful to know we have access to spiritual guidance from a creator who knows far more than we will ever know. I hope I will always remember this and never be too busy to be still and listen.

Morning Inspiration 10.23.09

2009-10-23T07:34:00.000-07:00

Today I read a third talk by Julie B. Beck from the same conference (click here to see it). She too had a lot of wonderful things to say- my very most favorite quote she read:

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught: “A wise man once distinguished between ‘the noble art of getting things done’ and ‘a nobler art of leaving things undone.’ True ‘wisdom in life,’ he taught, consists of ‘the elimination of non-essentials.’ ” President Uchtdorf then asked: “What are the nonessential things that clutter your days and steal your time? What are the habits you may have developed that do not serve a useful purpose? What are the unfinished or unstarted things that could add vigor, meaning, and joy to your life?”

Enough said. Pres. Uchdorf is so right on. I think as women we are trying so hard to serve so many people, do so many things, be so many things that we often get caught up in the shuffle of just moving about busily and forget to sometimes take a step back and think about what we are doing. Whether we work or stay at home and work, most of us are the CEO's of our homes and families. We are the ones that are supposed to be constantly at the helm of the ship deciding which tasks that need to be done are most important, and which tasks/time stealers need to be done away with. We are supposed to be the ones in tune with the needs of our children and our husbands instead of just going through the motions of caring for their temporal needs. It is so easy to just "stay so busy" aimlessly running here and there. I have learned that I need to take charge of what I do each day and make sure my priorities are in order and do first things first.

I think the quote is so true- everyone is busy, but the most successful people in the eyes of the Lord are those who are busy doing the right things and who know how to eliminate the "non-essentials." :) Brilliant!

Halloween Fun

2009-10-22T14:08:00.000-07:00

My cute neighbor has a friend who has a business called TomKat studios. She designs darling printable, invitations, cupcake toppers... you name it. Anyway- she made a darling little "You've been booed" sign to take to your neighbors when you secretly drop off treats- such a fun idea! You can get the template to print it here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/21427928/BOO-FLYER-The-Tomkat-Studio and you can check out her blog and a link to her store here : www.TomKatstudio.blogspot.com

Morning Inspiration

2009-10-22T09:31:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I went to a women's meeting put on by our church. There were 4 speakers, all of various ages/stages in life. Every single speaker was wonderful- they ALL had great ideas to help in making our days as women possibly go smoother.

One of the women in particular talked about how she wakes up an hour before any of her children and spends that time reading scriptures/conference talks/a good book and has even a little free time for herself. She said it was such a great way to start the day. I was sold!

I've been making this a habit the last few weeks. Instead of letting my kids be my alarm and waking up and making my feet hit the ground running, I wake up on my own, feed myself spiritually, plan out my day calmly and sometimes even get a few things done ahead of schedule so that I am in control of my day/life instead of my life being in control of me. I thought I would for sure miss the sleep. I have for sure felt more energetic, more happy, more peaceful and have been able to get a lot more done in the day- even when I go to bed earlier to make sure I still get 8 hours of sleep. I really feel like I have discovered an amazing secret to a happy more vivid life for moms!

The past couple days I have been re-reading talks that I heard in women's conference (a conference for women put on by our church). I LOVED all of the talks I heard there. These are the two I read yesterday and today. Both SO good!

A few things I was reminded of in these talks:

* The Relief Society has an amazing ability to bless the lives of those involved (to learn more about what the Relief Society is click here)

*Remember, it’s not just what you get out of active participation in Relief Society but what you can give and contribute as well.

*It is the duty of each one of us to be a holy woman. We shall have elevated aims, if we are holy women. We shall feel that we are called to perform important duties. No one is exempt from them. There is no sister so isolated, and her sphere so narrow but what she can do a great deal towards establishing the Kingdom of God upon the earth.”

*“If you associate together [meaning older and younger women], your minds are improved, you are gaining intelligence, and you are retrenching from ignorance. The Spirit of God will impart instruction to your minds, and you will impart it to each other. I say, God bless you my young sisters. Remember that you are Saints of God; and that you have important works to perform in Zion.”

*Remember to mind this gap and to not let doubt and uncertainty enter into your minds. Be assured that God loves you dearly and you are His precious child.

Maybe I'll start writing more about my "Morning Inspirations" here... I so often want to share what I read with someone and Carson just doesn't seem to be terribly excited sometimes...

I am so grateful for my membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It is a firm foundation in life that I am so happy to be able to stand on!

Newest Pages...

2009-10-21T22:33:00.000-07:00

After making a flyer using some of my digital scrapbooking supplies for our ward Halloween Party, I remembered how much I love it! I decided to reward myself and do a few pages tonight since I was a good girl and got almost all of my chores done...almost...

Kaitlyn's Birthday 2009

2009-10-21T10:15:00.000-07:00

My sweetheart is 5!! Where did the years go! Kaitlyn talked about her birthday for almost the entire year since her last birthday. When trying to decide what she wanted to do for her birthday, we must have gone through at least 10 possible scenarios; small birthday with just a few friends at build a bear, big birthday so that we didn't have to leave anybody out with a scheme of Princesses, no scheme of Pink, no purple....

Kaitlyn got to bring (only store bought) cupcakes to school. SO exciting! Her teacher even gave her a princess crown to wear that day.

The day of her party she had been waiting patiently to decorate her barbie cake. The final them of choice was "Kaitlyn's Favorite Things" so that we could just encompass all the ideas :)
Target had all the colors of her birthday invitations decor on sale- so that made for a nice surprise when I went to purchase everything :)

Kaitlyn made the marshmallow pops with me the night before (and Carson helped us eat them). She had so much fun making these- I highly recommend this to any mom of a 4/5 year old- they were really easy to make (much easier than last year's escapade with the cake ball recipe)

All the girls that came to the party of course got a parting gift consisting of hair accessories- shocking, I know!

Kaitlyn's lunch buffet consisted of many of her favorite things: carrots and dip, crackers, mini sandwiches, pasta, candy, fruit...

The kids all made party hats when they first arrived...

They played one of Kaitlyn's new favorite games bobbing for doughnuts and of course hit the pinata- a party just isn't a party if there's isn't a pinata- according to Kaitlyn.

Posing for a quick picture before caked and ice cream and presents

After the party, Kaitlyn got to open the long awaited Grandma and Grandpa Hartman gift. Grandma was so sweet, she even included a little surprise for Carson!

I can't believe we are entering the 6th year of our sweet little Kaitlyn's life! She is truly a joy to have in our family. Some of Kaitlyn's traits this past year:

*Always so thoughtful of others

*LOVES to give HUGS- tight ones!

*Loves Family Home Evening

*Still pronounces Animal as "Aminal"

*Loves to brush her teeth

*Loves to please people

*Loves to give gifts

*LOVES the new swing set her daddy built for her

*LOVES to look through old photo albums of herself and have us tell her stories about when she was younger

*ADORES both of her grandmas

*LOVES to be with her cousins

*LOVES to learn and play on the computer

How blessed we are to have this little girl!

Grandpa and Haircut Sep 2009

2009-10-21T07:29:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, my dad took Carson to get his first much needed haircut. Needless to say, it was a bit of a nightmare. So, last month, my dad came to visit again and took Carson for his second haircut. My dad was sure he would do much better because this time he would take him to a *fun* haircut place and not a barbershop full of older men.
Carson was still a little unsure of the whole situation once we took him away from the toys in the front and tried to get him to sit in the chair.

Still a bit scared...

Getting a little relaxed as he starts to get into the cartoon playing on the TV in front of him... All in all it was a MUCH better experience the second time around...

and then Grandpa of course rewarded him with one of his favorite things, an "ice cream drink" aka a smoothie.

He is my little sweetheart, even though he is a bit of a terror at times.

I kind of love that he's a bit of a fraidy cat. He's so rough and tough, but such a little baby when it comes to a lot of things :) He's a lot of work- but he is so fun!! (and squishy :))

The next day while dad was in town we took the kids to this giant golf haven. I think the kids had just as much fun as my dad did.

Mike always loves when my dad comes. It's a free pass for him to golf :)

Thanks for coming Dad!! We love you!

It's Fall!!

2009-10-13T08:42:00.000-07:00

(loving some of these fall images I am seeing around the internet...)

It's fall!! I think this fall means more to me than any previous fall. It's like this; you know when you run a long, long distance and you are bloody tired and sweaty but you feel that high, it feels so good even though you are so exhausted, and then a glass of cold (not too cold) water feels so much more refreshing to you than it ever has before in your life felt...? It's an amazing feeling, right? Well, that's how this fall feels to me. Waking up to COLD crisp mornings and having chilly nights the past couple weeks have felt even more amazing after a long hot Arizona summer! It feels so good!! I am loving that we have a lot of farmland here in Arizona too! I am loving the farmers markets, the miles and miles of beautiful agriculture that we sometimes see on our drives. It is all so different than the CA I am used to, but so fun, so fall!

I also LOVE fall because it brings with it the excitement and anticipation of all the holidays that are about to come- I think I love the anticipation and preparing for holidays just as much (if not more) than the actual holidays themselves!! Having kids makes holidays that much more exciting!!

Just had to say that.

I LOVE FALL.

Flashback... Kaitlyn Turns 4 Sep 2008

2009-10-08T11:46:00.000-07:00

I figured I should probably do a post about Kaitlyn's birthday last year before I post pictures from her birthday this year ;) I am so on top of things I can hardly stand it sometimes ;)

The little cake pops are a treasured memory I will always have. My cute friend Maryam decided that we needed to make them for Kaitlyn's birthday party the night before, so, what we thought we be a fun *little* activity was anything but. I don't know if it was our lack of skill or what- but those things were by far one of the hardest things I have ever made!! They took forever, nothing was as easy as the pictures said it should be etc. etc. Needless to say, they didn't look anything like the pictures, but it was a fun project to do with 2 of my favorite people!
We had the party at the park just down the hill from our house. Since it was a week before we moved to AZ, it was a great way to have one last get together before we left as well.
Kaitlyn always requests a pinata, every birthday :) I think pinata = birthday party for her.

My dad was in charge of the darling cake and yummy cupcakes from our favorite bakery down in San Diego.

We have SOOO many forever friends we made while we were there in San Clemente!! Thank heavens it's so close and we still get to see a lot of them fairly often!

After the party (since it was a bit crazy) we went home and Kaitlyn opened her presents with some cousins and a few friends that were still around :)

I adore my sweet Kaitlyn! I can't believe this was a year ago and now she's already 5! What a blessing she is to have in our family!

Flashback... September 2008

2009-10-07T09:13:00.000-07:00

So... here we go, the start of my chipping away at this past year's worth of posts that has yet to be done. It's actually kind of fun to look back at this years worth of pictures and remember some of the good times :) This was when we still lived in San Clemente and went on one of our many Disneyland trips. The girls could not be any cuter together- and I love their mommies just as much as these little girls! Oh how fun it was to just hall off to D land anytime we pleased!! Now we are finding new types of entertainment out here is the western desert (more on that later ;)

More flashback posts to come mingled with some new ones ;)

It's a...

2009-10-03T17:44:00.000-07:00

(this is not a pic of my baby, just fyi ;))

Several months ago I found out I was pregnant with baby Banner number 3. I think I waited a little longer than I thought I would between Carson and this baby because I knew what I was getting myself into and things have already been incredibly busy. Finally, Mike and I both felt ready, and right away Banner baby three was on their way.

This has been by far the easiest pregnancy I have ever had. I hardly felt sick at all, just lost my appetite a bit- which was actually a welcome thing ;) At 20 weeks I still forget that I am even pregnant and if not for the ultrasound this past week I may still have been thinking that even though I go to the doctor every month and hear the hear beat, maybe I'm not really pregnant?

We let Kaitlyn come with us to the ultrasound appointment. She had really been hoping for a girl but we talked a lot about how we would love the baby no matter what and she said she would love a boy too just as much, just maybe not when he turns two. Everyone kept telling me they thought this baby would be a girl, but Mike and I both kind of thought boy (maybe just because everyone else thought it was a girl). I had not thought of any names for boy or girl still just because it still just wasn't really registering with me that I was actually pregnant and we would be welcoming a new little baby to our family in February.

So... we went to the ultrasound, and Kaitlyn found out her dream would come true, she would have a baby sister! The ultrasound tech said she was pretty darn sure that she was right and she would put it in writing.

So- come the beginning/middle of Feb, we will welcome a baby girl into our family. We cannot wait! We are so happy to know that she is in perfect health so far, especially her daddy! He doesn't worry about much in life, just anything that has to do with the health of his family. That's why I love him.

General Conference

2009-10-03T16:57:00.000-07:00

Twice a year our church has what's called General Conference. This conference consists of two session on Saturday and two sessions on Sunday, all of which are 2 hours long. Most people can watch the conference which is broadcast out of Salt Lake City from the conference center on television. Different leaders of the church speak about different subjects, and all who listen are able to be edified and uplifted.

I must say, I feel so truly blessed to be a member of this church. It is what provides me answers to all of life's questions, gives me guidance and focus to know what is important and what is not important in life. I think of the many different trials, challenges and questions that life offers, and I wonder what I would have done if not for the firm foundation that is provided to me through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. How would I ever know if I am doing what I should be doing in life if not for the gospel of Jesus Christ? Who, if not God, would provide me with a plan and true guidance throughout my life? How would I know what I should do, where my time should be focused, what I need to teach my children etc.? We all know the general answers to these things, but I feel we must truly know what this life is all about and really know how to build a strong relationship with God if we are to obtain the ultimate degree of Joy, happiness, peace and fulfillment in this life. We must know the exact plan, the exact answers to these questions that many people of this world may see very differently, and if a true relationship with God is not developed, it would be very easy to let the loud screams of what the world would have you do be the voices that you ultimately hear and listen to.

I love this church with all my heart. I love that it provides me a peace that no matter what is going on in life, good or bad, ultimate peace and happiness are available ALWAYS, even during their most trying of times. I know for a fact that true peace and happiness can still abound amidst the most hard times in your life, I have felt it myself.

I have learned that some of the most important lessons to be learned in life are pure love for others, complete and total selflessness and a desire to serve God first and foremost, a complete avoidance of pride, service always, obedience, and faithfulness.

I thoroughly enjoyed conference today. How lucky we are to have a living prophet who communicates with God on Earth today. Not only do we have scriptures that teach us through prophets of old, but we have a living modern day prophet who we can also choose to listen to and receive specific guidance from.

WORTH Reading

2009-09-18T13:20:00.000-07:00

SATAN'S MEETING

Satan called a worldwide convention of demons.

In his opening address he said, "We can't keep Christians from going to church"

"We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth...."

"We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their savior."

"Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken."

"So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish dinners, BUT steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ.."

"This is what I want you to do," said the devil:

Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day! "How shall we do this? his demons shouted.

"Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered...

"Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow."

"Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles."

"Keep them from spending time with their children."

"As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!" "Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice."

"Entice them to play the radio or I-Pod whenever they drive." To keep the TV, DVDs, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly."

"This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ."

"Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers."

"Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day."

"Invade their driving moments with billboards."

"Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes."

"Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their husbands will believe that outward beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives. "

"Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night."

"Give them headaches too! "

"If they don't give their husbands the love they need, they will begin to look elsewhere."

"That will fragment their families quickly!"

"Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of Christmas.."

"Give them an Easter bunny so they won't talk about his resurrection and power over sin and death..."

"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive."

"Have them return from their recreation exhausted."

"Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect onGod's creation. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead."

"Keep them busy, busy, busy!" "And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences."

"Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus."

"Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause." "It will work!" "It will work!"It was quite a plan!

The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there. Having little time for their God or their families. Having no time to tell others about the power of Jesus to change lives. I guess the question is, has the devil been successful in his schemes? You be the judge!!!!! Does "BUSY" mean: B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?

happiest place on Earth, I Do, Surf and Turf

2009-09-08T17:07:00.000-07:00

Last week we set out for another CA adventure. My good friend Amanda was getting married, and it also just happened to coincide with all kinds of other family events. We left Wed night and started the trip out Thursday morning with a fun filled day at the happiest place on Earth. My cousin Rachel was in town with her two kids- so we were so lucky to have so much family to spend the day with!
My cousins are always so good to my kids. They spoil them with attention and it makes for a much easier day for me. I wish we lived closer still ;)

Almost all the kiddos

My favorite ride of the day, the train. I love to just sit back and not think for awhile. Carson especially adores the train.

We took the girls to the Bibiti Bobiti Boutique. There they received the royal treatment including a special up do, princess bling jewelry, a tiara, a sash make up, and a dusting of Pixie Dust at the end.

At the end, the magic music reveals their finished look and the birds part the drapes.

Kaitlyn was the Classic Princess, Kylie was the Rocker Princess, Hallie was a Diva Princess.

Then it was off to a photo shoot with the princesses.

A few other children snuck into the photo shoot.

Then on to the ferryboat. We finally got Gid and Carson to stand still long enough to take a picture with their new Cars shirts from Auntie Jill.

The next day was Amanda's wedding at the Ritz, my beloved Ritz :) (I have a special place in y heart for this Ritz ;)) It was soooooo great to be with some of my most favorite people.

Here was our view while waiting for the bride...

So fun to get caught up with friends from CA

The bride and I :)

Michael, Amanda's new husband and our newest friend who we can't wait to get to know more and make many happy memories with in the years ahead.

The next day we were off to San Diego for a surprise birthday party for my little bro Owen at Benihanas- YUM- a family favorite :)

After the party we went over to the beach with our cousins, the Hombs Family so they could get some fam pics together.

Ang, Sadie, Rachel and Stella

Nolen staking his claim on the beach- I love this little boy- he looks like a little man :)

Sadies first time at the beach.

Carson trying to fit a little too much steak in his mouth

Wowsers... I can't believe I put this picture of myself up- a but scary- but I guess I've got to do it for posterity's sake. The last time the three of us had a picture taken together was probably 4 kids ago. I think we looked a lot skinnier then ;) Oh well ;)

Carson got a bit upset towards the end and threw himself face down on the sand- nice :)

The next day we spent some time with Mike's fam. His parents were in town so we all went over to Mike's brothers in-laws house to enjoy the beautiful weather.

The girls had a ball together (these are Mike's sister's and brother's girls)

It was such a nice day- we just all spent the whole day chit chatting on the deck

The night before, Mike organized a party with all the boys for his brother Brian's birthday. All the locals came and a lot of out of towners ended up being able to come as well- it was so nice to catch up with some good freinds- and I know the boys had a great time (as they are always sure to do :))

Mike's parents and siblings.

The girls rocking out to rock band

We ended the day with a cake for birthday boy Brian :)

Such a fun trip- busy busy- but so fun :) It's hard not to miss Ca with so many friends and family there :)

you might recognize some people in this video...

2009-09-03T12:08:00.000-07:00

Create Better Images from Serendipity Videography on Vimeo.

applebottom

2009-09-01T10:16:00.000-07:00

if you need to laugh, please click here :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azhgVB5uXlo&feature=related

Anticipation...

2009-08-19T09:34:00.000-07:00

(Some recent pictures of my big school girl)

Somehow, even though Kaitlyn now goes to school for almost 7 hours a day and I have almost 3 hours a day to myself while Carson sleeps, I have yet to have extra free time? What is going on? Why are things still so busy?

I guess it's a combination of things...? I had my first big ward activity since being called as activities chair person, my mom came into town, Mike went out of town to ID and Seattle, we organized the toy room, and now I'm trying to get a mile long list of things done before we leave for CA, yet again :)

I feel like I am full of anticipation lately. Good anticipation. I was anxious to do the ward party. Our ward had not had an activity for awhile, so when I was called, lots of people had big "hopes and dreams" for this get-together." I am so happy it went better than I had even hoped and everyone seemed to have a great time- what a blessing that was- and thank heavens my mom was in town or else I couldn't have done it!! I am also full of anticipation for the many, many projects I envision me getting done now that Kaitlyn is in school and I have the time to do them(I think). I am also so excited to go to CA again- to see a dear friend get married, go to Disneyland with ALL the family in CA, see Mike's family too, Sea World, celebrating a couple family birthdays, etc. etc.- lots of fun waiting for us in CA!! Can't wait- it's giving me the motivation to get things done around here before we leave tonight :)

So, until next week- this blog that I love so dearly will have to wait a little longer- then the serious blogging can commence :)

Back in Business!!

2009-08-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

(enjoying his quiet new house)
(enjoying a meal made just for him (and me))

Carson seems to be settling into his new life as the only child (until 3:45) quite well. He has taken to the idea of having both Mike and I all to himself. He seems to quite enjoy every minute of all toys, all for him, with no one to pester, bother, boss, or annoy him.

Although I am sure he misses his sissy (I think), he has actually been so good without her around. I was getting really nervous for sissy to leave for school, especially since they have been playing really well together this past week. I was sad to think about him not having his sissy to play (and fight) with. Seems for now that he is getting along just fine.

He is stepping up to take the role as my chief sidekick from the hours of 9-3:45. He tends to favor Dad if he's around- but if Dad's gone at work, he'll settle for me. That's nice.

When I went to pick up Kaitlyn yesterday- her face was glazed over and she could hardly talk :) She was exhausted to say the least. I held off asking all of the 1,000 questions I was dying to ask until we got home- to give her a little break and to wait for the video camera so I could catch all of these first time answers :)

She was a champ and (pretty much) answered ALL of my questions- taking in large amounts of ice water in between each question to satisfy her thirst from this blasted AZ heat ;)

So- I am happy to report we had a very successful first day of school, Carson seems to be enjoying himself as an only child, and I think my new found (GLORIOUS) 2-3 hour chunk of time while Carson is napping and Kaitlyn is schooling has now officially opened the avenue which I needed to jump back on the blogwagon!!! I am so excited! I have catching up to do on this blog that dates back to Sep of last year- and I'm not even going to apologize for it either (being so late) because as I surfed some blogs and saw that other fellow bloggers are just now posting memories from last year as well ;) So there :) We're back in business!