Showing a little love

Sorry the pictures are all messed up and not in order.

I saw a cute post somewhere on bloggo-sphere, (love checking out others great ideas!). Someone surprised there dad/husband with heart attacks and posters. My girls are constantly telling me that they are bored and there is nothing here FUN to do. So I shook off the stuffy-no-fun-mom and let them paint posters for Eli. It would be a surprise when he came home from work. The posters say, "We love you Daddy". We hung them up over on his side of the bed. Then we cut out tons of hearts and wrote on them all the things we love about Eli. :) The girls were so excited. We made his favorite cookies too. (He got a lot of them because no one really likes PB cookies! Haha!!

I hung a little sign in the garage and we were set. Elle and I picked him up from the airport. He thought that it was cute we made a sign in the garage. Then when he walked in the door Elle was waiting for him by his cookies. She immediately said, "are you tired dad?" I had to laugh. Eli and I were having a conversation still in the kitchen when Elle couldn't stand it.

"DAD!! AREN"T YOU GOING TO BED???!!!"

It was cute and she got the reaction she was looking for! I don't think we need a holiday to let someone know just how much we love them!!! :)

Sucess and the lost fairy.....

A couple nights ago... (yes, I am behind) Blynn said her tooth is even more loose (looser?) than before. So we got to wiggling it and sure enough it came out! Well Eli was on the ball and got the special coins a couple days previous!! Yea!!! But right before this little sucker came out, it dawned on me that the "coins" were still in the van. Which of course was conviently parked at the airport. With no way to get them. Oh brother!! So I had to be creative and tell her it was really late and the tooth fairy probably didn't know she lost it. SO, if she didn't come that night she would for sure come the following night!!! :) I almost forgot the following night too! :) oh ya. She was excited just like last time.

Last weeks spelling was really getting Blynn down. She would get really upset about some of the words. She does really well with spelling, but the words have gotten harder. We really went over them the night before and again the next morning. It was so awesome to see her expression on her face when she came home. Ear to ear grin and she hurries and opens her backpack to show me the 100%!! It was a relief. She's got a lot of 100%'s, but as the words get harder she'll miss a letter here or there.

A couple of weeks ago (I should just stop saying when stuff happens, doesn't make me look so bad;) ) Blynn was awarded the Colt Respect Award. She is always helping in her class and gets along with everyone! We are so proud of you Blynn!! Love you so much!! :)

I don't know where to start.....

I didn't think I was this far behind. But it shouldn't surprise me cuz thats nothing new. I guess I'll just start with an outing. We went to our friends house the other night. We had a great time and lots of fun! The girls were so excited to learn that we were going back today. Anyhow, we came home and did the routine. I got on the computer for a minute, put it on the floor (shouldn't have? absolutely. Done it a million times? Yup.) and then called it a night. Being the last one in the living room (girls were already asleep) I headed to bed. So the next morning I went out and pulled open my lap top only to find the screen was partially shattered.
I wanted to cry. {still do} We have no clue what happened. What's done is done. My wonderful husband was quick to do his best. He rounded up the old monitor and hooked it up to my laptop. I am still able to use it. Its just stationary now :( Sigh....

Speaking of taking pics, when I went to take some the other day, I noticed my battery was almost dead. No prob, I'll go grab it out of the bag and charge it. But of course it wasn't there. Backtracking I realized I left it in Wyoming. Nice. Not surprised are you?! :) Thanks Claudia for sending it back my way....can't wait till it arrives.

But!!! On a much better note.... OH HOW I LOVE NAP TIME!!! Especially with her! She is our little angel. I soak in all the little noises and sighs she makes. Time seems to be flying by so fast. She is so precious. Oh how she just makes so much meaning to life. Don't get me wrong, the other two did too. I was always so excited for the next step and "firsts" to actually enjoy it all.
I love her little hands

She's so happy when she wakes up. All smiles!

Things have been pretty much the same around here. Ava did manage to catch another rotten cold/cough. Its so sad!! She still smiles though.

More to come.....

*Lost fairy

*Love notes

*I'm sure I forgot something.....

Two new posts! Not slacking anymore :)

She lost another one!

What this kid will do to not have to go to bed when it's time!! I had sent her several times already. Finally she pulled "its so loose!" Whatever!! Eli got the pliers and gave it several shots. It was hung up on something!! He pretty much had it and she didn't want the pliers anymore, so I gave her a hard yank and it popped out!! She was SO excited that the tooth fairy was coming. (The last time the tooth fairy she made bank. She lost her bottom two together. Thanks to a very generous crowd! Grandpa, Kari and Tyler, Catherine and Uncle BOB!) I was a little worried that she might think she was getting ripped off!!

Eli and I had to decide what the "going rate" was and our "tradition" was going to be! Nothing like deciding NOW! We finally found a cute little velvet bag, dropped two dollars in coins and a "special" coin. Completed with some glitter on the bag and her bed. And some on her of course :) She woke up one happy little girl the next morning!

* I couldn't decide if I should post it all considering she can read now.... and anyone else who still believes in the tooth fairy....he hehe!!

**Oh and quick reminder!! We need to be ready for another "visit". Her other front tooth is loose and I don't have a gold dollar....or "special" coin.

Sister gets a chance too.....

During a quick trip up north during Valentines weekend, Elle was dying to go ice skating. Ever since Blynn went she wasn't going to forget until we took her! It was pretty funny.... before we took them, BLynn kept going on and on about her ice skating trip. Finally Elle couldn't and wouldn't take it anymore. She finally cut Blynn off mid sentence and said,
"Stop talking about it!!! Your making me want to go!!"
How could we deny that??! :) So one afternoon we gathered up all the winter gear :) and headed out to the "Ice-Corral" and let Elle have a go at it!! Her first time ice skating! Kari and Tyler accompanied us and it was fun!!
She did pretty good. It was fun and they definately didn't want to go home!


Careful Kari!! :)

Cheating...

This is one way to do it!!

Its tuff the first time you go down :(


Um Tyler.... your supposed to catch her before she lands on her rear!!

Poor shot on the photograhers part...... i just landed a triple sow cow! :)




Nothing is better than having daddy's helping hand....

Luggage.

Sorry, this is probably a boring post. But, for posterity's sake, I will post to show how airheaded I can be......you've been warned. :) This is how we travel now. Our children have more frequent flyer miles and can recite the flight attendants briefing before flight. I think Ava's first word will be "fly" or "plane".

Because of times of scheduled flights, I list each leg separately. This makes it so I get the flights I want even though they are really close together. (less than an hour lay-over) This makes life easier, until I had another kid. Ava has officially thrown a kink in my routine of flying! :) I was perfectly fine to tow two children, two suitcases, a car seat, camera bag and purse. I never had to check luggage (for fear of it getting lost) and I felt in control. I seriously had a system of where everything was and where, when, and how things happened. Can we say OCD? Checking in and security was a breeze. *Eli hated the fact that I took my ID out and into my back pocket before I even got to the airport:) but he was hardly ever there helping me so I had to make adjustments. Adding another little one has fried my brain. It refuses to work anymore :) Now I check our luggage because it consists of several suitcases, diaper bag, and other paraphinalia that accompanies having a newborn.

I have lost our luggage once already. We eventually got it back a day or two later. (As a paranoid freak I usually put extra everything in a back-pack that I carry on JUST-IN-CASE! I hate purchasing extra items I already have...somewhere.... )

Well, in a recent trip home again I scheduled the return trip. In the back of my mind, a day or hours previous I don't remember which, I remembered I needed to list all together. And to not make the same mistake with above said luggage. That was obviously too long in advance because I did indeed forget. BUT I hadn't put two and two together until I was on our first leg. Of course today would be the day that my dear hubby had called (on a friends phone) to inform me his phone was dead with no way to charge it. He would accompany us home, and fly back later. (see? angel.) BUT, he would sleep until we arrived and told us where to find him IF he wasn't at the gate to meet us. So as we are decending I'm trying to see if there was a possible way to fix my error, without a major headache, since I didn't leave us very much time. The only way this was going to happen was if Mr. Mayes was waiting at the gate. So I prepared myself and children to move quickly. We were seated at the very rear of the plane.

I had a heavenly site of Mr. Mayes waiting just inside the door. Huge grin on his face..... until I started waving like a mad woman for him to come outside and meet us.....can you picture it??? waving frantically, dragging children... :) I handed him my pen and told him he needed to direct all six pieces of luggage home. As I was dragging two excited girls away from their most favorite person in the world....confused looks on their faces why dad was going one way and us the other. I had to check in again and take a very quick potty break, grab a bite to eat and board the next plane.......

Eli got to our bags in the nick of time. They were already on the trailer that would usher them to the lost luggage room...eventually. I'm pretty lucky. (All he needed to do was write over the top of our tags and make sure they were on the right trailer. But he has to go in the back behind the engines, where we're not allowed. Good thing he still had his badge and uniform on.)

Next time on my crazy life, ..... "OCD and Airport check-in"

or how about "Losing my mind and I only have 3 kids". Or something to that extent........

She loved it....

BLynn's 1st grade class went to the Dixie Igloo. She talked about it for over a week!! She was so excited to go she was up an extra hour early today. :) I signed up to help. It was so much fun. She had a perma grin the whole time! I was glad to go with her, and even skate too! (I was a little nervous. It had been awhile since I had been on skates) She did great for a first timer. I was proud of her! Her and one of her friends thought it was actually fun to fall down, so she did spend plenty of time on her rear end.
It was very comical to watch the other kids. Some had been several times and others, well, they hung on to the side and spent most of their time standing only to return again to their seat! One little girl was in tears. She was stuck half-standing and sitting hanging on to the side! She said, "I just can't do this!" I helped her for a little while, and then went and found BLynn. Some of the kids were going down hard! It made my butt hurt just watching! (oh, and for the record, I didn't biff it! YEAH!! :)

She really is laughing. I promise.

She's three months!!

(Hey Aunt Kac, we fixed your flower. :) We'll return it soon)

I can't believe how fast she is growing up. She is really packing on some weight :) We are so glad to have her as our newest addition in our family. She is loved!

* she loves to suck on her hands, fingers etc. (she hasn't quite found and hung on to her thumb or finger! phew!)

* She does scratch the crap out of her face, All the time, even if her nails are trimmed. I feel guilty when I put socks on her hands all day, but feel even more guilty when she scratches herself!

* Her lungs are very well developed. Can we say opera? (i thought she would be my quiet baby....)

* She smiles alot! I love it. Nothing is sweeter than seeing her smile.

* She coo's and "talks" a lot.

* She has a weird habit of looking at the top of your head.

* She loves to be held....therefore I never get anything done.

(and if she isn't being held, she lets me know it. wonderful temper.) Sometimes when she cries, it is really squeaky and high pitched.

* I love how she hears my voice and starts to look for me.

* Loves her baths, hates being dressed.

* She travels fairly well. (Not as good as her sisters, but it still works for me)

* She still won't sleep through the whole night. Leading me to say she is more of a cat napper. Majority of the time she will take a 5-15 min nap.

* She loves to just "snack". (must be a family thing?? "STOP EATING!!!" ) Or, loves me to just pacify her. Drives me crazy. Doesn't like the pacifer much anymore.

* She can down a four oz. pretty quick nowadays. :)

* For her grand finale..... She can put a grown man to shame in the flatulence department. Speaking of loudness, length..........giggle.........and of course, smell . ( She really embarrassed me in Relief Society. Everyone, including the teacher, who was teaching, turned and looked) :)
I couldn't stop laughing. What it is about gas that makes everyone laugh???

Ava, we love you so much. You have such a sweet little spirit and glad you are part of our family.