Cancun ~Day 3~

Day 3 started out with an amazing sunrise down at the point of the island where we snorkeled the day before.

Panoramics from all sides of the point.

Blow hole!

During the day, we went swimming and read our books.

We also played some great games of Speed (cards) while we ate nachos with some awesome salsa that made my mouth burn for an hour after. YUMMY!!

I am such a lucky girl!!

LOVE IT!!

We did a lot of walking on the beach. We found some fun shells to take home to the boys. Here are some pics of our evening walk.

We woke up early most mornings, and the earliest reservation for the restaurants started at 6:30. We would be exhausted from a day of playing and go to bed right after we ate.
I love having a ocean view and listening to the waves roll in at night.

It always reminds me of the college nights in Hawaii.....so soothing!

Since we ate so early, we had the whole restaurant to ourselves.

Which meant GREAT service and Spanish lessons from the waiter. :)

We even danced to the music!

The food was AMAZING! My mouth is still watering from the shrimp wrapped in Mahi Mahi. They must have cooked it in butter, because it was to die for!

Billy's beef tenderloin and rack of lamb was great also!

.....Another great day in Paradise with my baby!!

Cancun ~Days 1-2~

We're back from our amazing trip to Mexico and Belize!! It is great to be back with my sweet boys, but I miss the warmth of the sun! This morning I woke up to snow on the ground; it just isn't the same after you have been able to have warm sand between your toes and know that there are endless possibilities for fun in the warm weather. It was so nice to wake up and decide if we going to ride the beach cruisers on the cobble stone roads and pick up a pineapple for breakfast, or ride them on the beach and take a little longer to where we want to go.

We did a ton, so I am going to break it up in a few posts.

We took the red-eye out of Seattle and landed in Cancun on Dec. 5th. We learned rather quickly that it wasn't going to be cheap Mexican prices like Billy had planned on. The government won't let taxi drivers pick people up at the airport. It cost $30 for a ride to our hotel, which was 3 miles away. Once we arrived at our hotel we took plenty of walks on the beach and a few on the road, but didn't venture out too far. Our hotel was great, we liked the food and it was nice to get some sun and read our books on the beach. We most likely had at least 5 pina-coladas each day! YUM!

I was excited that they had tennis courts, and we had fun playing most days. The water was absolutely beautiful and we would go swimming, get some sun, swim, get more sun, go snorkeling, swim and boogie board.

EXCITEMENT!!

I am so stinking excited!! I will tell you all about it in 10 or so days!
Enjoy the Holiday Season! Love you all!

Bowling with the Fam!

Yep, Austin got the highest score!! Sadly for Billy and I, Carson beat us as well! And luckily Billy and I tied! Always a fun time hanging out with my boys!

Halloween Batman Style!

Carson really wanted to be Batman for Halloween, so I thought it would be cute for Jax to be Robin. (Which it is! Those 2 boys running around the house in their costumes = adorable!) The boys wanted me to be Cat Woman..... I can be a good sport sometimes. :)
Austin changed his mind from a 4 armed alien, to a mummy and finally decided on a Mad Scientist!
Billy has a Halloween Party at his work every year. This year it happened to be on a Thursday because everyone had Friday off.
I helped out at Austin's school in the morning and told Austin to get Carson after school and meet me out front. Well................ he forgot and went to Chess Club with Carson.
I pull up to school in a black shirt, my spandex workout pants, and my high heal leather boots to wait for the boys to come out of school. After waiting a while in the car, I psyched my self up to walk in to school to get my boys. I tried to look down to avoid eye contact, because I had on a little too much make-up to be wearing my workout pants! I don't mind being dressed up with everyone else, but to be dressed up and people not know you are going to a Halloween Party is a bit embarrassing.
The things I do for my boys... :) I must be madly in love with them!

1st Day of School!!!

There were more tears from Jax than me on the 1st day of school. He didn't want to leave his big brothers and didn't understand why he couldn't stay and play on the playground. He has adjusted well to them going to school and I love my alone time with him.
Carson started 1st grade and LOVES it. I asked him a few weeks into school if he liked his teacher, Ms. Sherman. He said, "Like? I LOVE my teacher! She gives me love notes!"
I am so glad he likes school! He makes friends easily and is always telling me sweet things he does for other kids.

Austin and his teacher Mrs. Maxson. Austin is in 4th grade!

Dang, I have some handsome boys!!!!

Silverwood!

Austin won tickets to Silverwood and a $50 gift card. YAY! I love the library! He was so excited and we all had a great time! Austin kept going up and down the waterslides even though it was FREEZING! (reason for only having one pic of Austin)
Thanks Annette for watching Jax, so we could go on the rides with the boys!

Baby Jax

On August 25th, Jax turned 2!!! He will always be my baby, and I can not believe how fast the last 2 years went! He still doesn't talk that much. He loves to point at things and say the name or sound. He loves building trains, so I decided to make him a train cake. It turned out better than I thought it would. He loved it, but I must be a very strict mom, because I dished him up first and then dished everybody else up, when I sat down by him, he hadn't taken 1 bite yet. Really! A two yr. old not attacking cake with oreos and M&M's on it????? I had to tell him it was o.k. before he had some. And even then he didn't have very much.

Jackson gives the best snuggles and is very much a "Mama's Boy". I go to the gym every morning and he still has a hard time with me leaving him there for the hour. Luckily, by the time I pick him up he is having a great time and sometimes doesn't want to go.

He is truly a miracle and I love his guts!!

Austin

WOW! It has been FOR-EV-ER since I have blogged. It has been kind of nice, but I feel like I need to journal more.

Summer was nice, but truly not the same. The kids and I have an empty spot in us from not going to the Lake House in N.C. It just makes it that much more important to make it happen next year. My kids talk constantly about it.
....Dani, next summer FOR SURE!

Austin turned 9 this summer, he is by far the smartest kid I know. I wish I could record some of the things he says, because his thinking is very complex. He wants to build a flying car, own businesses, and invent things. He is in the KOG program this year, which is perfect for him and his way of thinking. It is a little hard for him not to be the smartest in his class, but he is still the best reader and likes the challenge. He is just like his dad and always want to go rock climbing, camping, fishing, hunting, and hiking with him.
For his birthday we sent him on a treasure hunt with clues and the last place he went had a new bike waiting for him. He was SO excited!

Austin asked me to week ago to teach him how to knit. I am SO impressed! He has been knitting scarves like crazy. He always wants to go to the fabric store for more yarn.
His scarves look just like mine. He says he wants to sell them to Macy's or J.C. Penny. :) So cute!
So, if you want a scarf, he only charges $2 dollars plus the cost of yarn....yep he came up with the pricing. I would think 7 hrs. of his time would be worth more. :)

I feel very privileged to be his mom! Austin, I love you more than you will ever know!

"Mom, I lost my tooth!"

We were able to go to the Oregon Coast on Wed. and come home today(fri). It was a quick trip, but TONS of fun! The boys loved digging and swimming in the swim pool. Austin liked playing in the waves. Carson on the other hand got knocked down by one and was done with the cold water. :)

Last night Carson lost one of his top front teeth and was SO excited! And even more excited to have $ in the morning from the tooth fairy. Then on the way home from the beach today, he pulls out the other top front tooth and we get him a napkin for the blood and talk about it excitedly for a few minutes. Then less than 5 minutes later, Carson says, "Mom, I lost my tooth!"
I am thinking he either has short term memory loss or wants more attention, so I say, "That so great! 2 teeth in 2 days! You should call your dad and tell him!"
"No Mom, I lost my tooth! It fell down and I can't get it with out taking the car apart."
Sure enough, when we got home and he showed me where he dropped it, we would have to take the car apart to get it. Silly kid....How many teeth can he loose in 2 days? Apparently 3!
I hope we have a nice tooth fairy that will still give money with out the tooth! :)

Happy Birthday Carson!!!

Dear Carson,

WOW! I am so in love with you! Thank you for snuggling me every morning and telling me you love me to Jupiter and back and the sun and back.......! Thank you for telling me you "love me like a princess". I wish you knew how my heart swells a little bigger when I hear sweet words like that and my eyes don't know what else to do, but tear up.
Thank you for still hugging me everyday when you get off the bus! Thank you for being such a joy to be around!
I love how you protect me and other girls. Yesterday, you and Mia were outside playing when you saw a bug. Mia screamed, and you opened the door for her to get inside before you. Mia says you are her bodyguard. I hope you always treat girls this way....thank you!
I love our little nightly routine after you are in bed...
1. "Tucka Tucka"(tuck you in)
2. Sing Bushel and a Peck
3. Measure (first measure head to toe and then again once your toes are pointed)

Today is your birthday and just like last year, you wanted us to surprise you in the morning. It was fun hiding before you came down stairs and jumping out and singing Happy Birthday! You have decided that when it is someone's birthday, they are the BOSS of the HOUSE for the day. I'm sorry the BOSS doesn't get to decide if your wear a shirt to school or your hair is combed....haha!
It was so fun coming to your class today. All the kids were so excited that it was your birthday and kept coming up to you to wish you a happy birthday. I'm glad you and your class mates liked the cupcakes inside the ice cream cones that I made for you.

Sweetheart, please don't change! I hope you stay sweet and always love your mama like you do! Because it is the BEST!

Happy Birthday Carson!!

Love,
Your biggest fan

So much to learn!

Jax has been learning and doing so much lately. I always think "I need to write that down". But maybe the reason I haven't got around to it, is because he keeps me BUSY!
He is starting to say a few more words now. He has been saying "Hi" and "nana(banana)" for a while now. The only signs he will do is "more" and "please".....yes, he loves to eat! :) He moves his tongue back and forth to make the lalalala for Elmo, he knows the sound for tiger, bear, dog and cow. My favorite new word right now is "thank you", it sounds more like "ta too"! So STINKING cute!
I think it is so funny how he says "baby" and is so excited to see other babies. A few days ago, I was holding Tiff's sweet little Stockton, and Jackson HAD to hold him. He sat down next to me and spread his little legs apart and would pat the chair until I put Stockton there. Then he would sit and hold him and say "saaaa(soft)". What a little sweetheart!
For Easter, he got a little stuffed Elmo. I knew he would like it, but he LOVES it! His face lit up so big when he got it.
Today, he was putting all the train tracks from the basket they belong in to the laundry basket and back again. He was determined to get them all moved and was so proud of his work only to move it back again. What is it about kids and laundry baskets? All my kids have loved them!
Even though Jackson is learning....I think I might be learning more. I am in awe at the love I have for him. He truly is a miracle, and I am so fortunate to be able to spend time with him and soak in his love that he offers freely. I am amazed it has been 19 months since I took him home from the hospital as a teeny-tiny newborn. I am so glad I have been home to enjoy every moment of this journey so far. I am very blessed to be called "MAMA"!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I really do love Valentine's Day! What a fun holiday! You get to tell those that mean the most to you that you love them....what could be better!

Some of my favs this year include:
~Staying up late decorating sugar cookies with a dear friend for our boy's classrooms.
~Seeing the boys' loot and smiling faces as they came home from school with lots of cards and candy.
~Carson telling me I can pick out any Valentine of his I want.
~Going to the Stake Dance and dancing with my honey!
~Wrapping Billy's present and making Valentine's for my 4 heart-throbs!
.....and I still get to celebrate all day tomorrow! So fun!

I hope you all have a very Happy Valentine's Day!! xoxoxooxoxoxo

Jealous Much!

How would it be to have someone read you a story, then sing you songs while rubbing your back and rocking you until you fell asleep?!?!?..... AND then while you are sleeping, they hurry to get as much laundry, dishes, mopping, and scrubbing as they possibly can, all the while being so careful not to wake you up..... AND then they let you sleep until you are FULLY rested!?!?.... AND then when you wake up they have a nice hot meal waiting for you?!?

Jealous Much!?!?!

Well, I sure am! This is what my little Jax gets most of the time and the crazy part is.....when he is drooling and fully asleep, I carefully lay him in his crib and he wakes up and starts screaming that I would dare lay him down on a nice soft bed!

I wish I could tell him that he has it good and that there are kids in Cambodian orphanages that don't get any physical contact and he is LUCKY!
Yeah, well that is kinda hard to tell a 16 month old.

I guess I will just keep on doing it....cuz I can not possibly give up the snuggle time. I LOVE IT!!!
And I love you Jax... thanks for paying me back by laughing your cute laugh and giving me the most slobbery kisses EVER!!

Am I the only one.......

My life is finally getting into a routine, but for some reason I still can't find a way to get ahead of all my chores and projects.
Like today, I got the kids off to school, went to the gym, came home, rocked Jackson and layed him down for a nap, then started cleaning. While I am cleaning, I am thinking...."today is going to be the day....today I am going to clean everything....today I will get more than the kitchen and laundry done...." As I am half way through mopping the kitchen floor, I look at the clock and realize Carson will be home from Kindergarten in a few minutes. I make him a quick lunch at the same time detailing my grand plan in my mind on how I am still going to get so much done.....and then Jackson wakes up from his nap....."OH yeah, this is why I never get anything done! Why do I somehow always forget that it is not my schedule? Someday I guess I need to clean my room first and have the rest of my house look like 3 boys live here.
I'm just wondering if I am the only one that feels this way???

I guess when I am old and my kids are gone, I will sit in my sparkling clean house and wish they would come mess something up.....