Serendipity

8 years old. It happens, but where did the time go? My little Natty turned 8 today. I love how as soon as she opened her gifts it was off with the old and on with the new... right there in the middle of the family room!
Seen these pettyskirts? I bought this for her months ago, it was unbelievably hard not to give it to her early. (that's a first) This thing has photoshoot written all over it! I am so excited. In retrospect I suppose I should have gotten her a more colorful one. Hmmm... well oh well.

It was a crazy day. Crazy busy. I know I got problems when Chad has to make his own dinner while his parents are over visiting.

We had an accidental party. Lets call it a serendipitous occasion. Yes, many loved people showing up to show love for the birthday girl at or near that same time resulting in squeals of delight and sticky little fingers all around!

Probably had nothing to do with the cupcakes.



These were quite tasty. Mmmmm if it weren't for that "serendipitous occasion" I might even have some leftovers. Probably better that I don't, surely I would just eat them. It is my specialty after all. One of them anyway...

I had exactly one moment of blissful peace tonight. My Lucy moment. I usually "snuggle" with Lu before I put her to bed. Something I started long ago, and also something I missed out on with the other girls. I didn't know I was missing out... I didn't know. While it's always something I look forward to, never had it felt so good as tonight. On a normal night I tell her stories and sing her songs from nursery but tonight was different. We sat quietly. Nothingness. The release of a day. Too tired to talk. I had a billion thing running through my mind as usual (it's not that easy to shut that off!) I thought Lucy had fallen asleep but then the silence was broken all of a sudden...

"I love you sooo much mom, you're the best"

That's what I needed to hear.

And I got this little card from Natty. How cute is that? I got her stationary as a gift and she wasted no time thanking me for all her "grate presents". (and yummy cupcakes)...Makes it all worthwhile.



Thank you to everyone that showed love to Natalie today... and your welcome for the yummy cupcake.

S.O.S

Dear Lori,
It's happened again. You would think at some point that this would stop happening to me... but alas, here we are. I wonder, though... what is it about Paula Dorf Magic stick #2 that is so irresistable? Is it the smell? Surely that plays a part, for how else would it be sniffed out so easily! But no thats not it...

Maybe its the way it sticks to each teensy little taste bud as its creamy texture is is being swathed around in that chubby little mouth of hers...

I personally think it must be the sleek black container, standing so stellar and inviting. Love at first sight... everytime! And if it's timed just right maybe even within reach.

Not a single usable smudge left for me! I look down the barrel and I know... it's over. Not for the first time of course... No, this is incident #6. How could I lose this game 6 times in a row?


(she finds herself alone, There's many lovely things... all too cheap for her tastebuds. "Mascara", no thats to easily replaced. "eyelash curler?", not useful at all. "perfume?", smelly but in a good way and far too easy to clean up! aha! "Paula Dorf Magic stick #2, my absolute favorite!")

So Lori I beg you, do you have any other Ideas for covering my dark circles? I can't buy any more Paula Dorf. At $20 a pop I am raising my white flag to call a truce. There must be something else. Please help.

Desperatly Yours,
Big Sis

11 things I love about you

Yesterday was 11 years! I decided to post a wedding picture because I like it when others do that. I guess I'm just snoopy maybe. We aren't very good at celebrating. I think I have been stuck at home so many days of my life that when I try to think of fun things to do it's hard because I haven't had to think of things like that for... I dunno 11 years now?
We took the kids goofy golfing. That's how bad I am at thinking up fun things to do! Who takes their kids on their anniversary date? We do. Almost every year. I figure it's just until Kassidy is old enough to babysit. By the way golfland is NOT the ideal anniversary date, but it was for the kids benefit! Someday it will be just me and Chad, and I hope to have better plans by then. Wish me luck.

So... 11 things I love about chad, me and Chad, and being married

♥ I love the way Chad makes cringing faces at my singing in the car. It wouldn't be half as fun otherwise.

♥ I love that we sleep on the same side of the bed (too much info?)

♥ I love the way Chad will massage my feet even if their dirty, even though I won't touch his even if their clean.

♥ I love that Chad (wanter of nothing) is willing to pay $5o bucks per ticket for a reggae festival on a 115° day in a parking lot with no shade and stay there until midnight (with kids) just to see Ky-mani Marley.

♥ I love knowing there's definitely one person on earth that is rooting for me as much as I am.

♥ I love that Chad forces me to waste time watching movies with him when I really should be cleaning.

♥ I love that Chad prefers to hang out with me rather that anyone else. And vise-versa.

♥ I love to watch Chad play and giggle with the kids (something outsiders may never see)

♥ I love all the secrets we have with each other, and knowing we're taking them to the grave.

♥ I love that Chad humors me when it comes to all my crazy ideas. (I have a lot of ideas) He never shoots me down, even when he probably should.

♥ I love that we grow together and never apart, because we truly are best friends.

♥ Babylegs ♥

I feel an obsession coming on... I do this sometimes. I get my sight set on something and there's really no stopping me. (a talent I should probably put to better use!) This time it's "Babylegs". These are the cutest little things. It's silly really, it's just leg warmers... whats to get all obsessed over? I don't know but they're stuck in my head! I'm sure it doesn't help that Lucy is always saying "where's babylegs?" She loves them too! So if you're on my Christmas list and you have a baby...


Beware the Babylegs! (I know. I'm a little insane)

Wednesday we got to go to Kassy's first strings concert ever. It was cool to see her up there. She looked really beautiful. I wish I took a picture of (just) her all dressed up. I was feeling a little crunched for time so somehow I missed it. but I did get this one of her just before the concert started.

I like that shes playing an instrument. On the way into the auditorium at Highland High the drummers were outside practicing. What a flash back to my HS years! I was a total band nerd. I think Chad was probably feeling the same way... especially since he was a drummer at Highland once upon a time. It was cool though and I'm glad she's developing some musical talent. (even if she won't be in marching band someday which was so so fun...oh the good old days) Band nerds rule!


I just remembered I had this Picture of Chad playing quads his sophomore year at Gilbert! Its a picture of a picture that was a little smaller than the size of a wallet so the quality is no good but still fun to look at! (for me anyways)

"Crazy Hair Day"

This was last Friday. I'm so behind the times these days! I was a naughty mom and took Natalie out of school for a girls day. She's getting baptized next month and she needed some serious help with her hair. Everyday is "crazy hair day" for Natalie. So we did before and after pictures. Heres Natty's before...


Tommy working his round brush magic! I couldn't believe how great her hair looked! Like super model hair.


While we were getting ready to go the phone rang. but I didn't have time to answer it so I ignored it as usual. Well Natalie answered it. I said to Natalie, "who was on the phone?"

Natalie, "I think it was someone from school"

Oh this is just great. The girl they're calling about actually answers the phone and sounds perfectly chipper and healthy!

Mom, "What did you tell them?"

Natalie, "I told them I was going to get my hair done!"

Mom, "Well isn't that fantastic!" (ooops next time I'll get it!)

And now for the after picture...


Kassidy's before picture...


And here's her after picture...


This really was after. Kassidy found a disguise kit laying around Grandpa's house. You know Kassidy...

HELLO BEAUTIFUL!


Tommy is a friend from way back in high school. He does my hair and he does such a great job I thought I should probably take my girls to him. Kassidy was especially excited to meet one of my old friends. The next day in clay class she made him a "Thank you" pebble. It was so cute of her.


Natalie checking out her new "palette expander" (which did NOT stop her from sucking her fingers as I had hoped!)


I was very happy with their new hair. Kassidy even lets me do it every-so-often now. After the salon we went to lunch at P.F.Changs, Kassidy's favorite. We had no leftovers!


I love these girls so much! And a huge thanks to my mom for watching Lucy all afternoon!

Full Moons & Onion Rings

Finally! We made it to the lake. Yeah It's late September...in AZ! This is actually our first trip the the lake this year, which for us is not usual. We had the best time though. We had never been to Roosevelt Lake before so we thought we'd give it a shot. It was pretty cool. I liked this picture of Lucy...you see what she sees! I took so many pictures. I almost filled my whole card up. So get ready for alot of picture action!

Ok this next one is Lucy... let me explain. You see we do have a life jacket that fits her...just so happens we didn't bring it along, so we made due. Ok this is an unedited picture. I had my camera set to incandescent light so it turned it blue...but that's whats so awesome about it. Imagine the boat sunk...


When I saw this picture I thought it looked like an underwater picture. See how her hair floats? And it looks like the water is over her head. To me it does anyways. I put this in the keeper file.


Now you can see what I mean... way, way, way too big. Lucy was so funny. She kept saying, "faster, faster!" She loved the boat. And the tube!


She would watch everyone having fun on the tube and when the tubers (not potatoes!) would get on the boat she would get out of her seat and say, "My turn!" What a little sportsfan that girls is gonna be. So we gave in (despite the life jacket problem). You can see that she really loved it! Which brings us to Savannah...


What a little cutie pie. Don't you just love this picure of Savannah and Lori (my little sister) I love everything about it. Check out the cheekage!


My dad. Ultimate sportsfan. Mr. Adventure. Best dad ever. Goes by many names... Brent, Dad, Bert (mail typo-guess ya had to be there)Xavier, Dakota, Chad (this is not a joke! Check out his highschool yearbook if you don't believe me!)Did I forget any? Probably. Oh yes... and Cheerleader!


So as you can see he's a fun loving guy! I have to say that this man is everything I want to be. I'm sure I haven't shown sufficient gratitude for the awesome grandpa he is to my kids. He takes them on all kinds of adventures all the time. Including little trips to the park on hot days via boat... or surry, whatever they want. I'm sure I will eventually post a picture of the surry for those of you that have never heard of that! Little things like that mean alot and then there's bigger things such as the camping trip they just went on that I will probably write about later... so I don't forget. Like I said... the BEST dad ever!


See! 58 and still catching air! I pray to be as young as him at that age!


Kassidy sporting her new wetsuit. Doesn't she look cool in it? I was loving the sparklies in this one!


Whoah! Watch out! Full moon on the loose...


So you know we left the baby life jacket home. Guess what else we didn't bring her... Yep her swimming suit! Oops. And shoes. Minor details right? Well knowing Lucy (A.K.A.- natures child) she wouldnt have worn it long anyway. But this here is a cool picture so I'm not feeling too bad about my mistake.


I just have to mention one more thing... on the way home we stopped at this place in Miami (I think??) It was mexican food and it was really good. But the weird thing is that they served burgers and stuff too. I personally had a bean burrito and a side of onion rings. So if your in the Globe-Miami area and need some chow I recommend this place. You'll know your at the right place if the sign outside says "Whatever the name is - mexican food - burger house" Wishin I took a picutre for you!

Happy

Its becoming evident, people outside is major. I am loving the cooler weather even if it is still in the 100's at least its in the low hundreds. And the evenings are so perfect.

We have been going to the park almost every night that Chad works. The kids get to play and get worn out at the same time. Tawna, I know I said I wasn't going to post pictures of this but I couldn't resist. They were having so much fun I just had to share.


This busted sprinkler was the awesomest thing that happened all day. When the sprinklers turned on the kids were on it! They covered it with a plastic do-hickey that made it go low and river like straight to the sand. Didn't take long till there was a huge crevice channeling the water to the pond at the end. We had so much fun. It was a happy day. If you don't believe me just look at Kassidy. (in the green shirt) If that ain't the happy dance I don't know what is.


But this right here probably made me the happiest. I know it's just two girls and their skateboards but it's more than that. It's girls finding out things. Things in common. Giggling. The discovery of a friend is so powerful to kids.

K: What grade are you in?
F: 5th.
K: Me too!! Do you play strings?
F: I play violin
K: Oh! I play viola! Do you want to hear me play?
F: Sure!

I know it's a blurry picture. Even if I could hold the camera still enough in this low lighting situ. there was no chance the girls were gonna be still. Even so I love it.

Simple

Simple conversation with a 10 year old...

Kassidy: Mom, why did Patty cross the road anyway??

Mom: (obvious response) To get to the other side.

Patty's Last Stand

This is how it happened. Earlier today I was cleaning the garage. Kassidy was doing school work on the porch swing and Lucy was tunkin around messing with stuff. Today is garbage day. This is an unlucky coincidence. Kassidy finishes her work and asks me to look at it. I give her a 5 minute break. The garbage man makes his way down our street. Lucy begs for Kassidy to push her on her tricycle. So they take off down the sidewalk only to return a few minutes later frantically screaming...

Lily was hit by a truck!

what?? I say.

Lily... Patty...Lily was hit by a truck! She was hit! Pure terror in her voice.

It's weird how I could even for a second think she was talking about Lucy when I could see her right there on her trike.

Next thought is some kid down the street maybe?

"What" I say? "What are you saying??"

"Patty was ran over by a truck! She's right there on the street!"

Oh, I see. Patty the frog. We are pretty anti-pet over here so the kids have to find pets.

Over the summer we went to Sedona, the only place we went really. There was a boggy area where we swam and it had tons of frogs just begging to be put in an empty water bottle and taken to a new hotter (less watery) home far far away where they could be tortured. (You'll see what I mean in a minute!)



I think they brought about 10 home put them in a muddy area under the swingset, expected them to stay put, came back later to check on them and of course they were all gone! We found one weeks later while mowing (that was a close one!) And another one about a week after that in the front yard near the fountain (Patty I'm guessing?)

I say to Kassidy, "How do you know that was Patty and not Lily?

"Oh, Lucy squeezed Lily to death a long time ago." (See what I mean!)

So goodbye to Patty the frog... we will miss looking for you in the fountain area. And the excitement of when we actually spot you, for this is our last sighting...

WARNING!!! Flat frog picture coming up...

I'm serious...

I really took a picture...

(It's weird the things I take pictures of these days now that I have a blog!)




You were so close to the side walk! One more jump, maybe two and you would've been home free.

Ok if you think looking at it is gross well then just think of my job... I had to do a little editing on it!!

Just a little add on... When I got Lucy out of her crib after nap she was saying
Patty...Truck...Patty go garbage.