Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Dinner with Pals

A couple weeks ago, Jason was in Virginia for a training (always fun flying solo). Someone posted on facebook that Chili's was having a kids eat free night, sooooooo dinner was planned for the evening. My friend, Bethany, was also a bachelorette that week, so we invited she and her girls to come with us.


Lucy and Lana are "best friends" as they say. We used to live on the base just down the street from them. They were as silly as ever all through our dining experience.

Notice in this one that Lucy is laughing so hard, she is tearing up.

Graham and Katelyn are great buds, too. They were SO LOUD during our dinner, but it was hard to tell them to be quiet because they were having so much fun.
And finally, here's a picture of Benny. This little guy reminded me why I don't eat out very often with all three kids minus Jason.


It was nice to attempt to visit with Bethany. Luckily, she and her girls are coming over for a Mother's Day dinner (her hubby is still across the country). We wish we saw them more often and we'll be sad when they move this summer. Oh, the life of a military family.





Spring Break in Utah!

April was a busy, busy month for little fam. Jason and I were lucky enough to go on a cruise to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary (pictures and post to come at a later date). We left March 31st and got back April 9th. My sis. in law, Shellie, came to watch the kids. Two days later, we packed up the kiddos and drove to Utah for Lucy's first week of Spring Break. We left Jason home to work (someone has to pay for my fun) and Shellie was kind enough to skip her flight and drive with me. It was so nice just spending time with the fam. Here's Blaine, Beth, Ben and Jason. We did a lot of chillin' and just talking. Loved it and miss it sooo much when I'm away.
We spent one day making the drive out to Eagle Mountain to visit Grandpa and Nana. The kids loved seeing their cats and dogs. Ben kept chasing the cats and laughing at them run away.
This is actually a statue they have on their coffee table, but Ben loved it. He's hunched over in his "shake your booty" pose. I need to post the video of him doing that......it's hilarious!

Nana got out this cute little scooter thing for him to play with. He used his little legs to get around. We met Grandma and Grandpa for lunch at McDonald's one afternoon. We were able to visit for quite a while as the kids played at the little playland. I love just being able to talk to my Mom and Dad. As always, the kids made friends with many of the other children there. Lucy even got an address from a little boy so she could write letters to him. I love that Graham and Lucy are so outgoing and friendly.

I love this picture of Benny with my cousin, Jaime. Another cousin of mine was getting married that weekend, so we hung out a lot with Aunt Bev, Uncle Jim and Jaimers. Jaime came to stay with us here in Oxnard back in March for a weekish while Jason was in Okinawa. It was SOOO nice having her here and my kids love her. I'm glad I got this picture because I don't think I got any when she came for her visit.


The kids put on a circus show for us one afternoon. You'll notice from the signs that Lucy wanted us to be sure it was all about her and she was the star.








All of their poses crack me up. Check out each of them....they are all doing something a little funny.

George, Graham, Ella, Ollie, Lucy and Abby



The Star, in all her unitard glory.



Graham with is death defying slide-hanging thing.


We took all the kiddos to Wendy's for lunch on another afternoon. Nothin' beats a Kids Meal frosty after some fries and chicken nuggets.


My cute, cute nephew, Thomas. Yes, he's wearing a helmet. He had a bit of a flat-head problem and has to wear it for about 3 months. I told my sister that at least he's an adorable kid with a helmet instead of an ugly child with a helmet. Love this baby!

Here's another happy baby! Benny had a great time with the fam, too!


It was a great trip. Too short, though. We were there for about a week and I'm used to at least 10 days to 2 weeks. It stinks being so far away, but it makes coming home that much more sweet.


Lucy's Latest

It's been a while since I've updated about each of the kids. I thought I'd post some of the Easter outfit pictures with a little journaling on how they are doing.

I love this picture of Lucy and Graham. They are quite a pair, these two. Graham drives Lucy absolutely crazy most of the time. She has very little patience for his questions and his funny quirks. Occasionally, Lucy will allow him to play Barbies with her. He pulls out his super heroes or whatever and plays along. A few minutes in, Graham always wants to be a different person or change characters. He does this when they are playing anything. It ticks her off, big time. I'll hear her frustrated voice say something like, "Okay, Graham. But this is the LAST TIME!" or "No, Graham! You can't be the dog! You have to be the brother!" She'll tell him that he can't play anymore and he'll beg and beg for another chance. Lucy will usually give him one, but within 5 minutes, he's at it again.


Lucy is still taking her music class each week. It's called "Let's Play Music". A friend of mine teaches it. This friend used to live just a couple blocks away, but then she moved about 30 minutes from us now. Lucy hates Thursdays because that means we have to make the drive out for class. She's learning a lot, but she's ready for it to be over for the summer.


She started taking a gymnastics class in January and she loves it. She does really well, too! I was so impressed this past week as I watched her climb to the very top of the rope. She made it look so easy! They get to work on a trampoline, learn maneuvers on the double bars, and do different techniques on the balance beam.


We just signed her up for soccer, too. We tried it a couple years ago and the shin guards proved to be just too darn uncomfortable. So, before I signed her up, she wanted to wear the shin guards around a bit to see if they would bother her. She said they weren't great, but she still wanted to do it. We'll keep you posted.


Lucy still doesn't love school, but she tolerates it. She is doing very well and I'm always so proud after I talk to her teacher. She loves earning "blue tickets" so she can get prizes on Fridays. Her Dad walks her to school most mornings and the boys and I get her after school. It's always interesting to hear her run-down of how the day went as we walk home.


Lucy is struggling a little with an over-active conscience. She is trying to make good choices and figure out what exactly that means. Tonight she asked if I would lay with her a while and as I was getting up to leave after a bit, she said the sweetest thing, "You know how we read in the scriptures that we can't always pray for Heavenly Father to take our problems away? Well, can I pray that he'll help me listen to my teacher instead of talking to Gavin?" Lately, when I pick her up from school, she always says, "I didn't listen to Mrs. Miller again." She really wants her teacher to put her in a desk away from the other kids so she won't "accidentally cheat" or talk when she's not supposed to.


Lucy loves her cereal in the morning. She usually eats two bowls of "Dad's Cereal" (Honey Bunches of Oats), or Honey Nut Cheerios. She hates it when I make PBJ for her packed lunch. She usually has saltine crackers (her request) and some turkey pepperoni with carrots or apples. Lucy loves to have a snack after school and watch a little TV after homework. Wizards of Waverly Place or Good Luck Charlie are among her favorites. If I make her choose one that Graham will like, too, she usually picks Max and Ruby or Phineas and Ferb. She and Graham love to get foot rides up to bed from Dad. We always do a book after scriptures and prayer. Jason reads to Lucy, while I read to Graham. She and Jason just finished, Ramona the Pest.


Lucy's big thing now is money. Loves it. Wants more of it. She's planning a trip with her friend, Lana, to the American Girl Doll Store. They went back in October and they are hoping to go again the beginning of June. She's always asking me if she can do a bake sale or sale some of her old toys (I always say no..surprise, surprise). She is always singing a line from the "Dream" song on Tangled. Flynn Rider says something like, "On an island that I own, I'm well rested and alone.....surrounded by enormous piles of money." Although, she sings, "unarrested and alone". She knows it's wrong, but doesn't change her version.


Sweet Lucy gets up every Fast Sunday and bears her testimony to our ward at church. It's always heart felt and well thought out. She also insists on coming to ward choir with me. She sits by me each week at practice and does a great job. She has a beautiful voice and really enjoys singing. The ward members are very impressed with little Lucy.


I love my Lucy Goosy. I am so grateful for the lessons I learn from her. She tests me and keeps me on my toes a lot. Being the oldest isn't easy. Jason and I don't know what we're doing and hopefully we aren't messing her up too much. She's such a good kid that wants to do the right things. I feel very blessed to be her Mom.


P.S. Thanks so much, Grandma, for the adorable dress. She loved it!!

Easter Weekend

April has been a cRaZy month. Lots to update and journal about. I decided to start with the more recent stuff and hopefully work my way back to the other things later. We'll see......

Easter weekend was fabulous! We made a trip to the Visitor's Center at the Los Angeles Temple. The kids enjoyed this little table where they could digitally color and draw. My favorite part was the big computer screen that showed where all the temples in the world are. You could touch the city on the map and see a picture of the temple there. Graham said, "It's like a big Ipod!"



You'll have to turn your head for this one. I can't get it flipped. Anyways, we met a nice sister missionary from Morgan, UT that took our family picture. Such a beautiful scene. We really enjoyed sharing bits of our testimonies with the kids.

These flowers are out in front of the temple. The kids and I play the "favorite game" a lot. Whenever I ask what their favorite flower is, Graham always says, "the bird ones!" They really do look like little birds poking out. I'm pretty sure they are called Birds of Paradise. He was excited to see so many in one place.

The flowers were amazing! Here's Lucy showing them off. We probably should have rethought the skull and crossbones shirt she's wearing, but what the hey.



That afternoon we came home and dyed some Easter eggs. We just did the old school 5 color set. Jason managed and supervised the project.
Cheeser Benny wanted in on some camera action.



Here's the kids with their Easter morning surprises. We had a little egg hunt in our house. Some of the eggs had numbers on them. After things settled down we used those eggs to talk about the events leading up to the Savior's resurrection. Each numbered egg had a small item and a scripture to read. It went much better than last year. Graham and Lucy were much more attentive this time around.


The Easter Bunny wasn't even really mentioned this year much. Saturday night, Lucy asked me if Dad and I were the ones that gave the Easter gifts. I said, "Well, what do you think?" She was a little disappointed the next day and at school on Monday she had to bite her tongue when her friend talked about the Easter Bunny leaving footprints in her room. She said, "I just REALLY wanted to tell her!" I was proud of her for leaving it alone. Come December I'm hoping she'll avoid asking me anything. I still want her to believe in Santa!

Ben-O thought he hit the jackpot with his Craisins and Gerber bites.

The rest of the day was very nice. Beautiful lessons on the Savior at church. We had a wonderful meal at our friends, the Jarvis', that evening. I am so grateful for my testimony of the Savior. I know that it is because of his death and resurrection that my family can live eternally forever. I know that it is because of Him that I can have peace and happiness in this life. What a tremendous blessing that is!


I hope you all had a great weekend, too!