Hawaii Day One and Two......

I know who blogs from Vacation right? Well Jeff has promised me that I get to print my blog off at the end of the year so for journaling purposes I can't remember anything and since I left my real journal at home...whoops! So feel free to totally ignore these next few posts I won't be at all offended.

We left Early early Saturday morning and headed up LAX. We made it to Irvine and well I realized that I had left my wallet at home...in my defense I had my entire bag packed and Jeff took my wallet out of my purse the night before to check us in online and he left it next to the computer. See not entirely my fault. So we turned around luckily I checked in Irvine and not in LA or we would have all missed our flight. Once we made it we headed to the terminal....security is horrible and I can't even imagine what would have happened had we had Ryder...AH it would have been a nightmare. We barely made it through security and grabbed a bite to eat and then we hoped on the plane for a about 6 hours.

Noah and Jeff....making one last phone call before the plane takes off.

Me and Sawyer. The boys where so great on the plane. They were so excited to be on the "hairpane".


Delta is the greatest airline. They have TV's on each seat and you get to choose from different movies/tv shows plus tons of games. Seriously it was a life saver. The boys got to enjoy some movies and we didn't even have to break out the DVD players. Sawyer loved Madagascar 2 or "move it move it" as he calls it.

After we arrived we ate some yummy lunch and then headed to Target to pick up some essentials before checking into the hotel. And then it was off to the pool.

Jeff's favorite thing to do in Hawaii is snorkel. He loves to go out and look at the fish.


View of the hotel from the beach. It is such a cool place.


Sawyer was a little weary of the water.

Noah has become a little fish. I like that he will wear his life jacket so I worry a little less. But he is getting in a lot of practice.


The boys playing in the sand. They are having such a blast!


Tomorrow the PCC with Heidi, Dave and their gang! ALOHA!!

BUBBLES!!!

 

 

 

Last week we had Sawyer's buddies Lincoln and Spencer over....Sawyer just loves his friends. Sawyer got a bubble machine and the boys LOVED it. They had so much fun playing outside. The twins thought that they were blowing the bubbles and would run up to the machine and blow into it. It was a great outside toy and we will be doing it again!!

More Birthday

After Noah's friend party we went to CPK to celebrate with Grandpa Rich, Grandma Jody, Aunt Patrice, Aunt Lisa, Nana and Papa. Noah loves CPK's mac and cheese. Noah was spoiled rotten as usual. We can't wait to be with them in Hawaii!!!

Grandma Jody was sick ALL last week the boys were happy to see her feeling better.

Papa Rich, Jeff and Ryder

Turtles...I think we have an obsession on our hands!!

Aunt Patrice...always makes sure she gets exactly what the boys LOVE!!

Nana and Papa gave Noah a book that had money hidden inside...it was such a cute gift.

Seriously will we ever get a decent family photo??

The gang!


Noah missed out on our usual breakfast in bed because he was up WAY before everyone else. But he didn't seem to care. He opened up his present from us I found some more TMNT dress up things at ROSS seriously love that place. He was so excited to dress up.

Grammy, Grampy, Leslie and Michael came down and went to church with us and afterwards came over to celebrate one more time!!



Noah with the gang.

Grammy, Grampy and Noah!


Noah decided to take up photography....note there were about fifty pictures...I will spare you!!

WE HAD A GREAT WEEKEND CELEBRATING NOAH'S DAY OF BIRTH!!

Party Numero Uno....

As we already know we celebrate Birthday weeks around here. Yesterday We had a Ninja Turtle themed birthday party for Noah and his friends. He was so excited for this party and literally has been talking about it for weeks. I had grand plans and wanted to do all these things but realized that over stimulating three and four year olds probably would be bad. The party was a little too long but I think the kids had a good time I know Noah did especially since he woke up asking to do it all over again.
Thank you thank you Bethany for the fabulous party ideas!


Sawyer destroyed half of the cupcakes. Luckily we had enough for the kids!


I would say that the pinata was the biggest hit. The kids LOVED it. Here is Jack taking his turn....don't tell him I got his photo he hates getting his picture taken.



They were enjoying their pizza and juice boxes.



Noah loved his party. Thanks friends for coming and celebrating....and you better believe there is more birthday posts ahead!!

I'm FOUR today.....

I can't even believe that I had Noah four years ago. I wish I had some of Noah's birth on this computer...really I think I said that last year too. Maybe next year.

Noah is such a fun little guy. Jeff and I definitely LOVE this age. Especially Jeff he loves that Noah is into some of the same toys that Jeff was into as a kid....Ninja Turtles, spider man, star wars and transformers. He LOVES to be outside. He is so much like me and hates to be stuck at home during the day. We are so lucky to have Noah in our family. He is so good to his little brothers and they miss him when he goes off to school. Noah we hope you have a very happy birthday!!! We love you so much....hugkiss....Daddy, Mommy, Sawyer and Ryry

It's OVER!!!!

And we survived. Well really by WE I mean ME. Now I think I will do this for the next month......



I WISH......Busy season is FINALLY over!!! This year was so much harder than last year. Three kids has really done it for me. But really I don't mind Jeff working late it is the Saturday's that kill me. Mentally it is so hard to wrap my brain around. Jeff is so stressed out which makes me stressed out which makes life crazy.
Seriously I have so many friends who have husbands who work a TON and who go on business trips and seriously I don't know how they do it. I am in ahhhh because I am so done after a month. I guess that is why they are SUPER MOMS!!
But we made it and now we are counting down until HAWAII on the 25th! I can't even wait!!!
Congratulations Jeff....I am so glad you made it....WELCOME HOME!!

Easter Wrap Up

I love Easter! Not only for the fabulous candy, tulips, new clothes the promise of spring BUT I love the chance to celebrate our Savior. I am so grateful to have this knowledge and the joy that it brings!


We began our Easter last weekend with the Shaw's Grammy and Grammpy sent the boys home with some cute baskets...the boys have loved playing with their stuff. Noah loved his mickey mouse go fish and has made me play it every day. And their buckets came in handy for the rest of the weeks festivities. Thanks! We missed you guys today!
We had a great time this weekend. Yesterday we went with the Trapp's/Lewis gang to an Easter Egg hunt and then dinner. I pulled out my camera to take pics and I had left the memory card in the lap top. Luckily my phone takes a decent picture.
The egg hunt was crazy. I have NEVER seen so many eggs they had different hunts for different ages. Patrice took Sawyer around and Sawyer dug it....Patrice couldn't get him to stop and he even tried to ditch her a few times.

Get ready get set......


Noah was so excited this morning and woke us all at 5:45, letting us know the bunny had came. He got the Starscream transformer and has been loving it ever since! He was almost asleep on the couch this afternoon when Jeff said starscream is asleep Noah heard him and grabbed it and put it on his chest. It was so funny. Another big hit was the flip flops and sunglasses. The Easter Bunny knew we need to get ready for Hawaii!!!! Two weeks!




Sawyer is just like Jeff and he was less then thrilled to be up that early. He woke up on the wrong side of the bed and refused to take a picture.





Ryder was happy with the ribbon and eggs.


We had a great breakfast together with a visit from Uncle Rob and Aunt Shannon who brought the boys really cute spiderman and cars Easter baskets. The boys were thrilled with character fruit snacks!!
We then headed off to church. I loved the boys Easter outfits....even though they refused to take a picture for me. SOMEDAY!!




We ended the day with dinner and then went to Jeff's Uncle and Aunt's house for dessert. It was fun to spend time with family and be together. It is so much fun having kids and sharing all this stuff with them. It makes me so happy.

NINE

Dear Ry Ry,

Today you are nine months old. Really I can't believe it I want you to stay a little baby forever. I never want you to crawl, talk or walk. Well not really but I am not ready to give up my snuggles. You have changed so much this last month. MOST of all you are happy! We finally put you on some good medicine and we FINALLY have our happy sweet baby that we originally had. It has been a life saver.

Here are some of your favorite things.....

*You just learned how to pick up gerber bites and cheerios. You will sit in the high chair and play for a LONG time.

*You say Mama, Dada although I am not sure you know what you are saying they are words non the less.

*You love to roll around on the carpet and your favorite thing to play with is the diaper wipes container.

*You hate showers and have been known to almost fall asleep.
(Yes I don't do baths....I have a serious phobia of drowning and I refuse to be out numbered by kids while bathing them)

*You have the sweetest most contagious laugh and smile...seriously people stop me in the store and tell me. (Not that I am bragging)

*You love your big brothers and are seriously missing them when it is quiet. (luckily it is not often)

We love you Ry Ry, you are such a funny little guy and we are having so much fun with you!

I can't believe you have been around as long as I was pregnant...seriously time is going by WAY TOO FAST!

We love you,
Mommy, Daddy, Noah and Sawyer!!!

Easiest decision of my life!

First let me say I am not writing this to offend those of you who have made different choices in your own life...this is simply what works for us and finally getting a little recognition from a credible source.


Like I said in my previous post I had just gotten this new book...I have about fifty more pages but I am just exploding to talk about it. IF you are an At Home Mom.....go buy this book. Don't wait for the library this is a book you are going to want on your shelf in the years ahead. Heck tell your hubby you want it for Mother's Day.

When I got pregnant with Noah Jeff and I didn't even need to have any conversation about the possibility of me working it simply wasn't an option. I am so grateful that we had that understanding and that I have a WONDERFUL husband who supports that decision and even in our hardest of times has not asked me to do so. We have made MANY sacrifices like so many others to make this happen. I would not trade it for the world I would rather rent a house for the rest of my life if it means I can be here for our children....I didn't have these boys so that someone else could raise them. Dr. Laura does talk about those who have to work and how important it is to do so not durning the hours when your children need mothering. And really they are only little for so long once they are in school I will have many hours to fulfill jobs or things I have always wanted to do.

I know I couldn't handle it if I missed the daily moments, the little milestones that happen every day in my children's lives. Not to mention the daily chances to teach my children the values that we as a family feel important.

Now it wouldn't be a Dr. Laura book with out her bringing you down to earth. And she has a few chapters about being the kind of wife your husband needs. The importance of not one upping each other and not being a brat when it comes to complaining to your hubby about your seemingly hard day. Something I am so beyond guilty of especially this time of year.

While this is often the most selfless job with out a pay check it is easy to discount the importance of it.

I am so grateful to Jeff for working so hard to insure that I can stay home and raise our boys. I am so lucky...and even on the days when I want to lock myself in the bathroom I have it good. There are many many mothers out there who have to struggle with this situation who have husbands that don't value these same things.

I used to watch a little boy when I had Noah and I thought I loved that kid....really I liked him a lot and I like to think that we were good to him....but I also know that no matter how much I cuddled and loved him, it is in no way compared to that of his own mother.

I wouldn't take this away from my kids for anything. I love every moment with them....even the crazy hectic ones.


Now really I hope you mothers read this book and I hope enjoy your time with your children. I already feel like these young years are going by way to fast. I can't believe I almost have a four year old.
I hope that I have not offended anyone with my insights and comments about this book. And those that are my friends that is why I love you because we can be different and still be friends.
(Also know if you disagree and choose to leave me a nasty comment I will delete it. And I will show you courtesy when you blog about things that I don't always agree with it by not leaving mean comments.)
And if you hung to the end.....come over and I will give you a cookie because you deserve one!!!

Hippity Hoppity

Yesterday Grandma Jody and I took the boys to the Mission Viejo Mall to see the Easter Bunny. They did very well they waited for almost 45 minutes. They were very well behaved. Sawyer was scared to death but Noah held his hand....he was trying so hard to make an escape.


ALSO...I just bought a new book at Costco....It is Dr. Laura's new book called "In Praise of Stay-at-Home Moms" I am so excited to read it. You better believe there will be a post on it to come!!! I love her books they are always so honest and right to the point and I can't wait to hear the praise for the most selfless job in the world.....I know you want to borrow it when I am done!

Opening Day!

Yesterday was better than Christmas....at least according to Jeff. Baseball started officially yesterday which means LOTS of entertainment for Jeff and LOTS of scrapbooking for me. Like I said in my last post I was having the grumps yesterday. But I decided to have fun and make a baseball themed dinner. We ate dodger dogs with all the yummy fixings I had peanuts and red vines. It was a fun way to ring in baseball season with all my boys.I know I need to start liking baseball soon all my saturdays will be consumed by it. Baseball will always be Jeff's first love....actually the Dodgers, he is the most loyal fan I know!!!