Happy Birthday Chi-Chi

This super funny, costume lovin', picky eatin', toothless smile turned 7 today! We will celebrate next week when his sisters and Nana and Papa are home to party with us, but I just couldn't let the day pass with out tellin' my shinin' star HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!! Mommy and Daddy have an awesome surprise all planned out for him... Tune in on Thursday for more info!!!!!

Farewell Olivia

Olivia passed away this morning. There were tears from all of us (except Gabie) and a funeral. I cannot tell you how difficult it is to watch your son grieve over the loss of such a precious pet.

A Day at the Park with Nana!

Happy St...uh...Buggies Day!

So, this post is two fold... 1) to show you how wild and crazy our family can be on St Patrick's 2) To try out this new collage thing!

In case you were wondering the only thing that these pictures have to do with St. Patty's day is the fact that the kiddos had their hair sprayed green and they were taken on March 17. The fact that they are eating suckers with scorpions and worm in them has a lot more to do with the fact that they have a grandmother that enjoys buying them things!
Just what DO you buy the child who has every thing, anyway? Why, lollipops will bugs in the center that's what! (Thank you Grandma!)
Oh ya, and just so you know, HANNAH was the only one brave enough to actually eat the scorpion too. She says it tasted "sweet"... in case you ever get a hankerin' for a sweetly flavored arthropod!---Is that what they are? I know they're not insects.

Making Elves

I don't know many people that are as creative as my girls! I mean it. You know the type of women that make their own decorations for the Holidays and paint the Art work that hangs on their walls? Then you must have met my two oldest daughters!
This afternoon they discovered some type of acorn in the trees that grow next to our house. So what did they do? They came up with a craft project for my younger children!


They all set to work gathering other natural items...bottle brush flowers, thorns from bushes, Other flowers...whatever they could find.

Then they got out mu permanent markers to draw faces! Their finished product? ELVES! I would never have thought of that in a million years!

Am I wrong to brag?

Mental Note:

When you find yourself standing in front of the pantry, jaw dropped, and fuming, because your two year old has covered not only herself but her baby sister as well, in syrup...

STOP!

Take a picture!

Because even though you may be livid that you're about to give her her third bath in two hours, you will regret it when you go to tell the story and don't have pictures to back it up!

Look Who's Walking!!!!!

Abbie took her first step the day that I left for Idaho and today she was walking all over the park! Oh my goodness! I want to cry!

Arizona Science Center

Girls day out!

The "Jungle" gym!

Twins

I am so happy that Kira and Hannah have hit it off so well! They spent quite a lot of time playing...We hardly saw the two of them for the entire visit! Hannah adores Kira and wants to be just like her big cousin. We had a hard time finding an outfit that Hannah would be willing to wear and then Shanni had Kira put her blue dress back on. Then Hannah was happy to where a dress that wasn't pink!

Sir Ammon, Prince Gabie, and Maggie the Destroyer!

I don't think there is any thing sweeter than Big brothers playing "battle" with their baby sister! They are so careful to only hit her sword...but shes not nearly so cautious! They are so sweet and understanding when she whacks them really hard!

Future Architects...

Shannon took all the kids down to the park while I stayed home. They made use of a bucket and a bunch of water bottles and plastic cups.

This has to be one of the most detailed sand castle I've ever seen a group of kids come up with!

They were all so proud of it!

Attention

Valentines Day!

This was at the very end of the festaval and it was on our way out.

This guy really looked like a statue and if you put money in the basket below his stand he would turn to you and dance of shake you hand. It was really fun and I think it was one of my favorite parts of the the day!

Mmmmm...Pie!

Need I say more?