Emily Helping Alissa

Parade's

Tempe Parade

Alissa is right above the T

Gilbert Days Parade

I love having a camera on my phone for this purpose. We have been busy the last few weeks with Alissa's performances for her dance group Studio 3, in their Applause Group. She had the opportunity to be in the Gilbert Days Parade and the Mill Avenue Tempe Christmas Light Parade! She also performed at the Superstition Springs Mall and Tempe Marketplace. There they did a Holiday Hero Show! She is having so much fun in dance and was asked to join the Showstopper group which is two hours a week and audition only. I think we will probably stick with this one though! Less time and money. :)

Thanksgiving 2010

Well, here we all are. I look at this picture and can't help but want to cry. I have everything I ever truly wanted. I have an amazing husband and four precious children who all make my life crazy and lovely and amazing all at the same time. We may not have the riches of the world but we have the very best kind of true love. I am so thankful for my family this year and my extended family also. I have the best mom in the whole world. She isn't perfect and we don't always get along but she is part of our family and I am so thankful for all she does for my family. I am thankful for amazing in laws who I think about daily in the way they raised their children and how to use their strengths to our advantage. I am thankful to have brothers and sisters of all kinds to share the good times and the bad with. I am so thankful to my Heavenly Father who has given me all I have and ever will have and who is patient with me through my daily imperfections. I am soo blessed and what is better then that?

Now, for the details. Thanksgiving Day was going to be jam packed with multiple Thanksgivings, Ryan gave the okay last minute and I just decided to take it easy. We go go go all the time and it was nice to take it slow. We woke up and had pumpkin waffles, hot chocolate and watched the two Thanksgiving Parades on TV. It was great just to hang out in our pajamas until 11am. I had fun making things for the dinner and then we headed over to My Uncle Jim and Aunt Hopes house for a yummy meal! The best part was the kids playing outside and playing tag! When we got home Ryan's grandparents came over and played games with us and we had a blast!

Friday was Black Friday and this is one of the few years I did't go overboard. I bought very little in fact. One small present for each child and a few work clothes for Ryan(who thankfully still has a job after his employer just laid off 700 people) That afternoon we went over to Tim and Sonia's house and had an amazing meal! It was one of my favorite Thanksgiving meals ever with Spicy Turkey and Avocado stuffing. It is so wonderful to be by Ryan's Brother and his wife Sonia. We absolutely adore them and love having them around as often as possible. We are lucky to live close again!

As for the rest of the weekend I have more pictures to come!

Soccer!

Well, Kenzie just finished his first year of soccer. Alissa played for three years but decided she didn't want to play this year. Kenzie is such a cute kid! He is always hugging someone or loving someone. He is so kind and considerate of others also. He liked soccer but sometimes preferred to be socializing instead of kicking goals. One game though, he scored seven goals so it just depended on his mood. Kenzie wanted to name his team the White Scooby Doos but they settled on White Polar Bears. He was so excited to get a trophy because this is his first trophy. The best part of the season was at his last game, when a member of the other team fell and got hurt, Kenzie walked over to help him up and give him a great big hug and make sure he was okay. I am so proud to have a son who is so caring of others and their feelings. Thanks Kenzie for always being a great example of how we should treat others!

Sisters

I am so blessed to have two beautiful girls! I absolutely love both of these little ladies. I am surprised already what a great relationship they are gaining. When Alissa comes home everyday from school Emily gets excited to see her! She evens say Hi to her and they play this sweet little game saying Hi back and forth. I know for a fact Heavenly Father has a purpose in the way he times our children because the space between these two is perfect! Alissa truly is like a little mommy to Emily and loves to hold her and play with her. I can not wait to see as they grow how they grow together.

Alissa's Seventh Birthday

After the party Alissa and Ryan playing Santa with her gifts!

They didn't have a farm cake so we added our own animals to their scenery. One little girl left early so we cut a piece for her.

A few of the kids who came we ended up with over 20 kids!

Ryan was in charge of games and they had a blast, especially with the potato sack races!

I can not believe my baby girl is 7 years old. She has grown so fast and is maturing quickly. As she continues to grow I mostly think about the things that she is becoming....does she know she is loved? Does she know how much God loves her and how much of an impact he can have on her life is she listens to him? What will she choose for her life? How can I be the best mom she needs? Anyways, the list goes on and on, but I find the questions arise more as she grow up.

Alissa is an amazing young woman and I am so thankful to all she teaches me everyday. She is a joy to our family and a great leader. She loves to read lots of books and especially like to be outside. She loves to dance, sing and act and is the star of her class! She is very smart and doing great in school! She has already passed off six Articles of Faith and loves to answer questions about the gospel of Jesus Christ. She loves being a big sister and helping take car of her siblings. I love watching her leave for school holding Kenzie's hand as they get out of the car and walk to class. And although we definitely have our moments with her, where her stubbornness shows, I wouldn't change it for anything because she helps us grow!

For Alissa's Party we waited until the week after Halloween because the 29th is always full of Halloween Festivities. Alissa handmade about 30 8.5x11 Birthday Invitations with a barn drawing on them. We celebrated at the Val Vista Lakes Clubhouse next to the tennis courts. We had hot dogs, chips, pudding with dirt, cake and punch just as she wanted. We played lots of fun games like pin the tail on donkey, follow the leader, potato sack races and tag. Afterwards about ten of the children came to swim in the heated pool. We had a great time and she felt very loved. She got a lot of presents too. I think we counted 27 total and $50 worth of cash and cards. I was shocked at how generous everyone was. I love how much fun Alissa's Party always is!

Where to Start?

Well, I'm not quite sure where to start, so I started with the first picture I pulled up. This is Taft as of a few weeks ago. He fell of the bed in the middle of the night. Luckily it was a weekend and Ryan could get up because I was already helping Emily, so he helped Taft. He was such a trooper! I seriously think it will scar but he says its all gone because it doesn't hurt anymore.

On a side not pertaining to this time of life. My mom went out of town for most of October and I think I seriously got a taste of humbling. Everything that could have went wrong did and it was seriously to the point where I would just start laughing the next time something happened. We seriously had everything from two washcloths flushed down the toilet, to marker all over our slide, to flooded patio, to every ouchy you can imagine. It was totally awesome because I got to see things from a different perspective. I don't know how many know but I would assume most people know that when I have a baby I end up holding the baby about 10 hours of the day at least, probably more. Now there are many people that would say that is my fault or I do it to my babies, but I happen to know this is not so. My only default, is that I do not like to let them cry. I personally feel there is no need and so life is hard for awhile. Well, my mom is there so much to help me out. Even if I prefer to do things on my own. I am so blessed to have her help and am thankful for all of it. I am glad I had these few weeks to better appreciate what I have and to learn great lessons!

Halloween 2010

Taft the pirate!

Alissa and her best friend Sela!

Alissa with her half Uncle Johnathan.

Emily with her Grandpa

Ryan in a sword fight!

Me with my dads daughters, we all have different parents(lol).

Ryan and the boys!

Half sisters and Emily!

At the Halloween Howl!

Halloween this year was crazy busy. We did WAY too much! Alissa also had her birthday on the 29th and celebrated at school with lots of friends. I will post about her real party later. So, Wednesday we went to the Val Vista Lakes Halloween Howl. They had lots of little carnival games and trick or treating for the kids.

Friday was the school parties and the Costume Parade. Alissa took donuts that were shaped and decorated like candy corns for her class and was excited to hear her name over the intercom at school.

Saturday, Kenzie had a soccer game and afterwards we went to Trader Joe's where each child was given a pumpkin to carve. Daddy helped with that! They also did face painting and had a petting zoo for free! It was also our Ward Party! Ryan cooked his super hot chili this year and it sort of became a black market treat! The men would slip into the kitchen to scold their mouths.

Men are crazy, gotta love them. By this night Alissa was already feeling sick, so I pushed her around in the stroller. She helped Mema pass out candy at the trunk or treat and didn't want any for herself, although each boy came home with about 80 pieces. The boys loved all the games and had a blast! By Sunday she was completely sick.

Sunday night we went and spent the evening with my Dad and his wife and her family. It was fun because all my dads kids were there. Alissa was going to stay home but last minute decided she really wanted to go. She didn't want to dress up though so I turned her into a baby(see above) and her Uncle pushed her in a stroller. After awhile she got tired even doing that so my dad took her candy bag around for her. What a nice Grandpa! All in all it was a great holiday but hopefully we will simplify next year! I hope I got it all in there!

Doing Well

I am so sorry we are so behind. I need to get caught up on blogging but we are doing great! Emily is now six months old and Alissa just turned seven this weekend. I am making a goal to get 10 posts done by next week and be caught up by the end of November! Hope you are all great!

Emily is 6 Months Old

Wow, how times flies. I seriously feel like I just had Emily and yet I know it can't be. This little munchkin is now six months old. She weighs about 14 pound and is 24 inches long. Emily is starting to make a lot of fun sounds and says Hi. She also can wave and loves kisses. Emily is such a joy to our family! She is good at making everyone laugh and is finally getting to that "fun" phase as I like to call it. I love when they are awake all the time and happy and smiley and learning. Emily starting her first goat milk bottles this week. She gets two a day and is loving feeling full. The first time I gave her one, she drank seven ounces after her feeding so I knew she was hungry! She is starting to crawl and loves to stand up and hold onto things. I am so happy to have another girl in the family! Now, if she can just stop waking up four times a night!

First Day of School

I now how two kids in school. It is crazy to think we are already to this point. I was nervous having to say good bye to Kenzie but luckily he only goes half day. Half day Kindergarten is much better transitioning then full day was with Alissa. I am glad they are they for each other! Kenzie has Mrs. Giffin and Alissa has Mrs. Powell. They are both excited for this year and love to learn!

Emily's Blessing

I have to say this was a very special blessing. We blessed Emily on Independence Day and I could not help thinking about how thankful I was for the Independence to believe how I wish. I am thankful to be able to have married who I chose, and have the right to have the children we have. It is true that our life is only ours and our journey. I am thankful for the choices I have made, good and bad, that have led me to this point in my life.

Emily's blessing was full of a lot of love! Ryan's extended family was in town for a reunion and we had the privilege to have his Uncle's and grandparents there. The circle consisted of Ryan's father(Layne), his brother (Tim), Our brother in law(Bill), Ryan's Uncle's Todd and Kenn, Ryan's best friend(Aaron), my Uncle Jim...hmm see I think I already forgot, but hopefully that is everyone. One reason to record things when they happen. We even had two people take notes but Ryan ended up losing both of them. Note to self, give things to me next time. I do not remember much of what was said but I know it was special. The important thing was that it happened and I am thankful for the memories I have. Having Ryan bless our children has been amazing! I always knew that some day I would want to marry a righteous priesthood holder who would always be there in times of need and for the milestones and I thankful to him for keeping himself worthy for us.

I was very thankful for all the wonderful people who came and for the spirit that was there. Emily you are very loved and very special!

Summer Fun!

I wish they walked around like this all the time! Summer time is my favorite because we are all together for almost three months!

Songwriter

I wanted to post this somewhere so I do not forget. Alissa came to me yesterday afternoon and said, "Mom, I love songs and I love to sing, so I am going to be a songwriter." She then proceeded over to the printer, grabbed a stack of about 100 pieces of paper and went out in the front yard. When she came in for bed, she had three pieces of paper completed and the rest blank. I want to record what she wrote so I always have it.

Pom trees look good to me. I love the way thay look. When I think of pom trees I feel the ocean brees. I love the pom trees because thay have food it is cocnut. It tasts so good to me. It tast dilishis to me. That is why I like pom trees.

My favrot exrsis is something that sometimes a girl plas it and sometimes boys do. It is exrsis its my favrot thing I love jumprop. I jump up and down.

So, here is to supporting my little songwriter. I love her spelling too! So original!

Busy Busy

Well, Emily is now three weeks old and I find that most of my time is used well between my family. Emily consumes most of it right now and she is amazing. I can not imagine our lives without her and her sweet personality. She is such a good baby and is making things easier for me right now. She has already had a night where she slept 8 hours and sleeps at least five most nights. She really is such a help in letting her mom sleep. The kids all love her so much and take good care of her too. I have to say though that my mom has been the biggest help ever. She has taken care of almost everything for us awhile now and it has helped immensely. I am so thankful for her sacrifice and service to my family. My children all adore her and I am glad they have her.

As for the rest of life:

Ryan is working for University of Phoenix and loves his job. He is really good at what he does and is enjoying the hours. He is home by 2:30pm and doesn't ever work weekends or holidays. It is wonderful!! Ryan is also starting his Masters in Psychology in June and that will start to occupy some of his time. The program will be completed in 1 1/2 years. He also is a big help with the kids and spends so much time with them. He is such a wonderful father and does more than I ever imagined a dad could do. He is so good to me and treats me like a queen to which I am also thankful.

Alissa is almost done with first grade at Val Vista Lakes. I am thinking she will miss her friends when the time comes for school to be out, so we shall see. She is a social butterfly and loves being out and with people. She is growing up so fast and is such an honest girl. She is going to be in the school talent show on Wednesday singing "Party in the USA", her favorite song. She loves to shake those hips too. I am proud of her for taking the initiative and wanting to try out on her own. She loves having so many little girls in our neighborhood too and would be riding her bike all the time if I would let her.

Kenzie is still building things all the time. He loved his year in preschool and can not wait for his birthday party. He is getting so tall and has a wonderful imagination! Kenzie is obsessed with toys and says he loves all of them. Our focus for him is to start learning to read and riding a two wheeler this summer. He has asked to learn both of them which I am glad to see his is ready. He is very interested in animals and dinosaurs. His favorite right now is sting rays and manarays and he would wear his stingray shirt every day if I would let him.

Taft is definitely a toddler. He says and does the funniest things all the time and can always make us laugh. He loves to watch Kidsongs and Disneyland Sing a longs. He also LOVES his baby sister. He always has to hold her and kiss her and see her. He also loves swimming and can hold his breath 3/4 the length of a Jr. Olympic size swimming pool.

As for me, it has taken me two weeks to write this. Emily does not want to leave my arms and I only usually have one to do things with because she occupies the other. I am so thankful to have my family and am especially thankful for my mom right now. She is truly wonderful and such a help to me with the kids while I tend to Emily. She is such a great friend and I am glad she is here with us.

Life is good, we are so blessed! Hope you are all well!

Baby Emily is Here!!!

7 lbs. 11 oz

21.5 inches long

Chubs Snuggles Emily

The QTies Hold Their New Baby Sister!!!

Still Waiting

Well, I couldn't find any baby pictures of Kenzie on here but obviously we are still waiting for baby Emily to come out and see us. We hope she comes soon! In the mean time I really enjoy looking at these pictures of our other munchkins just a few hours old!

The Phoenix Zoo

Ward Easter Egg Hunt

Taft and Sela with the coolest Easter Bunny ever!

The Ultimate Pouty Face

Alissa contemplating life.

Our Ward

Taft at Breakfast!

So, I am a bit behind. We went to our ward Easter Egg Hunt and had a blast! I truly love our ward! It is so close and like a family and hadn't felt that until we moved to Hawaii and I love having it again! They really went all out and the kids had such a great time.