Saturday, May 28, 2011

Steven's Graduation Party

Steven's party was very exciting!  He got money, luggage, a way cool camera, and a round trip ticket to AUSTRAILIA!!!!!  He was stunned.  Didn't know what to say.  He had better start packing he is leaving in two days!

Payton was so cute with her cousin Grace.



After all the excitement from opening gifts grandpa took the kiddos out for a little walk.  So cute!

Steven's Graduation

A beautiful day for graduation!

The word was to show up early to get good seats.  Very early...  So we grabbed doughnuts, bagels, fruit, juice, and water and were on the road by 7:30 in the morning.  Yikes! 

We got great seat down on the field.  Ate breakfast.  Relaxed.


There was plenty of time and space for the kids to run prior to the ceremony.  I think Ethan ran a mile!  No exaggeration he went four times around the track.


I have no idea how many students were graduating but it must have been like two thousand.  Ha!  Ha!  My graduating class was maybe 80 people.  The ceremony was a lot longer than mine that is for sure.  I will say that the lady reading the names kept things moving right along.  I think Dave said she read a name every 5 seconds regardless if people were making a bunch of noise or not.


I love it when the graduates throw there caps in the air.  We were forbidden to do it when I graduated.  I think they were afraid someone would get their eyes poked out.


I love this picture of Steven walking out.  Head held high.  Confident.  Awesome.  Congratulations Steven!





Friday, May 27, 2011

Steven's Court of Honor and CCS Finals

I am sad to say that for some reason I do not have any pictures of either of these two events.  I know we had cameras there...Oh well.

Steven's Court of Honor had to be moved up an hour so that he could make it to CCS Finals immediately following.  We all felt a little rushed I think.  The kids basically woke up from their naps and were put straight into the car to head over to the church.  We packed a dinner for them that they could eat picnic style in the back of the room.  Everything started off great, the program started on time and the kids were eating their dinner relatively quietly.  Then they called all of the Eagle Scouts to come to the front and sit in the "Eagles Nest" which left me in the back with all of the kids.  I don't know what happened, peacefulness soon turned to chaos and I ended up carrying Lincoln and dragging Payton out of the building.

As soon as we stepped outside the door I told Payton to go ahead and throw her tantrum.  Be as loud as you want to be.  Throw yourself on the ground.  Kick. Scream.  Go ahead.  Then I turned around so that I wouldn't be tempted to say anything else.  Any Love and Logic parents out there?  Ha!  Ha!Well,  a short while later I happen to look out over the parking lot and there is a van full of the ladies in our ward, meeting to go on a girls night out.  I have to admit, I was a tinsy bit embarrassed as they drove by and waved to me.  Let's just say I hadn't been as calm as those Love and Logic books encourage you to be...I was embarrassed by the way the kids were acting inside and I was frustrated when I brought them out.  As my friends were driving by, Payton was standing in the lawn of the church yelling and crying and as soon as they drove off she stopped, wiped her face, walked back over to me with a smile, and said she was ready to go back in.

We made it back in in time to watch the slide show that Michelle and Ralph had put together.  It was nicely done, I loved seeing all the pictures and so did the kids.  Unfortunately, Steven had to leave in the middle of the slide show to make it down to his race.  And as soon as the Court of Honor was over all the family jumped into cars and headed on down to watch him and his team race.

It was cold!  I am so glad that Michelle was prepared with like 5 fleece jackets and two or three blankets in the back of the suburban.  We all would have frozen our little keesters off.

Steven's team ran well.  It was so exciting to see them run.  They did not qualify for State but did move up a place and got 6th!  Afterwards, we found out the Steven had pulled his hamstring during his lap. Ouch!

Emma Prusch Farm for a Gilroy Playdate

This week was my week to plan the "Gilroy" Play date and I thought it would be fun to go Emma Prusch Farm.  Payton, Lincoln, and I had a blast there this past week.  Why not go again.  :o)

My Sister-In-Law, Jen, was in town with her two kiddos for Steven's graduation and Eagle Scout Court of Honor.  I took her son Ethan knowing he would have a ton more fun looking at animals than helping set up and plan the weekends events.  :)

Well, we pull into the parking lot and are getting all the kids unloaded and into strollers when Payton trips on the curb and skins her knee...That unfortunately was game over for Payton for the whole time we were at the park.  She never left the stroller the whole day even ate lunch in it.  Whatever!

Lincoln had a ball running around.  He found a puddle and went to town jumping in it.  It was cracking me up to watch him.  He jumped, stomped, and kicked in the puddle anything to splash the water.  By the time he was done his pants were soaked.  Of course, that was aided by the fact that when he was done he started to run and slipped and fell in the puddle.  Ha!  Ha! 


The begining part of the day was spent looking at all the animals.  Aimee even told them a little bit about some of the animals.  After we looked through the barn and the small animal area we headed over to the playground area picked out a great spot in the shade for a picnic and play time.

I had my first taste of having three kids at this point.  Payton would not get out of the stroller, Lincoln wanted to eat, and Ethan wanted to play on the playground.  If it is possible for your eyes to move in two different directions at the same time, I think I did it.  Ha! Ha!

About two o'clock everyone started packing up and heading home.  I had to make a quick stop by Jen's kitchen to pick up the cupcakes for Steven's Court of Honor before heading back.  Jennifer not only gave me the cupcakes but gave the kids little bowls of cake scraps to sample as we headed back home.  They were very concerned that I was not eating any cake and Ethan offered to share his with me.  It was so cute, I turned around and he had a few crumbs pinched between his little fingers and was handing them to me. 

I love pictures of kids with cake all over their face.  Poor Lincoln missed out on the cake scraps, he was so tuckered out.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Acting It Out

And more with Rapunzel...Payton has been acting out different parts of the movie.

We are borrowing one of those Little Tikes climbing thingys from a friend and Payton loves to use it as her tower.  When she watches Rapunzel she always asks me to pull it out so she can watch the movie from the tower.  The last time she watched it she even brought out her child size brown and dust pan along with a frying pan from her play kitchen.  Should I be worried that she has a frying pan, is acting out the movie, and is calling Lincoln, Flynn Rider?  Ha! Ha!

Anyway, I got her acting out one of the songs on video.  I hope you can hear the song in the background.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Stats

Lincoln's 15 month appointment (1 month late...)  He is 21 pounds and at the 5th percentile.  Yay!

Payton's 3 year appointment (1 month late...)  She is 31 pounds!

They are both getting so big.

Question

How do you get kids to sit still for scriptures?


Dessert!

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Rapunzel Hair

Payton's facination with Rapunzel continues...  Today she said she needed Rapunzel hair.  I told that I would try to figure something out while she was taking a nap.  Ha!  Ha!  Bribery, gotta love it.

While we were at the store buying the material for the Rapunzel dress, Payton threw a thing of yarn into the basket without me seeing.  Anyway, I was taking to a friend of mine a few weeks ago whose daughter had had a Rapunzel Party.  She had been trying to think of a way to make Rapunzel hair out of yarn and somehow attach it to hair clips so the girls at the party could wear it in their hair.  I couldn't ever figure out to attach the yarn to a hair clip but I figured out how to attach it to a headband.



Now in addition to the dress, I can't get her to take off the hair.  Ha!  Ha!

Saturday, May 21, 2011

We Have Squash!

My garden is growing.  Yay!

Here is a picture of my zucchini plant.  Isn't it cute?  Ha! Ha!


We also have a couple of tomatoes started.  I am only slightly more impressed with the zucchini because I started it from a seed and the tomato plant was already a "plant". 

Run! Steven! Run!

Uncle Steven's 4 X 4 track team made it to the CCS semi-finals.  We thought Payton and Lincoln would have fun watching their Uncle run so made the trip down to Gilroy to see him run.

We got there a little early as to not miss them run.  While we were waiting we watched several events including the 2 mile.  It is amazing to watch these kids run.  The girls were running 2 miles in under 12 minutes and the boys were running it in under 11 minutes.  They made it look easy.  The fastest I have ever ran 1 mile was 8 minutes and I couldn't have kept that pace for another mile.  Geez...



It was so awesome to watch Steven in his element.  His team ran really well and they made it to finals!  I think Lincoln thinks we are all insane. When Steven was running we were all cheering for him...loudy.  Ha!  Ha!  Lincoln just looked at all of us with the "you are crazy" look.

Congrats Steven!

Friday, May 20, 2011

Rapunzel Dress Continued...

I couldn't just let it be.  As soon as I could get my hands on a seam ripper I ripped the bodice apart.  :o) 

Fortunately, I had enough material to make the bodice over again.  Fortunately, I was able to use the skirt and sleeves with the new bodice.  :o)

The dress is a little on the big side now but like Dave said she will be able to wear it for a lot longer this way.  She loves it! 

When I was working on the bodice for the second time Payton said, "Mommy, will you quit breaking my dress."  Ha! Ha!  She is so right, it is just a play dress.  It doesn't have to be perfect.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Emma Prusch Farm

Our friend Sara let us, or should I say the Bernal Ward Playgroup, know that the preschool her son goes to was going on a field trip to Emma Prusch Farm and invited us all to come along.

We had so much fun!  Payton and Lincoln loved all the animals...from a distance.  Ha!  Ha!  We went into a "small animal" area that had chickens, ducks, geese, etc.  Payton and Lincoln were not sure about the geese and didn't want to go into the area.  I told them just to walk on the other side of the stroller so that it would be between them and the geese.  That worked perfectly until Payton and Lincoln separated.  The geese zeroed in on poor little Lincoln.  I saw it all in slow motion as I was walking towards him.  Lincoln looks at the geese with a very concerned look and starts walking away from them sideways while at the same time maintaining eye contact with them.  The geese follow him.  He trips.  The one goose gets closer and nips at his pant leg.  Lincoln cries.  I really don't care for geese either, they can be so mean.  I can just imagine how scary it would be if the goose was bigger than you. 




Besides the animals and the way fun playground area, Payton and Lincoln also enjoyed these tractors that they could climb on and pretend to drive.  



What a fun day!

Finished Rapunzel Dress!

I finished it!  It is almost midnight but it is done and so cute!



This is Payton's friend Sadie.  The dress Sadie is wearing was made by my friend Jessica and is the one I used to make Payton's dress.


Payton LOVES this dress!  Will not take it off.  However, it is a tad too small.  :O(  Whenever she reaches for a toy or anything it comes undone in the back and the shoulders are too wide and don't stay up.  I am a little disappointed in how it turned out.  I  wish it fit better.  I don't know if I am going to be able to just let it be.  Ahhhh!

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Caft Group

I finally made it to craft group!  Yay! 

My project...making Payton a Rapunzel Dress.  I really hope she loves it. 

This is the start, I hope I finish it.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Ice Cream Truck

I remember as a little girl running out to the ice cream truck and spending my entire week's allowance on my special treat.

Dave and I figured it was about time for Payton and Lincoln to experience the excitement of stopping the truck and getting a little treat.  There is an ice cream truck that always drives by during Dave's Saturday soccer games.

So fun!  So messy!




So grateful for baby wipes!

Friday, May 13, 2011

A Nap Time Visitor

I went in to get Lincoln up from his nap and he had company.  How Rumba even got into the room I will never know.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Park Play Date

We went to the park for our weekly play date.  It was great! Such a beautiful day.

Payton was being extra daring today.  Not sure what got into her but she was doing things and climbing on things that she has never shown interest in before.

She followed her friends onto a cement wall that lined the toddler area of the playground.  I saw her and started walking over to her to tell her to get down and just at that moment she fell off the wall.  I don't know what it is but it seems like whenever I need to move fast everything goes in slow motion.  Fortunately, she was fine.  But then not long after that she fell through the top of this little arch climbing thing.  Again fortunately she was fine.  Evidently, she has nine lives.


Tuesday, May 10, 2011

We Planted a Garden!

I have been wanting to plant a garden for many years now.  I have always had great excuses don't know how, no room, no time, it's too late to plant, etc...  This year I just decided to do it and I would learn from my mistakes.  I had a square foot gardening book as my guide, made a list of what i wanted to plant, grabbed the kids, and headed out to the store.

Before we left I asked Payton if she would like to plant a garden with me and she got super excited.  Instead of vegetables though she wanted to plant flowers.  Ha!  Ha!  So I promised her that she could pick out the flowers for our garden.


When we got home and went right out to the backyard and started working.  The kids really needed little convincing.  Payton was very excited to use her new princess shovel, gloves, and kneeling mat. And Lincoln...well he was all about the water.  He was totally drenched by the time we were done.



I was really surprised at how long they stayed interested.  They even came back out after their naps and picked up right were they left off.



So we have three pepper plants (red, golden, and green), two tomato plants, cucumbers, yellow squash, zucchini, and two different kinds of lettuce.  I hope I don't kill the whole crop.



I always kind of laughed when filling out activity/fitness questionnaires and they listed gardening as an activity.  Isn't it just pulling weeds?  Ummm,  I was so sore the next day.  After using a pick axe and a shovel to break up dirt and roots all day, yikes!  Hopefully one day soon I will get to enjoy the fruits of my labor.  :o)

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Happy Mother's Day to Me!

Didn't take any pictures today either...

Dave and the kids got me a super cute card and a beautiful necklace.  With each child, Dave's gets me a piece of jewelry with the baby's birthstone.  It just works out that these pieces of jewelry appear on Mother's Day.  ;o)  With Payton I got diamond earrings, go April!  Ha! Ha! So with Lincoln I got a heart shaped garnet surrounded with little diamonds.  It is very pretty!

After church we went down to Gilroy for our 2nd Sunday family dinner.  It was super yummy, we had Hawaiian Haystacks and Jen's cupcakes for dessert.  Between dinner and dessert, Coyo's boys, Julian and Damian, put on a little rock and roll concert for us featuring my dad as their backup singer.  It was great!  Payton and Caeden even joined in on the fun.

It was so nice to be able to spend the day with my family especially my grandmother and mother.  They are so awesome!  While they both possess many wonderful qualities, I think the best quality they possess is their ability to love us no matter what.  Thanks mom and grandma!  Love your "R" faces.  ;o)
Sp looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow.  :O)

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Mother/Daughter Luncheon

I am so mad at myself for forgetting my camera...

Today my mom, Payton, Caeden, and I drove to Atwater to visit my grandmother and attend a Mother/Daughter Luncheon put on by her church.  Payton and Caeden were so excited!

They had lunch and a little program put together.  A very cute lady sang a couple of songs about mothers and then a few of the ladies got up and shared memories about their mothers.  It was a very nice event.  And it was so fun to meet some of my grandmother's friends too.

Afterwards we went to my grandmother's house, visited, and watched to girls play.  They loved running around out in her backyard.  She had one ball to play with and we put it to good use playing keep away and just running trying to catch the person with the ball.  Lots of laughing going on with those little girls.

The funniest part of the day happened as we were leaving to come home.  A long time ago my mother and grandmother took me to Utah, I can't remember what exactly we were going for other than checking out BYU.  Anyway, we had snacks packed for the trip and we finished them before we got out of Atwater.  Well, Payton and Caeden beat us.  They finished their snack cups before we got out of the driveway...

Friday, May 6, 2011

Gasp!

I have a gray hair!

Not just one...three.

Backyard Play

Today was a day that we got to stay home.  Yay!  It seems days like this are far and few between these days.

The weather was awesome!  I love when it is warm but not to hot.

I got a couple of great pictures.




We took our little tunnels outside to make an obstacle course and have a race.  Lincoln's tunnel ended up rolling under the little tree on the left side of the picture.  It was so funny watching him try to figure out what the light he ran over was through the side of the tunnel.  Needless to say this little distraction did not win him the race.  :o)

Monday, May 2, 2011

Los Gatos Play Date

Jen sent me a text this morning asking if I wanted to join her and our friend Alison for a play date in Los Gatos.  Sure, why not!

The kids had so much fun.  The playground was so nice and had lots of shade.  The sandbox there was awesome, there are just toys in the sandbox that stay there and that anyone can play with.  Nice!


Yes, Lincon's hair is getting long...  This is what I call the sunscreen do.  Ha! Ha!


Once again, Payton will not look at the camera.  At least Jen was looking.  Hee! Hee!