resting ...

so much for getting photos up. I guess being awake for 27 hours isn't what it used to be, I was wiped out by the time we got home yesterday late morning! I had a nap, then took the big kids to pick up their free backpacks/supplies and we ended up hanging around for an hour at the family day event ... the kids couldn't resist some free cotton candy, they also got to have a cool "experience" to learn about what to do in case of fire (it was this little trailer all set up and the firefighter took them through and taught them different things)! I fell asleep on the couch at 8:30pm and didn't wake up until a little after 7am this morning, when Annicka was asking me if we were going yard sale-ing ... ahhh, the joys of being a kid!

anyway, needless to say - no photos ... yet! but, hopefully, soon!

just a few words ...

we'll be heading home tonight, but I wanted to get a head start on blogging about our Albuquerque trip! just a few things I want to be sure to remember!

I love how Jericho called Grandma a princess, but the best part was his definition of why she's a princess: "because you cook and clean"

I also loved it when the big kids were told "no rough housing" while they were in Grandma's pool ... Liam quickly piped up and said "that's not a house ... it's not rough housing, it's rough watering" ... oh yes he did, and it stuck for the rest of the trip too "rough watering" - lol!

the kids did swim lessons this week and they all love it, Liam has taken to the water wonderfully ... in fact, he seems to have no fear which made it really hard for me to watch when the teacher decided to do yesterday's lessons in the deep pool - yikes! I wasn't so sure Liam could be trusted to stay sitting on the edge, so I made daddy stay real close by!

Annicka's been having quite the time with her cousins (they all have, but since the cousins are 8 and 10 and girls, Annicka especially benefits) - enjoying not having to do anything but play and eat, what a life ... ok, so I've been enjoying being quite lazy myself - we couldn't really call it a "vacation" otherwise, right?

and the little miss, wow! she is waving "hi" so well now, she'll wave hello to anyone with just a quick "say hi" from us. she is also signing "more" very well now, and it's adorable ... I'm not sure she understands what is means (whether she just thinks it's for food, or more like a please?) but it's progress either way! she doesn't sign "baby" much any more though, sad. she is standing like a pro with the help of anything near-by ... even her play yard walls! she's also blowing kisses, which I've been working on for a while ... so far it's just her putting her hand up to her mouth and then moving it away (no actual kiss) - it's adorable! she also had her first dip in a pool, of course she loved it!

and don't worry, I have multitudes of photos to share ... once I have time to download and edit them! now let's just hope that my daily headaches (it's been nearly four weeks now) will go away cause I seriously wanna bash my own head in - it's awful!

and that's it for now, perhaps this weekend I'll have time to put up some photos ... but if anyone is reading, now you know why there's been no new posts for a couple weeks!

Independence Night 2011

it was a second annual event for fireworks ... we went to a grocery store parking lot to catch the views of the "bombs bursting" in the air!

here's a nice blurry shot of the kids eating their donuts ... ok, Liam didn't get a whole donut, so he's already licking his fingers - yum!


he really liked them and only covered his ears a couple times





another blurry one, but I love capturing these moments ... they're watching and didn't notice me until after the camera flashed!






it was a fun night indeed ... I love these times with my kids! we missed daddy and Zoey, but daddy's not really into this stuff and Zoey doesn't know what she's missing - lol - but, I bet she would enjoy it!

summer means ...

creativity ...bouncing while mama makes dinner ...

early baths and video games ...

mama actually working on some of her projects ...
(finally painted these awesome letters that my friend's hubby cut out for me)

being adorable, whilst showcasing more "new" hair pretties mama made ...

laughing ...

being together ...

getting all cute to go to Bible study ...
(and it's actually been warm enough for summer clothes - amazing)

I'll just say it, I'm absolutely loving summer!
I'm loving having the kids home,
I'm loving lazy mornings,
I'm loving going for walks to the park,
I'm loving "school" with the big kids,
I'm loving it all!!!

free picnic!

I try to get to the events here on base, but usually I don't know about them ... don't ask me, I must live under a rock or something??? anyway, the Saturday before Independence Day there was a free picnic and we all went!

it was another one of those times that I had forgotten to be sure the camera battery was all charged up :c so, I don't have any photos of the kids in the bounce house or climbing the rock wall, not hula hoop photos or pics of them with their balloons ... but, at least I have the memory!

he was mad, he wanted to go in the big kids
bounce obstacle course, he refused to go in the
bounce house for his age!

m&m's disappointment ...

ok, I won't lie, when I opened up this pack of M&M's I sort of wondered if God Himself was trying to tell me something???perhaps? but anyway, where's the product quality people? really? it looks like they had been let to melt and they kind-of, sort-of got solid again ... but, as you can see, it was a mess! they got eaten regardless (no, not all by me) but they sure were not the same!

muah-ha-ha ...

that's my evil laugh ... every now and then I get a little daring, a little playful, a little comical ... one such time occurred a week or two ago when I found my handsome hubby sound asleep in the pink rocking chair, he was holding Zoey and they were both so sweet (she was asleep too).

then, I had a thought ... I'll paint his toe nails ... ha ha ha
and, so, I did! then I posted the above photos to facebook ... I had to share the fun with everyone, after all! I love you, my very tolerant husband!

so random ...

I guess I never put up these random pics from the weekend we returned from our Oregon trip ... here they are, nothing too fabulous - but it was pretty funny how Liam was sleeping!

do you see it???

do you see those bite marks??? I took this photo back in May, Zoey was hot & heavy in her "biting phase" (she'd been a biter for a couple months) and I decided to "document" the "evidence" she leaves behind! you know, so that some day I can show her ... of course, nearly two months later, she still loves to bite! I hope we'll be able to remedy the biting, thankfully she mostly only bites if one: a) puts their finger in her mouth or b) pokes their finger out toward her (she'll lean in and get ya - beware)!

Independence Day 2011

we basically did a repeat of last year for "4th of July" ... we started off by driving to Solvang for the parade -parades are sort of sentimental/reminiscent for me, so I like taking the kids to them- after the parade we grabbed some lunch and then headed home for a lazy afternoon!

getting ready ...

waiting for the parade ...

Zoey was having fun with this cup!

love this pic

I think Liam enjoyed the parade most, but
Jericho seemed to really like it too ... Annicka was
there for the candy, which there wasn't much of!

Liam thought the motorcycles were loud!

someone's been eating a tootsie roll!!!

I love the way he pushes up his glasses -
my sweet little boy! this may sound weird, but
I also love the funny little faces he's been
making lately, it's actually like he has "a tick"
or something, but I get a kick out of it!