Furr's

So, the old folks around here like this restaurant called Furr's. Like a buffet, cafeteria type place with lot's of different (salty) foods, desserts, etc. We went for the first time the other day with Uncle Bob, Aunt Edna, Dan, Joyce, Natalie and Jonathan. The best part of the night was the company. We always enjoy our time with UB and AE. Dan and Joyce are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. And our new friends Natalie and Jonathan, who live in MI and are just visiting their grandparents for the week, are so fun. We had a great time at dinner talking and watching the kids eat an abundance of whatever they wanted. After dinner Pete drove Uncle Bob's golf cart. And then the kids picked oranges in baskets until they couldn't carry them anymore. They ate a few and we talked outside until after dark. Good times.

Uncle Bob sat by Jamie so we put him in charge of making sure she ate, didn't choke and didn't spill too much. It was a funny sight.

Birthday

Yesterday was my wonderful husband's birthday. I tried to make it as special as I could. Hard with two little ones wanting your attention and wondering why all of a sudden on this day they weren't getting it as much. But I had some things planned and was excited to put them in place.

First thing in the morning we decorated the kitchen with blue and white streamers. Then we headed off to MOPS. When we got home we ate lunch and I put the kiddos to bed. In the next two hours I cleaned the house, made two spaghetti pies, a salad, cut a cantaloupe, cleaned up the backyard from the storm that went through, washed the windows and mirrors in the house, cleaned the guest bathroom, dumped the trash, and took a shower and got ready. I am sure there was more, but that was the major stuff. When the kids woke up I was stuck. Jamie was needy, Pete fell off a chair and both wanted to read. How do you deny your kids when they want to read right? So finally at 4:20, all our birthday guests were arriving at 5pm, I put my foot down and got the pies in the oven, got the kids dressed, got dressed myself and started setting the table.

P. got home and everyone was excited to see him and show him the decorations. Our guests for dinner and cake were Uncle Bob, Aunt Edna, their friends (and our friends) Dan and Joyce, and Dan and Joyce's grand-daughter and great grandson Natalie and Jonathan. We had a full house and I wouldn't have had it any other way. The more the merrier and with our new home, nice kitchen and wonderful entertaining area I love having people over. Hope P. enjoyed it too. It was a fun evening for all. Everyone liked the spaghetti pie, I was a little nervous because it was a new recipe. Uncle Bob brought over a cake with P.'s name on it and we finished the whole thing off. Everyone like the house and we were proud to call it ours. The kids had painted cards for dad earlier in the week so we gave him those and his gifts. A bike rack for the car and a gift certificate to Cabela's. He was happy with those. Like I have said before. I love my husband and I appreciate him. Hope he always knows that. Wish I could show him more often. We were reading a book today about Jesus and his "friends". The book asked, "Do you have a best friend?" Pete said, daddy is my best friend. Sweetest thing I had ever heard.

The Edible Arrangements fruit basket our friend Onnie and Arry sent us from MI for our birthdays. Wow are those amazing. The kids new favorite foods are fruits on a stick. We have at least half of it gone less than 24 hours later.

Coloring

The kids have been into coloring lately. Today I tried to have them color with crayons instead of marker, less messy that way, and Pete said back to me, "Don't want to use these mom. They are old and slow."

Pete with some marker "battle wounds" on his face.
Jamie keeps her all lined up. When she uses one she puts it at the end of the line.
Pete has become an expert circle drawer.

Water Fun

We have enjoyed our little pool. And we enjoy our hot tub. Can't wait until the big pool is warm enough to enjoy it too. Until then....these will do! We are so lucky. Lucky in our eyes means blessed. These days I don't believe much in luck.

Jamie's First Hair Trim

Jamie's curls were getting a little crazy on top of her head so I decided to trim them up. I had no idea what I was doing but it worked. Now they are out of her eyes and a little more manageable. We saved her first strands of cut hair thanks to P. who remembered. I was too busy trying to keep her still, figure out what I was doing and not make her look bad. How could Jamie look bad, right? :)

Our Week

Some pictures of our week.

Tuesday we did some shopping and played at the playground at our church before coming home for lunch and naps.

Wednesday night we ate dinner at Jason's Deli. We love that place. Good, healthy food, yummy stuff for the kids and free frozen yogurt with your meal.

Today the kids and I went to the mall. It was such a nice morning together. The kids played at the play area for about an hour. Pete made some friends and he chased them around all over the place. We walked both levels of the mall window shopping and talking about things. Pete asks me when we are walking, "Getting exercise mom?" We stopped in Stride Rite and had their feet measured. Wow, was I off on sizes, sorry kiddos! We played in Build-A-Bear and they loved it. We didn't buy anything but played with their display animals. Pete asked for one for his birthday. Here we go with the whole Build-A-Bear craze (expensive stuffed animals that never get played with). But to tell you the truth, I think it's a great idea and a wonderful experience for the kids. So, we will see. We then ate at Paradise Bakery and I had a salad and the kids shared a bowl of mac n' cheese. No one sat on my lap, no one tried to get out of their seat a million times and no one spilled a drink. We stopped at a kiosk that sold hermit crabs in these really cool shells and the kids played with them for a long time. They loved them. $9.99 for a crab of your own to watch. Hmmmm. We will see on that one too. On the way out Cinnabon gave us some samples. A perfect end to a perfect morning with my little sweethearts.

Build-A-Bear fun.

Jamie got to play too after her brother but when she plays I am usually holding her up so I don't get to take pics of her playing. Had to put that in there because P. says Jamie gets ripped off too often and I need to involve her more.

This was Jamie at the play area watching the other kids. Had to put this in here because I am just in love with her curly hair. I LOVE it. She is so beautiful and every day I tell her how I love everything about her. She is such an angel from God and I am so lucky to have her.
Us and the hermit crabs. So fun!I just have to say thanks. Thanks to God for my beautiful family. Thanks for my beautiful home and this beautiful place that I live. And thanks that I can stay home and be with my children every day. I get to take them places, teach them new things, show them things they have never seen or done before and I get to see their faces when they watch hermit crabs crawl around for the first time. I get to eat my meals with them, read new books from the library to them all morning and I get to watch them down tangerines like they are candy. Every day I get to dress them in cute clothes that make them even cuter than they already are. I feel so blessed that I am able to stay home with them and wouldn't change a thing about my life. What a wonderful life I have. First I thank God but I also owe my wonderful husband many, many thanks. God provides a way and my husband makes it possible for us. He got us here, he works hard every day so I can stay home and he comes home to us every night. He supports me in whatever I want to do and we are the perfect parenting team with our beautiful children. We are in it together and we thank our God for our marriage, our kids and our life. We know how blessed we are. We feel it every day. And we hope to teach our kids to love the Lord, lean on Him, and be as blessed as we are.

Jamie's up from a nap now. I am going to get my curly-haired angel, watch her drink some orange juice her dad squeezed himself and look at the same book we have looked at every day this week after her nap because it is full of owls. Goodbye!

Backwards

My actual birthday day. Dinner at In-N-Out, where else?

Visit From My Parents

My parents came to visit last weekend. We were able to share our new home with them, our new city, church, neighborhood and time with the kids. We spent a lot of quality time at the house playing with the kids, playing outside and eating meals together as a family. The kids enjoyed their company and we were thankful for the time we had together in our new AZ life.

Here are some pictures of our time together. Thanks mom and dad for making the trip out here to spend time with us. It really meant a lot to all of us that you came here to see us. I know traveling is hard but time with family is priceless and someday we will not have it anymore. The kids and I will have these pictures and memories forever.

Grandpa looking at a sticker book with the kids. Naming each item and putting stickers all over each other and the book.

Pete and Jamie decorating a birthday cake for me. It was topped with LOTS of sprinkles, gummy bears, M&M's and little fingerprints and holes.

The new pool we set up. It's so cute with two separate pools, a slide and a dolphin sprinkler. It will get a lot of use, especially when mom isn't up to getting in the big pool every day.
Sticker book again with Nana and Grandpa. There was a spider sticker and Grandpa would act like it was crawling up her arm and tickle her neck. She loved it.
The new Toy Story bedding Nana and Grandpa bought for Pete and his new big boy bed. He loves it and asks us to "cover me up" in them all the time. Thanks so much for this gift for Pete's new room. We will think of you every time we use it!
And the cutest owl lamp you have ever seen for Jamie's room. Pete helped us set it up and was so excited to show it to her and turn it on. It's perfect for her and we appreciate it so much. Mom and dad couldn't resist buying it for their little pumpkin.
Feeding the ducks.
The kids and a very brave goose.
We spent Saturday evening at our church. It was a perfect night and we were so proud to take my parents with us. We love our church and when we can't go we miss it. I was so happy my parents got to go with us. After church we ate dinner outside, watched the kids play, P. and Pete hiked the mountain and we had frozen yogurt. What a wonderful night.

Thanks again mom and dad. For making the trip, our gifts and for helping us with our new home.

St. Patrick's Day

Really the only way we acknowledged St. Patrick's Day today was after dinner I put Jamie in this cute shirt someone handed down to us. I didn't put her in it all day because I knew she would get it dirty within minutes of putting it on. And yes, that is what she did. We had ice-cream and she ended up with a mint-n-chip looking and smelling shirt after just a few bites. Oh, and Jamie WILL NOT wear a bib. She takes it off before you have it on. Anyway, this morning when I said we should be wearing green Pete said he wanted to wear his white shirt so that was the end of that. That's ok, next year will be more fun when they start understanding more. Funny, I don't really understand what St. Patrick's Day is all about myself. Next year I will do green pancakes for breakfast and an all green dinner or something fun like that.

Had to post 3 pics because they were all so cute. And they were all taken before she had ice cream all down her front. Good night all!

Going Back-March 4th

We did do some early celebrating before the birthday sicknesses set in. On the Friday before my birthday the kids and I went to the library for story time. It didn't go well (lots of kids equals lots of noise which equals lots of chaos and increased hyperness) so we just left but before we did I got a cute pic of Pete tapping sticks to a song. We will try story time again another day.We went out to dinner at Red Robin that night. Red Robin gives you a free burger for your birthday, it's a great deal. And a free sundae. And lot's of good people/things watching for the kiddos. And balloons.On that Sunday I took a whole 6 hours to myself to do whatever I wanted. I found a new mall south of us that we hadn't been to yet. Walked and shopped around that all morning. Had lunch by myself without ANY distractions. Shopped at Target afterward and enjoyed a Starbucks Frappuccino while there. Then hit another store for some frames for a picture project I am working on. It was a great day and by the time I got home I was missing the kids and hubby and ready to get back to real life. It's amazing how enjoyable leisure shopping is when you don't have anyone with you. Or eating without anyone sitting on your lap or spilling food on you and everywhere. Or driving and not having to pass goldfish and drinks back to the kids when they are screaming because they are hungry or thirsty. Ahhh, it was a nice day. Thanks babe.

Life in AZ

Well, we were sick, then we were better, then we were sick and now we are better. Then P. went on a business trip to CA and my parents came to AZ for a visit. Busy, busy. It has been fun showing my parents a little bit about our new life here in AZ. Here are a few pics from our week before my parents got here. Time for bed.

Little Angel playing in my jewelry box.
Washing the van with dad.
Cleaning the pool with dad and the dog.
My birthday flowers from my cousin Kaela and her hubby Colin.
Jamie going after my birthday flowers.
My birthday ice-cream with my boy.
Kiddos watching a movie with their juice and goldfish.