My favorite tradition each Christmas is the birthday party we throw for Jesus. The last two Christmas' we have been with all the Utah relatives staying at my Mom's. Having our big meal and party to celebrate the Savior's birth all planned out for us. This year we weren't able to go up to Utah so I got to plan my own birthday celebration. It was awesome. I prepared lots of middle eastern/ Greek food, made a birthday cake and invited over some friends. Our house was full of people just like I was at home with my family. Seriously it made my whole Christmas. After we ate lots of yummy food we took a moment to talk about the greatest gift the savior has given us. We also wrote down our present this year for the savior. It was such a wonderful evening.
Sariah is loving the fact that her brother is able to play with her all week. She might yell and scream at times but he is her favorite playmate! Justin has been so patient with his little sister. When she is nice he loves it. When she is cranky he is normal and gets frustrated. I call Justin bud or buddy often. Today for the first time Sariah keeps saying Justin buddy as she plays with him. I love watching them play happily together, it makes all the fighting they do seem nonexistent. I love Christmas break!!!!
Went to the mall today with this little cutie to get her picture taken with Santa. We stood in line and waited our turn to find out that they weren't going to let me take a picture with my camera. I had to buy their cheapest one photo package at $17 if I wanted to get a picture with him. So disappointed in the mall but life will go on. Little Miss is getting so big and has sooo much personality. Love it! She keeps surprising me with her vocabulary and her ability to do anything she puts her mind to.
At our house we try to get the kiddos to bed by 8pm. Most nights this comes with some whining and excuses of the need to use the potty one last time, a drink of water, one more story, and whatever they can come up with. One night last week the whining was nonexistent. Giggles were heard and lots of hugs were being given. I snapped a few shots with my phone and fell in love with this shot. These are my 3 favorite things I am so eternally grateful for!
Last night as little miss was going to sleep she started to sing a song about our day together. It was such a needed boost to my mothering skills. Since she is two her day consists of lots of instances where she tries to exert her free will. Sometimes this can be trying. We went to see pictures of jesus yesterday and talked about him for 15 minutes. Last night as she sang her song she sang all about Jesus and loving him and He loving her. It was the sweetest thing. She has been singing her song today too! Love it. Love her.
Sariah and I have our little routines through out the week. You know things to look forward to while big brother is in school. Sariah so wishes that she could go to school with her brother but not for a few more years. Once a week we go to a free kids club at the mall. They sing toddler songs and dance around. She loves it. It is so much fun to watch her dance all around. I love my one on one time with my little gal. She has so much spunk and personality. I snapped this picture with my new phone this last week. She is doing the wheels on the bus. Here she is with the mascot for the kids club. Looking a little skeptical.
Okay so it has been forever and a day since I last posted but I am going to do my best to get all caught up from the summer and post what is happening now. I want to get everything on here because this is counting as my journal and I don't want to miss out on the memories.
We are going to start with Halloween. Halloween this year was on a Sunday. At church we had a trunk or treat party the week before Halloween. Then the Saturday before Halloween I took the kiddos over to a neighborhood we used to live by that was doing trick or treating a day early.
Cute little Sariah had multiple outfits she wore for her week leading up to Halloween. The night we officially went trick or treating she chose to be Super Girl with crazy color hair. Sariah twisted my arm a little to color my hair too. I put my wings on from last year and pretended to be the tooth fairy.
Justin was a crazy soccer player...crazy because he has greenish hair and it's sticking up all over the place. I love this picture because it's a genuine Justin smile.
This is the fake smile but still so handsome...isn't he getting so big.
Sariah was fascinated with the glow bracelets and kept trying to show her Pops how to put them together. She loves her Pops.
James was unable to go trick or treating with us on Saturday night due to some work he had to get done so it was the 3 of us. We had lots of fun.
In these pictures you can see the craziness that started the night off...and it was before they got sugar in their blood streams...can you imagine how it turned when they had sugar? We had lots of fun and walked over 6,000 steps. (I know the steps because my bodybugg told me so.)
Heard this song for the first time at Girls Camp and fell in love with it....hope you enjoy,
I am His Daughter by Nicole Sheahan
The photos in the magazines Don't dictate who I'm supposed to be The world can't recognize, all that I am inside But I know in His eyes, I am a part of, the bigger picture,
There's so much more to me He helps me see that I have so much to offer I am His daughter He loves me the way I am, He's my strength when I stand He is my King, and my Father, I am His daughter.
The people on the TV screen, The leaders, rulers, and queens I watch them shape the world, And though I'm just a girl, I still know for sure, That I am a part of, the bigger picture
There's so much more to me He helps me see that I have so much to offer I am His daughter He loves me the way I am, He's my strength when I stand He is my King, and my Father, I am His daughter
And when I'm feeling small, And wondering if I'll ever, find courage to stand tall Through His love I remember
There's so much more to me He helps me to see that I have so much to offer I am His daughter He loves me the way I am He's my strength when I stand He is my King, and my Father, I am His daughter
Okay so it's been way too long since the last time I posted on my blog. I have so many pictures to post from this summer and beginning of school, that I don't know where to begin. Life has been going great with it's ups and downs and all the in betweens. I wanted to begin my come back to the blog world with just some quick words and one picture.
I spent 4 beautifully cold days with these 17 people at girls camp last week. It was amazing. Yes it was cold, cows mooed all night, coyotes scared us to death, my legs ached from repelling, caving, and hiking, and I managed to get sunburned but I would do it all over again! Our camp theme was "Your Happily Ever After" based onthe talk by Dieter F Uchtdorf. Great talk check the link and read it! I was naive enough to think that girls camp was for the girls and the leaders were just there to help. I learned so much and loved every bit. So thankful for the opportunity I had to attend and hope I will be able to go many more times. I will post more pics from camp at a later date.
Seriously wish this lady lived next door. She is the best and I can talk to her like no other person. I look up to her in so many ways. She is an amazing mom, knows everything about homeschooling, health, natural birth, chiropractic, and loves to watch movies. She is the best. We have so much fun when we are together. I am glad she was able to come out to AZ to visit her family who live out here and spend a few days with me as well. Hopefully next time she visits I will take a picture of her and me together.
Her kiddos and mine watching a movie.
Are they just so beautiful?
Seriously Sariah looks like she could be their sister.
Playing at Peter Piper Pizza
Climbing on the Merry-Go-Round is totally allowed.
Such a happy baby.
Sariah loved playing with her friends.
Sariah also loved January's lap.
The kids had fun one day out in the water.
Even though she is blond and wearing a similar swim suit this is not Sariah....it is her twin from another mother.
There is way too much to catch up with and I don't even know when I will have the time to do it. But know that we are alive and well. I am going to try and get some posts caught up before we leave again. The whole summer has flown by and Justin is in school again. Lots of fun pictures to post. Sure do love you all.
I was so excited to have Luke for 2 weeks. While he was here we went swimming, played games, out to eat, to the movies, shopping, church, and lots of other fun things. There is a 19 year age difference between me and Luke but that doesn't keep us from having an awesome sibling relationship. He is so much fun and at the same time so mature for his age. Being the youngest of 12 requires a lot of strength and love. He loves everyone of his siblings and their attachments. (Attachments being spouses and children.) I was so glad he got to come down and visit for a bit. We went out to IHOP for dinner one night with Luke. He started the entertainment off with a spoon.
Grateful for the man who took us all out to eat. Love him.
Then Justin joined in the fun.
Of course Sariah wants to do everything the boys do.
Justin had to see if the fork would work too. :)
Playing around on the bike rack.
Copying her big brother.
Seriously can these 3 be any cuter? Oh I doubt it.
Watching movies with January's kiddos.
Same people, same couch, different day.
Playing in the sprinklers
Having fun in the water on a hot August day.
I really hope Luke can come down every summer. I promise to take better pictures next time.
For some reason school starts in the middle of August in Arizona. I personally think it starts so early because they feel bad that the kids are stuck at home all summer and can't play outside because it's sooooo stinkin hot here. I hate that it starts so early but this year Justin was so wanting to go back to school. He started 4th grade with a whole new challenge. This year he is part of a combo class. It is a 4th/5th combo with all the ELP students. ELP stands for extended learning program. It is a program for gifted students who need a little more of a challenge. You have to take a test to get into the program and once you are in it you don't have to test again. Both his ELP teacher and his main teacher seem amazing and so experienced with students like Justin. It might be a little rough for him not being the best in the class since he will be surrounded by a whole bunch of kids at the same level. Really looking forward to see how this year turns out.
Morning Buddies share some smiles before we take Justin to school.
All dressed and ready to go. He didn't want to wear anything new to school. My boy who used to love his kahki's and polos is now in love with t-shirts and athletic shorts.
Love this face.
Snapped a shot right before the bell rang....I think this is the I am embarrassed that my mom is here taking this picture.
Uncle Luke was with us when school started so I had to get a picture of the 2 buddies. He helped me caarry Justin's school supplies. I can't believe he is in 4th grade.
We left Utah bright and early and got a good start on our trip back. Everyone did pretty great in the car and we took the trip home slow, making a whole bunch of stops. Here we stopped at the Utah/Arizona state line with Lake Powell in the background.
The bridge that we drove over.
Lukas and Justin being silly.
Opps forgot to read the sign.
Luke was nice to let Sariah decorate him with stickers.
The largest dream catcher I have ever seen.
Cute little guys.
Sticker queen
The girls
We made it home safe and sound with no speeding tickets.
