So from the last post until now I've been busier than I would like.  This week I finally feel like I can breath and take a day off.  After deciding we were moving we spent the past month packing, packing, and packing some more.  Moving is so unsettling to children (and their parents).  All routines, although maintained as much as possible, were badly managed as my stress and tired level rose to dangerous levels.  There were several breakdowns and not just by the children.  I cried more in the last month than in the past several years combined.  BUT!...it is behind us more or less.  Brian knows I am never moving again.  If his work requires it then they better pay movers to pack and move us cause I'm OUT!  On May 21st we had many hands come to our aid to move our belongings a few miles up the rode.  We had amazing support from our ward members as well as friends a little further away.  Jeff and Maren's help was invaluable.  Jeff spent all day Saturday with me getting the kids rooms set up so everyone had a comfy place to sleep and also moving furniture into the right places. Then he and Maren came over on Sunday and helped me get the kitchen in order so I could feed everyone.  I'm headed back to the old place to clean tomorrow with the help of a friend, Carol Cost. 

We are now in Henderson instead of Las Vegas...which reduced Rosie to tears.  (She was soothed after finding out most of her friends have Henderson addresses as well.)  It took us 2 full moving truck loads as well as a few pick-up trucks full.  Our food storage alone was 4 pickup truck loads.  We didn't have to get rid of much and everything fits nicely into the the new place.  We have been here a little over a week and really like it here.  It's soooo nice to have a finished back yard that doesn't end up all over the kitchen floor every time someone comes in from outside. I actually saw Charlie out on the lawn twirling on the grass yesterday.  It was so cute.  

Rosie had the most difficult adjustment as she was a little under the weather the first week.  She had a fever and ear infections and so sleep was difficult and she was lethargic.  When I finally figured out what it was I treated her with my oils and the ear infection disappeared over night except she still seems to have trouble hearing.  We'll give that one another week and if it doesn't get better I may need to seek medical attention.  We have decided that it's not selective hearing loss...lol.

Brian received an iPad 2 from work and it has been a major hit with the kidlets.  They call it his giant iPhone.  Sometimes Wes falls asleep in the afternoon and then can't fall asleep until 11 or 12 at night.  I need to go to bed before that so we give him the iPad and he watches shows on Netflix on it until he falls asleep.  He will actually stay in bed too.  That has saved my life a few times when I was beat and Brian was working late.  We found out we can also do Facetime with it as well.  If Brian has it with him at work he can call my iPhone and we can video chat. 

We went to our new ward last week for the first time Both Rosie and Serra have friends from school in their classes.  That was a major bonus.  Wes and Charlie have always been in nursery together but they are separated now because there is a junior and senior nursery.  Marie Osmond is in our new ward and apparently teaches RS once a month.  That should be interesting. 

School is out for Serra next week and I can't wait to be off a schedule for a few months.  I see lots of naps in my future.  Rosie had her preschool graduation last week .  It was pretty cute.  She sure had a good time with pre-school and is sooo ready for Kindergarten.  I wish we could put her in all day K since she is a year older but it costs a bit too much. 

I've been terrible about taking pictures but have managed a few with my phone.

 

        

We go to Brian's softball games every Thursdsay night.  The kids have a blast (not watching but running free) and eating treat type foods.  Here is Wes with my sunglasses at one of them. 

Our little nerd.  Weston Burton.

A few weeks ago we made homemade pretzels.  Mmmmmm

 

Charlie liked hers

 

     

Rosie and Serra thought they were divine.

 

            

One of the only times in my life I allow myself In n' out is when I'm pregnant.  We occasionally indulge in burgers and shakes at the park. 

Mothers day was perfect.  Here is my shrine.

 

 

         

We were lucky enough to have some visitors for Mothers day this year.  Dallas and Melinda and baby Sam and Jeff and Maren (Jeff had to work Sunday but we did see him Saturday)  Maren slaved hours to make these delicacies.  So very tasty.  Sam got along quite well with the bunch. 

 

 

         

I finally allowed Charlie an ice cream cone.  That wasn't messy or anything.  We participated in the Susan G. Komen race for the cure.  A mile walk was all we could muster this year.  Rose thinks 75 degrees is cold.  She had to wrap herself up at one of the soft ball games to keep from getting frost bite. 

 

          

Charlie spends the entire 2 games (2 hours) playing on the bleachers.  Wes discovered Nutella this morning.  After enjoying it on a piece of toast he realized that that just wasn't going to cut it.  No worries, this jar was almost empty. 

          

Rosie's first foray into the neighborhood on her bike ended in major road rash.  Face, elbows, legs.   Good thing she was wearing a helmet.  Thanks Daddy for the reminder.  Rosie and her bestest bud Reagan who was accepted into the same school for next year.  May they be in the same class.

 

          

No place to nap during one of our moving afternoons...no worries Chuck and sleep anywhere.  Beds all packed up meant a few nights on the carpet. 

Fathers and sons outing (a major debacle).  But us girls enjoyed a dinner out at the Elephant Bar.  Brian and Wes got off late and were never able to find the campground.  They were in the car for 4 hours and not happy when they finally came home.  Perhaps some better luck next year. 

 

Wow!  It's been quite a week.  We have spent the last few weeks looking at rental properties.  Nothing has been right.  If the house was great, there was only 2 feet of backyard.  If the yard was perfect...the house was a mess...you get the picture.  We actually did find a house that would have been perfect and when we contacted the management company we found out someone had just snatched it up that day.  We had resigned ourselves to wait till July but as luck would have it we found a great place.  It is less than 5 minutes from Brian's office.  After looking at it the first time I was shaking by the time I had gone through the place.  It was perfect and beautiful.  It was the model for the subdivision when it first opened and so it is immaculate, nicely painted, a few extra bells and whistles like a fantastic kitchen.  It's about 3000 sf and 4 bedrooms.  The backyard is fine too.  We made an offer lower than the asking price but for 3 years in hopes of enticing them to agree...which they did.  We signed the next day.  The house was designed by an LDS woman who had 5 kids in 6 years.  Can I say closets and storage galore!  One of my biggest hangups in all the places we looked at was the lack of storage space.  I have food storage and kids clothes in every size that need to be put someplace.  This house has ample.  Pictures anyone...

 

Brian is not enamored with the outside color but I like it.  Notice the 3 car garage...Hurray!

 

Kitchen...my step ladder is going to be close by always.

Kitchen looking toward the family room.                  In the entry looking at the stairs. 

 

 

    

Formal dining room which I am going to block off and use as a hobby room.  I got really used to having one and am not giving it up.  Brian standing in the entry way.  He doesn't bump his head in this place...a positive. 

 

 

Just inside the front door.  Looking into the formal dining area.  Charlie is excited to have stairs. 

 

Another look at the front area near the front door. 

       

3 Car garage.                    Laundry room....hurray it has cupboards and room to sort.              Downstairs powder room.

 

    

Family room.  I am really glad I can still utilize my giant mustard colored area rug that we currently have in our living room.  There are nice ceiling fans throughout as well...I've missed having them.

 

     

Giant pantry...it turns at the back and keeps going for a bit.    The backyard looking at the back patio. 

 

Backyard.  

       

Master bathroom with a GIANT walk in closet.  Looking into the master from the hallway...there is a balcony.   Master from another angle. 

 

 

       

Little closet just outside the master.   Upstairs landing    Back downstairs looking from the family room to the front entry.  Charlie.

 

 

    

Charlie hangin' on the stairs.  I'm really glad they curve so when a kids falls down them it's not alllllll the way down.  Just off the kitchen is this under the stairs storage area.  It curves at the back and has even more space.  Hurray for food storage!

 

       

The upstairs landing has this small area that we think may work for a small office area for Brian.  Looking down the stairs at the entry area. 

 

      

The kids bathroom....my only hangup is the carpeted bathrooms...the manager said he would talk to the owners (his parents) about putting in some flooring that can be cleaned easier.  If it doesn't happen I am working on a solution.    And we have Rosie showing of her's and Charlies giant room. 

 

    

There are 2 smaller rooms with great sized closets.  Serra and Weston have claim to those.     Back to the master.  Tub.

 

 

    

One of the sink areas and the closet again.  Big shower. 

 

The second sink area (mine) and the toilet area. 

 

I hope that gives all those of you interested a little bit of an idea of the place. 

 

In the meantime we have had another birthday.  Miss Serra V celebrated #9 this week.  Lucky for her it's spring break so she got to make a day of it.  Brian took her to breakfast and then to work with him where she got to hang out with a friend for a few hours.  Her friend Shayna and her mom took her out for frozen yogurt before bringing her home.  When she got home she got her first present...which was her own bedroom.  We knew it wouldn't be for long but she does get her own room in the new house so it all works out fine. 

We then headed to Grandma and Grandpa Andersons for a swim party and BBQ.  Marinated Artichokes and BBQ ribs were her choice with Oreo pie for dessert.  The Casolaris and Aunt Maren joined in the fun too. 

 

      

Hurray for swimming!  Serra and Mr. Wes

   

Finally some personal space...I heard her a few days later telling Rosie, "See the sign?  It say's Serra's room, no trespassing."  That means you can't come in unless I say you can."  The kids have been really good about it too.  Her sign is magnetic so we or she can post notes.

 

        

Yummy oreo pie and presents.

 

       

The anticipation...           Charlie isn't interested in the water but Weston sure is pink floaties and all.

 

This girl loves to swim. 

 

 

           

 

 

      

Serra is very easy to get a good picture of.  I think my wall one will be the last.  Although It's kind of hard to decide. 

 

 

I can't believe it has only been a month since the last update.  It seems like a lot longer.  As you may remember, last month we announced that not only were we expecting, but that twins were in the future.  Well, that didn't last long.  Apparently 40%, or possibly even great percentage of pregnancies that start out as twins, don't end up that way.  It's called vanishing twin syndrome.    We lost one of the babies a few weeks after we found out about the twins.  It hasn't been traumatic in any way.  I haven't had any kind of miscarriage and the one baby is progressing nicely.    We were a little sad and disappointed at the lost opportunity but somewhat relieved at the same time.  Then there was the guilt at feeling relieved.  So understandably, March was a complete wash...I don't remember much of anything except doctors appointments and carpools. We did have Daryl and Angie Arnell and family here for a weekend for soccer tournaments toward the end of the month and the kids accused me of keeping secret all these extra cousins.  They had a great time and can't wait to get to Cache Valley this summer for a reunion.

Since then the maternity clothes have come out and it hasn't been long enough since I wore them last.  It was depressing trying them on and hating the way they looked.  I was inspired by a facebook friends blog about recycling and upcycling clothing and so I have been busy altering and in some cases completely changing some of the clothing into things I like to wear.  It has been surprisingly easy and I suspect with another few days I will have finished at least 10 items. 

We are officially on the hunt for a new house...a rental this time...where we plan on staying for at least 3 years, maybe more.  The market which was flooded with rentals just a few short years ago, has flipped and there are just not as many to choose from.  We are being very picky though as Brian's work and the girls school play a big part in how far we want to go.  Our goal for moving is early June.  We plan on selling our current home and hope to get it listed soon.  This is all about downsizing and simplifying.  It is strangely freeing to be getting rid of so many things.  If only we were allowed to have garage sales in our community.  As it is, Deseret Industries is benefiting mightily.  The kids have even gotten into it.  I got them each a large trunk.  They are allowed to keep (toys) what will fit in their trunk.  It has really helped in keeping things cleaned up too.  

Everyone is healthy...not so much as a sniffle to complain about.  Hopefully by next month we will have a better idea where we will be for the next few years. 

 

I am so far behind but not for long...Here we go.  November through March.  Hold on to your seats...there are about 100 photos here including 2 birthdays and several holidays.  Whew!

 

Starting in March - Brian and I were invited to sit at Community Ambulance's table at the St. Rose Mardi Gras Gala.  It was pretty fancy with very strange food.  I actually wore heels, which I haven't done in years and my feet hurt.  It was fun to get all fancy though and go out.  We haven't had a picture together in years so we took one against this lovely orange background.  They put me on a booster so the height difference wasn't  aesthetically unpleasing.  Also pictured is Brian's 3 bosses on the right of Brian and to his left are two co-workers. 

Julie and Serra W came down in February with their crews.  I will have to post some of those pictures later.  There are hundreds there to go through as well.  But here is one of Julie and I at WPPI - the photography trade show with Elvis.

  

For Valentines Day Brian took the older girls to the Sweetheart Ball at Serra's school. 

 

 

 

Rosie's preschool had a field trip to the fire department. 

 

  

 

 

 

Back to Valentines Day.  Brian came through with lots of pretty plants and flowers for everyone...including some we planted in the garden.

  

 

One Saturday in March everyone got haircuts.  Weston was the same as usual and didn't get a picture but here are the girls including Charlie who looks so much better.

 

 

Some random cuteness.  The kids are soooo good with Charlie.  Even Wes is very kind and does what he can (usually) to make her happy. 

 

 

 

January is Weston's month for his yearly update pictures...Rosie wouldn't let me get started until I took at least one of her.  Here is the boy and some of his better shots.

 

 

 

 

Weston had a bit of a party with some family around.  The cake was a hit.  A dinosaur mountain covered with pre-historic creatures.  He scored a new scooter and helmet and a few other cool doo-dads.

 

  

 

 

Charlie has the best bed head ever.  I got a bike for Christmas and later purchased a trailer to go with it.  The kids love to go on bike rides. 

  \

 

One trip to Bonnie Springs on a cold January day to see the strange and delightful smelling animals.  And one trip to the ER for a breathing treatment on a difficult night for Mr.  Wes.

 

 

 

We hosted an Ugly Sweater Party for New Years Eve.  Here are the folks that came dressed in their finery. 

 

 

 

 

And yes...Christmas.  Last year I worked hard with my flower shop and was able to cover all Christmas expenses. 

 

 

 

 

Before Christmas I took some shots of the kids and a day later my computer crashed.  So here are their holiday shots.

 

 

 

Gingerbread Houses.   Wes did one a few days later and I can't find his picture.  Classic Santa picture with at least one kid crying. 

 

 

 

 

We took the kids to see some lights at the botanical gardens at Ethel M.  And why do we buy our kids gifts anyway.  Just give em' an empty box or container. 

 

 

 

 

The Bear gets this round.

But Wes takes the next round.  The kid likes to sleep with this thing. 

 

 

Rosie takes her photo shoots seriously. 

 

 

 

Happy to be 5.  Happy birthday last November Miss Rose.

 

...update to last post which was previously private...check it out if you want the full tale. 

Yesterday...first scheduled prenatal appointment.  A friend of mine stayed home with the kiddos so Brian could come to the appointment with me and actually be present and not hustling kids.  What a blessing that turned out to be.  

Everything was going along normally.  All the typical questions were asked to determine how things are going.  My doctor likes to do an ultrasound at the beginning to get an exact age as I can not usually rely on a cycle date.   I was pretty sure I was 8 weeks at this point as I got the positive result 4 weeks ago.  My uterus is usually in a hard to find position and this time was no exception and so it took a few minutes to locate the fetus.  He found it and saw the heart beating immediately. Doctor Martin continued checking out a few other things and stopped at one spot.  He indicated that he was seeing something else and says,  "It looks like another heartbeat or it could just be blood flow, but it's hard to tell with this machine.  I want to get a better look with the better machine in the other room."  

Brian and I laughed it off.  Brian made the comment that there are absolutely no history of twins in the family to which my doc replied, "family history has to start somewhere."

We waited 20 -30 minutes for the tech to be available and we laughed that it would be crazy if there were two, but we weren't overly concerned.  If I was going to have twins it would have happened when I was on fertility treatments with one of the first 3. 

Finally we started the second ultrasound.  The baby was located and then Doc Martin pointed out the reason for the closer look.  "There is definitely something there, and it looks like another heartbeat."  To which Brian questions..."Could it be anything else?  A pulsating mass maybe?"  At this point he still was looking at all other possibilities..."Not with an embryonic sac." 

Stunned silence...I started sweating and pulling on my hair.  There are two babies with distinct heartbeats and what is crazy to me is they only measure 6 weeks.  So the timing is off and my cycle is once again unreliable.  But they both measure exactly the same. 

To say we are shocked is an understatement.  This really changes everything.  Our lives are going to change drastically in a few months.  I hope I am able to stay sane.  I am wondering how I am going to handle the day to day things as we get toward the end.  I can only imagine how HUGE I am going to get.  I wonder what we are going to do about a car...I wonder how long it is going to take to go anywhere with 4 kids under 3.    I wonder if I will ever get sleep again. 

I have to admit that sharing this news is pretty fun.  The most common reaction is "Your kidding me!  or Seriously?"  Then the laughing...I think people are excited for us but are really glad it's not them. 

The girls are really excited and are already arguing over who has to hold the boy and who gets to hold the girl (the only twins they know are a boy and a girl).  When I tell Wes I have 2 babies in my tummy he tells me he does too.  Charlie....sweet Charlie will be barely 2 when all this goes down. 

This will be an adventure to say the least...ready or not...here we go. 

About a year ago I was sitting in Relief Society class on a Sunday afternoon.  I was just starting to feel normal and that I was getting my life back into a bit of rhythm after having Charlotte 6 months previously.  I was newly called into the Relief Society Presidency.  I was watching a baby boy (maybe 2 months old )  when I had a spiritual experience I will never forget.  It was as if I had been hit in the chest with a hammer.  It took my breath from me.  A strong impression came to me, "you have another boy waiting to come to your family."  I started weeping.  As a member of the presidency I sit in the front of the room facing the rest of the sisters.  I struggled to contain the tears.  They were not tears of sadness or even happiness at that point...just that I was overwhelmed by the power of the impression.  I kept this to myself for months.  I did not feel as if Brian was ready to hear it.  He was struggling to make ends meet with the dying construction company.  The last 6 months had been difficult to say the least for us all but he was taking on the brunt of the stress. 

Fast forward to May.  Things were starting to look up with a possible career change for Brian and we decided to take a family trip to San Diego as we knew the summer would hold no opportunities for one for all of us together.  We had a very fun and relaxing weekend.  On the way home Brian says to me, "wouldn't it be great if we had another boy?"  I took that opportunity to tell him of my experience.   We decided we would remain on birth control until Charlotte was at least 1 year old and then we would let nature take it's course.  I went off birth control in August shortly after Charlie turned 1.

During this time my struggle with weight loss continued as it has for years.  I made a deal of sorts with the Lord.  I was concerned about getting pregnant at my current weight as it had been such a struggle toward the end with Charlie.  I asked that I not get pregnant until I had lost at least 30 pounds.  I typically gain about that much in a pregnancy. 

Fast forward to November.  I was not having any luck with losing weight.  It has been so frustrating to be careful and think I'm doing what I need to be doing and get little or no results.   I was introduced to a program called Medifast mid-November after seeing 2 friends see tremendous results in a short period of time.  I investigated the program for a few days and decided I was going to give it a try.  I started December 1.  I began to see results...14 pounds in 2 weeks and then about 3 lbs a week there after.  Brian was so impressed he started about 3 weeks after I did.  

Fast forward to February.  I hit the 30 pound mark last week.  Brian is down 50.  I was due to start a cycle that same day I hit that mark.  It did not come.  I had a pregnancy test handy so I took it.  No second pink line showed up in the 2 minutes I waited.  I thought to myself  that i am ok with not getting pregnant for a few more months as it gives me a change to get more weight off.  Just out of curiosity I looked at the stick later that day and lo and behold there was another line present.  You aren't supposed to read results after 10 minutes but I had never seen a test turn positive later like that if I wasn't pregnant.  I went to the  $1 store and picked up 2 more tests.  At this point I thought all tests are created equal.  Apparently not so.  I later found out that the higher the price...the more sensitive they are.  I took 1 of the cheap tests again.  This time I let it process about 8 minutes.  There was almost a second line.  I showed it to Brian..."Is that what I think it is?"  I replied I wasn't sure.  He wanted me to take another in the morning which I did.  Same thing.  A kinda sorta line.  Brian told me he wasn't convinced until I spend some money on a test that said the actual word..."pregnant". 

Monday morning after dropping Rosie off at pre-school I made a trip to Walmart to pick up a digital test.  I came home a took it right away.  I took a picture of the word displayed "pregnant"  and sent it via text to Brian with the message..."ready or not."  He texted back "GULP!"

I have been to the doc twice for progesterone and HCG levels and all is well at what I think is 5 weeks.  I am on Progesterone as a precaution.  We have told a few people but will wait until after my first official OB appointment to spread the news. So far I haven't really been sick.  I feel a little off when I haven't eaten for a while. 

My feelings - I am very content to know that is it for us.  Once this boy comes I know our little family is complete.  It will be nice to be able to be past the child bearing years for me.  It has been quite a road for us.  I can't believe after all we have been through we will have 5 kids.  It really is quite a blessing.  Brian has a hard time being excited about the idea until I get further along.  He worries.  I don't blame him.  He calls it cautiously optimistic.  And so we wait.

Here are the pictures to go with the last post. ...  And some quick Westonisms...

Weston takes off his shoes. "Mom, I have tinky toes."

Wes leaps off my bed while exclaiming, "Ina supea hewo."

Charlie is starting to imitate words and besides mama and dadda says cup.  But it sounds like Cuck.

 

These pictures are through Rosie's birthday.  It will take me some time to get the others from Nov-Dec up as I need to take care of the paid photo shoots first.  But it's on the list...

 

 

We totally didn't plan this...but the week apart babies were both pumpkins for Halloween.

Fat Ballarina

Priceless halloween memories

So happy to seen cousins

Some candy time after the first trunk or treat

I was a monk for the first party. 

 

A visit with the Idaho cousins

 

 

Adriane and Vito's baby Vanessa

 

Rosie's birthday...yes that's Jeff.

 

Charlie gets awesome bed head...Grandma Anderson takes pity on the kids on their unbirthday's and they get gifts too.  The ninja sword set was popular.  And last but not least Rosie poses for her 5 year old picts.

Surprisingly...I had a few extra minutes a few days before Christmas.  I sat down with the intent of backing up my pictures and updating this blog before all the hubub of Christmas and New Years.  Just as I started, my computer shut off on its own, emitted a strange odor, and refused to turn back on... motherboard and just about everything else FRIED!  I had only had the machine a little over a year.  Brian has someone working on a new one for me.  It's a process though as we wait for parts to be ordered and come in.  I am hoping and praying that my harddrive and backup harddrive are unscathed.  We have been unable to access either one yet.  If they are toast along with the rest of the machine there will be no pictures for the past year.  I can't even think about that until I know for sure.  In the meantime I have 5 photo shoots sitting on my camera waiting for me to process.  It is scary how much of my life is on that machine and how much I use it to keep organized, for my calling, and to earn extra money through my etsy shop.  I am suffering.  On a positive note there are other things around the house that are getting attention including some much needed purging of filing cabinets etc. 

So backing way up...this will be a wordy update with pictures to follow in the upcoming weeks (hopefully!)...October end.  We enjoyed a Halloween bash with our ward where the kids loaded up on treats.  This year Weston was a skeleton, Charlie a pumpkin, Rosie a vampire princess that didn't have fangs, Serra a vampire with fangs...To this event I wore Brian's old Monk costume.  I was quite hideous with a bald head...the kids were cute though.  Brian took a week off work the same week Serra had several days off school.  We headed northto spend Halloween and the days following with family in Logan andIdaho Falls.  We left before the crack of dawn on the the last Friday of the month and arrived in Logan just in time to get dressed up for the next Halloween party.  This one was at Mom and Dad Arnells with all Brower and Arnell cousins invited.  It was quite a crowd.  The kids wore their same get -ups and I switched it up with a very fat ballerina costume so Brian could wear his Monk costume.  We had a great time.

The next day was not Halloween but was celebrated as such in Utah since the real deal was on Sunday.  Definitely a plus for our kids.  If we had stayed at home we would have been passing out candy instead of collecting.  Brian spent the entire day and into the night helping Dallas work on his kitchen.  He missed the trunk or treat that night with Julie's ward and I could not handle all the kiddos on my own for trick or treating so they missed out on that opportunity.  They were a bit disappointed as was I.  But we were tired and they had plenty of candy so we headed back to mom and dads and got the kids to bed.  In my fat ballerina costume I thought it odd that someone mistook me for Julie.  Julie was not pleased. 

Sunday morning we took our time and packed up.  We headed even further north to Idaho Falls.  We spent the next few days with Eric and Tracey's family and Grandma and Grandpa Gee.  The Gees moved up there last spring and have a great new place with a great guest area in the basement.  It was nice to have room and know in the evening we weren't bothering grandma and grandpa.  We don't get to see the Anderson cousins all that often but you would never know it as the kids seem to pick right up were they left off.  I hope we are able to get up there again before too long.  We spent the day near the temple letting the kids run and took some pictures and at a nearby park.  We barbecued Monday evening with everyone.  We had to take off Tuesday morning and drove all the way home to Vegas that day.  Back to school for Serra the next day. 

And November was upon us.  Life has been so crazy busy the last few months but I am having a hard time thinking what in the world became of November.  So I guess it's on to the highlights.  Remember I use this a journal for my scrapbooks so there are some things in here that you may not care about.  As the kids get older we are trying to teach them the real meaning behind a lot of the things we celebrate.  As Thanksgiving approached we tried to impress on the children how blessed we have been.  There are many around us that are struggling.  Nevada and Las Vegas in particular has been the hardest hit in this country with the housing crisis and economic down turn.  On top of all that troubles our tourism based city, even the President of the US discouraged businesses to bring conventions and meetings to Las Vegas which caused countless cancellations andput an even greater strain on our tax base.  All around us the signs are glaring and disturbing.  Abandoned homes, empty store fronts, businesses closing right and left.  Our jobless rates are reported at about 15% which doesn't include most of the self employed contractors that have closed their businesses or are seriously underemployed for lack of available work.  It is estimated to be closer to 20%.  We are in the middle of a vicious cycle that is going to take years maybe even decades to climb out of.  In the midst of all this Brian was able to get hired for an amazing opportunity...Community Ambulance is doing remarkably well, and growing amazingly fast.  Although Brian has been extremely busy and stressed we feel very blessed to be sitting in the position we are.  As we were planning on attending Thanksgiving with family which was basically going to be a giant potluck we felt we could certainly afford to provide a dinner for someone else.   The kids and I spent a few hours putting together all that was needed for a sizable feast.  We had contacted our Bishop earlier the week before and asked him if he knew of a family that could use this.  He let us know he had the perfect family in mind.  For our family home evening we delivered the boxes to our bishop.  He took it from there.  I was amazed a how excited the kids were about this and how they didn't even care to know where it was going...only that a family was going to have as good a Thanksgiving as we were where they may not have been before.  So with that we made our rolls to contribute to our Thanksgiving along with some for a friend of mine.  (18 dozen later...)  It's a good thing that was all I had to make. 

Thanksgiving was in Ceder City this year with all Arnells in attendance except for Maren and Daves family.  We drove up that day and back late that night.  It was a fun day.  I stayed in the house not liking the cooler temps outside which didn't seem to bother the kids or big boys.  Dallas had to 4 wheelers that kept all of them occupied out of doors.  The food was delicious but I didn't take the opportunity to nap as I didn't want to miss out on anything. 

Friday we were back in Vegas making final preps to leave for California.  We were ready pretty early and waiting on Julies family so we went ahead and got up all the Christmas decorations.  Julie's family showed up a little later than we expected but in time to eat a little andthe kids to run around a bit.  Saturday morning we were up and out the door by a bit after 9.  Gary's family had spent the night with Jeff and Maren and we met on the highway.  Julie and I had a great time texting the whole way down.  Lost Sheep to Bo Peep...over.  This is the trip we have been planing for nearly 2 years.  Money's saved from flower sales etc...

We made it to Long Beach a little after 2? and headed to the aquarium of the pacific where we spent the next few hours.  It was pretty crowded but the kids always love fish related things and cousins.  We checked into our hotel just down the road from Disneyland and Julie and my family hooked up for frozen pizza, salad and garlic bread.  Our rooms were pretty great as far as space goes....full kitchen and 2 bathrooms were a bonus for sure. 

Sunday Gary's family headed north a bit for their own family adventure while Julie's and ours stayed behind for a bit more of a relaxing day.  We thought the kids would enjoy playing in the SAND at the beach while we sat and watched them.  We thought wrong.  Within minutes they were all soaked so they ended up in their suits even though it was a bit chilly and windy.  They had a blast until the wind got to be a bit much and started to sand blast them.  So we got them dressed and took them to get some lunch.  Mmmmm Mexican food.  If I remember correctly they went swimming back at the hotel and then we had Lasagna with Julie's family and then an early night.  Brian and I weren't overly impressed with our bed and didn't sleep too well, but the kids all did which is most important. 

Monday - DISNEYLAND HURRAY!  - It took a while to get all the tickets squared away for us as we had free vouchers for the volunteer promotion we took advantage of.  We met up with Gary's family and spent most of the day with them.  I can't remember all the details of the next two days.  We spent a bit of time withboth families although Serra was disappointed it wasn't more.  We were able to go on nearly everything we wanted once and some favorites 2 or 3 times (Pirates)  Weston has been asking to go see Jack ever since.  One of our favorite Disneyland traditions is eating dinner the second day at the Blue Bayou  which is the restaurant you seen on the Pirates ride.  It's a nice chance to sit down and take a load off after 2 full days of Disney.  It's a bit on the pricey side but we worked it into the budget.  We were able to catch the parade and fireworks at Disney the first night and the World of Color show at CA Adventure right after that the same night.  We sure had a great time and the kids can't wait for the next trip...but we're still pooped and can't imagine it will be too soon.  The trip back was uneventful and a nice rare opportunity for Brian and I to have some one on one time.  (The kids were all passed out in the back)

While we were in CA I got a phone call that Serra had been accepted into the charter school  we applied at.  She finished out the week at Aggie Roberts and said her goodbyes and started at SilverSands Montesorri  the following Monday.  What a fantastic change this has been for her.  She is in a 1st-3rd grade class of 30 students.  There are 2 teaches in her room.  The kids are given 10 tasks they can work on throughout the day in whatever order they want.  She has done amazingly well.  She is very self motivated and is really blossoming in this environment.  We don't have the tears every night, the nervous mornings, etc...that were plaguing her the past few months.  It seems to be a great fit for her.  She loves her teachers, likes that she gets to mentor younger students, and is excited at the end of everyday to report to me how many tasks she completed.  The biggest bonus for me besides a much happier child is less homework.  Her old school has a must have homework policy which was always a bunch of busy work that didn't have much to do withher school work.  It took tons of her time after being in school for over 6 hours.   She has much more time in the evening to spend time practicing piano and doing things she wants to do.  We plan on enrolling Rosie there for K next year as well. 

December - The week following our return from CA was a whirl wind of holiday parties.  We returned on Wednesday.  Friday night was Brians work party.  It was at very nice Italian Joint that overlooks the entire Las Vegas Valley.  The food was AMAZING!  Many enjoyed embarrassing themselves with Karaoke.  Brian received some much deserved accolades, and we even danced a little which is pretty rare.  Brian pretty much planned the whole thing and I was mucho impressed.  Very nice!  The next morning was our ward Christmas party.  It was pretty low key and not much to write home about.  A bagel and some juice, a silly 12 days rendition, and see ya at church tomorrow.  The following Wednesday was the RS Christmas dinner.  It went very well.  We held it at a members home, I was able to assign out about half the food.  Ham, hassleback potatoes, a delish spinach salad, rolls, apple bread with butter sauce...and about 30 minutes of songs from various ladies in the ward.  I had to put a song together last minute as I had 2 cancellations.  Breath of Heaven is an old standby and it went well.  We had a lot of positive feedback and so I felt good about the evening.  I look forward to the day when I can go to these activities again and just sit back and enjoy them.  The benefit I suppose is when you are in charge you get to do what you want. 

It was so nice to have all those parties out of the way so I could concentrate on finishing up Christmas and enjoying the season.  I don't remember enjoying Christmas as much as I did this year for a long time.  It was so nice.  I was able to write a Christmas poem family update and send it out to about 125 people with a picture.  I was able to get everything wrapped and under the tree before Christmas eve.  We were able to take the kids to see Santa and get a cute picture.  We were able to take the kids to see the lights at the botanical gardens at Ethel M's.  I even squeezed in 4 photo shoots (still need to be worked on).  And we were able to have a really nice Christmas Eve at our home with Jeff and Brian's folks.  I brined 2 turkeys which we were able to enjoy for the following week.  We had an abbreviated reading of the Christmas story as the kids were a bit unruly. 

Christmas day we woke up around 7-8 (our kids aren't lunatics and let us sleep).  Brian and I were up first.  I made egg burritos and blueberry muffins.  We ate breakfast and opened our stockings from Santa.  When we were finished we opened up all the rest.  It took a few hours as we took turns.  The highlight for the kids were there own little machines.  Nintendo DSi's for the big girls and a Leapfrog for Wes.  Brian got a really nice wallet and a new suit (which needs to be exchanged since I screwed up the size) Brian hit a home run and got me a bike.  We have also had fun with a new karaoke machine and a new little garden gnome now protects the garden.  I since have purchased a bike trailer andtake the kids on extended trips around nearby neighborhoods.  Great fun though a little saddle sore as I get used to a bike seat again.   The rest of Christmas day was spent at the Andersons munching, napping, and playing with new toys.  A very nice day. 

Our next and last activity for December was New years eve.  We had an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party.  We invited a few families.  Everyone brought an appetizer to share, a white elephant gift, and wore ugly holiday sweaters.  We had a great time with the gift exchange, and played a few games.  Everyone stayed until 2011 which surprised me a little since almost everyone had little kids.  The kids were VERY tired and cried themselves to sleep in sheer exhaustion.  New years day was glorious.  I spent the day in my pajamas and watched movies.  I told the kids to feed themselves and I took the day off.  HA!  It was great. 

January - Since Christmas Brian has been busy with work and finishing up his EMT class as well as a hospital rotation and one with Henderson fire as well.  I have been trying to declutter but as birthday's and Christmas move through is seems we just seem to collect more stuff.  We have way too much stuff and one of my goals this year is to downsize in that area considerably.  We aren't allowed to do yard sales in our neighborhood so I guess DI will be the beneficiaries of things not worth selling on Ebay. 

We got kicked out of our church building since it is now the new mission office.  We are struggling a bit with the new building and getting the other 2 wards to share space.  They have had the building to themselves for many years.  There have been some frustrations as we try to schedule activities.  The Relief Society was assigned the 2nd Wednesday of each month.  We are competing for space with 2 wards Young Men Young Women groups.  They take up the whole building each week.  We were able to get them to compromise this month only to get a call from one of their bishops (today, Tuesday) telling us to move our activity to Thursday.  We have 50 or so ladies signed up for Wednesday evening for Visiting Teaching interviews and they want us to reschedule?  Sorry.  We are all going to have to give a little.  The same bishop who is in charge of scheduling the building actually wont even return my e-mails anymore as I try to arrange things.  Very frustrating. 

One adventure this week was when I took the car in to have the breaks done.  They told me an hour.  4 1/2 hours later... I had 3 little kids with me.  We walked to the store to the park...probably about 2-3 miles worth throughout the day.  I had to make emergency arrangements for Serra to get picked up from school as my van was still up in the air at the appointed hour.  I was very miffed and squeaked enough to get some free stuff.  Still...very annoying. 

Saturday the 8th was my B's birthday...the big 36.  I took the kids out of the house for a 3 hour bike ride while Brian relaxed.  He spent his day relaxing on the couch....something he hasn't done in ages.  At 5 I brought over 2 baby sitters and took him out.  The first stop was a to a foot reflexology place where we had our feet worked on for 45 minutes.  He was very skeptical but I think he liked it.  I have a really hard time with gifts for Brian.  He usually just gets the stuff he wants so it's hard to come up with things to give to him.  So he got his feet rubbed by a little Chinese woman.  We then went to his favorite restaurant for an enormous slab of prime rib.  The Golden Steer....oh so tasty! and the atmosphere is awesome old Vegas.  After our bellies were more than full we saw the movie True Grit, a remake of an old John Wayne western.  It was really great.  An awesome evening and I hope a happy birthday for Brian.  Today is Mr. Weston's birthday but we celebrated yesterday since he doesn't really know the difference and Brian has his last class and final tonight.  Weston's cake was a dinosaur mountain (bundt shaped hill)  with dinosaurs all over it.  He got a new manly scooter for our bike rides when he's not in the trailer, a helmet, and lots of dinosaurs and other goodies from cousins and grandmas. 

If that's not enough of an update you are out of luck.  Until August...JK

I have taught her well...Serra's assignment here was to explain what the painting was about. She writes: I think the woman is making work for him. She could actually carry it, but he is the man so he has to do it.

The time has completely gotten away from me.  My calling in Relief Society as the activity counselor seems to take up my updating time.  So let's back up a bit. 

I guess the biggest thing has been Brian's new job.  Community Ambulance has been up and running, and running FAST since August.  They have been so busy it is quite remarkable and most of the success is owed to Brian's efforts.  He has been working long hard hours and on top of 12-15 hour days (plus many weekends)  he is taking the basic EMT class 2 nights a week.  He has not had time to study for it at all with his work load and still manages to pull A's on most everything.  He sends me a text in the middle of his class to tell me his score and we just snicker.  If his classmates knew he was pulling these scores without a lick of studying there would be rebellion.  We miss him and hope his schedule loosens up soon but won't count on it as some big things are happening in the next few weeks.  They are in need of Paramedics so if you know of any looking for work there is a great opportunity with this amazing company. 

I love that I get to stay at home with my kids especially in these uncertain times.  I stay very busy with these little people.  Rosie asks me everyday what we are doing for fun that day.  We try but sometimes I'm afraid laundry gets in the way.  I have been trying to  do Relief Society activities once a month.  They stress me out a bit.  We haven't had the turnout I would like to see for the amount of effort put in.  I sent out 150 (mailed) invitations for our Visiting Teaching conference and dinner.  I announced it in Primary, Young Womens, and RS for a solid month.  It was such a nice evening, beautiful weather outside in a members nice yard, a great program, delicious food.  About 45 showed up.  Some complaints from those that didn't come was that I didn't provide a nursery or they didn't know about it.  This month was our fun run and breakfast...for the whole family...last Saturday morning.  I think we had maybe 30. (including spouses and kids)  It's a bit frustrating.  We decided to give it a rest for November. 

My flowers sales this summer were faboo and with that and a wedding photo shoot...Christmas is taken care of.   Tithing blessings for sure.  I have gotten my little store to the point that I don't have to spend a lot of time maintaining I spend a little time everyday and run to the post office a few times a week.  The post office is in a grocery store so I can pick up any needed items in one stop.  I can also load all the kids and boxes into a grocery cart...that's convenience for sure. 

Charlie started walking on her 14 month birthday.  That is nearly 4 months later than all my other kids.  She is her own little person for sure.  She is such a happy little kid and quite the self soother with that thumb.  She chatters constantly and doesn't like strangers.  She prefers Mom and Dad but will go to Serra in a pinch.  You will usually find her in one of the kids rooms making a little mess or in the kitchen unloading a cupboard.  It feels like we just got past that stage with Weston to start it with Charlie.  In other irony...Weston now closes the bathroom door to keep Charlie from playing in the toilet or unwinding the paper.  It's only been a few short months since Mr. Wes was that issue.  She is still on 2 naps a day...what a champ.  She has a mouthful of teeth and eats what we do.  

Weston is still able to make a disaster area in any situation in seconds flat.  I would say he is about 50% at potty training.  That would be a failing grade.  He knows how, knows he's supposed to, but it has to be his idea or he wants something.  I make him go before he can watch a show or have a beloved coco.  I catch him about half the time opening the back door and peeing on the patio and he still poops out in the yard.  I never thought I would be out in the yard looking for human land mines rather than doggy mines. 

Rosie started pre-school this September.  She goes 2 days a weeks for 2 1/2 hours.  She L O V E S it!  She wants to go every day.  Her teacher is great and has been doing pre-school for 11 years and is very organized.  She has a great set-up and even better the best back yard ever.  Rosie's favorite part is the play time in the back yard.  We had a field trip to Anderson Dairy last week...lot's of fun.  She has started to be interested in playing with friends. 

Serra started 3rd grade this year and it's been a bit of a struggle.  She is doing just fine academically but is having difficulty socially and is stressed out all the time.  She worries about everything more than an 8 year old should and is having trouble making friends.  There are tears nearly every night.  She says she has an imaginary friend she spends recess with.  I think part of the problem is none of her friends from last year are in her class and kids are already clickish at this age.  She is having trouble breaking into clicks.  She shouldn't have to deal with this crap so early.  We know that Brian's busy schedule may be having an impact as well and he has been making an effort to get home to at least put the kids to bed.  We are looking into a nearby Montessori school that is a Charter School.  It is still part of the school district but the Montessori philosophy is much more in line with what Serra needs.   Most of the kids there are LDS as well.  We'll see what happens.  If we decide to make the switch Rosie will start Kindergarten there next year as well and the school goes up to the 8th grade.  I would love for my kids to skip the whole middle school experience if at all possible.  I don't think the trauma of middle school builds character, but instead destroys confidence and puts kids into survival mode. 

Back to August.  I decided my kids and I needed to have at least a little vacation.  It would have been nice to have Brian with us but the week we had available in between school years was his first week doing transports with the new company.  I organized a family getaway to the Anderson cabin for the Arnell crew.  It was a lot of work and organization but we had a great turn out and a fabulous time.  I love the way the kids play so well together and clearly love being together.  My kids have been asking when we will do it again.  I am hoping to organize another one next summer.  We have a lot more flexibility since we are no longer on a year round schedule.

If I remember correctly I drove up on Wednesday the 11th.  The kids and I got up there before dark, picked up some dinner, and got things all set up.  It was so quiet.  (A little spooky with out my husband there to keep away the wild animals )  The kids were filthy within minutes and we settled in for the night.  There was no TV, Radio, or worldly noises.  We went to bed early and got up early.  The kids saw a moose first thing and were outside as soon as I shoved some food down their gullets.  It was so delightful to wake up to a chilly morning.  Julie joined us shortly.  We were the only ones there for Thursday.  It was great to spend time with her and the kids.  The rest of the clan showed up throughout the day on Friday including  Serra White great with child.  I loved having everyone there just hanging out together.  My kids favorite things were hiking (walks)  with the uncles and riding the 4 wheelers.  Dallas brought his up and there were two there.  The kids stayed busy all day, got really dirty, and fell asleep giggling with each other every night. 

Saturday morning we made an appearance at the Brower family reunion.  I think the rest of the Brower family excluding Davids family and Catherine Dean should be ashamed of themselves.  No one came.  It's rude that those that live 15 - 60 minutes away don't bother to make an effort.  Enough said. 

Sunday we hauled everyone into Wanship for church and then relaxed the rest of the day.  Most took off that evening so they could start their week from their own home.  Julie, and Gary's families stayed through til Monday morning and helped with cleanup.  It was a success.  Thanks to all who came and helped us have such a great time.  I hope we can get Jeff and Maren next time.  They seem to miss out on a lot of these fun times which really stinks for us. 

Before we left for the cabin in August I went and turned a year older.  Brian took me out a day early because he thought he had to go to court on the evening of my birthday for a traffic ticket/insurance/registration misunderstanding.  As it turned out he was supposed to go that morning and missed his court date.  Oops!  So Brian had a warrant out for his arrest for about 12 hours.  He he.  He took care of it first thing the next morning.  Anyway, we went to one of our favs...The Golden Steer which is one of the best steak places in town with the best old Vegas atmosphere. They put a fire cracker on a piece of cake and sang badly...it was awesome.  With facebook, phone calls, texts and cards I received somewhere in the range of 75 Happy Birthdays...that's pretty cool.  It felt really good. 

My August activity for RS was an all about honey demo.  We had a representative from Cox Honey come and give us recipe conversions, health uses, facts, and question answers all relating to honey.  It was really quite awesome.  We had 15 or so at my house for that.  I volunteer my house often because it gives me incentive to clean really well. 

In September we had an Employee and Family and Friends BBQ at Community Ambulance.  Brian sure knows how to throw a party.  He arranged for 2 bounce houses, snow cone machine, popcorn machine, and even a cotton candy machine - all serve yourself.  The kids had a blast.  Brian cooked up somewhere in the ballpark of 15 pounds of carne asada.  I cooked 120 tortillas and made about 3 gallons of pico de gallo.  It was great and there was a great turnout.  We decided that next party will be catered though.  It was a ton of work. 

We enjoyed general conference this year all by ourselves.  I made cinnamon rolls for us and a few others and we had a low key weekend.  Holly (Brian's sister) came into town for a few days and we got to meet Porter for the first time.  What a cute little man.  Adriane, another of Brian's sister, who lives here in town, had a baby a few weeks ago.  Another girl for them....Vanessa.  She is a little dolly.  We went to the hospital to meet her and on the way in were almost hit by a car in the parking lot.  The lady pulled around right in front of us and ran into the ER yelling apologies and that she needed help.  I thought she needed help until we passed her car and in the front seat was a woman in the mist of a heart attack.  I stayed with her, patting her hand, telling her they were coming, and wondering what was taking so long, until the woman came back with a wheel chair.  Have the finances of this hospital gotten so bad that they don't have enough staff to send at least a nurse out to help someone coming into the ER.  I was quite disturbed.  We helped her out of the car and then we left to go see the new baby. I was shaking.  I wish I had known what to do for someone in that situation.  It was quite a helpless feeling. 

So there you have it in a nut shell.  We are headed up to Utah/Idaho for a 5 day visit over Halloween next week.  Excited!

 

At the cabin...good food, lots of cousins, and fun.

Chillin' in the evening...Gary getting a massage from a 9 month prego woman...something backwards here. 

 

In case you missed Gary's face in the far away shot....Charlie expressing some displeasure.

 

 

 

Angry birds on the iphone.  Las Vegas gets some pounding rain during monsoon season. 

 

Weston Shares his root beer float.

 

Five little cousins sitting in the tree...Wes fears he will break his knee...If you look close you can see Evelee...

Ice cream in Park City.  Charlie up on 2's.  Weston and Rosie meet baby Vanessa.  Weston's face has the left over remnants of his trampoline and brick wall mishap.

 

Rosie's preschool class at Anderson Dairy and her favorite friends Samarah and Reagan.  We took the kids to the carnival last week and met the star from Disney channels Halloween Town.  Serra was THRILLED to see a MOVIE STAR!

Fun pumpkin patch.

Meeting the scary witch and cousin Violet. 

 

Fun Carny rides.  Check out the ones Serra prefers. 

Weston and Rosie go for a slightly milder fun. 

 

We carved pumpkins.  This is the first year Serra did one all by herself.  Hurray!  Yes that is Weston taking off his night diaper...

Fun at the Community Ambulance Party. 

And a few more cabin shots of the kids out looking for ticks. 

Where to begin?  Maybe I'll move backward.  My littlest munchkin turned 1 on Saturday.  Wow!  That was a quick year.  She is very different than her older sibs in that she still doesn't walk or even crawl for that matter.  She manages to get around with a unique little scoot.  She is still absolutely delightful.  I swear her first word is "kiss"...it sure sounds like it.  A good napper and even better in the night.  She's the kind of baby that makes you think you can handle another one...no problem!  (no that is not an announcment)  And then you remember the boy...

Ah Weston...it's hard to not love him to pieces when he smiles his toothy grin or says sincerely "I sorry mom."  But he really is the hardest thing in my life right now.  He is a tornado constantly.  I love his energy though and someday maybe we'll be able to channel it into something beside destroying the house and everything in it.  One afternoon he got into the game cupboard and proceeded to empty it, open every box, and spread all the game pieces and cards all over the room...not just dumped out...scattered.  It took me and the girls a solid hour to sort out what took him less than 5 minutes to accomplish.  He turned 2 1/2 last Sunday and up until then we had yet to have any success with so much as a drip into the potty. Then on Monday.  He grabs himself while still diapered in the morning and hollers, "I go pee pee mommy!"  So we ran to the bathroom and wallah!  Success!  I told him I wanted him to try the big boy underpants that day and go potty.  And he did.  We had a great week with only minor setbacks.  We still have yet to conquer #2.  And we have had some interesting situations without a diaper on as you might imagine.  I won't go into detail on all those (OK maybe I will) but yesterday morning was too funny not to share.  Wes has learned to turn on the hose in the backyard and I often find him with it on spraying things including his siblings who try to get by him to turn it off.  In the morning he slipped out back and I could see he had the hose on again.  I went out to turn it off to find him naked and hosing his turd on the patio.  I think he was trying to clean it off before I found out.  The bathtub incident was the worse.  He decided he didn't like taking a bath with his poop and threw it out in about 20 pieces all over the bathroom.  That was fun to clean up.  So needless to say my goal with Weston this week is to conquor #2. 

Westonism:  As I sang a song to Charlie, "Mom, STOP SONG!"

Rosieisms:  As I peeled a cantaloupe. "I didn't know that's where cantaloupe lived. I don't like canteloupe" 

"Last night I had a wonderful nightmare." and she says "bikini" for zuccinni and "youcumber" for cucumber.

Speaking of cucumbers....We get about 3 foot long cucumbers from our garden everyday...yes, everyday.  We give away about half of them and then Rosie and I have one for lunch everyday too.  The zuccinni isn't too shabby either.  We have enough to eat it about 4 times a week. The tomatoes were a bust after Weston proceeded to pick all the green ones and then beat the naked plants with a stick until they look quite sad. 

Serra is still in school with 2 weeks remaining in her 2nd grade year.  She is worried about going to the 3rd grade.  She is a worrier about things like that.  On Saturday she spent her saved birthday money on some leather boots.  She wanted them since her birthday but they were out of season so she has waited and they finally showed up back in stores again.  She wears them as much as she can and was really bummed that Monday and Tuesday are PE day at school so she had to wear her tennies. 

Rosie has become pretty good at helping me at home.  She is especially good with Charlie and keeps her occupied, happy, and safe throughout the day.  She also plays really well with Weston most of the time.  She is so sweet and one of the funniest kids I know.  She gets bummed when Serra gets to go do big girls things and she doesn't get to go along.  She has a great imagination and loves building forts.  I have a blanket and chair creation in my living room almost everyday.  She is learning to write and does her name really well.  She can say the alphabet and count to at least 30.  She also decided she wanted to swim without floaties, so I gave her about a 10 minute lesson and off she went.  Rosie is now pool safe and getting better every time we go swimming.  I am so proud of her. 

We have spent our summer swimming a couple of times a week, and staying indoors the rest of the time. The temps have climbed to about 115 the last few weeks and with the monsoon humidity added, it is nasty outside.  You can literally feel the sun baking you when outdoors.  The temps off the pavement read near 180 degrees so even if it's 110 outside it feels a heck of a lot hotter.  We are looking forward to fall.  We are not looking forward to the electric bill this month.  We will happily take donations to help cover it.

Mr. Wes...yes he is actually sleeping...not the safest choice for a bed.

 

Who's turn is it to lick the beaters?

 

New adventures in eating with Bubba Charlie.  Broccoli and white asparagus on the menu and she dug right in.  Popsicles are a fav.

 

A fourth of July party where Charlie had to stay inside...but she found her way to the window to keep an eye on things....and one day's offerings.

 

Swimming at Grandmas

 

4th of July in Boulder City...fireworks and caramel corn.  Mmmmmm

   

A happy baby

Birthday cake...melting in the heat.  Birthday girl found the deco quite entertaining.

 

A few presents from her admirers...and a cake all to herself...not sure what to do with it. 

 

Photo shoot of my baby.  Soooo pretty.

 

Thank you and goodnight.