Happy Bday Charlie

Charlie turned 2 this last week. We also celebrated Carl's bday (38) and our anniversary (5yrs). Needless to say, it was a busy, fun week. We had a little party here on Saturday for Charlie. We had the pool heated up and friends over to swim...everyone had a great time. I made a cute cake and cupcakes this year, stole the idea from my friend Laurel. Yesterday after the party, we had a nice little hike with just Carl and I and the kids and it was nice.

Oh Charlie

Isn't this just the cutest picture? Charlie loves putting on any boots he can find. These were Sam's rain boots. I love when he is walking around in a diaper like that. He just looks so babyish and adorable. Exactly how he is.

I am so divided on how I feel right now with Charlie. I can barely go into public without him throwing knock down, drag out tantrums. He is extremely hard to please at the moment. He is starting to talk a whole bunch, but he gets really frustrated when he cant get me to understand what he is trying to say. Its hard. I cant wait for him to talk better. More communication will mean more reasoning with him.

On the other hand, he is the sweetest little thing. He is so cuddly. If I sit on the couch, he is right there, laying across my lap with his blankee, which he nows calls his frisee, sucking his thumb...looking so sweet and innocent. He is a lover. He loves to give me hugs and kisses. Big open mouth kisses. I love it.

My little guy is going to be 2 years old in less than 2 weeks. I just cant believe it. He is growing so fast, and is so happy and healthy. I just feel so blessed.

Happy Easter! (alittle late)

Its Easter. We have had a nice few days. On Thursday we went up to Prescott to hang with everyone up there. Leslie was in town from Seattle. We stayed at Jason and Kristals and that is always great for the kiddos. On Friday, we went over to Sarah's place and some of our other family was in town from Michigan. Sam and Charlie got to dye eggs with all of their cousins that were there. It was fun. I think they went through 120 eggs in about 30 minutes or less.


Yesterday, we hoped to go to an Easter egg hunt here in Las Sendas at the Trailhead. It was rained out though, so we came back home and I had an easter egg hunt here for Sam and Charlie, so they werent missing out. Since I did that, I had to go to the store and buy more stuff to have for Easter morning. LOL, cant forget that the Easter bunny comes!

Today, the kids got up earlier than normal, and I was not prepared. Sam was wondering why the Easter bunny was late. I made them stay in Sam's room till everything was ready, then they had their little hunt and got gobs more candy that they really dont need.

Its been a nice holiday. Carl hasnt worked much and its been nice having him around this weekend.

trying to get a free photo workshop ticket

I dont usually do this type of thing, but I really want to win a free ticket to a photo workshop that will be here in Mesa in May. Ive been following a really neat blog called Sunshine in my Soul that I randomly found on facebook somehow, months ago. I started reading about this womans life with her children, as a stay at home mom and I got hooked. She takes the best pics of her kids and posts them and it always leaves me feeling like I could learn so much more with photography. I could have some of those awesome pics, of my own kids! She teaches a workshop with her friend every so often and usually they are out of town. This one is right here in Mesa, so I must try for some more free entries. I just needed to mention this here and I get 10 more entries.

Thanks Audrey

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
James 1:2-3

I was reading Carl's sister's blog, and she posted a verse that really spoke to me tonight. It was just what I needed to read. Thank you.

Life has been hard lately. Everyone that knows me in my personal life, knows this, because I am an open book about my life. I have to talk about it because its what is happening in my life and Im a talker, its therapudic and its who I am.

I am so thankful that we have so many good friends and a lot of close family to help us through the bad times. Every night when I put Sam to bed, he tells me that he wants to me to God Bless all our friends. So I start to do it and the list just goes on and on. We have so many great people in our lives.

Moving Schmoving

We are finally all moved and settled! YAY!!! I have to say that it feels sooooo good to be back in this house. I am loving it with Sam and Charlie. Its so much easier to keep track of them, to keep the place picked up. Sam has stayed in his bed all night since we moved in. We've been enjoying the spa and fire pit at night with the kids. Its been nice to be near all of our friends again and having spontaneous play meet ups at the park with friends. We've been going on lots of walks again too, Sam loves all the wild life. It just feels good to be home. I feel like we were in a dream for 2 years or something and now we are back. It was surreal moving back into this house, feeling at home the very first night, knowing where everything should go before we even moved anything in.

That is a pic of Sam and Charlie playing in some boxes I unpacked. Nothing like plain old card board boxes for the best kid entertainment.

Yesterday Sam turned 4!

I am constantly amazed at how time started flying by much faster once I had Sam. With each year, I cant believe how fast it went and how much he has changed and grown. I cant believe he is already 4!! Its been 4 fun years for sure!! Yesterday, I had a little party here at the house with all of our playgroup friends.

It was fun. We ate pizza, killed a pinata, and then had the gooeyest Sneaky Snake cake ever. When I asked Sam a few weeks ago what kind of cake he wanted for his Birthday, he says, "a smeaky smake cake." Um Whaaaaat?? haha. I love his cute little voice and the funny ways he talks. What he really wanted was a Sneaky Snake cake. He remembered Charlie's snake cake from last year and he LOVES the song Sneaky Snake. I decided it had to be different, so I had this one done out of cupcakes. It had more frosting on it than Id ever seen and it was messy!!!! Of course the kids all loved it.


Sam got lots of fun presents, including a spin art machine, a sticker making machine, nerf guns, hot wheels, an adorable home made book bag that my friend Elisabeth made.

It was a great day and Sam had a blast! Happy Birthday my big boy!