So cute I just can't stand it!

Need I say more...how am I supposed to get anything at all done these days when I have this beautiful little face shining at me!

Kenzie's Birthday

We had the best week of birthdays! Mackenzie had a wonderful fun filled birthday...birthday weekend. Notice no cake...just a toaster strudel with a candle wedge in it...only Mackenzie:) She opted for a baseball game with friends for her birthday celebration this year...Brian took them to a Frisco Rough Riders game... complete with autographs, unlimited food, hats and lots of silliness. I was so sad that I had to stay behind because of Olivia..heehee.

Bath Time

These are the moments....Olivia and Emily had just taken their baths...I love a squeaky clean kid!

Birthdays!

Emily with her carrot cake....she frosted it herself ..she does a great job!

Birthday breakfast! Cupcakes in lieu of an old family tradition of cake for your birthday breakfast!

We are in the thick of birthdays around here! We celebrated Emily's today. She turned 9 years old. I woke her up with a candle in a cupcake for her breakfast in bed....she then opened all of her presents and made chocolate milk in her new "moo mixer". Emily is my sweetie...she wanted me to bring her Sonic for lunch and homemade chocolate filled cupcakes for her classmates...all the little girls were asking her if they could eat lunch with us and she whispered in my ear that she wanted it to be just her and I. I ate that up knowing that realistically it won't be that way for long...

In fact after hearing that Emily just wanted it to be her and mom Kenzie quickly stated, "WHAT? That is WEIRD...you are just weird." and then MacKenzie let me know that I could just "drop off" her Sonic tomorrow and that I didn't need to stay and eat with her if I didn't want to...gotta love it. Emily also requested her meal for dinner....hoogie sandwiches with BACON (a "not allowed food" normally) and carrot cake...only if I could make it "homemade" not store bought. (In stark contrast to Kenzie who informed me that she wanted store bought Ice cream Bars for her classroom treat, and to not bother with a cake or anything for her birthday meal...she would just eat extra candy? Kids...They do come in very different packages don't they?)

I made the carrot cake (along with 3 other cakes for a birthday cake order I have) and Emily loved it. I hope Emily had a wonderful birthday...

Emily was born at 9:30 on a Sunday morning...after a very long and hard natural childbirth. She was a fussy baby...but an absolutely ideal, and heaven sent toddler and kid! She brings so much peace and spirit to our house hold. Emily is an amazing little girl and I am so excited to see what wonderful things she will accomplish in the life!

Olivia is so cute..

Miss Olivia is doing great...and I must say I think she is just the cutest baby I have ever seen! :)
Olivia is really learning to communicate and has started to coo at us...we all melt. She is leaving the house almost every day with me and will even make her debut at church this Sunday! Yeah!

She has been doing pretty good at only waking up to eat...so this leaves me to ask.... why am I still so tired all of the time? ...it might have something to do with waking up every 2 to 3 hours to feed her and then still waking up at 5:30 am to feed her promptly before I run (literally) off to the gym to slip in a workout before Brian goes to work. My workouts used to be the highlight of my day....sending the kids off to school and then hitting the gym or the road for a few hours of me time....now I am half asleep, or wishing that I was on a treadmill...or I am watching Olivia in her swing, praying that she does not wake up and interrupt my self imposed boot camp from ****. But even thought it is not what it used to be...it does help my head and whole self feel better...yes, even at 6 am on 6 hours of interrupted sleep.
We had an awesome family weekend listening to church conference...our favorite time of the year...We surprised the kids with a new trampoline...and made our traditional caramel popcorn to eat during the sessions.
I was humbled and felt like I had my batteries re-charged listening to what I need to do, and how to do it, setting my priorities again. I Love being a mom...and I really am enjoying every second that I get to spend with Olivia...I savor it..so much so that I have even been saying no to cake orders just so that I can love and hold Olivia more...time is flying by and I do not want to spend it frosting a cake, and telling Olivia in her swing to shush...instead of snuggling ...and loving, and kissing on her!

April Fools and not

April 1st how fun! We started the day with Brian trying to play constant pranks on us...Kenzie finally got him back by stuffing the toes of his shoes with paper so that he couldn't get them on...he fell for it! It was funny. For dinner tonight I got out 3 huge plates...put a mound of chocolate chips on one, a mountain of gum drops on another, and kissables on the last. I then put down forks and called the kids to their dinner plates. You should have seen their eyes! Emily said, "mom...you rock!" We then said the prayer...and Kenzie told the kids..."hurry protect them, cover them, guard them guys, because as soon as we say the prayer she's going to take them away!" (she's a smart girl) I had them say the prayer and then let them believe for a min. or two that it really was going to be dinner...they are smart... and started shoving handfuls down their throats. I of course said APRIL FOOLS and gave them their real plates of salad and whole wheat spinach pasta....but it was fun. I also called Kenzie several times only to hang up on her when she answered.....

On the NOT part...my mom has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. This is a very hard time for her and she needs all the prayers she can get. She is having a mastectomy on April 10th...please include her in your prayers...my mom really does "rock" I love her so much and hate to see her scared and sad.

Smiles!

Finally! Olivia is smiling! It is the prettiest most wonderful smile in the world. She officially started smiling last Saturday...the ones were you know that it was on purpose. When Olivia smiles her entire head smiles. Her bright eyes light up and even her forehead smiles at you. She is getting bigger and acting older every day. She has officially outgrown her newborn onsies...

Brian took the kids camping for a couple of days during spring break. They had such a great time...Ryan said it was the best day of his entire life. They ate hot dogs and donuts...and started each morning roasting smores..What?...dads....
I was really sad that Olivia kept me from going....(lying).
Olivia and I went on long walks. During one of the said walks a little boy about 8 ran up to Olivia, took off her blanket, and stared touching her hands. He even tried to kiss her face! Needless to say I was hyperventilating the rest of the walk home, trying to not let her get her fingers in her mouth, and scrubbed her down with soap when I walked in the door....while he was "loving" on my child his mom saw and said "Oh, Johnny are your hands clean?" Ummm...he had just been outside riding his bike...he replied, "gee I hope so, he hahaha" Okay dumb mom....and germ ridden child. But alas she survived:)
Olivia has now officially went to Target, the grocery store, and even on a girls night out with me....and I am feeling a little more like myself.