The Gayer's

Bedtime prayers

2011-10-04T20:14:00.000-07:00

I love listening to my kids say their prayers ! Sometimes they are very long and drawn out , but I love them. When the girls were little they would often include every stuffed animal, doll, purse and of course lip gloss. It is good to be thankful especially for purses and lip gloss. As they have gotten older their prayers tend to mimic my style of prayer. This is often humbling . I am molding and teaching their hearts. Sometimes this is done in patience others in frustration, but always with the intent of raising kids who love and honor God. Nothing is more convicting than realizing your kids are copying you. Especially when it comes to their relationship with God.

Earlier in the car we were talking about the pastor in Iran who is set to be executed for being a Christian .To save his life all he has to do is deny Christ. This was very shocking to my girls. But their comment was they can kill him but he will get to live with Jesus forever! He can't say what they want. I guess this stayed with them because tonight Sam prayed for Jesus to give the pastor the strength to stand up for Him. And to save him if that was what God wanted. Tay prayed for him as well, and for his family to be brave . Wow ! Powerful words for little girls!

Tonight Jake was praying and in the middle he says "Oh one more thing God, I love you more than anyone else! And Jesus too! "

It is these moments that bring me to my knees . I am thankful for these times with them !

Deep thgoughts......by:Samantha Gayer

2011-09-23T09:05:00.000-07:00

Deep thoughts at dinner....By:Sam of course
At dinner last night Sam excitedly told me she has found where she belongs !
Sam~ Mom today I ate lunch at the table with all the boys ! Did you know they have burping contests,and arm wrestling? It was AWESOME!!! Then Carson was eating this tortilla thing and he said it was so good so he took it out of his mouth and gave me a bite ! Me~ Sam that is gross please don't eat food from other peoples mouth ! Sam~ Mom it gave it extra flavor !!!! I have found where I fit in ! I am going to sit there again for sure ! Me~ That is awesome :/

One of the greatest things about being a mom is getting to say things like" don't eat food that has been in other peoples mouths" The list of these types of things is long but never stops amusing me. Here are a few of my favorites you will notice a theme of grossness and of course lots of pee. Cant be helped ! I guess the best part is the tone that I end up with. You know the teachery, calm , is that really your best choice voice. About half way through it is all I can do not to laugh at the absurd words I am speaking. Love it !

~We do not pee on other people, even your sister
~We pee in the toilet not in the sink (actually Sam and Tay not Jake when they were 4 and 5)
~No wiping buggers on the wall or furniture for any reason
~ Do not eat other peoples buggers or even your own for that matter
~We do not pee outside (unless the bathrooms are locked at soccer)
~We do not stuff things in the toilet especially to see how much will fit
~Do not wash your hands in the urinal it is NOT a sink ( close call on that one)
~Ants and rolly pollys are not our new pets and need to stay outside !

First day of school

2011-09-16T11:31:00.001-07:00

This year marks a huge milestone in the Gayer house. Caitlen is a junior in college at CAl State Fullerton ,Taylor is in 6th grade, Sammy is in 4th grade and Jake is in kindergarten. Crazy right ! Where has the time gone. It feels like Jake was just born and now is at school all day. At this rate he will be graduating high school tomorrow. The kids all have amazing teachers this year. I love them all.I am sure this will be a year of growth for them all. You will notice the lack of Caitlen pictures. She refused to come by and let me take her picture ! So No pictures for her ! I am excited for her Junior year and I know she will thrive .

After school Jamba juice ! It was so hot this day !

Jake had a great first day ! I actually went to high school with his teacher,Mrs.Ohman. She is so sweet and we are thankful to have her.It is hard dropping your baby for the first day of kinder! You worry about their friends and behavior and well everything! As I was saying goodbye I started to cry then I looked down at my perfectly happy boy sitting at his table with a huge smile . I sucked it up so he would not see me lose it and kissed him one last time. He was so tired when we picked him up he had to lay down while we waited for the girls to get out. He was so excited he didn't eat his breakfast and came home with a full lunch box. For about a week every day when I picked him up he would say "I can't leave mom I still have more to learn " So cute. Hopefully this hunger for knowledge continues.

Samantha got one of my all time favorite teachers Mrs.Jones . Taylor had her for 3rd and 4th grade. She is a neat christian lady whom I adore! Sam also got ALL of her best friends in her class. She is so excited and is going to have a great year! I had to run from class to class to get these cute little shots, which with 3 kids is crazyness. I was late getting to Sams class ,So as I peaked in and blew her a kiss Mrs.Jones saw and called me in gave me a huge hug, and let me take Sam's picture. See here is a teacher who understands the importance of a sitting at your desk the first day of school shot !

Tay was nervous to begin this year after the trauma that was 5th grade. We prayed all summer for her teacher this year. Mrs.Buckett is going to be great for Taylor. She is excited to teach and wants to make it creative and fun. Wow what concept! It is going to be tough Taylor has a lot of ground to make up . But I am sure she will do great this year! I can not wait to see all God has planned for my little girl this year !

Jake all set . He was so excited!

Deep thoughts

2011-06-01T10:33:00.000-07:00

Deep thoughts by Samantha Gayer............

It is embarrassing to fart in class.....But it sure feels good!

I am not a sensitive child, but ever since I fell of the swing and landed on my head I have been feeling kinda funny, emotional even. I mean I cried at school today ! I never do that !!

Sam~ When I grow up I am going to live in a tree with my kids and husband! Luke : No boy would ever want to do that ! Sam~ The boy I marry will !

Camp Sherman

2011-04-27T17:24:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago Samantha and I went to Camp Sherman with her brownie troop. Let me just say it was soo much fun! There is no other set of moms I would want to do this with. Hiking, archery, songs, canoeing, and so much more. I am so blessed to get to do these things with my littles . I wouldn't trade these memories for anything !Here are a whole bunch of pictures of adventures. Oh and the beautiful necklace I am wearing is handmade by Samantha ! Am I a lucky mom or what !

Sam and Syd ....well being Sam and Syd! These two have way to much fun together!

Sammy and Leanne

No surprise here! Thats my girl!

Leanne,Sam,Sydney,Jessica,Lizzie,Jordan,Delany and Kate

Silly girls

Serving up breakfast

bunk time !

Archery

Bulls eye baby !

My sweet girl

The three musketeers

The whole gang

Sam was in heaven climbing all the rocks. Made my heart smile to watch her . This girl is a monkey!

Go Sam !!

Canoeing! Our butts were so wet !

The girls had to clean the house before we left. So funny they started singing "It's a hard knock life" as they mopped the floor

Oh Oh lay lay Oh lay lay tiki tonga.........

Wild Animal Park

2011-03-04T15:12:00.001-08:00

We took our wild bunch to the Wild Animal Park . I love hanging out with my little guys they are so fun. We rode the tram and hiked all through the park. It was neat to see how excited the kids were to see there favorite animals.

Tay loved all the animals.

Sam loves Giraffes.

Jake loves the cheetahs.

My favorite guys !

State Cup 2011

2011-03-04T13:30:00.001-08:00

Beautiful Lancaster in January. This year Taylor's team played in the State Cup. The girls did a great job and won the first 4 games they played and made it to the final 16 teams. They were defeated in a hard fought game in the sweet 16. I am so proud of them ! Scotty was able to get time off and get us a motorhome for the Lancaster games. It was so much fun to have him there and to be able to stay at the fields with our friends the Keefe's. It was freezing but still great.Way to go CFC!!! I can not wait for next year .

So cold!!!and windy too!

Sammy girl

It was just to far to walk to the bathroom. These two are quite a team!

Her little hands tucked in her shirt to stay warm. CRAZY cold!!

Tough Tay crushing the Celtics!

Of course the geckos came with us.

SOOOO fun to sleep here !

Field to field transportation.

Jordan and Jake staying warm between games. Jordan is so sweet to the little guys!

Games in our jammies. This is the way to travel for soccer for sure. Just wake up and the field is right outside the door.

Love these girls !

Geckos

2011-03-04T12:33:00.000-08:00

After all that happened with Richard (the lizard) We decided to get Sammy a gecko for Christmas. It was the only thing she wanted! So we started looking to see what our options were. She decided she liked the crested geckos the best. We found a girl on craigslist that was selling baby geckos and we were so excited. Hoping if we got the gecko young it would like to be held, and well loved. So Scott and I headed to Garden Grove to get our new pet. Of course it looked like some crack house and I was afraid we were going to die. I am not joking it was the dirtiest grossest house I have ever been in. Trash and stuff everywhere, the floor all ripped up and the smell AAGGGHH! They were in the back bedroom and as we walked back I was having flashes of law and order and CSI running through my head. Thank God Scott did not let me go alone ! Well we went for 1 and came home with 3. I know I never wanted to go back there again. Sammy was so excited Christmas morning! After all presents were opened Scotty came out and told her he cut his hand as he opened it there was her gecko. She screamed and hugged him . Taylor hid in the corner and cried. She hates lizards. Scott then came out with the other 2 and said they needed friends. Taylor just cried and buried her head in a pillow. She has now adjusted and will even hold them. Sammy loves them and not even to death yet. So here are our newest members of our crazy family! This is jumper.

Sammy made a lizard circus one day and taught them how to walk a tight rope. Yep they made it across. And no lizards were hurt in the performance. She was so proud of herself and her pets !

This is jumper crossing the rope. He made it across !

Jumper

freckles

And last but not least Gary ! Not sure if they are boys or girls yet but I am sure with our luck there is a mix of both. I will let you know if we get eggs.

The whole gang.

Happy Anniversary Babe!

2011-02-08T11:11:00.000-08:00

On February 5th Scotty and I celebrated 11 years of marriage. Yay us ! It is crazy to think that it all started 17 years ago with a kiss after a superbowl party . Actually it goes even further back to junior high, but since he thought I was a dork back then we will skip to the part where he actually wanted to hang out with me. So thank you to his friend who bet him I would never go out with him ! Scotty won that bet ! Man I love this guy! I am so glad he is my husband , best friend and the father of our beautiful kids. I am truly blessed! He knows me like no one else and loves me anyway! He laughs when he comes home to find me singing (way off key and making up my own lyrics ) and crazy dancing with the kids . He is patient when I am not and wise when I am impulsive. We are a great balance to each other! I could go on and on but I guess I will save that for him . So babe thanks for choosing me to be your wife ! I love you more today than when we started !

ipod drama

2011-01-18T07:45:00.000-08:00

This post is crazy long but I want this memory documented. Believe it or not this really did happen to us !
For Christmas this year we decided the little girls were old enough for ipods. I thought I would just go to Target and buy a nano and be done. No things never are that easy for me. They changed the nanos this year so they are really small and don't play video ,and so the quest to find last years model began!
I found them on ebay for a good price so I got one for each of them . ( Sam wanted lizards and not an ipod but I knew there would be fighting if only Tay got one . Lizard post to follow.) So I bought them , and 2 days letter ebay sent a note saying we might not get them the vendor was pulled. AAAGGGHHH !!! So we wait and sure enough they came. I literally jumped up and down and thanked the mail man profusely because I was so excited. This was going to be the best Christmas ever!
Well as most of you know things do not ever go that easy for me. So Christmas Eve we removed them from the cases and of course they were fake. So frustrating ! All the stores were closed and no big gift for Tay. Scott had gotten Sam the lizards so she was covered but poor Tay just got promises of an ipod . She took it fine and I was thankful she is so sweet.
I went on Apple's web site to get her a refurbished nano but they were out. So we gave her the choice to wait or get the new one. She chose to wait......a week later still nothing, wait ,wait, wait! Then a refurbished i touch for the same price as the nano comes up. We decide to get that! So I buy it and she is ecstatic! But no conformation email comes so I call apple and they have no record of my purchase and of course they are now out of them. AAGGHHH! Tay again is ever patient.
Another 2 weeks go buy and still nothing available. So Scott and I decide to buy her a new one. Way more than we wanted to spend but this was getting out of control . We started out spending $71.50 then $149 now we were up to $229 . So I bought her the new one had it engraved for free and finally we could be done! An hour later Scott calls to tell me they have a refurbished ones again. Of course they do ! I call apple and they have already engraved and prepared it to be shipped. I explained my whole drama and the guy said he would let me return it this one time. All I have to do is ship it back after we get it. So I purchase the other one as well. I have now bought 4 ipods and have nothing to give my daughter .
Yesterday the i touch's came and Taylor is so excited! I have been fighting with the vendors on ebay for the last month but they have finally agreed to a full refund. All I have to do is return the fakes. Sounds easy but they gave me the address in Chinese. Iprinted it out and took it to the post office and the lady said it had to be printed on the shipping envelope. I told her I can't write Chinese and she told me to find a Chinese person and bring them with me. REALLY ??? Oh yes that was her answer. Thankfully I do know a Chinese person (thanks Alice) and she translated for me. We started off spending $143.00 and ended at $521.00 I can't wait for all the refunds to come in !!What a disaster. I will never buy anything on ebay again !
Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and more luck shopping than we did !

Cali our new Kitty

2010-12-20T20:25:00.000-08:00

We have a new member of the family. Cali is a little kitten that came to live with us in October. She was rescued by a friend of ours when she was just a few days old. She nursed her back to health and now she thriving here with us. We love her to pieces !

The Elf on the shelf

2010-12-20T20:12:00.000-08:00

We started a new tradition this year. Frisbee is an elf that has come to live with us through Christmas. Everyday he watches to see who is naughty and nice then flys home to the North Pole to report to Santa. Every day he picks a new spot to hide......well most days he picks a new spot. We have had some issues with him forgetting to move. He even forgot the first night! Taylor who is 10 woke me up at 5 in the morning all upset because he was in the same spot. Well being the sweet morning momma that I am I informed her that she must have scarred him when he was coming back so he went to the same spot ! Then I told her it was way to early to be up and to get back in bed. The other day Jake was in time-out and I told him he was going to be on the naughty list for sure. He looked at me and said "That elf does not even know my name!" I looked right at the elf and said " Frisbee this is Jake Gayer ,J-a-k-e- G-a-y-e-r" Jake cried NOOOOO! Then as I turned He looked at Frisbee and said"That's not my name, it's not !!!" Got to love 4 year olds! I will miss this little elf next week !

The story of Richard

2010-10-09T12:55:00.000-07:00

Richards story is not a long one but heart felt none the less.Last month Sam caught a lizard in our back yard. She does this pretty much everyday so I am not sure how this one got to stay. Well stay he did . Craziest thing you have ever seen he would just sit on her homework paper while she worked.Ride on her shirt or in his cage while she roller bladed oh and even sit next to me for hours in the grass during soccer practice. I have many witness who can confirm this madness. Yes we fed him. At first Sam caught crickets for him. Not sure how because I can never catch them. Then we moved on to meal worms and ants. Richard lived with us for about 3 weeks then one night he did not wake up. :( It was a very sad day so after Scott got home from work we had a service in the back yard. We said a few words and prayed. Sam started sobbing with her hand over her face. Not gonna lie I teared up as well. It is so hard to watch your kids hurt. He was a very special lizard who we will never forget ! Homework time . He sat there the entire time she did her work!

Just hanging out

Rollerblading..... I know in a bikini with a lizard. This is our crazyness

Playing in the yard

I just showed Sam what I wrote and she teared up and said "it's good mom "!She kills me!!!!

Soccer at the beach

2010-09-02T14:49:00.000-07:00

Taylor's soccer team played in a tournament in Hunington Beach this summer. These little girls are amazing athletes! It was a blast to watch them play, although sand in the eyes is not fun ! We have the best team ! It was a great day hanging out with everyone . We are blessed to have a great coach and parents on this team.

Canyon FC girls U10 2010

Changes

2010-06-05T10:26:00.000-07:00

This journey of being a mom is so crazy! We spend all these years teaching and preaching to our little ones and they learn and grow . They make good choices and bad and all along we are there. We hold on tight and pray sooo hard. And although there are times we can't imagine why God thought it was a good idea for us to be this child's mom . He did, he hand picked us for the job and God makes NO mistakes. I know because I looked into this at several points along the journey and the Bible gives the same answer . So we love them, laugh with and in our house at them, pick up broken pieces , and live in all that God has taught us. Now 19 years into this journey I get to let go. I know, I know this is the point of being a mom . To be honest there were several occasions where I knew the number of days till I could be done.
Well my job is changing it is never really done. But I am excited for the change ! Caitlen is going to work at Hume for the summer. It is a great change and I can hardly wait to see all God has in store for her. I prayed so hard she would get this job. Cate wanted to work in security and they only hired 8 , 5 boys and 3 girls.Well God answered my prayer exactly and she is one of the 3. I got to meet the other 2 girls who are doing security and they were great. She is going to have an amazing summer. I can not wait to see all that God does in her life and heart this summer. It will be an adventure I am sure. As I drove away I had no reservations . We have prayed and God has answered ! Cates I will miss you this summer ! Have fun little one !

Hiking the Hills

2010-05-03T10:52:00.001-07:00

I love hiking in the hills! Last summer a group of us would go several days a week and run/walk the hills. It is so beautiful up here. Taylor's soccer coach has taken the team on several hikes up here now and they are a blast. Even the little kids enjoy it most of the time. We have gone 4-8 miles on each hike. The 8 mile hike took us all the way to Irvine park. ending with a huge hill at the end. Jake was crying and I am not going to lie I wanted to too. Dragging /carrying 2 kids is not all that easy. After the 8 mile hike Jake and Sam decided to hang out with Aunt Billie instead of with us. I did not push it. It is amazing how easy it felt without 70 pounds of drag . It was a beautiful day and Taylor and I had a great time !

I think God put these flowers here just for us today. They were so pretty and were taller than us. They were all along the trail and it was so cool to walk through them.

Tay wanted to be done right here. Not even close !

The team !

Jamba juice is a great way to finish the day ! So fun to spend the day with great friends and my little Tay.

Samantha

2010-05-03T10:37:00.001-07:00

Last month Sam decided she was tired of sharing a room so she would move to the bathroom.So she gathered her blankets and pillow and crawled in the tub. She slept there all night. There were some benefits. No fighting with her sister ,no egging her brother to get out of bed, no talking and laughing. So the next night she wanted to sleep there again and we said SURE ! This time she brought in dolls and stuffed animals and even pinned her soccer pin on the shower curtain. She slept there for about a week and then moved back to her bed. I love how creative and quirky my little one is.

This is where I found her this time. She dumped out all the clothes and taped the baskets together. She is a nut !!!

I know the room is a mess . Partly because she dumped out the basket and partly because my children are part pig !

Easter egg Hunt at the Club

2010-04-05T14:56:00.001-07:00

Every year at Grandpa Mel's club they have a big Easter egg hunt. Not sure who gets a bigger kick out of this the kids or Grandpa. Once again Grandpa's grandkids were the cutest on the green !

Sammy, Luke, Jake, Taylor and Shayna

Grandpa thanks for a great day !

Happy Easter

2010-04-05T13:37:00.001-07:00

Sometimes with all the fun that goes with Holidays the true meaning and celebration can get lost. We do hide eggs and the kids get baskets . But I make sure they understand why we celebrate Easter. I thought all of this was going right over Jakes head. But today he saw a cross and said " Mom that is what Jesus died on, but now he not dead anymore. He alive " Yes babe he is ! We have little plastic eggs each filled with an item that is part of the Resurrection story. Even Jake at almost 4 can tell you what most of the items stand for. Just one more way to tell the story of what Jesus did for all of us . Whether you believe or not God sent his one and only son to live and then die for all of us. By doing so he paid the price for our sins. Not one of us is good enough to make it on our own. There is no deed or act we can do to earn way to heaven. But the good news is we don't have too. God sent his son to pay the price for all. All you have to do is believe that Jesus died for you and ask Him to forgive you for all your sins. It is a free gift. Which all of you know I love free things. I believe without a doubt that what the Bible says in both the Old and New Testaments is true. And that is why We celebrate this special day ! Taylor and Cookie

Jake and Cookie

Samantha ans Bella

The whole gang !

No I could not get them all to keep there eyes open, and smile ,and sit still all at the same time . Oh well!

Caitlen and Kyle

Sisters

Our Bunnies

2010-04-05T13:15:00.000-07:00

Well we have had our little bunnies for a few months now so I guess its time to update. Not my first choice of pet but they are pretty cute. When I caught Sam petting snails in the back yard I knew it was time for a pet with fur. Not an easy task when Jake is allergic to dogs and Scott is allergic to cats and No I am not going down the rodent path. So bunnies it is.
First we got cookie the black and white one and a few months later Bella joined our family. I had wanted 2 girls so they could play and be friends. We were told cookie was a girl......Well we introduced them and they REALLY liked each other. AAAGGGHH !!! We quickly intervened and decided either we had lesbian bunnies or Cookie was a boy.We were not sure exactly how to tell if they were male or female. So Scott and I looked on line and looked at Cookie and then we got another opinion . This was something we needed to be very sure of. Well of course she is a he. The lady told us they can have babies every 31 days. WOW! I wish it was that easy for us. Now they can only be friends from afar. Hopefully the kids don't let them both out at the same time. As always everything is an adventure. Cookie

Bella

quick update

2010-02-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how long it has been since I last updated this. Things have been crazy as usual. A good kind of crazy. I think as mom's we think that as our kids get older we will have more time ...HAHAHAHa . So here is a quick update pictures and more details to follow soon.
Caitlen is doing great. She is in College, working and has a boyfriend. Yes we really like him! This last week she left for the Dominican Republic . She is going with the youth group from our church to help at an orphanage and do programs for the kids and of course manual labour.It is an amazing opportunity for her to serve. I am thankful God has put this on her heart. You can follow their trip at www.grace-dr.blogspot.com Please be praying for the team this week.
Taylor made the signature team for soccer again this year. She is a tough little player. Tay also made honor roll this quarter. Way to go little one!
Sammy is back to dancing and will be playing soccer this spring as well. I will have to post the talent show dance later this month. So stinkin cute.
Jake is a my special little guy. Everyday he amazes me. He loves riding his bike and I imagine the training wheels will soon be gone.
Well there is your little tease for now . I will try to get more up later. :)

Giving Thanks

2009-11-28T21:42:00.001-08:00

It comes as no surprise I am sure that this is on being thankful. This time of year how could it not.I am usually really good at this. Being thankful that is. My husband and kids are amazing . I know I have alot to praise God for. But sometimes life gets in the way So read on about my week of gratitude.
Well the kids and I made a tree in our kitchen and they each wrote on the leaves what they were thankful for. It was a fun way to get them to really think about all God has given us and how all things come from Him. We also looked up a bunch of verses about giving thanks to God. But all to often giving thanks always is overlooked. This has been a hard year for us , between job instability and craziness with the kids there have been some stressful times. But time and again God has provided. He has used different angels at different times, but his provision was there none the less. And it is an understatement to say how grateful I am. But sometimes I falter........ The other day I was not showing gratitude it was actually well , attitude and not in a good way. I was stressed about Christmas and how we were going to make it all come together. The tree, presents for the kids, Christmas cards,....... the list just keeps getting longer. But I should have known my God was bigger than all that. He let me have my stupid pity party then proceeded to answer my worries ( because I did not actually give those requests over to him ) and in one week God showered me with grace.
First I got 100 free Christmas cards. Yes Free I did not even have to pay for shipping or buy anything else. 100 is exactly the number of cards I normally buy. Next was the tree. I just could not justify spending money we do not have on a tree. I was thinking maybe we could make and decorate a big paper tree . My sister called and said they were getting a new artificial tree and wanted to know if we wanted there old one. YES! Next Scott's mom dropped by with stamps. I know it just keeps getting better, she thought it would help. I almost cried. But wait there is still more. My neighbor was cleaning out her girls room and wanted to know if the girls liked American Girl dolls. Her daughters have outgrown them, and have 2 doll beds , not just 1 but 2 and a bunch of doll clothes. These were actual things on my girls Christmas list. Now they are hidden in the rafters waiting for Christmas. I am sure my neighbor was a bit surprised as I choked back tears and asked if she was sure they wanted to give them to us. With a big smile she assured me they did. And you know what God sent us 2 other angels this week that know exactly how they helped and at just exactly the right moment. I am so blessed, and awed by my God. In the midst of my pity party He did all of this. I know these are all lame and materialistic just wants not NEEDS. That is one reason I feel so touched. There is no way these things happened without God. To prove it he hit me with exacts. I never doubted I just thought they were to small and lame for God. Well I can tell you my attitude is better! Thank you so much to all who touched my heart this week ! God used you this week and I am soooooo Thankful !
The other night as I tucked Jake in I asked him what he was thankful for ? He looked up at me with those big brown eyes and said " me thankful for you mom " AGGGHHH he melts my heart.

The Fair

2009-09-15T20:53:00.000-07:00

Almost every year we make are way down to the Orange County Fair. This year my niece Shayna's dance team preformed. So stinkin cute ! The only bad thing was it was over 100 degrees that day and she went on right in the middle of the day. Being the good Aunty and Uncle that we are , we had front row seats. It was a great day with the cousins. Thanks Cleo for the tickets and great parking place ! Shayna during her dance. Seriously is she not the cutest thing !

Travis and Cate won this for Tay . She was so excited and still sleeps with slush every night.

We waited in line forever for these boats. Thankfully the kids loved it !

Jake

Shayna

How sweet is this ? Sammy and Jake !

Luke and Tay

Sammy

Taylor

Jake said he wanted to go and climbed all the way to the top. He looked down the slide and turned and walked all the way down again. There was no convincing him to go . Oh well maybe next year !

Cate and Elise the third musketeers is Tyler but he would not play for the camera

Our favorite part petting all the animals

Hume Lake Hume

2009-09-12T16:09:00.000-07:00

Hume Lake is one of my very favorite places. I have been going there since I was 2. My parents,Grandparents,Aunt and Uncle built it from the ground up . For those of you who have never heard of it it is a Christian camp ground in the Sequoia's. All around it there are private cabins. God has used this place to touch many lives. We try and go up every summer at least once. This year we went while Caitlen was at camp. It is always fun to watch all the crazy games they play and see God at work in there lives. Here is a glimpse of our little adventure. Part of the Lake

This is a huge mud pit. One of many dirty ,crazy games the kids played.Sam of course thought this was great and begged Cate to let her go in.

Sam ,Jake and little flopsy. Yes that is a bunny on a leash!

Sammy girl and little Flopsy. We could not leave our little bunny at home. So Sam would take her for walks during game time.

Taylor had a few turns too. She was afraid the bunny would escape so she let Sam have most of the turns.

Swimming in the Lake. Very brave its a little cold !

Jake refused to swim in the pool. But loved the lake. Weird kid !

Everyday the girls would search for tadpoles. They found a bunch which we had to bring back to the cabin. Thankfully they did not spill in the car. This would be something that would typically happen to me.

The BLOB....... Taylor is normally my reserved child. She does not like to try scary new things. But this year she said she was ready to go on the blob and Noah's nightmare. So up she went to the top and much to my surprise she jumped right off ! I was so proud of her ! Way to go little one ! She did not let the next person blob her she slid off and swam to shore. The kid in line behind her was huge it was a good call.

OK so this is Noah's nightmare. It is a ring you swing out on and then in the MIDDLE of the lake you let go. We went over how this is done and she was ready to go. Well she swung out and I yelled LET GO ! But Tay decided it might be cold and she did not want to swim that far. So she dropped right next to shore. I mean she was so close I don't even think it took 1 stroke to make it to shore. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Here is my little girl and there is nothing I can do but watch what I am sure is going to be her death at worst and a broken neck at best. The lifeguard was up on his feet and almost jumped in too. I was not the only one with a heart beating on over drive. Thankfully she was fine and calmly explained she did not want to swim that far. Got to love her ! Oh and this is the only picture because of the drama in my head.

A sea of crazy High School kids. How fun does this look. It was spirit day so they are all dressed up.

Caitlens team they took first place this year ! Way to go guys!

The fearless leaders! These are 2 of my sweet friends who answered the call to lead this wild pack of girls. They are women who love God and I admire them greatly ! Thanks girlies for being willing to leave your families for a week and council our kids. You do a great job !

The girls from Grace ! Yes this is after the mud games I was talking about. Love it !

Caitlen and Ellen. They have known each other since birth. I love these girlies !

Ok so let me explain......There is a game at Hume that has been played well forever. It was my favorite and I am proud to say my daughter loves it as well. It is called Kajabe can can . Now this will bring back found memories for some. The deal is you each hold on to a small rope and make a circle around a trash can. Then you try and force your opponent into the can. Usually there are about 12 girls to start. Cate will not like the picture above but she fought the good fight and was the last one in. Good job baby !

Not out !Good save babe

Mud Run Baby

2009-09-11T09:57:00.001-07:00

It all started with a call from my girlfriend Christina....... She had 2 extra tickets to the mud run and I had thought this looked like a lot of fun. I know I am crazy but well you know ! Anyway we had no extra money for the race so when che called I really was excited. So off we went. At the last minute Christina and I decided we should run with the girls. Good thing because it was caos. The course was not well marked and a lot of kids got lost for a while. Taylor is very competitive so as soon as they said go she was off. We met up with her at a double back point and Sam just turned around and finished the race with Tay. So Fun ! After the race we found a spicket on a hill and sprayed the kids off. They were gross. Thanks Chris for sharing in the crazy fun and scoring us the tickets . This is an event we will not soon forget ! I love this picture. Seriously look at her scale this wall !

The mud was so thick it ate Sammy's shoes ! It took a while to dig them out. They were so caked in mud she ran the rest of the race in her sockies. I am not sure Sam could have gotten them out by herself. Just one more reason I was glad I ran with her.

At one point in the crazyness we met up with Tay. So Sam turned around and ran with her. The look on Taylor's face is my favorite. She is having a great time !

Sammy,Brooke,Mariah,Taylor and Miranda
Some of the kids after the race. I love that my kids are athletic and love this kind of stuff. It makes my heart smile !

Sammy's Dance Recital

2009-09-11T09:42:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I posted so this will be a catch-up for a bit. This summer Sam had her first dance recital. She had so much fun. The pictures are not very good because we were not alloweded to use the flash. Still you can tell by the look on her face she had a great time . Way to go Sammy girl !

Caitlens Graduation

2009-07-19T20:59:00.001-07:00

Ok so I know its been a while now but we have been busy ! So sit back relax and enjoy the update.
What a fun and exciting day Cates graduation was. There was no stress over whether she would or would not graduate. In fact she did very well ! I just can't believe my baby is done with High School. NO more Volleyball or Water Polo games or swim meets. Wow that went fast. I am so proud of her. Caitlen will be heading to Cal Poly Pomona to start her next adventure. The plan is to commute , and major in business. Proud Mom and Dad with our graduation girl

This is a huge swarm of bees that flew over us during the ceremony. There are thousands of them and we were all stuck in the stands. Made it a little more exciting as the called the 600+ graduates. Oh we also had a streaker . Crazy kids !

That's my girl !

She was not thrilled with the gold gown . But I thought she looked great !

Her cute new dress to hide under the gown.

Yeah we are done !!! Nothing like the excitement of a job well done and complete.

Daddy's girl !

What a journey this was. Not that its done .... I got choked up as they played the graduation song , then pulled it together. But on the way home with just Scotty and I in the car I started to cry . He thought I was kidding but , no I was really crying. It's just I started this mom thing at such a young age and have always felt like people were waiting for me to fail. This felt like one more step to proving we could do it and do it well. I know its been 18 years and 3 more kids later and who really cares. Well I guess I did ,I just didn't realize it until that moment. So I was surprised at how much this hit me. My girl did it she graduated and got in to a great school. God is faithful ! He brought us through this journey. It has been a long one filled with some (ok many ) mistakes . Yet God has been there picking up the pieces when I fail Him, He never fails me. How comforting to know that we have such an amazing God filled with grace and mercy for us. So I will continue to trust in the Lord as the journey continues. Please continue to pray for us as we take on this next step of life.

Grandma Cleo and Grandpa Mel (Scott's parents )

Grandma Melodie and Grandpa Steve (My parents )

The thought that counts

2009-05-09T21:33:00.001-07:00

As Mothers day is fast approaching I am a little nervous. Why you might ask.....Breakfast in bed ! TV has made this out to be quite the coveted thing. And there are even some of you Moms perpetuating the myth. Well fear not I am here to clear it up. Please know that I am not being ungrateful. just real. I love the thought just not the after math.
It all starts with the giggling of little girls as they sneak by my bed. SHHHHHH don't wake Mom we are going to make her a surprise ! Not sure who exactly they are talking to because they are on my side of the bed and Scott is still snoring Really loud. Being the good Mom that I am I pretend to still be asleep.... Until I here the words lets make pancakes ! OH NO ! First they have no idea how to make these and second syrup. No need to expound ! So at this point I have to speak out. No syrup ! I assure them I am still sleeping and syrup is a BAD , BAD, idea. Those of you who know my littles know I am right. Caitlen of course is sleeping and Scott is too. So Sammy and Taylor head off to the kitchen.
Now in case you are wondering this is not a peaceful time relaxing in my bed. I am going to have to actually eat what they bring in ,and clean up the mess. After a few minutes of torture I decide Scotty needs to intervene. He reluctantly agrees after threat of bodily harm and heads off. Once again not ungrateful just real....... So after a very loud time in the kitchen they traipse back in . with a tray filled with things I never eat. I am just sooo happy that I offer to share . They insist I relax and eat alone. But I insist they come crawl in bed and we share. They finally agree . It is a priceless moment. Maybe its not such a bad thing. Now that I am remembering it does sound sweet.
So now that we are late for Church (because its usually Sunday morning they decide to treat me. ) As I run around trying to get everyone ready I see what was my kitchen . Oh yes it is as bad as you imagine ! By this time Scott is very apologetic and late for work, the kids are full of promise to clean it up when we get back from church, And I am wondering how exactly they made such a huge mess. Well , No that's not true I am not all that confused on the how the mess happened part.
Lord ,thank you so much for blessing me with such sweet ,thoughtful , and yes even messy kids. I know that I am the luckiest Mom ever. And could not get through the day without the strength that could only come from you. I strive to be the Mom that glorifies you in all I do . I daily fall short but try none the less. Thank you for letting me be there Mom . I promise to do my best to teach them to love you .
I hope you all have as much fun tomorrow as I know I am going to have . Happy Mother's Day !!!!!

Horses and Motorcycles

2009-04-16T23:17:00.001-07:00

Last week our friends The Hausers invited us out to there house to play. They have amazing property out in Murrietta. I so want to live there ! We are so thankful they let us intrude on them. We are quite a herd when we are all together. We all had such a good time. We got to ride horses, motorcycles, and even a golf cart. To see the excitement in there eyes as they rode was priceless. It really was a perfect day. I so enjoy the family God has blessed me with. Some days are rough and I want to sell them to the circus. But this was not one of those days. So thanks Marc and Kelly for this perfect day ! You have no idea how much it means to us.
I couldn't resist so there are alot of pictures. Caitlen and Prince. She loves horses if you can't tell by the permanent smile.

Sammy and Wonder pony.

Jake was so excited and Taylor was happy to play big sister

I even got to ride. It has been so long. What a fun time to share with my kids. I really think I could live this life. If I had some to clean up after the horses.... Oh wait thats right I have 4 little some ones to do that. I for sure want a ranch now !

Cate got to take off on a trail for a while.

Goofing around

Jake could not stop smiling.

He was so happy he got to ride all by himself. He likes to to everything all by himself . So sweet !

And shes off. I think we have created little cowboys for life. Or one cowboy and 3 cowgirls

How sweet is my girl

I love this. It makes my heart happy

Cate and Sydney got to go ride for a little bit. Sydney was so sweet and led the little ones around for most of the day.

This is there beautiful house. They have 5 acres. It is amazing!

Sara is a motorcross champ and is living with the Hausers. When she got home from practice she took the littles for rides. They loved it. She did jumps with them and everything. She was so kind to them. And they still are talking about her.

Tay and Sara

Of course Sam loved it

Tay had fun too.

Jake kept yelling faster ,faster. But when it came time for the jump he said NO JUMP. I was surprised he like to go as fast as he did. I am in big trouble !

It was an amazing day of fun with family and friends.

Green Valley

2009-04-16T22:43:00.000-07:00

Over Easter break we went up to Green Valley which is near Big Bear. Cate stayed behind this trip because she was still in school. I have to admit I had a bad attitude about going. Scott loves to fish up there and I don't. Plus I get to do all the things I do at home there and then I have a ton of work to do when I get home. I know not a good attitude. So I prayed for a better outlook and told Scott I wanted to go to the Alpine slide if we went. Well we had a great trip. It was so fun to hang out with my little ones and Scotty too.
We headed off to the slide and let me tell you it was soo fun. I think I liked it more than the kids . Maybe not they had a blast. When we first got there Tay was not real excited. She is my cautious one. They would not let 3 on the ski lift so Scott took her up first. they made there way down at a snails pace , but they did it. Next Sam and I went. This one is fearless. She wanted to go alone but was to short. The whole way down with no brakes and her yelling FASTER ! Tay got brave and decided to go on the lift alone. I am so proud of her. It was very scary to see her all by herself on that chair. I think I prayed the whole way. Jake also loved to go fast. It was such a fun day. Thanks Scotty for such a fun trip. I know we will always remember how much fun we had. Oh and next time I promise to not be crabby before we go.

My brave little girl !

Sam and I laughing all the way down

The scariest lift ride ever ! It may not look high but when your 8 year old is up there all alone it is terrifying

My boys.

Next year she might be tall enough to ride alone.

The science fair

2009-04-11T09:54:00.000-07:00

Taylor and her best friend Christine participated in the science fair at school.There project was to document how many drops of food coloring it would take to get frosting red and blue. The girls did a great job ! Taylor is so competitive she was bummed they did not win . Next year little one ! I was just glad she wanted to do this. It was optional for the lower grades. Tay is usually opposed to school work so this was a big deal.

The Talent Show

2009-04-11T09:36:00.000-07:00

Watching my kids preform is one of the moments in Mommyhood that makes my heart burst. I know that sounds silly ! But don't judge till you sit in the audience and watch your own little bug preform. Well Sammy and her brownie troop did a dance for the talent show at school and it was so stinkin cute ! I am sure I am not the only one who thought so. I know at least 2 sets of Grandparents and maybe even some siblings would would agree. The girls did a great job and had fun to.If I ever figure out how to get the video on here I will post it. This is Sammy's friend Owen from school. After the show he said " I think I am going to marry Sam some day" See he thought it was cute too! Here are a few shots of my little star !

Water Polo

2009-04-11T09:25:00.000-07:00

Another Senior day to make us cry and feel old.... Oh I mean to celebrate the end of the season. Canyon had a great year and was undefeated in league. They got to go on to CIF. Although challenging at times she had a fun year. Next stop is Swimming. I am proud of how hard Cate works both in the pool and in school.

Sooo Tired

2009-04-11T09:15:00.001-07:00

As I went into the kids room to check on them this is how I found Sam. She is not faking ! I think the Sneetches were just to much to handle . Jake was mad I left him with Cate so he hid behind our TV and cried himself to sleep. This picture does not do it justice but he is all crammed in. Look at his smashed little nose !

Another angle.

I know my kids are weird and silly ! That is just the way I like them.

My little ones

2009-02-05T11:37:00.000-08:00

Caitlen is taking a media class this year and made us this video. Its just a little peak at my sweet little ones. Man I love these guys! Caitlen Thank you I am so pruod of the work you did !

Oh my holy flu

2009-01-25T22:22:00.000-08:00

WEll after my last post we all started dropping like flies. First Samantha then Jake next a call from school to go get Taylor. Wait we are not done Scott and I got it too . All at the same time. Which was fine for everyone but the Mommy.I know it sounds like whining ....Yes you are right it is. I just don't like to have to cook and clean while having the flu especially the mess the flu brings. I was just so thankful it was only a short one. Give me kids with a fever who just want to snuggle any day. Normally my husband is the cleaner of the throw-up ......but he just looked at me and said I'm out! .....OH! Yeah for me! Thankfully we are all well now and it is just a funny story. This is what makes the journey so great all the little stories. I will try and post not gross stories this week ......Maybe

Do I really have to do that?

2009-01-22T10:36:00.000-08:00

I am not gonna lie there are aspects of being a mom that I do not love. Like Tuesday we had had a busy day and were just pulling into dance class. I turn to get the baby out and he looks at me and throw-up just flows like a fountain . Spraying all over my car. I just looked at him for a minute and thought EWE!! Because guess who is going to have to clean that disgusting mess up ? The girls are squealing because yuck it smells terrible. So I get Sam up to class and the rest of us drive home with all the windows down. Its not over though because I have to get him out of the car and into the tub. Now if you have never done this you might not realize that the only way to do this is to stick your hands in the mess to unhook the carseat straps. ....Exactly EWE . I was hoping it was something that didn't settle in His little tummy. And I thought I was in the clear but last night Sam got the bug. And Jake joined her again this morning. He calls me and says "Mooom I need a baby wipe!" I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I actually laughed really hard because he was just sitting there with his little hands out and a matter-of-fact look on his face.
So my game plan for today is wash the 2 sheets, 8 blankets, 5 towels and 3 pillows that are now yuck ! Oh and wait to see who is going to join the club. One of the down sides to having a big family. So No I really don't want to be the mommy today. And I am actually afraid to feed my children!

The Christmas Card

2008-12-25T13:25:00.000-08:00

It sounds easy enough. Take a cute picture of the kids and make a card. Well let me tell you that it is not so easy. First there will be at least one who does not like what they have to wear. Then one will not want to be in the location you picked. Next the bickering starts. And last but not least Jake is only 2 so this alone is a complication.
So we headed to a park by our house. Usually I do this by myself but Scott decided he would help out. Yeah for me ! So he found this old tree that had fallen over and the quest for the perfect shot began. Basically the girls have to just sit and smile and wait till Jake smiles to. The only way he would this was when Scott hit me in the head with a branch. So I am standing on the side of a slippery hill being whacked by a branch . It worked look how cute they all look. I love the adventure each day brings. The chosen one ! Happy Holidays to you all.

Cate was so over us all. She was hoping I wouldn't make her be in the picture. No Way. Look how cute she is I know everyone wants to see how she has grown this year too.

Taylor is always ready with a smile

Sam the monkey had a great time. She was all over this tree. She wanted to stay and play .

Cate will be mad when she sees this. HeHeHe!

Jake was not a fan of sitting way up high on the tree.

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy Hanukkah We love you all !

The Chainsaw

2008-12-25T13:12:00.000-08:00

Scott will not think this is as funny as I do. In fact he may not even appreciate that I posted this. Scott has been looking for a chainsaw for some time. Well it just so happened my dad found one deep in his garage. It was my grandfathers. I don't think it has been used in 30 years. Scott is very handy and got the thing to finally almost work. Seriously the whole garage was filled with smoke I could barely see him. The pictures do not do the situation justice! I laughed so hard he chopped up a bush in the front yard and part of a tree in the back. He was having way to much fun..... So if anyone has a chainsaw we can borrow let me know. :)

The Tree

2008-12-25T12:53:00.000-08:00

Every year we head off to the Christams tree farm......at Home Depot to pick out our tree. We live in southern California do you know how much trees at all those other places cost ? It is always a challenge to get everyone to agree on the PERFECT tree. Scott always wants to get the first one we look at . We usually do end up with the first one but we have to dig through and make sure. This drives my poor husband crazy! He wants to grab and go . We got our tree all picked out (yes the first one he grabbed) and then the guys who cut the base told us it had a very crooked trunk. So the kids were all excited we got to look again. Scott not as much. He is smart and brings gloves and a knife to cut through the wrapped up trees. I love that guy ! So for the next few weeks our house will smell and look festive ! Merry Merry!

My little All Star

2008-12-25T12:39:00.000-08:00

Tay had a great season in soccer this year. Coach Hank and Coach Dan did such a good job. I couldn't have asked for better coaches. Tay loves to play. She is working on passing and centering the ball. She still loves to take it up the side and shoot. The Gator Girls took second place in there division, and Tay made the all star team. Way to go little one ! In January she will try out for the signature team and the in February she will start her spring team. Taylor is so fun to watch on the field. God has given her a real love and talent for this game.

Hide-n-seek gone bad

2008-12-24T23:08:00.000-08:00

Jake and I were playing the other day and he decided to hide from me. I didn't actually know we were playing hide-n-seek. Oops! He hid on my bed and this is how I found him. Fast asleep. It kind of freaked me out. I was bringing a load of laundry to fold and there is this little foot sticking out. I lifted the covers and there was my sweetest boy fast asleep. How can moments like this not make you smile!

American Girls

2008-12-24T22:50:00.000-08:00

Well we finally got to go to the American Girl store for Tay's birthday. Once again we all had a great time. Although it took for ever to get there it was worth the wait. My Mom went with us . We had lunch ,and shopped , the dolls got their hair done and the girls got to get matching outfits with there dolls. I know some of you think this is silly. But this is a big deal to little girls. This was such a special treat! Sammy and her doll Mia

Taylor and her new doll Nellie

Ok so some of you know that I am constantly taking the girls especially Sam to the bathroom ...every 5 minutes. No Joke ! So at the store they have these special holders for the dolls. So funny , I had to take a picture. I know I am probably the only one who would do this . But how funny is this.

Me and my little girlies!

The End of a Season

2008-12-24T22:35:00.000-08:00

Well Volleyball has come to an end. Cate did a great job. Although she did not get to play that much this year I am so proud of how hard she worked. I will miss sitting in the bleachers cheering them on. I know it was emotional for her to end this season both on the court and in her life. I too felt sad . It is so weird to have your children grow up. How do you hold on and let go...... This I think will resonate throughout this year. Sorry It is really harder than I imagined it would be. Well here are some fun shots of Caitlen on Senior night. Way to go little one. Now you can get ready for Water Polo!

The Seniors

The sleep over

2008-11-24T20:35:00.001-08:00

For Taylors 8th birthday I promised her she could have a sleep over. With soccer finally over we had her party last Friday. I have been throwing birthday parties for 17 years now and never I mean NEVER have we had one where everyone can come. That said we invited 21 girls. I know I know but I hate to hurt feelings. .....Only 1 girl couldn't come. CRAZY. So in my tiny house we had a ton of little girls. They were so fun no drama,fights,or even complaining. Thank God for my sweet husband. He was so helpful . All the girls think he's so funny. We made bracelets,bookmarks,played bingo and watched movies.Oh and ate a ton of pizza ,snacks and popcorn. I think it went really well. I started to get all proud when I had all the girls asleep at 11. But got knocked down a peg when they woke up at 4:30 am and wanted to know what I had planned for them to do now. This is not my best time of day. I told them SLEEP was what I had planned and we were not going to get up right then. They compromised and watched movies til 6:30. What a blessing to have such a fun group of kids . I do not foresee us inviting this many over for quite a while. At least till next year when my Sweet girl looks at me with those big blue eyes. We just laughed when we saw them all squeezed in. The neighbors even came over to see the show. The picture does not truly give the situation justice.

Dominican Republic

2008-11-07T11:03:00.000-08:00

Last night Caitlen left for a week to go to the Dominican Republic. She is going with our church youth group, 25 in all. Rebekah Holbrook is there on a 2 year mission working and teaching at an orphanage. The kids are going to do speechless,vbs and manual labor. What an amazing opportunity . I am so thankful Caitlen was able to go. Please pray for all that went . My prayer is that this will be a life changing trip for my daughter. If you would like to see updates here is the blog for the trip. http://www.dominicanupdates.blogspot.com/ and this is Rebekahs blog so you can get to know the kids there and special prayer requests. http://web.mac.com/tiarivka/Site/Blog/Blog.html Please check out both sites especially Rebekahs I know my heart is touched by all she is doing there.

Trick or treat with the Brownies

2008-11-07T09:29:00.000-08:00

Last week Taylors Brownie troop went to Nohl Ranch Inn ( an old folks home) to trick or treat. They go at dinner time (4:00) and go from table to table and the people give them candy. Its really cute everyone makes such a big deal over the kids. I met the sweetest lady . I had a volleyball t-shirt on because we were going straight to Caties game after . The lady told me her granddaughter plays for Elmo which is the team we were playing that night. So I got to see her granddaughter play . What a small world ! She invited me back to teach me to knit,crochet, or sew special volleyball pillow cases. I love how these women love to touch. They crab on to your hand , touch your hair, or your back. It reminds me of how my grandma used to be. I think I enjoyed this time more than the girls. Later as I was going through her candy I found a viactive (calcium supplement) One of the grandmas must have kept the candy and started handing those out instead. I laughed so hard. Sneaky sneaky grandma !

Happy Birthday Taylor

2008-10-28T09:15:00.001-07:00

Happy 8th birthday Taylor ! Wow time really does move so quickly. I am so thankful God placed you in our family. You have such a sweet heart and a desire to please both God and others. I pray you never lose that . Your smile is contagious and lights up our home. You are the perfect mix of girlie girl and total athlete. I know I am bragging, but its her day so she gets to shine. We will discuss the knock-down drag out fights with siblings on another day. :)
On Sunday ,her actual birthday she got to go golfing with Grandpa Mel and Daddy. She chose this over going to the American Girl doll store with me. I'm not gonna lie I was a little disappointed. But it was the right choice. Grandpa surprised her with her very own set of clubs and a golf bag. Taylor was so excited she even walked some of the holes so she could carry her bag. I am told she was the best Gayer golfer of the day. Way to go Tay. God has given her an amazing athletic ability. She looks small and scrawny but my girls got game !
When we celebrate the rest of her birthday girlie style I will post more. Taylor the model golfer . She can hardly contain her excitement.

The clubs !

See Mom this is how I swing .

Halloween Party

2008-10-28T09:05:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night The Friesens had a Halloween Party. We all had a great time hanging out with friends and watching the kids play. Thanks Aaron and Christina we had so much fun ! Taylor as Sleeping Beauty, Jake as a construction worker, and Sam as Hannah Montana.

I went as Caitlen the Volleyball player and Scotty was my coach. Cate said I could wear her Waterpolo suit but I wisely said NO!

Homecoming

2008-10-28T08:56:00.001-07:00

On Saturday Caitlen had Homecoming. She looked so beautiful. She went with a bunch of friends in a huge group. They had a blast ! Here are a few shots of my girlie all cleaned up.

My little Man

2008-10-24T21:54:00.000-07:00

I love this age! Yes Jake is 2 and I'm not gonna lie I love it. Everything is a new adventure,and anything can become exciting. I love that everyday there are new words ,and that they are said in there own special way. A horse is a hee haw , and a cow is a moo. It is so amazing that I can feel this way again and again. Jake has started saying "I do it ,no help me " . He wants to do everything himself. Then when he gets tired or can't do something he stands in front of me with those big brown eyes , sticks his bottom lip out and says " I a baby mom, I a baby" Then snuggles into my arms. It completely melts my heart. I know exactly how quickly these moments in time pass and I love this moment ! I am so thankful that God gave us this little guy. Yes that is a hammer ! He also sleeps with trucks,cars and last night a baseball. But he is never without his blanket and dog . See there is a soft side.

Soccer , Soccer , Soccer

2008-10-06T22:05:00.000-07:00

Soccer season is in full swing. Which means on any and every night of the week you will find us on the field. The girls are playing great and even more important having fun. Both the girls team colors are green this year which makes it easy to wear team colors. Yes supportive moms are supposed to do that. Well when you have a cute green shirt that is. There teams are also both in second place. Go Grasshoppers and Gator Girls !!! Taylor scored 2 goals this week . And Sam did a really good job running . She kills me she pumps her little arms so hard and runs so slow ,then she looks over with a smirk on her face and gives me a thumbs up. Eventually I will get a picture of this.
I don't have any new Volleyball pictures this week because she only seems to play when I am not there. She made some great digs and even a few kills this weekend at there tournament. They are also now ranked in the top ten in the county. Not sure what # But I will post it when I find out. They lost tonight to Eldorado . That means a killer practice tomorrow. Hopefully They will win Wednesday night. Go Canyon !!
The team they played on Saturday kept pushing . Taylor got knocked down several times and had her shirt pulled so hard they turned her all the way around. The Ref didn't call any of these offenses. She came off the field and in her squeaky little voice told her coach "what is wrong with that Ref ! Those girls are pushing me all over out there!"

She scored here. Taylor is really good at bringing the ball up the field. She is still working on passing. She is getting better but loves to score and have everyone cheer for her. Who can blame the girl. Thats the best part ! Scott has been telling her that passing and making the assist is just as good as scoring. But she is not convinced. She looks at him like yeah right Dad, and told him that no one cheers and yells out your name for that! She has a point. But I am not encouraging it.
Sammy loves Taylors Coach Hank. He was there softball coach last year and she calls him coachy. He was so sweet and came to see her play last week. This made her day. Look how relaxed my husband is at Sams game. Totally different story at Taylors games !
This is his position at Tays games. How cute is Jake trying already to be like his Dad.

Go Sam ! There is still a case of swarm ball .....But seriously how cute is she.
How many games do we have to go to today??
Grandpa Mel with Taylor , Jake and Sadie the dog
There are those arms. You would think she is the fastest runner ever. But no not so much. She does good though. She is always right there with the ball.
Well after 4 practices ,a soccer clinic,2 games, a pizza party ,and a pool party. This week in soccer is done. Until next week that is.

The Fiesta

2008-09-18T09:25:00.000-07:00

Every September there is a Fiesta at a church by our house. We go with a bunch of neighbors. They have rides, games, confetti eggs, silly string and even margaritas. It is good times for us all.We always run into old friends we haven't seen in years. So here are some shots of us at play. Caitlen mostly hangs out with her friends but did grace us with her presence. Notice the confetti all over her back.
Our neighbor Jon and his girl Sam !
Ok I will explain the whole confetti egg thing. They sell cartons of confetti filled eggs. The kids love it and talk about it all year. I am just glad I don't have to clean it up. Although I am still finding it in Jakes stroller.

Jake loved the rides. He had the biggest smile on his little face.
Matthew our neighbor and Taylor.
Caitlen and Raquel.
What a shock. Singing and dancing
It was just to much fun for my little man.

This week in sports

2008-09-17T15:22:00.000-07:00

This week was the start of our sports madness. Between all of the practices and games there is little else going on over here.

This week Caitlen had 2 volleyball games and a tournament. She made some great digs! After her 3 hour volleyball practices every day, 2 nights a week she is then going to 2 hour water polo practices. Oh to be in high school again.

Taylor played great this week ! On Saturday she scored 4 of the 7 goals. Yes 4 ! The Gator girls won 7-0 . Her coach told her she could have a scoop of ice-cream for each goal. Although she could have easily eaten 4 I made her settle for 2. Way to go Tay!

Sam had her first game of the year on Saturday. She played so good! I love to see the concentration on her little face. The grasshoppers won 4-0 . Good job Sam! We didn't even have to go in the nasty park bathroom. This is an amazing thing we usually go about 4 times. I guess it was my lucky day.

September 11th

2008-09-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

As we remember this tragic day in our history I am reminded yet again how thankful and grateful I am to have been off 7 years ago. It could have so easily been a flight I was on. Being a flight attendant I think of this day every single time I step on to the plane. My thoughts and prayers are with all of those who lost so much on that day.

I was on a flight to San Francisco this morning for a training class. As I sat listening to my ipod looking out the window I was once again in awe of all that God has created. My heart was so touched I wanted to cry. I am challenged to not waist a single minute God has given. So many went to work that day to do there normal every day job.....Never to return. When people die we often think of our own life, and are touched to do or be more. As a Christian I have given my life to Christ. But can people always tell. I would love to say yes but that I am sure would be a lie. So on this day of reflection in my own heart I am challenged . Through Christ all things are possible. Even in a girl like me.

So go hug your family and friends tight ! And be more today. I love you all!!!

A day in the life .......of a CRAZY person!!

2008-09-09T21:04:00.000-07:00

Today was one of the all to typical days in our week. So sit back and laugh at what I did today.

6:30~ The morning started off a little busy because we were running late last night because of soccer and didn't get showers in. I know gross yet not the grosses thing I have seen as a mom. Not even close. I feed them, dress them and even brush there hair and teeth, get all things needed together for school. Ooops except for the library book for Sam. Sorry Sam! And we 're off. To school that is.
8:00~ I help out on Tuesdays in the class . So Scott had Jake, and I got to play school with the girls. I do enjoy being there to help. Although I have no desire to do it all day every day. Thankfully there teachers are amazing. Today is half day so the kids are out at 12:10. I load them all in and we are off again.
12:30~ Now home to make a quick lunch, do homework and pick up Caitlen.
1:00~ Ok now for the fun part .....Caitlen needs a passport for her upcoming trip to the Dominican Republic. So on are way to get it we stop to get a birthday present for a party at 2:00 , and drop off a bill. Just in time to make our 1:30 appointment. We get all the paperwork filled out and I show my id . Which the lady informs me is expired. I had no idea! I never even got anything in the mail. No id no passport for her. So I call Scott and he drops off my passport on his way to the kids party. Crises solved! I also needed his license number for the check (to pay for the passport) because they wouldn't take my expired one. I guess I will be going to the DMV tomorrow !
2:15~ I meet up with Scott and the kids at the party. It is an ice skating party.Yes we all skated. I think this counts as a date. It was so fun to skate with the kids. I had roller skating flashbacks and made Scott hold my hand as we went around. Just once ,I know I am a dork. Scott is good at everything he trys he is even a better ice skater than me. Well its time to divide and concur again.
4:00~ I am off to work the snack bar for Volley ball and watch Caitlen play . She did a great job! and Scott finished up the party and took the girls to soccer5~6. Then they met us at the gym for the end of the games. No the day is not done.
7:30~ Home , Dinner , more homework , and finally bed at 8:30 not to bad considering. No they did not get a shower which means another early morning. Or maybe they will just be grimy tomorrow.Lucky for everyone they don't stink yet. All in all not to bad. now that they are all asleep I can do laundry, dishes ,and scrape all 3 meals off the floor.Of course there is food on the floor. I think a dog would really cut down on my work load! And tomorrow we get to do a different version of the same madness.
For all of you who think it will be sooo much easier when they get older....... I am sorry to be the voice of reality. I would love to say this is not how we normally live. But that would be a lie. Here are a few shots of my sweet kids .
Caitlen crawled in Jakes crib to snuggle. She to is exhausted after her day.
Sam steals Jakes binkies ! We do not encourage this behavior but she is sneaky.
3 out of 4 is not to bad. At least she is in the bed. sometimes that is the best I can hope for. I can make them stay in bed but I can not make them sleep. Have a great night.

Welcome to Varsity!!

2008-09-07T22:20:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Varsity!! Caitlen was surprised last Friday by some of her Volley ball teammates at 5:30am. They kidnapped her and several other girls and took them to breakfast in there jammies. Then they got to go to school in there spandex. Which they love. So here are a few high lights . Caitlen was lucky one girl forgot to grab shoes and only wore socks all day. Team bonding at its best.

I now have a Senior

2008-09-07T16:30:00.000-07:00

See there is that look. Are you seriously going to take my picture. Yes Cate I am ! And then I am going to post it on my blog for all to see. One of the benefits to having a teenager. Everything you do is embarrassing. It truly is the best thing about this age. HEHEHE

I now have a senior. I know it sounds crazy , and I am not referring to my parents. Caitlen started her senior year this past week. I am amazed at how quickly life goes. It seems like yesterday I was graduating from high school. And although I am excited for all this year and the ones to come will hold for her, my heart breaks a little to realize my role in her life will be changing. I know I have done my best (don't ask her yet she will say I suck, give it a year or 5) to raise her . Not just to be a great person or some one who does great things . But to be a girl who loves God with all her heart and desires to serve Him. So please keep us both in your prayers. I think wisdom and patience would be a great start !

So after all thees years of first days of school you would think my daughter would be prepared to smile one last time. I mean this is the last first day of High School! So here are a few of those all to special shots. In case there is any doubt YES the first day of college will be documented. How could it not Its the FIRST!!

Cousins Luke B-Day

2008-08-28T22:44:00.000-07:00

My nephew Luke is now 5. Time really does fly. We all got together for a party at Grandma Judy's house. It is always fun times when we are all together. As always Billie did a great job ! Uncle Dave with Jake , Shayna, and Luke. No my son will not sink. He is fearless in the water and loves to go under....So we make it so he can't drown.
Jake versus the shark......Jake is winning
Uh Oh........
And its official the shark wins!
Me and my oldest girlie

Ok so here is the deal.......Scott 38 and his brother Mike 40 think they can take Travis and Tyler. They are 18 and 19. Jungle ball is a serious game. With serious bragging rights. They have the desire ....they have the heart...... all that is missing is the 19 year old body. I miss it to.
They fought hard and dirty but still they did not pull off the win.
I think maybe the new rule should be no one over 35 gets to play jungle ball. Scott has asked me to remind him next time how sore he was the next day. I think these pictures should do the trick.
I still love you babe !! Even more than when you were 19 . Oh and if you didn't have arthritis soo bad I know you would have won . See I am a supportive wife !

Girls Weekend at the hotel Del

2008-08-25T11:31:00.000-07:00

I have had such a great week! Cleo (Scotts Mom) treated us to a 3 days in San Diego at the hotel Del Coronado. I am so blessed to not only love my mother-n-law but my sister-n-law(Billie) as well. We had such a great time. Cleo and Jade would relax at the lounge while Billie and I headed off for messages and to play on the beach. We could just lay there reading our people magazine without having to chase , referee or even rescue anyone. Then we moved on to the adult pool. Who even knew that kind of thing existed. I did not even have to jump in and save anyones kid . This is a good thing. We had fabulous dinners ,wines and even deserts. I think I could live this life. We laughed , shopped, and layed in the sun. PERFECT!!
Scott got to spend some special quality time with the kids. He is not as thankful for these little get aways as I am. Actually he was so sweet the house was even clean when I got home. He made all the kids play out front while they waited for me to get home. This was the only way to ensure the house stayed clean. Thanks babe for having the wisdom to know this was just what I needed. I can be a better wife with the wine.... Oh I ment with these breaks.
Hotel Del
This is the view from our room . Sooo pretty how can you not the love the sun and the ocean.
Billie and I . After a day of messages and sun. Now on to dinner
Jade and Cleo. Our vacation partners.

The whole group.
Lunch in La Jolla. It just kept getting better
Two happy girls

Cleo Again I can't thank you enough. What a special thing for you to do for us. Love you!

Now I have to go do laundry I am just a little behind.

Yo Gabba Gabba

2008-08-10T20:21:00.000-07:00

One of the Moms on Sam's Brownie troop does the choreography for the show Yo Gabba Gabba. So we were able to get a behind the scenes tour. It was so fun to see how it is all done. The characters even came out and took pictures with the girls. Sam was very excited. What a great experience for the girls. Sam was in her element. My little performer. Thanks Shannon ! Sammy girl
All the characters
On the set.

My little guy

2008-08-10T19:56:00.000-07:00

This week was crazy as they all seem to be . Soccer started on Monday and Tuesday then continued on Thursday and Friday. Lucky me we get to be on the soccer field almost every night of the week. In September we will add in Awana on Wednesday night and Volleyball games 2 nights a week oh and soccer games on Saturday. Really I have no idea how I am going to finagle this lovely schedule. The hardest part is trying to figure out dinners. I can only cook so many things in the crock pot. Practices are 5-6 and I really like the kids in bed by 7. Yes I know this will never work. If any one has some good quick recipes please pass them my way.
Heidi's little guys came over to play the other day . They had so much fun ! I love that we are so close. I make them swing this way because i am to lazy to push them constantly. Jake thinks its great ,but Chaz and Anthony were on to my scheme.
So this is what happens when you have older sisters. Even spiderman is mad.
Aunt Kathy got Jake this truck from UPS . He loves cars and trucks .Thanks Aunt Kathy !!Jake does not talk very much but his new word is strong. He grunts while he says it. He needs to be strong with all these girls.

Summer catch up

2008-07-23T01:23:00.000-07:00

Ok I have been a little lazy with the blog. Ok Ok a lot lazy . In my defense I have had to work alot lately and we have been busy playing. Well now I am all caught up. So sit back and read all about our summer.

Last day of school

2008-07-23T01:09:00.000-07:00

Wow I can't believe how fast this year has gone. Sammy had graduation from kindergarten. So cute. Although she said she hated it she still can't tell me why. I think its because she has to get up early she is not a morning person. She told me this is the stupidist thing I have ever signed her up for and to never sign her up for it again. She is going to be disappointed for a few more years. Its funny because she loved everything about school reading ,math,recess,art,her teacher, and yet said she hated it every day. That's just Sam. She did great and learned alot. Samantha and Mrs. Feeney

Miss Randall was Taylors teacher this year. She taught Taylor so much I feel so blessed to have a teacher who cares so much for my daughter. Taylor had a great year and grew so much.

Fathers day

2008-07-23T00:58:00.000-07:00

Happy fathers day !!I feel so blessed to have a husband who is my very best friend and a great Dad to our kids. I knew before I ever married him that he was a great dad because I got to watch him with Caitlen. Now that we have four kids he is even more amazing . I love how he handles things with them. We woke him up before church to honor him... He was not really all that excited but he humored us anyway. It is always fun to see what the kids made. Thanks for being the best Husband and father ever. I love you babe!

Hume Lake

2008-07-22T23:55:00.000-07:00

The start to our vacation this year was crazy. We had planned to leave when Scott got off work on Monday night. I was scheduled to fly but didn't think I would get a trip. Well I was wrong not only did I get a trip but I was not scheduled to get home till 11pm. We were not going to let that ruin our short little trip. The plan was to leave when I got home and this way the kids would sleep the whole way to Hume. (about 6 hours) Well Things never quite go the way they are supposed to...... My flight got delayed and I got stuck in Denver. I begged to not stay there and they let me fly into Ontario instead of LAX.They wanted me to not fly out until the next day which would have ment we could not go on our vacation. I got in around midnight and Scott and the kids picked me up. We stopped by LAX to get the stuff I had in my car for the trip and off we went.
Hume Lake holds such a special place in my heart. My grandparents,parents and Aunt and Uncles built our cabin when I was 2. I have been going there my whole life. Caitlen had Volleyball and had to stay home with my parents. It is never the same without her there. We had so much fun hiking,fishing,swimming,playing games and eating lots of ice-cream. I feel so blessed to have such a fun family. Again there are lots of pictures and my attempt to put a video on here. Scott had to load the car since I was stuck in Denver one of the things that got left behind was my good camera. Thankfully I had this one in my purse.

They all want to be the first to catch a fish. We caught about 15 this night. Scott would sneek out of the cabin at dusk so he could actually fish.Instead of doing all the work and letting the kids reel them in.
Taylor the adventurer

They almost killed each other but I got the shot. Note to self not a good idea to have them both on the swing.

Really is it surprising the kids are so twisted?

He looks like a natural to me! How cute is he
What do we do now Dad?

Of course the girls fish. They love to throw them back after they hold them.

Hiking with mom. The girls look so little here.

Jake loves spoons. If he has ice-cream in a cone he has to use a spoon. actually he needs a spoon for everthing he eats even popcorn.
Sammy trying to push Taylor away from her.

Scott was so excited to help Jake catch his first fish. This is a big deal in our family. Jake did not want to touch the fish but later he really got into it.Hopefully this video works because it is really cute.

Swim lessons

2008-07-22T23:33:00.000-07:00

The girls had swim lessons at Canyon this year. I so enjoy watching them. They both did such a great job. This year they both went off the diving board . A really big deal especially for Samantha.

Every time I see this picture it makes me laugh. She is so scared and yet is putting her whole heart into it.

4th of July

2008-07-22T22:58:00.001-07:00

Happy 4th of July !! We Celebrated the day with a neighborhood block party. Jon and Kathy have us all over every year. We swim , bbq , and walk to the park to see the fireworks. I love this day. It is so fun to hang out with everyone. We have great neighbors ! There are a lot of pictures but they were all so cute I couldn't help myself . And by now you have to know I love to take pictures.
Jake loved the fireworks. He was not afraid at all. Tay on the other hand was not a fan.
Caitlen and Jaime were along for the ride
The park is about a mile from our house so we load up the strollers and the wagons and head on down. Some of us love this tradition and some of them fight it every year. The fireworks are right over our heads so we lay on the blankets and it looks like it is raining sparks.

my guys
Jake loves to swim. He is fearless . He loves to jump off the side and goes underwater. He swims all over the pool with only the help of all his floaties.
Sammy girl
This year Taylor has really become a great little swimmer and jumper
Taylor and Kathy before the fireworks started

Taylor jumped or cannon balled off the board all day .
Samantha the little model
This picture cracks me up. They are just about to jump off the board. I think Cate might be worried.

Hope you all had as much fun as we did. Thanks Jon and Kathy for having us over to play!

Summer Fun

2008-07-22T22:49:00.001-07:00

I really really want a pool! But for now that is not a possibility.Sooo this is the way we stay cool on these 100 degree summer days. The girls and I created this water slide. They have a blast ! Even Jake loves to play out there with them. I love hot summer days with popsicles and our make shift pool!

VBS

2008-07-22T22:28:00.000-07:00

This week I got to teach the soon to be first graders at our VBS . The theme this year was God's big backyard and was all about serving. Serving family,friends neighbors,and God. I love this theme. The kids were great and I got to teach with my friend Emily. It is so much more fun to have a partner. We made a great team !
I am always trying to find ways to give back that don't actually cost money ...well because we don't really have much to spare these days. But you don't need money to serve. Giving of your time is sometimes even more important.It is so important to stop the crazyness of life to remember to let God's light shine through us. God can use you if you take the time to let him. You never know what a kind word means to someone. So we are really focusing on ways to continue serving this summer. I am trying not to abuse the power of serving mommy.I really like that one! Anyway I encourage you all to take the time to serve .You will get far more than you give. :)

Samantha's 6th Birthday

2008-07-22T21:55:00.001-07:00

On July 16th my littlest girl turned 6 ! We had such a fun day .We had VBS in the morning and Miss Sarah had the whole church sing her happy birthday. Which Sam loved. Our next stop was to drop Jake off to nap with Grandpa, and pick up Grandma for our girlie day. We headed off to to L.A. to the American Girl store. For those of you who have all boys this is quite a big deal. This is a huge 2 story store filled with American girl dolls. So fun ! Sam and Taylor brought the doll they already had and they (the dolls ) got there hair done. I know I know it sounds crazy but it was worth every penny for Sam's poor doll. She is very loved and if you look at Sam's special hair cut her doll Nikki was lucky enough to play hair dresser with her That day . The lady who took her doll gasped and was not sure she would be able to help.... But apparently she is REALLY good at her job because Nikki looked like new. Well at least for a few minutes. Luckily I got a picture of Samanthas special hair and her dolls. She told me she was trying to make her hair look cute. I told her she didn't ! (I am trying to put a stop to these little hair cuts.) She looked at me with those big green eyes and said with a little sigh I know. Sam got to pick out a new doll and a little outfit for her. Tay got to pick out an outfit also and with the money they had saved they each got another little outfit. I was really proud of myself for sticking to the budget .It would have been so easy to go crazy in this store. Sam picked out a double stroller for my mom and dad to get her. It was so fun to watch them squeel and giggle as they ran from thing to thing. It was a very fun day. Although we talked about how this would be her birthday celebration she is still a little upset that all the family did not come over to celebrate. So hopefully this weekend I will make that happen. Birthdays just need to be celebrated ! I love you little Sammy girl HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Sam and Nikki
Nikki and Kit getting there hair done. Yes this is for real . I laughed to.
Taylor and Samantha with there special treats.
My birthday girl
Grandma and the girls

First day of school

2008-07-22T21:24:00.000-07:00

Well it's official summer is over and school is in. Well at least for my little girls. Taylor is now a big third grader and Sam has graduated up to the big playground and is now in first grade. They were both so excited to start this new adventure. Sam is still conviced school should start much later so she can sleep in. She is right she is a bear in the morning! We are so blessed this year and both girls have incredible teachers. Sammy has the same teacher Taylor had last year. This was a huge answer to prayer because we did not think she would get into that class. But as always God is looking out for my little ones and just a few days before school was to start a spot opened up. Usually I walk the kids to there class and take pictures of them at there new desks . Well I am finding it is really hard to do this with 2 . Luckily Sam's class went in first so I went in with her . So cute she is so little her feet don't even touch the floor at her desk. For some reason this was the breaking point for me. I didn't even know I was sad ,but there I was trying not to cry kissing my big little girl goodbye.
Then I was running ,seriously I was running across campus to get to Tays class . I got there just as they were walking in. Which is good because this was a moment that I was not supposed to miss . This year Taylor is in the same class as her best friend Christine. This is another huge answer to prayer. The teacher let them pick where they wanted to sit so Tay and Christine ran to the front of the class and got front row seats right next to each other. This to touched my heart. I am so thankful she has such a sweet best friend. Look at that little face she is so excited!
Taylor and Christine

The Dentist

2008-06-12T21:50:00.000-07:00

The last two days I have had to get up at 3:00 am . Really not my favorite time to awake. But United does not seem to care that I can not go to sleep until after midnight or that I get crabby when I never get to sleep. I flew in this morning from Washington D.C. and got home just in time to meet Scott and Taylor at the dentist. Tay has had a tooth that has been hurting and I could see a cavity on another tooth .I wish I could tell you how brave she was and how she didn't even flinch. But the would be a big fat lie. This is what really happened....So I knew this was going to be a huge deal. Taylor hates shots. I know every one hates them even I want to cry a little when I see those needles. But my little girl REALLY hates them. She goes into panic survival mode. She just kind of freaks out. She starts trying to get away and yelling at the doctor to leave her alone, and not touch her. I want to laugh because she is being crazy and then I see the terrified look on her little face and I start to cry to. Well I get tears in my eyes so I pull it together and try to reel her back in . Not easy. So this is what happens for a regular little shot in the arm can you even imagine the panic and mayhem when she discovered they were going to give the shot in her mouth? Not her best moment ! Its really WORSE than I am making it sound . They told her she was scaring all the other patients, and when we left every one in the waiting room asked if she was the one screaming,and if she was O K . Of course he had to renumb it 4 times to get it all numb . Not good. Even the sight of that ugly needle sent her over the edge. One tooth was abscessed so it had to come out and then she has 2 other cavities. I am not sure how this happened she is a great little brusher and drinks only water. I was a little bummed because he pulled the 1 tooth and said he was done . That means we have to come back for round 2. She has already told us she wants no part of that and she is going to wiggle the other teeth out so she does not have to go back EVER. I really hope Tay gets those teeth out too ! I am so thankful Scott was there today he is so patient and calm. He has a way of holding us all together. We make a great team. Lucky me I have such a great husband. So here is a picture with her little treasure box with her big fat hurty tooth inside. I am sure the tooth fairy will be most impressed with this special tooth tonight.

My little Daisy girl

2008-06-07T21:35:00.000-07:00

My little Daisy girl is now a Brownie !! How cute is she. Her troop leaders did such a great job this year . Thanks guys !! They had there bridging ceremony at Yorba Regional Park this week. Sam loved Daisies.....crafts , snacks , and friends of course she loved it. Here are a few of the highlights.
Anything can become a microphone.
Yes they are all the same age. Sam is a little on the shrimpy side.
Getting her Brownie pin
Sam is so sentimental, right after this picture she pulled all the petals off her flower and through it in the stream. Life is never dull or predictable with this little one.

Soccer Season

2008-05-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

This was a tough season for our little roadrunners. Seriously look at how big these amazon children are. Our team was small and young but played great. Of course we had the best coach. I will miss this team. It is rare that you get a team with such great parents. Practices were so fun because there were so many people to talk to. Lets just be honest if I am going to sit or(chase Jake) on the Field 3 days a week then I need fun people to hang with. I can't imagine how next year will compare. Taylor played so great. I am amazed at how she can run into a crowd of kids and always come out with the ball. She is tuff and seems to have a natural gift for this game. She tells me she loves to run and steal the ball from the other girls and score. Go Tay! It is so fun to watch her play. No I am not to proud you should see her play . :) It was so fun for Scott to be able to go to most of her games while he was between jobs. He always has to work weekends so this was a real treat. Scott is working in Irvine now which is a lot closer than he was before. Which is great ! I am so thankful to have a husband who takes such great care of us. Even though these last two months should have been crazy stressful God showed us his grace . As I started back to work Scott was off. Huge blessing! The girls are finally adjusting to me being back. I work about 2 days a week. It is a nice break and still enables me to spend most of my time with the kids. This month I only had to work one day. I have prayed so long about whether or not to go back,and how it would impact my family. I am just so glad God has made it work better than I even hoped. I don't know why I struggle to give things over to Him I know He has it in His hands. Pastor Mike was talking about prayer on Sunday and the different answers we receive, (yes,no,wait) well I am always up for the yes answers,and really could do without the no's and the waits.I mean really who likes to wait, or worse be told NO. But God has a perfect plan in spite of my short comings and I look forward to seeing what He has in store. Enjoy these pictures of Tay versus the amazon girls. She looks so scrawny! I love that little girl !

Swim Season is over

2008-05-27T10:16:00.000-07:00

This time of year is always filled with mixed emotions. On one hand I am so happy to not have to go to any more practices and games or run the snack bar. But part of me really loves those things and misses them on the off season. Well not the snack bar. Who would miss that.
Caitlen did great this year. I am truely amazed at how hard she works she is at school from 6:45 am till 6:00 pm every day. This swim season she qualified for finals but did not get to go because they only take the top 4 from each school for each event and she was number 5 . We are so proud of her !! Even though I complain about keeping 3 small children occupied on those stupid bleachers for 3 hour swim meets twice a week . I wouldn't miss it for anything. So here are a few shots of many of her in the pool. Seriously can you believe I took these shots? I know ! I am even holding a squirming baby and trying to keep them all out of the pool. No easy job I must say. I am shocked and surprised that not one of them has fallen in yet. There is always next year.

Happy Birthday Jake

2008-05-27T09:22:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my little guy turned two this week. Its funny how it seems he was just born and at the same time like he has been here forever. I truely can not imagine our family without him. I am so blessed for all God has given to us. We had all the family over to celebrate Jake's special birthday. It was a little crazy because it was raining and all the kids had to stay inside. The house feels really small on nights like this. There are 10 cousins now!
Jake loved opening all his presents. He is all boy he loves trucks ,balls and dogs.
Yes Caitlen is holding down his arms. Blowing out candles is a little scary for us. When Sammy was almost three she set her hair on fire blowing out a candle on a table. Very scary to see flames on your childs head. So we are a bit more cautious now. Sammy has taught us alot of things.
My four little monkeys

The boy really likes cake. Actually anything sweet. He still doesn't say very many words but he can say candy. I am so blown away that my heart can be so full of love for this little guy. It never gets old. Even after four kids . The littleset things still amaze me. I am just so thankful God gave me this little guy.

Just a reagular day

2008-05-12T18:43:00.000-07:00

I am so glad you can put pictures on here. Now no one will think I make this stuff up. You will need no visual for the first thing. This afternoon Jake came running up to me with dark brown all over his hands and shirt. Some might think It was mud or even chocolate. It is best to smell to determine the culprit. Oh course it was NOT chocolate ....It was poop ..... At least I didn't taste it. These kids poop way to much!!
While I was giving Jake a bath Sammy came in . When I asked her why she would do this to her face she told me she was a spy. This is how spys look Mom they have those crazy things above their eyes. She blends right in don't you think?

Happy Mothers Day

2008-05-12T18:11:00.000-07:00

I think Mothers Day is the perfect time to start this blog. Personally I really like Mothers Day. I mean I get presents and get to use this day as a threat to all who try and disagree with me. Who wouldn't love that.
We woke up this morning to the normal Sunday crazies. Trying to get all these kids up,dressed,fed,hair brushed, shoes and panies on, and out the door is no easy task. As we were getting in the car I decided I wanted of picture. I know what was I thinking....So after many attempts at the perfect shot I decided it was time to go. But Scott and the girls thought presents would be better. I thought about how we were going to be late for Church. But quickly realized it was more important to take the the time for them. Well and I was getting presents.
They gave me perfume and bubble bath. Sammy made a beautiful pin that I got to wear today and Tay made me a flower pen. Scotty thank you for always making me feel so special.
After Church we made the mad dash home to try and hide the way we really live. Everyone had a mess to clean or disguise so my family could come over for lunch. I know this could not have happened without Caitlens help. Thanks ! It is so great to have my Mom so close. I am so thankful to have her example on how to be such a great Mom. We had a fun day. They all left at 4:30 and at 5:00 we headed over to Aunt Billies to celebrate with Scotts family. Scott was even able to make it for desert. (he had to work) Jake was so tired. He played all day with no nap. He was a real trooper not even 1 melt down just a dazed look. You will have to ask cate about the swing. What a perfect day filled with family .Thanks Billie for a yummy dinner. I am doubly blessed to have Cleo so close as well. Thanks for always being there for us. Happy Mother's Day