Surprise Visit!

I was very surprised to see my High School best friend Katie calling me late one night last week! We haven't seen eachother in several years, and she was on a business trip in Phoenix and surprised me with a visit!! We had such a good time catching up on our families and reminishing the "good 'ole days." It's so funny that after many years and many changes, it just felt like old times and that we picked up right where we left off! Here's to all my girls out there that have been there for me through the years!! I love you gals!!

Garage Sale Queen!!

I love a good deal! I often clip coupons and scour the store ads for the best deals in town. My forte is bargaining for good deals at garage sales. I sometimes find a few good items, and other times come home empty handed, but today I hit the jackpot!! Moving sales!! I spent a total of $25 and bought everything you see in the pictures below! I received 2 colorful rugs, 10 baskets, 15 books, silk flowers, a paper filer, 5 school shirts for Josh, toy horses, 10 tubs of playdoh and accessories and 4 tubs of dishwashing soap...yes dishwasher soap! Moving sales are the best!

Big Girl!!

Today Brooklyn used the Big Girl potty for the first time!! We are so excited to start this fun adventure of potty training!! We are going to have a "party" tonight and eat cake and ice cream in her honor of becoming a Big Girl!! :-)

My Little Helper!!

We took the kids to McD's for ice cream over the weekend, but Josh was more interested in playing than eating his ice cream. He simply left his on the table to melt. Brooklyn, the good little helper that she is, just couldn't let that ice cream go to waste! She took on the difficult responsibility of eating both!! I couldn't have asked for a more selfless child!! What a big helper!

Please Vote...

on your favorite Mother's Day card. I need to send them out and just can't decide which one....let me know what you think...

All cards found on this blog are available for purchase for $2. For an extra $100, I'll even write in it and mail for ya! :-) LOL

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

We had such a fun Cinco de Mayo party last night! Doug, who served in a Spanish speaking mission, loves the opportunity to create his authentic Mexican food. Unfortunately, his mean 'ole wife only lets him cook Mexican food on special occasions because I'm definately more of a Taco Bell fan! :-) We did enjoy some yummy homemade salsa from Esther, carne asada, flautas, and Navajo Tacos-which is what I ate because it is as close to Taco Bell as I could get!! We had some wonderful friends come over, eat, and then each taking a turn at looking the fool while trying to crack open the piñata! Too bad it broke before I got a turn!

Gisele was our true hero who cracked this monster open!

Instead of stuffing as much candy into their bags, each kid just sat on the floor and ate one piece at a time...or as many pieces that would fit in their mouths at the same time!! :-)

Brooklyn was just so excited with her find!! Isn't that the cutest face!?

Brooklyn and her adorable friend Emma surrounded themselves with pillows to enjoy their sweets! The best part of the evening was knowing that we are truely so blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful friends no matter where we live, or have lived! We love you guys! Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Where's Joshua?

Have any of your read the books "Where's Waldo?" I felt as if I was playing that game this afternoon when I couldn't find Joshua anywhere! I looked in the toy room several times, and every other room in the entire house! I knew that I just heard him talking a few seconds ago, so he couldn't have gone far. It was then that I saw his little feet sticking up in the corner of that toy room! He fell asleep there completely surrounded by his toys!!

Of course he still argues with me every day that only babies takes naps...

I'm so glad when Daddy Comes Home...

...Put my arms around his neck, hug him tight like this!!
Joshua and Brooklyn's favorite part of the day is when Daddy comes home!! It's my favorite part too because it means a break! And because I love to see Doug! :) Last night the kids were so excited to see him that they were fighting over who got to hug him first, but it ended in a compromise of them both attacking their Dad at the same time!! It's just so precious to see how much they love their Daddy, and how much he loves them in return!! I feel so blessed to be surrounded by such pure and innocent love!!

In the Mood

I have been in the mood to paper craft this week! Doug took Josh to run errands last night while Brooklyn slept, so I got so much done!! (My house is a wreck, but that's besides the point...)
My wonderful sister-in-law, Jessica, sent me some fun paper for my birthday that I'm just now getting around to using. I'm having so much fun with it! Thanks Jess!

Future Swim Team

Joshua and Brooklyn found all of our summer swimming gear and were walking around the house with Doug's goggles on. They looked so goofy that I had to snap a picture. Brooklyn just looks like a little bug in her upside down goggles!!

Notice Anything Different!?

I posted this adorable picture of Doug and Joshua wearing similar sweaters a few months ago! Joshua was so excited to look like his Dad and Doug definately loved playing the proud Father role. They were both disappointed a few weeks ago when Doug couldn't find his sweater to to wear to church! We looked everywhere!! I was finishing the laundry when I realized that Doug had actually bought Josh 2 sweaters....wait....that looks a lot like Doug's sweater...OOPS!!! I guess I found it...

Needless to say...I got a long lecture about what clothes can be dried and others that can't...I just rolled my eyes and told him if he wants clean clothes that he can wash his own from now on!! The lecture stopped at that! :-)

He actually tried really hard to put it back on, but that picture was too embarrassing to post!! LOL!!

What is this Creature?!?

I found little creature in my kitchen last night and have no idea what it is!! After I finally stopped screaming becasue it freaked me out, I grabbed the camera, then screamed some more before Doug finally killed it!! I thought it was a scorpion at first, but it didn't have the curved tail in back. I can't get ahold of my bug guy, does anyone have any idea what this is!? It's really creeping me out!!

Card Fever!

I have definately caught the bug for making cards this week! My friend Chelsey helped me cut out these super cute flowers on her cricuit machine, and I've been having so much fun creating with them!! You might even venture to say I'm getting obsessed!

Preschool Field Day!

Joshua' Preschool held a field day in place of classes today. The kids had so much fun climbing through the obstacle course, running in the water race, flapping the parachute and running in the sack race! Josh and his classmates has a blast! What a fun break from classes!

Prima Ballerina!!

Brooklyn started dance lessons! She feels like such a Princess and although she was very shy at first, it didn't take her long to come out of her shell and twirl like a Princess. She looks like such a big girl!

Brooklyn walking across the beam. She just looks so proper!

Towards the end of the class, Brooklyn was done dancing and just stood in front of the mirror twirling her hair. She is such a girl!!!

Wanted: Chicken Salad Recipe!!!

I bought some yummy looking croissant rolls yesterday and I need a really good chicken salad recipe to fill them!! Does anyone have a fabulous recipe they could share with me?!?

Hottie Hawaiian Girls!!

Terri Frakes put on a fabulous Hawaiian themed service auction last week. We had such a blast! We had a hula hooping contest (none of my pics turned out from that), a service action and some fabulous food. She told me that as the auctioneer I had to wear this hot little costume!! I know you're all jealous of it!!

Accessories!! Accessories!!

Brooklyn is such a girl!! We were on our way to dinner with our cousins and Brooklyn noticed that I was wearing a necklace, so of course she had to have one!! One thing led to another, and accessory after another, this is how she showed up ready to go!! Can it get any cuter than this!?

You Scream, I scream, We all scream for Ice Cream!!

Brooklyn was enjoying her ice cream on the beach (on our cruise) but just couldn't finish it fast enough. The face she made after she realized that she dripped all over herself was absolutely classic!!!

Uh oh!! Look what I did!!

Easter Cards

Doug was laughing at me the other night when I woke up and jumped out of bed! He thought one of the kids was screaming, but later learned that I had the cutest idea for Easter cards!! I drug his Mom to every craft store in the valley for the perfect paper and got to work...here are the results!!!