Sunday, December 13, 2009

Lyla



Just because I didn't post her birthday does not mean she is forgotten about or that I am a bad mom. (Hey, she is still the same size, so it's like I am doing it on time.) What does make me a bad mom is when I curse at her little 17 lb, rashy body! Who curses at a little baby?! Ok, so I say it in my head, but still. And maybe I don't curse AT her, just at the situation. Ya, that's better.

Lyla has come into our family and completely flipped everything and everyone over! I feel like a new, unexperienced mom again. Aside from her many, many food allergies (about 25 just off the top of my head...which are all mostly gone now thanks to our new voodoo doctor, Dr. Babcock!), she doesn't sleep or eat or grow like my other girls. She will only sleep right next to me and cries if I don't hold her during the day. (That's why I curse.) Her first year has been really difficult for her and me. It has taught me a lot though. I know I need to relax and not let stupid things upset me. (It's a work in progress). I know that time flies by too fast as well. I can't believe it is almost Chrismas! When did that happen??

Aside from her ailments, Lyla has been so much fun in our family! She loves Chloe and Sophie and gets so excited to play with them. When they all have a babysitter, Lyla will usually only let her sisters hold her and they both rub her tummy to sleep. She tries to do summersaults and flips like they do, and will turn my face to make sure I am watching them.

Since I didn't do a birthday tribute to her, this is just the same but later.

A few things you might not know about Lyla:
1. She stares at you like she is looking straight into your soul. Aunts and uncles beware!
2. She gets about 3 baths a day.
3. She will cry until she is picked up, even if you are on the toilet.
4. She will itch your arm or back when you are holding her, just from habit.
5. When she had her first birthday cake she broke out in a horrible rash and Brit said, "we might as well have given her a bag of needles to play with."
6. She was born weighing 4 lbs. 3 oz. At one year 16 lbs seems so small, if an average 8 lb. baby had grown like her, it would be as if he were 32 pounds. (That's what my college education taught me right there!)
7. She hates her car seat with a wild passion.
8. If you want to be her best friend, give her a cup of crushed ice.
9. She is a shoulder dancer just like her dad.
10. She keeps her arm shoved down the front of my shirt, also just like her dad.
11. She comes in the bathroom after me and closes all the drawers and doors, even if she is crying.
12.When she whines she says her name "Alylyla."
13. She cries and whines at me almost all day. When her dad walks in the door, she actually squeels with delight! It is pretty cute though, I have to admit...
14. She hates wearing clothes with a wild passion.
15. Her hair has yet to come in on the sides. But hey, some people PAY to have their hair cut like that.
16. I don't tkink her little hamster hands and feet have grown since birth.
17. She loves riding in her wagon.

Lyla's the best girl!


Monday, November 23, 2009

Today's Mama Giveaway

The holiday season is wonderful. Full of joy, wonder...and work. Especially if you have a handmade holiday in mind. We want to make the season a bit easier on you by giving away a sleighful of gifts that only a mother could love. Our “sleigh” is a Madsen Bike filled with gifts and goodies from Provo Craft to help you create those handmade projects including a Yudu screen-printing machine, a Cuttlebug, a Cricut Expression Machine, a Your Story thermal book binder, and a Knifty Knitter loom set. That’s not all - we’ve got treasures galore - a Dyson Blueprint, an Easy Walker Sky stroller from MamaBargains.com, two Sidekick baby carrier bags from Kemby and an Amber Alert GPS unit and a full year of service.That’s over $3,800 in gifts!Entering this contest is easy and fun. Just answer and post the meme below on your blog and send us the link. (Don’t have a blog, no problem! You can post this as a note in Facebook and send us the link too.)To participate you must include all of the text, including the links, in bold below:Mama’s Holiday Wish List MemeTodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?
Wii, Rock Band, new sheets (mine are ripped to shreds), hobo wallet in cobalt blue, pretty dessert plates from Anthropologie.

2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?
I LOVE the homemade chocolates my neighbors make. My husband and I fight over the last one!

3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?
I have always wanted to make the kids pajamas with matching bottoms and initials on the shirt, like my sister in law does.

4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?
When I was 12 I got a huge pink and blue swatch watch wall clock for my room. It was pretty awesome!

5. What items are on your kid’s wish list this year?
American Girl doll, barbies, guitar, talking babies (even though they really freak me out!)

6. What is your favorite holiday food?
Peppermint bark, and anything chocolate dipped!

7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?
Hmmm....hand crafted? Does putting stuff inside of jars with pretty tags and ribbon count? That's what I'll be doing.

8. What is your favorite holiday movie?
'Love Actually' is by far the BEST holiday movie!

9. Favorite holiday song?
'We Three Kings' by Jars of Clay

10. Favorite holiday pastime?
Sitting in my pajamas with my family watching movies (not Love Actually. That's just for me...not the kids)

Friday, September 18, 2009

Savvy Shopper my #@*!

Smith's checker: "Hello, how are you today?"
Me: "Good! Thank you! How are you?"
Checker: "Good, thanks."
Bagger (with greasy hair and tongue ring): "Hi! How are you?"
Me: "Good thanks! How are you?"
Bagger: "Good......Wow, you look really tired!"
Checker (whipping his head around): "That was really rude!"
Bagger: "No, I'm just sayin'...you just look exhausted!"
Me: "Oh, hah. Ya (smoothing out my ponytail), ya."
Bagger: "Like, you just look like you've had a really long day. Have you had a long day?"
Me: "Oh. Yeaaah, Yah. Probably. "(Still trying to tuck hair behind my ears. It was, after all, almost 5:30)




Me: "You are never going to guess what the Smith's bagger girl said to me!"
Brit: "How much did you spend?"
Me: "$40"
Brit: " Is this seriously what you just bought?"
Me: "Yes."
Brit: "Why were you in such a rush to do it today? And why did you buy 9 boxes of cereal and 6 boxes of lean cuisine?!
Me: "Well, the Smith's ad started today, and I was worried that it would all be gone and those were the only coupons I had that would work because we just signed up for the stupid coupon thing!"
Brit: "I have never known you to buy lean cuisine in all our married life! Why??"
Me: " I thought it was going to be gone because of all the crazy coupon people! I didn't think it would be that much."
Brit: "But I just don't understand, WHY!?"
Me: " I guess I just don't understand how to do it yet! It was stupid, ok? I am trying to save our family money, and if I don't have to buy cereal for a year, then that just saved us a bunch!"
Brit: "I'm not eating lean cuisine."
Me: "I didn't buy it thinking you would! I'll eat them for lunch sometimes. I used to eat them all the time in college..."


Later that night


Brit: "I'm just really worried about this coupon thing. It's like you have some gambling problem with it, or something."
Me: What? What!
Me: "This was my first time doing it this way. I'm trying to help out the family and you are getting mad at me!"
Brit: "I still just don't get why?
Me: "I told you! I thought it was going to be gone, and I wouldn't be able to use the coupons!"
Brit: "Ok, I guess. I'm sorry. I'm not mad. I just don't get it..."
Brit: "Are you sorry too?"
Me: "Did you just say sorry, to get a sorry out of me? Because I'm not sorry."
Brit: "Whoa! This is rediculous and has gone on way too long."


The Next Day (over text)


Me: "Are you going to Salt Lake?"
Brit: "No gas money"
Me: "We have gas money. You are just still mad about the $40."
Brit: "I'm not mad. It has nothing to do with the fact that you bought all that, and we still don't have anything to eat"
Me: "Obviously it does if you just said it."
Brit: "We'll just have to agree to disagree on that."


Later that next night at home


Brit: "Let's just be done with this."
Me: "Fine."
Brit: "Are you sorry?"
Me: "I'm not sorry about trying to save our family some money by clipping coupons, NO!"
Brit: "Well, let's just not do the whole coupon thing anymore and see if that's better, ok? It's not worth all of this."
Me: "Well, let me just see how it goes the next couple of times. Some of those people get free things, you know."
Brit: sigh







Friday, August 28, 2009

Summer Lovin'...Had me a blast!

At Hill Air Force Base watching 'The Fabulous Thunderbirds' with Marsh. We walked about 3 miles(no kidding around here) with all three kids crying the whole way. It is our fault though, (when I say our, I mean Brit), we picked the first parking spot we saw. It was no where near where we wanted to be. We walked in and everyone was leaving for the day.

Our second attempt at a family campout. There is a camping spot a couple of miles behind where we live. Brit is using some of his assistant (to the) scout master skills.


Our view to the east...

Our view to the south...

Our view that led us stright home...

Maybe next year dad

Fourth of July parade with the Hanseen girls. It's perfectly "normal" to get teary-eyed at a parade, right?

They both got to do one ride each, so the pick the longest line and most expensive.

This girl to the right loves her job. And yes. She is wearing shorts.

A little patriotic limbo with the Brown's

At the lake on Idaho Falls with the cousins





Jet setting to Las Vegas

At the water fountains

Brit and Soph racing down together

Evie...

Ivie...

Over!

We had a combined Bday BBQ/pool party with me, Papa, Nicky and Mia. Can you guess what the theme was? We sure are glad Kelly was there!

I like to end my day exactly the same.


*Our little Lyla also celebrated her 1st year in June. This will be coming soon!

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

For My Schmoopy...Happy Birthday Cristine!!



Is it July 25th yet? I don’t make it to any functions on time, dinners, church, births, why change things now…?

You are my favorite person in the whole entire universe (that’s why I married you)…
Just a thought of you makes me smile…
I think you are smart despite the fact that you think the states are outlined in white chalk…
You get prettier every year we are together…you can’t leave me or you will turn ugly!!
We make really cute babies together…
You can find the good in anyone, even the ones with ugly hair and bad shoes…
You are fun to laugh with, watch movies with,
You are a great mommy…
You are a great wife…
and ummm....the new agey stuff...that's okay too.
Y0u make me laugh, you make me swear sometimes too, but...
You are the only one for me!
Happy Birthday over a month ago!!
If I'm your Wildcat, does that mean you wish I looked more like Troy Bolton??

Love,

Yo Luva

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Waikiki with our Teeny Wahini

One of the perks to Brit's job is his traveling...
He gets to be away for a weekend a month and I get to watch whatever movies and shows I want for 2 days. His work just sent him to Hawaii and Lyla and I were able to go with him! It was so relaxing and wonderful! I realize I am a lot nicer when I hear the ocean.


Lyla loved the ocean, and it even helped her rashes! We do salt water baths at home now.



Yes, I did have to find spf 100 for my little pearl.




She was eating it by the fist-fuls! Isn't that some weird disease or something?


For those of you who have never been there, Matsumoto's Shaved Ice, on the North Shore, is like pure bliss in a plastic cup! They make their own flavors and for .50c more you get a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the bottom. The line is always, no matter what time of day, curved out the door into the parking lot. Last time we were there we got up early and had it for breakfast!



I chose rainbow, and Brit concocted some strange root beer-lime-grape...
I know he was envious of mine right away.

I have to make note of the sunbathing gentleman in the background. We just watched him for like 3 hours. He had a 20lb. weight, a football, one sandal, a camera, and his Minnesota Vikings beach cruiser distinctly placed around him. We would notice after a bit the places would be switched, like he was doing some fung shui order around himself. Every 20 min or so he would stand up and pump the 20 lb. weight! It was awesome. You can't make up family memories like that!

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Sha La La La La La My Oh My!

Sophie turned 4 in April. I have been really looking forward to doing my birthday tribute to her but I keep getting side tracked. I love Sophie! She is so spunky! Sometimes that spunk makes me curse, but for the most part she keeps us all laughing. I was always worried she would have 'middle child syndrome', but I know now...she will be heard!
I love you sweet Sophie! Happy Birthday!


6:14-The exact time you were born in Yorba Linda, CA. And your exact weight! You were my biggest baby.

3- The average number of times you change your clothes on any given day.

16- How old you told Santa you were this year.

11- The age your dad thinks you will be in juvy.

3- The number of stare-downs you have given your 6'5" Papa.

8- The weird and random places we have found you asleep at any time of the day.

2-The number of piggie tails you always want in your hair.

3- The number of times you clap your hands right before you jump into a swimming pool.


2-How many relaxing baths you request each day. (They are called relaxing too!)

4-Equal number of times you will spit at or hug one of us daily.

2- Different kinds of cheese you claim to love/ hate each day.

3- The number of times you have cut your own hair. (Plus one for cutting a friends' hair)


3-The number of mouse traps you have been stuck in.

1- Of a kind. Happy late birthday honey! I love you!